A Guide to Using Chinese Medicine for Womens Health Part 4: Menstruation to Menopause

Some of you may be wondering back to Part 2 and why I left out much info about the Uterus herself in the organs part....yes? No? Haha. Its ok either way. The mystery will soon be solved!

Within the field of Chinese Medicine where there are literally thousands of connections and layers to this perspective, including the idea that some of our body systems function beyond what is considered "average" and perform "extraordinary" or unique functions.

Today we will cover several fascinating areas including; two of the "Extraordinary Organs", How to Sync with your Cycle for the greatest success and productivity during the month, and ideas for finding balance and support during Menopause.

*Image by pikisuperstar

"Extraordinary Vessels/Organs"- Uterus and Brain

Chinese medicine is an ancient system of medicine that has been practiced for thousands of years. One of the unique aspects of this system is this theory that there are "Extraordinary Vessels", which include the concept of the uterus and brain (as well as the gallbladder, marrow, bones and blood vessels).

"The Extraordinary Vessels are a series of energetic pathways that connect the internal organs and other parts of the body. They are considered to be "extraordinary" because they are not as well-defined as the more well-known meridian system and organ system. However, they are just as important in terms of regulating the flow of Qi (pronounced "chee"), which is the vital energy that underlies all aspects of health."

The uterus is considered to be an Extraordinary "Vessel" because of its crucial role in reproduction and the overall health of the female body.

The uterus is closely connected to the Kidney meridian, which is responsible for the regulation of hormones and other vital substances in the body (Jing). The kidney stores essence; the energy and substance required for fertility and reproduction.

The brain is closely linked to the Heart meridian which is considered to be the ruler of all the organs; responsible for the regulation of emotions and mental processes. The brain, therefore, is seen as a physical manifestation of the Heart's influence on the body. We can see a lot of what these ancient practitioners knew being "discovered" now with modern methods

* See also fascinating studies from the Heart Math Institute on heart/brain connections

The theory of Extraordinary Vessels is based on the concept of Jing, which is often translated as "essence" or "vital substance."

Jing is seen as the foundational Qi of all aspects of health, including physical, emotional, and mental well-being. When Jing Qi is abundant and flowing freely, the body is healthy and strong. However, when Jing Qi is depleted or blocked, the body can experience a range of symptoms and illnesses.

The uterus and brain are both seen as important gateways for the flow of Jing and Qi throughout the body. When the uterus is healthy and functioning properly, it can help to regulate hormones and support overall reproductive health.

Also, when the brain is healthy and functioning properly, it can help to regulate emotions and mental processes, leading to better overall mental health.

MENSTRUATION

Generally speaking, a healthy woman's menstrual cycle is considered 28-30 days in length.

Day 1 begins on the first day of the menstrual blood flow. We generally consider 4 distinct phases of the cycle relating to the different hormones produced and the activities of the other organs such as the brain and ovaries.

Even when your menstrual cycle and hormones are considered "healthy", you may still experience discomfort and irregularity at times. This depends on many factors.

From the physical balancing act of biochemistry, getting enough rest, hydration, nutrition and emotional support during the month; to our emotional health and how things are going at work, in relationships, and environment etc...

Every month, women naturally lose blood because of menstruation. This can lead to a range of natural symptoms such as:

• Fatigue • Lethargy • Poor muscle coordination • Nervous issues such as insomnia and irritability

The best way to correct this problem is nutritionally, with foods that increase red blood cell production such as:

• Red meat like beef • Organ meat, such as kidney and liver • Dark, leafy, green vegetables like spinach and kale • Dried fruits like prunes and raisins • Beans • Legumes • Egg yolks

Consider activities and lifestyle choices as well that are nourishing and support you replenishing what was lost.

I personally LOVE the following model of "cycle syncing" to help honor the weekly changes and make the most of how things shift within our brain, uterus, heart and kidneys during the month.

Read below for a more full synopsis and feel free to go to her website for more great worksheets and tips! https://www.floliving.com/the-cycle-syncing-method/.

Gloria Steinem, founder of Ms. Magazine and women issues expert raises a great point, “Girls are taught to view their bodies as unending projects to work on whereas boys are taught to view their bodies as tools to master their environment.”

Let’s learn to sync our way to success!!

The Cycle Syncing Method

The with "cycle syncing" idea is that your hormonal phases can be your guide to living the most productive and aligned month.

Alisa Vitti, HHC, AADP, is a women’s Menstrual Health Expert, Functional Nutritionist, best-selling author of WomanCode and creator of The Cycle Syncing Method and the MyFlo app.

She gives you a blueprint to use in order to help launch, execute, and finish projects of all kinds- its brilliant! And in alignment with how the meridians, Qi, Blood and Yin flow naturally throughout the month. Honoring the cycles leads to healthier outcomes and less stress overall.

Here is a great summary from "Thyme is Honey" online.

Each phase of your cycle provides you with amazing brain superpowers, it’s essential to know what those are and when they happen so you can plan ahead to take advantage of them.

**Go ahead! Grab your calendar. Find out when you were last menstruating, mark out your phases and plan what projects to prioritize in each phase.

The menstrual cycle is divided into 4 phases; each tending toward specific hormonal influences.

Phase 1: Follicular Phase (6- 14 days long) - Creative Superstar

In regards to the productivity aspect of a woman's cycle, the best time, or the “superstar” time for a woman during her cycle would be during the follicular phase of the menstrual cycle.

This begins upon the beginning of your period, and last approximately 10-14 days.

Here you have the most access to creative energy that you will the entire month. Hormones are at a low point and your body is starting to increase estrogen in particular. You are open and ready to try new things. This is a good time to start new projects at work. Plan the month ahead do some project management. Break out the excel document and plan. Brainstorm with people in meetings. Dream big. Mastermind how you will take over the world.

Phase 2: Ovulatory Phase (15 – 17 days) - The great communicator

Communication and collaboration skills are at the highest all month. The brain chemistry you have during this phase heightens your verbal skills. This is a great time to have important conversations.

Maybe ask for that raise, plan to negotiate deals, work with your vendors. Since you will be the most irresistible try to plan ahead of schedule. You are a magnet.

Phase 3: Luteal Phase (18-28 days) - Power

The luteal phase is the Power phase for getting things done. You are most task oriented and feel the most pleasure at completing projects during this. And thank goodness this is the longest phase of the cycle! It’s easy to focus and pay attention to minute details. We are able to leverage this attention to detail to accomplishing pretty flawless work product. Wrap up projects, bring things to completion, do administrative type tasks, your accounting, submit your monthly reports, your expense reports.

Phase 4: Menstruation Phase (1-5 days long) - Intuition and Reflection

This is the time to evaluate, listen to that gut feeling and get back on course. Your right and left brain hemisphere are communicating much more powerfully now. You are able to access the analytical and intuitive reasoning.

Reflect on the past month.

How was your performance?

How are you getting along with your colleagues?

Are you working on the projects you care about?

Is your job going in the direction you want it to?

How are you thinking and feeling about your business as a whole?

What are the big changes you need to make to stay happy and successful in your job and career?

MENOPAUSE

Remember that blood and yin are still dominant for women in all phases, even during menopause when there is no longer a visible menstrual flow.

There is also still a hormonal "cycle" albeit less obvious and intense for most.

After years of living, taking care of families, giving birth, and menstruating, a woman's blood and yin can become depleted.

The more depleted a woman is (on any level) entering this time of "change" of menopause, the more "menopausal symptoms" she will likely have.

This includes stress level regulation and general sense of satisfaction with life, partnerships and Self at this stage.

The Endocrine system counterparts; Adrenal/Kidney and Thyroid also play a big role in health and how smooth or not a person's experience of the menopausal change can be.

Many Women also happen to experience great changes during this time in the form of new family roles, careers, and perspectives about life. This can be included for the most successful treatment and path to relief.

As the testosterone becomes more visible (less estrogen) it can also be experienced that a woman may become more out spoken and care less about what others think of her.

In terms of hormonal associations, Yin is most similar to the Estrogen component, but does also include progesterone.

During this phase, (unless contraindicated for other reasons) many women benefit from increasing Yin/estrogen and blood.

Symptoms of declining Yin and blood:

• Hair thinning
  

• Hot flashes
  

• Mood Swings
  

• Night sweats
  

• Painful sex
  

• Vaginal dryness
  

• Weight gain

  
  

If you are concerned and want to know more about where your body is needing support, consider having some lab work done along with your complementary care such as Acupuncture and Herbs.

Functionally, these tests can give a clinician more information to support you adequately.

Here are some labs to have your doctor check:

• A blood test to check for levels of FSH (follicle stimulating hormone) and estrogen
  

• A lipid profile
  

• A thyroid function test
  

• Test for liver and kidney function

Safe, Natural Hormone replacement

Hormone replacements are often prescribed as the primary "cure" if going the allopathic or western medicine route. Medications can be used to increase or decrease estrogen levels in the body, surely.

These types of medications can theoretically help you avoid problems associated with unbalanced hormone levels such as arthritis or premature aging.

Although they do help, short term especially, they can also cause significant side effects such as breast or uterine cancers in the long run that can make you feel rightfully concerned about taking.

Also too much of the wrong kind of estrogen (ie plastics, chemicals, synthetic fragrance) can also "disrupt" normal uptake of the endocrine glands and mask the normal functioning of the organs such as the thyroid, creating a lot of havoc and confusion for the receptors that want to utilize true estrogen.

That’s why we want to try and balance hormones naturally as much as we can.

One safe and gentle way to get some relief is once again, nutrition.

Diet can play a key and crucial role in restoring balance to a depleted and out of balance system.

Some foods and herbs that help and can supply "phytoestrogens" (safe estrogens) include:

• Tofu, tempeh • Soybeans and miso • Flax seeds • Sesame seeds • Yucca • Dong Quai (or Tang Kuei) root • Shatavari (Ayurvedic wild asparagus)

***Omega 3 essential fatty acids and healthy fats are also important to support the yin and hormone balance; fish, hemp seeds, chia seeds, avocado, coconut oil, olive oil, primrose, borage, flax oil.

***If you are wanting to start using herbs like Dong Quai in your cooking, please use a tested and reputable source such as www.mountainroseherbs.com for purchasing good quality bulk herbs for medicinal use, or your local tea, spice or health food store may also carry a good quality source.

*Natural products can also be used if blocking estrogen is needed, such as:

-Wild nettle root- root and leaves are antihistamine and cleansing. -Chrysin-a flavonoid found in passionflower, honey, and bee propolis. -Maca-a cruciferous plant that is adaptogenic and helps to regulate the hormones. It can help to increase or decrease sexual hormones as needed. Great for all phases of the menstrual cycle.

- DIM (Di-Indole-Methane) found in cruciferous veg like broccoli or taken as a supplement

In Conclusion

If things are feeling unmanageable or even just overwhelming as you read all of this right now, please seek out help. It can be a lot to sort out hormone challenges on one's own or even with just one modality.

My hope is that by reading this series, you have gained a frame work in which you can start to interact differently with your self, ask new questions of your docs and support your body's cycles better!

Reading may not have solved the issue but possibly given some clues as to where to look next?!

Again, I sure hope so!

Cultivating a basic understanding that the symptoms of hormonal imbalance are not separate from lifestyle, diet and personal habits can be pivotal to finding relief.

I know this is a very big subject and there are a lot of specific imbalances such as thyroid, fibroids, PCOS, cancer, injury and other illnesses that can impact and compromise a woman's menstrual health that we have not covered here. Using these simple tips may still help. Stay curious. I believe in you!

If you feel like you have exhausted all allopathic or western medicine options, please consider reaching out to an Acupuncturist, Functional Medicine Doctor, Naturopath or other such more investigative modality to add to your team of support. Menstruation and Menopause do not have to be a life sentence.

But as they say "it takes a village" sometimes! Keep seeking answers and trying new things as you are able. One never knows when relief is just around the corner.

Thank you and Bless you for reading with the intention taking better care of yourself and your loved ones.

If you have any questions or clarifications, please drop us a note below!