Ever hear yourself saying…“where did THAT bruise come from?” or “Okay I barely walked into the counter, what’s with the big bruise?”
Bruising while dieting is actually pretty common among women. (YAY! You’re not the only one!) Bruises are basically caused by pressure that breaks the walls of your small blood vessels (aka capillaries) which then cause blood to escape under the skin. Voila! You have a bruise.
So what’s with all the bruises while you’re dieting?
When it comes to unexplained bruising, the hormone estrogen is to blame. The hormone is normally broken down in the liver along with fat, however, when you’re dieting your body is breaking up more fat than estrogen, leaving a lot more estrogen in the bloodstream than normal. That lovely hormone increases the aging rate of your collagen, the connective tissue that your body is made of, causing those blood vessels to weaken as well, making you more susceptible to bruises.
What can I do to prevent these bruises?
Take more vitamin C! It will normalize activity in the circulatory system, increasing blood flow throughout the body and bind to collagen fibers, thereby increasing blood vessel flexibility. They also inhibit two enzymes, collagenase and elastase, which break down connective body tissue.
The average body needs about 3000 mg of Vitamin C a day. We recommend taking about 1250 mg a day to help prevent excessive bruising. Or, you can implement more foods that are high in vitamin C into your meal planning.
A few foods rich in Vitamin C include yellow bell peppers, kale, thyme, parsley, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, kiwis, papayas, oranges, and strawberries.
Bonus Tip:
Being under stress can deplete your body of vitamin C at a faster rate. So if you’re feeling stressed out, be sure to boost your supplements!