Endometriosis
For the female reproductive system to be whole and functioning in a well-balanced and integrated way, body mind and spirit must be well and thriving as a whole. If the diet is deficient, menstrual problems or vaginal discharges may be generated. If one’s way of living is not life-affirming, the system dedicated to the creation of new life will be adversely affected. For children to be born healthy and perfect, and for them to grow well, one’s lifestyle during pregnancy has to be perfect! So it is best to check your health in general, but also check your relationships to the world – go for loving and nurturing emotional support. Check your thought life – do you think positively? What sort of books do you read, what films do you watch, what kind of politics are you involved in? The energy within your body is affected by the energy around you – by the way you relate to it. Be at peace with your world and your relationships. Emotional trauma can not only affect you physically and mentally but also affect your ability for reproduction.
I have found Endometriosis, to be more of an emotional dis-ease(Out of Balance) that has its roots in emotional trauma, that is aimed at the role of a female in a family or life in general.
Healing Endometriosis
In the long term, the typical pharmaceutical methods for treating endometriosis will cause the dis-ease to worsen. The prolonged use of either strong painkillers or oral contraceptives is very harmful to the liver. Areas where endometrial tissue grows in the body become very inflamed, and the long-lasting inflammation prevents the body from properly healing. Therefore, one of the most important things for an endometriosis sufferer to do is reduce the amount of inflammation in the body.
Exercise in the week prior to the menstrual cycle can be very beneficial. Sweating and exercise is the only way to cleanse the lymph nodes, and endometriosis is a dis-ease that is often influenced by toxicity.
Those who are sexually active in healthy relationships are less likely to experience endometriosis attacks, and the attacks are less severe for them. Korean researchers have labelled endometriosis a “working woman’s disease” for this reason. Becoming pregnant during this time is very unlikely.
In my practice I have found that helping the patient deal with past trauma, remembered or suppressed, will significantly help the process of healing. Hypnotherapy, EFT and Counselling works wonders in dealing with emotional blockages and as such are excellent tools in the process of healing. Nutritional lifestyle changes will help the body reverse damage and heal herself completely.
Dietary Changes
- Eat organic, grass fed meat. Avoid processed and factory-farmed meats. Iron is essential, so beef must be part of the diet.
- Avoid refined white sugar, white flour, and white rice. The (white) refined variants of these foods are very inflammatory.
- Use only brown rice and whole wheat flour, and do not use any carbohydrates that are not completely homemade.
- Honey is actually an anti-inflammatory sweetener, so it too is recommended. It is the ideal sweetener whenever it is a viable option.
- Do not use homogenized milk, ever. It is one of the most inflammatory food items available.
- Avoid all soy products. Reduce the intake of processed foods. Virtually all of the chemical additives are highly inflammatory to the body.
- Women with endometriosis should purchase spring water
Healing endometriosis is a process of providing the body with the nutrients and tools that it needs to heal the physical and emotional liver, while keeping inflammation low, and flushing any toxins, emotional or physical, out of the body.
Supplement Suggestions
- All of the B vitamins strengthen the liver
- Liquorice is well known for its beneficial effect on the liver. Not the sweet!
- Dandelion strengthens the liver and kidneys.
- Milk thistle is renowned for strengthening the liver.
- Selenium helps prevent endometriosis. The best single source of selenium is Brazil nuts, followed by tuna, cod, and meats.
- Vitamin E is known to aid a healthy uterine linings, Vitamin E and selenium are believed to work together to prevent damage to cell membranes, and protect against oxidation.
- Supplement with chlorophyll.
- Folate or folic acid. Folate is necessary for the body to make heme (the iron-containing, non-protein part of haemoglobin) for the red blood cells. There is a strong connection between folate and the liver, because liver disease increases the loss of folate.
- Radishes were used in Traditional Chinese Medicine to cure endometriosis, and to fix liver problems, including jaundice. It would be wise to include them in the diet.
- Alcohol should be avoided, with the exception of an occasional glass of red wine. Greater amounts will weaken an already impaired liver.
- Gelatine is the only common ingredient in endometriosis-related pharmaceuticals. While it is purported to be an “inactive ingredient”, many sufferers have noticed that eating foods high in gelatine during the menstrual cycle is beneficial. Endometriosis sufferers finally have a bona fide health reason to eat gummy bears.
- Cannabis (“marijuana”) is often recommended by doctors in U.S. states that allow medical marijuana use. In addition to helping with the pain, it also seems to reduce the inflammation issues. Some sufferers proclaim that marijuana is more effective in helping with endometriosis than the expensive prescription pain medications. Cannabis does not harm the kidneys, is not addictive, and it helps to suppress the nausea that often accompanies the pain.
Castor Oil Transdermal Packs
At the beginning of the menstrual cycle, when the first symptoms of cramping become noticeable, a castor oil transdermal pack can dramatically reduce the severity of symptoms throughout the cycle. This is the basic procedure:
- A wash cloth should be soaked in pure, cold-pressed castor oil that is obtained from a health food store.
- The wash cloth should be placed on bare skin on the lower stomach.
- Put a piece of plastic on top of the cloth, such as a plastic grocery bag.
- Place a hot water bottle on top of that. The water should be made as hot as possible, so long as the patient can tolerate it.
- Leave this in place for at least 30 minutes.
The above procedure can also be done repeatedly during the cycle to provide relief. However, one treatment is usually enough to provide massive relief. Women should use only dioxin-free, un-chlorinated feminine products, especially tampons. Consuming Brazil nuts is ideal, because they contain folate, selenium, and magnesium, which have all been shown to reduce menstrual cramps.
Sources:
healthwyze.org
Bartram’s Encyclopedia of herbal medicine – Thomas Bartram
Holistic Herbals – Dave Hoffmann