Managing the Menstrual Menace by Kathy Kornblum

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The menstrual menace really can be managed. From personal and professional experience, I have found a few key ingredients that will often help a woman flow through her cycle. Baring in mind that menstruation is not a disease and some of the experiences of menstruation are about being a woman; some of the symptoms during a menstrual cycle are treatable.

One very important ingredient towards a balanced cycle is fats. Our fat fearing society has lead to a drying up of our hormonal pathways. Many hormones require fats for production and transportation through the body. The most important fats are the essential fatty acids, EFAs. The word essential means that it is essential to get them in the diet because our bodies do not produce these on their own. In addition to hormonal health, fats are the building blocks for cellular health, blood health, and lymphatic health. Both Omega 3’s and 6’s tend to be deficient in women. The omega 3’s come in the form of fish oil and flax oils. It seems that some bodies prefer the fish and some the flax oil. Try them both, if you get any gastro upset, switch. Evening primrose and Borage oil are good sources of omega 6’s. I personally take both fish and evening primrose oil 1300 mg per day and when I am premenstrual I double that. Oil supplements should be taken with food and can be found in most health food stores.

Another key ingredient for most women is minerals, especially calcium and magnesium. One theory as to why many women crave chocolate around their period is that chocolate is high in magnesium. For most women, I recommend taking 200 mg magnesium separate from calcium in the morning. and a calcium/magnesium combination, 500-1000 mg of calcium, at night. Chocolate is not a good substitute because it unfortunately is also high in sugar and caffeine which can aggravate symptoms. Magnesium is also an excellent remedy for cramps. I break my 200 mg magnesium tablets in half and take 100 mg every 2 hours the days I could get cramps. I have gone from 10-20 ibuprofen pills per cycle to 0-3 per cycle. Magnesium can loosen your stools so if you notice this, cut down on your dose. Look for calcium and magnesium citrate or chelate and try to avoid carbonate, they are not as absorbable. In addition to minerals, there are some herbs that can help with cramps. I have found relief using cramp bark, black haw, or black cohosh.

Herbs can also be helpful for many women experiencing premenstrual syndrome. My favorites for irritability are dandelion root for liver support, skullcap and chamomile for the nervous system, and licorice root for the adrenals. For depression or hot flashes, try black cohosh. Please note that black cohosh is getting over harvested so make sure your source is organically grown as opposed to wild crafted. If you experience water retention, try dandelion leaf tea, partridge berry, and/or evening primrose oil. Other then the oils, the herbs can be taken as a tea, a capsule, or a tincture. My preference in general is alcohol based tinctures.

For menopause there are a lot of natural solutions as well. Black cohosh, mother wort, sage, red clover, and blue vervain come up the most in my practice. The essential fatty acids are particularly important during this time. Some women have found relief with natural progesterone cream, but there are concerns. One concern is that most are made using petroleum products. The other concern is that, for some, the progesterone can antagonize the estrogen creating other imbalances. I encourage you to research this for yourself. Emotional issues such as grief, transition, and body image can be addressed through NLP, flower essences, energy work, counseling and herbs. There are a lot of concerns with pharmaceutical hormone replacement therapy. It is my opinion that these drugs should be used only as a last resort.

In addition to the suggestions above, I recommend exercise, drinking more water, and keeping a positive attitude about the cycle and the body in general. If you try the above suggestions and you continue to have serious symptoms you may want to see a natural health practitioner or a doctor. Remember too, that we are all unique and one formula will not fit every women’s concerns. Listen to your body, try the above suggestions, and be open to changing the menstrual menace to the menstrual magnificence.