Herbal Formulas for Women
Herbal Formulas for Women
No one likes to feel nervous, depressed, or act bitchy during PMS.
Herbal combinations that protect hormone balance reduce ordinary
stress, regulate the period and enhance wellness. Instead of taking
an aspirin-like pain killer for your period cramps, Asian herbal
medicine advises us to use healing herbs throughout the month to
insure healthy blood production, circulation, and to reduce stress.
Herbal formulas for womens' issues contain a number of herbs
because we need to feel well in a number of ways. One called Woman's
Balance (pills) contains herbs for PMS with bloating, breast swelling,
cramps, depression, angry headaches, or other signs of irritability.
Normally, such a formula contains blood-enhancing herbs, including
dong quai, herbs for circulation such as salvia, cyperus, herbs to calm
nerves such as white peony root, and digestive herbs like ginger. A
normal dose would be 2 - 3 pills three times daily between meals throughout the month.
Gotu Kola: Balancing and Calming
Nerve tonics (sometimes called nervines) are rejuvenating for people who think constantly,
who break out in nervous rashes or suffer from nerve pains (neuralgia and sciatica), who lay
awake at night unable to remember things, or who age mentally from stress. Gotu kola
(Hydrocotyle asiatica) is recommended for senility, premature aging, hairloss, chronic and
obstinate skin conditions (such as eczema and psoriasis). It is one of the most important
rejuvenative herbs in Asian herbal medicine. It improves beauty and helps to promote calm.
Dr. Vasant Lad, director of the Ayurvedic Institute in Albuquerque, has said that gotu kola
“increases intelligence, longevity, memory; it decreases senility and aging. It fortifies the
immune system, both cleansing and feeding it, and strengthens the adrenals.”
Mushrooms: Foods That Reduce Wear and Tear
Mushrooms such as shiitake, oyster mushrooms, enoki, and maitake are a delicious way to
protect vitality and reduce stress. ALWAYS cook mushrooms. Never eat raw ones.
Cordyceps, a super stress fighter in a healthfood store pill, improves your looks, mood and
performance. Fatigue and dehydration age the skin, increase falling hair, brittle nails, dark
circles around the eyes, an ashen pallor and lackluster appearance. Asian herbal tonics such
as this do more than cover up complexion problems: they prevent them.
Chinese chefs add cordyceps to improve the flavor of chicken or duck soup. You might add
medicinal mushrooms such as the contents of 2 capsules of cordyceps and some shiitake to
leftover chicken bones along with a piece of dong quai (Angelica sinensis) and no salt. Simmer
this at low heat for several hours in order to make a nourishing, tangy soup stock. For
convenience, I recommend taking 20 -30 drops of cordyceps extract on a regular daily basis to
avoid stress from jet travel or overwork. Chinese athletes use cordyceps extract to build
endurance- their protection against stress.
Letha Hadady is the author of personal transformation books including, Asian Health Secrets:
The Complete Guide to Asian Herbal Medicine, Personal Renewal, Healthy Beauty, and her
new book is Feed Your Tiger: The Asian Diet Secret for Permanent Weight Loss and Vibrant
Health. A nationally certified acupuncturist, she has appeared widely in the press and media
as an expert on natural health and beauty. Her website is: www.asianhealthsecrets.com