Nutrition can make a BIG impact on your period health. How you are fueling your body and the amount of essential nutrients you are getting through diet can make a big difference in a variety of different essential hormone pathways.
When looking at reasons for low thyroid function, painful cycles, PMS, and other hormonal concerns, we should always be assessing diet and lifestyle to see if someone is getting the building blocks they need for healthy hormone production and clearance. And in some cases, even with a good diet you might not be getting everything you need which is when it might be appropriate to bring in targeted supplements.
A number of stereotypes are frequently associated with periods, including feeling lethargic, sobbing, eating chocolate, and a general need for comfort. The key to truly feeling your best may lie in providing your body with the nutrition it requires during menstruation.
Regular menstrual cramps and agony may make it difficult to function normally and also affect one’s mood. Menstrual pain negatively affects a person’s ability to function efficiently, their attitude, and a variety of other aspects. The foods that one eats have an impact on menstrual pain in addition to one’s exercise regimen and lifestyle.
Dealing With Period Cravings
In order to influence hormone production and secretion, nutrients from the diet directly affect the gut and the brain system. Your diet during periods, how much you eat, and how frequently you eat all have an impact on the health of your hormones as well.
Period cravings are totally normal and natural. However, munching on anything could keep you from achieving your health goals. Swapping out what you crave during your periods for healthier alternatives can help your body get what it needs without making you feel worse. Here’s a few options of food to eat during period and their associated nutrients.
Food To eat on around Period Time
Focus on the following nutrients during menstrual cycle: –
Iron: – Beans are a rich source of iron and an excellent option for period time foods. Consuming beans is crucial for the healthy production of hemoglobin, a red blood cell protein that transports oxygen throughout the body. Iron supports blood building, which is essential after losing blood during cycles.
Photo credit to Yulia Gusterina
Vitamin B12: – Vitamin B12 is found in abundance in cashews. It is crucial for maintaining hormone balance, as evidenced by the fact that many diseases linked to hormone imbalances are also linked to vitamin B12 deficiencies. For females who have frequent or lengthy periods, these minerals are especially critical. Moreover, vitamins B2, B6, and B12 can have an adverse effect on reproductive outcomes through altering reproductive hormones. Vitamin B6 is especially found to help reduce mood associated PMS.
Photo Credit: LumenSt
Magnesium: – When it comes to choosing the best food during periods, avocados are an excellent pick. They are filled with the goodness of magnesium aiding in relaxing the uterine smooth muscles (menstrual cramp). The diet can include chocolates, nuts, flaxseeds, pumpkin seeds, and green leafy vegetables.
Zinc: – As a cofactor for estrogen and progesterone receptors, zinc is employed to deal with menstrual cramps and discomfort. Both of which could be reduced by the ingestion of zinc. It is essential for thyroid hormone production and testosterone. There’s plenty of zinc found in seafood like oysters. Other options for food to eat during period are pumpkin seeds, grains, beans, and legumes.
Calcium: – Yoghurt is one of the calcium-rich meals to eat on your period. The functional role of calcium in the treatment of menstrual discomfort symptoms. The nutrient relieves water retention and behavioral changes during the premenstrual phase. Calcium-rich foods include almonds, yoghurt, ragi, Channa, paneer, drumsticks, and seeds.
Photo Credit: bit245
Omega 3 Fatty Acids: -The body’s inflammatory chemical, prostaglandin, which causes headaches and cramps, is counteracted by diets high in anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acids. Eggs are one of the major sources of Omega-3 fatty acids. However, it can also be found in fish, walnuts, flaxseeds, and soy.
Photo Credit: bit245
Fibre: – The amounts of estrogen are reduced when you consume fibre rich food, which considerably lessens menstrual cramps. Other fibre-rich foods include oats, whole grains, and sprouts. Therefore, limiting processed foods and incorporating nutritious foods rich in micronutrients can assist in relieving menstrual discomfort.
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Folic Acid: – Citrus fruits like grapefruit, citron, and sweet orange contain plenty of citrus fruits to maintain a healthy lifestyle. This nutrient aids in overcoming anemia and menstrual cycle maintenance.
So, these were some of the best foods for menstruation. In particular, magnesium, folic acid, and iron are essential nutrients for the female body. They are crucial for the production of blood, balancing blood loss and relieving menstrual cramps.
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CONCLUSION
In conclusion, our period diet significantly affects every aspect of health, including our menstrual cycle and symptoms. You can try a few iron rich dishes to increase your iron level, which will ultimately ease your menstrual cycle issues.
Along with the food to eat in periods, we also advise you to steer clear of several others that may be making your cramps worse. You can also give some workouts a try to see if they can ease your period cramps or affect your health during menstruation in a positive way.
Part 2 starts from: Day 15- Day 28 of the cycle- (Luteal phase)
Homemade Vegan seed cycling energy balls help to balance your hormones for a healthy menstrual cycle. Made with Sunflower seeds, Sesame Seeds, dates, spices, almond butter, and oats. A delicious and easy way to add seed cycling into your routine!
Seed cycling is a natural way to balance your hormones via food during different phases of your menstrual cycle. Many women struggle with a difficult menstrual cycle such as painful periods, cramps, fatigue, bloating, acne, body aches, breast soreness, irregular cycles, PMS, heavy or light bleeding, infertility, and more. These symptoms are not normal. These symptoms usually take place when there is some kind of hormonal imbalance.
Sesame seeds and sunflower seeds are high in selenium, lignans, and omega-3, which support liver function and proper hormone excretion, regulate estrogen and progesterone levels, and reduce inflammation. Also, sesame seeds are high in zinc and sunflower seeds are high in vitamin E, which both support progesterone production.
Ingredients
Sunflower seeds – ¼ th cup (50 g)
Sesame Seeds- ¼ th cup (50 g)
Almond Butter- 10 g
Almonds – 10 pcs
Rolled Oats – ½ Cup (100 gms)
Vanilla Essence – 1 tsp
Dates – 3 – 4
Instructions
Heat a thick-bottomed frying pan or skillet. Keep the heat to low or medium and add almonds, sesame seeds, and Sunflower seeds to the pan.
Stir it at intervals, and dry roast the ingredients in the pan.
Keep roasting the ingredients, till it becomes crunchy.
Remove the pan from the stovetop and let the ingredients cool down to room temperature.
When the ingredients cool down to room temperature, add the ingredients to a grinder jar.
Grind all the ingredients in a mixer grinder, except almond butter and sesame seeds.
Take the balls mixture on a plate or tray, add almond butter to it and mix it well.
Now, take a small portion of the ball mixture in your palms and shape it into a Ball.
Make this seed cycle balls with the rest of the mixture.
Roll the balls on the sesame seeds, and refrigerate them.
Serve healthy seed cycle balls, in the luteal phase.
Notes
Best time to consume it is in the morning hours, as a mid-morning snack. Try this amazing seed cycle recipe for not only maintaining hormonal imbalance but for overall health as well.
Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is additionally referred to as Polycystic ovarian Disease (PCOD). Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is a common problem among teen girls and young women. Almost 1 out of 10 women has PCOS/ PCOD. It’s becoming more common due to increased awareness and therefore the global increase within the prevalence of overweight and obesity. It’s also a heterogeneous disorder, that has been difficult to define because there is no single abnormality or diagnostic test that defines the syndrome.
PCOS/ PCOD is the most common endocrinopathy in reproductive-aged women and ovarian disorder related to excess androgen in women affecting 6 – 21% (depending on the applied diagnostic criteria) of this population worldwide. It has associations with metabolic syndromes, psychological mentality, and reproductive organs in women.
Photo by Anna Fomenko from Pexel
What is PCOS/PCOD?
Polycystic ovary syndrome is a hormone imbalance which will cause irregular periods, unwanted hair growth, and acne. PCOS begins during a girl’s teen years and this can be mild to severe.
The Rotterdam 2003 criteria define PCOS because the incidence of any two of the three key criteria, namely, oligo-ovulation and/or anovulation, excess androgen activity, and polycystic ovaries.
Do you need to know about PCOS/PCOD? Do you want to have a healthy lifestyle? This article will surely help you!
PCOS/PCOD TIP: Diet and lifestyle play a important role in the development of PCOS/ PCOD and their modification remains the primary line of treatment. Follow a balance diet. Your body needs adequate amount of carbohydrates, protein, and fat.
The resulting complex of physiological dysfunction produced by interrelated metabolic and hormonal factors predisposes patients with PCOS to different complications like endometrial hyperplasia and cancer, cardiovascular disease (CVD), miscarriage, and acanthosis nigricans (AN).
The complications increase the burden faced by patients, besides affecting social and emotional wellbeing, especially in adolescents, who are under the impression of being afflicted by a ‘disease’.
Diagnosis of PCOS/PCOD
The syndrome may be diagnosed if a minimum of two of the subsequent are present:
Oligomenorrhea or amenorrhea is related to decreased ovulation. PCOS/ PCOD is that the most commonest explanation for anovulatory infertility
Hyperandrogenemia or clinical features of androgen excess, within the absence of other underlying disease states
Abnormal ovarian ultrasound with 12 follicles in each ovary each having a diameter of 2 – 9 mm, or increased ovarian volume
Increased LH with increased LH/FSH ratio.
The symptoms of PCOS/PCOD:
PCOS is characterized by hyperandrogenism and/or chronic anovulation which can manifest with a range of symptoms (e.g., hirsutism, acne, oligomenorrhea, and infertility) and is associated with increased risk of cardiometabolic disease, including hypertension, dyslipidemia, insulin resistance (IR), and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).
Absent, infrequent, or irregular periods
Excess hair (hirsutism) particularly on your face, chest, and stomach
Genetics, hormones, and lifestyle factors all play a role in PCOS/ PCOD. Women with PCOS/ PCOD are 50% more likely to have a mother, aunt, or sister with PCOS and the condition is more common in women of Asian, Aboriginal, and Torres Strait Islander and African backgrounds.
Treatment for PCOS/PCOD
Treatment for PCOS/PCOD includes insulin-lowering drugs, anti-androgen therapy, oral contraceptives, and the implementation of lifestyle changes, including weight loss if necessary. Weight loss, accompanied by an increase in insulin sensitivity (Si), has proven to be a successful treatment for the metabolic and hormonal abnormalities characteristic of the PCOS population/ PCOD.
Treatment of polycystic ovary syndrome is individualized based on the patient’s presentation and desire for pregnancy. For patients who are overweight, weight loss is recommended. Clomiphene and letrozole are first-line medications for infertility. Metformin is the first-line medication for metabolic manifestations, such as hyperglycemia. Hormonal contraceptives are first-line therapy for irregular menses and dermatologic manifestations.
Nutrition Goals for Improving PCOS/PCOD
Eat a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy, and beans.
Eat protein-containing foods such as lean meats, poultry, and eggs, with meals and snacks to add fullness and help manage blood sugar levels.
Select foods high in omega-3 fatty acids. Examples include fatty fish (salmon, mackerel, herring, sardines, and albacore tuna), seeds (flax seeds, chia seeds), oils (canola, olive, peanut), and nuts (walnuts).
Limit simple sugars and refined carbohydrates such as white bread, pasta, rice, and sugar in beverages and desserts.
Photo by Anna Gawlik from Pexel
Tips for a Healthy PCOS/PCOD Lifestyle:
Eat a colorful variety of fresh fruits and vegetables every day to get a wide range of protective nutrients.
Choose whole grains which can lower insulin resistance.
Consume dark leafy greens. These foods are rich sources of fiber, vitamins, and minerals.
Limit sugar-sweetened beverages and foods like desserts. High sugar content in the diet increases insulin resistance.
Engage in moderate or vigorous-intensity aerobic activity on most days of the week for weight loss and maintenance. Remember to check with your doctor before beginning a new exercise program. Athletes with PCOS have specific needs and are advised to seek the assistance of a dietitian for a personalized eating plan.
Lifestyle Modification and PCOS/PCOD Lifestyle
Lifestyle is closely related to the physical and mental health of people and is effective in the onset or development of many diseases including PCOS/ PCOD. Obesity is also a major factor in the incidence and intensity of PCOS/ PCOD. Obesity aggravates the clinical presentation of the disease in terms of both fertility and metabolism. Women with PCOS/ PCOD have shown 30-40% progression to type 2 diabetes (T2D), adipose tissue dysfunction, abnormalities in lipid metabolism, and body fat distribution. There is no definite treatment, hence women with PCOS/ PCOD are treated on signs and symptoms. The most common medication include oral contraceptives (OCPs), antiandrogen topical medication, and gonadotropins. Low fat, hypo-caloric-dash diet, and exercise have shown a 5% improvement in women with PCOS/ PCOD with reduction of IR, triglycerides, and VLDL.
Long-term lifestyle modification is mainly common to overweight women with PCOS/ PCOD. A weekly or monthly intervention of an obstetrician/gynecologist, psychiatrist, dietitian, and fitness professional helps in restoration of ovulation (60/67 previously anovulatory women), improvements in pregnancy (52/67), and reduction in miscarriage rates (75% preintervention to 18% post-intervention).
Photo by Bit245 from Pexel
Nutrition and Lifestyle Modification
Studies revealed that lifestyle modification consisting of weekly/biweekly group meetings with monitoring by a dietitian and exercise physiologist and individualized nutrition plans and exercise plans (150 min/week). While significant reductions in androgens occurred only for the combination of metformin and dietary advice, significant weight reductions occurred for both lifestyle treatment and lifestyle treatment with metformin (850 mg twice daily). It provides good evidence that long-term adoption of these principles in a primary healthcare setting will help reduce the risk of IGT and type 2 diabetes, and aid in the long-term management of reproductive fitness in women with PCOS/ PCOD.
Learn and practice “mindful” eating. This means eating is necessary when our body needs fuel, not when we are bored or you have a cravings. Eat at least 5 total servings of fruits and vegetables every day. These foods are full of nutrients, and most are low in calories. Along with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, you get important phytochemicals (natural plant compounds) that can help ease the hormonal imbalances that come with PCOS.
If you like fruit juice, choose brands that are 100% real juice, and drink it in moderation. Whole fruit is a more healthful choice than fruit juice because it contains fiber.
Limit or avoid caffeine, artificial sweeteners, and nicotine. These can increase your insulin levels, even if you do not have high blood glucose.
Keep a food journal to help you see your eating patterns. This makes it easier to find areas where you could make changes.
Exercise and PCOS/PCOD
There is surprisingly scant literature on the role of exercise in managing patients with PCOS/ PCOD. What we know, and what we recommend, must therefore come largely from studies involving non-PCOS subjects. We currently recommend 30 min of exercise on at least 5 days of the week to maintain weight and for a healthy lifestyle. Recent studies showed that 60 – 75 min of the moderate-to-high intensity of physical activity promotes a greater long-term (12 – 18 months) weight loss compared with the conventional recommendation for optimum health.
Accumulation of exercise in frequent short periods of physical activity appears to have a similar influence in long-term weight loss programs. Activity related to daily living and leisure time activity is an important determinant of body weight but not of the response to weight management programs. A realistic approach to exercise depends on the assessment of the patient’s current exercise habits, preferences regarding the type of exercise, and inclination to undertake exercise.
Photo by Warrengolds from Pexel
Types of Exercises:
Aerobic exercise. This is important for cardiovascular fitness and to increase energy expenditure as part of a weight loss program. It is important to recognize that the overweight and the unfit patient may have limited capacity for aerobic exercise.
Exercises to increase suppleness and flexibility. Although they may not greatly increase calorie expenditure, such exercises may increase engagement with an exercise program, decrease the risk of injury with exercise, and promote a sense of well-being.
Endurance exercise. For patients who cannot manage high-intensity exercise, prolonged lower-level activity is an appropriate way to gain fitness and increase energy expenditure. Walking with a pedometer can be a very useful approach to begin to increase energy expenditure.
Resistance training. Increase in muscle strength and mass with weight training has been neglected as a means of improving function and body composition until recently. The high metabolic rate of muscle means, muscle mass is an important determinant of resting energy expenditure and resistance training. This is now regarded as a highly acceptable way to influence weight, body composition, and insulin sensitivity.
Other Benefits of Exercise
Being active can also help you reduce stress. Less stress is important to your health for many reasons:
Chronic stress can raise levels of the hormone cortisol:
Cortisol makes it easy to store fat around your abdominal organs. This is especially true if you tend to eat more when you feel stressed.
Cortisol can also make estrogen imbalances worse. This can interfere with normal periods and fertility.
Stress also makes the body take glucose from storage and release it into your blood.
Frequently asked questions
Does PCOS mean I have cysts on my ovaries?
The term “polycystic ovaries” means that there are lots of tiny cysts, or bumps, inside of the ovaries. Some young women with PCOS have these cysts; others only have a few.
Why do I get acne and/or extra hair on my body?
Acne and extra hair on your face and body can happen if your body is making too much testosterone. If you are suffering from PCOD/ PCOS, then your ovaries may secrete a little bit more testosterone than they are supposed to. Skin cells and hair follicles can be extremely sensitive to the small increases in testosterone found in young women with PCOS/ PCOD.
Ask your health care provider about a weight loss plan if you are overweight.
If you’re overweight, losing weight may lessen some of the symptoms of PCOS/ PCOD. Consult health care provider or nutritionist about healthy ways to lose weight, exercising more and following a diet plan that can help to manage insulin levels. Thus, Healthy eating can also keep your heart healthy and lower your risk of developing diabetes.
Why are periods becomes so irregular?
Having PCOS/ PCOD means that your ovaries aren’t getting the right (hormonal) signals from your pituitary gland. Without these signals, you will not ovulate (make eggs) every month. Period may be irregular, or you may not have a period at all.
This Minty Oats Vegetable soup is one of the easiest recipes to put together for a quick breakfast or even as a dinner option. It is a Fibre rich soup which is not only filling, but also delicious, healthy and nourishing.
Scale
Ingredients
3 tbsp quick cooking rolled oats
2 tbsp chopped carrot
2 tbsp chopped cabbage
1 tbsp chopped mint leaves
½ tsp chopped green chillies
½ tsp chopped garlic (lehsun)
½ tsp chopped ginger (adrak)
½ tsp oil
½ tsp soy sauce
Salt (As per taste)
Turmeric ( 1/4th tsp)
2 tsp lemon juice
For Garnishing
Sprig of Mint
1 tsp of roasted Pumpkin,
1 tsp of roasted Sunflower seeds and
1 tsp of roasted Sesame seeds
Instructions
Dry roast the Oats on medium high flame for 1-2 minutes.
Heat the oil in a deep non stick pan. Then add in chopped green chillies, garlic and ginger and saute on a medium flame for a few seconds.
Follow this by adding in the chopped carrots, cabbage (and any other vegetable of your choice) and saute on a medium flame for 1-2 minutes till cooked.
Add the oats, saute them for another 1-2 minutes.
Add the soy sauce, mix well and bring to a boil.
Finally add the spices (Salt, turmeric and any other spice and herbs of your choice), lemon juice and mint leaves, mix well and continue to cook for 1 minute.
Serve immediately and garnish with a sprig of mint and tbsp of mixed seeds on top.
A couple of days ago, actress Daisy Ridley of Star Wars fame declared on Instagram that like her onscreen persona, Rey, she too was fighting a prolonged battle of her own. She spoke about her struggle with PCOS, a condition she has been living with since the age of 15 when she was first diagnosed. In her own words, “I’ve tried everything: products, antibiotics, more products, more antibiotics) and all that did was left my body in a bit of a mess. Finally found out I have polycystic ovaries and that’s why it’s bad.” (https://www.instagram.com/p/BGcShMNlE7m/?taken-by=daisyridley&hl=en)
So what is Polycystic Ovary Syndrome and why should you be concerned about it at all?
PCOS is a common endocrine system disorder among women of reproductive age. It is a condition in which a woman has enlarged ovaries that contain small fluid-filled cysts — called follicles — located in each ovary.
According to the PCOS foundation:
PCOS is responsible for 70% of infertility issues in women who have difficulty ovulating.
5-10% of women of childbearing age are affected by PCOS.
Less than 50% of women diagnosed, which means millions of women are left undiagnosed.
Some studies have found that if a mother has PCOS, there is a 50% chance that her daughter will have PCOS.
Post menopausal women can also suffer from PCOS
Signs and symptoms
The symptoms of PCOS may vary from person to person. On a personal level, persistent adult acne or aggravated acne in teens and/or excessive facial hair growth could be caused by hormonal imbalances in the body which in turn could be a sign of PCOS. Sleep apnoea (a sleep disorder where there are abnormal pauses of breathing during sleep) and mood swings or depression and anxiety could also be tell-tale signs.
For a medical diagnosis, your doctor looks for at least two of the following:
Irregular periods: This is the most common characteristic. Either of the conditions of prolonged periods or fewer menstrual cycles in a year, or excessively heavy or scant periods could fall under the radar of PCOS symptoms.
Hormonal imbalances: PCOS often causes an elevated level of male hormones (androgens) in women that are physically manifested as aggravated acne, excess facial and body hair (hirsutism) and male-pattern baldness (androgenic alopecia).
Polycystic ovaries: Polycystic ovaries are enlarged ovaries that are surrounded with numerous small fluid-filled sacs or cysts as seen during an ultrasound exam.
What causes PCOS?
The causes of PCOS are largely unknown, but certain factors have been said to play a major role. Excessive insulin, the hormone produced in the pancreas that allows cells to use sugar (glucose), is one of them. Excess insulin might affect the ovaries by increasing androgen production. PCOS is also a hereditary condition and there are 50% chances of a woman affected by it to pass it on to the offspring.
Treatment: Weight and Nutrition
There is no actual cure for PCOS, rather it is something that needs to be managed. Therefore, treatment is more likely to be focused on the symptoms or effects of PCOS, like treatment of acne, infertility issues and a guarded supervision over risks of diabetes and heart diseases.
Weight management is especially important in keeping PCOS in check. Overweight worsens insulin resistance and the symptoms of PCOS. In this wake, a proper nutrition plan monitored by an expert nutritionist comes in handy. Daisy Ridley confesses to have drastically cut down on dairy and sugar intakes (“except for spontaneous ice creams”) which is beneficial in keeping the acne away. Adding more whole-grain products, fruits, vegetables, and lean meats to your diet also helps lower blood glucose levels, improve the body’s use of insulin, and normalize hormone levels.
As less as 5-10% of weight loss can be instrumental in restoring normal period and making your cycle more regular. It really is a very small price to pay for a much greater benefit. Like Ridley says, “From your head to the tips of your toes we only have one body, let us all make sure ours our working in tip top condition, and take help if it’s needed.”
Glycemic Index is the numerical index given to a carbohydrate-rich food that is based on the average increase in blood glucose level occurring in blood after the food is eaten. The higher the number, the greater the blood sugar response.
The Glycemic Index tells us how rapidly a particular carbohydrate turns into sugar.
Some factors that affect GI:
Processing (puffed cereals have a much higher GI than the grain they came from)
Ripeness of fruit (unripe bananas can have a GI of 43, where overripe ones have been clocked at 74)
Protein content (soybeans have a lower GI than other beans)
Fat content (peanuts have a very low GI)
Biber (orange juice has a higher GI than oranges)
And how small the particles are (whole grains have a relatively low GI, but grinding them into flour shoots up the GI)
Glycemic index is the scale that was created on a standard amount of carbohydrate per food (50 grams), it doesn’t give people information about the amount of food they are actually eating. This information too is important if we want to assess the true impact of carbohydrate consumption. For this reason, the concept of the glycemic load was created, which takes serving size into account.
The glycemic load of a food is the glycemic index divided by hundred and multiplied by its available carbohydrate content (i.e. carbohydrate minus fibre) in grams.
For example, if we consider watermelon. Water melon has a high glycemic Index (about 72). However, a serving of 120g of watermelon has only about 6g of available carbohydrate per serving. So its glycemic load is pretty low i.e. 72/100 x 6 = 4.32.
Following is the list of some common food with their glycemic index.
Photo credit : myhealthandliving.com
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