258 The Complete Home Guide to Herbs, Natural Healing, and Nutrition
tincture: chaste tree berry, sarsaparilla root, black cohosh root, milk
thistle seed, blessed thistle leaf and fl ower, licorice root, nettle leaf,
wild yam root, and squaw vine root. Take one teaspoon of the tincture
three times daily.f Ten days prior to menstruation, replace the herbs listed above with
herbs that will need to be individually chosen and tailored to your
own particular chemistry. However, a general formula to help with
many of the premenstrual discomforts and needs could be chaste tree
berry, black cohosh root, wild yam root, milk thistle seed, lobelia leaf,
red raspberry leaf, and buchu leaf.
~ A liver cleanse and use of liver herbs should be a primary step, fol-
lowed by colon and kidney cleanses.
~ Exercise consistently but lightly. Avoid taxing physical exercise, and
do more walking, dancing, yoga, meditation, and breathing exercises.
~ Try special abdominal and pelvic exercises, and perhaps lie on a slant
board.
~ Take long relaxing baths and get to bed early to conserve energy.
~ Hot and cold showers during the month will help, but avoid them
just prior to and during menstruation.
prostate enlargement
Prostate enlargement is a common problem for men in later life. They
experience pain on urination, and the constant urge to urinate can
produce fi tful sleep and become quite exhausting. One cause can be a
bacterial infection invading the prostate. But herbalist James Green tells
us it mostly affects men between forty and sixty years old, which suggests
a hormonal imbalance or glandular stagnation. Sometimes a dull ache will
be felt in the abdominal area, from the prostate pressing into the urethra.
Occasionally, blood in the semen or urine is noticeable. Treating the
condition quickly is important. If it is left untreated, retained urine that
cannot be expelled can eventually cause cystitis or prostatitis as it fl ows
back into the bloodstream, while the pressure on the bladder and kidneys
can become very dangerous. The prostate gland is occasionally removed if
the problem has been allowed to develop too far without proper
attention. If left untreated, the whole prostate could become cancerous.
- Consume plenty of zinc-rich foods, as this mineral normalizes testos-
terone production. Use sea vegetables, organically grown pump kin
seeds, pumpkins themselves, sunfl ower seeds, garlic, bell peppers,
mushrooms, bilberries, and soybeans. - Steer absolutely clear of coffee, tea, alcohol, sugar, and refi ned foods.
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