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| Herbs for Menopause |
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Herbs are tremendously helpful for menopause. As a Chinese medicine herbalist, I see women suffering through menopause on a daily basis. There is much help available with herbs, especially with hot flashes, sleep problems, moodiness, and brain and bone health as well.
Menopause is a time for a woman to take a good look at how she feels now, and what lies ahead. Menopause is like a crossroads for many women. One road leads to wrinkles, aches and pains, decline. The other road leads to continued strength, attractiveness, healthy mind and bones. Yes, it is certainly possible to feel and look good in menopause, but it doesn't happen automatically. There are things you need to understand, and then incorporate into your life. Menopause, technically, from a docter's point of view, is not having a period for a year. Sounds pretty simple. The wierd thing is that for even - ten years before that, many doctors are telling ladies suffering from almost anything, that it's because they are "peri-menopausal". This is often without any hormone tests ordered at all. Traditional medicine systems like TCM(Traditional Chinese Medicine), Ayurveda, and others view menopause as a step in the aging direction. That means dryness. Many aging symptoms are due to the body drying up. Imagine subjecting a juicy green apple to hours of low dry heat. It would be shriveled up like a prune, all wrinkled and brown. All the fluids dried up. Menopause symptoms usually fit patterns in TCM that involve overheating that is resulting from a deep internal dryness. Treatment might involve getting more fluids into the body by drinking more fluids and taking herbs that help nourish Yin, and hydrate(juice you up). Herbs like Marshmallow Rt. or the Chinese herb, TianMenDong(Asparagus Rt.), or the Indian Herb, Shatavari are all excellent for this. People that are easily bloated should take these herbs combined with Magnolia Bark (HouPo), or Fennel seeds combined with it. Symptoms of menopause that would be caused by the type of internal dryness (called Yin deficiency in TCM)would be hot flashes, but especially night sweats that typically come on at 2-3 am. Typically women tell me that they wake up parched in the middle of the night. Many keep a drink by the bedside for the 2am wake up. Many women don't even think about how much they drink at all. Menopause is a time to start giving it some thougt. How much should you be drinking? Figure about 2 liters a day. That's a large water/soda bottle and another third, as well. I was once amazed by Sally, a woman who came to my clinic a few weeks after I saw her at a lecture I gave about natural menopause. She said:"Hi, I don't need an appointment. I just came to tell you something amazing. I came to your lecture because I was having hot flashes, night sweats, vaginal dryness. I didn't want to take the hormones the doctor gave me, so I figured maybe I could take something natural. Then when you started talking about not drinking enough, I was disappointed. Sounded too simplistic. But the truth is, when I thought about it, I hadn't drunk Anything, at all that day, after my morning cofee, and it was already evening. I admitted that happened practically every day. Still, I was suspicious. I made an appointment at your clinc, hoping to get some exotic herbs or something. Since, I could not get an appointment for two weeks, I figured to at least keep up with drinking the 2 liters a day, you had mentioned as a minimum. Honestly, I thought it would be to prove that what you said was ridiculous. Then, after a few days, I actually started to feel better. The hot flashes started to come less often, less intense, less waking up sweating as much, more lubrication. By two weeks, I came to the appointment, just to thank you and continue to keep drinking the amouint of fluids I need. Now, I understand that I was severely dehydrated. Thanks" I guess that says it all! |
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