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Aromatherapy for Menstrual Cramps

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Did you know that physical and emotional stress can actually make menstrual cramps worse? As if they aren’t bad enough already, right? Staying stress-free is only part of the equation for easing the painful uterine muscle cramps that may accompany your monthly period. Here are some tips to relieve the pain of menstrual cramps naturally! Make a massage oil that contains natural muscle relaxers like chamomile, ginger, lavender, marjoram, or melissa (lemon balm). Mix 2-3 drops of the essential oils of your choice into an ounce of carrier oil like jojoba or sweet almond. Rub the mixture gently over the … Continue reading →

Hormonal Breast Tenderness

One of my least favorite symptoms of PMS is the breast tenderness. I guess I’m lucky that I don’t suffer this particular symptom every month… but when it does hit, it sure does hurt! During PMS and even pregnancy, hormonal changes can lead to discomfort in the mammary glands. Reproductive hormones (estrogen and progesterone) trigger growth in the milk producing glands. Blood and other fluids fill the nearby area. This can cause painful stretching to your nerves! So what can you do to relieve hormonal breast tenderness? Try a diet change. A high-fiber, low-fat diet may signal your body to … Continue reading →

Seven Ways Scent Can Enhance Your Health

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Your nose is as much as ten thousand times sharper than your taste buds. That can make your sniffer a pretty powerful tool for your health! Here are some ways you can use aromatherapy to boost your health. Food scents can actually help you lose weight! A study from the Smell and Taste Treatment and Research Foundation in Chicago found that sniffing food scents like apple, banana, and peppermint could help stave off cravings. Try keeping your favorite food scent handy and see if you a whiff of something delicious can keep your stomach happy. Use rosemary to boost brainpower. … Continue reading →

What Causes Chronic Pelvic Pain?

Approximately fifteen percent of women in America suffer from chronic pelvic pain. Sitting, walking, going to the bathroom, and even certain clothes can be incredibly painful for women who suffer from chronic pelvic pain. Doctors have recently realized that chronic pelvic pain is often caused by more than one problem. Treating just one cause may not solve the problem of chronic pain. Here are some of the most common causes: Endometriosis — a condition where cells that are similar to the lining of the uterus migrate and break down during your monthly menstrual period. If you have endometriosis, you may … Continue reading →

Does Dong Quai Help With Hot Flashes?

Seems like I’ve heard a lot of talk about dong quai lately. This traditional Chinese herb is popular for treating menstrual and menopause problems… but does it work? Doctors suspect that hot flashes are related to changes in circulation. Blood vessels near the skin’s surface dilate in an attempt to cool the body — that can create a flushed look in the face. Your body may turn on the sweat to help you cool down. Hot flashes may be triggered by caffeine, cigarettes, alcohol, and spicy foods. Stress can also be a trigger for hot flashes. A recent study in … Continue reading →

Birch

Poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge called the birch tree the Lady of the Woods. This graceful tree isn’t just decorative — birch has been used in healing for hundreds of years. There are many different types of birch tree, including: White birch, also known as canoe birch or paper birch, is found in northern forests across North America — throughout Canada, in the Great Lakes region, in the Pacific Northwest, and in the northeast. Black birch, also known as sweet birch, is found as far north as Maine, as far south as Tennessee, and as far west as Iowa. River birch, … Continue reading →

Beebalm

Beebalm is a plant that is native to North America. You can find beebalm as far north as Maine, as far south as Georgia, and as far west as Michigan and Ontario. Beebalm grows in the moist soil found in woodlands and along stream banks. During the days of the Boston Tea Party, Americans often drank beebalm tea instead of black tea! This herb was discovered in the area of Otsego (also known as Oswego) New York, the same area where writer James Fenimore Cooper lived and wrote. Native Americans used the plant both for medicine and for tea! Shaker … Continue reading →

Hormone Basics

Hormone levels are more than just a “that time of the month” joke. Studies have shown that changing hormone levels can affect your mood, worsen chronic health issues, and even make you more susceptible to injury! Hormones have an impact on your entire body, not just your reproductive system. There are four types of hormones: Estrogen: a class of hormones that is necessary for sexual development and a healthy reproductive system. Also affects brain function, bone health, and cancer risk. Oxytocin: a hormone responsible for contractions during labor, milk production during breastfeeding, and the nurturing instinct. Progesterone: a hormone produced … Continue reading →

Emergency Contraception: Plan B

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If you aren’t ready to start a family, you and your spouse should be careful about contraception. But mistakes can happen, regardless of how careful you are. Emergency contraception is safe, effective, and available without a prescription. Plan B is up to 89 percent effective in preventing pregnancy after unprotected sex. This FDA approved emergency contraception is not an “abortion pill” — it is a hormone (a form of progestin) that delays ovulation and effects the way the egg and sperm move through a woman’s reproductive system. In other words, the hormone makes it less likely that the two will … Continue reading →

When Your Body Needs a Break – Coming to Child’s Pose (Balasana)

Have you ever found yourself struggling through a yoga class? You are not the only one! Lack of sleep or fuel, or overdoing it on your exercise plan can be major factors that keep you from maintaining during your practice. You could also find yourself with an instructor who is taking the class to a deeper level that your body is simply not ready for yet. Be happy that your body is telling you to take it easy. Overexertion can be the last step before injury or lowering your body’s immune system. The body isn’t shy about telling you when … Continue reading →