Menstrual Disorders
Foods to Eat More Of:
Foods to Avoid or Minimize:
Essential Oils:
*If additional information or precautions are available, the links below will direct you that information. If not, you will be directed to Amazon for purchasing options.
Natural/Herbal:
*If additional information or precautions are available, the links below will direct you that information. If not, you will be directed to Amazon for purchasing options.
Yoga Therapy:
Supplements & Homeopathic:
Mind-Body Connection:
Recipes - Food Medicine:
*Note: Not all recipes are nutritionally perfect, but the options below are a great way to start incorporating beneficial foods into your diet in delicious ways. Always try to buy organic, and feel free to make substitutions to accommodate gluten-free, vegan, etc diets. Recipes naturally Vegan and Gluten-Free are marked as such (V=Vegan; GF=Gluten-Free).
Smoothies/Beverages:
Meals:
Sides & Salads:
- Fruits: apricots, blueberries, blackberries, clementines, grapefruit, grapes, lemons, limes, oranges, strawberries, tangerines
- Vegetables: arugula, asparagus, beets (including greens), broccoli, cabbage, carrots, collard greens, kale, romaine lettuce, spinach, watercress
- Almonds, dulse, fish, seeds (especially flax, pumpkin, sesame & sunflower), kelp, beans, nuts, soy products, whole grains, yogurt, Reishi mushrooms
- Cinnamon, garlic, ginger
Foods to Avoid or Minimize:
- Caffeine: chocolate, coffee, tea.
- Alcohol & excessive salt/sugar
- Non-organic meat & dairy products
Essential Oils:
*If additional information or precautions are available, the links below will direct you that information. If not, you will be directed to Amazon for purchasing options.
- To regulate menstruation: Rosemary, basil, Roman chamomile, clary sage, marjoram, lavender (bottom of feet, ankles down to arch of foot, lower abdomen, lower back)
- To promote menstruation: Sage (bottom of feet, ankles down to arch of foot, lower abdomen, lower back)
- Hormonal Imbalance: Myrrh, ylang ylang, clary sage, nutmeg (ankles every night, bottom of feet, lower back, thyroid, liver, kidneys, gland areas, center of body, along sides of spine, clavicle area, diffuse)
- PMS: Lavender, marjoram, (lower back, bottom of feet, compress on abdomen, full massage)
Natural/Herbal:
*If additional information or precautions are available, the links below will direct you that information. If not, you will be directed to Amazon for purchasing options.
- Black Cohosh, chasteberry, dandelion root & leaf, evening primrose oil, fenugreek, garlic, ginger, golden seal, motherwort, parsley, skullcap, stinging nettle, turmeric, yarrow
- A daily teaspoon of good-quality walnut or safflower oil.
- Light exercise
- For cramps:
- Chamomile or Cramp Bark Tea (1 teaspoon of herb for each cup of hot water, steep for 10-15 minutes, strain).
- Make a tea with 4 Tablespoons cramp bark, 1 Tablespoon pennyroyal, 2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger in a pot and add 4 cups of cold water. Slowly bring to a simmer. Cover and let simmer for 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and let steep for 30 minutes. Strain and drink 1/4 cup every 15 minutes until cramping stops.
- Passionflower, marjoram, skullcap, feverfew, valerian
- For excessive Bleeding:
- Cinnamon, Chaste Tree/Vitex
- Shepherd's Purse, Red Raspberry or Lady's Mantle Tea (1 teaspoon of herb for each cup of hot water, steep for 10-15 minutes, strain).
- For Missed Periods: Squawvine tea (1 teaspoon of herb for each cup of hot water, steep for 10-15 minutes, strain).
- To Regulate Periods: Calendula/Marigold, spikenard
- For discomfort pre-period: white deadnettle, raspberry leaf, rosemary, passionflower, Dang Gui, skullcap or Chaste-Tree.
- For discomfort during period: chamomile, St. John's wort, passionflower, raspberry, nutmeg (externally).
- For Heavy Periods: Shepherd's Purse, hawthorn, marigold, herb Robert, plantain, and white deadnettle.
- For PMS:
- Evening primrose; or 1-2 ounces of aloe vera juice daily.
- Try this homemade tea: Mix 1 teaspoon of Chasteberry, wild yam root and cramp bark with 1/2 teaspoon of burdock root, dandelion root, 1 orange peel and 1 cinnamon stick. Combine herbs with 1 quart water. Bring to a boil, remove from heat and let steep for 20 minutes. Strain out herbs, add a touch of honey if desired and drink as needed.
Yoga Therapy:
- Yoga for During Your Period (15 minutes - SarahBethYoga)
- Yoga For Cramps and PMS (34 minutes - Yoga with Adriene)
Supplements & Homeopathic:
- Essential Fatty Acids: 1,000 mg evening primrose oil 3 times daily; 1 Tablespoon (14 grams) flaxseed oil daily (or use 1,000 mg borage oil once a day for primrose oil).
- Chasteberry: 225 mg extract daily (also called vitex, should contain 0.5% agnuside). Take when NOT menstruating.
- Dong Quai: 200 mg, or 30 drops tincture, 3 times daily (should contain 0.8-1.1% ligustilide).
- Shepherd's Purse: 3 ml tincture (about 60 drops) 3 times daily (good for heavy periods and spotting between periods).
- Iron: 100 mg daily for 6 weeks (have blood iron measured by doctor after 6 weeks to determine how long iron supplements are needed).
- Vitamin A: 25,000 IU daily for 3 weeks, then 10,000 IU daily (pregnant women should not exceed 5,000 IU a day).
- Vitamin C/ Flavonoids: 1,000 mg vitamin C and 500 mg flavonoids twice daily (reduce vitamin C if it causes diarrhea).
- Vitamin B6: 50 mg twice daily (200 mg daily over long term can cause nerve damage).
- Magnesium: 250 mg twice daily (take with food).
- St. John's Wort: 300 mg 3 times daily (should contain 0.3% hypericin).
- Reishi: As directed
- PMS Homeopathic Suggestions: Sepia 30c, Pulsatilla 30c, Cimicifuga 6c
Mind-Body Connection:
- PMS can represent feelings of rejection of one's femininity or feeling "dirty".
- PMS can also represent feelings of handing your power off to others.
Recipes - Food Medicine:
*Note: Not all recipes are nutritionally perfect, but the options below are a great way to start incorporating beneficial foods into your diet in delicious ways. Always try to buy organic, and feel free to make substitutions to accommodate gluten-free, vegan, etc diets. Recipes naturally Vegan and Gluten-Free are marked as such (V=Vegan; GF=Gluten-Free).
Smoothies/Beverages:
- Apple-Orange Smoothie (GF)
- Banana-Blueberry Smoothie (GF)
- Blueberry Peach Smoothie (V, GF)
- Blueberry Pineapple Smoothie (V, GF)
- Blueberry Smoothie (V, GF)
- Blueberry-Pomegranate Smoothie (GF)
- Cranberry-Blueberry Smoothie (GF)
- Golden Milk (V, GF)
- Mega-Greens Smoothie (GF)
- Pomegranate Dandelion Tea (V, GF)
- Soothing Elixir (V, GF)
- Superfruit Smoothie (V, GF)
- Tropical Smoothie (V, GF)
Meals:
- Adult Ramen (V, GF)
- Asian Broccoli & Rice Bowl (V, GF)
- Baked Salmon with Dill Sauce (GF)
- Black Bean Bowl (GF)
- Black Bean Soup (V, GF)
- Blueberry Mini Muffins (GF)
- Broth (Veggie/Chicken/Beef) - (V, GF)
- Buddha Bowl (V, GF)
- Chickpea Salad Sandwich (V, GF)
- Cornmeal & Pecan Crusted Fish
- Dumpling Soup
- Edamame Rice Bowl (V)
- MahiMahi with Cucumber-Dill Sauce (GF)
- Miso Soup (V, GF)
- Mujaddara (V, GF)
- Oven-Fried Fish
- Pasta Della California (V)
- Quinoa Oatmeal (V)
- Red Beans & Rice (V, GF)
- Salmon with Avocado Salsa (GF)
- Salmon with Mustard Sauce (GF)
- Salmon with Red Pepper Sauce (GF)
- Sesame Salmon (GF)
- Shrimp Power Bowl (GF)
- Spiced Lentil Soup (V, GF)
- Spinach Pasta (V)
- White Bean & Spinach Soup (GF)
Sides & Salads:
- Asian Cabbage Salad (V, GF)
- Asparagus with Hollandaise (GF)
- Avocado Cilantro Lime Rice (V, GF)
- Broccoli Slaw (GF)
- Brown Rice Pilaf with Saffron and Ginger (V, GF)
- Cannellini and Tomato Crostini (V)
- Caraway Brussels Sprouts (V, GF)
- Chinese Peanut Salad (V, GF)
- Favetta & Pita Triangles (V)
- Irish Potatoes (Colcannon) - (GF)
- Kale Salad with Sesame Dressing (V, GF)
- Molasses Beans (GF)
- Pesto Vegetables (V, GF)
- Quinoa Salad (V, GF)
- Red Beans & Rice (V, GF)
- Roasted Asparagus or Green Beans (V, GF)
- Sesame Green Beans (V, GF)
- Smoked Almonds (V, GF)
- Spinach & Strawberry Salad (V)
- Steamed Edamame (V, GF)
- Three Bean Salad (V, GF)