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A woman menstruates for about seven years on average during her lifetime. That is a lot of time spent dealing with cramps, physical aches, exhaustion, and other unpleasant feelings. Furthermore, inaccurate or incomplete information may considerably worsen certain days of the month for you.
So, let’s discuss several do’s and don’ts that can assist you with a smooth menstrual period and help you cope with that time of the month more effortlessly.
5 Do’s During Periods
Here’s a rundown of everything important to keep in mind while you are getting ready for your upcoming period.
1. Eat a Protein Rich Diet
It’s crucial that you eat healthily so your energy levels don’t drop when your body is under the strain of dealing with the uterine lining churning and those awful cramps and aches.
Arrange your meal in such a way that it includes good quality 0.8 to 1 gram of protein per kilogram of body weight.
For this, consider adding—a glass of milk or cheese, a chicken breast sandwich, soy chunks, boiled eggs, or a tofu sandwich that can help you receive enough protein to combat lethargy during your menstruation.
Apart from this, consume more fiber-rich foods like whole grains, fruits, and leafy vegetables, as they keep your gut clean and make you feel fuller for longer with minimal unhealthy cravings.
2. Stay Hydrated
The hormonal fluctuations regulating the menstrual cycle can alter how your body uses water. Cravings may cause people to substitute enjoyable snacks for more hydrating foods. Combining all of these factors can raise the chance of dehydration throughout the period.
So, now what?—Easy peezy, drink water when thirsty!
Drink at least 6 to 8 glasses of water daily to maintain good blood circulation throughout the day.
Also, eating more water-rich foods like watermelon, berries, spinach, tomatoes, and cucumber will help you feel de-bloated throughout your cycle.
Whereas, if you are someone, who hates drinking bland water, consider adding LAIQA Wellness Tea to your diet.
This natural blend of ayurvedic herbs and green tea will not only keep you hydrated but also ease your cramps, help you in weight management, as well as protect your skin from aging.
3. Prioritize Movement
It may seem counterproductive to exercise while on your period, but it can help reduce menstruation symptoms. But, the key here is to listen to your body.
Avoid performing heavy-weight training, running, jumping, cardio, or core exercises during your cycle’s first couple of days. Instead, you can perform brisk walking, restorative yoga stretches, and upper-body pilates workouts on those days.
Once you feel comfortable on your third or fourth day, slowly get back to full-body strengthening movements like Surya Namaskar, Swimming, or Cycling. These will release dopamine and help you fight that sluggish feeling of staying in bed.
4. Keep the Vagina Clean
Your body may be more vulnerable to infections during your period. Hence, it’s crucial to take proper and frequent showers if you want to stay healthy and avoid getting infections down there.
To keep your va-jay-jay healthy, all you need to do is maintain a healthy pH balance. Usually, your vagina has everything built-in to cleanse itself.
Still, if you have been facing infection due to too hot or sweaty conditions, LAIQA Intimate Foaming Wash comes in handy to naturally balance your vagina’s pH. It’s made with zero-added chemicals and fragrances, so it’s also great for daily use.
5. Always Be Prepared
We all know periods can be super unpredictable, hence all the ladies out there should be prepared and alert in advance—to embrace that wonderful time of the month with ease.
The best way to be prepared is to maintain a period calendar and re-stock your handbags with period supplies like sanitary pads, panty liners, period cramp relief oil, and intimate hygiene wash.
LAIQA has curated the ultimate Period Kit to save you the time and efforts of searching for individual products. Just invest in this one kit, and you are all sorted for the next few months.
5 Don’ts During Periods
Now, let’s take a closer look at what you should avoid during your periods.
1. Don’t surrender to your unhealthy cravings.
Yes, certain food cravings happen for a reason, and it’s essential to pay attention to what your body is asking for, but you should not regularly overindulge in healthy cravings during periods.
Mindless consumption of sugar, salts and processed foods can make you feel even more sluggish and bloated.
Try swapping what you’re craving with healthier home-cooked alternatives, or limiting portions of those unhealthy foods will ensure your body gets the proper nutrients it needs without any detrimental after-effects.
For example, swap cravings for potato chips with homemade corn chips, ice cream with frozen fruit yogurt, or sweet candies with dark chocolate or jaggery.
2. Don’t use the same pad for the entire day.
It’s generally not a good idea to go through an entire day wearing the same pad, panty liner, or tampon. No matter how light your menstrual flow is or if there is no flow, bacteria can build up—causing infection.
To avoid bad odor, changing your pad every 4 to 6 hours (often for those with heavier flows) is important. Moreover, this practice becomes all the more critical when one engages in physical activities such as playing sports or going from one class to another without time for rest between periods of activity.
Curate your own Perfect Period Pad Combo, choose your pack of 30 as per your flow, and get your dream period combo kit delivered to your home.
3. Don’t pop in too many painkillers.
Keeping yourself comfortable is essential during periods.
If you experience unbearable pain during that time of the month, it is pretty OK to take medications. But the key here is to be mindful of your medication intake:
- Try to avoid depending on multiple painkiller drugs in one day. (Take one, only when you feel it’s super necessary.)
- Never take medications without the guidance or prescription of your OB-GYN.
- Always read the labels to check the ingredients list, and ensure you are not allergic to anything.
- You can also try ayurvedic supplements instead of allopathic medicines to alleviate period cramps.
One who mindlessly pops too many painkillers can face severe side effects like acid reflux, nausea, vomiting, constipation, decreased appetite, skin allergy, or dizziness.
4. Don’t shy away from intimacy.
Though period sex may seem gross at first, it is safe. Unless you’re sensitive to messiness, there’s no need to avoid sexual activity while menstruating.
Sexual activity triggers the release of feel-good hormones called endorphins, which make you feel happy and harmonious. Plus, having sex and orgasm takes your mind off menstrual pain and alleviates fatigue.
5. Don’t wash menstrual cups with any reactive substance.
If you are a fitness enthusiast or someone who cares about the environment, LAIQA Period Cup will be your lifesaver.
It’s specially designed for superwomen like you—who don’t want their periods to stop them from living life.
If you are new to menstrual cups, ensure you take guidance from your OB-GYN on how to use them.
Remember that your vagina naturally releases enough lubricant during periods, so don’t use synthetic lubricants to insert the menstrual cup, as they can cause allergy or infection.
Also, don’t wash menstrual cups with reactive substances such as vinegar, oils, alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, or soda because they can damage the silicone.
After your period ends, clean the cups carefully (washing them yourself or boiling them for about five minutes) and place them back in a bag made of breathable cotton before storing them.
The Final Takeaway
At last, we just want to say— take one day at a time, always listen to your body, prioritize yourself during that time of the month, and don’t let yourself feel down just because you are physically down.
Never let periods stop you. It’s now time to learn, embrace and celebrate periods rather than feeling stressed, depressed, or anxious. You can do everything your feel or desire during your periods, so just go for it.
Interested in learning more about intimate female health?—head to LAIQA’s blogs for more such helpful information and tips.