How to fix Menstrual Issues Naturally
Photo by Jonathan Borba on Unsplash
Women of all ages have menstrual issues. Unfortunately, it is a big problem that is only worsening, fueled by poor diet, pesticides, and other toxin exposure. Being a woman and having had many menstrual issues that I have overcome gives me the insight to help others effectively.
First off, having a menstrual cycle is essential. Your body has this system for procreation (obviously), but it is also an elimination system for your body. As women, we are lucky to have this additional elimination system to help us flush unwanted material out with our normal cycle flow.
If you want to stay young-looking, do your best to keep your menstrual cycle flow going as long as you can. When my mentor was in her 70’s, she had approximately three periods a year. It is a hassle, but it is a valuable aging secret. The longer you keep your cycle going, the younger you will appear.
Each woman’s cycle can vary from the next woman as well as from month to month. Typically, our cycles follow this pattern; Day 1 to 6 is when we have our actual menstrual flow (Day 1 being the day our period starts).
Day 7–14 is when our body is preparing for ovulation. Day 15–16 is when we ovulate, and then day 17–28 is when our body is preparing for our next menstrual flow. It is important to keep track of these cycles to prevent unwanted pregnancies and make sure this important body system is working optimally for you.
If your cycle is off, you have endometriosis, excessive cramps, or are bleeding excessively, have infertility issues, or if you are experiencing menopause issues, your body is trying to communicate with you. Something is going on internally that needs to be fixed, and paying attention to your cycle is a clue to help you know that something is wrong.
Where do you start?
There are some basic concepts to address menstrual issues. Rule of thumb, it typically takes 90 days to turn the menstrual problems around. That does not mean you won’t see results sooner, but getting your body on the new cycle can take 90 days but can take longer depending on your medication, age, etc. Like if you were to start the birth control pill, the recommendation is to use some other form of birth control for the first 90 days because it can take 90 days or 3-period cycles to make sure it is working optimally for you.
Many health professionals agree with Dr. Bernard Jensen’s statement that it takes three months to turn an illness around and one month for every year you have had the condition. This time may be shorter if you are younger or longer if you are older, but it is a good general rule of thumb that many health professionals have seen with their clients consistently.
Issues to address:
Emotional issues
As with all illness imbalances in the body, there is ALWAYS underlying emotional issue(s). Emotions should at least be acknowledged at some level. This can happen via a therapist, or a book, for example, Feelings Buried Alive Never Die by Karol Truman or Messages From the Body by Michael Lincoln. Or any other mechanism that will help the person utilize these emotional energies effectively instead of allowing them to continue to harm their body. This process can be a balancing act because as people incorporate healing techniques such as improving their diet and taking supplements, they hopefully will get in touch with their bodies more. Going at the problem emotionally and nutritionally allows the person to address the underlying issues more completely, which can only help them in the long run.
I encourage you to explore your emotional aspects as it will benefit you more than just your menstrual cycle. Many people find it changes their lives for the better, giving you the insight to get to the core of your issues.
Bowels
If your bowels are not moving, it is like a trash can that no one empties in your home. Slow-moving bowels create an environment for organisms such as parasites, fungus, viruses, and bacteria, all of which can affect how your menstrual cycle works. Drinking quality water, eating LOTS of vegetables (the majority of your diet should include vegetables), essential fatty acids, magnesium, and high-quality protein sources (beef, chicken, & fish).
Sometimes women need additional herbs to help or colonics to move the main debris within the colon. But this is not required for everyone.
If your bowels are not working for you, you will also have other health issues. Your colon is a muscle that needs to be “exercised” with proper diet, water, and exercise so that it is helping to keep your body clean and not become a home for toxins or unwanted guests. If your colon is working for you, it will help you maintain health instead of causing illness.
Organisms
All kinds of organisms can cause problems with our glandular system. Bacteria, viruses, fungus, and parasites can cause infections, cysts, tumors, and irregularities. These organisms have been around a lot longer than us and are very good at finding homes inside of us. If we keep our minds in a negative state, continue to eat junk, and do not take care of ourselves overall, we make an excellent environment for them to live in. Why would they want to leave if they are getting what they want? Once you start to change their environment, they can often make people sick. They do this so that you will stop making healthy changes. It is a process, and it can take time, but the benefits are worth it.
Diet
Fixing your diet can help your bowels move more effectively, help to stop feeding organisms, and support your overall health and immune system.
Pulling significant amounts of dairy, sugar, wheat, and processed foods out of your diet is a start. These foods are primarily toxic, acidic, and clog up your intestinal tract causing all kinds of health issues, especially menstrual problems. Instead, you should be eating mainly vegetables, nuts & seeds, organic meats with smaller amounts of fruits or whole grains depending on what works best for your body. I have seen so many women change their diets, and not only does it help their menstrual issues, but most of the time, they lose weight, sleep better, clear up their skin, and have more energy.
Liver
If your colon is backed up or eating poorly, your liver works overtime to clean your blood effectively. When your liver is overworked, the hormones that your liver is supposed to be producing for you can be considered a lower priority as the body makes decisions to clean the blood rather than to balance hormones. This is very common with menopause issues. The ovaries start to shut down, then the adrenals are called in to help, and most women are exhausted, so their adrenals aren’t much help, so then the task falls to the liver, which is already overworked and undernourished.
Doing liver cleanses and colon cleanses can often help clear up many menstrual issues. Here is some information on cleansing correctly for optimum health.
If other elimination systems are supported and working optimally, such as the kidneys, lymph, and lungs, the body helps take pressure off the liver.
Natural Help Options
Herbs
There are a plethora of herbs that can help menstrual issues. It is best to work with a trained herbalist to find the best herbs to take for your body and at one time in your cycle. Herbs fall into so many categories, uterine tonics, pelvic decongestants, hormone balancers, antispasmodics, estrogenic herbs, progesterone balancers, astringents, and so on. Knowing what to take at specific times in your cycle can give you the best results. Taking herbs incorrectly or at the wrong time of your cycle can worsen things.
Iodine
Many women with menstrual issues are also deficient in iodine. This is a common problem in the US. As reported in Iodine: Why you need it, why you can’t live without it by Dr. David Brownstein. Herbs such as Kelp, black walnut, and dulse are all high in iodine. But many women can benefit from taking an iodine source they can get from their naturopathic doctor. We have had many women have successful results taking iodine to help many menstrual issues and other health issues. You can read more about iodine deficiency here.
Specific Issues
Cramps
Many herbs can help with cramps. Herbs that are called Antispasmodics relieve cramping. They include Cramp Bark, Magnesium, Red Raspberry, kava kava, hops, and lavender oil topically. Also, eating 1 Tbsp of chia seeds daily has helped many women eliminate cramps. This is most likely because of the fiber, omega’s, and sugar balancing properties. Chia seeds are also beneficial for just helping to regulate menstrual cycles in most women still having periods.
Excessive bleeding
I have worked with many women with this issue. What we have discovered in each case, is that there is another elimination system that is not being supported optimally. It is different for each person, but we have seen lymph, kidney, and lungs. So we work to change the diet, feed the system that isn’t functioning optimally, and the excessive bleeding stops. There are also herbs to take that help stop bleeding; yarrow, Sheppard’s purse, and capsicum are all herbs that stop bleeding. Some formulas have all of these, which help effectively for most women till they get the other elimination systems working optimally.
Regardless of what you choose to help with your menstrual issues, know that there are natural options available, and you are empowered to make those choices for yourself.
About the Author
Kasara is educated as a Mental Health Therapist, Master Herbalist, Traditional Naturopath and Energy Worker with over 35 years of helping thousands of clients find alternative health options that work. She writes articles on Medium, and on her website http://truhealth.com/. You may subscribe to her Medium account or her newsletter to stay connected.
