The Universe is in Your Uterus

Let’s talk about a female organ that needs some attention - the uterus. Hey MEN…don’t go tip-toeing off anywhere – you are included in this conversation and need this information too. It amazes me how little is understood about the uterus; its sacred power, its connectivity to everything else in the body and how to care for it.

Much of our uterine care advice comes from a medical community, which disregards the power of the female body to regulate itself through a natural ebb and flow of hormones throughout the month.

As a species, we have gotten so far away from our raw natural state, that we see our periods as an inconvenience and our uterus as an expendable organ to be conquered and controlled rather than honored and nurtured.

I got a call from a friend the other day. She said, “I need to talk to you about something. Sex is becoming very painful. My sex drive is good. But my tissue is just so tight. I’m so uncomfortable. It is really becoming an issue, and I don’t know what to do.”

We talked some more. We talked about lubrication options, which could help to buy some time while we figure out what’s going on. And then things got interesting. I asked her, “What do you use for birth control?”

She said, “A copper IUD. I figured that it is the least invasive with no hormones.”

IUD stands for intrauterine device. Lots of women opt in for this contraceptive device based on the statement above.

I said, “Ok. You are not going to like what I have to say, but here we go. First, let’s talk about invasive. There is a foreign, metal object in your vagina. That is invasive. You already have an autoimmune disease (she has Hashimoto’s). Once again, you have a foreign object inside of your body that could elicit even more inflammation. My vagina gets tense just talking about it!” [laughter]

“Do you see that this IUD isn’t doing you any favors? I’ve even seen this argument extend to wearing contact lenses, which is a foreign object in your eye. I’ve even seen it extend to vasectomies in men. They don’t stop producing sperm when they cut the tube that carries them. The body absorbs the sperm. For some people, none of this means anything. There is little to no known impact. But for others like yourself, who already have a chronic inflammatory disease, well, it could tip the scales even further away from your favor.”

“There is no easy way to prevent what Mother Nature wants to have happen, which is get you impregnated. But making your vagina an inhospitable place with an IUD is disrupting the core of your entire being. The uterus is this open space where life happens. Out of nothing, an egg and sperm meet and make a baby. The uterus is the ultimate source of creativity and right now yours is not happy. It is inflamed.”

“We can try herbal smooth muscle relaxants. We can try nervine herbs to help relax your nervous system. We can try to moisten your vaginal tissue from the inside out with appropriate nutritional and herbal support. There are lots of options. I do not want to tell you what to do. My job is to educate. If you decide to remove it, you can always get another one. I will support you either way. I just hate chasing symptoms on people and wasting resources when there is something obvious that needs to be addressed, like a foreign object up inside your body. Obviously, I am biased [more laughter].”

She thanked me for my feedback, and I told her to call me if she needed anything else.

Whew! What would she decide to do?

Within 48 hours she made an appointment to remove the IUD, and I received this text message:

“Holy shit! Just left the doctor’s office and I swear to God it feels like this dark cloud has lifted. It’s like my vagina just took a deep breath of fresh air, ha ha! I had no idea it would be so immediate and noticeable.”

She had her IUD for 21 months before taking it out. Then, a few days later, I get this message:

“Light bulb moment! I would bet money that my iritis was an inflammatory response to the IUD. It started shortly after having the IUD put in and nothing I did diet wise seemed to keep it at bay.”

So in addition to an autoimmune pattern in her body, she has had this mysterious inflammation in her eye, which is called iritis. Now, she thinks the two are connected.

Everything is connected.

You cannot imagine the joy I feel for the possibilities of this young woman’s life. She is ready for change. She is motivated. She is committed to the unfolding of her vitality. I have had this same conversation with many women. She was ready to hear it.

She gives me hope.

Ladies, your uterus is not an expendable organ. The two most unnecessary and destructive surgeries I see happening are cholecystectomies, which is the removal of the gall bladder, and hysterectomies, which is the removal of the uterus. The fact that both of these are hollow organs intrigues me. I wonder what that means, if anything. Beyond that fascination, I am pissed.

If you have had one or both of these organs removed, I am so, so sorry.

If you still have yours, do everything you can to keep them.

Women deserve better.

Just because you can live without it, does not mean that you don’t need it.

This is one of the reasons the medical system is so quick to schedule these surgeries. Technically, you can live without these organs, but my question is: CAN YOU LIVE WELL?

When women fail to honor their reproductive capacity, they fail to honor themselves.

The energetic function of your uterus is to ground you, to help you feel a connection with the earth, and to inspire your creativity. The vaginal canal is an opening for the exchange of energy into and out of the body. I am not just talking about sexual activity. I am talking about the kind of connection that reminds you that you are part of the tides and the seasons and yes, the cycles of the moon! Once again, the IUD is not going to facilitate this healthy flow of energy.

When the uterus is understood as a sacred space, we no longer feel at odds with the emotions that arise because of our menstrual cycle. The positive emotion associated with the uterus is containment. The negative emotion is histrionic, which means overly dramatic or theatrical; essentially, the opposite of containment. Both emotions are important and reveal to us secrets from our subconscious.

You know what happens right before my period? I might get sensitive. I might get weepy. I might get angry. I might not have any energy. These symptoms are not a pathology. This is the wisdom of the body at work. When my estrogen and progesterone start to drop, my body has to adapt to that. Sometimes it doesn’t adapt all that well, and what gets revealed to me is what I am overlooking in my day-to-day life. All of a sudden, I can’t contain myself as well I could earlier in the month. At this point, my life shows itself to me. The things I have ignored, I can’t ignore anymore.

These insights are painful gifts.

Maybe I need to get more sleep this coming month.

Maybe I need to eat better foods this coming month.

Maybe I need to have that hard conversation with my spouse, co-worker, boss, family member, or friend that I have been avoiding.

You don’t want to make your menstrual cycle go away. You want to harness the power it brings each month. Use it to learn about yourself. Use it to connect with the moon. If your menstrual cycle disables you, then get to work on your self-care. You need support. On the other end of the spectrum, you may not have a menstrual cycle. That is another kind of problem, and you need help, too.

The emotional expression around a woman's period is raw. It is primal and often uncomfortable. Instead of making it wrong or viewing it as a weakness, I think women and men would be far better off to embrace it and look for its wisdom.

We can either think…I am a beacon of light and truth when my menstrual cycle comes along. What will I learn about myself and life this month?

Or...

I shouldn't feel so strongly or be so weepy or be so angry or be so irritated. What is wrong with me?

I think the first perspective is much more empowering. Don't fight it; lean into it.

Let’s examine another method of birth control: The Pill. Women’s hormones are cycling all month long. In the first half of the cycle, estrogen is high. As a hormone of proliferation, it builds the endometrial lining of the uterus. Then, the woman ovulates, and egg white-like vaginal discharge appears, marking the beginning of the second half of the cycle. Next, progesterone takes over, which helps to hold onto the endometrial lining, making sure your uterus is a nice, soft space for an egg and sperm to unite and make a baby. If pregnancy does not happen, then the estrogen and progesterone both drop and the woman has her period, effectively shedding the lining.

That’s the simple story. The menstrual cycle is very complex. The thing to know about hormones is that they exert powerful influences in the body in very small amounts, and they all affect each other.

Everything is connected.

Now that you understand, the ups and downs of hormones and how they dance together with all the other hormones, you understand why The Pill is a horrific intervention:

It takes this glorious cycle out of the equation and introduces a flat line of hormones.

It removes the essence of what it means to be a woman. It introduces male energy to the body. Let a man be a man. I want women to be women.

What I mean by that is that your menstrual cycle isn’t something that holds you back in life. It is NOT an inconvenience. It is something to celebrate – these are your reproductive years! And this cycle you live with, that resides inside you, makes you strong. It makes you adaptable to change. It’s wonderful!

But The Pill, an IUD, or an hysterectomy are NOT viable solutions. While it may make your symptoms go away, it is driving your imbalance deeper…and deeper!

I said this earlier and it is worth repeating: the universe is in the uterus; the empty space where the possibility to new life resides. Please respect and preserve this sacred space.

So here's my primer on how to take care of your uterus...

There are targeted nutritional and herbal solutions that can help you. There are dietary and lifestyle changes that can help you. You have options, but they require your participation.

My number one nutritional supplement for supporting the health of the uterus is from Standard Process. It is called Utrophin PMG, which is available through qualified health professionals. This supplement comes from the traditional wisdom of ‘like restores like’, meaning that our ancestors believed that if you had a problem with a specific tissue, then you need to eat it. This is still true today.

My number one herb for the health of the uterus is Rubus idaeus, also knowns as raspberry leaf. Many herbs have an affinity for specific tissues or organs. This is something that our ancestors figured out and is often observable. That is what is useful to me - observable phenomenon, observable changes. Raspberry helps the uterus be a better uterus. A few years ago, I suffered from menstrual cramps. After a few months taking raspberry leaf, my cramps subsided.

For thousands of years, women have also employed this herb to ensure healthy childbirth. I drank raspberry tea every day when I was pregnant. The easiest means of consuming it is in a teabag from Traditional Medicinals. Consume 4 teabags every day, steeped overnight in a quart of hot water, for the best extraction. Traditional Medicinals teas are available at most health food stores, and you can refer to my previous blog about herbal medicine for more information and resources on this topic.

And if you have feelings to coldness, add a little ginger to your raspberry tea. Sometimes all the uterus needs is a little bit more blood flow, and she will feel much better. Once again, herbs have different affinities in the body and ginger likes to support the health of the pelvic floor, which includes the uterus.

If birth control is your main focus...

Outside of creating hormonal imbalance and an inflammatory cascade, well, like I said earlier, it is hard to prevent what Mother Nature has wired us for. On that basis, my advice is simple: don’t have sex unless you are prepared to have a child. Another way to say it, there is no such thing as casual sex. Any act of creation is sacred, and birthing a child is at the top of the heap.

The two most non-invasive and viable forms of birth control are family planning and condoms. I like Katie Singer’s work – gardenoffertility.com. This is win-win because whe teaches a woman how to embrace her menstrual cycle, know herself in a new, refreshing way and understand how her fertility works. It just requires participation and presence, which are wonderful ways of being that will seep into every aspect of your life. As far as condoms go, what a small price to pay.

If you are intrigued by the possibility of investing in uterine care, I recommend a woman here in Austin named Michelle Brown who can teach you how to care for your uterus, if you still have one. She can help you repair and heal, if it has been damaged. She can help you grieve your loss, if your uterus is gone. Whatever your phase in life, she can bring honor to you and your uterus. She specializes in Mayan Abdominal Massage, among other techniques. Michelle travels to Belize to study and is committed to her craft.

Barbara Christman is another woman I highly respect and I wouldn’t get a vaginal exam from anyone else. She is the female embodiment of Mother Earth; kind, gentle and knowledgeable.

If you doubt what I have said so far, or if it interests you, then you will want to read Mothering From Your Center by Tami Lynn Kent. It could just as well be titled living from your center. Tami specializes in holistic pelvic care, and Barbara Christman has trained with her.

I love these women and what they bring to the world and what they stand for, which is healing the female form. I am so happy to share them with you.

My hope is that after reading this, you will never look at a uterus in the same way. When you hear the word, you will think: universe. The universe is in the uterus. Love it. Respect it. Cherish it. Beyond that, get the help you need for true, deep healing. You’re worth it.

Eat in Peace. Live in Peace.

Love,

Charlotte

Charlotte's Digest: A Book Review on "Strong Medicine"

“We humans have always been and always will be interested in two vital things: food and reproduction. In this country food and reproduction seem to be quite similar in two respects – the quantity is too high and the quality too low.” –Dr Blake Donaldson from Strong Medicine, 1962, p201

Last year, I was privileged to attend the PaleoFX conference here in Austin. I had never heard Dr. Michael Eades speak before, who is a well-known medical doctor and author of Protein Power, so my husband and I went to one of his lectures. In his talk, he mentioned a book titled Strong Medicine by Blake F. Donaldson. He identified it as a very influential book in his life. I was intrigued and of course, added it to my Amazon cart. Now I know why Dr Eades recommended it.

Strong Medicine was published in 1962 at the latter end of the author’s life. He wrote of how interns would encourage him to write down his experiences, realizing that:

“When opportunities have been great in medicine some sort of accounting of stewardship is in order. It isn’t right to have so much of what you think you have learned die with you (p10).”

I agree, which I why I feel compelled to draw attention to his work.

Dr. Donaldson was a medical doctor in New York in the early 1900s. His calling was to find a solution to obesity, which he felt was the underlying cause of cardiovascular disease. He accomplished this through a controversial dietary intervention of a half a pound of fatty meat per meal with a half a cup of black coffee, only drinking water between meals, and a 30-minute walk upon waking.

Intriguing, yes?

Well, I think so because I happen to love eating fatty meat, and a good cup of coffee isn’t far behind. I cannot tell you how much I enjoyed reading his clinical adventures with this diet. He started out using the diet for obesity, but then shortly thereafter, others found him: cases of allergies, osteoarthritis, gall bladder disease, and my personal favorite, a desperate mother whose son had severe eczema. He was about to refer her to a “specialist” when she said something to the effect of, “I’ve already been to see everyone else in town. I want to work with you.” And yes, he gave it a try, which proved to be successful.

Wouldn’t it be revolutionary to our medical system if research actually started with clinical experience versus what is happening now where biased research ends up dictating the clinical practice?

Dr. Donaldson admits that he is not a writer (and that is obvious), but it doesn't matter. His observations are clear, astute, and very useful. Once you get past his racial slurs and misogynistic comments, which are both simply signs of times past, this book is filled with pearls of wisdom. In fact, his honesty and frankness are extremely entertaining. There was plenty of nights reading when my husband would ask me: what are you giggling about? Well, I think you will see. At any rate, here are more than a few of the pearls of wisdom that stand out to me from this book:

#1 “I had learned that many of the troubles in life can be walked off (p24).”

Being a doctor in wartime shaped Dr. Donaldson’s view. At one point he had to manage traumatized soldiers. Most of them fully recovered with a walking routine. Since summers in Texas are HOT, I was inspired to take on Dr. Donaldson’s recommended morning walk. Not only is it good for our marriage and our son, our sleep quality has noticeably improved. We are both going to sleep easier and waking up earlier, fully rested and more alert than we had been historically. After just a few days, I found myself looking forward to our walk when I was getting ready for bed. Be honest with yourself: do you go to bed looking forward to tomorrow morning? I do and here’s what I had highlighted in the book and forgotten about:

“There is nothing that is much good for sleeplessness but a thirty-minute walk before breakfast. Usually you’ll find that after you have done that morning walk five times, you will sleep deeply on the fifth night (p123).”

It is a simple intervention, but definitely not easy. It requires self-discipline.

There is more. He also relates the positive effects of a morning walk on the person with allergic physiology:

“Of all the things you are told to do the management of allergy, this thirty-minute walk is the most important (p150).

Well, I also happen to have a history and current tendency toward allergies, and as I reflect on the past months of taking this early morning walk, I have to say that I am feeling really well. Less sneezing fits, less intermittent achiness and fatigue that can accompany my allergies, and definitely a happier, more content woman, wife, mother, and daughter. All from a 30-minute morning walk!? I dunno. Maybe.

#2 “Bread isn’t the staff of life in these times. Rather it is the staff of death” (p123).

I do not feel the need to elaborate on this point. It says it all.

On second thought, I do have one comment to make. The quality of our entire food supply has declined dramatically since Dr. Donaldson was in medical practice, but particularly when it comes to bread. The gluten content has increased making wheat even harder to digest. Genetic modification of grains is common practice now. If this doesn't concern you, it should: genetically modified foods destroy our environment, food supply, and health. Last but not least, the presence of chemicals like glyphosate, which is an herbicide thought to play a role in Autism and non-celiac gluten sensitivity (NCGS), dramatically increase the toxicity of most flours. So my question is: what would Dr. Donaldson say now about bread? Is there another way to refer to bread that is more dramatic than “the staff of death?” My guess is that he would have found a way.

#3 “Much of the concern shown over nutrition has been with vitamin deficiency. In this country the real deficiency state is not due to lack of vitamins but to a lack of amino acids. We must get enough of these essential amino acids to keep our body cells in a state of good repair….From what I have observed, a half pound of meat per meal is the minimum quantity needed to maintain the work of repair of body cells." (p35).

Another dramatic statement, but what if, it’s true? I know in my clinical work, I rarely see people consuming adequate protein. Sometimes my only recommendation to a client is to add a serving of animal protein at each meal. They report back to me that they feel better and have more energy. In my own personal experience I certainly feel increased vitality eating a large portion of meat three times per day and a predictable decline in my well being when I do not abide by this. I am sure many of you are thinking that his assertions are absurd. Just remember that he is not dealing with healthy patients, right? In their states of obesity and chronic inflammation, their metabolism is deranged and requires a drastic intervention, hence the title of the book Strong Medicine. Here is what he says about the 25% of patients who fail his program:

“They give up because the prescription of simple living is medicine too strong for them to take. What they really want is to buy some miracle drug that will enable them to live in carefree fashion. But nature does not stoop to miracles.”

For many people, it is good to remember that abstinence is best, in terms of diet and beyond. Abstinence is the only effective path of many alcoholics and drug addicts. Did you know that your brain gets more of a dopamine hit from sugar than cocaine? I can see how Dr Donaldson’s approach would be extraordinary for those struggling with carbohydrate dependency and food allergies, which both contribute to binging and weight gain.

#4 My personal favorite:

“If [my dietary] theory is sound, the emphasis in medical teaching should be changed, along with the eating and shopping habits of the nation. Any book that is written about the simple aspects of medicine should concern itself with the mental processes of the little woman pushing a cart through the country’s shopping centers. What she buys, or doesn’t buy, can make manufacturers tremble and governments totter. In her hands lies the health of the nation. When she uses bad judgment in the kitchen the results are manifest in the office (p6).”

I could certainly criticize his delivery, but come on, admit it…he’s RIGHT! We vote with our dollars every day. When you buy any food, you are saying that it is ok. Fast food and sodas, for example, exist because we want them to! We would have a completely different food supply if consumers were educated and took Dr. Donaldson’s words seriously. As a mother who controls the food in our household, I walk the aisles of grocery stores and farmer’s market with my head high. I know my power as a purchaser.

Again, he states: “I just want to emphasize that the housewife, with her power of the purse and her way of preparing her purchases, controls our destiny” (p235).

#5 “Lettuce is one of the hardest foods to digest that is known” (p231).

When I ask many of my clients what a healthy meal looks like, they will often say, “You know, salad with some veggies and maybe some chicken or fish with a light dressing.” I feel a combination of excitement and dismay when I hear this. Excitement because this person’s world of food is going to open up in a magical way and dismay because people still believe this.

Lettuce is a very cold food, which for some people may not be a desirable meal. Traditional Chinese Medicine and Ayurvedic Medicine both speak to the fact that a healthy digestive tract is hot. We want to stoke our digestive fire, not put it out with ice water and cold foods. Some people may thrive on salads, but for those of us who do not, feel the freedom of listening to your body – what may be good for one person, may not be good for another. Salads included.

Many people see lettuce leaves in their stool and it’s not just about inadequately chewing; it is difficult for the body to digest! I am thrilled that Dr Donaldson acknowledges the shadow side of salad in his work. It has not gotten enough attention in the field of nutrition. Stewed leafy greens, like collard greens, kale, and dandelion leaves with bacon and chicken broth, are much more nutritious and easier to digest than a salad.

These are just a few of the valuable insights that I gained from reading this book. I do hope they are somehow useful to you.

And for your amusement:

I failed to mention that he calls his secretary in his office to write a letter of instruction to his patients. He freely shares those letters in his book – talk about a straight shooter! The wisdom and humor in these letters are nothing short of splendid. I cannot help but share one portion of a conversation he was having with a difficult patient. Her husband was sick, and she was resistant to change:

“There is an old military axiom that when you are in trouble it is better to attack. So I fired both barrels… ‘Irritating ‘new’ food and drink [defined as anything that has come up in the past eight thousand years (p175)] are cramping the blood vessels in your husband’s brain. Some American men are being slowly slaughtered by lazy and ignorant housewives…In the first place keep this in mind. If your husband has more than one inch of loose fat on his lower abdomen, measured between fingers, expect him to die fifteen years before his appointed time. You won’t enjoy life as a widow. For that reason I want you to keep flour off the table” (p190-1).

Who needs to be tactful when you are a beacon of truth and light?

I feel the need to clarify two additional pieces:

First, I do think that a HUGE part of the success of Dr Donaldson’s dietary intervention has to do with what his patients did NOT eat on this diet. Food allergies, the most common being dairy, wheat, corn and soy, play a significant role in chronic inflammatory diseases. However you go about avoiding these foods will likely increase your vitality in an amazing way. For example, the other day I was talking to my friend who just happened to have recently adopted a vegan-ketogenic diet. She is feeling great and so is her boyfriend. I am happy for her, but I do not think the diet is the cause of her well-being. It is what she is not eating that is having a positive impact. I do believe that a diet based on animal proteins, along with organs and glands, vegetables, berries, nuts, seeds, and good quality fats is a sustainable way to eat that promotes vitality long term.

Second, there is some concern over how this approach would affect our microbiota. Microbiota is the latest technical word to describe the bacteria living in our gut. With the removal of plant foods from the diet, the bacteria no longer have fiber to eat (often called prebiotics in the supplement industry), and there is a noted decline in diversity, which has been shown to be a very important factor in the health of our microbiome (as a side note, antibiotics have played a more detrimental role here than any dietary intervention ever would). The microbiome is a VERY lively field of study right now. But when I stop and think about it, there were periods of time when our ancestors didn’t have any plant foods to consume. Dr. Weston A Price documents in his book Nutrition & Physical Degeneration that some Native Americans in Canada ate nothing but deer for six months out of the year, and they thrived on their traditional diet. As is usually the case with diet, it is complex, and there is a lot we don’t know.

Dr. Donaldson also addresses the dangers vaccinations and lowering cholesterol, which apparently were also a concern fifty-three years ago. Fancy that, Dr. Donaldson was ahead of his time. He faced opposition in his field, stuck to his guns, and wrote about his life’s work in this book. He is indeed one of my nutritional heroes, and I am grateful his book crossed my Eating in Peace path.

Thanks for coming along this book review journey with me.

Eat in Peace!

Love,

Charlotte