Why skipping breakfast could be beneficial for fat loss (experiments with intermittent fasting)

I always loved breakfast, being a strong believer that 1) breakfast provides energy for the whole day, and 2) that it allows you to indulge in one or two guilty pleasures such as a piece of dark chocolate, or bowl of cherries. However, your approach to the first meal of the day depends on your goals, lifestyle, and work-schedule. In some cases skipping breakfast could be a highly beneficial strategy for achieving fat-loss.

What sort of situations am I talking about?

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  • People who have just started a fat-loss diet (i.e. untrained or lightly-trained individuals with a body fat percentage of over 30% in females, and over 20% in males);
  • People who would like to shed fat faster (but not too quickly: there is no magic bullet in holistic nutrition);
  • Those who have a low-to-no chance of sticking to a very strict diet due to social obligations such as business, travel, dinners out and so on;
  • People whose bodies have adapted and become resistant to conventional healthy eating schemes, and who have ‘plateaued’ (This actually happened to me after six competition preparation diets over a two-year period);
  • Those who have a good overall fitness level, but who are trying to get rid of some stubborn fat (for example legs and gluts for ladies and the abs area for men).

If any of these cases apply to you, keep reading.


 There are three main ideas behind the strategy of skipping breakfast:

  • Intermittent fasting
  • Fasted cardio
  • Intensive but limited in-time feeding period

Let’s examine these concepts individually.


Intermittent fasting

intermittent-fasting-states

If you are not familiar with intermittent fasting protocols, the concept can be summed up as follows: An eight hour ‘feeding period’ followed by sixteen hours of fasting. According to Martin Berkhan, author of the Leangains protocols – a system widely known in the nutrition world – intermittent fasting helps to:

  • Increase blood flow to ‘stubborn’ fat cells during exercise;
  • Make the body use fatty acids for energy instead of traditional glucose;
  • Suppress Insulin release (a fat-gaining hormone);
  • Elevate concentrations of epinephrine and norepinephrine (lipotropic hormones);
  • Increase the metabolic rate when resting (the body starts to burn more calories when not exercising).

Berkhan advocates the extended fast (16 hours of fasting followed by 8 hours of feeding) as a powerful tool for fat-burn. I’d like to make a remark at this point:

Usually men respond better to the 16/8 eating scheme than women, due to hormonal differences. Researchers generally believe that women need a longer feeding period (14/10 or even 12/12) in order to support healthy female sex hormone production. The length of the ‘feeding time’ for women also depends on the menstrual cycle period.

My personal experience

My personal experience of intermittent fasting was extremely positive. I first gave this strategy a try 12 years ago when I experienced sudden weight-gain due to an inability to stick to my usual dietary and exercise routine. My job was extremely demanding at the time, and I consequently tried very hard to get back on track. I followed the extended protocol, skipping dinner instead of breakfast. It worked well and I lost 12 lbs over the course of 3 months, but unfortunately my social life also dropped off.

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A month ago I tried intermittent fasting again, as I had to travel a lot and I didn’t have the option of carrying on with my small/frequent meal strategy for a little while. I also felt that my body had adapted and become resistant to the latter technique, as I had been following it for the past two years. I altered the fasting protocol by skipping breakfast instead of dinner. My starting point was the 16/8 scheme, which I initially found sustainable, but within seven days I started feeling a slight lack of energy. I extended my feeding period to 10 hours for another ten days and then to 12 hours, which brought me to the final stage of my menstrual cycle – exactly one week before my period (at this time the female body requires more energy). Then I took three days off, eating clean, small and frequent meals. I started the course again when my period was over.

The overall result for one month was losing 6lbs and a decrease of 1.5% of body fat without being on extremely strict diet (I continued to eat fruits, berries and even had a glass or wine or a piece of dark chocolate occasionally).


The main principles of intermittent fasting:

*contact me for customized calculations and timing

  • High protein consumption*
  • High vegetable intake
  • Intense training: do resistance training 3-5 times a week and fasted cardio 4-6 times a week before your first meal.
  • Carb cycling: increase carbs* (sweet potato, butternut squash, whole grain bread and pasta, rise, fruit, etc.) on the resistance training day especially legs day.
  • Nutrient timing: eat the biggest meal straight after resistance training in order to avoid muscle brake-down and quicken recovery. If you want to increase the fat-burn effect, skip carbs after the fasted cardio.*

The easiest way to try intermittent fasting is by fasting from 9-10 PM until 1-4PM the next day, doing fasted cardio around 11am. In other words, by skipping breakfast. While you can always skip dinner instead, you may find that you end up sacrificing the pleasure of catching up with your friends.

Don’t labour under the delusion that by simply skipping a meal or two you will achieve a fitness model body. The strategy only works effectively with the right combination of meal planning, food selection, fasted cardio programme, workout plan and nutrient-timing.

Fasted cardio

morning fasted cardio blond with red pants

Fasted cardio is another idea behind beneficial breakfast skipping. When done on an empty stomach, such cardio is a great tool to combat that stubborn fat. The secret is simply this: Your bloodstream is cleared of both glucose and amino acids at that point, so your body burns its own fatty acids for energy. I was doing my fasted cardio as a first break in work from 11am to midday. After cardio I had a balanced high-carb and high-protein breakfast.

However, some practitioners believe that fasted cardio could be catabolic: Yes, it could. To avoid muscle loss, take HMB or BCAA prior to and during a cardio session, and stick mainly to low intensity cardio such as power walking, cycling or light jogging, as you prefer. I generally opt for a long power walk in the park, followed by a 15-30 minute Hatha yoga session.

You can join me every day in St James’ park. Book your session here.

Feed your ambitions

Practicing intermittent fasting, fasted cardio and skipping breakfast could work well together with an intensive feeding period. How does it work?

First of all, your body needs energy to function and recover. Logically, you have to use your feeding period smartly and introduce a sufficient – but not an excessive – amount of nutrients into your system. Secondly, having 4-5 small frequent meals or 2-3 big meals (it’s up to you; I personally prefer the first option, but when I’m pushed for time I always have the option of the second). You will boost your metabolism, stimulating the body into burning more calories during the resting/fasting period.  And last but not least, eating healthy and delicious food is always great fun.

Enjoy your diet.

 Possible Day Schedule

*contact me for bespoke dosages calculation and meal planning 

8:00 AM – Wake up, drink 500 ml of water with l-tyrosine and l-tryptophan powder mix* + 2 cups of green tea

9:00 AM – Drink 500 ml – 1l of water with a mix of L-taurine, threonine, choline, inositol and l-glutamine*

11:00 AM – 500 ml – 1l of water + l-carnitine short with vit C* (take alpha adrenergic receptors short-term antagonist as a pre-workout to increase fat burning effect and energy release + coffee (optional)

12:00 PM – 60 min fasted cardio + 1-1.5l of water with a mix of L-taurine, threonine, choline, inositol and l-glutamine*

1:30 PM – lunch

3:30 PM – high protein snack

5:30 PM – pre-workout meal

6:30 – take alpha adrenergic receptors antagonist as a pre-workout to increase fat burning effect + coffee (optional)

6:30 – resistance work-out (optional)

8:00 – protein shake or post-workout meal*

9:00 – dinner

Tatiana Dmitrieva

 

#Relaxation #food list

Which foods are able to act as natural relaxants and anti-depressants is a question I’m often asked by clients. 

CALIFORNIA WALNUT COMMISSION MEDITERRANEAN DIET
Mediterranean Diet probably is one of the best combinations of ingredients with anti-depressants properties. 
To begin with, an overall balanced diet is always helpful. By that I mean a clean wholefood diet with the minimum possible amount of processed food intake. Macronutrient modulation varies and depends on factors such as your:

– activity level

– overall fitness level

– body composition

– body related goals

– lifestyle

Probably the best healthy ratio is:

– up to 20% healthy fats

– 30-40% lean protein

– 40-50% carbohydrates.

We’ll talk about an ideal macronutrients’ modulation ratio in another article in more detail.

Returning to the main topic, the following is a (non-exhaustive) list of foods with calming and relaxing properties:

1) Almost all fruits and berries: They are full of natural sugar and antioxidants. Fructose is the quickest carb (source of energy) after refined sugar, and your body will automatically feel happier and more relaxed with more sugar in the bloodstream. However, do keep in mind that if you aim to become leaner you will have to pursue a diet with a low fructose content.

2) Oily fish. Fish oil is well-known nutrient that increases the brain’s metabolism. By combining fish oil with nootropics you can easily achieve a state of calm and have a clearer mind. Book aconsultation to get a list of over-the- counter nootropics.

3) Herbal tea. A blend of mint, chamomile, artichoke and lavender is one of the best relaxation options.

4) Cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cacao are four spices that were historically used as natural mood lifters and relaxants. Adding a sprinkle of cinnamon in your coffee can help, or even simply inhaling their scent.

5) Chicken hearts and liver are perfect sources of essential amino acids, vitamin B, choline, inositol and Iron. This combination of nutrients is one of the most effective ‘cocktails’ for boosting the central nervous system.

6) Despite the negative publicity and misconceptions surrounding the consumption of egg yolks, the high concentration of cholesterol in them is designed by nature as a perfect source of nutrients. Rich in lecithin, vitamin B, amino acids, choline, inositol, vitamins A and E, phosphatidil serine and many more beneficial substances, egg yolks alone could provide your body with almost everything it needs. However, do not exceed the healthy allowance. Have 1-3 whole eggs a day, adding some separated egg whites if you need to increase your protein intake.

7) Now anyone with a sweet tooth can celebrate – Dark Chocolate!! Yes, having a piece or two of dark chocolate each day will definitely help your body to boost its ‘positive vibe’ hormones.

8) Have a glass of wine. Yes, and YES again!!! But only one, and make sure it’s a high quality wine. First of all, it’s an additional 75 kcal of quick energy that your body will be grateful for. Secondly, high quality wine contains a high concentration of bio-flavonoids and antioxidants.

Taken in a moderate quantities, wine can also act as a minor natural relaxant.

And remember; even if you eat healthily all the time and are a fitness fanatic, allowing your body a little bit of what you really love is always beneficial. By keeping your diet 95% clean, let’s say, you will have even better results than confining yourself to a strict regimen of traditional lean and mean boiled chicken breast, and rice and broccoli.

Enjoy your diet. 

Enjoy your life.

 

Tatiana Dmitrieva 

Why we have to be grateful for bad things

Being grateful for bad things too actually eliminate bad things as class from your life. They become things to be grateful for: lessons, freedom, understanding, and acceptance.

Gratitude is one of the fundamental principles of spiritual practice. But while it’s easy to be grateful for good things, what about bad ones? Many spiritual books and gurus tell us that we should be grateful even for the hurtful things in life. Many psychoanalysts and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy practitioners also strongly advocate the benefits of maintaining a positive attitude and outlook when undergoing painful situations. 

 

Have you ever noticed that everything happens for a reason? Very often negative events bring something really positive into our lives. I’ll give you a couple of examples from my personal life-journey. At one point my job application was refused because the level of my English didn’t satisfy my potential employer. I had to survive without an income for eight months and really struggled to make ends meet. That was a tough time, but being rejected actually incentivized me into learning English properly. 8 years later I moved to London, and succeeded in gaining postgraduate degrees from two top UK universities and graduated from a first class university in the United States. The entire curriculum was, of course, in English. Looking back at my experiences, I am grateful to the person who initially binned my application, an experience which drove me to improve myself.

There are plenty of examples of why we should be grateful for sad events in our lives. I’m pretty sure each of you have experienced something similar in the past, and you’ll know that the most painful time is the period immediately after the event. It is very important to be consciously present at this moment in time, and interpret the things that are happening to you in the right way. Being depressed is extremely counter-productive, and negativity merely attracts more negativity.

Here are few examples of ways in which we should try to react, in order to maintain our serenity, reflect gratitude and radiate positivity:

 

Stay ridiculously positive

Imagine that the person you’re in love with suddenly changes. Those sweet jokes, positive vibes, generosity, compassion, and appreciation are gone for no apparent reason. Be grateful! He or she has revealed their true self. Don’t dwell on the past, and remember that it was all a sham. Just move on: There’s no need to figure out what happened. Just be grateful to this person for emptying space in your life for someone truly amazing.

Your lover finishes the relationship, and there’s that awful feeling of emptiness…. Actually, you know what? Be grateful again! One who does not appreciate your company does not deserve to be next to you. Let them go. Probably your real friend, true love or partner is waiting for you around the corner, but doesn’t have the space to walk into your life.

Your business fails… Be grateful! Most likely, it was not the right thing for you, or not the right time. In any case, you are free to embark on new ventures. Every new start brings new opportunities, new inspirations, and new people into your life. Don’t miss these opportunities.

You lose money… Be grateful that someone took it. First of all, you made somebody’s life a bit better. Accept it as karmic: All good deeds will definitely pay off. Secondly, view the financial loss as a tax on your future happiness, health and wellbeing.

You break your leg… That’s shitty, but I would still encourage you to be grateful! You won’t be able to run for a while but you will have some free time to accomplish other things that you always wanted. Start learning a new language, read books from your reading list, go to art classes…

You’re treated poorly… Be grateful! Firstly, remember the old adage that what goes around comes around. Your karma will benefit from the experience. Secondly, you’ll be reminded of what you appreciate in those people who treat you properly. And finally, you’ll learn what you shouldn’t do to others.

So my dear friends, what are the three bad things you are grateful for today?

Tatiana Dmitrieva

 

Chocolate Matcha Coconut Cupcakes

My friends are coming over for a cup of tea today, so I decided to put my apron on and bake cupcakes! Today I’ll be making chocolate flavoured cupcakes with green matcha & coconut icing. Like many of my recipes, this one is created for people who are intolerant to dairy and gluten, but nonetheless the cupcakes still taste amazing.matcha-green-tea-cupcakes-chocolate-frosting_511218

Yield: – 12-15 cupcakes, prep time – 30 min, baking time – 30 minutes, total time – 1 hour


Macros:

Total calories per portion:  about 260 kcal

Protein – about 5g

Carbs – about  15g

Fat – about  20g


Ingredients:

Cupcakes

  • 200ml almond milk
  • 3 scoops of vanilla protein (optional)
  • 2 Tbsp stevia
  • 80ml cup rice bran oil (you can use peanut or almond butter if you prefer but the dough will be drier) 
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 240g gluten-free flour
  • 3 Tbsp Cocoa powder
  • 3/4 tsp baking soda
  • 1 1/2 tsp Apple cider vinegar or lemon juice
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • ½ cup roughly chopped walnuts or pecan nuts

Icing

  • 200 ml unrefined (virgin) coconut oil
  • 1 ½ Tbsp stevia
  • 6 Tbsp coconut milk
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 5 Tbsp green tea matcha powder
  • 3 Tbsp organic sugar-free chocolate chips (to sprinkle)

Cooking directions3c6d8d80-b8a5-0133-8287-06e18a8a4ae5

Cupcakes

  • Preheat your oven to 180C. Line a cupcake tin with cupcake liners.
  • Add dry ingredients to the bowl (flour, protein, baking powder, cacao, stevia, salt) and mix well.
  • Pour milk, vanilla extract, bran oil into dry mixture and whisk until well combined. If the batter looks too dry, try adding a little bit more milk.
  • Pour apple vinegar or lemon juice onto baking soda (the two will burst into bubbles – these will give extra rise to the bake). Immediately stir into the batter. Add walnuts and mix for 20 seconds.
  • Fill each paper cup to 3/4 of the way. Bake for 20-25 min or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Allow them to cool completely on a wire cooling rack before frosting.

Icing

  • While your cupcakes are in the oven, you can start on cream.
  • Whisk the coconut oil until it gets fluffy  
  • Add in stevia, matcha tea powder, vanilla extract and coconut milk and mix together until nice and smooth
  • Once the cupcakes are cooled, pipe the cream onto cupcakes, sprinkle on top with chocolate chips

Enjoy!

What negativity does to you life

Negative thinking and subsequent emotions are probably two of our worst enemies, and not just because we are feeling down, frustrated or overwhelmed with negativity… What impact can these thoughts have? Here’s a rundown of their terrible effect on our lives. They:

 

Also read How and why to meditate. Simple techniques to start your mindful journey, and Being an Empath. Top 10 Traits

  • Kill productivity

first things first (coffee laptop)

Can you fully concentrate on the present moment when you’re overwhelmed by worry, fear, emotional pain or other negative emotions? I didn’t think so! You can’t be productive without completely focusing on what you do. You are ‘doing your thing’ but at the same time you’re not really there; your brain is gummed up with negativity. You could be stuck in this rut for hours, days or even months. In some extreme cases, people can’t escape this damaging cycle for years. It is well-established that we, as human beings, are incapable of engaging our full concentration on more than one thing at a time; if you are doing more than one thing at once, you’re already not 100% focused. Your attention is diluted. Very often, negative thoughts completely dominate us. What happens next? We lose our connection with reality, and as a result, experience a drop in productivity.

  • Supress creativity

kills creativity.jpg

When we do this it is impossible to be fully creative, and we carry out tasks on auto-pilot. We become remote, detached and mentally disconnected from our surroundings. What could we make without creativity? You’ve got it – nothing of real value. I haven’t even touched the topics of inspiration or motivation, which vanish instantly when ‘bad’ thoughts emerge. Passions are supressed, and the fire of life is doused by a flood of painful memories and negative thoughts.

  • Activate fears

anxiety

As we dwell on those negative things in our lives we increasingly fear the uncertainties of the future, and consequently our levels of anxiety rise. Negativity has regenerative characteristics: We think it’s conquered, but it can quickly take root again with only the slightest of triggers. It can also grow with astonishing rapidity, overwhelming us almost without warning. Memories of old grievances, lost opportunities, frustrating and anger-inducing situations and people who have, in some way, abused us, may all form part of the dismal mental fog in which we find ourselves, and which distorts our perception of ourselves and the world around us.

Our brain becomes locked into a sort of confirmation bias, in which we only see the negative things which happen around us and use those selective events to reinforce our world-view. It is a self-perpetuating cycle which can turn our world into a personal hell full of imaginary monsters and personal demons. Always try to remember that the ‘reality’ we perceive at these times is a fiction, created by our mind when drugged with negativity.

  • Affect your vibrations

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How do you feel when constantly surrounded by abusive people, unfairness and cruelty?  I imagine that the answer is “miserable”. Always keep in mind that your feelings determine the energy (vibrations) you radiate. As soon as you start feeling dejected and apathetic, other people will sense your vibrations and treat you accordingly. I knew one talented young man who was always unfairly treated by his colleagues and peers. Their behaviour toward other people was completely different, however; something he was constantly aware of. Finally, he was fired with no explanation and a few days later his girlfriend left him. When I asked him why it happened his answer was simply, “Those people are stupid”. It was difficult to believe his argument that absolutely everybody around him was both foolish and blind, and didn’t see his amazing qualities and personality. That young man was, in fact, vibrating on a very aggressive and arrogant frequency, which people picked up on. It was for that reason that they distanced themselves from him, partly as a protective mechanism. Why was he aggressive? Probably because of his past fears and anxieties. He tried to hide his internal insecurities behind scorn and criticism, adopting a position of ‘attack is the best form of defence’.

The moral? You get exactly what you give.

  • Affect communicative skills

bad vibes

You cannot interact with others productively when vibrating, let’s say, on a frequency of fear or anger. Even if you mask your true feelings with a friendly smile and polite demeanour, people will sense your vibration anyway. Moreover, sugar-coated negativity always tastes even worse. Can you imagine a piece of rotten fish coated with the finest Swiss chocolate? Both start smelling awful, don’t they?

  • Hold you from achieving your goals

tired.jpg

Summarising all of the above points, negativity holds you back from achieving your goals, rendering you unable to fully concentrate, express creativity, and properly interact with other people in a truly friendly and collaborative way. Negativity generates ever more negativity, leading to a vicious circle which can have a devastating impact on our quality of life.

By increasing your levels of self-awareness, and through perseverance, you can break out of that circle. Try starting today.

Tatiana Dmitrieva

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Protein-Packed Peanut Butter Cookies

These cookies are buttery and crunchy, and packed with protein. Exactly what you need to treat yourself to after a good workout! You’d have to put them away before you finish them all. These cookies are suitable for freezing.e0a02ef89c439945623d5f448bf35536

Yield: 12-14 cookies, prep time – 5 minutes, cooking time – 10 minutes, total time – 15 minutes


Macros

Total calories per cookie: about 221kcal

Protein – about 12g

Carbs – about 6g

Fat – about 17g


Ingredients

  • 225g organic peanut butter
  • 1 Tbsp Stevia
  • 1 egg, large
  • 2 scoops protein powder (peanut, chocolate or vanilla flavour)
  • 1 ½ Tbsp sugar-free chocolate chips (optional)making-peanut-butter-cookies

Cooking process

  • Preheat oven to 180C and line a baking sheet with baking paper
  • Beat the egg and stevia together
  • Add the rest of the ingredients and mix until your consistency is like cookie dough. If the batter looks runny, add a few more tablespoons of protein powder. You can add chocolate chips, if you desire. Just mix them with the batter.
  • Take 2 tablespoons of dough into your palms and roll into a ball. Flatten the ball and place on a baking sheet. Use a fork to create classic peanut butter cookie criss-cross marks on your cookie.
  • Bake at 180C for 10-12 minutes or until the edges begin to turn golden brown.
  • Leave them to cool for 10-15 minutes until the cookies become harden!

Enjoy!

Carrot Cake Overnight Oats

We usually share our recipes for evening deserts, but how about an overnight desert ready to be consumed for breakfast? It still has our favourite oats in the recipe! It’s an overnight oats inspired by a carrot cake. Vegan-Carrot-Cake-Overnight-Oats-sq-8Yield: 2 portions, prep time – 10 minutes, total time – 10 minutes


Macros

Total calories per serving: about 200kcal

Protein – about 10g

Carbs – about 34g

Fat – about 3.4g


Ingredients

  • 80g organic porridge oats
  • ½ cup carrot, finely grated (that’s about 1 big or 1 ½ medium carrots)
  • ½ scoop vanilla protein powder
  • ¼  tsp clove (powder)
  • ¼  tsp cinnamon (powder)
  • ¼ tsp nutmeg (powder)
  • 1 Tbsp chia seeds
  • 2 Tbsp raisins
  • ½ Tbsp sweetener
  • 1 ½ cup almond milk, unsweetened
  • Flaked almonds, walnuts, berries (to decorate)Oats-and-Carrots

Instructions

  • Finely grate carrots
  • Add carrots to oats, protein powder, spices, chia seeds, sweetener, raisings and mix together
  • Pour in milk to the mixture and stir
  • Place in the fridge overnight.
  • If the oats look a bit too thick for your liking, you can add a splash of almond milk before serving.  Top with almonds, walnuts or raspberries and have a good start to the day!

Enjoy!
*The oats could stay refrigerated for up to 3 days

Amazing Homemade Chocolate Praliné

This homemade pralinés are mindblowing! It’s sugar and chemicals free. Once made, it can be frozen and stored in the freezer for two weeks, but believe, they won’t last that long!paleo-and-vegan-double-decker-raw-chocolate-easter-eggs-10-940x705

Yield: about 15 pralinés (Tbsp size), prep time – 5 minutes, cooking time – 35 minutes, cooling time – 3 hours, total time – 4 hours


Macros

Total calories per praliné:  about 108 kcal

Protein – about 2g

Carbs – about 5g

Fat – about 10g


Ingredients

  • 1 cup almond or peanut butter
  • 2 Tbsp Stevia sweetener
  • 1 ½ Tbsp oat flour
  • 1 vanilla pod
  • 1/2 cup sugar-free dark chocolate chips
  • 2 scoop of peanut butter/chock whey protein 
  • 2 Tbsp salted peanut pieces (optional for decoration)

Cooking instructions:All+of+It+-+Vegan+Dark+Chocolate+Peanut+Butter+Easter+Eggs

Directions 

  • Split the vanilla bean down its length using a paring knife and scrape out the seeds
  • To prepare the filling, mix together almond butter, stevia, whey protein, oat flour, and add vanilla seeds. Stir until the mixture will become smooth
  • Divide the mixture into 15 equal balls and roll them into a ball. Once they are all round, place them on a baking sheet and cool them down for 10 minutes while you melt the chocolate chips
  • Melt the chocolate chips on a low heat, until the chocolate reaches 40-45C (that’s the best degree for chocolate as, it will give a shiny look to praliné)
  • Using a fork, dip each ball into the chocolate and stir to coat. Place back onto the parchment paper. Repeat with remaining balls.
  • Drizzle any remaining chocolate over the tops and sprinkle peanut pieces to decorate, if desired.
  • Put praliné into the fridge until it gets set.

Enjoy!

Menstrual Cramps: 6 Home Remedies

As women, we all know it, dread it, and are sometimes even thankful that we get it — I’m talking about our monthly period. We all know the constant throbbing and cramping pains that come with it. Hormone-like substances, called prostaglandins, which are involved in pain and inflammation, trigger the uterine muscle contractions. Higher levels of prostaglandins are therefore associated with more severe menstrual cramps. For some women, their cramps might even interfere with their work, school, and daily activities.

About three out of four women experience menstrual pains, and every one out of 10 women experiences severe cramps.

To help you get through the monthly visit, here are some home remedies that ease menstrual cramps.

1. Exercise

baller leg header
This might sound a little crazy and you might be thinking to yourself, I can barely move, let alone exercise. However, brisk walking, or any type of physical activity, can help to ease your belly pain. When you’re doing any type of aerobic exercise, your body is pumping more blood. This helps to release endorphins to counteract the prostaglandins and reduce your cramps. Exercising three to four times a week is good for the overall health of your body, but it is especially important if you’re prone to painful menstrual cramps.

I, personally, never skip my workouts exercising 5-6 days a week. Period and especially PMS days are not exception to the rule. Right activities have tremendous beneficial effect not only on physical but also on mental health. But, be careful! Do not overload yourself either. Have 30-40 min of circuit training or 20-30 min cardio (i prefer power walk outside) and a nice Hatha yoga session after.  


2. Apply heat

Heat helps to relax the contracting muscles in your uterus, which is the cause for your pain. There are many over-the-counter heating patches and pads or electric, reusable ones. Or, even taking a regular plastic bottle with hot water and applying it to your abdomen is an alternative when you don’t have access to a heating pad.


3. Drink chamomile tea

A study published in the Journal of Agriculture and Chemistry found that there might be pain-relieving properties in this fragrant tea.

This is one of a growing number of studies that provide evidence that commonly used natural products really do contain chemicals that may be of medicinal value,

said Elaine Holmes, Ph.D., a chemist with the Imperial College of London. The research found that when 14 participants were given urine samples, their urinary levels had a significant increase in hippurate, which is a natural anti-inflammatory. Anti-inflammatory drugs help to decrease the prostaglandin production, thus relieving menstrual cramps.


4. Make sure you’re getting enough vitamin D

Prevention is always better than the cure, which is why making sure your body has enough vitamin D is important in preventing menstrual cramps. A study found that high doses of vitamin D3 led to a significant decrease in menstrual cramps. As reported by Health.com, “40 Italian women were split into two groups: one receiving a single oral dose of 300,000 IUs of vitamin D3 and the other getting a placebo five days before the expected start of their menstrual periods.” Their pain scored dropped by 41 percent, while those in the placebo group saw no change in their pain scale.

DL-Phenilalaine is another highly recommended supplement. It’s not essential naturally occurring amino acid that can help to reduce PMS symptoms. Also this amino acid stimulates alertness and increase serotonin production helping therefore to avoid menstrual fatigue and  mood swings. Check recommended dosages with your nutrition adviser.  


5. Have an orgasm

orgasm

Yes, that’s right — orgasms help to relieve all kinds of pain, including menstrual cramps. Before an orgasm, the uterus is more relaxed, and at the moment of climax, blood flow increases, helping to relieve the cramps. Orgams relieve the pain through the release of endorphins, which help you to feel instantly better. They also help to relax your whole body and induce sleep so you won’t feel any cramping at all.


6. Acupuncture

Acupuncture is a component of traditional Chinese medicine, which involves sticking the skin with small needles to stimulate the body at certain points. Researchers from the Oriental Hospital at Kyung Hee University Medical Center in South Korea found that acupuncture might have positive effects on menstrual cramps. The study was based on 10 trials with 944 participants. “There was an improvement in pain relief from acupressure compared with a placebo control,” according to the study.

Edited by OpenMindPortal

Comments by Tatiana Dmitrieva 

Initial source: Menstrual Cramps: 6 Home Remedies

Chocolaty Protein Brownies with Prunes & Almonds

Try a piece of this chocolate heaven. It is perfect protein enriched snacks to go. They are not too sweet, and sugar-free, so you can enjoy them without worries. They are simply so delicious that it may be hard to stop eating them. Luckily, they are not high in calories, so eating more than one bar at a time is not a big problem.

Triple Chocolate And Plum Protein Cake bars_

Yield: 15 brownies, prep time – 15 min, baking time – 30 minutes, total time – 45 min.


Macros:

Total calories per portion:  about 87kcal

Protein – about 6.5g

Carbs – about 9g

Fat – about 3g


Ingredients

  • 1 cup any gluten-free flour (I prefer oat flower)
  • 4 egg whites
  • 2 scoops chocolate flavoured protein (the darker the better!)
  • 3 Tbsp sweetener (I use stevia as it’s natural and low in calories)
  • 1/2 tsp. baking powder
  • 150g sugar-free jam (apple, plum, or rhubarb jam)
  • 3 Tbsp. raw cocoa powder
  • 1/4 tsp. salt
  • 3 Tbsp. dark chocolate chips (I love just unsweetened 100% dark cholate junks)
  • 75g pitted prunes (chopped)
  • 30g fat-free Greek yogurt
  • 85ml almond milk
  • 2 Tbsp blanched almond flakes

Chocolate-Cake-Batter-iStock

Directions

  • Preheat oven to 180C degrees
  • Chop prunes into small pieces.
  • Whisk egg whites with sweetener and salt (added salt makes egg whites “fluffier”), until they double the size.
  • Add almond milk, Greek yogurt and jam of your choice. Mix together in a same bowl.
  • In another bowl mix dry ingredients (flour, powder and baking powder, raw cocoa).
  • Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix together.
  • Stir in the chopped prunes, dark chocolate chips and almond flakes.
  • Pour batter into the baking form and bake for 20-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
  • Let it cool on a wire rack and divide into squares.

Enjoy!