Micronutrition opens a promising path. By relying on the specific needs of each woman, this gentle approach can allow her, via food, to better understand and live her menstrual cycle.
A subject as vast and exciting as concerning. Each woman lives her menstrual cycle uniquely, but many of them feel intense fatigue or mood swings, often linked to hormonal fluctuations.
According to data from the National Institute of Health and Medical Research (INSERM), between 20 and 40% of women of childbearing age suffer from premenstrual syndrome (SPM), even if in fact, it could concern much more. Before the rules, the latter often translates into exhaustion, irritability or bloating.
Other women are affected by polycystic ovary syndrome (SOPK), a hormonal condition that causes hormonal imbalances, irregular rules, excessive androgens rates and cysts in ovaries.
No treatment exists to relieve them. It is in these cases that female micronutrition can then play an essential role.
It consists in providing the body with vitamins, minerals, trace elements and essential fatty acids it needs, in adapted quantity and quality, at the most appropriate time, in order to reduce unpleasant symptoms and optimize well-being.
Take the plunge for your well-being
“Micronutrition is an unknown term in the battalion still today,” says Rebecca, a 25-year-old young woman who recently launched her Instagram account where she offers breakfasts or even other snacks.
In what she shares, Rebecca explains how to adapt the contribution of vitamins, minerals and other nutrients to the specific needs of women according to the menstrual cycle, which is made up of four phases.
“I started doing research on my side on my health and how I could improve it. I have observed many improvements on my body. I then asked myself questions about the importance of food and micronutrition more specifically, “said the young woman who now has 100,000 followers on the social network.
A graduate of a license in biology, Rebecca then followed a master’s degree in nutrition before working in research and development in the food industry. She therefore used her knowledge in the matter to adapt her food: “It is an idea of a project that I wanted to carry out. It is also related to my medical journey. I have a sopk. It has impacted all my life. Since my operation, I have had a questioning, ”says the interested party.
A mental load
But how do you go about it in a full daily life? Rebecca advises, for example, to start by replacing refined sugar with maple syrup then ultimately banana, which brings something from a nutritional point of view.
Then, during the rules, it offers recipes to boost iron intake (lentils, white beans …), vitamin C (kiwi, citrus …) and magnesium (almonds, dark chocolate …).
Also, Rebecca advocates an anti-inflammatory diet (varied fruits and vegetables, legumes, vegetable oils, etc.), but without falling into excess or frustration.
Under each of her posts, she details the ingredients she uses and for what reason. Each phase of the menstrual cycle has its favorite foods. “What I try to put forward on the networks is to make this change in a less brutal way than me, by recipes which are still greedy and simple to make,” explains the young woman.
Entering your well-being in this way involves cooking, consuming fewer processed products and having an attentive eye on your cycle to adapt your plate as much as possible and thus fight against fatigue, for example.
To make this alternative less heavy and stressful, it can be shared with a loved one or with a family. “Micronutrition, I don’t really see it as a diet. It is really just adapting your needs to the plate, and, if there is another need, by supplementation. Everyone is impacted. For example, vitamin D is given to babies from birth. As a result, my recipes are suitable for everyone, ”says the specialist in nutrition, health and food science.
“I receive lots of messages from women who adopt my recipes and that children love, finally. They do not even realize that they eat white beans in their cookies, ”underlines the young woman.
A public health issue?
In addition, micronutrition helps prevent cardiovascular disease, chronic digestive disorders or even diabetes and supports immunity, digestive health, energy and vitality. But it is a complex subject, little popularized and often confined to specialized circles.
However, micronutrition helps women, especially those with sopk. “I made this change in a very brutal way. I stopped sugar overnight. Regarding myself, I had no other option. I no longer wanted to finish in the hospital, so I had set myself the goal of really stopping everything that is inflammatory, “says Rebecca, who claims to have resolved 70% of his problems thanks to micronutrition.
Sopk is one of the main causes of infertility in women. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), which does not yet recognize micronutrition, around 6 to 13% of women of childbearing age are affected by this public health problem, knowing that up to 70% of the women concerned are still not diagnosed in the world.
Recently, Rebecca made a podcast about the SPM and was surprised: “In the comments, people were shocked to discover that it was what they felt. It is not because many of us have it that it is normal. On the contrary.”
It remains difficult for some women to put words on what they feel in order to find solutions, sometimes outside the usual medical field.
By launching social networks, Rebecca wanted to speak to as many people as possible. “Finally, there is a real need, and it shows,” says the young woman, who notices a lack of information around female health. “It’s even very, very, very shocking. I don’t want to take an alarmist message, but fortunately, today, it’s starting to change. ”
Female micronutrition turns out to be a powerful tool to improve the quality of life of women, taking into account their biological specificity, throughout their lives.
This method requires strong personalization, time and additional examinations (health and blood test) to overcome certain deficiencies. In any case, it is advisable to adopt for a balanced, varied diet, without abuse but also without frustration.