Menopause Metamorphosis

http://www.lanisimpson.com/seminars/webinars/dr-lani-interviews-herbalist-susun-weed/

December 28, 2011 in Menopause, Vaginal Health | Permalink | Comments (0)

November 24, 2011

Nourishing Herbal Infusions for Strong Bones

Hello Susun -

I have your books on breast cancer and menopause.

Can you provide me with the list of herbs to use for an osteoporosis infusion tea. I have been diagnosed with severe osteoporosis with a Dexa at -4.5. I have used oatstraw, red clover, and want to mix more. Can I use more than 2 in an tea after I do an infusion?

Thank you for your help.

Hello,

If you are looking to help with bone health, you will want to concentrate on drinking infusions. The high ratio of herb and long steeping time mean they are far more potent and mineral filled than any tea. Drink plenty of oatstraw, nettles, red clover, comfrey leaf - you can add some horsetail to them if you wish, but otherwise, Susun recommends one herb at a time, not mixing say, oatstraw and nettles together in one infusion.

Here is an interview Susun did focusing on bone health you may wish to listen to:

blessings,

Kim

Wise Woman Team

November 24, 2011 in Bone Health, nourishing herbal infusions | Permalink | Comments (0)

November 23, 2011

Wise Woman Books for Fibroids

Dear Susun,

I am have been trying to buy your book The Wise Woman. I am not able to find it in Toronto. I am wondering if you could tell please were to find a copy. I have fibroids and I need some help with that.

Hello,

Susun's books The New Menopausal Years: The Wise Woman Way and her newest book, Down There: Sexual and Reproductive Health the Wise Woman Way both contain information on fibroids. If you are unable to find them on the shelves, most bookstores will do special orders for you, so you can ask about that possiblity.

We also sell them online at our bookshop here: http://www.herbalmedicinehealing.com/store/item_view.asp?estore_itemid=1000021 and here: http://www.herbalmedicinehealing.com/store/item_view.asp?estore_itemid=1000578

Here is an article by Susun on fibroids: http://www.menopause-metamorphosis.com/An_Article-fibroids.htm

blessings,

Kim

Wise Woman Team

November 23, 2011 in Books, fibroids | Permalink | Comments (0)

October 26, 2011

Wise Woman Foundations for Menopause

Dear Susun,

Heard your talk on the Menopause Telesummit, was quite depressed afterwards as I seem to be doing everything wrong even though what I am doing is making me feel so well. I do take excellent quality supplements geared towards menopause and adrenal support as recommended by a naturopath I am working with, juice regularly, eat very good quality foods, Camomile and Valerian for good sleep, exercise, and make sure I set time aside time for myself.

I do take bioidentical progesterone as my periods were lasting 6-7 weeks at a time and i was getting desperate but did not want to take synthetics which my doctors were pushing me towards. Bioidentical prog straightened me out and now I am scared to stop. I would love to try the infusions you talked about but not sure where to get the ingredients...where does one get oat straw,etc.

My naturopath is more than happy to help me get off the bioidenticals as he feels it has done its service and has encouraged me previously to think about getting off of them but i work a 10 hour day and cannot be bleeding to the extent I was, I have a mortgage, bills and am still putting one child through college, 2 other chldren are finished. I am on my own and carry a full load, extensive time off for menopausal complications are not an option.

Any advice would be lovely.

Hello,

Please do not feel depressed. If what you are doing is making you feel well, then continue. The great thing about the Wise Woman Tradition is that we are in control of our health, how we approach it and the direction we decide to go in.

Yes, Susun does not advocate the use of hormones, whether "natural" or not; nor the use of supplements. Most of us work through the six steps of healing and decide which step is right for us individually. If you stop taking hormones, but are fearful of what the outcome may be, you will not be doing yourself any good. No matter what, you can start with the infusions. Drinking daily infusions, eating a well-balanced, healthy diet and being truly mindful and respectful of our bodies can do wonders.

The herbs for the infusions can usually be found in the bulk section of your local herbal/health food store, or online at sources such as Mountain Rose Herbs and Red Moon Herbs. We have a website devoted to infusions where you can read about the herbs we commonly use and also how to make them: http://nourishingherbalinfusions.com/

Start with the infusions and then at some point, you can decide if you wish to take the next step. You may also like to check out our forum at www.healingwiseforum.com.

blessings,

Kim

Wise Woman Team

October 26, 2011 in Menopause | Permalink | Comments (0)

October 25, 2011

Wise Woman Advice for Breast Cysts

Hi,

Could you please tell me how to contact Susun. I am having pain in my right breast that has been for several weeks now. I do not have mammograms but do have ultra-sound exams. My last ultra-sound was 2 years ago due to a car accident I was in and had several x-rays of my chest.

I'm praying this isn't anything and I am so nervous. I am perimenopausal, 54 soon to be 55. I really need to know what herb or infusion I can take that may help with this pain and would appreciate if I could speak with her as soon as possible as again, I am so nervous.

Thank you and look forward to hearing from you.

Hello,

I am so sorry, but for the time being, Susun has had to discontinue her consultations. They may be starting up again, but I do not know when her schedule will allow it.

Certainly it is a natural reaction to be nervous and filled with worry, but do try your best to remain positive. Although breast cancer can cause pain, usually that is not the case. Practicing regular breast massage with infused oils is highly recommended by Susun. Taking time to lavish attention and love on that part of ourselves really does help to keep it healthy, even scientists are understanding how much visualization, prayer, meditation and affirmations make a difference.

Here is one of Susun's articles on breast massage - see if you can locate any of these herbs and oils to start:

http://www.susunweed.com/herbal_ezine/May09/breasthealth.htm

http://www.susunweed.com/herbal_ezine/June09/breasthealth.htm

For painful breasts, cabbage leaf poultices work well and of course, material is easy to find at any grocery store. Simply boil or steam some leaves and apply them hot to breast, leaving on for at least 15 minutes. Violet leaves seem to have a special affinity for the breast, so doing a massage with infused oil is good. Susun also recommends making an infusion with the violet leaves, drink 1/2 of it and then heat the other half with the leaves and apply material to breast, keeping on as long as possible. St. Joans/St. John's wort oil would be good to use for massaging as well, penetrating nerve endings and easing pain.

Drink lots of oatstraw infusions. This not only helps to calm nerves and easy anxiety but also increases the insulating sheaths of the nerves, reducing pain. Also skullcap tincture helps with pain and nerves. Use 4-10 drops for minor pain, up to 25-50 drops at a time for severe pain, repeating every 15 minutes until pain is alleviated.

Let us know when you find out more. Lots of love and good thoughts to you.

blessings,

Kim

Wise Woman Team

Hi Kim,

Well since your last email I have been to my breast doctor for a sonogram and the findings are fibrotic breast, no mass, a cyst measuring 2 x 3 mm in the right breast and bilateral decreased intramuscular flows under my arms.

So happy to hear it’s a cyst, which I have had in the past. Can you advise what I can do naturally for this? Also I have extreme swelling under my arms, for several years now and getting worse. My doctor says it is fibromyolgia (sorry for not spelling this correctly). The swelling is bad, painful and I feel dizzy because I know I am lacking oxygen due to this. I saw the narrowing in my vessels. Can you tell me what herbs or herb may help this?

The cabbage leaves have not done much so I have been putting castor oil on my breast. One of my doctors recommended poke oil for my breast. That was last year when I had the cyst. Don't know where to get that.

Look forward to hearing from you.

Hi,

I know that this news has to be a tremendous weight off of you! Hopefully you are feeling a bit better now. So, in regards to cysts, a couple of things you can try would be castor oil packs. How long have you been trying the castor oil? How often? Sounds like you are doing it at room temperature? If so, you may want to try a hot castor oil pack. So that would entail soaking a piece of flannel or cotton in castor oil, warmed in the oven until it is thoroughly heated. This hot compress is applied, covered with plastic and/or layers of towels to hold in the heat, and kept on as long as possible - aim for at least thirty minutes. Susun finds that the effect is increased even more if you alternate the castor oil packs with ginger compresses: http://www.susunweed.com/herbal_ezine/Weed_letter_Dec-01.htm#recipe

Some other options would be poultices of comfrey, dandelion, violet... You can also try massage with oils infused with these herbs as well including St Joan's oil for pain ... Read over the articles in my previous email if you haven't. They will give you a lot of options to choose from. Also continue with infusions - violet, red clover, nettles or start if you are not currently doing them.

Poke oil is great for breast lumps, but the chances of you ever finding it in a store are unlikely. Poke grows all over and is probably in your area. It is getting close to time for harvesting roots which you can then infuse in oil. If you can't do that, you can perhaps find a local herbalist that sells it or try our forum. We have a room dedicated to trading goods, etc: http://healingwiseforum.com/viewforum.php?f=22

Not sure if you have Susun's book or not but Breast Cancer? Breast Health! covers lots of ground in regards to cysts and in keeping our breasts healthy in general as does New Menopausal Years.

As for Fibromyalgia, one of the things that Susun recommends is the ginger compresses I referred to above, so using those wherever you feel pain. St Joan's Wort tincture for general pain, also you can use the oil for massage. If you can look into acupuncture, it often relieves many of the symptoms. Susun has an article here on fibromyalgia: http://www.menopause-metamorphosis.com/An_Excerpt-107-fibromyalgia.htm

Some other tinctures you can look into are cleavers and chickweed for working with lumps internally. These would be made with fresh plant material and are wonderful for dissolving cysts. I have heard lots of women with success after using these methods, but it does take consistency and patience. Most likely it can takes months for cysts to dissolve.

blessings,

Kim

Wise Woman Team

http://www.susunweed.com/Article_Bone_Health.htm

October 25, 2011 in breast health | Permalink | Comments (0)

October 07, 2011

Building Healthy Bones in Menopause

Do you have specific herbs you recommend for bone health for postmenopausal women with family history of osteoporosis?

Hello Donna,

One needs to focus on nutrition - making sure to include herbal infusions, yogurt, herbal vinegars, seaweed, avoiding soy and staying flexible. Susun has written several articles that give guidelines and more details on what she feels helps to keep our bones healthy:

http://www.menopause-metamorphosis.com/An_Excerpt-103-better_bones.htm

If you are unfamiliar with how to make infusions, Susun's site here offers details: http://nourishingherbalinfusions.com/

You may also want to read this article that appeared in Susun's newsletter:

http://www.susunweed.com/herbal_ezine/October06/anti-cancer.htm

An interview with Susun focusing on osteoporosis/bone health:

http://www.lanisimpson.com/seminars/webinars/dr-lani-interviews-herbalist-susun-weed/

blessings,

Kim

Wise Woman Team

http://www.susunweed.com/herbal_ezine/October08/childbearing.htm

October 07, 2011 in Bone Health | Permalink | Comments (0)

September 24, 2011

Change in Vaginal Odor

Hello,

I'm looking to create a home remedy to put back the scent of the vagina. I know this may sound odd, but being peri-menopausal I feel less sexy down there lol? What would you suggest being safe to smell more normal? Plus to gently lubricate?

Hello,

Doesn't sound odd at all. Lots of women experience a change of odor during different stages of their life, including entering menopause. Usually it seems to disappear at some point. If you have ruled out any kind of infection or other medical issue, I would start to try using oils infused with herbs such as chickweed, plantain or comfrey. A great one for lubrication with a nice smell would be coconut oil.

How's your diet? I would make sure that you are eating full-fat yogurt, butter, purslane, fatty fish, nuts ... Also daily infusions - chlorophyll rich nettles to help with odor, oatstraw and red clover to help with lubrication. You can read more about the infusions at our website if you are unfamiliar with them: http://nourishingherbalinfusions.com/

Here is an article from Susun in regards to vaginal lubrication:

You may also wish to check out our health forum at www.healingwiseforum.com or call Susun during her free health hotline. This runs on Tuesday evenings from 7:30pm - 9:30pm EST at 845-246-8081.

blessings,

Kim

Wise Woman Team

September 24, 2011 | Permalink | Comments (0)

September 12, 2011

Pessary for Vaginal Cuff Prolapse

I have used your book, Menopausal Years, the Wise Woman Way, for years and recommend it to all my friends.

I am wondering if you have any information on how to fashion a beeswax pessary for treatment of a vaginal cuff prolapse about 32 years post-hysterectomy? I have found exercises at Whole Women Village, but they are all for women who still have their uteruri.

Thank you, very much!

Hello,

So glad that Susun's book has been helpful to you. I am most sorry but we don't have information on fashioning a beeswax pessary. I suppose you have asked at the whole woman forum and wasn't able to receive an answer? You may want to ask at our forum here: www.healingwiseforum.com

Another forum that can be helpful is at: http://prolapsehealth.com/forums. Don't know if you've looked, but I did find some info on what you are asking: http://prolapsehealth.com/forums/topic.php?id=111

Another forum where you may find some info: http://www.hystersisters.com/vb2/

Susun also recommends trying a sea sponge pessary, so that may be a natural option for you as well. You can give Susun a call during her free health hotline on Tuesday evenings from 7:30pm - 9:30pm EST at 845-246-8081. She may have some other ideas for you.

blessings,

Kim

Wise Woman Team

http://www.susunweed.com/herbal_ezine/October08/childbearing.htm

September 12, 2011 in Vaginal Health | Permalink | Comments (0)

August 22, 2011

Herbal Allies for Vaginal Dryness and Libido

Hello Susun,

I just came across your website, was very intrigued by your message, and ordered your green book. Can’t wait to read it!

I am very hopeful that herbs can improve my libido and lubrication and would like to get started with one simple infusion.

I have two questions . . .

1. For libido and vaginal dryness, which is the one herb that you believe could have the most impact?

2. Are dried oatstraw – Green Tops, just as good for libido and dryness as buying the entire Oatstraw plant?

I called a local health food store looking for dried Oatstraw and what they carry is Oatstraw – Green Tops. One pound costs $10.00. Is this a good purchase – or should I purchase from a store that has a different form of the Oatstraw?

Thank you for any help you can offer.

Hi,

For overall nourishing and for your needs- oatstraw is the best to use over the oat tops.

Another thing that I find beneficial for vaginal dryness is comfrey root sitz baths and the use of comfrey ointment as well. I am enclosing a link to one of Susun's articles which contains more information along with directions on using the comfrey.

You don't mention your age, put as we turn into our menopausal years, problems with libido and vaginal dryness can effect many of us. Another note from Susun:

"Motherwort (Leonurus cardiaca) may be the single most useful herb for menopausal women. Taken as a vinegar or as a tincture (dose is 5-25 drops as needed), motherwort leaves and flowers act to calm the nerves, relieve premenstrual tension, ease menstrual cramping, restore lubrication and elasticity to the vagina, strengthen the heart, and maintain hormonal balance. Motherwort vinegar is exceptionally rich in minerals, too."

You may want to investigate motherwort as another ally for you as well. Just let us know if you need any further assistance.

blessings,

Kim

Wise Woman Team