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IWD2009 Healthy Hormones Handout
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March is Women's Health Month
Healthy Hormones by Dr. Taryn Deering, ND
PMS symptoms and menstrual irregularities are a part of being a woman for most females these days. While extremely common, having issues with your cycle is a sign of imbalance and there are treatments available that can help to regulate your cycle and reduce symptoms. Incorporating dietary interventions is the foundation of promoting healthy hormones and is something you can start today.
Here are my top three recommendations:
- Phytoestrogens: help regulate estrogen levels. Can be obtained from 2 Tbsp ground flax seed and 2 servings of soy per day.
- Brassica vegetables: contain indole-3-carbinol (I-3-C) which helps inactivate harmful estrogens. Eat raw or lightly cooked brassica vegetables such as broccoli, cabbage, bok choy and kale.
- Fibre: promotes regular bowel movements and ensures hormones metabolites are not reabsorbed. Important to get both soluble (oatmeal, beans, apples, pears) and insoluble (bran, “roughage”) fibre.
Recipes of the Month
Help promote healthy hormones with these delicious recipes!
Black Bean Wraps
Ingredients:
6 Tbsp olive oil
2 onions, peeled and diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 tsp sea salt
4 cups canned or cooked black beans
Whole wheat or brown rice wraps
Optional toppings: chopped tomatoes, sprouts, plain yogurt, salsa, etc.
Method:
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Heat oil over medium heat in a saucepan. Add onions and cook for ~5 min until soft.
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Add remaining ingredients except black beans. Simmer for 5 min.
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While simmering, puree black beans or mash as smoothly as possible.
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Add black beans to pan and stir until heated through.
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Place black bean filling in wrap and tops as desired.
Kale and Beet Salad with Tahini Dressing
Ingredients:
kale bunch
1 large beet
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp raw sunflower seeds
salt and pepper to taste
Dressing:
½ cup raw tahini
½ cup water
¾ tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper (or to taste)
1 teaspoon cumin, ground (optional)
Method:
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Wash kale and remove leaves from main stems.
- Lightly steam for ~2 minutes until tender but not wilted.
- Toss with olive oil, salt, pepper, and sunflower seeds.
- Wash and peel beet, grate, and add to salad.
Dressing:
- Whisk or blend all ingredients until smooth and let sit for 15 minutes before serving.
- Can be stored in fridge for 3 weeks.
What does homeopathy have to do with rug hooking?
I recently discovered the passion of rug hooking. After watching my mother craft beautiful rugs for the past forty years, this summer at the urging of my sister I took up rug hooking. The joy I experience in choosing a pattern, selecting fabric and then hooking a rug is similar to the joy I find in the discovery of a remedy that fits my patient perfectly, or studying a remedy and then seeing those same symptoms in a patient that needs that remedy.
With rug hooking, every rug hooker has his/her own style of how high they pull the loops, the tension in their hooking, and so on. Even when the same pattern is chosen, no two rugs will be the same. So it is with homeopathy, where several people may have the same illness or diagnosis, but all may need different remedies to move them in a healing direction.
Both homeopathy and rug hooking require persistence and sometimes fresh eyes. In my rug hooking I am learning by trying and doing. Sometimes the project I am working on is not progressing the way I had envisioned it and I have to put it aside and work on another project for a day or so. In my work as a homeopath, sometimes the remedies I have selected for a patient may not be giving the desired results, so it requires me and the patient to explore the symptoms from other angles and to think outside the box.
Homeopathy has a 200 year old tradition as a system of medicine. We have a solid foundation of provings, material medica and clinical experience that build the basis of our information. We also have innovation in terms of new substances being proven continuously, and brilliant homeopaths devising new ways to take cases or to study and understand the material medica. I am discovering in rug hooking that there are basic foundations of how to hook rugs in the traditional way and there are also some very exciting, new, fresh patterns and methods of rug hooking. The possibilities seem endless.
Rug hooking has brought both passion and balance to my life, and has improved my work as a homeopath by stretching my creativity and encouraging my heart to be light and open to possibilities. I think that a well chosen homeopathic remedy can do this as well, as it moves a person more towards balance and healing.
To summarize, I guess the qualities that a rug hooker and/or a homeopath bring to their work include joy, curiosity, artistry, making connections, persistence, passion and an app
reciation for the foundations laid by others.(article by our homeopath – and rug hooker – Meryl Cook)
Meryl's first rug, hooked with scraps from her mother's hooking.
Acupressure for menstrual pain by Kayla Crocker R.Ac
Based on the same theories as traditional acupuncture, acupressure is a safe and non-invasive way of relieving minor menstrual problems during your time of the month. With a little practice, some self acupressure can help you feel more comfortable and make your period that much easier. To perform acupressure, you may use your fingers, thumbs, or knuckles. Moderate pressure should be applied for 1-3 minutes, however fingers should be kept in a comfortable position.
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Hegu (LI 4): Found by pressing your thumb and pointer finger together, this point is located at the highest point of the muscle. Apply pressure gradually with hand in a relaxed position. This point is believed to be analgesic and can be used for any condition involving pain. *Do not use if pregnant*
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San Yin Jiao (SP 6): Found 3 finger widths from the inner ankle bone on the side of the calf. This point is considered helpful in relieving menstrual cramps, anxiety, and low energy. *Do not use if pregnant*
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Nei Guan (PC 6): With the arm lying palm upwards, this point is found 2 finger widths from the wrist crease in the center of the arm. This point is commonly used to treat nausea, heartburn and anxiety.
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Zhong Wan (CV 12): Found midway between the belly button and sternum, this point is used to relieve stomach upset, bloating, and diarrhea.
How heavy is your purse? by Dr. Denise Wright, DC
Why are purses continuing to bet bigger and bigger? Do the arbiters of fashion actually have to carry these duffel bags around themselves? I know they are attractive and stylish, but they are too heavy.
Carrying a thirty-pound purse on one shoulder has a significant impact on one’s posture. You will contract the shoulder girdle muscles to offset the imbalance. The joints and nerves of your spine will be compressed on one side, stretched on the other. To compensate for the stress through your middle back, your neck and lower back will also work harder.
SO, is it worth it? Do you want to hurt your back for a fashion trend? Styles come and go, but you only have one spine- please take care of it.
