You are what you eat!  If I had another life, I would have loved to learn about natural sciences and medicine to open up my own apocathery.  However, given our limited amount of time in this world, the next best thing is to fact check on Google. Fact:  There are actually foods out there that can relieve your menstrual cramps naturally.  On the flip side, there are also foods that may exacerbate your symptoms.  Here’s our golden star list.

Foods to love…

1. Iron rich nutrients:  Go for foods that have high iron content including dark leafy greens such as spinach or kale, or organ meats like liver to help replenish yourself during this time.  This is especially important as menstruation means that you are losing blood, so having an iron rich diet can help keep you energized and less fatigued
   
   
2. Dark Chocolate:  Dark chocolate (like almost 100% pure with no refined sugar) can definitely helps you release endorphins up and reduce the amount of perceived pain that you may experience during your flow.  Added bonus:  Chocolate also helps you keep your cravings at bay, so it can double as an appetite suppressant, especially if you have had a busy day.
   
   
3. Teas:  Drinking chamomile and/or peppermint teas can help your muscles relax and put you in a more peaceful state of mind.  Part of cramping can also be due to tenseness in the body, so finding ways to relieve those stresses can also help with period pain.
   

Foods to avoid…

1. Caffeine:  Caffeine acts as a stimulant that can cause your blood pressure and heart rate to spike up.  If drinking too much green tea and/or coffee means that you wind up in jitters, it’s a sign that maybe this isn’t the best food for keeping you calm and relaxed while you’re cramping.
   
   
2. Refined sugar:  This is definitely a type of ingredient for you to best avoid.  Spikes in energy level related to direct consumption of refined sugars not only affect your mood and your metabolism, but it can definitely be a big hit to your health and increase tension in your body.  This is definitely one item to best cut down on or avoid completely when it’s that time of the month.
   
   
3. Deep fried or processed foods:  Ideally anything that is overly processed or too greasy can cause your stomach to be upset and may also result in bloating.  This can become become an added crux if you’re already experiencing tenderness from menstrual cramps already.  If it’s that time of the month for you, better toss those sausages and French fries out the door.

That's it for me. Until Next time!

-LP