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Journal of an Herbalist
By Karima Burns, MH, ND 26/08/2001
Client: Umm Majid
Complaint: Endometriosis, Pre-Menstrual Syndrome (PMS), Low Energy and Sluggish Thyroid
Details: Umm Majid contacted me because she was plagued by many "typical female complaints". She had suffered for years from painful menstrual periods and low energy. Recently she had been losing weight and was diagnosed with endometriosis, and a sluggish thyroid. She came to me because she was interested in trying natural therapies before she agreed to start taking medication. She also expressed interest in learning how to become a naturopath herself.
Journal: I encouraged Umm Majid in her pursuit of further studies. Many people I know who have pursued certificates in natural healing have healed themselves through their studies. First of all, the learning process takes a person through the healing process in realistically small increments, rather than giving them the idea that some herb may cure them in two weeks. Most often a person who has healed themselves while seeking education over a period of one or two years is more likely to improve and stay with a healthy way of life than a person who simply sits back and takes the advice of another. Secondly, if a person reaches a level where they are able to help others as well as themselves, this also becomes part of their own healing process. Anas Bin Malik narrated that the Prophet Mohammad (pbuh) related, "Every good deed will be rewarded as ten times that deed" (Sahih Bukhari). Scientific evidence also shows that every time a person performs an act of healing on another (massage, prayer, aromatherapy, etc…) their immune system is awakened to a higher function
(Reinventing Medicine by Larry Dossey).
Umm Majid was a very strongly spiritual person, so I encouraged her to focus on prayer as a method of healing as well as herbs and other natural therapies. Many alternative therapies take advantage of a person's spiritual strength, such as Reiki, Meditation, and Affirmation. Islamic terms for these same therapies would be
Healing Touch, Personal Zikr, and Shukrili'Allah. Aisha narrated, "The Prophet used to treat some of his wives by passing his right hand over the place of ailment and used to say, "O Lord of the people! Remove the difficulty and bring about healing as you are the Healer. There is no healing but Your Healing, a healing that will leave no ailment."
Umm Majid was already consulting with a homeopath, so she was interested in exploring her healing options in the realm of herbs, vitamins and nutrition. She also wanted to gain more insight into what was happening in her body. On the one hand she felt she was "falling apart". However, on the other hand, she felt there was some divine wisdom in all that was happening. I explained to her how Allah has created our bodies to protect us.
The thyroid is responsible for regulating the metabolism of the cells in our body (every cell in the body depends on the thyroid hormones for regulation of their metabolism); and thus, when it found so many renegade cells, her body it probably tried in some way to reduce the metabolism of these cells (hence…her endometriosis). Allah created our bodies to be very intelligent and always try to keep us alive. Ironically, that is usually the reason we are sick. For instance, osteoporosis can be caused by a lack of calcium in the system. However, this is not because we are not getting enough calcium to build the bones in the first place, but because our bones are so smart that they give of themselves to keep us alive when we are later lacking in calcium. This is how our bodies are designed. When we view disease as the body trying to help us rather than something wrong with the body, it makes more sense. We can be more grateful of what we are experiencing, appreciate our body more and generate a more positive attitude (which is a most helpful healing tool!). I suggested that if Umm Majid could internally "thank" her thyroid for helping her, thank Allah for providing her with such a smart body and pray that she can work together with her body for a cure, that it would help in the healing process.
I felt that the endometriosis was probably the cause of her other problems, so I suggested she start by trying to tackle that problem first. However, endometriosis is an overwhelming condition and needed to be overwhelmed in return. It is not an easy ailment to defeat.
Nutritionally, an intense detoxification program, such as a three-day juice fast or a one-week vegetable and fruit fast done four times a year, would encourage the body to heal more rapidly. I suggested that an ideal detox for Umm Majid would be one that would integrate the
Barley Green she already had been consuming with some fresh juices and raw vegetables. I suggested that she initially follow this diet for three weeks and then repeat it three more times a year for a week at a time.
Umm Majid lived in the Gulf where herbs were not readily available. Furthermore, we were concerned that any herbs she took may interfere with the homeopathy she was already using, so I designed a dietary program that combined foods that strengthen the thyroid and combined them with juices that are specific to endometriosis and general healing. I gave her the following program to follow on a daily basis:
Liver Cleansing Drink: 1/8-cup olive oil, 1/4-cup fresh squeezed lemon and 1/4-cup grapefruit juice. Drink this on mornings when you can afford to go back to bed. Take this once a week during the three week cleanse. It will make you uncomfortable and crampy, but it will clean out your liver faster than a month of milk
thistle.
Breakfast: Fruit salad or a piece of fruit.
Snack: One tablespoon of Barley Green in freshly squeezed juice and an "Endometriosis Smoothie" (dark grapes, mango, papaya, and pineapple blended together in strong blender).
Lunch: Super large salad. And a starch (such as a small cup of rice or piece of bread) and some vegetables (such as and piece of avocado and tomato or hummus dip or some red-sauce based sauce for the rice).
Snack: One Tablespoon of Barley Green in a freshly squeezed "anti-cancer" juice (eight carrots, two apples and one stick of celery).
Dinner: One serving of bread, vegetable main dish (stir fried or baked or something), and a raw vegetable salad.
Evening snack: Raisins, dried fruits, another glass of juice, another serving of
Barley Green, any raw vegetables, apples, or herbal teas.
During the detoxification Umm Majid was not allowed any milk, cheese, yogurt, sugar, sodas, tea, coffee or meat.
Along with this diet I advised that she increase her intake of anti-oxidants. Many people do not take enough of the antioxidants for a therapeutic benefit. People are scared by the recommended daily intake charts which were designed to "barely keep alive" a 140 pound, 21 year-old male. Using this misinformation as a reference many people take larger doses thinking that they are taking therapeutic doses, when in reality they should be taking more. For Umm Majid's particular age and conditions I recommended that she take the following:
1. Beta Carotene: 100,000 IU daily (start with 20,000 and increase every three days).
2. Vitamin E: 2000 IU daily (start with 400). Vitamin E is a natural antagonist to estrogen as well as an amazing anti-oxidant.
3. Buffered Vitamin C in powdered form and in a calcium/magnesium buffer: 2000mg three times a day (start with 500).
4. Vitamin B complex once a day.
I also gave Umm Majid some general "food tips". I advised her that caffeine robs the body of vitamin B,
and increases the levels of prostaglandins in the system, which increases the pain of endometriosis. Dairy, eggs and meat also increase hormonal levels in the body, thus increasing pain. However, omega-three fatty acids, such as those found in salmon and flax seeds, help suppress the production of the prostaglandins. Any kind of squash, from zucchini (cosa) to summer squash, are beneficial to women suffering from endometriosis. Soybeans are also beneficial for women with endometriosis as they are high in estrogen-like plant compounds. These prevent your body from taking up the more harmful forms of estrogen circulating in the blood. They also protect the body from pollutants that chemically mimic estrogen. Bean sprouts, Pinto beans, yellow split beans, black turtle beans, lima beans, Anasazi beans, red kidney beans, red lentils, black-eyed peas, mung beans, adzuki beans and fava beans are other sources phytoestrogens.
To supplement her dietary program I gave Umm Majid an aromatherapy blend. Aromatherapy is highly effective in cases of endometriosis as the oils are able to penetrate the skin and enter the circulation and cells immediately on contact. They bypass the entire digestive system and are soaked up by their cells, which is where the source of the problem lies. I recommended she use the following blend:
Massage Blend for Endometriosis
10 drops Clary-Sage
10 drops Rose Maroc
20 drops Geranium
20 drops Nutmeg
2 drops Vegetable Oil
Umm Majid finished the entire detoxification cycle and said she felt great. She especially appreciated the "Endometriosis Smoothie." While the aromatherapy was effective, she stated that she had not experienced any pain while on the detoxification program and only used it occasionally. Her greatest challenge was that she remained pain free only if she greatly reduced her intake of milk, meat and eggs. She complained, however, that if she did consume too many eggs or too much milk, that most of her symptoms would come back. I assured her that if she continued to keep her intake of these products reduced her symptoms would lessen over time. A year, later Umm Majid contacted me to tell me that she had not yet had to take any medications and was feeling much better, and had once again been able to consume meat, eggs and milk without pain.
Karima Burns is a naturopath and herbalist. She has published her own newsletter about natural healing for five years and has studied many aspects of natural healing such as herbs, nutrition, homeopathy and aromatherapy for the past 13 years. She is an herbal consultant and teaches people about natural healing from her website at
http://www.herbnmuslim.com.
The above is a journal of her experiences with her online clients.
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