5 Food Items to Avoid During that Time of The Month

Periods, often called as “that time of the month” can be a pain. Cramps, mood swings, body ache, back pains and stretched fatigue and make a vicious cycle that repeats itself every month. Avoiding periods is impossible but avoiding or reducing body pain and cramps is easy if proper diet is followed during these four days.

There are foods or certain elements in the food that we consume which trigger the period and lead to painful cramps and back or body aches. Mood swings often lead to craving of food and hence we end up eating carelessly without thinking about how it is going to affect our body.

Anything that provides heat to our body must be avoided during the menstrual cycle since it tends to intensify the pain and increase instability in our body system. Awful cramps can be reduced to a great extent if you follow a nutritional and healthy diet. No matter how much pizzas or burgers sound tempting, you must take the difficult road and make the wiser choice by not choosing them.

5 Food Items to Avoid During that Time of The Month

Here is the list of 5 foods that you need to avoid to reduce those cramp pains and body aches and make your periods a little less terrible than they actually are.

  • Alcohol: It doesn’t matter if it’s a Friday night or a friend’s birthday treat, you need to avoid alcohol at any cost and stick with the non-alcoholic drinks if you are on your period. Even though alcohol reduces the cramps for a short while because of the instant warmth it provides, it’s aftereffects can be bad. It tends to elevate the oestrogen levels which can even worsen the cramps. It’s better to go for mojito or coconut water which can provide you relief and many doctors recommend these as well.
    • Caffeine: Coffee is another drink that you need to reduce or stop taking during your periods. Coffee leads to an increased blood pressure and elevated heart rate which can make you more susceptible to anxiety attacks and hence can lead to severe mood swings and mental instability. You can easily go for green tea or some type of soup.
  • Fast food: Fast food, specially processed or canned ones must be avoided while you are on your period. They tend to hinder with the hormones and hence can worsen your PMS problems by amplifying them. You should eat homemade vegetables or salads till your cycle ends.
  • Fatty foods and dairy products: Any food with high fat content must be avoided as much as possible. Fats can worsen the cramps and can also lead to gastric problems. Buttermilk or toned milk can be consumed instead of normal milk or dairy products.
  • Oily food: Oily food consists of trans-fat which can increase the oestrogen levels in your body by tempering with the hormones. Thus, they can lead to painful cramps and bad PMS situations. Avoid oily and eat baked or boiled food as much as possible.