Menstrual Issues
I work with women of all ages on menstrual issues. Unfortunately it is a big problem that is only getting worse because of the typical American diet, and all the toxins it contain. Being a woman, and having had many menstrual problems in the past that I have overcome, has helped me to help others effectively.
First off, having a menstrual cycle is important. Your body has this system for procreation (obviously) but also as a mechanism to eliminate toxins. It is important that you keep this system working for you instead of against you. It is the way we were created and we as women are lucky we have this extra elimination system to help us flush unwanted material out with our normal cycle flow. If you want to stay young looking, do your best to keep your menstrual cycle flow going as long as possible. My mentor, who is in her 70’s, still has approximately 3 periods a year. I know it is a hassle, but it is a very valuable aging secret.
Each woman’s cycle can vary from the next women as well as from month to month. Typically our cycles are; Day 1 to 6 is when we have our actual menstrual flow (Day 1 being the day our actual period starts). Day 7-14 is when our body is preparing for ovulation. Day 15-16 is when we ovulate, and then day 17 – 28 is when our body is preparing for our next menstrual flow. It is important as women to keep track of these cycles to prevent unwanted pregnancies, and also to make sure this important body system is working optimally for us.
If your cycle is off, you have any endometriosis, you have excessive cramps, are bleeding excessively, have infertility issues, or if you are experiencing menopause issues, your body is trying to communicate with you - there is something going on internally that needs to be fixed and paying attention to your cycle is a clue to help you know that something is wrong.
Where do you start? There are some basic things we recommend to turn many of these issues around. It typically takes 90 days to turn menstrual issues around. That doesn’t mean you won’t see results sooner, but to get your body on the new cycle, it can take 90 days, but can take longer depending on previous medication, age, etc. Just like if you were to start the birth control pill, the recommendation is to use some other form of birth control the first 90 days to because it can take 90 days or 3 period cycles to make sure it is working optimally for you.
Issues to address:
Emotional issues
As with all illness imbalances in the body, there is ALWAYS underlying emotional issue(s). These should at least be acknowledged at some level via a therapist, a book, for example Feelings Buried Alive Never Die by Karol Truman or some mechanism that will help the person utilize these energies effectively instead of allowing them to continue to harm their body. This can be a balancing act, because as people do other healing techniques such as diet, and herbs, they hopefully will get in touch with their bodies more, but going at this via both ends of the spectrum only allows them to address the underlying issues more completely which can only help them more in the long run. I encourage you to delve into this area as it will benefit you in more ways than just this one in the long term.
Bowels
If your bowels are not moving, it is like a trash can in your home that no one empties. This attracts organisms such as parasites, fungus, virus and bacteria, all of which can affect how your menstrual cycle works. Drinking quality water, eating 70% vegetables, fruits, essential fatty acids, magnesium and at least 30-35 milligrams of fiber a day can help to naturally cleanse the bowels. Sometimes women need additional herbs to help or colonics to move the main debris within the colon. But this should not be a constant remedy, but rather they should work the colon muscle so that it is helping them keep their body clean, and not become a home for toxins or unwanted guests. If your colon is working for you, it will help you maintain health, instead of causing illness.
Organisms
There are all kinds of organisms that can cause problems with our glandular system. Bacteria, virus, fungus and parasite all can cause infections, cysts, tumors and irregularities. These organisms have been around a lot longer than us and are very good at finding homes inside of us. If we keep our mind in a negative state, continue to eat junk, and not take care of ourselves overall, we make a great environment for them to live. Why would they want to leave if they are getting what they want?
Diet
Fixing your diet can help your bowels move more effectively, can help to stop feeding organisms, and it can also obviously help your overall health and immune system as well. Pulling out significant amounts of meat, dairy, sugar, wheat and junk food of your diet is a start. These foods are mostly toxic, acidic, and clog up your intestinal tract causing all kinds of health issues, especially menstrual problems. Instead you should be eating mostly vegetables and fruits, whole grains, nuts & seeds, and some organic meats. We have seen so many women change their diets and not only does it help their menstrual issues, but most of the time they lose weight, sleep better and have more energy.
Liver
If your colon is backed up, or if you are eating poorly, your liver is working over-time to effectively clean your blood. Which is a never ending process with a lot of toxins inside. That means that the hormones that your liver is supposed to be producing for you can be considered a lower priority as the body makes decisions to clean rather than to balance hormones. This is very common with menopause issues. The ovaries start to shut down, then the adrenals are called in to help, and most women are exhausted so their adrenals aren’t much help, so then the task falls to the liver, which is already overworked and undernourished. Many times doing liver cleanses in addition to colon cleanses can help clear up many menstrual issues.
If other elimination systems are supported and working optimally, such as the kidneys, lymph and lungs this can also help the body take pressure off the liver.
What Can Help
Herbs
There are a plethora of herbs that can help in this area. It is best to work with a trained herbalist to find the best herbs to take for your body and at one time in your cycle. Herbs fall into so many categories, uterine tonics, pelvic decongestants, hormone balancers, antispasmodics, estrogenic herbs, progesterone balancers, astringents, and so on. Knowing what to take at specific times in your cycle can give you the best results.
Cramps
There are many herbs that can help with cramps. Herbs that are called Antispasmodics relieve cramping. They include Cramp Bark, Magnesium, Red Raspberry, kava kava, hops and lavender oil topically are the most popular. Also eating 1 Tbsp of chia seeds daily has helped many women eliminate cramps. Most likely because of the fiber, the omega’s and sugar balancing properties they have. Chia seeds are also beneficial for just helping to regulate menstrual cycles in most women that are still having periods.
Excessive bleeding
I have worked with many women with this issue. What we have discovered in each case, is that there Is another elimination system that is not being supported optimally. It is different for each person, but we have seen lymph, kidney and lungs. So we work to change the diet, feed the system that isn’t working optimally, and the excessive bleeding stops. There are also herbs to take that help stop bleeding; yarrow, shepard’s purse, and capsicum are all herbs that stop bleeding. Some formula’s have all of these which help effectively for most women in the meantime till they get the other elimination systems working optimally.
Iodine
Many women with menstrual issues are also deficient in iodine. This is a common problem in the US. As reported in Iodine: Why you need it, why you can’t live without it by Dr. David Brownstein. Herbs such as Kelp, black walnut and dulse are all high in iodine. But many women can benefit from taking an iodine source they can get from their naturopathic doctor. We have had many women have successful results taking iodine to help many menstrual issues as well as other health issues as well.
Regardless of what you choose to help yourself with your menstrual issues; know that you always have options and you are the only one that has to live with the results.