17 Jun, 2024

How to Reduce Bloating During Periods

Aunt Flo always brings extra baggage with her when she comes to visit, and bloating is one of her favorite travel companions. Your body starts getting ready for your period a few weeks before it comes. Hormones are doing their thing, and occasionally they can make your stomach puff up like a balloon.

Bloating before periods can feel like your stomach is playing a not-so-fun game called expand-o! You may feel like your belly is tight, swollen, and just plain painful. And let’s not forget about the cramps and backaches that often accompany the bloating troops. They all work together to make you feel a little less like yourself. Don’t worry, though; it won’t last forever. Things normally start to calm down when Aunt Flo shows up.

Reason for Bloating during Periods

So, what’s the science behind bloating during periods? How period bloating is caused? what does science say about why you feel bloated during your period? There is a small drop in the hormone progesterone about a week before your period. Now, your monthly period is controlled by progesterone, and when it starts to drop, it tells your uterus to start losing its lining. That’s what makes your period break out in a big show.

There’s more, though! Not only does progesterone level drop, but estrogen level also does its own little performance. And these two hormones can make your body hold on to more salt and water. That’s where the bloating comes from! When your cells start to become cozy with that extra water, you may feel swollen and puffed up, like your body has chosen to play a game of “inflate-a-belly.”

How to Reduce Bloating during Periods?

When it comes to tame bloating during periods, we are here with a few tricks. These are a few tips that not only help reduce period bloating but also help in reducing period pain at home.

Stay Hydrated

When you drink enough water, your body works like it’s on full blast, making it easy to handle being bloated before and during your period. You see, being dehydrated can trick your body into holding on to every drop of water as if it were getting ready for a drought. If, on the other hand, you drink water like it’s your favorite drink, your body knows it’s getting enough water.

So instead of holding on to extra water like it’s the cool thing to do, your cells start to loosen up and let go of that surplus weight. “Hey, we don’t need to store up for the long haul, we’ve got plenty to go around!” they finally understand. Before you know it, that uncomfortable bloating that comes with periods begins to go away, leaving you feeling lighter, more refreshed, and ready to take on the world.

Avoid Salty Snacks

Period cravings spare nothing. They come in like a tornado and offer you many salty treats to tempt you. When we give in to these urges, eating salty chips or packed foods can make us feel even more bloated.

It’s like asking sodium to the bloating party when you eat salty snacks. As it turns out, salt sneakily makes your body hold on to more water, as if it were setting up camp for a long stay. Even though you might enjoy the taste and crunch of those chips at the moment, your body is already beginning to feel the effects of holding on to all that extra water.

Your belly starts to swell up like a balloon as your body holds on to more water. This makes you feel uncomfortable and, let’s be honest, not so great. That’s why you should avoid salty snacks and choose fresh fruits, vegetables, and whole grains instead. If you feel that your cravings are on peak, then you can plan a period diet plan so that you can have healthy and nutritious alternatives.

Avoid Refined Carbs

Are those cravings for pastries and chocolates hitting you hard during your period? Well, we are going to tell you something you might not want to hear: it might be the best time to stay away from them! There are period-friendly foods and period-unfriendly foods. You see, eating sweet foods that are high in processed carbohydrates are a part of the latter as they can cause a bloated belly. How? Well, these sweet treats can make your blood sugar levels go up and down, which can make your insulin levels go through the roof. And when insulin levels rise, your body holds on to more salt and water, which causes unpleasant bloating during periods.

Aside from that, refined carbs can mess up the balance of germs in your gut, which can lead to gas and bloating. Instead of processed carbs, eat more whole grains and complex carbs.

Include Fiber-Rich Food in Diet

You might be thinking, “Isn’t period time supposed to be all about pampering myself?” Well, yes, but we are just dishing out some healthy tips and tricks to defeat Aunt Flo’s symptoms. If you want to get rid of period bloating, fiber-rich foods are the answer. If you think about it, processed carbs might be the destroyers, but fiber saves the day by magically helping digestion. Fiber avoids the buildup of gas that can cause bloating by keeping your digestive system running smoothly.

Fiber also soaks up extra water in your gut like a sponge, which helps you stay regular. Fiber-rich foods can help get you back on track when you’re feeling sluggish and bloated, and they can also help ease that bloated belly bulge.

Consider Natural Diuretics

When your body seems to be holding on to more water than normal, you know how uncomfortable it is? It turns out that foods like asparagus, pineapples, peaches, cucumber, leeks, ginger, and garlic contain natural diuretics that help your kidneys get rid of that extra water.

For example, asparagus is not only tasty, but it’s also full of chemicals that gently tell your kidneys to make more pee, which gets rid of the bloating blues. Who can say no to the juicy sweetness of peaches and pineapples? Not only are they tasty, but they are also full of nutrients and enzymes that help your body get rid of extra water.

Ask your Gyneac for Suitable Birth Control Pills

Birth control pills? Sounds like a little too much, doesn’t it? Well, they are not only for pregnancy. Birth control pills have estrogen and progesterone in them, but they are made in a lab. These are the same hormones that change naturally during your period. By taking the pill regularly, you’re keeping these hormone levels fixed, so they don’t go up and down as often, which can cause bloating and water retention.

The diuretic features of some birth control pills can help your body get rid of extra water and reduce bloating during periods even more.

Indulge in Physical Exercise or Yoga

You see, when you’re feeling bloated and uncomfortable, the last thing you might want to do is lace up those sneakers or roll out your yoga mat. But trust us, a little movement can go a long way in helping you feel better!

For starters, working out gets your muscles and blood moving, which can help improve circulation and lymphatic flow. This means that your body can get rid of extra fluids more efficiently, which will make you feel less bloated. In a way, it’s like gently pushing your body to let go of all that water and puffiness.
If you have a problem of bloating during periods, vitamin B6 and magnesium are just your newfound besties. Vitamin B6 helps regulate hormone levels, including the one that causes water retention and bloating during periods. By keeping these hormones in check, vitamin B6 reduces the severity of bloating and other PMS symptoms.

And your other best friend, magnesium, it’s deficiency can lead to muscle cramps, tension, and even bloating. You can include magnesium-rich foods like leafy greens, seeds, nuts, and whole grains. You are helping your body maintain a healthy water balance, relaxing those tense muscles, thus reducing bloating.

Conclusion

So, we’ve covered quite a few tricks to tackle that annoying bloating during periods. But hey, if these tips don’t quite kick the bloating brigade to the curb, you can always turn to a period pain reliever device.

Everyone’s body is different, so it might take a little experimenting to find what works best for you. Here’s to finding your perfect bloating-busting routine and feeling great during your period!

Explore More About Period Bloating

How long does period bloating last?

The pain may start a week or so before your period and last for a few days after it starts. You may also have bloating some months but not others because your body’s hormone levels change from cycle to cycle.

Is it normal to experience bloating before periods?

Of course, bloating right before your period is a very typical feeling. The bloating could happen once a month, once a year, or never at all. The signs should go away when your period starts or a few days into it. As your period goes on, your body quickly loses water, and the swelling goes down.

How to instantly relieve period bloating?

You can have peppermint tea, with ginger or chamomile. If you want instant relief, you can also have the off-the-shelves meds.

What are the common signs of bloating?

Stomach discomfort, tenderness, and gas (flatulence) are all common signs of bloating. You may also burp or belch a lot or hear rumbling or noise in your stomach.

What exercises reduce period bloating?

On days when your period is lighter, try physical workouts with a mild level of effort, like walking or light running. If you do this kind of exercise, it can help with cramps and bloating (extra water weight). Some “feel-good hormones” are released when you do aerobic exercise, which helps your blood flow.