Menopause Metamorphosis

Rash, thyroid, immunity

Dear Susun,

Your books and website (and YouTube videos) are a treasure. Monica Jean is precious. Thank you for sharing your green gifts! I wonder if I could ask you a question. I have a recurrent skin rash under both armpits that the doctor says is yeast (or candida). The rash has been on my skin for about 8 months, under my breasts, under my armpits, front and back of neck, and scalp. Most of my skin is clear right now except for my armpits, but they are highly uncomfortable. Home remedies seem to work for a week or two, and then it comes back. Same thing with creams and pills the doctor gives. I have had other symptoms of candida overgrowth: digestive issues and thrush, but that is all better.

I have been following your whole foods and fermented foods nutrition suggestions for a few weeks. You suggest unwashed fruits for the molds on the peels. Are all fruits okay (pineapple, blueberries, oranges, etc…)? Are all whole grains okay? I am looking for a good source of raw milk. In the meantime, is organic cow’s milk okay?

I just started rotating your recommended infusions: nettle, oatstraw, comfrey, linden, red clover. I added seaweeds to my diet. I love fresh herbs. Rosemary is a star even in winter here in Texas.

A brief history: Eleven years ago, I caught Epstein Barre and Cytomegalovirus at the same time. My twin sons were two, and I was a bit on the exhausted side at the time. I have worked on my immune system since. My periods stopped 3 years ago (age 42). Blood tests a couple of weeks ago show that my thyroid is underactive, and I told the doctor to let me try natural remedies for a while. You mention in New Menopause Years that women with underactive thyroid have rashy skin so I’m thinking this is all connected.

Do you have any green suggestions for me?

Thank you so much.
Love,
Laurie

 

Hello Laurie,

 

Your question is so multifaceted I encourage to call Blog Talk Radio on Tuesday evening between 7:30-9:00 EST at 1-646-929-2463 to speak with Susun directly.

 

You are off to a wonderful start here and really thinking now! I would avoid raw fruit, white sugar and flour. Other well cooked fruits and whole grains should not be a problem. Cranberries and blueberries contain candida killer arbutin. I would add Maitake mushrooms to your daily diet because they specifically inhibit and destroy candida. A dose is 1/2 gram daily for a month, increasing by 1/2 gram a month to maximum of 3 grams daily. A cup of fennel or ginger tea will help with gas pains that will result from using maitake. 

 

Echinacea root tincture also prevents and treats yeast infections.  A dose of a 1/2 drop per pound of body weight taken every 4-6 hours for as long as needed. Most infection can be countered with echinacea. 

 

Also make sure you are eating at least a quart of plain full fat yogurt a week. This is more important than drinking milk, but if you enjoy milk and are tolerating it fine organic store bought milk should be fine as long as it is not ultra pasteurized.

 

Thank you for writing in and please let me know if I can be of any more help.

blessings,
Kim
Wise Woman Team

www.wisewomanweb.com
www.wisewomanbookshop.com
www.wisewomanuniversity.org
www.wisewomanmentor.com

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Join Susun Weed on blogtalkradio, Tuesday nights 7:30-9:30 pm EST. Call in with your questions or email ahead of time to wisewoman@herbshealing.com. 

Visit the link for more info:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/susunweed

 

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If you're ready to go deeper with your herbal studies, join Susun on her new Mentorship website. Get new content weekly such as the expanded herbal ezine, replays of teleseminars, videos, audio of Susuns past lectures, many articles by Susun, and even personal one on one mentorship from Susun.
www.wisewomanmentor.com

Candida

To combat candida & the accompanying nausea, I'm starting a candida diet.

Are there any herbs that help in any way? Inside or outside.

Thanks. Grateful for your books during menopause. A friend & I grew herbs, made tinctures, salves, &_food. Easy passage.

Thank you for any help.
Donna

 

Hi Donna,

Susun has addressed candida before, so I can give you a number of resources of hers that you can go over it. The typical candida diet isn’t something that Susun has found to be helpful, so you will probably find the information below to perhaps be opposite of your diet – although I am not sure exactly what you are following…   http://www.susunweed.com/herbal_ezine/Weed_letter_Mar-02.htm#q2

 

Susun's Response:

“Every healthy human has candida in their gut. It is one of the most important organisms of the 400 molds, yeasts, bacteria, and fungi that colonize our intestines. Without these microbial helpers we would be unable to digest Any food at all. The problem is not having candida, But not having the other helpers, thus causing the candida to grow. Your diet needs to include high concentrations of fermented foods -- yogurt, miso, sourdough bread, home brewed wine and beer, sauerkraut, and cheeses like camembert and brie -- not to be devoid of them.”

 

Susun has also talked about candida during her health hotline blogtalk radio show:

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/susunweed/2013/08/06/ask-herbal-health-expert-susun-weed-and-psychic-elizabeth-joyce-wise-woman

 

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/susunweed/2013/09/24/ask-herbal-expert-susun-weed-and-natural-alignment-with-kathleen-porter

 

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/susunweed/2014/11/19/ask-herbal-health-expert-susun-weed-terra-gifts-steve-shaft

 

One of Susun’s articles more indepth:  http://www.naturalbloom.com/articles/herbal-medicine-290/

 

Susun also discusses vaginal yeast a lot in her book, Down There, Sexual and Reproductive Health the Wise Woman Way – some of the suggestions she discusses there:

 

“Maitake are mushrooms that specifically inhibit and destroy candida.

Women with chronic infections benefit the most. A dose is ½ gram daily for a month, increasing by ½ gram a month to a maximum of 3 grams daily. A cup of fennel seed or ginger root tea will relieve the severe gas pains that will result from use of maitake.” Pg. 147

 

“The Journal of Reproductive Medicine reports that boric acid cured 98 percent of women with chronic, drug-resistant yeast infections. To use: Fill 00 gelatin caps (sold at health food stores) with boric acid USP (sold at drugstores). Insert one in the vagina nightly before bed for two weeks.” Pg. 149

 

Also a youtube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=trd4lZiBn-8

 

You are also welcome to call into the health hotline and discuss it further with Susun directly. She holds the hotline each Tuesday from 7:30pm-9pm Eastern, http://www.blogtalkradio.com/susunweed, (646) 929-2463

blessings,
Kim
Wise Woman Team

www.wisewomanweb.com
www.wisewomanbookshop.com
www.wisewomanuniversity.org
www.wisewomanmentor.com

---

Join Susun Weed on blogtalkradio, Tuesday nights 7:30-9:30 pm EST. Call in with your questions or email ahead of time to wisewoman@herbshealing.com. 

Visit the link for more info:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/susunweed

 

---

If you're ready to go deeper with your herbal studies, join Susun on her new Mentorship website. Get new content weekly such as the expanded herbal ezine, replays of teleseminars, videos, audio of Susuns past lectures, many articles by Susun, and even personal one on one mentorship from Susun.
www.wisewomanmentor.com

Vitex and Menopausal symptoms

Hello!

I came across your site when I was looking up the safety of taking vitex longterm. I turned 43 in November. After taking vitex 10 months, I took my last dosage at the end of January. A few days ago I noticed that my nipples were really tender and sore. I'm wondering if it's from not taking vitex. To give a little history, a year ago I was going through an extremely stressful time. My period was always very regular, but all of a sudden it was either days late or days early. Then I started feeling dizzy and like I had low blood sugar. I started getting chin whiskers! It was awful. I started taking vitex, and also started going to acupuncture twice a week. After 6 months I started going to acupuncture only once a week. My period evened out and the chin whiskers are a lot fewer and a lot finer. I feel my age again! No more dizzy spells, either.

My question is, is vitex safe to take for a long time? More importantly, how do I know when to stop taking it? When I ran out of vitex a few weeks ago, I thought that maybe with acupuncture I wouldn't need to continue with vitex. But, I also don't want to mess with my hormones. I don't want them all unbalanced again. I should also say that in 2009 I had lichen sclerosus. After acupuncture - and vitex, I haven't had to use clobetasol at all. It's wonderful. My skin hasn't had any thinning or white spots since I first used the clobetasol in 2009. It cleared up right away. I really, really don't want the itching to ever come back. So maybe vitex was helping with that, too? Ugh. I don't know what to do.

I really would appreciate and be eternally grateful for your opinion about this. Thank you for reading this email!

I look forward to hearing from you! Thank you!

Sincerely,
Keani

 

Hello Keani,

 

It sounds to me like you are going having menopausal symptoms. The first thing to do is pick up a copy of Susun's book New Menopausal Years the Wise Woman Way​

 

It sounds like to me that vitex is a good ally for you and does help with all the issues you are experiencing. Chasteberry as it is also called needs to be taken for a long period of time usually 2-3 months to see noticeable effects. Vitex is a safe, gentle and effective remedy that can be taken for several years. 

 

Thank you for writing in and please let me know if you need any more help.

blessings,
Kim
Wise Woman Team

www.wisewomanweb.com
www.wisewomanbookshop.com
www.wisewomanuniversity.org
www.wisewomanmentor.com

---

Join Susun Weed on blogtalkradio, Tuesday nights 7:30-9:30 pm EST. Call in with your questions or email ahead of time to wisewoman@herbshealing.com. 

Visit the link for more info:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/susunweed

 

---

If you're ready to go deeper with your herbal studies, join Susun on her new Mentorship website. Get new content weekly such as the expanded herbal ezine, replays of teleseminars, videos, audio of Susuns past lectures, many articles by Susun, and even personal one on one mentorship from Susun.
www.wisewomanmentor.com