Tell us a little about yourself! What do you want customers to know about you?

First, I have to say, thank you for asking! I would like customers to know that my product and the passion I have for it is thoroughly genuine and reflective of who I am. The message of self-acceptance and the joy of finding a product that actually works on blood stains and makes life easier is what I truly hope for women. I want women and girls to find Ruby’s Red Wash a practical, happy and encouraging part of their world, even though it may merely be a product they use once or twice a month. To me, Ruby’s Red Wash is a movement: an appreciation of female being and some liberation in a bottle. Anything I say and do regarding Ruby’s Red Wash is very personal to me and, frankly, just like something you’d find in my diary.

What inspired you to create Ruby’s Red Wash? What was the process like?

I was conducting research for my Ph.D. dissertation and it was on the phenomenology of Menstruation. I compared women’s concrete experiences of menstruation to an extensive analysis of the meanings of menstruation found in and produced by the culture. The title turned out to be ‘The Bloody Truth: A Psychological and Cultural Study of Menstruation as Lived and Experienced by Women.’ It took about six years to conduct and in the end it was long and really two dissertations.

The review of the cultural meanings of menstruation became very depressing to analyze and write about. It was essentially a review of the history of oppression of women– and, the most deflating part was that these oppressive, damning messages to women are still present in the culture, only they are still invisible to women.

Women have taken on or internalized the notions that they have a ‘dirty secret’ because of menstruation and this dirty secret makes them irrational compared to men and also inferior. Even women who grew up in a fairly progressive and accepting household demonstrated that they were not immune to the (patriarchal) messages about menstruation delivered by the culture. That was and still is depressing to me.

I started thinking about how to help the greatest number of women to address this basic misunderstanding about their being. It was my contention all along that the fact that menstruation is still a secret in the culture demonstrates that women are still second class citizens. As long as the topic remains taboo and ‘inappropriate,’ then women and girls still do not share the same status as men and boys, and female being remains not fully embraced by the culture.

What do you find most exciting about your career?

Every now and then I realize that this is thoroughly mine and I am, for once, fully in charge. I can say anything I want on my blog, I can run a special if I want, and I can work with the people with whom I want to collaborate. It’s also very scary for those same reasons. Sometimes it is terrifying because mistakes are completely my own, too.

But, the best part is imagining all those women and girls out there who already have their own bottle of Ruby’s. Every time they use it, and even when it is just sitting on their shelves, all of these people are holding my message of self-acceptance. Every one of them has accepted that it is possible to be honored with a product which respects the unique qualities and functions of their body.

On my website, I call Ruby’s Red Wash my ‘gift’ to women and girls, and I honestly feel that joy of gift-giving through the creation of this product. I am still hand-bottling and with every bottle I fill and label and ship, I actively imagine and hope for a certain kind of relief and peace for the recipient. Although I don’t want to curse myself, I have said that if the business crashes tomorrow, I will still consider it a success, given that I have already reached so many women and girls.

Your blog frequently discusses the messages women receive about menstruation and their bodies. What is your goal regarding the conversations we have with each other and in the media about women’s bodies?

My goal is to have women at least stop and question what is being fed to them by the media (and their friends, family and co-workers). One of my girlfriends recently told me about an exchange she witnessed between some of her friends, two of whom happened to be lesbian. There was some discussion going on about reproductive rights and one woman made a joke, ‘What do you care? It doesn’t apply to you.’ My friend made the point that just because you don’t plan on having children and that your sexual preference doesn’t create the circumstances for pregnancy and childbirth doesn’t mean that reproductive rights doesn’t apply to you. It is a human issue. The argument that lesbians “don’t use” their reproductive organs parallels the old, sexist idea that women are only as valuable as long as they can produce children. Countless hysterectomies have been performed over the years because women “aren’t using” their uteruses for childbearing anymore. Until my friend spoke up, her friend didn’t understand the invalidating idea which she was perpetuating. Those are the kinds of dialogs I hope to create.

Do you use reusable menstrual products? If so, what do you use and what prompted you to make the switch?

For the last 10 years, since my research and discovering dioxins, I have been using organic tampons and some pads. I order a year’s supply and stash them in every bathroom in the house and in my purses. That has been a luxury for me- to have an ample supply, something I didn’t know about or give myself as a teenager or when I was in my twenties. However, I have been planning on trying a menstrual cup, because I think that would be perfect alternative to tampons for me.

What do you wish you had known as a young woman experiencing menarche? How has your perspective on menstruation changed since then?

I had a mother who did her best but who was terrified about all kinds of things in life including sexuality and a father who was downright disgusted about all things related to menstruation and wasn’t afraid to show it. When I started my period, I called my mother to the bathroom. She came in and then went back out. When she came back in, she handed me a box of tampons with a smile, albeit a very forced smile, and said ‘good luck.’ Even though her smile was forced,she was trying to tell me that what was happening to me was okay and that life would be okay.

My mother died the next year and I was pretty much left to my own devices regarding everything. I had to deal with periods in total secrecy and thought that’s just what being a woman means. I could have used all kinds of help then, but I would have given anything if someone had given me a period starter kit or a lovely period pack of sorts. The message that those send would have really helped me to counter all the crap I heard about female being. Something like that would have helped me feel better about being, in general.

Do you think it’s possible for women to celebrate their cycle rather than viewing it as a “curse”? How could this be accomplished?

I think it’s possible to view your menstrual cycle as any other part of yourself. Do I always love the way I react in the world? Do I always love the way I write? Do I always love my hair? The answer is ‘no’ to all of those questions. But I do, however, always try to be appreciative of my attempt to handle things, my attempt at writing, the mere presence of my hair. By the same token, I do not always love my period. I think the message that women need to always love and celebrate their menstruation is a terrible burden to place on women. Sometimes it’s just damn annoying to have cramps or to have flooded your pants or to have buy menstrual gear. I do not ‘celebrate’ my menstrual cycle by pretending that cramps are glorious and that the expense for menstrual supplies is a great and wonderful thing. I am, however, respectful of my body that it needs to cramp to menstruate. And I make sure I honor myself and my cycle by having enough supplies on hand or resting when I need to and recognizing that some of my emotionality during my period may be extreme but that it also provides me insight into aspects of my life that I might otherwise ignore. Like the women in my study, even the ones who declared that they hated their menstrual cycle, I have a relationship to my period, it is a part of me, and I will miss its presence when it is gone.

We’re excited to announce our new partnership with Empower Women in Africa! Together, we hope to bring educational and economic opportunities to girls and women in rural Africa. And you can help: by purchasing an Empower Kit to be given to a girl in need, you can help her complete her education and achieve her dreams!

Here’s Lori, founder of EWA, to share with you the successes of their first year:

“Empower Women in Africa was founded in February 2011 with the vision of providing a pathway to education for girls throughout rural Africa. To accomplish this, we provide scholarships to girls living in poverty and showing promise in the classroom, and by providing reusable cloth menstrual pads so there is not a struggle every month to find sanitary products with limited funds.

In our first year, we have been able to provide scholarships to five girls at Andara Combined School in Namibia. These scholarships cover every cost that comes along with their education from their school fees, school uniform and even a food stipend for their families when good grades are achieved to encourage the family to take an interest in their daughter’s education.

We have also been instrumental in getting over 2200 cloth menstrual pads to girls in Namibia and Uganda. The recipients have ranged from an orphanage with Show Mercy International, schools, conferences and after school clubs. Thanks to GladRags, Days for Girls and a growing population of volunteers for getting all of the pads sewn.

In 2012, we’re excited to be working with GladRags to be their exclusive pad donation partner. Because of their commitment to our cause, our pad program is expected to at least double in our second year! This also opens up more time to focus on our scholarship program and we already have five more girls selected for sponsorship!”

Tons of you took our survey last month (thank you!!) and we learned that the vast majority of you regretted not hearing about GladRags sooner. It’s our mission to make sure no more women have to spend years hating their periods and the disposable products they use, but we need your help!

To sweeten the deal and show how much we appreciate your efforts, we’re giving away $200 worth of GladRags gift certificates. You could be the winner of either $100, $50, or one of two $25 gift certificates — not too shabby!

Entering is easy: just follow the instructions in the entry form below to win. You can choose to do just one entry, or do them all! The more you share the giveaway — and spread the word about reusables — the more chances you’ll have to win.

GladRags wouldn’t be here without YOU, and we thank you from the bottom of our hearts for everything you do to support healthy, sustainable menstrual supplies!
Read the rest of this entry »

Society’s views toward women have become more open and less prudish in many ways in the centuries leading up to the present. Where women were once expected to wear long skirts and uncomfortable undergarments, it doesn’t take a master’s degree in history to see that many now elect to go braless, to wear pants, and sometimes to choose menswear over more feminine attire. Career opportunities continue to become more egalitarian, and women’s rights are constantly evolving.

But our views toward certain aspects of femininity have taken a step backward in recent years. Menstruation was once looked at as a rite of passage, a sacred time that represented fertility and a girl’s transition to womanhood.

Not all antiquated attitudes toward menstruation have been positive. Pliny the Elder and Isidore of Seville claimed that menstruating women were dangerous and that they polluted the Earth. Some early Christians believed that menstruating women and the men who slept with them were unclean. Ideas about the impurities of menstruation persisted throughout the Middle Ages, when women could not visit a church while on their period or after giving birth.

But even though menstrual blood was widely regarded as dangerous and magical for humans and the environment during the seventeenth century, it seems that negative attitudes toward the process of menstruation itself were often rejected—this is especially noteworthy because religion was a central part of life during this time period. Many societies viewed menstruation as a natural, beautiful part of being a woman.

Menstruation today is often considered one of women’s weaknesses, but this has not always been the case. In Elizabethan England, phlebotomy was an oft-performed remedy for a variety of ailments, since an excess of blood was seen as a detriment to the health of the body. Menstruation was viewed as a form of natural phlebotomy. Another belief during the Elizabethan period was that menstrual blood provided nutrition to the fetus and a heated environment for semen.

We think of menstruation as a monthly phenomenon, but periods are a more common occurrence for women now than they once were. Ovulation and menstruation make physical demands on a woman’s body. They require energy and health. In centuries past, many women suffered from malnutrition, exhaustion, and low body weight, none of which supported menstruation. And before a wide variety of contraceptives became available, women were either pregnant or breastfeeding for much of their reproductive life, which kept their periods at bay. Menstruation is much more commonplace now. It is less special and more of a hassle. Today’s woman simply looks for tools to live around her period instead of appreciating the significance of this physical process.

Perhaps the newfound control that women have taken over their bodies and their lives has caused society to lose appreciation for life’s natural processes. But even as technological offerings increase as we move into the second decade of the twenty-first century, many are beginning to favor more natural approaches to everyday life. Perhaps our attitudes toward menstruation will become more positive as well, just as they were for centuries.

Emily Matthews is currently applying to masters degree programs across the U.S., and loves to read about new research into health care, gender issues, and literature. She lives and writes in Seattle, Washington.

Helen has been in Kenya, where she’s working as part of her Peace Corps Volunteer position. You can view her guest post about the Female Hygiene program. Below is an update on how the project is going!

Hello GladRags readers! We’ve started our sanitary pads educational program this week here in the Nyanza Province of Kenya. We started with a small group of ten girls from Omiro Mixed Secondary School. This school was priority number one due to the girl’s daily interactions with the opposite sex (some schools in our location are female only). The schools has 110 females enrolled, so we are planning on 4 more groups of 25 girls before the term ends in August.

We discussed the high cost of disposable pads and then I explained about the donations made so they could have the materials to make their own re-usable pads, they are very grateful. Here is an online album that I will update regularly with photos of the project: https://picasaweb.google.com/mcguirkhelen/FemaleHygeine . The girls were so excited to work on this project and began asking many questions relevant to the subject. More to come soon, as the project is quickly gaining momentum!

Want to help other women in Africa gain access to reusable pads? Click here to learn how you can donate GladRags to girls in Sierra Leone!

We last heard from Becky when she reported on how Moon Cups were changing the lives of Ethiopian women. Here is her latest update from the Trampled Rose.

Hello!

The best part of being at the Trampled Rose is seeing the transformation of the women in our program. They arrive almost unable to hold their heads up and then they graduate full of confidence, hope, and new direction for their future. The part I like the least is writing reports and project proposals.

Unfortunately for me, I have spent the last few weeks writing reports about our past activities and proposals for the future. There are so many good things coming and I promise to keep you informed as more details are worked out. For now, it’s been almost six years since we first opened our gate to do our best to help. Thank you for all your encouragement and help over these years. Can you believe that we’ve helped over 1500 women?

I thought you might like to read the story of Maeza I just wrote for one of those reports I was complaining about. I attached her photo. You can see her when she arrived.

Love,

Becky Kiser
Trampled Rose, Inc.
www.trampledrose.org

These are the grateful words of Maeza herself : “This is the best time in my life! I started to be human again. I know how to write and calculate money. I am happy. I never imagined getting such a chance in my life.” Her husband said “I am so happy and thankful! The trampled Rose helped us financially because my wife knows how to get additional income to change our life. Thank you!”

But Maesa’s life has not always been so happy. When Maeza Miskir arrived at the Trampled Rose her life had already been a hard one. She was born twenty eight years before in the Amhara region in the northern part of Ethiopia to a sustenance farming family. She has four other sisters and two brothers. When she was young there was no school in her area and her parents didn’t consider education important for a girl. They wanted her to get married and be safe instead.

Although Maeza was only seven years old and had no desire to get married she was given to her husband to begin the duties of a wife. This was a terrifying experience for her so as soon as she had the chance she ran away from the man she hardly knew. Because of her illiteracy life was difficult and she married again.

In her second marriage she became pregnant with her first child. In the area where she lived there were very scarce medical services available so most of the women give birth in their own homes or the home of their in laws with a traditional birth attendant. These birth attendants have limited knowledge about difficult child birth deliveries. Maeza was in labor for five full days. At the end of her labor the baby was stillborn.

The pressure on her birth canal had caused a lack of blood flow to her bladder and she developed a vescovaginal fistula. She began to leak urine uncontrollably.. Her husband was offended by her condition and especially her smell. He asked her to leave so he could marry another woman who could have children and he wanted to be free of Maeza.

Maeza’s second husband returned her to her family home. She lived with them for two years when she heard about surgery at a Fistula Hospital near her region. But her depression and bad luck increased when she underwent her surgery only to discover that she seemed to be incurable. The leaking continued. She lived for one more year in hopelessness until she met a new educated man. He loved her and told her that he was willing to marry her because you never know what can happen in the future.

By this time Maeza had been leaking urine down her legs for more than seven years.

One day she was approached by the Amhara development association who was contacting women in their area with fistula on behalf of the Trampled Rose, Inc. Maeza and her husband jumped at the chance for Maeza to learn to read and write and begin a business of her own. Because the problem of fistula is so prevalent in the Amhara region of Ethiopia, Maeza’s sister in law also suffered from fistula. They decided to travel together with the transportation service provided by the Trampled Rose to the city of Addis Ababa.

Maeza was frightened, hungry, tried and dirty when she arrived at the gates of the Trampled Rose. During her orientation she was taught about the causes and cures for fistula. She was especially relieved to learn that fistula is not a curse from God but only a medical condition caused by her prolonged labor. As part of her orientation she was taken to a hospital to be checked for other diseases that could make her studies difficult. She was also examined by an expert fistula surgeon to make sure that her fistula was indeed curable. Her pleasure was immeasurable when she discovered that she did indeed have a chance to be cured by surgery.

Maeza began her literacy class during her first week. She was taught the alphabet by using small stones and sticks to make letters. She could read 180 words in her first week. This quick process gave her courage to try more. In fact, Maeza was the outstanding student in her graduation from the Trampled Rose. She also enjoyed the social atmosphere of being with twenty seven other women with her same problems.

After Maeza could read and write she began her business training of Sambusa making, ironing, traditional bread baking , and jewelry making. She also learned how to manage money and how to make a business plan. She even enjoyed a field trip to a bank to learn how to open her own account. She was surprised because she thought that banks were only for rich people.

Maeza’s surgery was indeed successful and she returned to her happy husband to open her own small shop selling Sambusa, traditional beer, tea, and taking in ironing with the startup capital she received from the Trampled Rose.

Got a pain in your neck? No worries — Imbue is here to naturally heal what hurts, so you can get back to doing what you love! The Imbue Pain Relief Patch is a special blend of herbs developed by acupuncturist and expert in Chinese Medicine, Dr. Peter Borten. Stick the fabric patch where it hurts, and feel your pain melt away!

The Imbue Pain Relief Patch is one of the newest items available at GladRags.com. We’re proud to be one of the first to carry this awesome all-natural patch, and want to share it with you! That’s why the Imbue Patch is on sale for the month of November, and we’re giving away a 4-pack of patches to one lucky winner!

Required entry:

• Leave a comment on this post telling us where you’d put your Imbue Pain Relief Patch!

Optional entries (comment once for each optional entry):

• Like GladRags on Facebook and leave a comment on this entry saying that you did so
• Like Imbue Body on Facebook and leave a comment on this entry saying that you did so
• Follow GladRags on Twitter and leave a comment on this entry saying that you did so
• Follow Imbue Body on Twitter and leave a comment on this entry saying that you did so

The winner will be picked by a random number generator on Friday, November 11th, so get your entries in by then!

Name: Kathryn Dusseau Kloos
Age: 34
Hometown: Los Angeles, CA
Current Location: Portland, OR
Occupation: Naturopathic Physician and mother

Interests: natural medicine, plant spirit medicine, women’s health, playing the guitar, being out in nature, travel to warm tropical places.
Dreams: Before I attended Naturopathic college I spent time studying healing arts with traditional people in the Brazilian Amazon. At that time I was in a deep contemplation if I should stay in Brazil and continue my studies with the plants or go to naturopathic school.  One of my friends there was a beautiful nineteen year old daughter of a shaman.  She knew the medicinal uses of every plant in the the forest and the unique songs that went with each one.  When I asked her what she wished she could do in her life, she told me all she wanted to go was go to medical school.  She said this with sadness in her heart knowing that there was little chance she could ever attend a university due to a lack of opportunity for the people of that region.  It was in that moment when I realized I should go to medical school. If she couldn’t go, I should at least take the opportunity to pursue a higher education that so many people globally don’t have access to.  My vision then and my vision now is to create a knowledge exchange between indigenous and contemporary healers.  One day I would like to take a group down to the Amazon to distribute much needed medical supplies as well as aid in the preservation of their herbal and healing traditions.

How long have you used reusable menstrual products: 14 years
Reason for making the switch to reusables: They are are more comfortable than disposable menstrual products and better for the environment.

Funny anecdotes, deep thoughts, or anything else you’d like to share: I think that we are in a time now when women are being asked to do a lot in the world.  Its really important that we take time to replenish ourselves by resting, spending time in nature and doing whatever brings us joy.  As women we need to remember to honor the rhythms of our moon cycle and not push ourselves too much, especially during the time of menstruation.  Traditionally women used to bleed during the new moon which is a time for quiet reflection and planting seeds of new dreams.  Ovulation would traditionally happen on the full moon which is a time of outward creativity and expression.  My hope is that we can collectively remember to honor our moon time as a time for rest and reflection as well as value the importance of ‘being’ as much as we value ‘doing’.

Earlier this week, Dr. Bonville explained how essential fatty acids work and why they’re so good for your body. Now, she describes how to add these important EFAs to your diet!

Good dietary sources of omega-3 fatty acids are cod liver oil, salmon, shrimp, cod, walnuts, flax seeds, and kelp. Adding these foods to your diet will improve your overall health and boost the levels of omega-3 fats. However, additional supplementation is often needed to treat certain symptoms and illnesses. Fish oil supplements have flooded the market and have become quite popular for all the reasons listed in part one of this series. Before purchasing a bottle of fish oil, there are a few things a savvy consumer should know.

Are all fish oil supplements created equal? The answer is NO! The buyer must beware when purchasing the omega-3 fatty acids due to the potential toxin content and rancidity of the oils. Since these fats are unsaturated, they are very delicate and can become oxidized or rancid quite easily. Oxidized oils promote ageing and inflammation and they should be avoided. To ensure your fish oil is fresh and pure, follow the guidelines below:

• Look for “molecular distillation” and “good manufacturing certification” on the label. These practices ensure freshness of the product.
• Oil should not smell or taste “fishy.” This smell indicates the oil has gone rancid.
• Buy only pharmecutical grade fish oil: these oils have been purified and are free from heavy metlas, PCB’s and other toxins present in fish.
• Choose products with natural preservatives such as vitamin E or rosemary oil.

To ensure proper dosing of your fish oil, contact your health care provider. There are some precautions when taking an onega-3 fatty acid supplement, especially if you are taking blood-thinning medication or are pregnant.

Dr. Bonville is a licensed Naturopathic Physician who practices primary and family medicine. She has a passion for naturopathic medicine and its capacity to optimize your health.  Dr. Bonville believes that naturopathic medicine can help you feel great, look wonderful, and have the energy you need to enjoy life.

While she enjoys all aspects of family healthcare, Dr. Bonville hold special interest in women’s health issues, hormone imbalances, and holistic cancer care.  She specializes in general gynecology, menstrual disorders, menopause, infertility and pre-pregnancy counseling.  She offers a full scope of women’s health care needs including annual exams, breast exams, hormone testing, and nutritional screening. She is committed to providing an integrative experience, combining traditional medicine with naturopathic philosophy.

Follow Dr. Bonville on Twitter for health tips and inspiring suggestions, and visit the Grain Integrative Health website for more information on her practice.

No doubt you have heard that omega 3 fatty acids are good for your body. Fish oil, a good source of fatty acids, has been a hot topic in the news lately, advertized to cure everything from arthritis to heart disease. But why are omega 3 fatty acids so good for your body and how do they work?

Omega 3 fatty acids are part of a group of fats that are called essential fatty acids (EFAs). While your body is able to produce some fats, these fats are essential nutrients and must be obtained from your diet.  Crucial to many of the physiologic processes in the body, omega fatty acids are the building blocks to our hormones, neurotransmitters, and inflammation mediators.  They feed the nervous system and keep the skin and joint lubricated.  Cultures that have a high intake of  EFAs have lower rates of heart disease, healthy cholesterol and triglyceride levels, and lower blood pressure.

There are two nutritionally important omega 3 fatty acids: eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). Each fatty acid is used in the body in different ways and can be use therapeutically as shown below.

The modern diet does is not rich in EFAs. Processed foods, poor quality meat and poultry, and saturated fats from dairy products do not supply omega-3 fatty acids. A deficiency in EFAs can cause dry skin, joint problems, depression, anxiety, high blood pressure, memory problems, and low libido. Supplementing with omega-3 fatty acids can balance mood, slow the aging process, improve memory, and decrease allergies.

Stay tuned for Part 2, in which Dr. Bonville will explain how to add omega-3 fatty acids to your diet!

Dr. Bonville is a licensed Naturopathic Physician who practices primary and family medicine. She has a passion for naturopathic medicine and its capacity to optimize your health.  Dr. Bonville believes that naturopathic medicine can help you feel great, look wonderful, and have the energy you need to enjoy life.

While she enjoys all aspects of family healthcare, Dr. Bonville hold special interest in women’s health issues, hormone imbalances, and holistic cancer care.  She specializes in general gynecology, menstrual disorders, menopause, infertility and pre-pregnancy counseling.  She offers a full scope of women’s health care needs including annual exams, breast exams, hormone testing, and nutritional screening. She is committed to providing an integrative experience, combining traditional medicine with naturopathic philosophy.

Follow Dr. Bonville on Twitter for health tips and inspiring suggestions, and visit the Grain Integrative Health website for more information on her practice.