经期补血吃这些食物

女性每个月”大姨妈“都会来，因此补血对女人来说是相当重要的。然而补血方法有很多种，其中最多的就是天然又健康的食补。

补血的8大圣品，让你气色红润不化妆也很美丽。

女性补血养血的8种最佳食材

1.桑葚干——天然铁

桑葚干是目前水果及其制品中含天然铁最丰富的，每100克含铁42.5毫克，是水果中的补血果。一般建议将桑葚干煮粥吃，每日食用一碗桑葚粥不但可以补血，还可以美容。

小贴士：桑葚干，孕妇慎用。

2.玫瑰酒——能活血

为脸上的雀斑、黄褐斑而苦恼的女性，多为肝郁气滞者，常伴有胸胀痛、月经不调、胸闷、气滞、抑郁等症状。可尝试玫瑰酒，玫瑰花具有行气解郁、疏肝和胃、活血止痛的功效。

3.龙眼肉——含铁质

龙眼肉即桂圆肉，每到夏季就有新鲜的龙眼上市。龙眼含有维生素A、B，葡萄糖和蔗糖等，具丰富的铁质。龙眼汤、龙眼酒等食物，推荐孕妇和产妇食用，是颇佳的补血食物。

4.黑枣与蜜枣干——补铁养血

干枣里最为推崇的是黑枣和蜜枣，每100克含铁量在3.7—3.9毫克之间，也算是补血食物中的佳品，干枣中还含有丰富的维生素C，维生素C是促进铁离子吸收的重要因子。

小贴士：但干枣含有丰富的膳食纤维，不利消化，所以每日不宜多食，而且最好是煲汤、煮粥食用。

5.紫葡萄干——补血

紫葡萄是很好的补血水果。将葡萄晒制成干后，每100克含铁量在9.1毫克。而且葡萄在晒制过程中，最大限度地保留了葡萄皮，也有利于葡萄干中一些稳定营养素的保留。

小贴士：葡萄皮的营养含量远远高于果肉，如铁、锌、锰、蛋白质、抗氧化物质等。

6.南瓜——补血

钴是构成维生素B12的的重要成分之一，可帮助红血球正常运作;锌会直接影响成熟红血球的功能;铁质则是制造血红蛋白的基本微量元素，全都是补血的优良营养素。

小贴士：被誉为补血妙品的南瓜，富含植物性蛋白质、胡萝卜素、维生素及必需氨基酸、钙、锌、铁，钴、磷。

7.萝卜干——铁质高

萝卜干本来就是有益的蔬菜，它所含的维生素B极为丰富，铁质含量很高。所以它是最不起眼最便宜但却是最好的养生食物，它的铁质含量除了金针菜之外超过一切食物。

以上介绍的都是比较补血的食物，所以”大姨妈“带走的血液再也不怕啦，吃这些都可以补回来哦。

Why your period stop?

It can be quite frustrating if you are trying to get pregnant, yet have no period. Having a healthy cycle is step one for boosting your fertility naturally and being able to get pregnant. There are a couple of reasons your cycle may be irregular such as stress, dietary deficiencies, low body weight, getting off of birth control pills, hormonal imbalance, per-menopause or other underlying issues.

Since the lining of the uterus is not being shed, it is very important to clear out the old blood and establish a healthy cycle again. This can be done naturally and effectively with herbs and nutrition. I have talked with many clients who have been offered synthetic estrogen to get their period going again… taking synthetic estrogen for this issue is like using a sledge hammer on a thumb tack.

Causes of Absent Period

A menstrual cycle that has stopped is not a disease, it may be a sign that there is an underlying imbalance in the body. A regular menstrual cycle is regulated by a complex system of messages and actions orchestrated by the endocrine system. The endocrine glands work together to send messages via hormones. This is called the feedback loop.

As you can see a healthy cycle is dependent on each part of the feedback loop functioning properly. Think of it as an orchestra, if just one part of the cycle is off, it will throw the entire cycle off, causing imbalances that can affect regular menstrual cycles.

Nutritional Deficiencies

Sometimes the body is not getting enough nutrition daily to be able to sustain normal functions, including the menstrual cycle. There are many very important nutrients the body requires to maintain a healthy menstrual cycle. Nutritional deficiencies can actually cause menstrual cycle irregularities and eventually may cause the entire cycle to stop.

What you eat daily makes up every part of your body. You are what you eat!

Learn how to eat a healthy whole food fertility diet! Harvard performed a recent study that showed an 80% decrease in infertility with the lifestyle changes made by switching to a fertility diet. Women who followed a combination of five or more lifestyle factors, including changing specific aspects of their diets, experienced more than 80 percent less relative risk of infertility due to ovulatory disorders compared to women who engaged in none of the factors, according to a paper published in the Nov. 1 issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology.

Eating a wide variety of whole foods is vital to a healthy menstrual cycle. The body relies on the food we consume daily to function at its best. There are key nutrients and foods that support a healthy menstrual cycle, if any of these are lacking there may be a deficiency that may be contributing to an absent period. Be sure you are getting enough of the following…

• Iron: Studies have shown that women who do not get sufficient amounts of iron may suffer anovulation (lack of ovulation) and possibly poor egg health, which can inhibit pregnancy at a rate 60% higher than those with sufficient iron stores in their blood. 

Foods rich in iron are divided into two groups heme and nonheme (an animal source or a non-animal source). 

Heme iron sources are grass fed, free range organic bison, chicken, eggs, elk, beef and wild caught Alaskan salmon. 

Nonheme iron rich foods include blackstrap molasses, pumpkin and sunflower seeds, beans, nettles, amaranth, dark leafy greens, Turkish apricots (unsulphured), seaweed, and quinoa.

“In a study women who were having ovulation problems, 40% became fertile after supplementing with iron.”


• Vitamin C: Vitamin C improves hormone levels and increases fertility in women. The body requires food sources of vitamin C for proper iron absorption, so be sure to eat a food high in vitamin C when consuming a food high in iron. Great food sources of vitamin C are red bell peppers, oranges, strawberries and hibiscus flower tea.

• B Vitamins: Green vegetables are rich in B vitamins which are necessary for proper hormonal balance. Think of Swiss chard, kale, watercress, seaweed, spirulina, collard greens, nettles, parsley and basil!

• Essential fatty acids: EFA’s are important for hormone production. Many women are low in EFA’s, specifically omega 3. Some foods rich in EFA’s are Flaxseeds, walnuts, salmon, sardines, halibut, shrimp, snapper, scallops, chia seeds and cod liver oil.

• Cholesterol: Cholesterol is necessary for hormone production. Avoid eating a ‘low-fat’ diet and make sure to eat a diet that includes whole fat animal products sourced from grass-fed animals. Foods rich in clean cholesterol: grass-fed beef, raw milk from grass-fed cows or goats, whole milk yogurt and kefir, free-range/pastured eggs, butter from grass-fed milk (Kerry Gold is a common one) and coconut oil.

• Fiber: Fiber helps to remove excess hormones from the body which may be causing hormonal imbalance. Fiber also helps to regulate the blood sugar levels which helps to reduce fertility issues such as PCOS, immunological issues, and promotes healthy hormonal balance. Some examples of high fiber foods are fresh fruits, vegetables, dark leafy greens, and beans.
  

• Zinc: This is just one of the minerals that the body uses to keep hormone levels (like estrogen, progesterone and testosterone) levels stable throughout the entire menstrual cycle. It is especially important during stage 2 and 4 of a woman’s cycle. A woman’s body needs a certain amount of zinc to produce mature eggs that are ripe for fertilization. The richest source of Zinc are oysters, but some easy to find sources are raw pumpkin seeds and sesame seeds and tahini sesame seed butter.

A great way to support the body in getting all the necessary nutrients it needs daily is to take a whole food multivitamin. Including a whole food multivitamin, along with eating a fertility diet is the first step in getting your period back!

Being Overweight or Underweight

There is a direct link between anovulation and obesity and those women who are. Body fat cells, called adipocytes produce estrogen.

 Obese women may have too much estrogen due to too much body fat. Women who are underweight may also have anovulation due to lack of body fat. There may not be enough estrogen or adequate cholesterol levels being maintained to support the menstrual cycle. 

Studies have shown that women with extreme exercise habits have significantly lower levels of estradiol due to low levels of body fat in key areas of the body, leading to anovulation.

Estrogen is essential for healthy bone formation, healthy gene expression, maintaining healthy cholesterol levels, and is vital for a healthy menstrual cycle. Too much estrogen, or too little in the body may cause the feedback loop to not function properly and the menstrual cycle may cease. Now you can see why it is so important to have adequate amounts of body fat; not too much and not too little!

Stress

Stress may cause the body to stop the menstrual cycle. Stress causes the body to release stress hormones like cortisol and adrenalin that prevent our fertility hormones from being released at the correct times in the menstrual cycle. This can cause a disruption in the menstrual cycle by affecting how the adrenal glands function. Reducing stress and supporting adrenal health is essential to a healthy menstrual cycle and is a relatively easy fix for healthy fertility. The adrenal glands also directly impact thyroid health.

Thyroid issues

Poor thyroid function may cause the menstrual cycle to stop. An overactive thyroid that produces too many thyroid hormones is called Hyperthyroidism. Hypothyroidism is when the thyroid is underactive and does not produce enough thyroid hormones. An absent menstrual cycle is a sign of hyperthyroidism, where irregular or heavy cycles may be a sign of hypothyroidism. 

Pituitary tumor

A pituitary tumor may cause disruption of the release of and manufacturing of certain hormones which may cause the menstrual cycle to stop. 

Premature Ovarian Failure

POF, also known as Ovarian Hypofunction, is defined as a loss of normal ovarian function before the age of 40. The menstrual cycle may cease before the age of 40, or become sporadic.

Perimenopause and Menopause

Perimenopause is the time leading up to menopause. As perimenopause progresses toward menopause, it is normal for menstrual cycles to become irregular and for hormone levels to fluctuate. The menstrual cycle may become absent for many cycles and then suddenly come back for a couple cycles, and then go away again, becoming sporadic for a some years. As ovarian reserve diminishes and egg health declines, FSH levels rise, the menstrual cycle will become more and more irregular, until eventually it stops.

Menopause is defined as absent menstruation for a year or longer. Menopause may also be confirmed by elevated FSH levels between 60 to 100mL/L on two tests done at least 1 month apart, and/or LH level greater than 50mIU/L and estradiol less than 50pg/mL. Natural therapies cannot reverse the aging process, or bring back the menstrual cycles in a woman who has already gone through, or is going through menopause.

When to see a doctor?

If you have not had a menstrual period for 3 consecutive cycles or more, it is time to make an appointment with your healthcare practitioner. They can help you to determine what the causes may be. Most medical doctors will often prescribe oral contraceptives (birth control pill) to get the menstrual cycle to regulate. It is important to realize that this method will force the body to have a cycle and prevent pregnancy. Oral contraceptives do not solve the problem of why the menstrual cycle is absent to begin with. Luckily there are natural therapies such as herbs, specific massage techniques, supplements, stress reduction techniques and dietary changes than can help support the body in regulating the menstrual cycle in most cases.

How to improve Your period?

Each and every woman is unique, and so is her menstrual cycle. Too often, however, women complain about their “period”.

Why not stop all that whining and do something to change it? 

Believe it or not, a woman’s menses can tell her a lot about what is going on insider her body and can even be used as a gauge for uterine health.

What if I told you that you can improve your period in as little as 12 weeks? 

Over that short time frame, you can transform the quality of your menstrual blood, length of bleeding time, the health of your uterus (after all, this may be a home for a baby someday), and your connection to your monthly cycle. Some women may even find that they are able to reduce painful menstruation, should that be an issue.

Why 12 weeks? That is how long it takes to bring about and establish real change in the body with the use of natural therapies. Think of it like resetting your body, and then giving it the time it needs to start functioning optimally.

In order to improve your period, you will need to address nutrient intake, circulation and strength of the uterus. There are several natural ways you can do this. By implementing these simple steps, you will be well on your way to the healthiest menstrual flow ever! 

Let’s get down to where to begin…

Step 1: Get to Know Your Flow

Your lovely lady time may be best described as one of the below, or a combination of a few of these…

What’s Your Flow Type?

• Bright Red, Normal Flow
• Clotty
• Scant/Light
• Heavy
• Dark brown/black/purple
• Mid-cycle spotting
• Absent

If you are experiencing any besides the first, a Bright Red/Normal Flow, you may want to consider supportive natural therapies to get your menses back to a healthy color and consistency.

Take Note – Journal

Write it down, meaning, pay attention to your flow type and note if it changes from cycle to cycle. Be sure to also note how you are feeling emotionally and mentally. Document how your period makes you feel and your thoughts about what menstruation means to you.

Dark or clotty blood is a sign of uterine stagnation, indicating the uterus is unable to empty its entire contents each cycle. Clots may also be an indication of a greater issue, such as endometriosis or uterine fibroids, especially if your period is very painful.

Scant or very light bleeding may indicate poor circulation to the uterus or low hormone levels. If hormone levels are inadequate, the uterine lining won’t build up as much as it should, resulting in light bleeding.

Heavy menstrual bleeding is often a sign of an imbalance in the estrogen to progesterone ratio, which may indicate fertility issues such as PCOS, or endometriosis.

Mid-cycle spotting may be an indication of a wide variety of issues, some exciting, like very early pregnancy, or some worrisome, like low progesterone.

Step 2: Improve Diet, Get Moving & Hydrate

Nourish

Good quality organic whole foods are going to be the most nourishing. These provide the nutrients most needed to build a healthy body and healthy blood.

Start of by learning how to eat a Fertility Diet, designed to support optimal reproductive health. This isn’t a temporary change. Instead, you should look at it as a new lifestyle, with the focus remaining on clean eating; this is your foundation. It is also common for women with nutritional deficiencies to have less than ideal menstruation. To cover all the bases, include a whole food multivitamin as part of your daily diet.

There are certain foods which are considered stagnating for the uterus. These foods should be kept at a minimum, meaning consume them only 2-3 times per week: Dairy products, red meat, processed carbohydrates, sugar and alcohol.

Hydrate

An important part of nourishing is water intake. Dehydration can make menstrual blood sticky, stringy, clotty or scant. Whatever the flow may be, increasing water intake will always help. 

Be sure to get in 8 full glasses of purified water, daily. Avoid plastic bottles, as these may contribute to hormonal imbalance. Hydration is key to a healthy flow.

Move

One of the best ways to support a healthy menstrual cycle is to move your body, especially your legs and hips. The pelvis holds the reproductive organs, and movement of this part of your body helps to keep the muscles and reproductive organs aligned, promotes healthy circulation to the reproductive organs, and keeps you happy. Exercise is proven to increase endorphin release, which promotes a sense of well being.

Movement types good for a healthy menstrual cycle – Brisk walking, Fertility Yoga, swimming and dancing.

Next, you can address your flow type from home, with natural therapies.

Step 3: Fertility Cleanse

Fertility Cleansing is one of the best ways to improve hormone regulation, and support the uterus’ tone and ability to empty old contents; through the use of herbs. Think of it as a way to create a clean slate from which you can build upon. Fertility Cleansing lasts about one full menstrual cycle. Learn more here…

Step 4: Increase Circulation to the Uterus

A healthy menstrual flow requires improving circulation to the uterus.

Fertility Massage

An excellent way to increase circulation to the uterus is to massage the uterus and ovaries. Massage increases blood flow to the reproductive organs, which also helps to remove old stagnant blood.

You can either book an appointment with an abdominal massage therapist, or learn how to apply Self Fertility Massage at home.

Ideally you will want to apply Fertility Massage starting the day after your period has ended and continuing throughout the month, practicing at least 4 times a week. If you are currently trying to conceive, perform the massage techniques from the day after your period has ended up until ovulation.

Want to increase circulation even more? Consider applying Castor Oil Packs or Radiant Womb Massage Oil prior to doing Self Fertility Massage.

Drink Beet Juice

Beets aid in the conversion of nitrite to Nitric Oxide, which is an important vasodilator that has been shown to increase circulation throughout the body, including the uterus. Beets are also high in iron. Iron is a key mineral that is necessary for healthy red blood cells.

Drinking a fresh juice, including beets, daily is recommended. Juicing is also a superb way to boost nutritional intake.

L-Arginine

This amino acid increases circulation to the reproductive organs as well. L-Arginine promotes synthesis of Nitric Oxide (NO) by working as a catalyst for this conversion. Suggested supplementation is 2000mg a day.

Step 5: Switch to Natural Menstrual Care Products

Many women report that just the simple act of switching to natural menstrual care products – such as the menstrual cup, cloth pads or organic cotton tampons – improved their period.

Not only are natural menstrual care products healthier for your body, but the environment as well. Most conventional feminine care products are manufactured through the use of toxic chemicals and are made of plastic by-products. 

Step 6: Consider Herbs for Your Flow Type

Herbs work well for addressing menstrual cycle issues, especially when the blood quality is poor.

Single Herbs and Herbal Formulas to Learn More About:

• Dong Quai – Promotes circulation to the uterus, iron rich which helps to build the blood, encourages a healthy menstrual flow, great for light/scant periods.

• FertiliCare Phase 1 & 2 – These herbal formulas contain the key herb Rehmannia for promoting regular menstrual cycles and flow.

• RejuvaFlow – Missing your period? RejuvaFlow is a blend of key herbs that have been used traditionally to bring back the menstrual cycle.

• Slow Flow – Just like the name, this herbal formula is designed to slow the blood flow for those with heavy menstrual bleeding. Slow Flow is a blend of herbs that are astringent, aiding the body in reducing blood loss and encouraging a healthy menstrual flow.

• Vitex – This herb has an action on the pituitary gland, the master gland involved in hormonal regulation. Vitex promotes healthy hormonal balance, which is important for a healthy menstrual cycle.

12 Weeks Later – Better Blood, Improved Period!

By now you should be experiencing a healthier menstrual flow. Some women are going to notice dramatic changes, while others will see small but improved results. They key here is to continue on with your new, healthier lifestyle habits long-term, including therapies for increasing circulation to the uterus and an herbal program.

Reference: http://natural-fertility-info.com/improving-your-period.html