Today I wanted to share with you some Ayurvedic Remedies for menstrual cramps and irregular periods with tips from my Ayurvedic professor and practitioner Dr. Jay. :)
It is common for many women to experience either heavy cramping or sometimes irregularities within their cycle. Today we are going to go over, from an Ayurvedic perspective, what you can do to help regulate your cycle as well as and help get over the cramps in a natural way.
In Ayurveda, menstrual cramps are usually related to wind energy: the menstrual blood that was accumulated in order to create a healthy pregnancy is no longer needed because of lack of conception, and this is where the wind energy (vata) kicks in to remove it — in the form of shedding to create your period.
What Can You Do To Prepare For Your Period?
Since right before your period, your body is in more of a wind state, so you want to do things to not instigate it further. The cold and dryness aggravate wind further so you will want to avoid those properties when it comes to what you eat!
In preparation to your cycle, focus on incorporating more hot foods and drinks, such as hot tea and hot soup. You can also up the amount of fresh ginger in your diet during the times right before your menses. This is believed to help eliminate excess wind, which can lead to cramping and period difficulties.
It is important to start this even before your period starts in order to properly prepare your body.
Additionally, a little bit extra grounding, healthy fats you can add into your diet at this time are avocados, chia seeds and hemp seeds. You can begin these preparations around a week before you expect to get your period.
What If My Cycle Is Irregular?
Now you may be wondering, “What if my cycle is irregular?” Dr. Jay explains a few things you can do that are very helpful to have for women who struggle with irregular periods.
Fruit can help!
One thing you can do for irregular cycles is to add some dried fruit into your diet, such as raisins or figs or prunes. You might be surprised at the idea of eating dried fruit, but the next step is very important.
You want to be sure to soak your dried fruits to re-hydrate them before eating them. Dr. Jay recommends these fruits as they have a tendency to soften things in your body and create apana vayu, or “downward moving energy” when you soak them. This helps create the downward flow associated with menstruation. Accumulated wind can also lead to irregular cycles, and since wind is very drying we are using soaked fruit to lubricate everything to help your cycle release.
Ginger is key…
Ginger is one of the great loves in Beauty Detox and there are so many ways to use it! I suggest you buy a nub of ginger each week at the store so you always have it handy when you need it.
This next tip is a little recipe from Dr. Jay:
You want to peel the ginger and cut it into thin slices, and next you soak it in honey or coconut nectar. This will almost create a pickled effect for the ginger.
You can take a few of these ginger sweets and eat them right before breakfast and right before lunch. Ginger alone can pack a pretty pungent taste but pairing it with the honey or coconut nectar makes the ginger taste more mild.
If you suffer from cramping and pain during your period this will also help you as it helps reduce the intensity of the pain.
By adding in this ginger recipe to your diet a week before you are scheduled to get your period, it should help in regulating your period as well as reducing pain from cramps and inflammation.
The Wonder Seed… Cumin
I love cumin, and the many amazing benefits it brings to the human body, especially for women. For the recipes below, we recommend using cumin in the powdered form.
You can add in about a teaspoon of cumin to your hot tea to help with your cycle as it helps to balance your lymph system.
You can incorporate cumin into your cooking as well, but specifically for this we want you to add it into a tea because when you cook cumin you lose some of the essential oils that are believed to be especially beneficial to a woman’s cycle.
Cumin does have a distinct smell and taste, but I personally love it: the smell will remind you of Indian food! :)
You have to have a liking for it so you can start with half a teaspoon of cumin and pair it with the fresh ginger. Then build up to a teaspoon.
In Ayurveda cumin is big in terms of promoting women’s health and wellness!
Today’s Takeaways: Head to your local market and be sure to stock up on dried fruit, fresh ginger, cumin powder and some type of sweetener. You can use honey or coconut nectar!
Thank you Dr. Jay for your amazing knowledge and tips! :) It’s vitally important to regulate and establish regularity around your period, so I really do hope this information helps you with your moon cycle!
Lots of love!
Namaste/Bowing to the inner light within you,
Kimberly
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