A stress-free time doesn’t take away…
Difficult stage, meet your match! A trained herbalist specializing in women’s health, Natasha Richardson has helped hundreds of people with PMS, painful periods, persistent fatigue and chronic stress restore their menstrual health to their health. surname.
After long suffering Stage As the pain severely affected her life and was ignored by the medical profession, she discovered the amazing pain-relieving properties of the botanical pharmacy on her doorstep.
Natasha went on to create Forage Botanicals, a business specifically aimed at helping menstruating women reduce and manage stress and symptoms of pregnancy. Stage pain and other menstrual cycle problems through health coaching, education, and natural remedies.
Her powerful guide Your cycle notebook draws on her personal experience with menstrual cramps and her clinical expertise to educate you on everything you never knew about your period, provides a comprehensive overview of related herbs and their uses.
From reconnecting with your cycle to understanding the impact of chronic stress on your hormones, Natasha offers her expert insight, practical tips, and herbal tips to control heavy bleeding and pain, with a little help from mother nature.
Q: Hi Natasha! First, we would like to know more about who you are, what do you do as a trained medical herbalist and why did you start Forage Botanicals?
Hi! I’m a feminist, mom and to-dos. I trained in herbal medicine at Lincoln University, qualifying in 2010 after 3 years of training and 500 hours of patient contact. I recently graduated from Oxford University after studying for a master’s degree in Design History, where I researched medical objects that have changed the modern female body, such as the speculum and the birth control pill. I struggled with very painful periods when I was in my first college, through my research with herbal medicine I was able to get rid of the pain on my own within 6 months, the results then I repeat with your own patient. I began to notice clear patterns among my patients, similarities in triggers and beneficial herbs. After years of seeing results with specific herbs, I decided to bring the blend I was creating to market, which is how Forage Botanicals was born. We now offer products along with one-on-one treatments with professional herbalists.
Q: What are your top tips and natural home remedies for menstrual cramps?
The water heater is my choice, the simplest and most effective. We have a product in our line called Moon Time Belly Balm, which we created for menstrual cramps, uses cooling mint and majaroam to help relieve cramps and they are great together. If pain increases, orgasm can give you instant relief and natural endorphins kick in. Also, taking anti-inflammatory supplements like evening primrose oil or fish oil can also help, we recommend taking them daily for at least a month to make a difference.
Q: Can holistic treatments help manage conditions like Endometriosis, Fibroids, PCOS, and Adenomyosis?
Yes, I have treated all of these conditions in my practice, working to control triggers and symptoms. Typically Fibroids and PCOS take 6 months to treat and once you know how to manage the condition, you should see results consistently. Meanwhile, with our Endo and Adeno patients, longer-term treatment is often required because the condition can be reactive and flare.
Q: How can we reconnect and restore our menstrual cycle?
The number one way is to track your cycle. Track not only your menstrual flow but also how you feel, along with the date of your period so you can look for patterns month after month. Studies have shown that simply monitoring symptoms can improve them as it helps people see any patterns and understand them as fleeting.
Q: How can we have a ‘better’ time?
The best way to have a better period is to work hard to relax. Schedule a time to do nothing. Literally, spend time in your journal where you will say no to social activities. That is a wonderful employee. Our bodies need physical, emotional, and sensory rest. If this is challenging, and for so many of us with work and family commitments, help your body with herbs that support your unnatural stress response. Adaptogens like Ashwagandha and herbs like hawthorn and oat tops that we blend in our Restorative Latte help regulate the nervous system and promote rest.
Question: What causes heavy menstrual bleeding (medically called menorrhagia)?
There are many causes but the most common is DUB. DUB means ‘dysfunctional uterine bleeding’ and sadly no one knows what causes it. If you’re saying heavy periods are due to DUB, that might feel like a big question mark. There are also all-natural reasons for heavy periods, like perimenopause, which are important to talk about. However, just because heavy periods can have a natural cause doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do anything about it. Iron supplements can actually help, this is because when we have low iron we can bleed more easily, which then also lowers the iron levels again, which is a vicious cycle. vicious. Another reason for heavy flow is uterine fibroids, which are relatively common tumors and can be diagnosed through CT scans. Fibroids tend to be more common later in life and will most likely go away on their own when menstruation stops.
Q: What is your advice to anyone with particularly heavy or painful bleeding? Can a natural remedy help?
Anyone with particularly heavy periods should try an iron supplement such as Floradix. I also created our aunt Flo drinking chocolate to boost your iron during and after your period, a good chocolate for you, what else is there to say? Painful periods also require long-term stress relief, an anti-inflammatory diet, and pain relief throughout the day.
Q: Our cycles can often provide the most insight into what is going on with our overall health and wellbeing. What are some cycle ‘red flags’ to watch out for when tracking your cycle?
Any sudden change is a big red flag and we recommend you check in to see your GP.
Q: In your book Cycle Handbook, you explore the effects of stress on our hormonal balance and health. How does stress affect our menstrual cycle and how can we ensure that we are living in a way that works for our cycle, rather than against it? Have we really lost touch with the concept of relaxation?
In ten years of working with patients, stress is to blame for the number of painful episodes we experience over and over again. Prolonged and high levels of cortisol in the body can affect everything from missed periods to worsening PMS symptoms and worsening menstrual pain. Our bodies are struggling to keep up with our busy lifestyles in ways we are only just beginning to realize. Fortunately, herbs can help better equip our bodies to adapt to stress and reset, but ultimately we need to redefine our rest regimen. Our bodies need not only a physical rest, but a sensory break from screens and devices to recalibrate. Good quality sleep is also extremely important as it is where we reset our whole body and heal the wounds of the day. Rest can be one of the hardest things to do for yourself with daily demands and productivity guilt, but we really need it.
Q: There is a long history of eliminating women’s pain in the medical profession, it is frequently underdiagnosed and treated, and we know you sadly have firsthand experience of this. there. What can people who are going through something similar do to advocate for themselves?
I sometimes joke that the best thing to do is bring a white middle-class man with you to talk, but that’s absolutely not advisable. To advocate for yourself, you first need boundaries and knowledge of what you think is okay and not acceptable. To stick to those boundaries, you have to feel strong right away and sometimes, when you’re in pain, haven’t been able to sleep, etc. you just can’t do this for yourself, so take a friend to one. appointment for assistance. In addition, taking notes, recording symptoms, and tracking cycles can give you information your doctor may ask of you.
Q: We realize it has to be like picking a favorite kid but… do you like a particular herb/flower?
Lady’s Mantle has to be my favorite, it has a rich history in women’s health and opened up to me for the first time in the power of herbs to help balance hormones.
Q: What was your final self-care routine?
Without a doubt, I am taking a break and taking time for myself to reflect on life. I like to do it in the bath, or go for a walk in nature.
Q: What does a healthy period mean to you?
I’ve been on a mission to raise awareness of the happiness menstruation will shape my entire life, so I guess it must mean a lot. Personally, I find that menstrual well-being is central to my healthy lifestyle, and that helps me keep up with the habits I’ve set in place.
