Dealing with Irregular Menstrual Cycles the Ayurvedic Way

Dealing with irregular menstrual cycles can be a struggle. In my practice I see some very common mistakes being made every day in the treatment of symptoms and disease. It is easy enough to suppress the symptoms with pharmaceuticals, but instead the underlying cause isn’t addressed and will usually fester in the physiology and create a greater disturbance in the long run. Let’s look at some of these common mistakes. Irregular or skipped menstrual cycles. If you constantly skip your cycle or if it comes too frequently, you will most likely be put on birth control pills to regulate your cycle. The truth is, they are just creating breakthrough bleeding during the week you take the placebo pills, giving you a false sense of security that your hormones are balanced since the cycle appears to be regular. And now you have to deal with the consequences of taking these highly toxic synthetic hormones. What needs to be addressed are numerous reasons WHY your hormones are out of balance, of which there are usually more than one and are different for each person. These issues could be various problems stemming from dietary insufficiencies, problems with late bedtime or stress weakening the delicate glandular system, or a weak thyroid depressing progesterone production, among others. When you identify and fix these problems the whole endocrine system rebalances and the menstrual cycle returns on its own, without the intervention of a very dangerous drug. This is the true art of practicing medicine. Let’s not forget that the body is fully capable of healing itself once you identify what is throwing it out of balance. Don’t be lulled into chasing symptoms around the body. Always fix the REASON for the symptom. While each person has specific dietary needs, in general, most people have some form of vata imbalance. To balance vata, look toward your diet. Balancing vata may be helpful in dealing with irregular menstrual cycles. Basics of a balanced diet: Food should be fresh, well-cooked, tasty, pleasing, and satisfying. Take your meals regularly, at the proper time – morning, noon, and evening. Eat the proper amounts of food at each meal, avoid over- or undereating. You should feel hungry by the next meal, but not ravenous. Snack a bit between meals as long as it does not dampen the feeling of hunger by your next meal. Eat in a quiet, relaxing environment. Favor organically grown foods and avoid genetically modified foods (GMO’s). In general, diet is a self-referral process. When you eat, listen to your body and be quietly alert to how you feel over the next 12 hours and adjust your diet accordingly. Remember that your body also responds differently to foods during the different seasons, so you can adjust your diet seasonally. Times to favor a Vata-balancing diet may be during Vata season (autumn-winter; cold, dry, windy, and changing weather); in old age (as we age, Vata increases in our bodies, so we can follow a Vata-balancing diet if this brings comfort); and in case of a Vata imbalance in the physiology. Read more at MAPI.com. For more diet tips, click here to read about inflammation and the foods we eat.