Hey Om!
FWIW, my loved one's flow has not disappeared, but only become light (a
day or so, two at most. All negatives associated with menstruation were
minimized early on (ie mood swinds, cramps, breast tenderness) and she
wasn't all-raw for most of the time. She (and I) still notice a "change
of energy" approaching menstruation, and during ovualtion as well. Just
the ebb and flow of life, you know. The flow, as well as her general
vaginal secretions, are varied over time in terms of texture, odor and
taste--such that I would agree that menstruation is/can be a detox
route. But when there is less to detox, there may be less flow,
probably less odor. Who knows? The idea that such secretions would be
completely odorless is a bit much to my mind. There are odors (and
pheromones) associated with most mammalian sex. _Something_ is going on
around ovulation and menstruation, and I, for one, and Melisa for
another, enjoy it greatly!
My understanding from the instinctos during our visit to France in 1988
is they then claimed the menstrual flow will stop after a few months of
100% instincto-therapy. Whether Melisa's flow does completely stop
eventually (it _will_ of course) after a time of strictly 100%
instincto (which for her is not all that likely to happen, especially
if one considers mixing/extracts to be anethema to a healthy dietary
regime--a "no no" for a strict instincto) is less important to us than
a healthy ovulation, conception and pregnancy.
Find below a scanned copy of a Xerox copy which Ward Nicholson shared
with me on the subject. This may have been "re-published" in an earlier
M2M issue as well. I don't know. In any case, the issue hasn't matured
much since 1976 when this was published. It seems a fine summary of the
issues from a vegan perspective. It seems serious vegans have been
aware of the possible damage from fruitarian diets for decades. Hmmm...
Ombodhi--I, too, await the latest from the European instinctos on the
matter and hope they will post on your thread...
Menstruation by Freya Dinshah
(From the March/April 1976 issue of Ahimsa, published by The American
Vegan Society.)
Menstruation is the monthly shedding of the Lining of the uterus
and is accompanied by the passage via the vagina, of non-clotting (due
to the mixing of blood with slightly acid mucus from the walls of the
vagina) bloody fluid. It is established in the age range of 12-15
years, and occurs in cycles of usually 25-32 days until the age of
about 45 years. Each flow lasts from 3-7 days.
Menstruation ceases with pregnancy and at menopause. The absence
of menses may also result from changes elsewhere in the body, such as:
a disturbance in the endocrinal glandular system; injury to the
ovaries; severe malnutrition; the strain of travel, or emotional
stress; lack of vitality due to illness; or during fasting. Adolescents
in particular MAY experience irregularities and delays in the menstrual
cycle.
Menstruation--in the overly toxic--can also serve as a means of
voiding bodily impurities. Consequently, as the body improves in health
and vitality, the quantity of flow often will be reduced.
Menstruation may also lessen in the summer months when, living an
outdoor life, other eliminative organs are more actively working. It
has been claimed that the women of some tribes that live outdoors and
virtually naked (in tropical climates) do not have a menstrual flow.
Dietary changes can also effect changes in the menstrual pattern.
The elimination of animal-source foods, such as meat, eggs, and dairy
foods; and a reduction or cessation of use of cooked and concentrated
foods (cereals, legumes, seeds, etc.) will often result in a reduced
flow. So too will the absence of sexual stimulation (whether physical
or mental) in many cases. It is possible that the flow may cease
entirely in a healthy woman, according to one viewpoint on the matter.
But this cannot be taken as a sign of good health per se. It has been
noted over the years, in our experience with women attempting to live
naturally, that it is much more likely that the complete absence of
menstruation is due to a cessation of ovulation (often accompanied by
severe underweight, lack of vitality, and other unfavorable signs),
signifying that the body is not functioning in the normal cycles.
For most women, the regularity of menses is reassuring. In any
case, it should not cause discomfort or physical distress; and a
healthy woman should be able to continue with her normal activities
(other than sexual indulgence, which should be avoided at this time, as
well as during pregnancy and lactation). The adoption of a common-sense
and well-
balanced vegan way of life has helped many in overcoming physical and
emotional problems connected with menstruation.
We must state here a strong warning: The most noted writers on the
concept of ALL menstruation being 'abnormal' have been MEN, not women;
and they have generally been of a very esoteric, or mystic frame of
mind.
At least one writer was mainly concerned with theories of building
a 'race of supermen,' and this untidy biological Process did not fit
his notions of perfection. Some seem unclear as to where the physical
plane of existence ends and the spiritual life begins.
Usually, these theoreticians have recommended for others (but,
alas, did not necessarily follow themselves!) an unbalanced diet of
only fruit, supposedly leading to living on just air, as a so-called
breatharian. It is not surprising that women attempting to live
indefinitely on such 'thin soup' generally find that their periods
cease. Many drop sharply in weight, even reaching an emaciated
condition, suffering serious malnutrition. Continuing stubbornly on
down this path most certainly CAN lead one to a 100% 'spiritual'
condition, with the physical body left behind as an empty shell, or in
plain words, a corpse!
In such people, the absent menstruation is a sign that the body is
incapable of bearing a child (indeed, pregnancy at such a time, even if
possible, would likely pose a serious threat to the well-being of both
mother and baby); that Nature has 'shut the factory down' to avoid any
further drain of precious nutriment and vitality. Clearly, if this is
the case, it is quite an opposite condition from the normal, vigorous
state of health that is to be desired.
Much confusion has come about through the contention of some
well-meaning but misguided natural-living advocates who claim that all
disease is brought about by an excess of mucus in the body. Even if
this extravagant statement were true, it would still be necessary to
differentiate between the normal AND VITALLY NECESSARY mucus--the thin,
clear, watery secretion that lubricates and moisturizes such mucous
membranes as the nasal passages (and the otherwise dry air that must
pass through them to the lungs) and the vagina--and the thick, cloudy,
pus-like material indicating various types of waste matter being passed
out through the particular passage. We must emphasize: the first is
perfectly normal, natural, and necessary to the Proper functioning of
the body; whereas the second is of a more abnormal or pathological
nature. This distinction must be borne in mind when people try to sell
you on the advantages of a lop-sided 'mucusless' diet. Many factors
have a bearing on the abnormal type of mucus-production; and food is
but one of them.
At any rate, if we realize this in regard to mucus, we may also easily
understand that the normal, moderate, painless periodic flow from a
healthy woman is a far cry from the hormonal imbalance, the cramps and
pain, the temperamental quirks, the voiding of inordinate quantities of
waste matter (as Nature utilizes any convenient method of cleaning
house') so often experienced in the unnatural lives that people lead.
One fair test of a good diet is that it be capable of supporting two
or more generations in excellent health. A well-balanced vegan diet
consisting of fresh fruits, large salads, vegetables, Sprouts, seeds,
and some grains if desired, has proven superbly adequate in this
respect. But a very skimpy and unbalanced diet can serve a legitimate
limited purpose for a relatively brief time, as a 'cleansing diet,' a
reducing diet, etc. The problem arises in confusing it with a diet
adequate for FULL nutrition for an indefinite period of time.
In the case of absent menstruation, every effort should be made to
ensure that the body is in a state of good health. we cannot agree with
the use of hormone shots that are prescribed to bring about the
restoration of absent menstruation. Such shots are unnatural to the
body and either synthetic or more usually of animal origin. In any
event, they would simply be addressing one symptom of the problem, not
any of the the underlying causes.
When a proper balance of the conditions of life is supplied
(well-balanced, common-sense natural vegan regimen, proper temperature,
exercise, adequate rest and sleep, fresh air, sunshine, emotional poise
and mental tranquility, etc.) the usual eventual result is a
normalizing of bodily conditioning. The diet should be carefully
examined with a good knowledge and a critical eye--not just the zeal of
faddism--to determine that it is nutritionally balanced and adequate.
If the absence of menstruation were a normal occurrence, it would be
possible for ALL WOMEN to conceive, carry, bear, and nurse healthy
babies with no menstrual flow occurring ether before or after the birth
and suckling of the infants. Such cases would obviously be difficult to
verify. Usually, however, women who have ceased to menstruate at some
time have found the return of menstruation to be a prerequisite to
con-
ceiving a child.
It is not difficult to realize how easily a woman could delude herself
(as well as others) into thinking that conception had taken place with
a complete absence of the normal monthly cycle. Let us say that a woman
who is rundown and not having her periods, continues to have fairly
regular sexual intercourse. It is not unusual for a childless couple to
be 'trying too hard'--mating too often, and wearing themselves out--in
a self-defeating desire for success in impregnation. But in this case,
there is nothing being produced to be impregnated. Now, if despite
this, such a woman does manage to begin to regain some of her lost
health and vitality, there presumably will come a time when she will
begin to ovulate and menstruate again. However, if the very first new
ovulation results in pregnancy, she would not begin to menstruate
again, at least till after the birth; possibly not for a long time
afterwards, if the strain of motherhood and lactation were unduly great
in her less-than-robust condition.
Given such a circumstance (and it is based upon a composite of human
experiences, not just esoteric theories or wishful thinking), it would
surely be very difficult to convince such a 'true believer' regarding
what had actually taken place in her own body!
But we would be interested to receive personal case reports of vegan
women in this regard. Confidentiality will, of course, be fully
respected. As in this article, only matters of human experience or
first-hand knowledge can be of real value; this is not a matter that
should have to be 'taken on faith.' Actual experiences only please; not
mere quota-
tions or abstracts from purely theoretical or unduly esoteric sources.
A further note of caution: In the event of absent menstruation due to
mal-
nutrition, enervation, etc., we can readily understand the anxiety of a
couple who may very badly want to have children. But if the problem is
corrected and conception appears possible, it does NOT seem the most
prudent course to rush into parenthood at once. Certainly, if either
parent is just returning to good health following a difficult time, it
is the wisest course to wait a year or two, or even longer if
practical, while BOTH prospective parents continue to build a strong,
solid foundation of health and vitality for the wonderful time that is
to come. If they are ARE now on the right road to recovery and more
healthful living, the additional time for building health (as well as
further knowledge of natural living methods) is likely to repay them
with dividends of better health in the future for all concerned. And
that is what this is really all about, is it not?
Menstruation (Freya Dinshah) Page 2
Kirt Nieft / Melisa Secola
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