This Endolife

Recently I did an Instagram and Facebook Live endometriosis self-care morning, with meditation, pelvic floor stretches, a gratitude practice, intention setting and a q&a. This Live was all about calming down the brain, so that our pain signals reduce and we have less endometriosis flare ups and less pain in general. I felt like it was such an important time to do this, given that we’re currently in a situation where so many of us are experiencing fear, stress and anxiety. When the brain is stressed, it goes on hyper-alert and reacts in an exaggerated way to everything and anything that could be a perceived threat - including our endometriosis. So you may have noticed that recently, your periods are even more painful, or perhaps you’re getting daily pain when you didn’t before. If this is you - think about your stress/fear/anxiety levels, it’s likely they’ve been pretty high of late. So I took us through a morning routine for endometriosis, one that would help calm our brains down and wrap our minds in sa

In this episode, mindfulness teacher Kate McGoey takes us through a calming meditation for endometriosis. I know it’s been a rough few weeks through COVID19 and stress, anxiety and fear can all lead to heightened pain signals, so a few Saturdays ago I held an Instagram Live where I took us all through a calming morning routine to reduce and anxiety, wrap our brain in safety signals and thus ease pain. So many of you have said to me that you loved the live and I asked if you’d like it in a permanent podcast episode, and you all said yes! So I’m splitting it up into a few chunks as it was a long 2 hours, and I’m starting with this conversation and mindfulness meditation for pain from Kate. In this episode, Kate and I talk about - How the stress of COVID19 can affect our wellbeing and our endometriosis pain levels How meditation can change our experience of pain And Kate takes us through a beautiful meditation you can actually try out whilst you’re listening to this episode! Please note that Kate and I w

I’ve recently been speaking to my endometriosis community on Facebook and Instagram and a lot of people tell me they don’t know where to start when it comes to managing endometriosis naturally or holistically. They’re constantly Googling the best natural treatments for endometriosis, are reading the latest books and are keeping up to date with endometriosis blogs, but feel totally overwhelmed and anxious about where to start. It feels like there are so many options to try, and they often don’t know which order to try them in.So I jumped on to FB Live for a group coaching session answering one of these questions, specifically:“How do you deal with the anxiety and overwhelm of there being so many things to "try" for endo. I feel like there's so many options out there which require trial and error. There's only so much time/money/energy/motivation, and I get so overwhelmed.”So in this episode I talk about how to identify which options, including - What I start with in the clinic with my endometriosis clients and

Vickie Williams is a Women’s Health Researcher and Tedx speaker currently completing her PhD in Endometriosis at Work and Menstrual Policy, and you may remember her from the podcast two years earlier, where we talked all about yoga and reiki for endometriosis. In today’s episode Vickie and I discuss - Vickie’s personal experience of endometriosis in her career. The current experience and challenges of people with endometriosis at work. The current support available (government level and organisation level) and ways to manage endometriosis in the workplace. What other support and policy changes are needed to help people working with endometriosis e.g. what employers could do and menstrual policy. Tips for those of you struggling with endo at work right now. I am so fascinated by Vickie’s work and think it’s absolutely essential that more is done to support people with endometriosis at work. I hope you find this conversation helpful, informative and hopeful - and at a time where so much is uncertai

The endometriosis belly, the endometriosis tummy, the endo bloat, the endo belly, the endo pooch - whatever you call it, you know what I’m talking about. That weird phenomena where your belly suddenly decides to make you look six months pregnant, not only is it uncomfortable, sometimes painful (especially if you have adhesions), it can also affect us emotionally - whether it’s about our self-esteem or because it plays on our fears around fertility. But what is endometriosis bloating? What causes it, and what can we do about it? In this series of episodes, I’m going to be diving into all the above and more, and really exploring the role that gut health has in endometriosis. In part 2 of this series, I’m talking about the foundations of good gut health and what signs to look for that your GI tract is missing these - Chewing: How many times should we be chewing our food, why does it matter and why does chewing less contribute to the endometriosis belly? Stomach acid: What is it, why is it important for good

This episode is another special one where I share with you guys what’s been going on in my year long Facebook challenge and what we’re working on during Endometriosis Awareness Month.In March, we’re reducing fatigue, endometriosis symptoms and even oestrogen dominance with one simple step - balancing blood sugar at breakfast.Why is this important?So. Many. Reasons. But here's a quick breakdown. Stable blood sugar levels in turn stabilises energy levels and helps to combat those big swings, especially those slumps where we could just fall asleep at our desks. Stable blood sugar helps to reduce and regulate inflammation - key for managing endo and chronic inflammation can also cause fatugue and brain fog. Imbalanced blood sugar creates crazy hormones - low progesterone and high oestrogen levels. Low progesterone causes symptoms like irregular cycles, anxiety, depression, migraines and irritability. High levels of oestrogen or oestrogen dominance can actually progress the growth of endometriosis and cause heavy

When you read about endometriosis in the media, often the biggest headline is that it causes infertility. We hear more about the struggles than we do about the success stories, and we’re often told to get pregnant soon - whether we want or are ready for children or not. The media, the mixed information and varying personal accounts can often leave us feeling confused. So what are the statistics behind endometriosis and infertility? Endometriosis is associated with a 30%-50% prevalence of infertility - but just because someone struggles to get pregnant, doesn’t mean they’ll never be able to conceive. When I discovered Stefanie Valakas, I knew I had to get her on the show. Stefanie is a accredited Dietician and Nutritionist specialising in supporting couples to optimise their fertilty and nourish their young families into childhood. She is the founder of The Dietologist, where she works with people living with PCOS, endometriosis and other hormonal conditions, to create a healthy foundation to conceive from, a

The endometriosis belly, the endometriosis tummy, the endo bloat, the endo belly, the endo pooch - whatever you call it, you know what I’m talking about. That weird phenomena where your belly suddenly decides to make you look six months pregnant, not only is it uncomfortable, sometimes painful (especially if you have adhesions), it can also affect us emotionally - whether it’s about our self-esteem or because it plays on our fears around fertility. But what is endometriosis bloating? What causes it, and what can we do about it? In this series of episodes, I’m going to be diving into all the above and more, and really exploring the role that gut health has in endometriosis. In part 1 of this series, I’m starting at the top. I’m talking about - The theories behind the endometriosis belly. Inflammation, the immune system, swelling and the gut. How stress affects gut health and endometriosis. How the endo belly and the underlying gut issues can worsen endometriosis symptoms. And most importantly - the

Molly Roberson is a Registered Nutritional Therapist, specialising in endometriosis and founder of The Endo Expert. Last week, Molly and I dived into her story of endometriosis, and her experience with eating for endometriosis. We discussed how the changes she made began to become obsessive, and Molly felt she was losing her joy of not just food, but life, as her eating habits become more and more rigid. In the second and final part of our interview, we talk about what to do if the ‘endometriosis diet’ triggers disordered eating behaviours for you and how you can eat for endometriosis healthily whilst still enjoying your food. Molly was such a delight to talk to, and I’m sure you’re going to love this interview! Let's get social! Come say hello on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook or sign up to my newsletter. If you feel like you need more support with managing endometriosis, you can join Your EndoLife Coaching Programme. A 1-to-1 three month health and life coaching programme to help you thrive with endomet

The wonderful Molly Roberson is a Registered Nutritional Therapist, specialising in endometriosis - and you may in fact know her as The Endo Expert. Molly began experiencing symptoms as soon as her periods began, and they only worsened as the years went by. Finally, after continuous dismissal, doctors settled on the conclusion that it was likely to be endometriosis. Rather than going for a laparoscopy, Molly, who was already studying nutritional therapy by this point, went away and did her own research, and began managing her symptoms alone. However, the deeper she went into managing endo, the more complex the diet protocols, and Molly found herself unhappy and eating a highly restrictive diet. As her stress levels and anxiety around her diet went up, so did her pain. Eventually, after she reached breaking point in the middle of a supermarket, Molly went back to basics and followed a general anti-inflammatory diet - eliminating dairy, sugar and gluten. She relaxed, and began enjoying her food again - and her

How many servings of fruit and veg do you get in a day?Did you know, fruits and vegetables are the KEY component of an anti-inflammatory diet? They’re packed full of antioxidants and these play a vital role in reducing inflammation in our bodies.Inflammation is largely due to a process in the body known as oxidation. In multiple studies, it’s been found that people with endometriosis have higher levels of oxidation and a lower intake of antioxidants, research has also shown that increasing levels of antioxidants, through fruits and vegetables, can help reduce oxidation levels in women with endometriosis.Another reason fruits, vegetables and antioxidants are so important for endometriosis is down to oestrogen. Oestrogen, in many cases, has been shown to be a key driver of endometriosis growth. While a new study has found that not all endometriosis cells are oestrogen driven - some are driven by progesterone and some neither – there is still a large body of research does clearly show that in many cases oestroge

Dr Jessica Drummond is one of the world’s leading endometriosis and women’s health experts. She is the founder of the Integrative Women’s Health Institute, is a licensed physical therapist, licensed clinical nutritionist, and board certified health coach working with women with pelvic pain - and is now the author of Outsmart Endometriosis: Relieve Your Symptoms and Get Your Career Back On Track. Jessica is a returning guest and with good reason! In this episode, we… Demystify the elimination diet for endometriosis, and talk about why and how it’s so important to not just rule out foods forever but to actually focus on adding nutrient dense foods IN. We also discuss something that doesn’t come up much in the endometriosis community - oxalates and histamine sensitivities and how that can have an impact on our pelvic pain, especially within the bladder. Additionally, we chat about gut health and why it’s crucial to start healing it in order to reduce our symptoms. Jessica’s book is an incredible insight

Sometimes we overlook the really simple basics of health when it comes to managing our endometriosis. We take supplements, eat super foods, restrict other foods - but forget to check in on our foundations, like drinking enough water. Of course we forget - no one else is asking us about our foundations of our health. No one else is making the connections. We’re not even really told to look after our health with endometriosis. It’s highly likely that many of you will have the following symptoms, which are all associated with endometriosis - but these are also symptoms of dehydration: Brain fog Constipation Fatigue Difficulty concentrating Memory issues If you find yourself constipated, brain foggy, tired, have hard to pass stools or have urine that isn’t clear or pale yellow - this episode is worth a listen. Because being properly hydrated is essential for endometriosis and reducing our symptoms. Being properly hydrated means our body can properly eliminate oestrogen and toxins, it means our brains

Many of us have heard about an anti-inflammatory diet for endometriosis, but what about an anti-inflammatory lifestyle? If you were eating a totally anti-inflammatory diet but you were experiencing chronic stress, would that have an impact on your pain levels? My answer? It’s very, very likely. There are two key factors that cause further inflammation in our bodies when it comes to our lifestyle. Stress, tension and danger signals are often experienced in two places in the body: the neck and shoulders, and the pelvic floor. The body is trying to protect the vital organs in the pelvis and abdomen and so in response to stress, our body believes there’s danger and clenches and tightens the pelvic floor. This creates further pain, nerve sensitivity, muscle and organ dysfunction and distortion and ultimately up-regulates inflammation as a result. The brain is designed to recognise stress and danger signals as a priority because it’s programmed to keep us safe. Because of this, it’s much easier and quicker for

Okay guys - I think you’re going to love this episode! It’s super practical and covers a subject a lot of you are curious about: essential oils for endometriosis. Today I am talking to Carine Camara of the Pelvis Wellness Method. Carine is the founder of the Pelvis Wellness Method; which combines the practices of acupuncture, abdominal and pelvic bodywork with energy healing. She’s also an energy body worker, holistic health coach and a licensed acupuncturist - yes, this girl does a lot of things! Carine’s own experience of chronic fatigue, painful periods and cysts led her down the route of Chinese medicine, after two months of dedicated diet changes, herbal medicine and acupuncture resolved her need for surgery to remove a large cyst. She’s since dedicated her life to training in Chinese medicine and is committed to helping others experience the same level of relief that she did. In this episode we’re talking about the home remedies you can try to help manage endometriosis and alleviate pain. We discuss -

So many of us start a new year with hopeful intentions, but then struggle to live out those intentions come Feburary. Last week we did a meditation on how we wanted to feel in our bodies in 2020 and the decade ahead. This exercise is a lot more logical, it’s about planning, reflecting and going really deep on your desires for your health. You don’t have to have done the meditation, but if you did, today’s episode is about turning that vision into a reality. In this episode, I’m going to ask you a series of questions that will really get to the root of your challenges with endometriosis, and will help you extract important lessons, identify what needs to change and really describe what it is your want for you health and where you want to prioritise your focus in 2020. As a health coach, I have trained in behaviour change and this exercise is a wonderful way to get you motivated and inspired - but most importantly, armed with a road map for thriving with endometriosis. Let's get social! Come say hello on Inst

This episode is a pretty unique one. With a decade ending and a new one approaching, I have recorded a visualisation meditation to help you envision how you want to feel in 2020 and the decade ahead. The key question you will be asking yourself in this meditation is - what if you thrived with endometriosis in 2020? What would your body feel like? What would your life look like? You’ll be invited to envision what your life would be like if you did thrive and if you didn’t - and what one accessible step could you take towards this vision of the future. Make sure you have a journal to hand, a pen and an hour to really sit with this episode and go deep with this powerful meditation. If now isn’t a good time to do this meditation, save it for the New Year! Listen and subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, listen directly/download MP3 here or just listen below! My new book This EndoLife, It Starts with Breakfast: A nutrition guide & cookbook for living and thriving with endometriosis, is out to newsletter subscribe

Christmas. I’m not sure there’s any other time of year that can bring up so many complex and rich emotions and experiences. Joy, love, connection mixes with family disputes, awkwardness, and social pressure! Adding endometriosis into the mix only tends to further complicate a time that should be special. Christmas is also a time of indulgence. Inflammatory foods tend to be the main thing on the menu, and this often results in one of our worst periods come January. So what does that mean for you? Eat and worry about the impact, or not eat those delicious foods but have a more manageable period? I don’t think you have to do either - in fact, for the past five years I’ve been creating ways to feel better and still enjoy those Christmas delights. So in this episode, I’m sharing exactly how I plan to manage endometriosis at Christmas this year AND I’m sharing a free endometriosis-friendly Christmas mini-cookbook as my Xmas gift to you guys. You can download it here. Here’s what I talk about in this episode: Pr

This title may seem a little odd to you - but endometriosis affects every area of a person’s life. Every area. That means finances too. In fact, my friend Vickie Williams, recently shared these stats from a worldwide study: 7,000 women across 52 countries, over 40% have given up or lost jobs due to endo, and others have gone part-time or self-employed. Women with endo lose 10.8 hours a week due to pain. Women with endo lose £5,750.72 a year due to time off sick. It’s bad enough that’s someone’s wellbeing is affected by endometriosis, and that their social life is affected too - let alone the worry of having to take time off and potentially lose money due to being unwell. And what about those of us who need to take a break from working? Or who lose their jobs because their employers don’t understand endometriosis? How do we cope with the financial implications? It’s no secret to you guys that I took a £10k pay drop to make my work life with endometriosis manageable. And although that came with huge ben

This episode comes with a bit of a twist! In fact, it’s not technically one of my episodes. This is an interview I did with Berrion Berry on her podcast, The Feminine FLO Podcast on my experience of living with endometriosis, and what drove me to manage it naturally, and why that inspired me do the work I do through coaching, writing and podcasting. I decided to share it because on my show, I’ve tended to hold back a little on some of the science I’ve wanted to share with you as I wasn’t yet qualified, but Berri actually interviewed me the week of my final coaching exam, so I was able to fully step into my knowledge and beliefs around managing endometriosis, and I really dove into so much of it in this episode! In this episode I’m talking about: Symptoms of endometriosis Diagnosis of endometriosis Hormonal imbalances and endometriosis Hormonal therapy for endometriosis Why food should take a key role in the healing of endometriosis symptoms and management of endometriosis And lots more! I hope