​www.mic.com/p/the-dark-side-of-vaginal-health-products-18651391

By Melissa Pandika
Updated:
June 16, 2020

A plethora of new vaginal "health" products that claim to keep your vagina pretty, “fresh,” and healthy have emerged as of late, so much so that media outlets have declared V-care one of the biggest wellness trends of 2019. Fur sells oil for pubic hair and skin, while The Perfect V sells beauty sheets for your vulva. Lady Suite sells a probiotic cleanser. Plenty of other brands sell spritzes, washes, and wipes. Douches and wipes have been pushed on women for a while — but now, brands market these and similar products as “self-care.” Are all these vulvar and vaginal health products really necessary, though? And more importantly, are they safe?


Before this recent explosion of products, consumers posed the same question about douches, products that cleanse the vagina with water and other fluids. It turns out that many doctors advise against douching, since it can disrupt the delicate bacterial ecosystem in the vagina, which in turn maintains the acidic environment needed to prevent irritation and infection. Yet nearly one in five women ages 15 to 44 in the US douches, according to the Office on Women’s Health. Douching persists, as Timeline points out, thanks largely to the longstanding marketing strategy of cashing in on women’s insecurities — namely that their vaginas are smelly and gross.
Nearly a decade after Summer’s Eve drew criticism for employing this very tactic to market its feminine hygiene products, a new cadre of “intimate care” brands have emerged. Many distinguish their products from their older, mainstream counterparts through attractive, millennial-bait packaging, as well as the promise of gentle, naturally-derived, organic ingredients. They focus not only on cleansing, but also on pampering and beautifying — a means of feminist self-care. The Perfect V describes its offerings as “pure, indulgent pampering and love for your ‘V,” while “lady-owned” Lady Suite says it’s “dedicated to helping all ladies fall in love with their bodies” and wants to facilitate “a positive connection between you and your lady parts.”
But are these products really all that different from their predecessors who pandered to patriarchal expectations that women’s bodies constantly be groomed, fragrant, "pretty," and youthful? Experts still believe that their appeal is more so psychological than physical.
“As a general matter, there is no good evidence that women need these products,” says Stacy Lindau, a professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Chicago, about douches, feminine wipes, or any variation of them. For the most part, vaginas and vulvas have evolved to function without their help. Think about the safeguards your other mucosal surfaces have in place, like your nose, which contains hair and mucus to trap germs, or your eyes, which produce tears to keep them lubricated. Your vagina works in a similar way, Lindau explains, with hair on the outside and mucus on the inside.
In fact, these products may even worsen vaginal health, and we have little evidence of their safety, Lindau tells Mic. Washes, soaps, sprays, and other products used to cleanse the vulva or vagina can irritate and break the skin, as well as cause inflammation that prevents bacteria, blood vessels, and nerves from maintaining an acidic environment in the vagina, she adds.
Several patients who have visited her with complaints of vaginal dryness and painful intercourse saw their symptoms improve after they stopped using feminine hygiene products. (She does note that there are some cases in which intimate care products may help, such as for women with breast cancer who have undergone therapy that lowers their estrogen levels. Since reduced estrogen levels can cause vaginal dryness, they may benefit from products that restore its moisture.)
“Any person with a vagina who might want to use these products should look at the ingredient list and ask themselves how many they can pronounce or recognize,” Lindau says. You should also ask yourself whether you would put these ingredients in other mucosal membranes, like your eyes or mouth. If the answer is no, then you probably shouldn’t put them in your vagina, either.
And unless you’ve had a hysterectomy, remember that the vagina connects to the cervix and uterus, and finally, the fallopian tubes, which enter the abdominal cavity — meaning that “we’re putting chemicals into a body part that allows them to essentially travel to the inner cavity of the body,” Lindau says. The abdominal cavity, in turn, houses many other organs, and there’s a chance that douching may carry germs into that cavity.
Many of the newer intimate care products are advertised as “pH-balanced,” which may make you think they won’t throw off your vagina’s pH, but Lindau says that they may still contain ingredients that cause irritation. There’s also no strong evidence to suggest that probiotics — typically live, beneficial bacteria — will restore a healthy bacterial ecosystem in the vagina. Although researchers are trying to understand the human microbiome, “we’re not at the point where we can take early scientific discoveries and translate them to a recommendation.”
So, what are some proven ways to stay healthy down there? First, consider embracing your bush. Lindau says that pubic hair plays an important role in maintaining vulvar and vaginal health. Second, “let your body do its job,” Lindau says. “Avoid soaps, sprays, oils, and creams to the vulva and vaginal area unless there’s a very good reason.” Mucus already expels discharge, blood, and semen from the vagina.
Lastly, body odor is normal, Lindau says. The beneficial bacteria in the body naturally produce some odor. Using soaps and other odor-eliminating products could destroy beneficial bacteria and cause an overgrowth of harmful bacteria. If your vagina smells like baby powder and roses, you’ve probably killed important bacteria that help keep it healthy. A fishy scent or other strong odor may point to a problem, though, especially if you’re also experiencing issues such as itching or discharge, according to the Mayo Clinic. See a doctor if you’re worried about vaginal odor, rather than try to mask or remove it with an intimate care product.
To Lindau, these self-care-gone-south products speak to a larger, problematic obsession with hygiene — “where women feel that they need to use cleansing products in order to be sexually active or to be appealing.” Even if you’re drawn to these products mainly for the wellness they promise, you’ll probably have more luck finding it elsewhere.

When this concentration is prolonged through an uninterrupted flow, it becomes dhyana. In dharana, we experience release, expansion quietness and peace, freeing us from attachment. This freedom results in the indifference to the joys of pleasure or the sorrows of pain. The repeated continuation, or uninterrupted stream of that one point of focus is called absorption in meditation (dhyana). Not to be confused by Sanscrit words, but rather decipher that mediation comes out of a process of preparing the mind for the purpose of reaching a heightened level of spiritual awareness and to develop your inherent potential.
Meditation may be used to reduce stress, anxiety, depression, and pain, thereby increasing peace, perception, self-concept, and well-being. Continual scientific research aims to define the possible health effects on our psychological, neurological, and cardiovascular systems along with other effects on brain and immune function.
For these reasons, meditation attracts not only spiritual seekers on the road to enlightenment, but anyone looking to explore different ways of being- through physiological changes in the body that create more joy, more happiness, and more ease in daily life. Meditation helps to cultivate the middle path by increasing and enhancing one’s ability to allow, tolerate, and observe the complex world and relationships around them without attaching one’s self or an expectation or outcome to any person or event.

In the 1970s, Herbert Benson, MD, a researcher at Harvard University Medical School, coined the term “relaxation response" after conducting research on people who practiced transcendental meditation. The relaxation response, in Benson’s words, is “an opposite, involuntary response that causes a reduction in the activity of the sympathetic nervous system”, the fight or flight response. Studies on the relaxation response have documented the following short-term benefits to the nervous system:                                                                                                                                    
Lower blood pressure / Improved circulation / Lower heart rate
Less perspiration
Slower respiratory rate    
Lower blood cortisol levels
More feelings of well-being                                                                                                                                         
Scientifically, meditation has been proven to:

•     Decrease anxiety
•     Improve cognitive thinking                                                                                                             

•     Ease stress by activating the Parasympathetic Nervous System
•     Increase oxygenation of the body through deeper breathing                                         
•     Moderate digestion
•     Stimulate the relaxation response
•     Increase mental and physical flexibility
•     Stabilize emotions by increasing the grey matter in your brain which is responsible for muscle control,          seeing, hearing emotions, and speech.

Whether you come to meditation through the philosophy and practice of yoga or meditation as the practice in and of itself, you are embarking on a great self exploration of your mind and body. 

K.I.S.S Principle

Simplified, meditation is an approach to training the mind and training implies practice. The idea of meditating can be quite intimidating and even unfathomable for a beginner to sit for long periods of time and think of nothing. The easiest way to approach meditating is to keep it simple and straightforward by focusing on the breath- creating a fixed point of concentration and not go for the distance. Quality over quantity is the idea and sitting for 5-10 minutes to start with is an accessible approach.  Focus and concentration is challenging, so start by meditating for only a few minutes and then work up to longer periods of time. Concentration meditation involves focusing on a single point like the breath, repeating a single word or mantra, trataka ( i.e. staring at a candle flame), listening to a repetitive gong, or counting beads on a mala. The trick to meditation is each time you notice your mind wandering, you draw yourself back and refocus your awareness on the chosen object of attention. As thoughts arise let them pass by like clouds in the sky.  Know that even the most proficient meditators do this. This is the practice and in this process your ability to concentrate improves.

Another variation is mindfulness meditation which encourages the practitioner to observe wandering thoughts as they drift through the mind without passing judgement or labeling. Here the intention is not to get involved, but to be aware of each mental direction as it appears. Mindfulness meditation reveals how your thoughts and feelings tend to move in particular patterns. Through this process you can become more aware of the tendency to quickly judge an experience as good or bad, pleasant or unpleasant and with practice, an inner balance develops, so as not to be driven by your perceived “likes” and “dislikes”.

Various techniques make meditation easier to embrace and takes the pressure off of what is seemingly the impossible or daunting for a beginner. One of my favorite meditation techniques is the cultivation of compassion which involves envisioning negative events and recasting them in a positive light by transforming them through compassion. I also subscribe to moving meditation techniques, such as tai chi, qigong, and walking meditation, especially accessible to a beginner because intrinsically and physiologically one is balancing the brain with each swing of the opposite arm in movement with the opposite step hence working across the center line of the body and balancing the left and right brain hemispheres. The balancing effect is readily calming to the mind clearing way for concentration.                                                                                       

However, the purpose of meditation is not to achieve benefits, but to simply to be present. The goal of meditation is no goal, but rather to defragment your thoughts so you can step back and make sense of them with a clearer prospective. In Buddhist philosophy, the ultimate benefit of meditation is liberation of the mind from attachment to things it cannot control, such as external circumstances or strong internal emotions. The liberated or “enlightened” practitioner no longer needlessly follows desires or clings to experiences, but instead maintains a calm mind and sense of inner harmony. Meditation is said to increase the blood flow to the brain and “rewire the circuity” of the brain. In the movie What The Bleep Do We Know, science showed the more we repeat the same thought patterns in our mind the stronger those brain synapses become. Sort of like the more chocolate you eat, the more chocolate you crave. Meditation invites us to strengthen positive feel good neurological pathways and weaken or break the cycle of negatives disruptive patterns.

A Monsoon Nectar Aromatherapy Facial merges beauty and the healing arts to impart your skin with a radiant glow and reset your sense of joy, comfort, and ease.

​Aromatherapy, the combination of aroma- meaning scent or smell and therapy- meaning treatment, is concerned with the psychological and physical health of the individual on a holistic mind, body, and spirit level. Natural aromas from essential oils are the basis for aromatherapy which we experience through our olfactory system, our sense of smell. Another word for our sense of smell is olfaction which affects the limbic system of the brain, our feel good mood center. Involved in sensory perception, motor function, and olfaction, the limbic system is also responsible for controlling various other functions in the body including interpreting emotional responses, storing memories, and regulating hormones.

Limbic system structures are involved in many of our emotions and motivations, particularly those that are related to survival such as fear and anger. The limbic system is also involved in feelings of pleasure that are related to our survival, such as those experienced from eating and sex. The limbic system influences both the peripheral nervous system and the endocrine system.
Regina Bailey ThoughtCo.com

In the land of Arizona, Bisbee has become my get-a-way when I can take time away from Sedona. I used to live here and run my business in this eclectic artist enclave, reminiscent of Jerome, but more populated by locals. And when I left, I had no idea that my visits would feel as if I never left at all.

Returning frequently, I still feel like a local. I stay with various friends, sometimes house/dog sit, and see clients in their kitchen or on the patio for old school hairdressing. I can meet up with friends or just let the days unfold serendipitously, as it’s easy to run into people you know. I eat at my favorite restaurants and make sure to bring back the best coffee in the world and maybe a jar of honey from over the line. Every visit feels like coming home and this town’s specialties are just that!

While I’m here, one of my favorite things to do is go to The Garden’s At Mile High Ranch and get an ozone sauna. Today, Maggie (one of the family owners), gave me the option of music or a meditation and I opted for the "moving beyond fear" meditation.

In a private setting, I can look out through a window and see the garden and the large trees that surround the property. Th ambiance is soothing. The therapy consists of 30-45 minutes of steamy warmth that detoxifies your body and can be done once in a while or as part as a detoxification program. The steam sauna with ozone allows the steam to surround the body and ozone can be introduced through the skin. Just your head remains outside the sauna for easy breathing.

The goal is to increases the eliminative, detoxifying, and cleansing capacity of the skin by stimulating the sweat glands and increasing blood circulation and this further promotes healthy skin tone and texture.

Humid heat swells the pores which allows the ozone through the skin into the bloodstream where it  travels to the fat and lymph tissue. Cleansing the lymph tissue of toxins is important to any detoxification therapy and the ozone/steam sauna is the easiest and best way to accomplish this.

The combined action of moist heat and ozone cleanse the lymphatic system, which you can think of as the garbage system of the body that carries 90% of the body's fluids. Raising your body temperature artificially induces a fever-like effect and results in the destruction of bacteria and viruses. Combined with heavy sweating and the cleansing effect initiated by ozone, this “fever" results in the elimination of toxins accumulated mainly in the lymphatic system and gives your liver a huge break. Ozone brings oxygen to the tissues for enhanced health and vitality and the combination of steam and ozone is a natural, effective way to promote a refreshing sense of well-being.

Part of Bath Culture, the use of ozonated steam purifies the skin, soothe sore muscles, boost circulation and imparts deep relaxation.

Benefits :
Reducing lactic acid build up
Relaxes muscles
Increases muscle flexibility
Oxidizes toxins so they can be eliminated through the skin, lungs, kidneys and colon.
Stimulates blood circulation, helping injured muscles to repair quicker.
Stimulates vasodilatation of peripheral blood vessels relieving pain and speeding the healing process.
Eliminates bacterial and viral infections of all kinds.
Speeds up the metabolic processes of the inner organs and endocrine glands resulting in a loss of 200-450 calories in a 20 minute session.

Research shows steam hyperthermia as an effective treatment for:
* Detoxification programs
* Immune system deficiencies
* Pain management
* Cancer
* Arthritis
* Stress and muscle tension
* Increasing body metabolism
* Elimination of toxins
* Blood circulation

The Gardens at Mile High Ranch is for sale!
​Pet Friendly Hotel | Bed & Breakfast | Bisbee, AZThe Gardens at Mile High Ranch is high-desert country with two acres of lush gardens, wildlife, and beautiful 150-year-old cottonwood trees. BLM wilderness is located just beyond our boundaries. The Gardens is located only one mile from the Historic District of “Old Bisbee”, and we offer peaceful evenings and a healthy breakfast served in your own apartment. 

What is a chakra? A Sanskrit word meaning wheel or disk. In yoga philosophy the chakra system refers to spinning vortexes in the energetic or subtle body that correlate to the glandular system in the physical body; not physical entities but they do affect the body just as thoughts affect the breath and emotions affect behavior. These meeting points between the mind and body are concentrated consciousness. Passed down from ancient India through yoga philosophy, the chakra system is a path of connection to the divine energies of consciousness. A path of connection between Heaven and earth, spirit and matter, mind and body. This path runs through the core of each of us and is accessible and available at all times. ​

Specific essential oils also correlate to these energy centers and can be inhaled and or applied topically for grounding and balancing effects to create a sense of well being and ease. Amazingly, these natural essences facilitate reconnecting with your true nature devoid of the anxiety and stress that cause blockages. Blockages, emotional or physical, affect our esteem, confidence, ability to love and communicate, physiology and sleep, and so on. In essence, we are our healthiest when are energy is balanced. Out of balance creates disharmony and that sense of feeling "off" that can be felt in relationship issues, emotional turmoil, dis-ease and even illness.

Nature Knows is an adage to consider since plant essences are the original apothecary with medicinal merit and efficacy. Throughout all cultures man's connection to the earth leads to the connection with the Divine, so through these plant essence we can connect to the Divine within ourselves tapping into our true nature of ease and comfort and love.
​

The Living Beauty Detox Program by Anna Louis Gittleman, has been my beacon to health for many years. The book purports "eat right to clear out toxins, manage your hormones, and bring out your best looks". Based on Chinese Medicine each season is connected to different organs in the body. Each season has a dietary, mental, and physical protocol so that by the end of four seasons you have cleansed your major organs with herbs, teas, and foods specific to each season, toning and cleansing those corresponding organs.

I advise everyone to buy their own book, especially at the current affordable rate! You won't want to loan it out either, because you'll need to reference it regularly -or when you do you will want to be sure and have it. Dare I say a bible to your health!

Admittedly, it had been a while since I had done a cleanse religiously, but menopausal symptoms were setting in with night sweats becoming tiresome (no pun intended) and kind of creepy! I was motivated to clear out my system and rid myself of a major sleep disturbance.

I pulled my book off the shelf, made a grocery list, and because Valentine’s Day was approaching and then my birthday, I decided I would do the short version of the cleanse and cycle through it a couple of times. The cleanse is based on eating, so it’s very easy.

Omitted are the classic culprits of dairy, caffeine, alcohol, or sugar, but rather the diet consists of fruits, veggies, lean protein (a vegetarian protocol is available), teas and herbs. Based on the principal that a cell does not give it up unless nutrients are coming in, the protocols are based on bringing in superfood nourishment to detox your body.

The duration is 3 days up to two weeks with a maintenance plan to follow that introduces more favorite foods. So, who can’t do anything for three days? Plus you are eating! It’s so easy and you feel so good you just naturally want to keep going, especially with the small investment in supplements.

I always suggest splitting the supplements with a friend the first time, try a 3 or 4 day cleanse, and then figure it our for yourself. Make it easy and prove to yourself how doable it is.

Like I add a little more salt than she suggests and for this past winter cleanse and I allowed myself a morning cup of very weak ceylon tea that has caffeine.

Aside from following my seasonal cleanse, internet research on my current issues led me to adding Ayurvedic herbs into the mix. I included a triphala, shatavari protocol in the morning and ashwagandha at night. (see Natural Herbal Remedy For Western Menopause) 

The first round of my winter cleanses started on a Sunday and worked wonders. My digestive issues disappeared, my body felt great, my sleep smoothed out, zero pms, and no night sweats. I broke the cleanse on a Thursday evening, took a long weekend off, then returned on the following Monday through Thursday again. I finished my round of cleanses with a three day version right before my 50th birthday. All of February went smoothly and I am still celebrating, really the rebuilding of my adrenals and kidneys. The big self nurturing protocol was rest! Minimizing stress through meditation, yoga, massage, self-care body treatments, and most importantly, as much sleep as I can possibly get, even still allowing myself to sleep in as late as possible.

As I continued researching my symptoms during this time I discovered kidney energy deficiency is one root cause of menopausal issues.  Kidney energy powers the many functions of the body. Learning this connection definitely prompted my winter cleanse!

Another organ that is important is the Liver. It’s the number one organ in terms of women’s health. The Liver meridian runs through the reproductive area, so when Liver Qi is stagnant or weak this area will be impacted. The Liver also regulates the smooth flow of blood and emotions. It’s easy to see the connection between the Liver’s role in promoting regular blood flow and menstrual health, but most women are unaware of this organ’s function when it comes to regulating emotions.

In Chinese Medicine meridians are invisible energy pathways or channels that run through the body. Our vital life energy, or "qi", is thought to flow along these meridians, and anything that disrupts the smooth flow of chi is said to cause illness. Our life essence or vital qi is stored in our kidneys and apparently the herbs that tone and support the kidney also are major bone fortifying herbs. An interesting connection when you consider low kidney qi is common to menopause and osteoporosis occurs in menopause and the latter years. Since the skeletal system controls the endocrine system this seems to be the connection with the particular herbs prescribed for bone fortifying and menopausal symptoms that I write about in my blog Natural Herbal Remedy For Western Menopause.

In that blog I outline and attribute the cessation of night sweats and other symptoms I was having to the Ayurvedic and Chinese herbs I have started taking and the herbs and dietary protocol outlined in The Living Beauty Detox Program.

Here is the herbal protocol according to the seasonal diet for winter from The Living Beauty Detox Program with the addition of Ayurvedic and Chinese herbs for menopause. Hopefully, this will motivate you with an idea of the cleanse, but is no replacement for having the book as a direct resource.

​I mix 1 tsp shatavari and 1/2 tsp of triphala with a couple of ounces of hot water first thing in the morning. Shatavari is an excellent herb for cleansing the gut, like triphala, so it made sense to take them together. Before bed I take 1/2 tsp ashwagandha with a couple ounces of hot water.

Nothing iced or cold 
Breakfast- Lunch - Dinner: Cooked warmed foods from the meal plan lists - low glycemic - organic- lean proteins - veggies - warm/cooked fruit

nettle tea  - alkalanizing minerals for kidney cleansing and adrenal support  - 2 x per day
unsweetned cranberry juice mixed with a green supplement and fiber

Morning and night in teas or tinctures, capsules or as a food seasoning :
flaxseed oil - lignan-rich
juniper - diuretic/bladder infections
ginger - warming/ increases circulation in kidneys
marshmallow - sooth mucus membrane/urinary tract
horsetail -  antioxidant and anti-inflammatory/diuretic
miso and sea salt  - sodium and electrolytes assist both kidney and adrenal function. enzymes, calcium, iron
tamari - aides digestion
raw plain sauerkraut -
apple cider vinegar

A side note:  I am working with my western doctor and going to a Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioner to cross check what I am doing. I am not prescribing for you, but rather sharing my research, personal experiment, and experience using these particular herbs. Please do your own research according to your symptoms, as the information is dense and I have only included what was pertinent to me.

Oh, and now it is spring and you bet, I’m starting a liver cleanse next!

Marna Woo

I am already taking D3-k2, iodine, and magnesium on a regular basis after a mammogram scare a few years prior, and that is another pertinent story. I only mention it because those supplements are keystone building blocks to this process, as well. In the same vain as I write this blog, I wrote Needless Biopsies ~ How I changed My Mammogram And Avoided A Surgical Breast Biopsy again, sharing my experience in hope of helping others with a like situation. 

And what is this process? I’ve hustled to catch up and am learning women need to prepare for menopause. Or is it just the western woman? Just as I point out in my Needless Biopsies blog, Asian women fair differently from Western women in breast cancer statistics, as they do in menopause statistics. Apparently, the phase of menopause is relatively unknown in Asia and the Chinese and Japanese don’t have a word for it.

Menopause
The word “menopause” isn’t even in the traditional Chinese medical vocabulary. Actually, TCM calls the various symptoms that some women experience when their cycle ends simply “menstrual cycle ending symptoms.” So you may be surprised to learn that menopause is essentially a Western concept. This stage of life is a natural part of a woman’s life-cycle and is a gateway to an enriching and fulfilling time of her life. You may be surprised to learn that during this transition period a woman has a great opportunity to enhance her health. More on menopause

Reading this actually gave me hope that I could change my symptoms.

I kept researching Ayurvedic and Chinese Medicines plus menopause and kidney related sites and they all led to the same herbal recommendations for my symptoms: triphala, ashwagandha, schisandra (another Chinese herb), eucommia, and the newly introduced shatavari, dipsacus and drynaria! I really felt like I was onto a remedy with everything cross checking and relating to my symptoms. ​

​Interestingly, though, I also read studies specific to Asian and Chinese women that correlate the lack of these “menopausal symptoms” to a plant based diet high in phytoestrogens, herbs, green tea, and positive aging psychology, very unlike in the west, where American and British women suffer these “symptoms” the most while consuming more red meat, coffee, alcohol, and sugar with anti-aging self deprecation.

​Similar studies on cancer attribute the iodine rich seaweed and seafood along with phytoestrogen rich diets prevalent in Asian cultures to be the reason for a lower percentage of cancer, particularly breast cancer, in those regions as well.

So why aren’t we doing what they are doing? And are the phytoestrogens and iodine why I crave a poke bowl every day?

I was so consumed with all of this new information, I suddenly realized it was winter and the season of the kidneys and adrenals. According to my Living Beauty Detox Program book,  which is based on Chinese Medicine, it was time for a seasonal cleanse!

In Chinese Medicine meridians are invisible energy pathways or channels that run through the body. Our vital life energy, or "qi", is thought to flow along these meridians, and anything that disrupts the smooth flow of chi is said to cause illness. Our life essence or vital qi is stored in our kidneys and apparently the herbs that tone and support the kidney also are major bone fortifying herbs. An interesting connection when you consider low kidney qi is common to menopause and osteoporosis occurs in menopause and the latter years. Since the skeletal system controls the endocrine system this seems to be the connection with these particular herbs prescribed for bone fortifying and menopausal symptoms.

As of this writing it has been two months since I have experienced a night sweat and the contrast to what I was experiencing before is profound. I’ve continued this conversation with girlfriends and hear the same frustration and dismay that I had, so I’m sharing what I have discovered and how easy it has been to create a different experience.
Here is the protocol I have given myself with the side note that I am working with my western doctor and going to a Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioner to cross check what I am doing. I am not prescribing for you, but rather sharing my research, personal experiment, and RELIEF that I have found using these particular herbs. Please do your own research according to your symptoms, as the information is dense and I have only included what was pertinent to me.

Oh, and now that its spring, you bet I’m starting a liver cleanse next!

​Marna Woo


Daily Protocol, my latest recipe for success:

​I take Tri-Iodine a couple of times a week and D3 K2 daily. more info 

MORNING: 1 tsp shatavari + 1/2 tsp of triphala powders with a couple of ounces of almond milk warmed with 1 tsp raw honey and cinnamon, cardamon, ginger, cloves pinch of salt + 2 gel caps evening primrose oil.

​BEFORE BED: 1 tsp shatavari  +1/2 tsp ashwagandha powders with a couple ounces almond milk warmed with 1 tsp raw honey and cinnamon, cardamon, ginger, cloves pinch of salt + 2 gel caps evening primrose oil.

In the morning and again at some point on the day:

1 Eucommia capsule (2 x’s a day)
1/2 dropper full Teasel (dipsacus) (2 x’s a day)
1/2 dropper full Go Sui Bu (drynaria) (2 x’s a day)
2 capsules Adrenal Support capsule (eleuthero + schisandra 1 x morning)
1 teaspoon Flaxseed Oil (daily- part of the Spring Cleanse in the Living Beauty Detox Program)

In the above flaxseed link are the 50 highest natural sources to help you identify what to include in your diet (or not) depending on your preference. Many women swear by estrogen rich foods for menopause symptoms. Some medical opinions go so far as to “emphasize the need for the intake of foods containing” them because they reportedly “can take out the postmenopausal indications to a large extent” such as hot flashes (8). Whether or not they can help hormonal imbalances is something you need to discuss with your doctor before ever using them for that purpose.
Whatever your opinion on them may be, you should have a right to know if you’re eating a food with high amounts of phytoestrogens. Males are more likely to avoid them, while some females want more in their diet and others may wish to minimize or avoid consumption due to safety concerns. Unfortunately, manufacturers fail to disclose this information and U.S. labeling laws do not require or even allow it to be stated within the nutrition facts box.