MENOPAUSE AND BEYOND
The Wise Woman Way
Susun S. Weed
ABSTRACT
The Wise Woman tradition seeks to heal the whole individual.
The primary techniques involve nourishing the woman through
storytelling, simple ceremony, and dietary herbs. The “myster-
ies” of a woman’s body—puberty, menstruation, pregnancy,
lactation, and menopause—are seen as times of power and
growth. Menopause is an opportunity for conscious change,
not a disease to be treated. q 1999 by the American College
of Nurse-Midwives.
The joy of menopause is the world’s best-kept secret. . . . In
order to claim that joy a woman must be willing to pass
beyond the monsters who guard its gate. As you stand at the
brink of it, it can appear that only darkness, danger and
decay lie beyond. [But] . . . as thousands of women from all
cultures throughout history have whispered to each other, it
is the most exciting passage a woman ever makes (1).
“Menopause is mystery. Menopause is power,”
whisper the women.
Modern medicine sees no mystery, no power. Meno-
pause is failure, “estrogen-deficiency” (2). Osteoporosis
and heart disease inevitably follow. Hormone replace-
ment is required.
“Menopause is mystery. Menopause is power,”
whisper the women.
Alternative medicine acknowledges the mystery, even
gives a nod to the power, but the message is the same:
Menopause is a problem; women need to replace miss-
ing hormones (3).
“Menopause is mystery. Menopause is power,”
whisper the women.
There is another viewpoint. One that does not see
supplemental hormones as a useful or healthy. One that
does not see women as victims of menopause. It is called
the Wise Woman tradition. From this view, menopause
is seen as normal, healthy, and sacred—not just for
Address correspondence to Susun S. Weed, P.O. Box 64, Wood-
stock, NY 12498.
*DISCLAIMER: The information in this article is shared with the
understanding that every woman is unique and ultimately responsible
for her own health and well-being. The action of every remedy is
unique. Health care is full of variables. The result of any treatment
suggested herein cannot always be anticipated and never guaranteed.
The author and publisher are not responsible for any adverse effects or
consequences resulting from the use of any remedies, procedures, or
preparations included in this article.
Journal of Nurse-Midwifery • Vol. 44, No. 3, May/June 1999
q 1999 by the American College of Nurse-Midwives
Issued by Elsevier Science Inc.
women, but for society as a whole. The focus is on
nourishing the whole woman, supporting her ability to
produce the hormones she needs, rather than offering
so-called replacements. Menopausal women are encour-
aged to honor and respect their changing bodies and to
use menopause as a time for intense introspection and
personal growth. Postmenopausal women are under-
stood to be critical to the health of the culture. Meno-
pause is seen not as a disease but as a survival advantage.
“[It is not only] among the biological traits essential for
making us human. [It also] may explain why we took over
the planet (4).”
“Menopause is mystery. Menopause is power.”
whisper the women.
The wonder then is not that estrogen is the most widely-
prescribed drug in the United States but that 85 percent of
the 37 million postmenopausal women want nothing to do
with the stuff (5).
American women are demanding a natural approach
to menopause. The Wise Woman tradition offers a
unique approach, one that not only eases symptoms, but
also empowers women. The herbal treatments* and
Wise Woman stories in this article are not strict protocols
and resist reduction to “active principles.” They repre-
sent the cumulative insights of our foremothers, women
who were deeply intuitive, immersed in day-to-day prac-
tice, and in tune with women’s multifaceted needs. They
are meant to be applied to individual women in unique
and ever-changing ways.
In this article, as in the Wise Woman tradition, the
term “menopause” or “menopausal years” refers to the
entire period of change—from the first signs of meno-
pause until a year after the last menses. The current
terms—perimenopause for the years preceding the last
flow and menopause meaning only the last blood—
diminish the power of menopause. In contrast, there is
no “peripuberty,” and it is understood that puberty is
much more than the first menses.
NOURISHING WOMEN THROUGH MENOPAUSE
AND BEYOND
In the Wise Woman tradition good health is flexibility,
openness to change, availability to transformation, and
groundedness. We nourish health/wholeness/holiness in
each individual, ever aware of each person as holographi-
267
0091-2182/99/$20.00 • PII S0091-2182(99)0056-7
 cally related to family/community/universe, in spiraling,
ever-changing completeness. Problems become doorways
of transformation (6).
The Wise Woman tradition is the world’s oldest form of
healing. It involves nourishing the wholeness of each
unique individual and integrates physical, symbolic, spir-
itual, psychological, emotional, sexual, and ecologic
components in the person as well as the community.
The Wise Woman tradition offers women an oppor-
tunity to find out what is right about menopause as well
as simple, safe ways to nourish themselves. The primary
techniques used are simple ceremonies, the addition of
common dooryard weeds to the daily diet, and compas-
sionate listening.
This article suggests a variety of simple ceremonies
useful for menopausal women and discusses food-like
herbs that are generally considered safe in any quantity
for all women, including pregnant and lactating women.
Knowledge of exact dosages, contraindications, and
active constituents of the herbs used in this article is
relatively unimportant. Even beginners can safely use
nourishing and tonifying green allies.
Compassionate listening allows women to tell their
stories without interference or interruption and to hear
stories that reveal the benefits and powers of meno-
pause. Compassionate listening creates a space where
women feel safe to change their stories about themselves
and about menopause.
To help women change their stories about meno-
pause, the Wise Woman tradition offers several points of
information and paradigm shifts: 1) menopause is an-
other puberty, 2) estrogen is not one, but many hor-
mones, 3) menopausal women produce a lot of hor-
mones, 4) menopause is metamorphosis, 5) menopause
is enlightenment and hot flashes are kundalini, 6) adrenal
stress contributes to night sweats, 7) liver-strengthening
herbs are vital during menopause, 8) menopause pro-
motes health and prolongs life, 9) menopause is not an
artifact of technology, 10) every woman needs a butterfly
collection, 11) menopause improves survival for all, 12)
mineral-rich herbs and phytoestrogens promote healthy
bones, breasts and hearts, 13) soy products can increase
Susun S. Weed was educated at UCLA and is an internationally
recognized herbalist. She has written four books and numerous
articles in a wide variety of publications. She has been a featured
speaker at professional meetings and conferences around the
world, and has formally taught herbal medicine at universities in
the United States and abroad. She is the founder of the Wise
Woman Center and editor-in-chief of Ash Tree Publishing. She
has been honored as an International Peace Elder and as an
Outstanding Thinker of the 20th Century. She has mentored
hundreds of aspiring wise women herbalists and continues to do
so.
268
osteoporosis and hasten memory loss, and, 14) vegeta-
ble fats can promote heart disease and breast cancer.
Menopause: Another Puberty
Puberty and menopause are mysteries that every woman
experiences. Puberty seems to be about beginnings and
menopause about endings, but both encompass death
and birth, loss and emergence. Puberty is the end of the
child (maiden) and the beginning of the fertile woman
(mother), whereas menopause is the end of the mother
and the beginning of the wise elder (crone). Puberty and
menopause are both necessary for maturation, and both
are times of physical, emotional, and spiritual upheaval.
The physical and emotional symptoms of menopause
and puberty are quite similar. During both, it is common
for women to experience months or years of erratic
menses. During both, hormones are produced erratically
and can aggravate breast tenderness, menstrual pain,
acne, and emotional sensitivity. Everything seems out of
control. The hair on the body changes. Fat fills in
breasts, hips, buttocks, and thighs; curves replace an-
gles. Depression, self-loathing, suicidal thoughts, body
image distortions, and anxiety may occur—for some,
only fleetingly, for others, with agonizing persistence.
Our deepest beliefs may come into question.
The women’s mystery stories tell us that both puberty
and menopause require the giving up of a known
state-of-being. Self-perceptions must yield to undeniable
physical changes. This can be unsettling, even frighten-
ing. We may not be ready for the responsibilities of our
new power. Just as the girl becomes the fertile woman at
puberty but may feel too young to be a mother, the fertile
woman becomes the grandmother after menopause but
may not feel she is yet a wise old crone.
Simple ceremonies, such as burying a teddy bear or
our last menstrual pads, help mark puberty and meno-
pause in our memories and help us claim their potential
powers. And nourishing herbs, such as oatstraw, nettle,
comfrey, motherwort, dandelion, burdock, or vitex are
allies for easing the transitions through puberty or meno-
pause.
Estrogen is Not One, But Many Hormones
Estrogen is really a family of hormones. It’s not estro-
gen, but estrogens. Women produce estrogens after
menopause. Estradiol, a potent estrogen produced by
the ovaries—and strongly linked to breast cancer (7)—
decreases at menopause, but estrone, produced primar-
ily in the body’s fat stores, increases.
Ovaries do not “die” or “wither” or stop making
hormones after menopause. In fact, according to Ger-
maine Greer, the cells in the ovaries that produce
estrogen and progesterone during the fertile years are
Journal of Nurse-Midwifery • Vol. 44, No. 3, May/June 1999
gradually replaced by active stromal cells that produce
androgens during and after menopause (8).
Women without their ovaries are not without estro-
gens. Fat cells and adrenal glands produce estrogens
such as estrone and estriol (9). With healthy weight gain,
strong adrenals and liver, and a diet that contains
adequate cholesterol (the starting material in the body for
these estrogens) (10), most women produce plenty of
estrogen after menopause.
Menopausal Women Produce A Lot of Hormones
Most women consider menopause to be a time of fewer
hormones. The Wise Woman story is exactly the oppo-
site: menopausal women have exceptionally high levels
of hormones. As estradiol levels drop during meno-
pause, luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle stimulating
hormone (FSH) levels increase 30%–50% (11). Estrone
rises and androgens may show a relative increase as well.
When the Wise Woman tradition shifts the para-
digm—attributing menopausal symptoms to difficulties
in dealing with an increased hormone load, rather than
lack of estrogen—the essential nature of treatment for
menopausal women changes. Hormone-rich herbs, such
as wild yam, dong quai, and soy products, are not
recommended for menopausal women as they may
increase symptoms and require care in their use. Miner-
al-rich herbs, recommended in the Wise Woman tradi-
tion to compensate for minerals lost in sweaty flashes, to
help provide the minerals needed for hormone produc-
tion, and to protect the heart and the bones, are safely
used even by novices. A diet higher in protein and fat
may also be needed, as hormone production requires
proteins and lipids; and, because metabolizing extra
amounts of hormones puts a stress on the liver (a similar
mechanism can cause morning sickness in early preg-
nancy), tonifying herbs, such as dandelion, milk thistle,
burdock, and yellow dock, are considered safe and
effective allies for all menopausal women.
Menopause is Metamorphosis
“Do not become alarmed when you experience yourself in
totally new ways,” sighs Grandmother Growth tenderly.
“You are changing, getting ready for a new birth, getting
ready to be initiated into the third stage of your life as
woman. Your wise blood and your wise hormones are
shifting in their courses. Are you ready for the ride of your
life?” (12)
To the Wise Woman, menopause is not merely the
cessation of menses, but the birth of a new woman. It is
a change that is one of the greatest of women’s myster-
ies. To the Wise Woman, menopause is not a single
event, but a process occurring over many years. The
“mother” body/mind, which has been menstruating
Journal of Nurse-Midwifery • Vol. 44, No. 3, May/June 1999
regularly for decades, is slowly motivated by tremendous
endocrine changes to become the “crone” body/mind.
This is a metamorphosis, a total transformation on all
levels, like the metamorphosis of caterpillar to butterfly.
In the Wise Woman view, menopausal women go
through three phases: isolation, melt down, and re-
emergence.
The first phase is isolation. When a caterpillar is ready
to spin a cocoon, it seeks a hidden and safe place.
Following the wisdom of nature, women, too, need
solitude and isolation as their menopausal changes ac-
celerate. Isolation gives us an opportunity to try out new
ways of seeing or being, the freedom to experiment, and
the privacy needed to feel safe enough to risk changing.
Creation of solitude in the context of daily life is
difficult for menopausal women who are trying to juggle
multiple responsibilities and stay in control. Simple ritu-
als, such as wearing a “mad hat” on “bad days,” or
placing a “crone’s throne” in your office, can be of
immense help. And so can letting go of control. During
menopause and puberty, a woman’s body and life really
are “out of control.” A relaxed attitude about chaos
reduces stress and may prevent severe emotional prob-
lems from developing.
In the Wise Woman tradition, taking quality alone time
during menopause is critical to a woman’s mental and
physical health. Unfortunately, both mainstream and
alternative practitioners tend to see the menopausal
woman’s need for isolation as depression. They may
interpret her attempts to create solitude as abnormal
behavior and try to “cure” that which is actually protect-
ing her.
Ceremonies that acknowledge the need for solitude
are highly recommended during phase one, as are visits
to cozy caves, saunas, and other womb-like places. Mud
baths, massages, and meditation retreats are other nour-
ishing rituals for women beginning their menopausal
journey. Herbal allies during phase one include mother-
wort tincture (like sitting in your mother’s lap), burdock
root vinegar (for deep-rooted strength), hawthorn or
rose hip tea (for protection), and oatstraw infusion (for
mellow moments of relaxation).
The second phase is meltdown, the height of change.
Cocooned in solitude, the menopausal woman comes
undone. And as the caterpillar dissolves and gives way,
anything can happen: hot flashes, panic attacks, palpi-
tations, sleeplessness, emotional swings, as well as
surges of energy, flashes of inspiration, and the deep
peaceful relief that comes when there are no responsi-
bilities except to one’s self.
The Wise Woman tradition supports the death of the
caterpillar rather than trying to save it. Herbs, such as
milk thistle, motherwort, nettle, and oatstraw, are used
to support the changes, not to delay or suppress them.
Solitude is as important as ever, allowing one the
269
freedom to respond to the symptoms of menopause in
fresh ways. Women have described riding hot flashes like
a surfer on a wave, skiing them like a snowboarder on a
fresh snowy slope, luxuriating in them like a hot bath,
enjoying them like an especially intense orgasm, and
experiencing them as a release of energy moving up and
out of the body. Instead of struggling against their
menopausal symptoms, these women became empow-
ered by them. That’s not a hot flash, it’s a power surge!
The third phase of menopause as metamorphosis is
emergence. Like a full-term baby, the fully formed
butterfly finds the cocoon too small, too tight. Time for
birth; time for rebirth; time to emerge. It may be with
ease or with difficulty. Certainly, it requires effort. The
butterfly works its way free. The woman emerges from
her solitude. She is honored with the ceremony called
Crone’s Crowning. She continues to use nourishing and
tonifying green allies—such as stinging nettle, oatstraw,
burdock, dandelion, and yellow dock—adding red clover,
comfrey leaves, horsetail, mint, and other heart-healthy,
FIGURE 1
bone-building, cancer-preventing herbs to her whole- Kundalini flow.
foods diet. She is the wise crone, here to change the
world.
As kundalini continues to travel up the spine, it changes
the functioning of the endocrine, cardiovascular, and
Menopause Is Enlightenment and Hot Flashes are
nervous systems (13), not just in yogis, but in any woman
Kundalini
who allows herself to become aware of it. Menopause is
Long-time students of yoga may be struck by the many a kind of enlightenment. Hot flashes are kundalini train-
similarities between menopausal symptoms and the well- ing sessions.
known esoteric goal “awakening of the kundalini.” Al- To understand the awakening of kundalini during
though the ideas presented in this section may seem menopause, it is necessary to look at its effects on
strange or difficult to comprehend, they contain power- women throughout their lives. Before puberty, kundalini
ful messages about menopause that lie at the heart of the is primarily outside the body. As puberty commences, a
Wise Woman approach. two-valved energy “gate” (imaginary opening) in the
“Kundalini [is] the root [of] all spiritual experienc- “root chakra” opens, and kundalini circulates up from
es . . .” (13). Kundalini is a special kind of energy known the earth and into the root chakra. See Figure 1. This
in many cultures, including Tibetan, Indian, Sumerian, allows kundalini to build up in the uterus and pelvic
Chinese, Irish, Aztec, and Greek. Kundalini is said to be tissues until it is released, usually during menstruation. As
hot, fast, powerful, and large. It exists within the earth, much as ten days before bleeding commences, the
within all life, and within each person. Psychoanalyst stored kundalini can intensify emotions and sensations,
Carl G. Jung renamed kundalini, calling it anima (13). expose powerful feelings, trigger creative outpourings,
Kundalini is usually represented as a serpent coiled at the and generate a house-cleaning frenzy. If pregnancy
base of the spine (14), but women’s mystery stories occurs, kundalini is retained for the duration of the
locate it in the uterus— or the area where the uterus was, pregnancy and used in the act of birth.
if a hysterectomy has occurred (15). During both puberty At menopause, one “valve” of the gate closes. The
and menopause, a woman’s kundalini is strongly af- open valve allows kundalini to enter; the closed one
fected. The energy of kundalini moving in the body is prevents it from leaving. Now, kundalini, unable to
difficult to control and may cause a great number of return to earth, builds up in the pelvic tissues—leading
symptoms, especially in the woman whose kundalini some women to say that menopause is premenstrual
“awakens” during menopause. syndrome (PMS) that never stops. If this intense energy
East Indian yogis spend lifetimes learning to activate, collects in the uterus for too many weeks, cramps and
or wake up, their kundalini. This is also called “achieving flooding may accompany the delayed menses. If it sits in
enlightenment.” When they succeed, a surge of super- the pelvis for many years, it can dry out the vagina, erode
heated energy goes up the spine, throughout the nerves, the integrity of the hips, contribute to bladder weakness,
dilating blood vessels, and fueling itself with hormones. and depress sexual desire.

270 Journal of Nurse-Midwifery • Vol. 44, No. 3, May/June 1999


FIGURE 2
The seven chakras.
But if the kundalini is guided (by thought or by hot
flashes, for instance) up the spine, then it confers
enlightenment, not incontinence. Not all at once, how-
ever. As the kundalini rises, it must pass through six
more energy gates/chakras. See Figure 2. At each gate,
symptoms relating to the chakra may occur, as may
shamanic abilities that could cause the menopausal
woman (or her family and friends) to think that she is
going crazy. She has never been more sane. “After
kundalini awakes, it becomes impossible to continue
believing that external reality is the sole reality” (13). No
wonder old women are honored and feared throughout
the world (16)!
If the energy centers triggered by kundalini are resis-
tant to being activated, symptoms may get worse instead
of remising. Menstrual pain, bloating, indigestion, heart
palpitations, thyroid malfunctions, headaches, and
Journal of Nurse-Midwifery • Vol. 44, No. 3, May/June 1999
memory loss are all associated with resistance to the
passage of kundalini. The Wise Woman tradition offers
herbs—motherwort tincture to ease cramping, PMS,
and palpitations, nettle infusion to eliminate bloating,
dandelion root preparations to ease indigestion, sea-
weed to help maintain the thyroid in health, skullcap
tincture to relieve headaches, and ginkgo tincture to
improve short-term memory—to deal with the acute
problems and pain, but urges women to do more.
When menopausal symptoms are understood as en-
ergy movement (or lack of it), women feel more at ease.
Instead of feeling victimized by her body, the meno-
pausal woman can use her symptoms as a way to
pinpoint areas that need special nourishment. Quiet time
alone in nature or sitting in a comfortable chair listening
to soothing music allows thoughts and feelings to arise
and opens the way for the flow of kundalini. Specific
exercises, such as those offered by energy-worker Bar-
bara Brennan (17), can also be used to help ease into the
increased energy flow. When at last kundalini moves
freely up the spine and out the crown, symptoms
subside, and overall energy increases.
Handling powerful kundalini energies is easier when
the nervous system is strong. Nourishing herbs, such as
oatstraw infusion, tincture of motherwort, cronewort
(mugwort) vinegar, and the many varieties of seaweed,
are excellent green allies. Hatha yoga (physical exercise),
pranayama (breath exercise), and tai chi (energy exer-
cise) help too.
Adrenal Stress Contributes to Night Sweats
Increased kundalini can interfere with sleep (although it
will eventually reduce the amount of sleep needed); but
another mechanism behind these stressful awakenings
may be stressed adrenals. The adrenal glands secrete
corticosteroids, androgens, epinephrine/adrenaline, and
norepinephrine (10). During and after the menopausal
metamorphosis, the adrenals secrete estrogen (estrone)
precursors. When external, or environmental, demands
are coupled with the new internal, or physiologic de-
mands of menopause, the adrenals may exhibit extra-
sensitive, hyperalert behavior not unlike adrenal crisis.
Adrenal stress contributes to menopausal symptoms,
such as panic attacks, emotional swings, and extreme
fatigue (11). An anxious “The world is ending!” “Some-
thing is wrong!” feeling frequently precedes hot flashes
(18); but how does adrenal stress wake a woman up at
night?
Stressed adrenals may produce a surge of adrenaline
in reaction to a slight noise (such as an acorn hitting the
roof, a dog barking, or a car door slamming). This
adrenaline surge brings the menopausal woman to an
instant alertness, often with a rapidly beating heart and
senses hyper-activated. Once the woman is awake and
271
realizes that all is well, she relaxes: blood vessels nar-
rowed by adrenaline open up again, kundalini circulation
restarts with a whoosh, and a hot flash ignites in the
woman, often drenching her in sweat and giving her a
urge to urinate. No wonder menopausal women find it
difficult to go back to sleep. The Wise Woman approach
is to strengthen the adrenals.
The herb of choice is stinging nettle, which helps to
build, restore, and tone adrenal and kidney tissues and
functions. One of the safeguards of Wise Woman herbal
medicine is the propensity to use herbs that are food-like
rather than drug-like. Thus, if a diagnosis is wrong, no
harm is caused. Nettle is a prime example of this
paradigm. Nettle is eaten as a soup, a cooked green, and
in a variety of other ways everywhere it grows. It has
medicinal properties, yet it is a safe, nutritious food.
Personal and clinical experience indicates that regular
use of nettle infusion usually eases or eliminates night
sweats and daytime hot flashes, and supplies about 300
mg of calcium in each cup.
Liver-Strengthening Herbs Are Vital During
Menopause
Traditional Chinese Medicine theorizes that menopausal
symptoms, such as night sweats, hot flashes, memory
loss, sleep disturbances, heart disease, and emotional
swings, arise from too much energy or Qi (similar to
kundalini) getting into the liver and not enough getting
out (19). Wise women help the liver get moving with
liver-strengthening herbs, including dandelion, yellow
dock, milk thistle, and burdock.
Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) is a highly re-
spected liver strengthener and a powerful ally for the
menopausal woman who suffers from endless hot
flashes, indigestion, exhaustion, and/or formication.
Any part of the plant—leaves, roots, flowers— can be
used to aid digestion, increase overall energy, help
promote healthy breasts and clear skin, and relieve
mood swings. Try a glass of dandelion wine (before
meals), cooked dandelion greens, tincture of the fresh
root (1–2 mL before meals), or whole plant vinegar (15
mL before or with meals).
Yellow dock (Rumex crispus) root vinegar (15– 45 mL
daily) or tincture (1– 4 mL daily) nourishes the liver and
also increases the iron level of the blood quickly and
dependably, especially in cases of anemia related to
pregnancy or menstrual flooding.
Milk thistle (Psylibum marianum) seed tincture is the
world’s strongest liver protector. A dose (1 mL) taken in
the morning, and repeated as needed, eases hot flashes,
improves moods, and helps relieve menopausal skin
problems (from acne to itchiness).
Burdock (Arctium lappa) roots strengthen the liver,
cool hot flashes, and nourish the heart and bones. The
272
fresh roots may be bought in health food stores or
Oriental markets and cooked as a tasty vegetable or used
to make a mineral-rich vinegar.
Among many non-Western groups, the older [post-meno-
pausal] woman enjoys increased status in the family and
greater freedom in society at large. Menopause and the
cessation of childbearing become positive events in a wom-
an’s life. . . . (20).
Menopause Promotes Health and Extends Life
The women’s mystery stories indicate that menopause is
a health-promoting and life-extending event, not a defi-
ciency state. Some authors suggest that premenopausal
women are suffering from estrogen poisoning (21).
Menopause may be a prime factor in women’s greater
longevity (22). Perhaps forgoing the risks of childbearing
improves a woman’s chances of living into her 80s and
90s; or, perhaps the cessation of estradiol production
confers a direct benefit.
Estrogens in general, and estradiol in particular, are
prime suspects as promoters of breast cancer (23).
Estradiol is highest when a women is having menstrual
cycles. Reduction of the number of menstrual cycles in a
woman’s lifetime, such as pregnancy, lactation, late
menarche, early menopause, even use of birth control
pills, significantly reduces her risk of breast cancer (24).
Consumption of plants rich in phytoestrogens blocks
estradiol from the cells and reduces breast cancer risk
(25). It appears that the quantity and duration of estradiol
in the blood are linked with breast cancer incidence (26).
Since the risk of all kinds of cancers, including breast
cancer, increases with age— breast cancer risk is one in
50 at the age of 50 years, and one in 24 at the age of 60
years (27)—perhaps it is in the best interest of the
woman that her production of cancer-promoting estra-
diol ceases as her risk of age-related cancer rises.
Menopause is Not An Artifact of Technology
“Menopause happens because, through technology,
we’ve extended our lives to the point where we run out
of egg follicles. There’s nothing beneficial about that,”
said Dr. Alison Galloway, anthropologist at the Univer-
sity of California at Santa Cruz (4). This widely held view
maintains that menopause is a recent phenomenon in
human history (5).
The advances in life expectancy for women are due,
however, more to decreased infant mortality than to
actual increased longevity. Pictures taken a century ago
of the American Suffragists include many vigorous post-
menopausal women. The experience of menopause has
been available in every culture and every age, even in
Journal of Nurse-Midwifery • Vol. 44, No. 3, May/June 1999

FIGURE 3
Goddess of Willendorf, circa 30,000 BCE.
prehistoric times. Postmenopausal women are the rule,
not the exception, throughout history.
One piece of distant historical evidence is the discov-
ery of little woman-shaped figurines, such as the God-
dess of Willendorf, estimated to be 30,000 years old.
See Figure 3. These large-breasted, large-bellied figu-
rines are commonly assumed to represent fertility and
pregnancy (15); but a closer look reveals the character-
istics of a postmenopausal woman: pendulous breasts,
downward-folding belly, and small vulva. Perhaps, they
symbolize the importance of and reverence for older
women in earlier societies.
Every Woman Needs a Butterfly Collection
Once the misconception that all women used to die
before menopause has been dispelled, the notion of
postmenopausal women as healthy beings emerges.
This may be viewed as a butterfly hunt. Awareness of
butterflies in one’s midst increases consciousness of the
butterflies in the past, and the benefits that postmeno-
Journal of Nurse-Midwifery • Vol. 44, No. 3, May/June 1999
pausal women have struggled for and bequeathed to the
present.
Role models are important as women age and change.
Looking for butterflies helps one answer the questions,
“Who can I be after menopause? How can I act? If I
don’t take replacement hormones what will happen to
me?” Defining and finding one’s own butterflies can help
reformulate an identity as a Great Grandmother or wise,
old crone. It is useful to recall that although butterflies
may look delicate, some fly 3,000 miles on their own
wings every year.
Menopause Improves Survival for All
The wise old crone is the grandmother of all, she speaks
for the poor and oppressed, giving voice to those who
are silenced. In prehistoric societies, grandmothers in-
creased the survival odds of their social groups by their
accumulated wisdom and long memories. The wise
woman leads others to the forgotten springs in times of
drought. She is the one who remembers where the best
nuts are found. “She is not a sentiment, she is a
requirement” (4).
Dr. Kristen Hawkes of the University of Utah reports
that women aged 50, 60, 70 years and beyond are
among the most industrious members of hunter/gath-
erer groups. They gather more food than younger
women and more than men of any age. And the
grandmothers’ contributions are as important to the
survival of their grandchildren as the mothers’ are. In
modern times, postmenopausal women have made im-
portant societal contributions, such as contraceptive
availability, women’s right to vote, and promotion of the
health and safety of children.
This postmenopausal zest may not just happen, how-
ever, as women may feel inadequate to the tasks they
face. The Wise Woman tradition celebrates postmeno-
pause with a ceremony of Crone’s Crowning, acknowl-
edging the newly emerged postmenopausal woman as
both a baby crone and a queen, newly empowered
woman and wise old woman.
Ceremonies are not sufficient, by themselves, to en-
sure an active, healthy old age. Keeping breasts free of
cancer, bones whole, and hearts healthy requires wise
lifestyle choices and the help of phytoestrogen- and
mineral-rich herbs.
Mineral-Rich Herbs and Phytoestrogens Promote
Healthy Bones, Breasts, and Hearts
Phytoestrogens are hormones made by plants. They are
found in ordinary foodstuffs (carrots, soybeans, pome-
granate seeds, lentils, and yams), as well as in a number
of herbs (red clover, black cohosh, dong quai, and
licorice). Phytoestrogens are phenolic estrogens. Their
273
molecular structure is similar to that of steroidal estro-
gens, but they have only 1/20,000 to 1/50 the potency
of estradiol (28). Most types of phytoestrogens are easily
absorbed from the gut and circulate freely in the blood
for about 24 hours before being excreted in the urine
(29).
The Wise Woman tradition believes that postmeno-
pausal women are healthier if they eat foods and herbs
rich in phytoestrogens instead of taking prescription
hormones, but acknowledges that phytoestrogens can
also be helpful for women who do choose to take
hormones. When phytoestrogens are plentiful in the diet
the incidence of breast cancer is lowered significantly
(30,31). “While many studies have indicated that diet
plays a role in cancer prevention, not one has shown a
degree of risk reduction similar to that found for some
phytoestrogens . . . .” (25). Adding phytoestrogen-rich
foods to any diet adds an extra measure of protection
against breast cancer, helps ease menopausal symp-
toms, and may also help prevent osteoporosis, high
blood pressure, congestive heart disease, and senility
(32). Also, when phytoestrogen-rich herbs are used in
combination with a phytoestrogen-rich diet, the loss of
estradiol after menopause is compensated for in every
way (33), without the detrimental side effects of exoge-
nous hormones.
In general, a diet that is high in whole grains, beans,
vegetables, and fruits will be high in phytoestrogens (25).
Healthy “intestinal flora are necessary to transform plant
isoflavonoids into a form that can be used in the body,
however” (34).
Phytoestrogen-rich herbs. Since phytoestrogens are
ubiquitous in plants, they are generally considered safe
for long-term daily use for all people, including pregnant
and lactating women. Since phytoestrogens are soluble
in water, vinegar, and alcohol, they are easily extracted
from herbs.
Some phytoestrogen-rich herbs and foods, however,
contain other constituents that may make them unsafe
for daily or long-term use. Soybeans, for instance,
contain phytoestrogens that can influence menstrual
cycles (35) and decrease breast cancer risk (36); how-
ever, when processed into tofu, soy beverage, soy
protein isolate, and refined soy isoflavone, soy phytates
demineralize the bones, increasing a woman’s risk of
osteoporosis and fractures. Fermented soy products
(such as miso and tamari) are free of phytates and are
considered excellent sources of phytoestrogens. They
can be used freely in place of, or in addition to, salt.
Some commonly used phytoestrogen-rich herbs in-
clude black cohosh, chaste tree/vitex, motherwort, red
clover infusion, stinging nettle, and wild yam.
Black cohosh (Cimicifuga racemosa) has been stud-
ied intensively, but no specific active ingredient has been
274
isolated (37). The beneficial effects of taking a daily dose
of 1–2 mL of black cohosh root tincture appear slowly,
reaching a maximum in 4 weeks (38). Black cohosh
tincture seems to reduce secretion of LH (39) and
“appears to be particularly effective in climacteric de-
pression” (40). Side effects from capsules and teas are
common and may include dizziness, headache, nausea,
and visual disturbances. Black cohosh may increase
menstrual flooding; it is considered unsafe for pregnant
women and is not recommended for daily use.
Chaste tree (Vitex agnus-castii) has been recom-
mended for midlife women for at least 2,000 years.
Tincture of the berries inhibits the pituitary’s secretion of
prolactin (41). Experimental and clinical studies reveal
“increases in LH production and inhibition of FSH. This
leads to a shift in the ratio of estrogens to gestagens, in
favor of the gestagens . . .” (40). It also increases dopa-
mine and progesterone production. Daily use of vitex,
even for years, is considered safe.
Motherwort (Leonurus cardiaca) is Everywoman’s
herb. Tincture of the flowering plant eases menstrual
cramping, relieves PMS, and cools hot flashes. As a
calmative, it has no equal; but its strongest ability is in
providing dependable relief for women experiencing
tachycardia, palpitations, or hyperthyroidism (40). Daily
use is considered safe for all women.
Red clover (Trifolium pratense) blossoms and leaves
are unusually rich in amount and variety of phytoestro-
gens, containing ten times more phytoestrogens than
soy (42) and twice as many kinds (43). Red clover has a
solid anti-cancer reputation (44,45). Infusion (not tea) of
the dried plant is a highly recommended addition to the
diet of any woman. There is a slight possibility that red
clover may increase menstrual flooding, as it contains
trace amounts of coumarin, a blood thinner.
Stinging nettle (Urtica dioica) leaves contain fla-
vonoid glycosides— kaempferol and rhamnetin (46)—
and a wealth of lipids, including triglycerides, fatty acids,
tocopherols, sterols, and galactosyldiglycerides (47). It
probably deserves its reputation for restoring healthy
functioning to cardiovascular systems where there is
cardiac edema and venous insufficiency (40). A water-
based infusion of dried nettle is a Wise Woman favorite
for maintaining postmenopausal health. Daily use, even
for many years, is considered quite safe for all women.
Wild yam (Dioscorea) may be the most misunder-
stood and misused menopausal herb. Very few medicinal
herbals mention it, yet wild yam creams outsell all other
menopausal products and are generally considered to be
alternative medicine’s alternative to prescription estro-
gen. Like most roots, wild yam is well endowed with
phytoestrogens and phytosterols, especially diosgenin.
Whether diosgenin is active in the body is hotly debated.
Contemporary herbalists observe that tinctures and in-
fusions of the crude herb influence fertility quite strongly,
Journal of Nurse-Midwifery • Vol. 44, No. 3, May/June 1999
thus sustaining a belief that wild yam is biologically active
when ingested.
In the laboratory, diosgenin is easily extracted. Dios-
genin from wild yams is the basic material from which
more than 50% of the steroids (cortisone and progester-
one) in current medical use are created (40). Addition-
ally, a chemical process “completely unrelated to bio-
chemical processes” (48) is used to create progesterone
from diosgenin. This is used in a variety of ways, from
prescription birth control pills to health food store pro-
gesterone creams.
There are three types of progesterone creams sold as
alternative treatments for menopause. Ones containing
crude wild yam are inert, as diosgenin cannot be con-
verted dermally (49). Ones containing progesterone
(derived from wild yam diosgenin) and ones containing
wild yam and progesterone actually contain a legally
recognized drug, progesterone. These creams are mar-
keted as “natural” and sold over-the-counter as cosmet-
ics, because they are “made from plants.” None have
U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for
continuous long term use (50). In the view of the Wise
Woman tradition, all such creams are without merit:
none are active when applied to the skin and all lack
bioactivity (51). “Pro-Gest does not protect the uterus
from the detrimental effects of estrogen nor does it
conserve bone” (51).
Building Strong Bones. Prevention of osteoporosis
is one of the major reasons given for taking hormones.
The Wise Woman tradition maintains that simple life-
style choices can be sufficient to preserve, even restore,
bone mass and prevent breaks. Furthermore, it pro-
claims that these lifestyle choices produce multiple
health benefits without the risks associated with taking
hormones.
The Wise Woman tradition looks to the health of the
whole woman, not just the thickness of her bones. Since
the quadrille of postmenopausal women with the highest
bone mass are two and a half to four times more likely to
be diagnosed with breast cancer (52), and women who
take estrogen replacement for more than 10 years are
twice as likely to be diagnosed with breast cancer (53), it
appears that preventing osteoporosis with drugs does
not necessarily lead to healthier or longer-lived women.
Neither does relying on supplements instead of healthy
food choices. Both estrogen and calcium supplements
can increase bone brittleness (54), and brittle bones,
even if thick, tend to break.
Instead, mineral-rich herbs, combined with regular
exercise, create flexible bones highly resistant to break-
age (55). Tai Chi and yoga exercises not only keep the
entire body in flexible health, they also have specific
effects on the hormonal system and may be instrumental
Journal of Nurse-Midwifery • Vol. 44, No. 3, May/June 1999
TABLE 1
Herbs Are Mineral Powerhouses
1 c chopped peppermint supplies 400 mg of calcium
1 c chopped thyme, 350 mg of calcium
1 c chopped cooked dandelion greens, 300 mg of calcium
1 c chopped garden sage, 270 mg of calcium
1 c chopped cooked kale, 200 mg of calcium
1 c chopped cooked broccoli, 136 mg of calcium
c, cup.
in maintaining optimum postmenopausal levels of estro-
gen and progesterone (56,57).
Healthy bones need minerals: calcium, potassium,
manganese, magnesium, silica, iron, zinc, selenium,
boron, phosphorus, sulphur, chromium, and a variety of
trace minerals. This mineral symphony helps keep bones
flexible. Focusing on just one mineral, especially calcium
as a supplement, actually increases bone brittleness and
risk of hip and vertebral fractures (54).
Mineral-Rich Herbs. In the Wise Woman tradition,
adequate mineral consumption is an important step
toward bone, breast, and heart health. Minerals are
critical nutrients needed for optimum functioning of the
nervous system, the immune system, the hormonal
system, and all muscles—including the heart (55). Min-
eral needs increase dramatically during the menopausal
years; and, even in an adequate diet, they may be difficult
to get, or to assimilate. Minerals are virtually impossible
to assimilate from raw or lightly cooked foods (55). And
the amount of minerals in our produce has been steadily
decreasing. In 1914, a 100 g serving of cabbage con-
tained 248 mg of calcium and 66 milligrams of magne-
sium; today it contains only 47 mg of calcium and 15 mg
of magnesium (55).
Minerals may, or may not, be more plentiful in organic
foods, but they are definitely abundant in the nourishing
herbs favored by the Wise Woman tradition (55,58). See
Table 1. Mineral-rich herbs are tasty, easy to consume,
and add virtually no calories to the diet. When used as
part of the daily diet, they are better at preventing bone
breaks than dairy products or supplements (59). Minerals
in herbs dissolve into water or vinegar, but not into
alcohol or glycerine. For the most effect from mineral-
rich herbs, the Wise Woman tradition favors use of
infusions and vinegars rather than tinctures or capsules.
The minerals in green plants seem to be ideal for
keeping bones healthy (60). “The closer people get to a
diet based on plant foods and leafy vegetables, the lower
the rates of many diseases, including osteoporosis” (61).
If eating a cup of cooked greens every day is difficult, a
cup of nourishing herbal infusion (dried herbs brewed
overnight in water) or a serving of seaweed, or a
spoonful of medicinal herbal vinegar may be substituted.
275
TABLE 2
Minerals in Herbs Used Mainly as Nourishing
Infusions
Stinging nettle: calcium (2,900 mg), magnesium (860 mg),
phosphorus (447 mg), potassium, (1,750 mg), and zinc
(4.7 mg)
Oatstraw: calcium (1,430 mg), phosphorus (425 mg), and
potassium (352 mg)
Red clover blossoms: calcium (1,310 mg), magnesium (349
mg), and potassium (2000 mg)
Comfrey leaves (64,65)*: calcium (1,130 mg), chromium
(0.8 mg), manganese (6.7 mg), phosphorus (211 mg),
potassium (1,590 mg), selenium (0.57 mg), and zinc (0.28
mg)
* Is comfrey safe for internal use? The roots of wild comfrey, Symphy-
tum officinale, are known to contain pyrrolizidine alkaloids which can
cause venous liver congestion. Two neonatal deaths are ascribed to
ingestion of comfrey root. The leaves of cultivated comfrey, Symphy-
tum uplandica, do not contain these alkaloids and appear to be safe
for all women, even pregnant and lactating women. Four generations
of people living at the Henry Doubleday Research Center have eaten
cooked comfrey leaves regularly, including during pregnancy and
lactation, and no liver problems have been seen in this population.
Pills or capsules are to be avoided. Minerals are poorly
utilized from encapsulated herbs, and the amount taken
is very small. Mineral-rich herbs need to be consumed in
dietary quantities to produce results.
One cup of nourishing herbal infusion, prepared by
steeping 35 g of dried herb in 1 L of boiling water
overnight, provides 100 –300 mg of calcium (62). A
tablespoon of medicinal herbal vinegar, prepared by
macerating fresh herbs in vinegar for 6 weeks, provides
about 50 –100 mg calcium.
A postmenopausal woman’s calcium/mineral needs
can easily be met with daily use of mineral-rich herbs:
2–3 cups of nourishing herbal infusion, plus 2 table-
spoons of medicinal herbal vinegar, will supply 500 –
800 mg of calcium. Add one cup of skim-milk yogurt
(450 mg) plus a serving of sardines (375 mg), cheese
(250 –350 mg), or cooked greens (150 –250 mg) and a
daily total of 1,500 mg of calcium is easily achieved (63).
Tables 2, 3, and 4 present mineral data for 14 herbs
used frequently in the Wise Woman tradition. Data is
based on 100 g dry weight and does not include all
minerals found in each herb. Approximately 10% of the
total minerals are extracted into 250 mL of infusion if
35 g of dried herb is brewed in 1 L of water; approxi-
mately 4% of the total minerals are extracted into 15 mL
(one tablespoon) of vinegar if 400 g fresh herb is infused
in 400 mL vinegar.
Soy Products Can Increase Osteoporosis and
Hasten Memory Loss
Most nutritionists consider dairy products a mainstay of
a calcium-rich, bone-healthy diet; but many alternative
276
TABLE 3
Minerals in Herbs Used Mainly As Medicinal
Vinegars
Peppermint: calcium (1,620 mg), manganese (6.1),
magnesium (661 mg), phosphorus (772 mg), potassium
(2.260 mg), and selenium (1.1 mg)
Garden thyme: calcium (1,350 mg), chromium (2.0 mg),
iron (147 mg), magnesium (436 mg), manganese (6.4
mg), selenium (1.6 mg), silicon (20.2 mg), and zinc (1.5
mg)
Yellow dock root: calcium (1,000 mg), magnesium (320
mg), phosphorus (757), potassium (1,220 mg), selenium
(2.5), and silicon (1.3 mg)
Garden sage: calcium (1,080 mg), chromium (0.3 mg),
magnesium (285 mg), manganese (3.0), potassium (2,470
mg), silicon (3.1 mg), and zinc (5.9 mg)
Burdock root: calcium (733 mg), chromium (2.0 mg), iron
(147 mg), magnesium (537 mg), manganese (537),
phosphorus (437 mg), potassium (1,680 mg), selenium
(1.4 mg), silicon (22.5 mg), and zinc (2.2 mg)
Dandelion root: calcium (614 mg), chromium (0.9 mg), iron
(96 mg), magnesium (157 mg), manganese (6.8),
phosphorus (362), potassium (1,200 mg), selenium (0.86
mg), silicon (4.7 mg), and zinc (1.3 mg)
practitioners are convinced that milk actually causes
osteoporosis and other chronic health problems. They
recommend soy for menopausal and postmenopausal
women, instead of milk and cheese.
The Wise Woman tradition is opposed to this recom-
mendation, as soy beverages can impair bone formation.
Instead, menopausal and postmenopausal women are
encouraged to consume a quart or more of yogurt a
week, in addition to mineral-rich infusions and vinegars.
The danger to the bones is not from the absence of milk
(59), but from choosing soy beverages and tofu instead
of milk and cheese. Soy contains anti-nutrients, such as
protease inhibitors and phytates, which bind to minerals
and prevent them from being utilized in the bones, brain,
and immune system. Unfermented soy impairs absorp-
tion of many minerals, including calcium and zinc, while
increasing the body’s need for vitamin B12 (66), but the
TABLE 4
Minerals in Herbs Used Mainly As Vegetables
Kelp: calcium (3,040 mg), magnesium (867 mg), manganese
(7.6 mg), phosphorus (249 mg), potassium (2,110 mg),
selenium (1.7 mg), silica (7.6 mg), and zinc (0.6 mg)
Amaranth greens: calcium (1,210 mg), phosphorus (324
mg), and potassium (1864 mg)
Chickweed: calcium (1,210 mg), magnesium (523 mg),
manganese (15.3 mg), phosphorus (448 mg), and zinc
(5.2 mg)
Dulse: calcium (632 mg), chromium (2.7 mg), magnesium
(593 mg), potassium (2,270 mg), selenium (3.3 mg),
silicon (36.8 mg), and zinc (3.9 mg)
Journal of Nurse-Midwifery • Vol. 44, No. 3, May/June 1999
aluminum content of soy milk is 10 to 100 times greater
than that of milk. Soy beans are high in hemoglutin,
which causes clumping of red blood cells, and deficient in
cholesterol, which is needed for healthy memory. Ac-
cording to Sally Fallon, specialist in lipid chemistry, “The
highly processed soy foods of today are perpetuating . . .
nutrient deficiencies all over the world” (67).
In short, soy is no substitute for milk. It is a fake food,
highly processed, and likely to contribute to postmeno-
pausal osteoporosis. Wise women rely on green allies
and yogurt instead.
Vegetable Fats Can Promote Heart Disease and
Breast Cancer
Cardiovascular disease and breast cancer are two com-
mon health concerns of the postmenopausal years. Use
of prescription hormones and a low-fat diet are widely
advocated to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease,
but the Wise Woman tradition maintains that these
measures are counterproductive and may increase breast
cancer.
Estrogen replacement fact sheets state clearly that
taking estrogens increases a woman’s risk of dying from
a stroke or heart attack, and it gets worse if progesterone
is used too, especially medroxyprogesterone acetate
(MPA), the most widely prescribed progesterone in
America. In terms of heart disease protection, MPA is
“worse than no treatment at all. This is really a danger-
ous drug. There appeared to be a negation of the
beneficial effects of estrogen” [on the heart] when MPA
was given (68).
Estrogen supplements do decrease cholesterol levels,
but this may be a detriment to the postmenopausal
woman, who needs adequate circulating cholesterol in
order to make her own heart healthy estrogen. “Steroid
hormones are synthesized from cholesterol, which is first
converted to pregnenolone . . . then to progesterone.
[And then] to testosterone, estrogen, or cortisone” (55).
The Wise Woman approach emphasizes different
strategies to achieve and maintain heart health: daily
exercise, a diet rich in good quality fats (but not vegetable
fats), and daily use of mineral-rich herbs. Gentle daily
exercise combined with vigorous exercise at least twice
weekly has numerous physical and psychological bene-
fits, including reduction of breast cancer and heart
disease risk.
Modern dietary advice typically includes a warning to
reduce or eliminate saturated fats and foods rich in
cholesterol, especially red meat and dairy fat, but alter-
native interpretations of the mainstream research and
population-based data from other countries raise ques-
tions about the complex relationships between dietary
practices and disease outcomes (69 –71). The Wise
Woman tradition sees evidence that olive oil, butter, and
Journal of Nurse-Midwifery • Vol. 44, No. 3, May/June 1999
milk fat are ideal fats for postmenopausal women,
especially those suffering from thinning hair, itchy skin,
exhaustion, lethargy, mental fuzziness, and memory
lapses—all symptoms arising from lack of fat and essen-
tial fatty acids.
Neither does the Wise Woman tradition approve of
limiting fat intake. In recent experiments with wild mice,
“the dieters among them died sooner, rather than later”
(72). Greek women consume lavish amounts of olive oil,
goat cheese, and animal fats (up to 60% of total calories),
yet they have some of the lowest rates of heart disease
and breast cancer in the world (73). In fact, the more
olive oil a Greek woman eats, the lower her risk of breast
cancer (74).
A study of 61,000 Swedish women found that con-
sumption of the monounsaturated fats in meat, milk,
cheese, and butter lowered the risk of breast cancer.
“For each 10 grams of monounsaturated fat [from dairy
products and meat], the risk fell by 55 percent” (75).
Vegetable oils as a prime source of dietary fat promote
heart disease (and breast cancer) in a number of ways: by
altering prostaglandin production, by flooding the body
with v-6 fatty acids (a primary component of arterial
plaque), and by playing a role in arterial damage and
plaque deposition. “For each 5 grams of polyunsaturated
fat [from vegetable oil], the risk [of breast cancer] rose by
70 percent” (75).
Mineral-rich herbs, such as those discussed for bone
health, are also important for heart health. “Heart
disease correlates with mineral deficiencies. Coronary
heart disease rates are lower in regions where the
drinking water is naturally rich in trace minerals, partic-
ularly magnesium . . .” (76). Herbs rich in potassium,
such as nettle, red clover, or sage, help maintain proper
blood pressure. Those rich in calcium, such as pepper-
mint, chickweed, or thyme, protect the heart and arter-
ies and help the heart maintain a steady rhythm. Those
rich in magnesium and potassium, such as dulse, nettles,
yellow dock, or burdock, help keep blood pressure
healthy and low. Those rich in iodine, such as kelp,
parsley, and mushrooms, help the thyroid. “People with
poor thyroid function are very prone to heart disease”
(76).
In summary, instead of treatments that leave meno-
pausal women feeling that their bodies are failing them,
the Wise Woman tradition offers stories, ceremonies,
and herbs that nourish their changes. The Wise Woman
tradition offers menopausal women new ways of seeing
their symptoms: hot flashes become rushes of kundalini
energy; depression becomes a healthy need for solitude
during change. Flexible bones, cancer-free breasts, and
strong hearts are created by lifestyle choices, not drugs.
Menopause is metamorphosis, both an end and a re-
birth. The Wise Woman tradition helps women welcome
their menopausal changes, reassuring them that meno-
277
pause creates healthy women and healthy societies, and
promising them that beyond the chaos awaits postmeno-
pausal zest: the increased energy, power, and abilities
gifted to women in their 60s and beyond.
Wise women make one change at a time. They
gradually replace the fake foods in their diets with real
foods: instead of sugar, they use honey, maple syrup, or
Sucanat (Pronatec; Hollis, NH); instead of commercial
milk, caffeinated beverages, or soft drinks, they drink
nourishing herbal infusions; instead of fortified white
flour products, they seek out whole grains; they use fresh
milk and eggs; instead of vitamin/mineral supplements,
they rely on beans, fruits, vegetables, medicinal herbal
vinegars, and seaweeds. The health benefits to their
hearts, their blood pressure, their bones, and their
breasts are worth the effort.
And the Wise Woman tradition offers one last, vitally
important piece of advice: a daily hug helps prevent
disease. Child hugs, animal hugs, and tree hugs, in
addition to adult hugs, are strongly advocated. There is
no known overdose.
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