Understanding Menstrual Health and Nutrition for Women
As women age, they may start experiencing various physical discomforts during their menstrual cycle, such as premenstrual bloating, abdominal cramps, mood swings, headaches, insomnia, nausea, diarrhea, and acne. Knowing that these symptoms can often be managed and prevented can encourage women to take better care of themselves during this time. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle can not only alleviate these issues but also enhance their youthful and radiant appearance.
Foods to Avoid During Menstruation
While many women might think it’s only ice that should be avoided during their period, it’s crucial to steer clear of other cool-natured foods as well. These include items like ice cream, eggplant, loofah, cucumbers, winter melon, crab, snails, seaweed, bamboo shoots, oranges, pears, pomelos, and watermelon. Additionally, sour foods such as unripe fruits and hot foods like fried items, chili, and mustard should also be excluded from the diet. Consuming these items can disrupt blood flow and worsen menstrual symptoms.
Recommended Foods During Menstruation
During menstruation, women should focus on incorporating leeks, black fungus, peanuts, walnuts, jujubes, longan, and rose petals into their diet. If you accidentally consume cold foods, drinking ginger tea with brown sugar can help balance your body’s circulation and relieve discomfort.
Practical Tips for Menstrual Care
In addition to avoiding cold foods, women should pay special attention to keeping warm during their period. This includes avoiding exposure to cold water, rain, excess heat, hot baths, and swimming. It is essential to maintain hygiene by keeping the external genitalia, underwear, and sanitary products clean.
The Influence of Cold Foods on Menstrual Discomfort
Traditional Chinese medicine advises against consuming cold foods during menstruation, unlike Western medicine, which tends to be less restrictive. Menstrual blood is essentially the shedding of the uterine lining, aided by uterine contractions. Consuming cold foods can lower gastrointestinal temperature, potentially leading to weaker uterine contractions, creating difficulty in blood expulsion, and thus causing clots. Increased contraction intensity may lead to menstrual pain.
Nutritional Considerations During Menstruation
During a woman’s period, the body requires iron to compensate for lost red blood cells. It is also vital to intake vitamin B, iodine, zinc, calcium, and other essential nutrients. Many women experience anemia during menstruation, which can also lead to deficiencies in calcium and zinc.
Therefore, women are encouraged to supplement with iron, magnesium, calcium, and zinc during and after their menstrual cycle. Additionally, a diet rich in vitamin C and B, along with high-protein foods such as meat, legumes, dairy, eggs, and fish, is recommended. Women with anemia might consider taking gentle herbal remedies like donkey-hide gelatin for support.
Time Your Nutritional Intake Wisely
It’s particularly beneficial to avoid eating red dates and Ejiao during menstruation as they can create heat in the body. Instead, focus on consuming foods that are mild and support circulation, such as yam or lotus root. After menstruation, you can shift towards enriching your diet with nourishing soups, like black-boned chicken with goji berries and red dates, and include more black foods such as black fungus, black beans, black fish, and loach, which are known to improve blood health.
Women should be mindful of their nutritional needs during their menstrual cycle, making informed choices to maintain their well-being and vitality.