10 Ways to Banish Period Cramps for Good {Naturally}

Cramps.

No one likes them.  I mean, who would?  Pain and annoyance is all they are.

But, for many women, they’re par for the course every month.  They “look forward” to days of bleeding, pain, a heavy feeling, mood swings, food cravings, and more.

What if your period could be easier…or even pain-free?  And what if you could accomplish this naturally?

10 Ways to Banish Period Cramps for Good {Naturally}

Cramps happen because our hormones aren’t quite balanced…and our bodies are a little bit toxic, from eating poor food, taking certain medications, and more.

The mainstream has little to offer besides “take birth control pills” (synthetic hormones are not going to fix the underlying problem!) or “take these pain medications” (hides the issue but doesn’t fix it).  Sure, that makes you feel better in the short-term…but it doesn’t help your long-term health at all.

Instead, try some of these steps to truly improve your health, and get rid of cramps — naturally!

#1) Clean Up Your Diet

A lot of people are eating foods that aren’t really that good for their bodies.  These foods cause general inflammation, which can lead to increased pain — including during your period.

By avoiding some of these foods, or at least eating fewer of them, you can reduce overall inflammation and reduce your pain!

Avoid these foods:

• Any type of fast food
• Vegetable oils (esp GMO) like soy, corn, safflower, sunflower, and other polyunsaturated oils
• Refined sugar (reduce total sugar to 25g per day)
• Corn syrup, in any form
• Any GMOs (corn, soy)
• Refined white flour
• Wheat/gluten (if you react to it)
• Dairy (if you react to it)
• Factory-farmed meat
• Artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives
• Coffee (esp. conventional)
• Alcohol

Instead, add more whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables, herbal tea, grass-fed meat, and other whole, natural foods.  This alone will make a big difference!

#2) Get Some Exercise

Most of us don’t get enough exercise.  Our lives are busy, and we just don’t make the time.  Plus, a lot of us work at jobs that require many hours of sitting.  Not so great.

Take the time for a 10 – 15 minute brisk walk everyday.  This gets the lymph fluid in your body moving, which helps your body to naturally detox.  When lymph gets stagnant, then it tends to lead to soreness around your joints — and pain in your body!

Help your body out.  Get a little exercise!

#3) Include Probiotics

A lot of us don’t get probiotics in our diets, either.  Probiotic foods used to be common, but they’re not anymore — for most of us.  Our guts are missing it!  And when our guts aren’t happy or healthy, we’re more likely to experience inflammation in our bodies.  (And therefore, pain.)

The best way to get probiotics is to consume foods that contain them.  This includes:

• Kefir (milk and water)
• Kombucha
• Sauerkraut
• Pickles
• Yogurt

It’s best to include a variety of foods to get different probiotic strains, because they each do different things.  If you are not able to get probiotic foods in your diet daily, you can take a supplement instead.  (I like this one.)

#4) Detox Your Body

The first three steps will already have you on your way to detoxing!  But, there is more you can do.

Try sweating — via more vigorous exercise, or in a sauna.  This helps pull toxins out of your body naturally.  (The toxins are found naturally in your lymphatic system, and can come out through your pores.)

A detox bath with very warm or hot water, plus Epsom salts and baking soda, can also help.  These are a great idea during your period, too, to help you feel clean.

Other ways to detox:

• Drink room temperature or warm lemon water, especially first thing in the morning
• Add bentonite clay to a bath or use it topically to detox skin
• Look into yeast or parasite cleanses if you suspect this is an issue (skin itching, frequent yeast infections, sugar cravings are signs)

When your body is truly healthier, you can really banish period cramps!

#5) Switch to Organic or Reusable Hygiene Items

Conventional hygiene items are made with bleached cotton — which is filled with hormone disruptors and other toxic substances.  These are easily absorbed into your delicate skin “down there.”

Switch to using organic disposable products, or look into cloth pads or a menstrual cup.  These do not have the same toxic ingredients, and many women find their cramps are instantly lighter!

#6) Consider Castor Oil Packs

Some women struggle with cramps because they deal with cysts or some kind of physical issue.  Castor oil packs are a great way to help clear these up!

They’re easy to do, too.  Do this lying down on a surface that is okay to stain, or lay an old blanket/towel/sheet down.  I have never had castor oil get on anything beneath me, but just be careful.

• 1: Soak a cloth in castor oil (preferably undyed and organic, but use what you have)
• 2: Place this cloth on your lower abdomen, where the pain is, and cover it with a piece of plastic wrap (to keep things clean)
• 3: Put a heating pad on top of the cloth
• 4: Cover the whole thing with a towel to prevent any mess!
• 5: Relax for 30 – 60 minutes

That’s it!  Just repeat every day or two until the pain improves.  I used this for suspected cysts several months ago, and found it was much better in about two weeks.  It may take longer if you have had ongoing issues.

#7)  Balance Your Hormones

So many women struggle with hormone balance.  There are synthetic hormones in our food supply, medications, and more.  Plus, pregnancy and breastfeeding is hard on many women.

The steps above can help, as well as considering the following herbs and supplements:

• Cod liver oil (for vitamins A and D) (I use this one)
• B-complex (catnip is a rich source naturally)
• Magnesium (this is my favorite)
• Hemp seed oil (I use this one)
• Raspberry leaf
• Licorice root
• Vitex (specifically for long cycles, delayed ovulation, and spotting before your period)
• Maca root

When your hormones are balanced, you can banish period cramps!

#8) Use a Natural Heating Pad

During your period, you shouldn’t use castor oil packs (this will cause you more pain — ask me how I know!).  A heating pad made with rice or flax seeds, and including whole organic herbs, is a good idea.

Include a small amount of lavender buds, chamomile or calendula flowers, or even arnica flowers to get the smell and properties of these in your heating pad.  (This is how you can make your own.)  Heat it for 60 – 90 seconds in a microwave, or 15 – 20 minutes in an oven, and apply to your lower abdomen as needed.

#9) Herbal Cramp Relief Formulas

There are many options out there, but this is my favorite.

I’ve been making this one for a few years now.  It helped so much that after a few months, I didn’t even need it at all.  And friends who used it, found that they were *surprised* by their periods starting for the first time since high school!

Cramp bark and motherwort are key herbs in this formula.  It promotes hormone balance as well as relieving cramps.  Banish period cramps for real!

**Save 20% on Ease the Ache with code NOMORECRAMPS, through Sept. 1**

#10) Avoid Estrogenic Items

So many things in our world contain estrogenic properties.  These promote extra estrogen in our bodies, which can throw off hormone balance.  (A whole lot of people are estrogen-dominant.)

Avoid the following:

• Plastics (especially if heated)
• Soy
• Red clover

Be careful and note if anything makes you feel “off” and avoid that!

Does It Really Work?

Using these tips, I was able to make my cycle painless after just a few months.  Yes…really.  No more heaviness, bloating, or cramping.  Several others in my life were able to do the same.

Obviously that’s just us…but these tips will make a big difference!

Give it a few months to work.  It’s not an overnight process.  But change will come, and it will be worth it. 🙂

What are your best tips to banish period cramps?