Home >Uterine Fibroids (revisited) Wait Before You Cut!

Uterine fibroids are among the most common tumors in women. These non-cancerous growths of the uterus may appear during your childbearing years. Uterine fibroids aren't associated with an increased risk of uterine cancer and almost never develop into cancer. Most of the time, uterine fibroids aren't harmful.

As many as three out of four women have uterine fibroids, but most are unaware of them as they often cause no signs or symptoms. Women can experience shortened menstrual cycles, fatigue, increased vaginal discharge, painful sexual intercourse, heavy periods and pain or increased pressure in the bladder or bowel. Fibroids cause problems for about one in four women, most frequently during their 30s or 40s.

Modern medicine still is unsure of what really causes fibroids to occur. The following is a short list of some of possible links:

• Genetic alterations
• Hormones-Fibroids contain more estrogen and estrogen receptors than do normal uterine muscle cells.
• Other chemicals and toxins such as heavy metals and hormones.

Natural medicine does offer us a few other options that aren't as toxic or invasive and can be part of your "Watch and Wait" approach. Dietary changes such as consuming more whole foods (fruits, veggies, nuts, seeds and whole grains) is a great start. Removing refined foods, dairy, red meat, fried and fatty foods, salt, caffeine and alcohol will also provide you with added benefit. Since fiber is great for trapping and removing toxins, adding more fiber (total at least 35 grams per day thru diet and supplements) is one of my top recommendations.

Since one of the more popular beliefs into the cause of Uterine Fibroids is estrogen toxicity, we will begin our supplement review with those supplements that will have a balancing effect and detoxification of your hormones. Supplements like progesterone creams or herbs like chaste tree berries (Vitex) can be very helpful. Even the supplement DIM can be helpful in supporting the process of metabolizing (breaking down) estrogen into less harmful compounds.

Detoxifying herbs like milk thistle, dandelion and burdock can also be helpful. Using a box kit cleanse that supports the whole body may be an even better choice. These box kits will not only work on the liver (major detoxifying organ), but will cleanse the other systems of the body as well (lungs, kidneys, skin, lymphatic system, blood and bowels). Cleansing daily might even be a better choice for you. I love the tea Flor-Essence because it is gentle enough to be used every day.

I have had success with women who chose to fast one day per week. Fasting like this means to avoid all solid foods and focus on drinking plenty of water and herbal teas. Adding in some prayer to the fast will intensify the effects and get you on your way to feeling better more quickly.

Lastly, emotions and thoughts play an important roll in Fibroids. My favorite author in this category, Louise L. Hay, has something to say on this subject. I love to use her book Heal Your Body as my reference for emotional links to physical illnesses. In it, Louise mentions the following Probable Cause for Fibroid Tumors in women: "Nursing a hurt from a partner. A blow to the feminine ego." If this is possible in you, the New Thought Pattern should be: "I release the pattern in me that attracted this experience. I create only good in my life." Most of you reading this paragraph think I have lost my mind. I can honestly say I haven't. Being able to look inside yourself is key to the spirituality part of my 4 Pillars of Health. If you have tried everything else, what have you got to lose? If you haven't, you should be doing this anyway.