Managing Peri & Menopause Simply Naturally

The following article is a lived experience. All the advice offered are things I have tried and that have given me some relief during these years. The very first peice of advice I will give is this. Stay flexible, what works for you one week, one day may be different the next. Dont give up and think its not working, go with what your body needs and reuqires each day and everyday is different. Some days I am craving Nettle tea because I can feel my bones are tired, other days I need calmatives of Lemon Balm, Oats and Skullcap and a decent hike up a mountain to let out the excess energy.

• What follows are lists of Herbs, when to take them and why

• Daily practices to use to alleviate stress, pain and discomfort

• Books to check out

I hope you find it useful - Love Laura

HERBS & TO HAVE ON HAND

Night Sweats

Nettle - nourishes, strengthens, rebuilds adrenals

Oatstraw - strengthens adrenals, promotes sleep

Motherwort - complete support for women at this time, lessens severity/frequency/duration

Sage - cools, drying in nature

Dandelion - Liver Support

He Shou Wu - Bones & Kidneys

Yellow Dock - Liver support

Elderflower - Resets Thermostat

Chickweed - Cooling

Violet - Cooling

Red Clover - mimics estrogen

Black Cohosh

Chastetree - for sever hot flushes & dizziness

Panax Ginseng - reduce intensity and severity of Hot Flushes

*** Magnesium is depleted by nightsweats, its important to supplement with a good quality complete Elemental Magnesium powder.

Digestive Distress

Dandelion - indigestion, liver support, constipation, gas, gallstones

YellowDock - constipation, gas, indigestion

Turmeric - antiinflammatory, stimulates bile, bloating

St Marys Thistle - liver support, bloating, sluggish digestion

Ginger - warming, stimulating, settles upset stomach

Slippery Elm - Indigestion, irritable bowel, bloating

Graviola Tea - for gallstones and Liver support

Emotions - Stress/Anxiety/Depression

Lemon Balm - comforting, relaxing, mood uplifting, calms & restores nervous system

Oatstraw - calm nervous system, relaxes

Skullcap - relaxing, claming, sedative

Passionflower - relaxing, calming, sedative

St Johns Wort - Antidepressant, Mood Uplift

Chamomile - calms mind, irritability, stress

SamE Supplement - helps the body make and have Serotonin available

Dance

Spend time outside in nature daily

Swim and be in the water

Insonmia

Saffron - anxiety and over stimulation

Zizyphus - Calms, relaxes, sedative

California Poppy - relaxant, sedative

Go to bed early.

Constant Viral Attacks - Cold Sores & Herpes

L-Lysine - big doses daily not just one tablet take 3 until you get things under control then reduce to 1 as a daily top up.

Liposomal Vitamin C - daily or another high quality Vitamin C Powder 1000-3000mg daily. Sounds like a lot but thats how much you need to get Viruses under control.

St Johns Wort - Powerful Antiviral

Cytostorm Herbal Antiviral

Dry Skin

Castor Oil Products

I like Antipodes Products - they are high quality all natural ingredients, no nasties at all and have great range for the Peri & Menopausal years. Deeply nourishing and hydrating.

Invest in a lymphatic face brush and use daily.

Dry brushing with loofa gloves

Aching Joints

Turmeric - Essential herb for Peri & menopausal times - Powerful systematic antiinflammatory

White Willow Bark - Natures Asprin

True Wintergreen - circulation/ pain relief

Seek out a good linament with pain releiving and circulation herbs and use daily.

Bone Broths and Soups - allows adequate and easily absorbed nutrition

Glucosamine, MSM and Chondriotin suupplements

Other things to Consider

Pre & Probiotoics - With the Liver working overtime its easy for digestion to become sluggish, nutrition compromised and toxic accumulation build up. I recommend a fermented PreBiotic daily along with probiotoics also. Mix it up - change brands and products, the Microbiome thrives on diversity so the more variety you can give it the livlier and happier it function.

Bloating and constant irritation from foods - If you have the time and can rest, try fasting for at least 3 days, 5 is optimal.

Juiceing - first thing every morning, Beets, kale, celery, lemons, grapefruit, red/green apples, ginger, whatever you got. Juicing is a great way to get nutrition without bloating and feeling heavy from eating to much food.

PANIC ATTACKS

L-Theanine Powder calms you down instantly and can be used as needed and also taken daily during times of intense and regular panic attacks.

Magnesium powder that is formulated for rest and sleep. Daily at night.

Sunlight and Outdoors - As much as you can, as often as you can.

Dance, shoes off outside on the grass.

Walks outside for at least 1/2hr everyday - 1hr is better.

Quiet time - no phones, no reading or journalling, stars, sunrises and sunsets, trees, water.

Swim and spend time in the ocean, creeks and rivers.

Get a cat or 3.

Read

Journalling

SERIOUS HERBAL ALLIES THAT HAVE BROAD SPECTRUM & SYSTEMIC BENEFITS & EFFECTS

Black Cohosh Cimicifuga racemora

• Calms hot flushes, reduces night sweats, relieves headaches, eases joint pain of fibromyalgia, arthritis & rheumatism

• Increases energy, clams the nerves, eases agitation, brings sleep

• Alleviates water retention, breast tenderness, incontinence

• relieves heart palpitations & angina

• lowers blood pressure, improves circulation

• increases vaginal lubrication, counteracts prolapse

• improves digestion

Chasteberry Vitex agnus-castus

• clams sever hot flushes, counter dizziness

• reduces menstrual cramps, endometriosis or fibroids

• anti-inflammatory

• stoops flooding, spotting, oozing and irregular cycles

• redirects hysteria into focused action and emotional calm

• helps with hormone related skin problems

• constipation & gigestive distress

• lessens breast lumps and tenderness

• relieves water retention, edema and bloating

• helps with headaches& migraines

• helps lubricate dry vagina

Red Clover Trifolium pratense

• Moderates intensity of hot flushes

• prevents breast cancer

• improve memory, clear confusion, increase energy

• rich in iron and b vitamins

• ease anxiety

• relieve muscle and joint pain, headaches

• prevents strokes

• builds strong bones

Be mindful that in some cases it can make you bleed again if you have stopped bleeding so consider that before taking this herb.

Motherwort - Leonurus cardiaca

• lessens severity, frequency & duration of hot flushes

• relieves faintness with flashes

• helps with stress and anxiety

• relieves insonmia and sleep disturbance

• strengthens the heart - calms a rapidly beating heart

• relieves uterine pain and cramps

• restores thickness and elasticity of vaginal walls

• lifts depression, soothing and calming

• reduces water retention and edema

• releives constipation

• Caution it can aggrevate a tendancy toweards flooding

Panax Ginseng

• reduce intensity and severity of Hot Flushes

• improves nervous function - eases depression and anxiety, nourishes the nerves

• ginseng is at its best when you are under stress, noirishes and strengthens energy centres - adrenals, pituitary, thyroid & hypothalmus. Taken with Ginkgo it can improve memory both short and longterm.

• stops flooding/regulates endocrine activity

• improves energy, reduces fatigue, improves stamina

• improves cardiovascular health

• helps headaches

• improves digestion

• supports the liver

• enhances libido

Dong Quai Angelica sinensis

• High in iron, folic acid and polyphenols, reduced spotting and flooding caused by anemia

• nourish and thicken vaginal tissue

• restores youthful complexion

• relieves hot flushes in cold women

• relieves cramps & incontinence

• reduces headaches & water retention

• eliminates heart palpitations

• eases menopausal insomnia

• restores emotional calm

• tonifies liver

• Caution - may increase bleeding from fibriods.

  
  

BOOKS

There is really only one that has ever been of any real value to me - and I've scoured a lot to try to gain any deeper insight and it is - Menopausal Years - The Wise Woman Way by Susan S. Weed

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