Women, like the moon, are always going through changes. In fact, the word menstruation comes from the Latin mensis, meaning “month,” which is derived from the word for moon. Menstrual time can be a time of healing, rest, and regeneration. Many women experience this as a time of increased awareness.
The process of menstruation occurs between the brain, hormonal levels, and female reproductive system. The pituitary gland releases follicle stimulating hormones (FSH), which signal the ovaries to secrete estrogen into the blood in the middle or follicular phase of the cycle. This signals a blood supply to build up in the uterus. An egg is released into the uterus. Progesterone is secreted, while lutenizing hormone (LH) flows into the blood from the brain and causes more blood to supply the uterus in preparation for a baby. This is the luteal or last phase of the cycle. When bleeding begins, the body prepares for a new cycle by releasing FSH from the pituitary, which causes the next egg to begin maturing within the ovary.
GOOD TO KNOW!
If you have premenstrual syndrome (PMS), it can feel like you are on edge and out of sorts. Symptoms include breast swelling, mood swings, sweet cravings, depression, crying spells, irritability, anger, and agitation. Being more accident-prone or absent-minded are also common symptoms. Besides using the herbs mentioned here, find ways to nurture yourself during your “moon” time. Take an aromatherapy bath. Drink warming herbal teas. Get a massage for tense parts of your body. Play relaxation tapes. Practice deep breathing. Take a long walk. Take a day off around the first day of your menses for self nurturing.
When menstrual bleeding occurs at irregular intervals or outside the duration of normal menses, it is called metrorrhagia. Menses that are delayed 8 or 9 days longer than a 28-day cycle could be due to a cyst, late ovulation, or lack of ovulation (anovulation). Here’s how to fix menstrual difficulties in a natural way.
GOOD TO KNOW!
If you exercise regularly, you’re less likely to have menstrual difficulties. Exercise improves circulation and liver function and stimulates endorphin production. It also can help relieve emotional problems related to physical disharmonies by detoxifying the body, causing perspiration, and helping to regulate fluids. Brisk walking and swimming are two helpful forms of exercise for menstrual difficulties.
GOOD TO KNOW!
If you get cramps, try using pads rather than tampons. The blood is trying to flow out and anything that is keeping it inside will cause the body to cramp more to expel what it is trying to get rid of.
Excessively early or late menses can be due to a chi deficiency, or general lack of energy. Menses that come early may be due to an insufficiency of progesterone. If menses occuring early is due to lack of ovulation, estrogen may be deficient.
MENSTRUAL HERBS
Some of the herbs that help PMS and menstrual difficulties work by inhibiting prostaglandins that have inflammatory actions. Plants with phytosterols can help keep hormonal levels from plunging. Herbal therapy can improve circulation, build the blood, improve liver function, and be diuretic. Herbs that can help regulate the cycle include vitex, dandelion root, and raspberry leaf. If the menses is always coming too early, avoid dong quai but use sage and rose hip teas. For delayed menses, raspberry leaf may be used. Here is some information about these herbs and others:
-Alfalfa leaf
Improves anemia and fatigue with its rich mineral content and its phytosterols help nourish estrogen receptors
-Crampbark
An antispasmodic; calms cramps and emotional upheaval
-Ginger root
Improves circulation, helping amenorrhea (lack of menses), dysmenorrhea (painful periods), and nausea
-Nettle herb
Prevents anemia and helps control excessive bleeding (thanks to vitamin K); is a circulatory stimulant, diuretic, hemostatic, nutritive, and thyroid tonic
-Raspberry leaf
Contains calcium, magnesium, and iron as well as phytosterols, helping amenorrhea, anemia, dysmenorrhea, and menorrhagia; is also a hormonal regulator
-Red clover
Builds the blood and resolves blood clots; is anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic, diuretic, nutritive, and phytoestrogenic
-Vitex berry
Helps regulate too heavy and frequent periods; for amenorrhea, breast tenderness, dysmenorrhea, metrorrhagia and PMS; also helps menstruation-related acne and headaches
SUPPORTIVE MENSTRUAL SUPPLEMENTS
Taking 50 mg of B complex daily supports the liver.
Taking 400 IU of vitamin E daily can help ease breast tenderness. Bioflavonoids inhibit estrogen by competing with its receptor sites and they also strengthen the capillaries.
ESSENTIAL OILS DURING MENSTRUATION
Essential oils that bring comfort to both body and mind during menses include basil, chamomile, Clary sage, fennel, geranium, hyssop, jasmine, juniper berries, lavender, marjoram, myrrh, neroli, peppermint, rose, and rosemary. These can be used as inhalations, in the bath, or diluted for massage once daily. (See Aromatherapy on page 23 for more ideas.)
BEST FOODS DURING MENSTRUATION
Green leafy vegetables and seaweeds help build the blood and prevent deficiencies. Seaweeds also can help regulate erratic menstrual cycles by providing missing minerals and nourishing thyroid function. Carrots also help regulate the cycle. Cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cabbage, and cauliflower can also keep estrogen levels normal by helping the liver do a better job in breaking down hormones no longer needed.
Soy products such as tofu, tempeh, and miso are good sources of phytoestrogens, which can help reduce the body’s production of its own estrogen. These are best consumed as fermented foods such as miso and tempeh, making them easier to digest and less allergenic.
Eating a high-fiber diet and using acidophilus as a supplement can help normalize estrogen levels.
Cutting down on salt will help prevent water retention and bloating. Eat foods that are naturally diuretic such as artichokes, asparagus, watercress, and watermelon (including the seeds). Drinking more water helps the body to excrete sodium and excess fluids. Add the juice of half a lemon to a cup of water at least once a day to improve liver function.
NATURAL REMEDIES FOR MENSTRUAL CRAMPS
Dysmenorrhea is derived from the Greek word meaning “difficult menstrual flow.” After ovulation, the uterine lining prepares itself for a fertilized egg, and arteries become enlarged. If fertilization doesn’t occur, the uterine membranes start to die off and the lining is shed during the menstrual blood flow. The arteries may spasm as the lining dies off. The cramping usually ceases as menstrual blood helps to clean out the area. Constipation can cause pressure on the uterus and contribute to cramping. If the spine is out of alignment, pinched nerves can cause cramping. This can be remedied by yoga, bodywork, and/or chiropractic adjustments.
Black cohosh, chamomile, cinnamon, cramp bark, ginger, peppermint, raspberry leaf, and yarrow are all antispasmodic, relaxing cramps and spasms. Take them in tea, tincture, or capsule form up to three times daily when needed.
WHEN TO SEE YOUR M.D.
If cramps become suddenly worse or change locations, get a proper diagnosis.
Eat a high-fiber diet to prevent constipation, which creates pressure in the digestive region. Include omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids such as fish oils, chia, and flax seed, which can nourish brain function. Green leafy veggies such as kale and collards can also help reduce cravings, breast tenderness, and PMS weight gain by improving liver function, where hormones get broken down. One meal a day should be green leafy vegetables.
For painful menses, essential oils that can be used in massage, bathing, and inhalations include anise, carrot seed, Clary sage, jasmine, and rose.
KEEP IN MIND
Women who practice deep diaphragmatic breathing are less likely to get cramps.
It is a good idea to wear loose clothing during your period. Cramming yourself into tight jeans and belts will make you more likely to suffer from cramps.
Do leg lifts and you’ll ease menstrual cramps by moving stuck energy in the pelvic cavity.
Do acupressure on the Achilles tendon to relieve menstrual cramps. Acupuncture has helped many women open channels of blockage in their bodies.
Stay warm during menstrual cramping times. Avoid cold drinks and icy foods, which can cause muscle contractions. Keep the kidneys warm so the rest of the body doesn’t get chilled.
Thrifty Cures!
Try these thrift cures to relieve cramps:
• Castor oil compresses are messy but worth the effort for cramping. (For directions on how to make a compress, see page 18).
• Salt packs retain heat well and can easily be reused. Warm some salt in a dry pan and pour the salt into a cotton pillowcase. Secure well and apply the salt pack to the sacrum, at the base of the spine.
• A hot water bottle is a great folk remedy to place on a sore womb or painful lower back.
WHEN TO SEE YOUR M.D.
In cases of extreme menstrual difficulties, get a checkup to rule out conditions such as fibroids, endometriosis, cysts, or cancer. See your doctor if you have any concerns.
NATURAL REMEDIES TO STOP EXCESSIVE BLEEDING
Menorrhagia is excessive bleeding. See your gynecologist to have an exam and rule out a cyst, tumor, or a complication in pregnancy. Then try these natural remedies for relief.
Herbs that can decrease the flow of blood due to their natural astringency (usually from their natural tannins) include cinnamon bark, ladies mantle, nettles, raspberry leaf, shepherd’s purse, uva ursi, and yarrow. Use any of them or in combination in tea, tincture, or capsule form three three to five times daily as needed.
Taking 1,000 mg vitamin C with 500 mg bioflavonoids daily can help strengthen capillaries and therefore reduce bleeding.
GOOD TO KNOW!
Include plenty of blood-building foods such as beets and dark green leafy vegetables to compensate for blood loss. Cold-water fish such as salmon, herring, sardines, and mackerel as well as essential fatty acids from chia, flax seed, evening primrose, or black currant seed oil can help normalize hormones. Seaweed nourishes the thyroid gland, which helps to regulate all the cycles of the body, including the menstrual cycle, and replenishes minerals lost through bleeding.
NATURAL REMEDIES FOR LACK OF MENSES
In women who are past puberty, not pregnant, lactating, or in menopause, a lack of menstruation is called amenorrhea. An imbalance in hormones, infertility, tumors, nutritional deficiency, glandular problems, weight imbalances, environmental toxicity, stress, certain medications, and less than 18 percent bodyfat can all be factors. First, schedule a thorough physical to determine the cause. In addition, try these natural cures.
Herbs that can help amenorrhea by building the blood and improving circulation to the pelvis include angelica, basil, blue cohosh, burdock root, cinnamon bark, licorice root, nettles, and raspberry leaf. Take them in tea or capsule form 2 to 3 times a day. Take a good multi-vitamin and mineral that contains vitamin B complex too, along with 400 mg of vitamin E.
Thrifty Cure!
Hot Sitz baths can increase circulation to the reproductive organs as well as move stagnant energy in the body to get moving. Alternate a 2-minute hot sitz bath with a 2-minute cold Sitz bath. Bundle up after! (For more information on sitz baths, see page 49.)
Blood-building foods include beans, beets, blueberries, green leafy vegetables, parsley, raspberries, and nettles. Increase foods rich in iron (to build blood) and take an essential fatty acid supplement. Also nourishing for women who have amenorrhea are sea vegetables, brown rice, wild rice, quinoa, oats, fish, eggs, and organic dairy products.
For menses that are scanty, always late, or nonexistent, essential oils to use topically include Clary sage, fennel, lavender, and rosemary. Combine 1 tablespoon (28 ml) of olive oil or coconut oil scented with about 5 drops essential oil total. Massage beginning in your lower right abdominal area, using clockwise circles, and move up toward your ribcage, laterally across your navel to your left lower ribcage area, and down to your lower left abdominal region.
This Menstrual Cramps Relief article is taken from :
The Country Almanac of Home Remedies - Brigitte Mars
