As for prevention and cures, all natural, here are some ideas to take into consideration;

DIET:

-Avoid salty foods and alcohol, these can increase bloating by retaining water, and so make you feel generally sluggish as well as making the cramping worse.

-Drink lots of water, this can aid in avoiding bloating. This will also help with headaches or migraines brought on by menstruation. Also adding lemon juice, a natural diuretic can decrease bloating.

-Eat your greens, and a healthy diet can make you feel a lot better at the best of times, but during menstruation it can be a good pick up and help avoid that sluggish feeling.

-Avoid foods like dairy and caffeine, generally these can cause problems for people, during menstruation this can be particularly true, many find these increase period pains.

-Avoid soy as soy products are notorious for affecting women's hormones.

-Reduce food intake before your period, this will help prevent bloating and so in turn help reduce cramps and general nasty feelings around your period.