Practicing period care tips is a must for every girl, especially if you have serious cramping issues or breakouts. Your period is a natural part of life; with the right knowledge and self-care practices, you can help your body scale through.
What is Period Care?
Period care, which can also be called menstrual self-care, cycle care, or period health, is an act of taking care of yourself when you’re menstruating. It’s a form of therapy you give yourself during your cycle. You might not be able to completely have a painless, and inconvenient menstrual period (though some people do), but you can make it a less excruciating experience.
Period care tips you can practice
You can care for yourself during your period in several ways, from your diet to natural remedies, making small lifestyle adjustments, and supplements. These are essential ways to keep yourself healthy during your period.
But let’s talk about Pre-Period Prep for a second
Pre-period prep is about preparing for your next period, it’s what you do a few days before you start menstruating. Such as:
- Tracking your cycle by using tracker apps to record any bloating, cramps, and period dates.
- Getting hydrated by drinking plenty of water.
- Slowing down on your sugar intake including soft drinks, juices, and snacks.
- Working out regularly to reduce cramps and bloating.
- Eating the right foods like those rich in omega-3 fatty acids, leafy greens, and whole grains.
- Going to bed on time to get enough sleep
Pre-menstrual care tips to prepare yourself in the best way possible
Period-care tips: During your period
1 . Drink enough water to stay hydrated, but listen to your body if you can’t drink more it’s okay. Sometimes, you might feel nauseous after drinking some amount of water during your period. So, to avoid puking, drink the amount you’re comfortable with.
2 . Eat a balanced diet rich in fruits, vegetables, protein, and whole grains. Dark Chocolate is also a good addition to your meal plan, and many girls have testified to it. Since you’re losing a lot of blood, along with magnesium that comes with it, dark chocolate can help build your magnesium levels.
3 . Practice good hygiene by changing pads or tampons regularly. It is not ideal to wear one pad for so many hours, you should change it more than twice a day.
4 . Exercise (if you can) to help reduce cramps and improve your mood. You can do light workouts, but avoid core training as it can make cramps worse. Going for a walk, stretching, lifting light weights, can be helpful. Also, you don’t have to go to the gym if you don’t feel like it, working out at home is equally effective. So long you’re moving your body, it doesn’t matter where you do it.
5 . Get enough rest and sleep to support your body during this time. If it even means taking a day from school to rest, you can. Additionally, avoid staying up too late, to get a quality night sleep.
6 . Use comfortable and breathable menstrual products.
7 . Consider trying period-friendly underwear for added protection. In addition, make sure you use underwear that aren’t too tight, or uncomfortable. Always use the ones that fit you right and has a nice texture, so it doesn’t cause bruises or scratches around your medial thigh lift.
Practice Period-care with natural remedies.
5 natural remedies for period cramps
1 . Heat therapy: Applying a heating pads or warm compresses to relieve cramps (it’s a great alternative to ibuprofen)
2 . Take warm baths: Taking a warm bath can help relax your muscles and reduce abdominal pain.
3 . Herbal teas: Drinking herbal teas like chamomile, ginger, or peppermint can have calming effects and ease cramps and bloating.
12 Types of Herbal teas and their benefits
4 . Essential oils: Aromatherapy with essential oils like lavender or clary can provide relaxation and pain relief.
5 . Acupuncture or Acupressure: They’re traditional practices that can help ease menstrual cramps, by targeting specific pressure points.
5 ways to treat period- breakouts
It’s normal to have skin breakouts when your period starts, they’re also called Period- pimples, menstrual acne amongst many others. So, when this happens, you can follow some steps to treat it. Some common ways to treat period-pimples include:
1 . Topical treatments like benzoyl peroxide, which reduces bacteria, inflammation and acne. Or Salicylic acid which exfoliates the skin and unclogs pores. And Tea tree oil which is known for its antibacterial, anti-inflammatory properties that help reduce acne.
2 . Home remedies also help reduce acne on your face during your period. They include:
- Warm compresses which reduces inflammation, opens pores and helps your skin heal.
- Aloe Vera gel also helps soothe, calm, and hydrate your skin.
- Aloe vera gel and honey combo can help unclog pores, fade dark spots, and clear pimples.
- Cucumber slices cools and soothes the skin.
- Honey
- Rose water (balances skin pH)
- Ginger (anti-inflammatory)
- Neem oil (anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory)
11 list of foods to eat as part of your Period-care routine
- Dark chocolate (70 percent cocoa)
- Yoghurt
- Nuts and seeds
- Berries (Blueberries, strawberries)
- Whole grains (quinoa, brown rice, oatmeal)
- Avocados
- Bananas
- Fatty fish like salmon, sardines
- Leafy greens (Spinach, Kale)
- Sweet potatoes
- Green tea
Foods to limit or avoid
- Processed meats
- Sugary drinks
- Refined carbs
- High-sodium foods
- Dairy products (if you’re lactose intolerant)
How to practice Period care even if you don’t have period cramps
Though, cramps are one of the major issues in women’s menstrual cycle, and care tips are highly influenced by it, there are other ways you can practice period care. So, for the girlies who don’t experience pain during menstruation, you can still practice period care.
- Drink lots of water
- Reduce screen time
- Watch your favorite cartoons
- Spend time with your girlfriends
- Hop on a call with a friend (FaceTime or voice call)
- Read fictional books you enjoy
- Buy enough pads
- Buy at least 2 new period-underwear
- Workout
- Practice deep breathing exercises
- Eat healthy foods
Though, these activities can be done by every girl, period cramps or not, period breakouts or not. It’s all about loving yourself and taking care of yourself during this period.
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