Women's Bodies, Women's Wisdom (29 page)

Vitamin A (5,000 to 10,000 IU per day) is important because it appears to help regulate excessive estrogen levels.
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Doses of vitamin A as high as 100,000 IU per day can be given if limited to three months—otherwise, there is a risk of toxicity. (Though 5,000–10,000 IU of vitamin A is well within the safe range, it’s best not to use this if you’re trying to get pregnant.) Beta-carotene is a safe form of vitamin A that does not reach toxic levels. Vitamin A as well as vitamin C with bioflavonoids (500 mg per day) have also been shown to decrease menstrual blood loss.
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If you have particular problems with cramps and PMS, you may find it helpful to divide your dosage of vitamin E and magnesium throughout the day. Take your vitamin E three times a day during your entire cycle (for a total of 100 to 400 IU).
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Make sure it’s in the form of d-alpha-tocopherol or it won’t have any biological effect. Vitamin E works because it prevents excessive clotting and helps maintain a more normal menstrual flow. With magnesium, you can take as much as 100 mg every two hours during the menstrual cycle itself, and three or four times per day during the rest of the cycle. (Use a chelated form.) Magnesium relaxes smooth muscle tissue, and a deficiency of this mineral is common in PMS.
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(See
chapter 17
.)

Get enough iodine. Though most physicians know very little about the extrathyroidal role of iodine, a large and robust body of research has shown that iodine at amounts far greater than the RDA is necessary for the optimal health of the breasts, ovaries, and the uterus. The ovaries, breasts, muscles, joints, and bones actually have cellular pumps in them to concentrate iodine. The optimal amount to take daily is 12.5 mg. (For a full discussion, see
chapter 10
.)

Take essential fatty acids. Omega-3 fatty acids in the form of fish oil, which contains DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) and EPA (eicosapen taenoic acid), have been shown to work well for menstrual cramps even in those who didn’t change other aspects of their diets. A recent study suggested a dosage of 1,000 mg EPA and 720 mg DHA, together with 1.5 mg vitamin E; you can use any amount that approximates this. Because fish oil degenerates with exposure to oxygen, take capsules that have added vitamin E (to prevent oxidation). A much cheaper and often healthier alternative is to eat sardines packed in their own oil or in olive oil two to three times per week. Other cold-water fish such as mackerel, salmon, and swordfish are also good sources of fish oil.
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DHA made from marine algae is also available (the brand name is Neuromins, and the usual dose is 400 mg one or two times per day). Flaxseed oil—500 mg two to four times per day—as well as sesame, sunflower, safflower, macadamia nut, and walnut oils can also be used if fish oil is not available or if it is unacceptable. You can also buy fresh flaxseed and grind it in a coffee grinder just before adding it to soups, salads, or cereals. Usually one to two tablespoons per day of the freshly ground seeds will be enough.

Take black cohosh, or “cramp bark,” as a preven tive. This herb is available in tablet or tincture form in natural food stores. Follow directions on the bottle.

Try Menastil, a very effective roll-on product made from calendula oil, for cramps. It’s widely available online.

Reestablish Cyclic Emotional Flow

Allow yourself a full range of emotional responses to the events in your life. Try recording these in a journal to discover the natural rhythm of your emotions and moods. Are they related to the seasons, the time of day, and other cycles? Keep track of the phases of the moon on a calendar and in your date book. It is well known that the menstrual cycle is affected by the cyclic waxing and waning of the moon. If you live near the ocean, keep track of the tides. Simply paying attention to environmental cues including the light, the moon, and the tides may regulate a woman’s menstrual cycle and fertility.
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Reestablish Cyclic Ovulatory Flow

Get in tune with your body’s daily cycles, regulated by a kind of internal body clock located in the part of the brain known as the hypothalamus. This is true whether or not you are having menstrual periods. These daily cycles follow the day-and-night rhythms of nature, relying on light and darkness to time the release of various hormones and neurotransmitters that make us sleepy or wakeful (among other things).

According to Frank Lipman, M.D., integrative medicine specialist and founder and director of the Eleven Eleven Wellness Center in New York City, these daily cycles and rhythms actually become imprinted on our genes over time. But because our modern lives with electric lights and fast-paced schedules are out of sync with natural rhythms, we find it harder if not downright impossible to stay in tune with our bodies’ natural cycles. As Dr. Lip-man puts it, “It becomes difficult to hear the ticking of our body’s internal clock.”

With small changes, however, we can help reset our genetic clocks and get our bodies back in sync so we have more energy, we get more sleep, and our lives flow more smoothly. In Dr. Lipman’s book
Spent: End Exhaustion
and Feel Great Again
(Simon & Schuster, 2009), he suggests several tips to help you reset your body clock and honor your natural rhythms. A few of his suggestions include:

Go for regular walks outside during the day, preferably in nature.

Get up at the same time each day, no matter what time you go to bed the night before.

Create an “electronic sundown” every night around ten o’clock by turning off your computer, television, cell phone, and any other piece of electronic equipment.