Fruits Women Should Avoid During Menstruation
In fact, it's not just about eating ice. Some foods with cool properties, such as ice products, eggplant, loofah, cucumber, winter melon, crab, river snails, kelp, bamboo shoots, oranges, pears, pomelos, watermelons, etc., as well as sour and astringent foods like sour plums and unripe acidic fruits, or some pungent and hot foods like fried foods, chili peppers, pepper, mustard, etc., should also be avoided during menstruation to prevent poor blood circulation.
Foods to Eat More of During Menstruation
During menstruation, one should eat more scallion whites, wood ear mushrooms, peanuts, walnuts, red dates, longans, and rose petals. If you accidentally eat cold food or can't resist eating ice during your period, you can drink brown sugar boiled with ginger to balance blood circulation and promote blood flow.
Life Tips
Besides avoiding ice products during menstruation, women should pay special attention to keeping warm, avoiding exposure to cold, wading in water, getting caught in the rain, prolonged sun exposure, and taking cold showers. Sexual intercourse, sitz baths, and swimming should also be prohibited. Keep the vulva, underwear, and sanitary napkins clean.
Traditional Chinese Medicine advises women against eating ice during menstruation, while Western Medicine considers there to be no restrictions. Menstrual blood is the shedding of the uterine lining, expelled through uterine contractions. When you eat ice, the temperature of your digestive system drops, affecting the strength of uterine contractions, making it harder for menstrual blood to be expelled, thus forming clots. The uterus then has to contract more forcefully to expel these clots, which is a possible reason why eating ice can cause menstrual cramps.
Western Medicine does not reject any foods, and even ice is considered permissible during the postpartum confinement period. Although eating ice may cause uterine contractions and menstrual cramps, these clots can be expelled by the body's natural mechanisms, so women need not worry excessively. However, if excessive menstrual cramps occur due to eating ice, you should consult a gynecologist to check for other possible diseases.