As women step into their journey towards change, they begin to experience various symptoms, some severe and some mild. The most common symptoms of menopause are hot flashes and night sweats, mood swings, insomnia and fatigue. Night sweats are triggered by adrenal stress. Yes, even when asleep, a small sound or a bad dream can cause adrenaline rush through the blood vessels causing adrenal stress, leading to hot flashes and night sweats. If Hormone Replacement Therapy is not an option, then you may seek relief from several herbal remedies which can be prepared at home safely with care and attention and used appropriately.
Herbal Infusion and Tincture
To obtain excellent results from herbs and plants, it is recommended they be prepared as tinctures and infusions.
To prepare a Tincture steep fresh plants, dried roots, seeds and berries in alcohol. One ounce or 30 grams of a fresh plant can be steeped in 1 ounce or 30 ml of alcohol for 6 weeks. If you are using dried plants, use 1 ounce in 5 ounces or 150 ml of alcohol for 6 weeks.
Since "motherwort" has excellent benefits such as moderating night sweats, easing emotional distress, strengthening the heart and keeping blood pressure low, tincture of the fresh flowering tops is highly recommended. 10 to 30 drops, 1 to 4 times a day will relieve insomnia, calm rapid heartbeat, and reduce water retention. Motherwort is also high in calcium and essential for strong bones.
To prepare an Infusion you can brew large amounts of dried herbs for a long time.
Herbs such as "Lemon balm" leaves can be either infused in a cup of water for 5 to 10 minutes (dried leaves only) or tinctured in a glass of white wine for 1 to 2 hours (fresh leaves only). Lemon balm strengthens the heart.
Herbs Beneficial for Night Sweats
To eliminate or reduce night sweats there are several herbs and plants that cool the system and can be used in meals or drinks. Below are a few to chose and blend to ease the symptoms and make the journey a little smoother and more bearable.
- Oatstraw infusion (a cup or more a day)
- Motherwort (10-25 drops before bed)
- Garden sage (a single cup)
- Seasonal seeds such as sesame, mustard, anise, fennel, and coriander
- Black cohosh (Tincture of the fresh root)
Herbs Beneficial for Dizziness, Headaches, Anxiety and Sick Feeling
Symptoms such as dizziness, faintness, headaches, sick feeling, dry eyes, or burning mouth are also common in menopausal women. To reduce these symptoms make sure to be hydrated at all times, as dehydration does not allow enough blood flow into our brain causing dizziness, fatigue and anxiety. The following are a few useful tips to decrease the above symptoms.
- Sniffing lavender oil and cedar can help reduce the level of anxiety and stress
- Placing cucumber slices on eyelids for a few minutes is very soothing for dry eyes
- A cup of primrose flower tea is effective for stress and faintness relief
- Dandelion roots and leaves nourish the liver and ease digestion
Herbs have various functions. Some are nourishing such as alfalfa, chamomile, berries, fennel, lemon balm, oatstraw, raspberry, red clover, and seaweed. Some herbs are tonifying such as black cohosh, dandelion, echinacea, ginseng, motherwort, and wild yam. Cinnamon, ginger, primrose, and sage are known to be stimulating or sedating herbs.
Herbs for Strong Bones
Since osteoporosis is very likely to occur in menopausal women, it is very important to consume calcium and protein rich herbs on a daily basis. Oatstraw, red clover, dandelion, yogurt, cheese and oatmeal are rich in protein and calcium. They also offer healthy fats our bones need.
In addition to the above, the following hormone rich foods are also essential for a menopausal woman's diet: olives, olive oil, organic butter and nuts.
Warning about Use of Herbs
It is true that herbs and plants can cure us and heal us, but they can also be poisonous and dangerous causing death. As a rule of thumb, always buy herbs that are labeled with their botanical name. Learn everything about the herbs you intend to consume, and use one herb at a time. Keep in mind that everything should be used in moderation.
Love your body, respect the changes your body goes through, educate yourself about natural remedies and ways to help you understand and ease your ride through the change.
Keep in mind that the above symptoms and experiences may have different effects on each individual body. Therefore, consult your physician before using any sort of medication or even herbal remedies, as the information contained herein is not meant to substitute any diagnosis nor any treatment to that effect.
Resources
- "Tincture" . Accessed July 27, 2011. http://www.womentowomen.com/digestionandgihealth/herbalremediesfordigestivesystem.aspx
- "Infusion". Accessed July 27, 2011. http://www.womentowomen.com/inflammation/foods-immunityandrespiratoryhealth.aspx
- " Oatstraw " . Accessed July 27, 2011. http://www.localharvest.org/just-oatstraw-tea-C6547
- "Motherwort ". Accessed July 27, 2011. http://www.health-care-clinic.org/alternative-medicines/motherwort.htm
- "Garden sage" . Accessed July 27, 2011. http://www.souledout.org/healing/secretgarden/sage.html
- "Dandelion". Accessed July 27, 2011. http://www.womentowomen.com/bonehealth/calciummyth.aspx
- "Anise". Accessed July 27, 2011. http://health.learninginfo.org/anise.htm
- "Fennel" . Accessed July 27, 2011. http://www.womentowomen.com/menopause/ayurvedictreatmentformenopause.aspx
- "Black cohosh" Accessed July 27, 2011. http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/blackcohosh/
- "Primrose" . Accessed July 27, 2011. http://health.learninginfo.org/herbs/evening-primrose-oil.htm
- "Lemon balm". Accessed July 27, 2011. http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/lemon-balm-000261.htm
- "Tonifying ". Accessed July 27, 2011. http://www.indiadivine.org/audarya/ayurveda-health-wellbeing/998804-tonifying-herbs.html
Rima Petrossian - Rima is a devoted mother of two and has a full time job as a legal assistant for a defense workers compensation firm. She has a passion in ...
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