During *those* days of the month, is it advisable to eat warm foods or cooling foods? Or is it just a myth? My understanding is, heat is generated in the system during the menses (I always develop boils on my face a couple of days earlier) and hence one should eat cooling foods like yogurt, cucumbers, etc. I have also noticed that binging on mangoes, pickles and such warm foods manages to hasten the onset of the period. Again, it might be a random thing and not related in any way.
nithya says:
actually… it is..
but the boils before periods.. hard to control them..
drinking a lot of water starting 2-3 days before the periods helps the bloating part of it a little..
eating sweets before the period increases pain and cramps during periods…
eat light during your period also.. it definitely helps…
July 18, 2006 — 5:06 pm
Lakshmi says:
Actually it is… what?
A myth?
I don’t have bloating or cramps. Not even a lot of pain. But these boils… they have started to increase.
July 18, 2006 — 7:14 pm
nithya says:
heheh guess i thought some part of it and wrote just some part of it..
well i was talking about the kind of foods and what effect they have on our body before during and after the period..
for the boils i would say just try and wash your face with cold milk..
they wont disappear and stuff but atleast the face feels much cooler and its better than using most creams..
July 18, 2006 — 9:21 pm
lalunadiosa says:
Eating fried stuff increases discomfort too I find……I’d say stick with cooling foods….especially in the summer time….
July 18, 2006 — 5:11 pm
Lakshmi says:
Makes sense.
July 18, 2006 — 7:15 pm
sthira says:
I think warm camomile tea helps if you experience pain.
July 18, 2006 — 5:24 pm
Lakshmi says:
Very less pain, thank God. More of the boils on my face and a general feeling of fatigue on the first day.
July 18, 2006 — 7:15 pm
sthira says:
Are you prone to acne generally, at other times?
July 18, 2006 — 9:03 pm
Lakshmi says:
Not really. My teens and early 20s were amazingly pimple-acne-free but since I have landed in the USA, they have surfaced. I guess it’s more of an imbalance than anything else.
July 18, 2006 — 9:06 pm
sthira says:
It could also be the water. I generally have pimples and get boils when I am in India but it’s absolutely fine here. Of course, the weather might be a factor for me. But some people do start getting boils if the water doesn’t suit them. If it’s something that persists and doesn’t just do an appearing act before/ during menstruation, you could try going on the combined pill (after weighing all the benefits and risks) because it does help a lot of people with their acne problems. And if where you live, it’s considerably warm, drinking lots of water is always advisable for good skin and other wonderful things that water does to the body.
July 18, 2006 — 10:40 pm
Lakshmi says:
I guess I’ll stick to water and some other herbal remedies. Somehow, I can’t stomach the idea of taking the pill for acne relief!
July 19, 2006 — 1:18 am
rparvaaz says:
Cooling food gives me cramps.
July 18, 2006 — 5:34 pm
Lakshmi says:
Now that’s a new viewpoint again!
July 18, 2006 — 7:15 pm
goofy_duck2004 says:
I have not noticed or should i say paid attention to the kind of food i eat and its effects. I go by what makes me feel better – bad pain – nice cup of tea and a hot water bag works fine. If not i eat a lot of cool stuff.
Boils on the face are due to two reasons – heat generated and also harmonal changes in the body. Like nithya mentioned, drinking water helps cleanse the system like any other day too.
Guess i was not much of a help here 😀
July 18, 2006 — 7:36 pm
Lakshmi says:
Thanks, Manju…:-)
July 18, 2006 — 7:55 pm
iswari says:
According to Ayurveda, your period, itself, is a vata time and calming/warming things are recommended. However, between ovulation and your period (the time when you’re getting boils) is a pitta phase. So, during the pre-menstrual pitta phase, you’re supposed to avoid things that aggravate heat, but once your period actually begins, you’re supposed to avoid cold things. Of course, this is all general and your particular constitution may have some different needs, etc.
July 18, 2006 — 7:49 pm
Lakshmi says:
That’s true. However, I steer clear of cold stuff most of the time. A good idea would be to eat light and drink lots of water and that tip should stand no matter what prakriti you have, right?
July 18, 2006 — 7:57 pm
shortiyergirl says:
Most birth control pills are supposed to help with the acne problem.
July 19, 2006 — 12:11 am
Lakshmi says:
🙂 Another *side effect*? Yes, I have heard that too.
July 19, 2006 — 1:19 am
jonquille_s says:
its ur hormones acting up..and coz of that ur oil glands go on an overdrive….drinking plenty of water will help…and stay away from fried foods atleast a week before its due.
Try and eat more of salads….fresh fruits etc.
July 19, 2006 — 10:54 am
Lakshmi says:
Don’t care for salads; they generate a lot of gas! Atleast the salads I have eaten here do… fruits and juices and water – makes sense.
July 20, 2006 — 7:33 pm
invisibelle says:
Yeah, unfortunately no amount of food is going to help the hormonal acne. There are a couple of anti-androgen drugs out there that will help, but personally it’s not worth it to me to mess up my natural hormonal balance. I figure the boils must happen for a reason (maybe to make us less attractive to men during menses, heheh), so whatever.
Water never hurts, though. 🙂
July 20, 2006 — 1:15 am
Lakshmi says:
Water never hurts, though. 🙂
Right… that’s my credo as well.
July 20, 2006 — 7:31 pm
99kanitas says:
i go running everyday, never had an acne problem
(the oils cleanse the pores(?) just an hypothesis)
July 20, 2006 — 4:25 pm
Lakshmi says:
I didn’t even walk in India (took autos and buses!) and yet I never faced any such issue. I think this is a case of delayed adolescence..:-)
July 20, 2006 — 7:32 pm