Menstrual bleeding typically lasts four to eight days. Typically, a cycle results in a blood loss of between 1/5 to 2 1/2 ounces. Depending on the type, a sanitary pad or tampon can contain up to one ounce of blood. Unlike blood after an injury, menstrual blood often does not clot unless the bleeding is quite severe.
Also, the studies show that irregular cycles affect at least 20% of women. In other words, they deviate from the usual range in length or duration. The years right following menarche and preceding menopause are often when cycles fluctuate the most, and between periods, they are the longest.
Hormones control your thoughts, appearance, and emotions, so maintaining hormonal balance is essential for overall health. It turns out that a variety of variables, including our diet, can affect how well our hormones function.
With the appropriate dietary and lifestyle adjustments, all the adverse effects of the four phases of the 28-day menstrual cycle—the luteal, follicular, ovulatory, and menstrual—can be balanced.
Consuming meals that contradict internal processes might make you feel drained and uneasy, and for those who are attempting to conceive, it may have an adverse effect on fertility.
5 Types Of Superfoods Women Should Take
1. Choose Foods High In Iron
Progesterone production falls throughout this phase, while oestrogen production peaks and falls again. During menstruation, the lining of your uterus sheds. Thus, water containing nutrients like iron, zinc, and magnesium is also lost in addition to blood. Include fruits and vegetables high in water to maintain the fluid balance in the body. It's crucial to maximise comfort; thus, consuming plenty of warm, comforting foods is essential. NIH confirms it too.
2. Add Meals That Balance Oestrogen Levels
You are producing more oestrogen during the follicular period. It happens shortly after your period ends and lasts seven to ten days. Follicle-stimulating hormone rises during this period, enabling the ovaries to release an egg. Your hormone levels may be lower than typical even if they are increasing, which explains why you may feel more exhausted than usual. You want to eat cruciferous vegetables (like kale and cabbage), eggs, seeds, nuts, salmon, and fermented foods like kimchi since your body is working hard to establish a dominant follicle.
3. Low Carb Food Can Be Comfy
Choose antioxidant-rich, low-carb foods when you're ovulating. This phase, which typically occurs on days 11–13 of your cycle, is the shortest, lasting only one to two days. The levels of testosterone and oestrogen grow, and the levels of FSH and LH keep rising. You may feel energised after doing this, which may reduce your need for fast carbohydrates. The study, “Ketonemia variability through menstrual cycle in patients undergoing classic ketogenic diet” confirms the facts, too.
4. Consume More Magnesium
Consume more magnesium when the luteal phase is in progress. This time will make you feel agitated and more prone to mood swings. The hormonal changes that occur during this time can make you feel a little lethargic and depressed, as is particularly noticeable in those who have PMS. A fast remedy? Increase your intake of foods high in magnesium. Try raw cacao powder, hemp seeds, and green leafy vegetables are excellent additions that may even help with headaches and cramps.
5. Consider Seed Cycling
A naturopathic movement called "seed cycling" promises to balance hormones and lessen menopause and menstrual discomfort. It eliminates mood fluctuations and acne. To put it simply, you eat pumpkin and flaxseeds for the first 14 days of your cycle, then sesame and sunflower seeds from day 15 to day 28. One of the best sources of lignans is flaxseed, which has been shown in studies to raise oestrogen levels and reduce symptoms like hot flashes and night sweats. All four seeds are high in fibre, manganese, magnesium, copper, thiamine, vitamin E, good fats, and lignans.
Periods are surely difficult for women, but mindful eating can solve half of the problem by eliminating mood swings and hormone imbalance, keeping one healthy, energetic and happy. Try out various dishes from the dishes mentioned above.