Periods cost women ‘six years of great sex’ intimacy brand claims – after creating menstrual cup that can be worn during intercourse

PERIODS can make everyday life seem almost impossible.

If you don't have a condition like endometriosis or PCOS, you can reduce a lot of the discomfort simply by adopting a few dietary and daily habits.

1. Dark chocolate

Many of us are low on magnesium, and that's a mineral which can help ease belly cramps by relaxing the smooth muscle in the womb.

You get it from dark chocolate, whole grain bread, nuts and dark leafy greens.

2. Ditch coffee

Caffeine can actually make cramps worse because it's a vasoconstrictor - meaning that it makes the blood vessels in your body constrict.

That includes making the vessels in your womb tighten, making cramps even more excruciating than they were in the beginning.

3. Go for a walk

When we exercise, we release endorphins which can help to elevate mood and make us feel better.

They're also a natural painkiller so can go some way to reducing belly pain.

4. Eat more beetroot and celery

Feeling bloated? Then get making a salad to go with your dinner.

Thanks to the fact that celery contains lots of potassium, the watery veg can help to reduce water tension during your period.

Beetroot, on the other hand, has the opposite effect to coffee.

It's full of nitrates which gently relax the blood vessels, helping blood flow and oxygen back into the womb.

5. Grab your hot water bottle

Having a warm bath or applying a hot water bottle has been scientifically proven to be painkilling.

Scientists at University College London found that heat treatment works by blocking pain messages to the brain and that placing something warm on the skin can get rid of abdominal pain in a similar way to painkillers for up to an hour.

6. Have a massage

Massage has long been used to relieve symptoms of period pain.

But you don't have to book an expert. Here's some you can try yourself:

• Raise your pelvis: lying flat on your back, place one flat hand on top of the other and place both under your tailbone. This will slightly raise your pelvis. Breathe deeply into this position.
• Belly press: still lying flat and using either or both hands, press gently on the spot two inches below your belly button. Increase the pressure as feels comfortable.
• Pubic bone: using the flat of your hands, press down on your pubic bone. Then, using your fingers, apply targeted pressure along the top of the bone, moving out to the hip joints. You should be able to feel any areas of increased tension. Hold your press here until the discomfort starts to subside.

7. Try some yoga

Our bodies start to tense up when we're in pain and that can make cramps feel even worse.

Your best bet is to try to relax by getting into some very simple yoga poses.

 is probably the biggest yogi on , and she's put together a sequence especially for anyone struggling with period cramps and bloating.

You don't need any props or special equipment - you just need some pillows and towels.

Moves include Cat-Cow, which is where you go onto all fours, arching your back and then inverting your back - pushing your bum to the ceiling.

There are also single leg stretches, back stretches, and moves which simply involve sitting with a pile of pillows on your legs as you cuddle them.