International Women's Day

International Women's Day (IWD) is celebrated on March 8 every year. Our college NSS unit had organized a talk on women's nutrition and the difficult phase in our life. Every girl has to face menstruation in her life.  At some point during puberty, blood comes out of your vagina, and that's first period. Most girls get their first period between ages 12 and 14, but some get them earlier or later than that. If a girl doesn’t get her period by the time, she is 16, it’s a good idea to visit a doctor or nurse. Most women stop getting their period when they’re between 45 and 55 years old — this is called menopause. Menopause can take a few years, and periods usually change gradually during this time. After menopause is totally complete, so women can’t get pregnant anymore.

The menstrual cycle lasts from the first day of the period to the first day of the next period. The average menstrual cycle is about 25-30 days, but it can be as short as 21 days or longer than 35 — it’s different from person to person. The number of days in the cycle may also vary from month to month. During periods, it’s normal to bleed anywhere from 2 to 7 days.

The average person loses anywhere between 1-6 tablespoons of menstrual fluid during each period. It can be thin or clumpy, and varies in colour from dark red to brown or pink. If the period is so heavy that they have to change maxi pads or super tampons every hour, its better to consult the doctor. Everyone’s body is different, so their periods are different too — what’s “normal” varies from person to person, and can change over your lifetime. Some birth control methods or health conditions may also affect the period.

A missed period is one of the first signs of pregnancy, but it doesn’t always mean pregnant. Sometimes a period skip for no reason at all, especially during the first few years of period. Lots of other things can throw off your regular cycle and mess with the timing of your period.

These include:

·         Taking the morning after pill
·         Changes in your hormones
·         Being sick
·         Taking certain medicines
·         Exercising too much
·         Poor diet and nutrition
·         Stress
·         Sudden weight gain or loss
·         Having very little body fat, which can happen if you’re an athlete or have an eating disorder
·         Menopause (when your period stops for good).

It’s really common to have irregular menstrual cycles at some point in your life — especially during start getting your period.   Examples of irregular periods include:

·         Missing a period altogether
·         Your period coming early or late
·         Different PMS symptoms
·         Heavier or lighter bleeding than usual
·         Bleeding longer than usual
·         Unpredictable timing of periods from month to month

Keeping track of your periods and symptoms on a menstrual cycle calendar or in an app is good way to learn what’s normal for your body, and help you know if anything changes. Low intakes of dietary iron and calcium are common in women. Menstruation, pregnancy, breastfeeding and menopause are times of increased nutritional demand. Good nutrition means eating a wide variety of foods every day. Vitamin B6 can help ease the symptoms of premenstrual syndrome. Large quantities of foods like tea, alcohol, caffeine and salt can interfere with the absorption and excretion of important minerals.