What can help period pain – Part 1?
It is reported that period pain affects two thirds of women ranging from mild discomfort to pain at some time or other. Period pain happens because of contractions in the uterus, or womb, which is a muscle. If it contracts too strongly during your menstrual cycle, it can press against nearby blood vessels. This briefly cuts off the supply of oxygen to the uterus. It’s this lack of oxygen causes your pain and cramping.
The cramping can be felt in the lower belly or lower back or both. The intensity of the cramping can very from mild to severe.
In addition to cramping women can get leg pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea or extreme fatigue.
When period pain has no obvious cause, it is classified by the medical profession as “primary” while pain caused by an actual condition e.g. endometriosis, fibroids, PID (pelvic inflammatory disease) is called “secondary”.
In the next few blogs I want to share some tips on assisting those women like myself who suffer from primary period pain.
I personally have found that placing a hot water bottle on your lower back/belly or taking a warm bath may provide some relief. If you are at work, you can put a hot pad on the area. One of the things that got me hooked on reflexology was that it helped it reduced my PMT and I felt that my periods were less painful too.
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How to live to 100
Here are some top tips on how to live to 100. These tips are from Dr Claudia Kawas at the University of California, on of the world's leading scientific researchers into longevity and scientists at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago and the scientists working on the Blue Zone project. Scientists studying lonevity are tyring to answer the question why doesn one person live until they are 94 while another dies at 75. Dr Claudia Kawas has spent 15 years studying "super-agers" - those who live until into their nineties and beyond while keeping their minds sharp. By studying the lifestyles of these "super-agers" scientists have discovered some common lifestyle habits and traits including:
- Drinking two cups of coffee a day
- Don't over eat
- Get out and socialise including talking to strangers
- Drink two glases of wine a day
- 15 mins of light exercise a day
- Positive thinking or optimistic outlook in life
- Resilience when bad things happen
- Having a purpose/ belief in life
- Put others including family first
- Be with the "right" people for you
- Healthy eating i.e. more plant based diets
This one if for my fellow women – sorry guys! Part 2
Following on from part 1 on how to treat unirary tract infections naturally here are more tips. Probiotics In a study of postmenopausal women prone to UTIs, a probiotic supplement containting Lactobacillus rhamnosus GR-1 and Lactobascillus reuteri RC-14 cut the number of recurrences by around 50% over a yea. The "good guy" bacteria were almost as effective as antibiotics and they had the advantage of not leading to drug resistant bacteria which may happen with antibiotics. Probiotics also seem to help prevent UTI when use as vaginal suppositories. Ulva Ursi There is evidence to suggest the herby may reduce the duration of a UTI when one strikes. The German Federal Institue for Drugs and Medical devices approves the herb for treatment of UTIs. In one clinical trial, supplements containing standardized extracts of uva ursi as well as dandelion root taken for 1 month effectively prevented UTIs over the following year. Vitamin C Vitamin C may help prevent and treat UTIs by acidifying the urine, creating a hostile environment for infection - causing bacteria. In a study of preganty women, those given daily supplements including 100mg vitamin C experienced significantly fewer UTIs than women given supplements without vitamin C. Reference https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22782199 https://www.southampton.ac.uk/ctu/news/2018/04/20-atafuti-trial-protocol-publication.page https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0011393X05802048?via%3Dihub https://www.bmj.com/content/340/bmj.c199 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17611821
How to treat heartburn naturally – part 2
In my last blog post, I shared some tips on natural way to trear hearburn, below are more tips: 1. Raw Apple Cider Vinegar Because acid reflux actually occurs due to having very small amounts of acid in your stomach, raw apple cider vinegar may actually help keep it from occurring. Simply dissolve a tablespoon of it in a glass of water and drink it to improve your acid levels. However, more research still needs to be done on this. One study found that apple cider vinegar alleviated heartburn symptoms for some individuals, but the effects only lasted between 60 and 75 minutes. 2. Ginger Tea If you know that you're going to be consuming a huge meal, it may be helpful if you drink a cup of ginger tea at least 20 minutes before you start eating. Simply steep a 2-inch piece of ginger root in two cups of boiling water for five minutes, and then drink. Ginger not only has an anti-inflammatory effect, but also tightens your lower esophageal sphincter, thus preventing acid from refluxing. 3. Papaya A study found that the enzyme papain may help promote better digestion, providing positive effects for people with heartburn, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and constipation References https://repository.asu.edu/attachments/166181/content/Yeh_asu_0010N_15671.pdf https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21990307 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20420113 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23524622
