Coping With Menopause

It has been a while since I posted on this blog. Not because menopause does remain a relevant issue. I'm writing to share a natural remedy that was really beneficial to me.

Yunnan Baiyao Chinese herbal supplements aids in the reduction of heavy or prolonged menstrual flow. It was very beneficial to me. I was at the point that I was considering taking synthetic progesterone. I am not say this is a cure, but it did stop the bleeding and I am back to a level of functioning.






Functions and indications: stopping bleeding, dispersing stagnant blood, invigorating blood, relieving pain. Valuable first-aid remedy for internal and external bleeding, traumatic swelling, and insect bites. Commonly used for excessive menstrual bleeding, severe menstrual cramps, ulcer bleeding, and hot skin infections (carbuncles). Can be taken internally or applied externally.*

Reflections on the Change: A Poem

Though Aunt Flo still shows up and out when she wants to.
I feel as if my womb is as useless as damp matches.
But I still want to keep it, it is a gift from God.
After all, it has borne children and nurtured the souls of wounded men.

Though my thoughts may waiver, my inner vision is keener than ever.
Though I may become disoriented by this birthing of the new,
my intuition is enhanced and I am trusting myself deeply.
My red moon passing is a time to see grace realized.
While I reinvent myself, I am learning greater tolerance,
or maybe I just don't give a damn.

What I take in is just as important to me as what I give out.
I am using the heat from my hot flashes to incubate new ideas.
I am making room for the woman I am becoming.
The Crone, the wise Sage, the real keeper of the secret joy.
I can now give myself permission to dance naked in the moonlight.
I am a woman on fire with hope and love: ripe, fertile and pregnant with possibilities.

What You're Eating and What's Eating You

What's Eating You?


The menopausal process is a wonderful time to make the mind, body, spirit connection. It is a time that requires you to pay absolute attention to yourself. What you are putting into your body both in terms of the foods we ingest, but more importantly the emotions that we allow to enter our being. Though it is nearly impossible to completely avoid negative stressors, we can control how we choose to manage the stress in our lives. There is a African proverb that says, "that that does strengthen you, should be released for it is a false treasure." Avoid or reduce your interactions/relationships with those persons that don't add value to your life.


What You Are Eating.

A diet rich in fruits, vegetables and fiber are critical during this phase of the female life cycle. Decrease alcohol and caffeine intake because both can increase hot flash symptoms. Health expert Dr. Andrew Weil makes the following suggestions to relieve some of the symptoms of menopause and peri-menopause.


Omega-3 for Menopause Symptoms

If menopause has got you down, omega-3 supplements may help. A new study from Canada’s Université Laval found that these essential fatty acids helped boost the mood of menopausal and peri-menopausal women suffering from mild depression and psychological distress. (It didn’t work well with women who had more severe depressive symptoms.) What’s more, the omega-3s were as efficacious as hormone replacement therapy and anti-depressants in reducing the incidence of hot flashes, the researchers reported. The Laval team recruited 120 women age 40 to 55 for the study and divided them into two groups. One group received capsules containing a total of one gram of EPA, an omega-3 fatty acid, and took three per day for eight weeks. The other group was given similar looking capsules that contained only sunflower oil with no omega-3. When the study began, the women were having about 2.8 hot flashes a day. These dropped to 1.2 in the omega-3 group but only to 2.3 in the sunflower oil group. The study was published in the February 2009 issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition and in the November 8, 2008 online edition of the journal Menopause.

Be sure to get adequate sleep even if you have to utilize natural supplements or yoga exercise to assist you in getting a good night sleep. Make sure your body gets the right vitamins, whether it be through food, supplements or both. Be especially mindful that you are getting enough calcium, iron, and vitamins D & E. These vitamin have been found to aid in the prevention of bone loss and in preventing or decreasing some cancers,

"Sisters of the Red Moon Passing" , celebrate, honor and embrace this phase of life by reconnecting and integrating your mind, body and spirit.