Lady Business… It’s that time of the month

Hello, my friends! I hope you all have ben having a fabulous week thus far. Mine has been “interesting” to say the very least… i’ll spare you the details haha.

Today’s blog post is something I’m sure all you ladies out there can relate to. Let’s see if you can figure out what I’m talking about. So on Friday of last week, i was feeling GREAT. My skin was clear, i was feeling good about my body, i was hitting macros (like a boss) and then…BAM. Zits everywhere, feeling hella bloated and bleh, and my appetite for sweets had zero chill. YUP, you know what that means… It’s that time of the month. So that’s what we are going to talk about today… Periods. (Guys, this is probably a good time for you to exit stage left haha).

This post is to give you some insight into what’s happening to your body during this time- in regards to cravings, bloat, cramps, etc, and how to deal.

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So we all know the symptoms: insomnia, bloat, irritability, mood swings, fatigue, cravings, cramps, boob sensitivity….we know the struggle.

Cravings are something that i deal with, like crazy, when i have my period. Why? Because when you have your period, your cortisol levels rise (aka your stress hormones) and your serotonin levels decrease. Serotonin controls things like mood, appetite, digestion, social behavior, sex drive, so a lot of bodily functions). So you can see why the shift in these hormones can cause you to have cravings. This causes your body to crave sweets, carbs, and fatty foods.

Bloating… Another fabulous symptom of our lady friend. Bloating is caused from the fluctuation of our hormones, estrogen and a sharp decrease in progesterone. Lovely. This can cause us to feel bloated, watery and just plain bleh.

Cramps… another favorite (sarcastic obvs). Cramps come from a chemical “prostaglandins” that the body releases to help the muscles of the uterus contract to shed the lining of the uterus. The more of this chemical that is released, the more painful the cramps. This can also contribute to feelings of nausea, headaches, backaches, even vomiting.

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So how do we survive this time of the month without ripping off our boyfriends heads and feeling like big bloated, crampy, female for a week straight?? Here’s some tips to hopefully help you combat, or at least minimize, the side effects of Aunt Flo.

• Get in your Vitamin B and Vitamin C. Vitamin B is said to help with some of the side effects of our period such as fatigue, bloating, and feeling meh. Foods that contain Vitamin B (6&12) include meat, eggs, dairy, nuts, and legumes. So eat up.
• Drink Up. It seems counter productive… “i feel bloated and watery so i am going to drink more water” but it’s exactly what you need to do. Drinking more water will help your body to let go of the water that it is holding onto and thus, making you feel less bloated. So drink your fluids.
• Get Up & Moving. It’s easy to want to lay curled up in the fetal position when you feel bloated, have cramps, are tired, etc. But getting up and moving can actually help improve your mood (thank you, endorphins) and can actually reduce your period symptoms. If you have really bad cramps, even a little bit of movement such as going for a walk, can help. Low intensity exercise is good too.
• Heating Pad.  Works wonders for cramps.
• Ibuprofen. Now, this is not me saying go out and take whatever medicine you can get your hands on. No, no, no. But, ibuprofen has been proven to help reduce the symptoms associated with periods such as cramps and body aches.  It prevents the body from releasing those prostaglandins that we talked about above. If you are going to take ibuprofen, be sure to follow the recommended dose found on the bottle or from a doctor.
• Limit Soda and Caffeine. A lot of caffeine, especially during your period, can lead to increased irritability and even boob soreness. If your used to drinking a lot of caffeine i suggest scaling back… instead of two cups maybe only have one. No caffeine would leave you extra irritable but cutting your consumption down, just a bit, can help you feel just a wee less bitchy.
• Moderation. I could just say avoid sugar, fatty, and carb heavy sources all together but that is just not realistic (lol, it’s the truth). If you want chocolate, have a piece of chocolate. If you want ice cream, have some ice cream. But you don’t need to eat a dozen donuts if you have a donut craving. Honor your cravings, but remember- MODERATION IS KEY. You still have fitness and nutrition goals that you are trying to reach, despite having your period, so remember that. It’s okay to enjoy a food that you are craving, just be mindful.
  

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So there you have it. Some helpful tips that you can use to help make that time of the month a little less awful… because let’s be honest, being a girl can suck sometimes.

What are somethings that you do, during that time of the month, that help that week suck a little less? Please leave a comment and share because i am POSITIVE that there are a lot of ladies out there that would love to know.

Thanks so much for reading my blog. As always, i greatly appreciate it. Please like/comment/share if you enjoyed this post and keep checking back for more.

Talk soon ,