Menstrual Health: Why Women Should Deeply Nourish Ourselves & Not FAST While Menstruating
What prompted me to write this article was the observation of the lack of discretion in the collective that women have when choosing to fast. Although fasting does have its benefits, there are times for women to fast and there are times when we should not.
When women are menstruating and losing blood that contains nutrients, tissues and other bodily fluids - our focus should always be on deep nourishment, not fasting and abstaining from eating real whole foods.
Instead, we should be intentionally replenishing our body with a robust of nourishing foods like those from vegatables, fruits, animal meats, organs, seeds, nuts, spices and herbs.
Warm teas, drinks, food and dishes are beneficial during this time.
Keep reading so you can learn WHY.
1. Nourish Yourself To Replenish Your Mineral & Nutrient Levels
For one, blood contains nutrients. Housed within blood is iron, protein and enzymes, potassium, sodium, and other vaginal, cervix and uterine secretions.
So, that said, with blood loss there is also nutrient loss.
And guess what's the best way for you to replenish these nutrients? By EATING, yes! Your body needs food during your menstrual time for this reason - to support your mineral, vitamin and other nutrient levels.
2. Nourish Yourself To Support Healthy Iron Levels
In women, iron deficiency is very common during our reproductive years because we menstruate and lose blood monthly.
Iron is an important mineral for helping to produce blood in your body. And about 70 percent of your body's iron is found in the red bloods cells of your blood called hemoglobin.
If you are fasting, skipping and missing meals while you're losing blood and iron stores, you are indeed increasing your chances of developing an iron deficiency.
3. Nourish Yourself To Provide Comfort, Warmth & Grounding
Your moon time is a time when you likely crave comfort, warmth and grounding. And, whether we like to admit it or not, food is comforting and grounding.
On the other hand, when you decide to fast and don't eat, you can become less grounded, more irritable, moody and emotional. This is because when you don't eat and you miss out on good food and nourishment it contributes to hormonal and mood imbalances.
Women have a hard enough time already staying in our body and not fully inhabiting it. Add excessive fasting from deep nourishment and you have a recipe for disaster.
The sensation of "fullness" helps to remedy this by grounding us back into our bodies.
Food also provides you warmth. Warmth is important because your blood heats and warms your body too. This is a why when you're losing blood during your period your body's temperature may drop and you are all-of-a-sudden cold.Warming teas, drinks and food helps with this.
4. Nourish Yourself To Support Your Life Force Energy
Your blood is a part of your life force energy, known as prana of chi. Helping to renew your body's blood by eating food - which is just another source of energy - is vital for your overall wellbeing.
The less you eat while you're menstruating (losing blood), the less life force energy you will have. This is not a good thing and neither does it feel good. In fact, this is why when you don't eat during a fast, you experience symptoms like low energy, fatigue, mental fogginess and lethargy.
You have no energy.
The Takeaway Here...
For women, while fasting is healthy under certain circumstances and conditions, fasting while we are menstruating is just not wise.
In fact, I am willing to go as far as to say that fasting during this time can be seen as an act of self-neglect...while eating is an intentional act of self-love.
When choosing to fast please practice discretion, learn your body and it's different cycles and phases. That way you can align your eating patterns with your actual physiology, and you're not out here guessing and winging it.
Love and Health,
Shavonne