Five Hundred Painful Periods

So I was trying to calculate just how many periods we as women are faced with in our lifetime - it is said to be on average 500 periods!
Only a woman will understand the pain that goes with it; and our men will certainly know all about PMS, not so;)
That's a whole load of agony for both parties but mostly for us women!

Eleven Thousand Chemical Laden Tampons is what we use throughout our lifetime, unless we are more informed on the subject. It was great to hear just how many women have armed themselves with knowledge on the subject as in my era it was a totally different story!
When I wrote about the dangers of using chemical laden tampons, I also learnt that 100% cotton does not necessarily mean it is free from toxic chemicals as cotton is the world's most heavily sprayed crop.

Then some of our friends @juliakponsford, @artemislives, @riverflows and @trucklife-family all commented and told us about the Menstrual Cup or Mooncup® which I had never heard of! @amy-goodrich told us about washable absorbing underwear; both of these much kinder to the body as well as to the ecosystem! Thank you to all those ladies.
Further, I would encourage you to beware of unauthorised websites selling poor quality and/or counterfeit Mooncups, so make sure you purchase a quality official Mooncup®.

Using the right products still does not help with the agony of period pain, nor with the dreaded PMS and mood swings as our hormones fluctuate.

On that note, we as women go through hormonal changes from puberty right through to menopause; does not seem fair now does it?
Can you just imagine a world with men going through PMS? We'd have wars upon wars methinks;);)

What causes the severe cramping?
Prostaglandins are released during our periods to make the uterus contract to expel its lining. This hormone also mediates the inflammatory response, therefore women with high levels of prostaglandins would experience more severe cramps than her counterparts.
What can we do to relieve the agony of period pains the natural way?

First of all look at our diet; resist those sweet temptations; eat foods that contain anti-inflammatory compounds such as squash, tomatoes, bell peppers, cherries, blueberries, beans, almonds, and dark leafy green veggies; eat fish that is high in Omega 3 - Salmon, Sardines, Tuna, Herring and Trout.

Keep well hydrated during your period as this will ease bloating; the easiest way to do this is to keep a jug of lemon and cucumber water with a few sprigs of mint on your desk or kitchen counter and make sure you drink 6-8 glasses per day. Add frozen berries to your water as these not only are good for you but makes a delicious refreshing drink.

My cover photo shows most of the ingredients needed to make comforting warm herbal drinks that would ease the agony of period pains - Golden Milk, Ginger Tea, Green Tea, Chamomile Tea and Fennel all aid with easing the severe cramps and some helps with PMS symptoms as well.
One could also look out for some of the above in Capsule form.

Spicy warming Golden Milk is one of the best hot drinks to have for easing period pains with Curcumin which is found in root Turmeric excellent for relieving PMS. I regularly make this drink as a general anti-inflammatory; ingredients are Almond or Cow's Milk, a good quality Organic Turmeric, fresh Ginger Root, crushed black Peppercorns, Vanilla pod, Cassia bark and Coconut Oil, and sweetened with Maple Syrup or Honey.

A Ginger hot toddy also works wonders - Grated Ginger Root, Cayenne Pepper, a dash of Turmeric, Honey, Lemon slices steeped in boiling water.

We have some Chamomile growing in our garden, but the plants have not produced enough flowers to supply us with a daily cup of calming Chamomile Tea, so we use tea bags; excellent for both period pain cramps as well as relieving the symptoms of PMS and it helps with getting a good sleep at night.

These are just some of the things we can take to help ease painful periods without resorting to harmful chemicals; meditation and yoga are both excellent tools to have as well, but has to be practiced regularly to reap the benefits.

I will appreciate if you would let us know in the comments what natural remedy you have to bring relief.

Original Content by @lizelle
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