Proper nutrition is important to always follow. It is especially important to adhere to the rules of a healthy diet during periods when the body experiences more intense stress. For women, one of these periods is menstruation. A proper diet during menstruation will help to improve well-being and keep the body in good shape.
The benefits of following a proper diet during menstruation have been proven by American experts. A group of women was asked to include corn flakes in the diet before starting menstruation. The experiment showed unexpected results. It turned out that flakes helped women feel better during menstruation – they did not have soreness in the lower abdomen and lower back, they did not suffer from mood swings.
Further experiments showed that the carbohydrates that make up cornflakes increased the concentration of serotonin in brain tissue. And everyone knows that it is serotonin that is responsible for well-being and mood.
Recent studies also confirm the results of previous experiments. It turned out that before starting menstruation, it is desirable to limit the intake of fats. But a beneficial effect on the female body is exerted by proteins of plant origin.
Diet during menstruation – what to eat
Before starting menstruation and during the period, it is better to give preference to foods high in carbohydrates – these are vegetables and fruits, oatmeal, buckwheat, rice and other cereals. In addition, the diet during menstruation should contain as much vegetable protein as possible. Natural sources of protein of plant origin are legumes.
Diet during menstruation – what should be excluded from the diet (limit)
First of all, before and during menstruation, drinks that contain caffeine are strong black and green tea, natural coffee and cola. The fact is that caffeine enhances irritation and mood swings.
In addition, you should limit the use of easily digestible sugars, that is, sweets, cakes, all sweets and muffins. If it is difficult to tolerate the lack of sugar, then you should have healthy food at hand, for example, natural granola, sweet fruits – bananas, apples.
It is worth paying attention to the amount in the diet of animal fats, the sources of which are meat, milk, sour cream, cheese, fish. Butter is temporarily desirable to be excluded from the food menu. Reduce the amount of product consumed in relation to seeds and nuts, olives and avocados.
Milk chocolate, alcoholic drinks, fried foods and chips are considered especially harmful when dieting during menstruation . If during menstruation there is a tendency to swelling, then 5 days before menstruation it is better to reduce the amount of salt in food.
Such a diet will not have any effect on the state of the body as a whole, that is, there is no risk of gaining weight.
Diet during menstruation – a useful recipe
It is very helpful to pamper yourself during your period with banana muesli.
For cooking, you should take – a glass of granola, a glass of low-fat yogurt, one banana, two apples, two tablespoons of raisins, two teaspoons of natural honey, one orange.
Muesli must be poured into yogurt. Rinse the raisins, peel the banana and cut into circles. Grate apples. Stir the yogurt with granola, bananas and apples, then add honey. Peel the orange from the skin and films, break the pulp. Mix with ready-made granola. When serving, the dish can be decorated with apple slices or banana mugs.