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Tell me if this describes you fully or partly: During my period every month: Painkillers take away my period pain, I eat a lot of sweets and  chocolate, I feel bloated and moody all the time, my vagina smells bad, I feel itchy down there all the time, I don’t think much about the pad or tampon I buy. A pad that can keep up with my heavy blood flow is more than enough!! 

If yes. This shows you are not caring for yourself during your period. Ignorance of self-care is not beneficial for overall health! 

You can start self-care by making conscious choices. You should make a conscious effort to:

Eat healthy

During your period estrogen and progesterone levels in your body come down. There is also less serotonin or happy hormones in the body. This is why you feel period pain, moody and bloated. 

 Have a holistic diet with foods and ingredients that:

Soothe period pain - Calcium, Shatavari and Vitamin B12:

Make sure you incorporate low fat Calcium rich foods in your diet. Calcium is required to keep the muscles of the uterus strong while it is tightening and relaxing to push the blood and tissue out. Shatavari - An ayurvedic herb relaxes the uterine muscle and relieves pain.

Reduce bloating - Ginger, pepper and vitamin B6.

The hormonal changes make the digestive system more lazy and causes the body to accumulate more water. This makes a woman feel bloated.The above ingredients can boost metabolism to provide energy and improve digestion to reduce bloating. 

Reduce mood swings - Magnesium and vitamin B6.

The sudden change in hormone levels can cause mood swings and irritability. They help in releasing happy hormones like serotonin in the body. To satisfy that sweet tooth, eat no sugar dark chocolate. This makes the brain make happy hormone serotonin which will boost your mood.  

Do you know that your vagina is an acidic home which allows more good bacteria to grow? It also keeps the number of bad bacteria low. An unhealthy diet will make more bad bacteria grow and cause bad vaginal odour. So, eat a healthy diet to keep bad bacteria and odors away.

Exercise

Less intense physical activity like yoga and stretching exercises helps relax the uterus muscles and soothes the pain. It also makes the body produce endorphins(happy hormones) to uplift your mood. So do yourself a favor by exercising. Avoiding exercise is not going to ease the pain, save energy or make you feel better.It is only a myth. There is evidence to show that one benefits more if they exercise during periods than sitting idle. 

Choose the Right Period Products

Pads are the most commonly used menstrual hygiene product. 

Do you know that commercially available napkins are doused with harmful chemicals called VOC (Volatile Organic Chemicals)?

They include fragrances and chemicals like methylene chloride, toluene, xylene, phthalates, dioxins and SAPs (Super Absorbent Polymers).

These chemicals make your pads white and clean, smell good, super thin and highly absorbent to keep up with your blood flow. 

But, these chemicals do more harm than good. They can cause rashes, allergic reactions in the genital area, make you feel itchy, can cause cancer, are endocrine disruptors or can have a bad effect on your body’s hormone system. 

Such products are not only harmful for your health but also to the environment. There are 1 million pads generated in India every month and 12 billion a year! Imagine all these plastic period materials accumulating in landfills. Do you know that each commercial plastic based pad takes 500 to 600 years to decompose? An average woman menstruates for 40 years of her life. Imagine contributing to this indestructible  pile of plastic waste over years. 

Look for pads that are:

Natural and rash resistant - Pads made from natural plant based fibers like corn, bamboo, jute, sea sponge, cotton etc are easy on the skin and more breathable.

Free of fragrances - Materials like bamboo fiber are porous, odor resistant and naturally antibacterial. There is no need to add fragrances to keep away bad odours and chemicals to keep germs away. 

Environment friendly - The above natural plant based fibers are biodegradable compared to the plastic based commercial pads which can take close to 500 years to decompose in the soil!

Do you want to make that positive shift in period care?

 &Me and Carmesi can help you with it. 

&Me, India’s Women’s Health brand has used Nutrition Science and Ayurveda to develop &Me’s Happy Period drink and &Me’s Period Chocolate. They are preservative free, natural products which contain the right combination of herbs, vitamins and minerals which reduce cramps and bloating and also boosts energy. All our products provide 30% of the daily nutritional requirements of a woman as per WHO recommendations.

Carmesi makes period pads which are thin, rash resistant and nature derived. They are made of natural plant based materials like corn starch, a natural soother for skin irritations. The absorbent core of Carmesi pads is made of bamboo fiber which is antibacterial & odor-resistant in nature. And to top it they are eco friendly!

Note: &Me has partnered with Carmesi to provide you 20% off on all of their products. Use discount code: CARMESI&ME and avail the special offer. Valid only till 30th June, 2020!

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