Search Results for: menstrual

March 11, 2022 By Soni Thakur Leave a Comment

Menstrual Cramps & Ways To Combat It

Menstrual cramps are also called as Dysmenorrhea, like its name says ‘dys’ meaning difficult, ‘meno’ meaning month and ‘rrhea’ meaning flow i.e. difficult or painful monthly flow, and often a nightmare for most women. Its usual onset occurs around the time that menstruation begins. The pain is usually in the pelvis or lower abdomen.

Apart from this, there are certain other manifestations which women put up with during menstruation:

Nausea
Acidity
Acne
Bloating
Dizziness
Mood swings

Why Do We Get Menstrual Cramps?

Menstrual cramps are caused by an excess of “prostaglandins” hormones that are released from the endometrium (inner lining) of the uterus as it prepares to shed off. This is a necessary part of the process but in excess, it causes pain. If the uterus contracts strongly, blood flow is reduced and the supply of oxygen to the uterus muscle tissue decreases, causing severe pain.

Why Do Some Women Experience More Cramps Than Others?

This could be possibly due to inflammation. As a more inflamed tissue tends to produce more prostaglandins, it causes more severe pain. Other factors that contribute to menstrual cramps include:

Poor eating habits
Not having adequate amount of potassium and magnesium in diet
Lack of Exercise
Smoking
Drinking Alcohol

How Do You Combat It?

Women have to go through a lot in general, so there is no chance these creepy cramps would spare us but we know how to fight it! So, let’s find out some easy and effective ways to combat menstrual cramps.

Putting a heating pad on your belly or lower back.
Rubbing Lavender oil on your belly helps relieve period pain.
Ginger tea: Boil a piece of ginger in 250 ml water, simmer for 4-5 minutes and drink whenever required.
Carom seeds: Having 1 tbsp. of carom seeds by boiling them in a glass of water may ease menstrual cramps.
Eat potassium and magnesium rich foods like Bananas, oranges, grapefruit, raisins, dates, mushrooms, cucumbers, potatoes, sweet potatoes and dark chocolate (70% or more), nuts, legumes, tofu ,seeds, wholegrains ,green leafy vegetables respectively.
Use yoga: Some simple yoga poses to try out are Head to Knee forward bend, bound angle pose, Child’s pose and inverted leg pose.
Listen to good music that changes your mood or take a walk in nature or talk to your friends and family members. This will keep you engaged and diverted so you may not feel too much pain.

So, let’s try out these simple and effective ways to fight menstrual cramps and ease those difficult days! We hope this article helps you. Do leave your thoughts in the comments below. For more tips, check out Healthy Reads or you can get these home remedies and more directly from a GOQii Coach by subscribing for personalized health coaching here: https://goqiiapp.page.link/bsr

#BeTheForce

March 22, 2018 By Mitali Ambekar 9 Comments

Should Women Workout during their Menstrual Cycle?

women workout

This is a question that is always asked by most women who have either started working out or who have been in sports or go on treks, etc. How can a woman or a girl be out of workout for a span of 4-6 days, especially the ones who play a sport? There Could be varied opinions on the same.

If we put in little logic, it does show us that working out during menstrual cycle would help every woman feel better. How is that? In general, when anyone works out, our body tends to release endorphin’s, the feel-good hormone and makes one feel good and happy. In the case of women, this is especially true, when the other hormones are already making her feel irritated, low on energy and weak during her periods.

Another positive is, better circulation and higher metabolism, both of which will make sure that all the process in the body are working well thereby also making the woman’s uterine muscles relax, which otherwise are constricted during periods and can be a major cause for cramps. Better circulation can even help in relieving headaches and other small aches, which otherwise happens with iron deficiency during this phase.

Having said this, the intensity of workouts should not be very high, it can be low to moderate. Also, before starting off, you may not feel like doing so but, as you start with a light warm-up such as a slow walk, followed by some stretching it will make you feel better and thus take the work out forward slowly and steadily. In fact, light stretching will even help you get rid of congestion in the pelvic area.

Women, who suffer severe pain and more bleeding should avoid it, as exercise can make them feel weaker and can make it very painful. Again the question pops up, why and how?

Well, during periods the woman’s Uterus and the veins inside are a little sensitive, thus any pressure on it coming be it in the form of exercise or any other activity can cause more pain. Thus, women who already encounter a lot of pain should avoid taking the risk of working out and thus rest for 2-3 days and then get back to workouts. Failing to do so can cause more weakness with loss of blood due to excessive bleeding.

All I would suggest you do is some light walk, stretching, yoga. Few can try swimming too as it equally helps in feeling fresh, light and easing off the pain.

As a precautionary step, always remember to eat something before the workouts to get the dash of energy needed to workout.

June 14, 2017 By Dr. Viral Thakkar 15 Comments

Menstrual Pain: Every Woman’s Nightmare No more!!

I know of many women, especially adolescents who don’t like ‘being a woman’ because of the pain during menstruation. If you are one of those or you know of such women, this article is to stop by.

Primary dysmenorrhea (menstrual pain) is a normal process of menstruation. It affects girls during adolescence and eases as they mature. It may be painful but is not harmful.

Prostaglandins (hormones that make your uterus contract during menstruation and childbirth) causes the pain. Its pain probably results from contractions of your uterus that occur when the blood supply to its lining (endometrium) is reduced. (But hey! It is a part of you and it is important, so blame it, but accept it and get on with it).

Other factors include- a uterus that tilts backward instead of forward, lack of exercise, psychological or social stress, smoking, drinking alcohol or being overweight.

Secondary dysmenorrhea is generally related to some kind of gynecological disorder. It is most likely to affect women during adulthood.

Causes

Fibroids that develop within the uterine wall or are attached to it cause inflammation leading to pain.
Adenomyosis – the tissue that lines the uterus (called the endometrium) begins to grow within its muscular walls. This makes the uterine walls grow thicker. It may lead to heavy or longer-than-usual menstrual bleeding, as well as pain during menstrual cycle or intercourse.
A sexually transmitted infection.
Endometriosis – fragments of the endometrial lining that are found on other pelvic organs.
Pelvic inflammatory disease, which is primarily an infection of the fallopian tubes, but can also affect the ovaries, uterus, and cervix. It is caused primarily by sexually transmitted infections that spread up from the opening of the uterus to these organs.
An ovarian cyst or tumoris a sac filled with fluid that forms on or inside of an ovary causes pain.
The use of an intrauterine device (IUD), a birth control method leads to painful menstruation which decreases overtime.

‘Pain’ is the body telling us that something is not right. So listen to what your body is telling you. While you must seek medical advice for secondary dysmenorrhea, do consider the following as well.

Be comfortable with your body. The negative messaging at times can become a part of the sub-conscious mind which rejects the female body. So anything which reminds the body of being a ‘woman’ will hurt.

Have a balanced diet. Ensure your diet includes foods rich in Vitamin B12, D, omega-3 fatty acids and calcium. As an extra tip, ginger is a wonder herb that can effectively ease menstrual cramps as it lowers the levels of pain-causing prostaglandins.

A hot water bag relaxes the contracting muscles in your uterus.

Make sure your hemoglobin level is within the normal range by including iron rich foods along with foods high in Vitamin C in your everyday diet.

An orgasm can help relieve all kinds of pains. Before an orgasm, the uterus is more relaxed, and during climax, blood flow increases, helping to relieve the cramps. The endorphins released after sex will make you feel better instantly.

Eat 2tbs of flaxseeds every day during periods reduces prostaglandin levels in the body.

Keep yourself hydrated during your period (and otherwise too!).

Exercise increases the blood flow which will calm the pain naturally.

Be happy and you will feel your body responding better and dealing better with pain during your period.

Yoga Postures to relieve menstrual pain

One Legged PigeonPose stretches the entire lower part of the body, stimulates the abdominal organs.

Matsyasana (Fish pose) is a back-bend that stretches and stimulates the belly muscles.

JanuShirasana (One-legged Forward bend) massages the abdominal organs.

Dhanurasana (Bow pose) strengthens the abdominal muscles and stimulates the reproductive organs.

Bhujangasana (Cobra pose) stretches and tones the abdomen.

Ustrasana (Camel pose) stretches and opens the front of the body.

Yoga is one of the means to reach your goal of painless menstruation. Don’t forget to respect your body and give it time to overcome the pain.

May 21, 2022 By Arooshi Garg 1 Comment

Choose The Right Cup! Different Teas And Their Benefits

Tea is considered to be the 2nd most popular drink after water. An article in National Geography dated April 2014, reiterates this statement. According to the article, the world’s top beverage is not Coffee or Beer, its Tea. And a perfect start to the day is with a good cup of Tea.

But What Does Research Say?

Various studies have been done emphasizing the health benefits associated with consumption of tea. A paper titled –Tea and Health: Studies in Humans authored by Naghma Khan and Hasan Mukhtar with affiliation to Helfaer Professor of Cancer Research, Director and Vice Chair for Research, Department of Dermatology, University of Wisconsin, says that drinking tea has been considered a health-promoting habit since ancient times and modern medical research is providing a scientific basis for this belief. The evidence supporting the health benefits of tea drinking grows stronger with each new study that is published in the scientific literature.

In their paper, the authors say, “Tea plant Camellia sinensis has been cultivated for thousands of years and its leaves have been used for medicinal purposes. Tea is used as a popular beverage worldwide and its ingredients are now finding medicinal benefits”.

“Encouraging data showing cancer-preventive effects of green tea from cell culture, animal, and human studies have emerged. Evidence is accumulating that black tea may have similar beneficial effects. Tea consumption has also been shown to be useful for the prevention of many debilitating human diseases that include maintenance of cardiovascular and metabolic health,” they add.

With tea becoming the latest super-drink among health enthusiasts all over the world, trying various options and experiencing its health benefits, it’s time for us to magnify our knowledge for the same! It’s no wonder that Green tea, Black tea, and Chamomile tea, to name a few, have gained acceptance among many as a health drink. And, why not? They are helping us in numerous ways!

If you are not aware, some of the new entrants into the tea world are Dandelion tea, Ginseng, Peppermint, Cranberry, Liquorice, Thyme, and Raspberry Leaf tea, among many others.

This article will assist you in choosing the right type of tea for the health benefits that you are looking for.

How Tea Can You Help You

1. For your digestive system: Jasmine, Peppermint, Chamomile, Dandelion and Cranberry tea are the most effective teas that can provide relief to your stomach and liver. A number of restaurants serve Jasmine tea as an appetizer before meals. That’s because of Jasmine tea aids in digestion and helps produce saliva which contains digestive enzymes.

Chamomile tea eases and relaxes the digestive system and peristaltic muscles. It also helps to reduce menstrual cramps. A paper titled Chamomile: An herbal medicine of the past with bright future reiterates the above statements. It says, “Chamomile preparations are commonly used for many human ailments such as hay fever, inflammation, muscle spasms, menstrual disorders, insomnia, ulcers, wounds, gastrointestinal disorders, rheumatic pain, and hemorrhoids”. The study also says that Chamomile tea is one of the world’s most popular herbal teas and about a million cups are consumed every day.

Peppermint and dandelion tea can help reduce bloating after a heavy meal and also increase the secretion of digestive enzymes. Another study titled: A review of the bioactivity and potential health benefits of peppermint tea, suggests that Peppermint tea, brewed from the plant leaves, and the essential oil of peppermint are used in traditional medicines.

2. For cold, cough and flu: Ginger, Thyme, and white blossom tea have essential oils which help the body fight against viruses and infections. A concoction of ginger tea with honey is an age-old Indian alternate medicine for treating common cold and cough. The anti-inflammatory compounds gingerols and shogaol in ginger root help relieve a sore throat quickly, and they also kill cold-causing viruses.

3. To relieve aches and pains: Green tea, Chamomile, Red bush and Rooibos Tea. Nothing can be better than Green tea to cure body aches, pain, and swelling! These teas have huge amounts of antioxidants and minerals that give them the magical pain relieving properties.

Green tea also helps reduce puffiness and dark circles under the eyes when a soaked and cooled tea bag is used as an eye pad to soothe the eyes and area around it. Many of the beneficial effects of green tea are related to its catechin, particularly (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate, content. “There are human studies on using green tea catechins to treat metabolic syndromes, such as obesity, Type 2 Diabetes, and cardiovascular risk factors,” the study adds.

4. For healthy and radiant skin: Calendula, White tea, Green tea and Liquorice tea help clean the skin at the cellular level by removing toxins. These teas play a major role in activating the lymphatic system and detoxifying the liver. Their extracts can prevent pigmentation, eczema, and pimples.

A study –Green Tea and Skin concludes that the outcome of the several experimental studies suggests that green tea possesses anti-inflammatory and anti-carcinogenic potential, which can be exploited against a variety of skin disorders. Although more clinical studies are needed, supplementation of skin care products with green tea may have a profound impact on various skin disorders in the years to come

5. For reducing stress and lack of sleep/insomnia: Chamomile, Passion-fruit, Lemongrass and Mint tea promote placidity and coolness into the body, reducing stress and promoting calmness.

Chamomile tea is made with dried flowers of the chamomile plant and it can help fight insomnia. Fruit teas are packed with vitamin-C and antioxidants, making them a fresh and fruity option for the tea lovers.

Lemongrass tea is stimulating and helps the body recover from tiredness and discomfort. Lemon balm and mint teas are ideal for winters as these protect from cold and also help in improving concentration. Mint when added to any ice tea can be another refreshing option.

6. To refresh and energize you: Green, White, Oolong, Calendula, Roasted Dandelion, Natal, Lemon balm and Liquorice root teas are best for maintaining health and fitness due to the brimming amounts of antioxidants present in them. These herbal mixes are effective in the detoxifying body as they act as natural diuretics which help in removing toxins from kidneys.

Lemon balm and Liquorice tea is ideal for nervous system and maintains a regular flow of energy through the body. Green tea promotes weight loss – which can be attributed to the thermogenic effect of the antioxidants and caffeine present in it.

7. To prevent and treat nausea and vomiting: Apart from being refreshing, Peppermint, Ginger, and Raspberry teas provide other benefits too.

To begin with, peppermint is Anti-emetic (prevents vomiting) and also promotes the formation of bile in the gall bladder for better digestion of fat. Many people find the taste of this tea to be very strong, but one can adjust the strength by dilution according to the taste.

Ginger tea is a venerable solution for cold, cough and sickness in India. Hot ginger tea can be made either pure or with a ginger and herb mix. Raspberry leaf tea is a boon for pregnant women to overcome morning sickness as it is said to be a tonic for the uterus.

Based on your needs, you can pick and choose which teas and their benefits you’d want to explore! Hope this article helps you. Do let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

For more articles like this, check out Healthy Reads. To know more about teas and other concoctions that can help you, speak to a GOQii Coach by subscribing for personalized health coaching here: https://goqiiapp.page.link/bsr