Tips and Tricks to Regulate Your Period

Menstruation (period) is a common part of a woman’s monthly menstrual cycle. The number of days spent menstruating varies significantly from one person to the next. The average person bleeds for two to seven days. PMS (Premenstrual symptoms) generally begin five to eleven days before your period.

Menstrual flow, symptoms, and overall length variations are typically not a cause for concern. Stress, exercise, and diet may all have an effect on the glands that manage the body’s hormone balance, impacting your monthly cycles.

However, if the fluctuation persists for a prolonged period of time, it is cause for concern. As a result, keep reading to learn how lifestyle adjustments, supplements, and other treatments can help you get your time back on track.

Examine your eating habits.

Your adrenal glands, pituitary, and hypothalamus may be stressed if you eat too little food or don’t get the right combination of nutrients. These glands monitor the hormone balance in your body, which can alter your cycles. Continue reading to find out what to skip and what to include in your diet.

• Avoid high-fiber diets

Although studies have shown that women who consume a high-fiber diet have a lower chance of developing breast cancer, adding too much fiber to your diet can lead to concentration of:

• follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH)
• luteinizing hormone (LH)
• estrogen
• Progesterone

These hormones are essential for maintaining a healthy reproductive process of the body. As a result, consuming too much fiber can interfere with ovulation, causing delays in periods or an entirely skipped menstrual cycle.

However, this idea is not supported by all the research. Some have found that fibre has no impact on menstrual cycles or ovulation.

Anyhow, whatever the case may be, to be on the safer side, experts suggest that fiber consumption should be between 25 and 30 grams per day only.

• A high-carb diet is what you need.

Inadequate carbohydrate intake may result in amenorrhea or irregularity in periods.

Leptin hormone released by fat cells aids in regulating reproductive hormones and a low-carb diet can lead to a reduction in its level and a disruption in thyroid function.

If your diet includes 2,000-calorie, then experts suggest having 225 to 325 grams of carbs per day. Overall, from this, we can understand that carbohydrates can account for 45 to 65 percent of your total daily calorie intake.

Ensure you are getting enough folate.

Folate is intended to help with progesterone and ovulation levels during the later part of the menstrual cycle. This could aid with fertility.

Although the current daily dosage is 400 micrograms (mcg), however, depending on your health history, your doctor can recommend 800 mcg or more.

Fats are your Friends.

You should make sure that you are getting enough fats in your diet to help with ovulation and maintain hormone levels. Polyunsaturated fatty acids, aka PUFAs, tend to be the most significant.

The most popular sources for obtaining fats are:

• flax seeds
• walnuts
• vegetable oils
• salmon

According to research, about 20 to 35 percent of your daily calories should come from fat, and nearly 5 to 10% of them should mainly be obtained directly from PUFAs.

Include and Enjoy papayas and pineapples in your diet.

You might or might not have heard people talk about papayas and pineapples to be a good source to regulate the periods. But today, let us see the science behind it.

• Bromelain, an enzyme found in pineapples, is said to improve blood flow and enhance red and white blood cell generation.
• Papaya, a tropical fruit, can help in the contraction of the uterus, on the one hand, thus regulating the flow and, on the other, help maintain oestrogen levels as it contains a nutrient called carotene.

Truthfully, regardless of their effects on the menstrual cycle, both of these fruits are healthy foods and must be included in everyone’s diet.

Healthy weight.

Being way too fat (overweight/ obese) or way too thin (underweight) is never healthy. One should be trying to maintain themselves and stay ‘fit.’

Many doctors and scientists consider that a woman’s body weight can influence their monthly periods, yet the exact impact of weight over menstruation is unknown.

Based on various studies, it is said that women who are overweight or underweight are likely to experience painful menstruation. On the other hand, other studies have not discovered this correlation.

Many studies have also shown that you are more likely to have irregular cycles and even fertility issues whether you are overweight or underweight. Scientists assume that excessive weight gain or loss will influence the HPA axis (hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal), which is a regulator of one’s body’s hormones.

Weight fluctuations can also cause menstrual irregularities. It is possible that you will have further menstrual shifts whether you gain or lose weight.

Although the findings are dicey and not accurate in this case, however, aiming for a stable, balanced weight is the safest way to sustain regular cycles.

Hormonal birth control might help.

In order to deal with irregular cycles, hormonal birth control is often administered.

There seem to be a variety of drugs available, yet they all work to keep hormone levels in check. They not only regulate periods but can also help you to get relief from acne or extreme cramping. But remember, some hormonal contraceptives have the potential to stop your periods entirely.

Therefore, seek your doctor’s assistance in wisely choosing a contraceptive that is right for you.

NOTE: As a result of the medication, you can have headaches, weight gain, or nausea.

If you smoke, ensure that you declare this to your doctor, or else it could make you more susceptible to blood clots.

Go for acupuncture.

A well-known cure for almost everything in traditional Chinese medicine, acupuncture entails inserting very thin needles into various energy points in the body.

Acupuncture is expected to help with stabilizing the body’s energy flow, thus helping to control periods and alleviate painful menstruation symptoms.

Some researchers have also claimed that acupuncture can lower FSH levels, resuming menstruation in women who had stopped getting their periods.

Although the findings are mixed, one can go for some trials to help with painful menstruation.

Stress reduction.

Stress has never brought anything good.

According to research, in response to stress, the adrenal glands produce progesterone and cortisol, temporarily alleviating pain or anxiety. On the other hand, it may also cause your menstrual cycle to become disrupted.

Hence, to get your cycle back on track and feel better, opt for deep breathing and meditation, or try various other methods that help you to reduce chronic stress.

Many reports have depicted that one who practices yoga for about 35 to 40 minutes, five days a week, has seen changes in gastrointestinal symptoms, discomfort, and cycle regularity.

Good sleeping habits.

Many women experience difficulty sleeping as a result of menstrual problems, especially PMS, which can escalate symptoms.

Healthy sleeping habits can aid in the prevention of sleep problems. Following these steps to help you sleep better:

• Try to exercise regularly, but doing it before 2 p.m. will be best.
• Avoid consuming caffeine noontime.
• Do not watch TV or read in bed. Just relax.
• Avoid taking naps in between the day.
• Try going to bed and getting up around the same time every day.

You need regular exercise.

Regular exercising can be advantageous for you as it helps in reducing painful menstruation and PMS symptoms.

Swimming, cycling, running or walking, or any other aerobic exercise for approximately 30 minutes of a day can relieve menstrual symptoms.

NOTE: Strenuous exercises can disrupt your period cycle by delaying or pausing them altogether.

Try dietary supplements.

By treating nutritional deficiencies or promoting hormone levels, certain supplements may help you with your menstrual regularity.

• Castor oil

People believe castor oil to be an “emmenagogue,” or a substance that stimulates period flow.

Studies done on animals show that castor oil can influence their menstrual cycle, and therefore, it is also regarded to help with menstrual cramps and pain by reducing inflammation.

You can prepare your castor oil pack:

• Use a flannel sheet, soak it in castor oil and squeeze to drain off excess oil.
• Cover your belly with the castor oil-soaked flannel cloth.
• Wrap plastic wrap around the flannel.
• For about 45 to 60 minutes, cover the plastic-covered flannel with a hot water bottle or heating pad and relax. You can do this once a day for four days or longer if necessary.

NOTE: The use of castor oil is harmful to pregnancy.

• Evening primrose oil

With the use of evening primrose oil, you can minimize your period inflammation as it contains gamma-linolenic acid (GLA), an omega-6 fatty acid.

Studies have shown that utilizing evening primrose oil can provide relief from PMS symptoms, breast pain, and hot flashes.

• Turmeric

Turmeric is known to mimic the oestrogen hormone’s effects, implying that it can aid in the regulation of your menstrual cycle.

Moreover, curcumin, found in turmeric root, is said to have a variety of health benefits, along with improving mood and reducing inflammation.

• Cinnamon

Cinnamon as a dietary supplement can generally help women who suffer from hurtful menstrual cycles.

And not only this, but it can also help in maintaining insulin levels in the body, which impacts the menstrual cycle and other hormones.

Besides, cinnamon is also beneficial for women suffering from polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), with elevated insulin levels and irregular cycles. It causes them to have more frequent periods.

• Inositol

This vitamin-B like substance is contained in beans, citrus fruits, and meat.

Inositol is also present in our bodies and plays an important role in affecting other hormones, like FSH, and is crucial for ovary function. Additionally, Inositol takes care of how the body uses the insulin hormone. Overall, it could help with irregular periods.

More importantly, women undergoing medical care for infertility can increase ovulation and pregnancy rates by incorporating Inositol.

NOTE:

• Remember to consult your doctor before taking any supplement.
• OTC (over-the-counter), prescription drugs, and supplements can interfere with underlying health conditions.
• Furthermore, if you are planning to get pregnant or are pregnant, certain supplements might not be safe to take.

Is it true that irregular cycles can have an effect on your fertility?

While an irregular period is normal due to various reasons, having one on a regular basis will make it more difficult to conceive.

The trick to conceiving is to have sex before and after ovulation when you are most fertile. Because of one’s variable menstrual cycle, it gets tricky to tell when one is ovulating or when one will be ovulating.

An abnormal duration may often be induced by some other disorder that affects fertility, like ovary function loss or PCOS.

Try scheduling a preconception consultation with a doctor if you have irregular periods and you are trying to conceive.

Well-Wisher’s Words: When to see a doctor?

Although stress or other lifestyle factors can cause intermittent shifts in your monthly cycle, persistent inconsistency may indicate a more serious medical issue. Consult a doctor if you experience any of the following symptoms:

• For the past three months, you haven’t had a period.
• Every 21 days, you menstruate more than once.
• Your menstruation cycle is longer than a week.
• You experience heavy flow.
• Your menstrual blood clots are the size of a quarter or larger.