Raw Food Forums

(Not sure if this is the right forum or not but here goes).

I am having period pains. A few years ago I use to take a Vitamin B supplement and it basically made my period pains cease to exist.

Just wondering if anyone knows what type of raw food (if any) is good to eat in the lead up to “that time of month” to help reduce pain and cramping.

I must admit the pain has been greatly reduced since I started walking every morning but it is still there.

Hoping for a natural raw equivalent to the Vitamin B supplements.

Can anyone offer any advice?

How much and how long have you been raw? The more raw you consume the less pain you will experience. However, optimising B vitamins comes from avocadoes, sunflower seeds, bananas, cauliflower, dark greens, sweet potato, possibly sprouted wheat and millet. B's are notoriously destroyed by heating so being raw in general would prob give you the best B profile.

Though this is quite an 'allopathic'approach to treating period pain. The key is to reduce prostaglandin production through the correct consumption of fats(best on raw food diet). reduce pelvic congestion through exercise, detox and acupunture, Balance hormones through optimal nutrition, stress reduction possibly using maca powder to help with balance. Optimal calcium/magnesium supports uterine contractions-having loads of greens including raspberry leaves and nettles in smoothies would be very beneficial. Also using ginger and tumeric -excellent anti-inflammatory prostaglandin inhibitors. 

Great advice beckyji - thank you very much, just the sort of thing I was looking for.

I have only been raw since 1st September (with a couple of falls off the wagon on certain meals!) I am doing a 30 min walk every morning.

Since starting raw I have had two periods and the pain has been greatly reduced to my pre-raw periods. Must be a combination of walking and increased greens in my diet. However, still awoke in the middle of last night with pain.

Oh, KK, I empathise with you,

I suffer from severe period pain since the first time I had my periods.  Not a pleasant thing to have, is it. :detox: :detox:

Thanks Beckyji, that's great advice.  I'm certainly going to be trying some things there.  BTW, would things like you mentioned help with endometriosis(sp?)?

I'm certainly onto the ginger and tumeric straightaway.  Thanks.

Luv

Rita :heart:

Check this out for Earth-friendly sanitary protection:

The Keeper (http://raw-pleasure.com.au/index.php)

reduce fats intake, and stay hydrated.

one of my friends says she has really bad period pains (she is not raw), but she says drinking kombucha tea helps it out.  I think it has B vitamins in it.

However, I don't believe mushrooms to be optimal health food as they are not a fruit or a veggie, but a fungus.

Yeah I have extreme pelvic pain associated with my period. I havent found that eating all-raw has helped reduce the pain hugely. Although, the last 5 days I have been eating mainly green smoothies and no overt fats and am feeling great in the uterus department. I might try and update here when I get my period next to let you know if Ive had any radical reductions in pain.

Good luck.

Good nutritional therapy ie live raw vegan fresh produce works a treat(worked for me:)!

low fat high fruit..good hydration...regular heart rate increasing,exercise,plenty of rest/sleep....

i havent had a bleed in years....

Neety my sweet...are you saying you havent had a period in years?

Hello BeautifulBB..thats what i am saying...going raw vegan...1 half years in...i stopped having a monthly bleed..

almost straight away,going raw vegan i stopped getting period pain,and then the bleed got lighter and lighter then,zap! it was gone...

and i use to be in bed with my period pains...and sooo unbalanced emotionally leading up to the bleed!

OK, I'm a little confused.......maybe slow......but does it matter whether we get periods or not?  I mean, I thought periods is the female body's normal reaction to expelling an unfertilised egg and the uterine lining.  So when you don't get a period, what then happens?

Yes, I definitely still get severe cramping pain, but I'm not a hundred percent raw either.  If I go 100% raw, does that mean I'll lose my periods because that is the way God made us.......or is it just something that happens to some girls and not to others?

And if you don't bleed, where do your released unfertilised eggs go?????  And what happens to the lining.......oh, maybe I should just look it up. 

But if anyone can answer anything, I'd be interested in knowing.

Luv

Rita :heart:

P.S.  Oh, the other thing is........RGG, what freedom you would have......oh, I would personally LOVE to have no more periods.....well, I'd even settle for no period pain! :laugh:

a long time ago before processed foods and all the hormones and gmos and chems I don't think they made heavy flow tampons...  or panties for that matter... 

I still add wheatgerm and brewers yeast(both have iron and b vitamins except b12) to my green smoothies in the morning.

Recent Thread About Periods Here (http://www.raw-pleasure.com.au/index.php?option=com_smf&Itemid=71&topic=4003.msg53307#msg53307)

xoxoxo

Hi Kittykat

Not sure if you were having problems with the heaviness of flow or not...if so apparently lots of extra vitamin C/bioflavonoids can help by strengthening the capillaries, which somehow reduces the flow. Lemons and other citrus are recommended and I would imagine sprouts and other fruit would help with the vitamin C, veges helping with the flavonoids.

Hope that helps :)

Michelle

Thanks for the tips everyone.

I am not too concerned about the heaviness of flow. For the first two days the flow is unbelievably heavy and then it is almost gone by day three.

It is just the period pain I want to conquer naturally.

I crave chocolate in the lead up to my period but at no other time of the month – no idea why, I will have to google it.

"Cacao is remarkably rich in sulfur and magnesium. Cacao seems to be the number one source of magnesium of any food. This is probably the primary reason women crave chocolate during their period". (quote from Shazzie.com)

Magnesium has been used as a treatment for patients with anaemia...loss of blood...periods. Hmmm. Magnesium also effectively reduces high blood pressure, as well as alleviating bad moods/depression. Perhaps your body knows what it needs/is deficient in during this time and is trying to let you know

If you specifically crave chocolate during this time, it definately sound's like a Mg deficiency, eat lots dark green leaves, almonds / seeds etc.

I read about this magnesium deficiently a few years ago, and as a result I have been taking a magnesium supplement ever since.

And I most definitely do not have magnesium deficiently; a blood test last month confirmed this.

Even with the magnesium supplement (a really good brand, recommended by most naturopaths) I still crave chocolate around my period time.

Trouble is, in the last few years I have really “gone off” Cadburys and other highly commercial cheap chocolates. I always want to gorge on things like Ferrero Rocher, Lindt, Green & Black's and my very favourite, Cocolo (the hazelnut style is orgasmic!)  – in other words, every brand that I can’t really afford.

I suppressed myself last week and ate $25 worth of organic chocolate (one months supply) in one day, I actually felt quite ashamed. Hubby was none too impressed either, as there was none left for him.

but nobody eats straight cacao nibs right? anyone binging on straight cacao beans? doesnt happen....its more of a sugar fix..we aint eating enough fresh fruit..our mood drops with our sugar levels..we get toxic and bleed more to eliminate the toxins..

all the girls i know that do raw long term are flying. healthiest, happiest, hottest chicks i know..all different ages. all thriv'n!

the female form is one to nurture, protect n respect.

thats beautiful Harley

Ditto what BB said.

Luv

Rita :heart:

My sentiments entirely! - I'm a living case history of that, In my former emotional bingeing days I would experence the most excrutiatingly painful(and heavy too) menses EVER; now it's a totally different story altogether and I am so thankful for that.

Tree-crops and greens

Sunshine

Activity / adventures

Nurturing relationships

Rest is all you need..................................................................................

 :heart:

P.S I no longer crave 'chocolate' but fresh fruit:)

 

Are you stalking me!  :laugh:  You always seem to answer directly after my posts!

Yes I know what Dr Doug says about eating enough fresh fruit but I personally can't eat any more fruit than I am already eating.

Besides I only gorge on chocolate around the time of my periods - no other time.

I so hear you on the painful periods..I found changing to cloth pads made a difference...and b6 (when i remember!!!) I shall be watching this thread with interest!

i will say it again girls...high fruit,low fat and greens....period pain,zip its gone...cysts get reabsorbed,all sorts of wonderful healing occurs in the body,with the right clean environment...

the female form is beautiful and complex and amazing....for sure H...

I have been having quite painful first days for some time now, I had some acupuncture a few times and found it helped but I couldn't afford to keep going.

I was still really aware of my last period but I was able to work and not let it ruin my day and managed to go out that night and not notice it.

On Raw I have been having much more green leafy veg so I am assuming that is helping.

I would agree that often our choccy cravings are sometimes sugar cravings (esp. if u are not deficient in Mg, KK),. I found that when I thought I was craving choccy, I would have some dark, sugar-free, vegan choc and wouldn't feel satisfied, then realising I was actually craving sugar (like you would get in normal milk based choc).

I read about this magnesium deficiently a few years ago, and as a result I have been taking a magnesium supplement ever since.

And I most definitely do not have magnesium deficiently; a blood test last month confirmed this.

[/quote]

But was the blood test done directly around the time of/during your period? Because as your are losing blood you will be losing minerals so your blood Magnesium levels will drop during your period.

I think it is also interesting to note that no other animal species in the world menstruate. Dogs do bleed when they ovulate but they don't loose their endometrial lining like humans do, and it occurs at a completely different time in the cycle.

In the last month, I have increased my walking and increased my intake of raw fruit / vegetables.

This morning I have the worst / most intense period pain that I have had in a very long time.

The pain is so “full-on” that I am tempted to go to the chemist and buy a hot water bottle and some strong pain killers.

I have been looking for brewers yeast but can't find it. Where do you get yours from? And which brand do you use? Many thanks

I'm really sorry to hear of your physical monthly discomfort, kk(I can empathise as I too have had excruciatingly painful menses too). On a positive note your body is in a state of cleansing and detox and with time the pain will subside. In the meantime the rocking bow is the ideal asana right now(eases menstrual discomfort).

 :heart: and rapid healing sent to you!

p.s I endorse what RGG wrote, pure quality food heals like magic.

A raw vegan lifestyle heals like no other...........................:)

Sorry I have absolutely no idea what this means or what this is – I am guessing something to do with yoga!?

Yes but how bloody long do you need to be eating raw for, before the monthly pain stops?

I am in so much pain that I woke up at 3.30am and could not get back to sleep. I am bent double over the computer typing this and almost in tears.

Even Reiki is not helping.

Oops, I shouldn't presume anything(appoligies KK), you guess is correct; it is a yoga asana posture that you may benefit from right now(see google you tube etc. for a good demo).

I hope you're feeling better!

It all depends on the cleanliness of your internal system(have you been consuming processed food ie Green and Black's packaged chocolate? as this wouldn't help the process, I'm speaking from personal experience here and I now create my own choccie treats(made from raw cacao nibs, germinated almonds, dried raisins, chilli and cardomom seeds) with no adverse effects. Treat your body well and it will serve you well is something I've finally learned.

 :heart: and rapid healing:)   

KK, I empathise with you......and STILL empathise with you. My heart goes out to you. :heart:

And yes, I STILL resort to panadol or such like......sorry all others who disagree......but I'm in soooooo much pain that it would be pretty close to childbirth - immense cramping, sweating, not able to walk, vomitting......and at the end of it all, I don't have the joy of a baby.  In that condition......no natural therapy is going to help me QUICK.

I have to say with raw it has improved, but still a way to go to no pain.  I do have to say that I'm not 100% raw so I can't tell you my experience with that.  But I do know that when I increase raw, it does help, but it's taken me personally quite a few months to decrease the pain.

I still resort to painkillers........pls don't read this that this is the path I think you should take, I'm telling you what I feel and do.......because it's the only thing that helps me through that horrible time.  I'm not the sort of person to take painkillers at the first sign of trouble, but it's what I HAVE to do to get through.

But good news is that I don't hurt as much as the time has past, and I need to take into consideration that I'm not 100% raw and therefore may never get rid of the pains completely unless I am.

I'd be interested to know how you go.......and I'm sure I'll learn a few valuable things along the way. 

Take care

Luv

Rita :heart:

Kk, I hope you are feeling a wee bit better at the very least, stick with the healthy lifestyle and you should feel the benefits(or not in this case) within a month or two( ie reduction in pain intensity).

In the meantime, get your beloved to give you a  aromatherapy adominal massage(as this is the perfect excuse to have one).

6 drops Lavender essential oil

3 drops Rose essential oil

3 drops of Clary sage essential oil in 4 TBS base oil( ie almond,c / p sesame etc.) massage in a clockwise circle and ENJOY!

In a 2000 reported study, women who followed a l / f , veggie diet(non dairy) for 2 menstrual cycles experienced less pain and bloating and a shorter duration of p.m. symptoms than those who ate meat. Reducing caffeine, processed sugar and alcohol  may be beneficial.

I hope this helps(from someone who has been there also)!

 :heart:   

i believe it will continue to get better as you continue to heal, and perhaps this is a part of the healing process.

when i first went low fat i got a really heavy period unlike the others.  after that one they got much lighter. 

I feel for you too!

I never used to have period pains and always had light periods that I didn't really notice.

The two periods I have had since I've been raw have been really heavy for the first two days and really painful. Now I am able to sympathise with those who always get period pain! It sucks quite frankly!!

I am not sure why they are like this, I'm just assuming that my body is readjusting (or paying me back for the last decade of no pain  :laugh:) to this new raw diet. I hope it all falls into place again soon for all of you and myself too :)

xx evc

to quote Dr Doug Graham,in one of his emails to me "health takes time,sometimes longer than we would like"....patience persisitance.....and believing in what you are doing....

I use to have the worst pain every month,one time it was so excruitiating,that i was bundled into an ambulance and taken to hospital...i use to go through almost a packet of pain pills,a day...(well a 20 pack anyway),i had total disregard for my health,my mind my body....and i was incredibly out of touch with my body...so which ever way i look  at it,i was continually abusing my body...unwittingly...

but if you really want to gain true health,find the path that works for you,and make a committment and stick to it,before you know it,you will be reaping the benefits,and spreading the word happily!