Women who eat lots of yogurt during their menstruation feel a weaker sesnation of discomfort and cramping. How much yogurt to eat ? One should aim to eat at least 2 cups of yogurt per day, distributed over 2 meals. Yogurt is excellent for digestive system health as it contains probiotics ( healthy bacteria )[1].
The yogurt should not be eaten when frozen. Make sure it is at room temperature. Also go for high quality organic yogurt, and not the synthetic yogurt.
( Photo credit : wordridden )
2. Heating Pad
Placing a heating pad on the lower abdomen. There are various ways to make a heating pad at home, inexpensively.
- Take a sock and fill it up with warm rice. One can also use hot salt.
- Take a cold compress bottle and fill it with hot water instead.
- Just place a hot water bottle.
3. Take a Essential Oil Bath
This is not your regular quick shower. In order to reduce menstrual cramps, one has to take a salt water bath.
Ingredients
Epsom salt
Water
Clary sage essential oil
Directions
Heat up water and fill up your bath tub. Add 1 cup Epsom salt and 20 drops Clary sage essential oil. Turn the water around a bit to let the salt dissolve in it. Take a long bath in this water. It brilliantly relieves menstrual cramps, and cramps in any other region.
Why it works ?
Epsom salt contains magnesium. This mineral is excellent for relieving cramps, either topically or when taken in diet. Secondly, Clary sage essential oil has been noted to be helpful in menstrual cramps[2].
( Photo credit : jennifer c )
4. Cinnamon tea
You love drinking your daily cups of green tea. Well, it is time to spice it up a bit, in order to relieve menstrual cramps. Add 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon powder to a cup of green tea when hot. Stir the tea for 1 minute and then strain it again. Drink this tea. It tastes sweet and spicy at the same time. Enjoy your tea and relax for more relief from menstrual cramp pain.
You love drinking your daily cups of green tea. Well, it is time to spice it up a bit, in order to relieve menstrual cramps. Add 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon powder to a cup of green tea when hot. Stir the tea for 1 minute and then strain it again. Drink this tea. It tastes sweet and spicy at the same time. Enjoy your tea and relax for more relief from menstrual cramp pain.
( Photo credit : cinnamonvogue )
5. Ginger Milk
This remedy is popular among the grandmothers. It involves drinking milk made with ginger. By the way, have you ever tried ginger milk. It tastes so much better than regular milk.
This remedy is popular among the grandmothers. It involves drinking milk made with ginger. By the way, have you ever tried ginger milk. It tastes so much better than regular milk.
Ingredients
Ginger
Milk
Directions / How to prepare
Add 1 tablespoon of grated ginger to a cup of boiling water. Let the milk boil slowly and gradually to allow the nutrients from ginger to steep into milk. Strain the milk out after 10 minutes. Let it cool a bit and then drink it.
Why it works ?
Ginger is a natural pain reliever ( analgesic ) [3]. It is also an antispasmodic ( reduces spasms ). Moreover, ginger is great for the digestive system. So, it alleviates problems like nausea, indigestion and abdominal pain.
6. Massage Ice
Most people would apply mild heat to calm strained muscles. But one can also make use of ice to reduce inflammation and pain. As many physiotherapists would tell you, there is nothing more handy for pain that ice. It is used for reducing pain in bruises, cramps, sprains, strains and other injuries.
Put some ice cubes in a cold compress and then place it on your lower abdomen. It may have a mild numbing effect, but it surely alleviates menstrual cramps.
7. Wintergreen Oil ( Pain Reliever from Mother Nature )
Wintergreen oil is a powerful pain relieving essential oil. It can be applied on the skin to reduce any kind of pain, even cramps.
Ingredients
Wintergreen oil
Olive oil
Directions / How to use
Add 8 - 10 drops of wintergreen oil to about 100 ml olive oil. Use this oil to massage the lower abdomen and pelvic region, avoiding sensitive skin areas. This is important as wintergreen essential oil can irritate can sensitive skin. It can quickly alleviate pain.
Why it works ?
Wintergreen oil contains very high amounts of methyl salicylate [4], which works similar to aspirin in relieving pain.
8. Chiropractic style massage of the back
To relieve menstrual cramp pain, try a back massage. This helps a lot. It should not be an ordinary oil massage, rather a chiropractic massage. This involves using the wrist and knuckles to stimulate vertebral joints in the spine. For this, one needs help from another person.
This massage relieves pressure and compression in the spine, and also helps in muscle cramps [5].
9. Drink lots of water rich fruits
Most people would advise you to drink more water to relieve cramps. It helps though, but not as much as eating foods that naturally rich in water. You get many more vitamins, minerals and most important of all, electrolytes like sodium, potassium and calcium. Make sure to include some of these foods in diet.
Add 1 tablespoon of grated ginger to a cup of boiling water. Let the milk boil slowly and gradually to allow the nutrients from ginger to steep into milk. Strain the milk out after 10 minutes. Let it cool a bit and then drink it.
Why it works ?
Ginger is a natural pain reliever ( analgesic ) [3]. It is also an antispasmodic ( reduces spasms ). Moreover, ginger is great for the digestive system. So, it alleviates problems like nausea, indigestion and abdominal pain.
( Photo credit : ah_kit )
6. Massage Ice
Most people would apply mild heat to calm strained muscles. But one can also make use of ice to reduce inflammation and pain. As many physiotherapists would tell you, there is nothing more handy for pain that ice. It is used for reducing pain in bruises, cramps, sprains, strains and other injuries.
Put some ice cubes in a cold compress and then place it on your lower abdomen. It may have a mild numbing effect, but it surely alleviates menstrual cramps.
( Photo credit : coloneljohnbritt )
7. Wintergreen Oil ( Pain Reliever from Mother Nature )
Wintergreen oil is a powerful pain relieving essential oil. It can be applied on the skin to reduce any kind of pain, even cramps.
Ingredients
Wintergreen oil
Olive oil
Directions / How to use
Add 8 - 10 drops of wintergreen oil to about 100 ml olive oil. Use this oil to massage the lower abdomen and pelvic region, avoiding sensitive skin areas. This is important as wintergreen essential oil can irritate can sensitive skin. It can quickly alleviate pain.
Why it works ?
Wintergreen oil contains very high amounts of methyl salicylate [4], which works similar to aspirin in relieving pain.
( Photo credit : Wikipedia )
8. Chiropractic style massage of the back
To relieve menstrual cramp pain, try a back massage. This helps a lot. It should not be an ordinary oil massage, rather a chiropractic massage. This involves using the wrist and knuckles to stimulate vertebral joints in the spine. For this, one needs help from another person.
This massage relieves pressure and compression in the spine, and also helps in muscle cramps [5].
( Photo credit : chiropractic )
9. Drink lots of water rich fruits
Most people would advise you to drink more water to relieve cramps. It helps though, but not as much as eating foods that naturally rich in water. You get many more vitamins, minerals and most important of all, electrolytes like sodium, potassium and calcium. Make sure to include some of these foods in diet.
- Cucumbers
- Watermelon
- Pomegranates
- Tomatoes
- Cantaloupes
- Grapes
- Cruciferous vegetables like kale
These foods really hydrate the body like nothing else. And one can feel the difference in the skin within a few hours.
( Photo credit : yogendra174 )
10. Drink Cranberry Juice
The juice of cranberries is tart. It is not sweet in reality, so if you find cranberry juice sweet, then it has added sugar in it, which is very harmful. It is better to extract cranberry juice at home, and way cheaper. Drink about 1 glass of tart cranberry juice each day. This relieves urinary tract infections [6] and menstrual cramps.
Cranberry juice is one of the most powerful tonics for the urinary system and great for overall health.
11. The Delicious Tea
This is a simple and highly effective home remedy for menstrual cramps.
Ingredients
Black tea
Honey
Lemon
Directions / How to use
Prepare a cup of mild black tea. Add some drops of lemon juice and 1/2 a tablespoon of honey. Let it cool a bit and drink it slowly.
Why it works ?
This tea is soothing and very relaxing. It may seem somewhat less powerful, but it does help a lot.
"Do not drink this tea right after a meal. Black tea can prevent iron from absorbing in your intestine.This can be harmful. "
12. Stop drinking Coffee
That means only for the time around your periods. Many women have noticed that avoiding coffee for some days prior to the period lessens the severity of cramps and regular pain [7]. The reason behind this is obviously caffeine, which is a vasoconstrictor. It narrows blood vessels, which somehow seems to aggravate menstrual cramps.
13. Flax seeds
Eat 2 tablespoons of flax seeds every day. It provides high amounts of omega-3 fatty acids. This is a healthy fat which is required by the body from diet. You can put flax seeds in juice, recipes, smoothies, shakes.
Flax seeds impact the menstrual cycle in a healthy way.
14. Vitamins and Minerals
There are some vitamins and minerals that are very important to be taken. Females lose a small portion of their blood nutrients because of menstruation. This needs to be replenished to overcome existing symptoms and prevent them in future. Make sure to get the following nutrients way more than the RDI.
The juice of cranberries is tart. It is not sweet in reality, so if you find cranberry juice sweet, then it has added sugar in it, which is very harmful. It is better to extract cranberry juice at home, and way cheaper. Drink about 1 glass of tart cranberry juice each day. This relieves urinary tract infections [6] and menstrual cramps.
Cranberry juice is one of the most powerful tonics for the urinary system and great for overall health.
( Photo credit : samcatchesides )
11. The Delicious Tea
This is a simple and highly effective home remedy for menstrual cramps.
Ingredients
Black tea
Honey
Lemon
Directions / How to use
Prepare a cup of mild black tea. Add some drops of lemon juice and 1/2 a tablespoon of honey. Let it cool a bit and drink it slowly.
Why it works ?
This tea is soothing and very relaxing. It may seem somewhat less powerful, but it does help a lot.
"Do not drink this tea right after a meal. Black tea can prevent iron from absorbing in your intestine.This can be harmful. "
( Photo credit : oxborrow )
12. Stop drinking Coffee
That means only for the time around your periods. Many women have noticed that avoiding coffee for some days prior to the period lessens the severity of cramps and regular pain [7]. The reason behind this is obviously caffeine, which is a vasoconstrictor. It narrows blood vessels, which somehow seems to aggravate menstrual cramps.
( Photo credit : adactio )
13. Flax seeds
Eat 2 tablespoons of flax seeds every day. It provides high amounts of omega-3 fatty acids. This is a healthy fat which is required by the body from diet. You can put flax seeds in juice, recipes, smoothies, shakes.
Flax seeds impact the menstrual cycle in a healthy way.
( Photo credit : vegan-baking )
14. Vitamins and Minerals
There are some vitamins and minerals that are very important to be taken. Females lose a small portion of their blood nutrients because of menstruation. This needs to be replenished to overcome existing symptoms and prevent them in future. Make sure to get the following nutrients way more than the RDI.
- Iron - Eat red meat, pumpkin seeds, liver, molluscs.
- Vitamin C - This vitamin increases the absorption of iron. Eat citrus fruits, like lemons, lime, oranges.
- Magnesium - spinach is excellent for magnesium. This mineral can be considered as an anti-cramp nutrient. It relieves cramping anywhere in the body.
- Electrolytes - Sodium and Potassium are chief electrolytes within our body. Get them from bananas, pickle juice and milk.
- Zinc - get high quality zinc from seafood and wheat germ.
( Photo credit : ornellopics )
15. Raspberry Leaf Tea ( Very Powerful )
This is a popular traditional remedy for menstruation problems. One can get raspberry leaf tea bags at a health store or online. Prepare a mild herbal tea using 1 teabag. Sip it warm. It is so powerful that you may even forget about period cramps.
This is a popular traditional remedy for menstruation problems. One can get raspberry leaf tea bags at a health store or online. Prepare a mild herbal tea using 1 teabag. Sip it warm. It is so powerful that you may even forget about period cramps.
( Photo credit : shalommama )
These remedies can be quite helpful in managing menstrual cramps and leading a pain free life during periods. Cramps can drive out the energy in a person, making him or her lethargic. This can be prevented by following a nutrient rich diet all the time.
Precautions
There are certain precautions to be taken when dealing with menstrual cramps and painful periods.
There are certain precautions to be taken when dealing with menstrual cramps and painful periods.
- Exercises like yoga, stretching or martial arts can help with the pain. But, these should be avoided at the time of pain. Frankly speaking, exercise should be done every day. Only then it provides the health benefits.
- Red raspberry leaf is a herb, and as such can have side effects. It is generally safe for healthy adults, it should not be taken by people facing any kind of hormone related issues.
References