252 The Complete Home Guide to Herbs, Natural Healing, and Nutrition
ones like carrot, parsnip, and sweet potato. Also eat plenty of cabbage,
brussels sprouts, caulifl ower, kale, mustard greens, and watercress to
suppress excess thyroid hormone production.(^) - Try eating six small meals rather than three large meals a day.
- Avoid dairy products and all stimulants, including tea, coffee, and
alcohol. - Avoid seaweeds, particularly bladder wrack and kelp, as they contain
iodine which will overprovoke the thyroid.
f The nervous system needs to be treated with sedatives to calm and
feed it. Use chamomile fl ower, skullcap leaf, and even valerian root as
a short-term measure. More specifi c treatments may be needed ac-
cording to the individual situation.
f Immune-system and adrenal debility is often the cause (or an added
problem), so echinacea root and Siberian ginseng root are useful.
f Take hormonal tonic herbs: chaste tree berry for both women and
men, or saw palmetto berry for men (or both for both sexes) with
fenugreek seed and a little Chinese licorice root.
~ The liver, colon, and entire endocrine system will need individual as-
sistance and support for overall balance (see “The Thyroid” in chapter
9).
painful periods (dysmenorrhea)
Dysmenorrhea can be initiated by an inadequate calcium and magnesium
supply; these are needed to fl ex and squeeze the uterine wall muscles in
order for menstruation to begin. The womb can also be burdened with
old toxic and stagnant discharge as a result of poor monthly fl ow owing to
poor circulation or because of inadequate womb peristalsis. The resulting
congestion can cause tremendous pain. Often, once a womb has expanded
to hold a baby and gone through the huge peristaltic waves needed for
childbirth, this problem diminishes. Some women can experience
dysmenorrhea for the fi rst time after childbirth, however, because of the
huge drop in mag nesium and calcium levels associated with pregnancy
and breast-feeding. These levels need to be replenished. Occasionally, a
uterus is positioned in a way that makes menstruation diffi cult. This
possibility can be considered should all else fail, but the uterus is normally
individually aligned and will change alignment throughout one’s life.
Women age thirty to thirty-fi ve years old may suddenly develop an
aching abdomen, legs, and thighs, which may be caused by a congestive
buildup. Symptoms include sweating, fever, nausea, fainting, and intense
physical pain caused by muscle spasms. Fibroids, endometriosis,
diseases 252