140 The Complete Home Guide to Herbs, Natural Healing, and Nutrition
done needs to become more widespread as it could change many negative
feelings and beliefs surrounding menstruation and alleviate very real
physical discomfort, which of course only dampens the joys of
womanhood. Herbs really do excel when it comes to hormone regulation
and should be used more frequently.
Menstruation should not be painful; the blood should fl ow with ease,
with no clots (clots tend to suggest an estrogen excess), and should be
brownish red rather than a bright red in color (the latter indicating poor
assimilation and possibly an excess of sugar). If the fl ow is dark red and
stringy, excessive unassimilable proteins, especially from meat and eggs,
are likely to be the cause. The menses can last anywhere from a day or two
to seven or more days, but between four and six is considered normal.
After menstruation has fi nished, you should feel uplifted as your
hormonal balance changes again. Provided you have kept your iron and
calcium levels up (blood loss lowers serum iron levels, and calcium is lost
in womb activity) with seaweeds, nettle leaf, pau d’arco inner bark, yellow
dock root, or red raspberry leaf tea, you should feel spirited, excited, and
at peace. Menstruation can be an enjoyable time for a woman, especially if
the bleeding is not too heavy or painful and the emotions are not
excessively haywire. From the onset of premenstrual symptoms (up to ten
days before the period) to one or two days into menstruation, tension,
anxiety, tearfulness, depression, and even anger can build up, smolder, and
erupt. Water retention can make you feel large and clumsy, while little
upsets can become major issues. If you have these symptoms, you need
help from herbs, exercise, and good diet. Some women can experience
painful ovulation or even postmenstrual blues, but these can usually be
helped and realigned so that symptoms are lessened or eradicated
altogether.
Some Ideas to Keep a Healthily Menstruating Body
- If you have water retention problems, sprinkle plenty of celery seeds
on your food. Drink dandelion root tea. Hormone imbalance often
produces the situation in the fi rst place, especially excessive estrogen
with too little progesterone. - Gamma linoleic acid (GLA) helps balance the female system. Take
one capsule of black currant seed oil or evening primrose oil a day.
GLA can also help aching eyes, fuzzy head, bloating, fatigue, and
other premenstrual symptoms. - If the adrenal glands and kidneys are not functioning correctly, they
will need to be built up using Siberian ginseng root, among other
herbs.
life stages 140