Hormones and the Endocrine System
Both women and men experience the fluctuations of hormone changes throughout their lives. For women this process is particularly relevant and obvious, but in no instance is hormone change, pregnancy, childbirth, or menopause to be considered an illness. The human body manages these natural processes quite smoothly most of the time; when issues arise, herbs are usually quite capable of rebalancing the body’s chemistry and supporting a person’s emotional and physical health.
The following chapters offer guidance gleaned from years of personal experience as well as research and study with herbalists from around the country. The topics include menarche (a girl’s first period), herbal medicine for women (particularly adult women who can experience reproductive anomalies or symptoms associated with normal menses), pregnancy, childbirth, and post-partum care (offering herbal formulary advise for practitioners of all trades who care for pregnant, laboring and nursing women), and menopause. We’ll also look at herbal treatments for two of the more common issues of the endocrine system, specifically for the thyroid and the adrenals. Finally, we’ll cover topics of particular interest to men and men’s health, including reproductive health, energy, muscle care, and more. The urinary system fits well here and is of interest to both men and women and to any healing arts practitioner interested in keeping a person’s digestive system fit and healthy.