Natural Help For Female Concerns

Long gone are the days when to be a woman meant you were prohibited from activities your male counterparts took for granted, and were basically relegated to second-class citizenship.

Today being a woman is a privilege, and we can thankfully explore life with relative freedom via à vis our (ever indispensable) men folk. Still, being a woman isn’t easy – I should know! Females the gamut of ages experience menstrual discomfort to varying degrees, and often miss school or work because of this.

Below are some drug-free methods to combat the various symptoms brought on by PMS, menstrual cramps and menopause.

PMS

💡 Avoid certain animal protein (dairy products and meat due to the arachidonic acid) seven to ten days before menstruation, and increase intake of soy and fibre, which decreases estrogen levels.

💡 Vitamin C helps move nutrients to the uterine muscle and waste material out. It also reduces the accompanying tiredness and lethargy.

💡 Vitamin B6 helps converts the fatty acids to a form that helps produce pain-relieving chemicals and Niacin dilates the blood vessels and brings more circulation and oxygen to the uterine wall.

💡 The Chinese herb, Dong Quai, Vitamin E and Evening Primrose oil help to regulate the hormones, and are useful for both menstruating and menopausal women.

Painful breasts/menstrual cramps


💡 A tincture of black haw, ginger, valerian and motherwort is highly effective against cramps.

💡 Calcium and magnesium help relax the muscles, so step up your intake of foods such as leafy green vegetables, certain beans, peas and seeds, nuts, molasses, as well as sea food.

💡 Iodine stops estrogen from sticking to the receptors in the breasts. Best sources are sea vegetables such as kelp.

💡 Massaging a pomade of wild yam or progesterone on the affected area in a circular motion brings welcome relief.

💡 Pressing certain acupressure points is also effective. These are:

1) the upper part of the foot between the big toe and the second toe, between the bones
2) the space between the ribs, two ribs from and directly below the nipple
3) the exact middle of the body, half-way between the pubic bone and the navel.
4) approximately three thumb-widths above the inside ankle bone in a depression just to the side of the shinbone.
5) the inside of the knee, three and a half inches above the kneecap in the fleshy part of the bulge.

To work these points, sit in a chair and move to each, making circular movements with your thumb in a clockwise direction in and around the point for about one minute. Use pressure that is somewhat painful, but not so much that you want to stop.

Menopause


💡 Black Cohosh and Vitamin E help correct hormone imbalances and reduce hot flashes and night sweats. Vitamin E-rich foods include avocado, flaxseed and wheat germ.

💡 Motherwort works similarly, also alleviating irritability.

💡 Sage is very effective against hot flashes, as well as progesterone, applied twice daily.

Fibroids

💡 High-strength Evening Primrose Oil (1000mg), Goldenseal root. There are also some ready-to-use herbal combinations to shrink fibroid growth.

💡 As with PMS, avoid animal products with estrogen, as well as refined sugar, white flour, alcohol, caffeine and cigarettes. All of these stress the body and impede healing as they overwork the liver and cause stagnation and fibroid growth.