This Endolife

As some of you may know, September is PCOS Awareness Month. So, before we move into October, I want to wrap this month up with a replay of one of my favourite interviews with registered nutritional therapist, Megan Hallett.I’ll leave the old intro in as it gives you a dive into Megan and her work, but one of the reasons why I wanted to share this episode is because we’ve been talking a lot about blood sugar on the show lately and in this episode, Megan shares how to eat for blood sugar balance if you’re fully plant-based, as it can take a little extra work for some of people and Megan wrote an entire cookbook dedicated to this topic.Megan Hallett is the co-author of The Happy Balance, which she wrote with period expert Nicole Jardim. I absolutely love this book and recommend it to everyone. The cookbook not only gives us an awesome quick stop tour of our hormones and why health foundations like sleep and stable blood sugar are so crucial, but it also includes 60 beautifully nourishing, hormone feeding and blo

So, as you know, I (and many other practitioners) use blood sugar regulation and anti-inflammatory nutrition to help manage endo. Today’s episode isn’t about that, but to give you context, we do this because blood sugar imbalances drive up inflammation and therefore pain, they can trigger hormonal imbalances and they can worsen fatigue. In terms of inflammation, pain is a symptom of chronic and heightened inflammation and inflammation is the key driver of pain with endo, and we can actually influence and lower our inflammation levels through the foods we eat and lifestyle choices. And we generally see very good results with these two methods, so they are a key component of most endo practitioners’ work.Now, there are some foods that are a bit notorious for causing blood sugar spikes, and one of those foods is oats. More specifically, hot oatmeal or porridge, as we call it in the UK.Today I held a Q&A and one of the questions, as you’ll come to hear, was about eating porridge for breakfast and being advise

Is snacking ‘bad’ for endo belly?I had a client recently ask me this and she’s not alone. Many who come to me for chronic endo belly, are worried that their snacking habits are making things worse.So, is snacking a problem?It’s a tricky question to answer… Let’s start with what happens to the gut when we snack.Between meals, two hours after you’ve eaten, a cleaning process is switched on so to speak, in your small intestine. The small intestine should only house food for about two hours, then the food moves on, and the rest of the digestion occurs in the large intestine. This wave-like motion clears the small intestine of food debris and bacteria that should actually be in the large intestine and this in turn keeps the small intestine clear and prevents gas, bloating, etc. that can occur if food and bacteria are allowed to build up in there. Every time we eat or drink something that has calories (so say a flavoured water, or a coffee with milk) it turns off. However, the process, called the migrating motor co

Today I am sharing a personal experience podcast, in the hopes that it might help you.Social media in summer is full of people’s holiday pictures and I think for people with chronic illness, that can be quite isolating because we may not be able to travel or travelling can be hard to navigate. I’ve been sharing some of my videos and pictures of our travelling recently, and I’ve noticed that a lot of people make assumptions about what that means – they assume I’m well, happy and in a good place, and I think it’s important to share the reality.To me, travelling is worth it and the best thing I’ve done in my life, and I have no intention of stopping any time soon or settling down, but it comes with ups and downs and has come with some unique health challenges. I am grateful that endo hasn’t really played a part in many of these (except for some cycle disturbances which I’m working on), but it’s really been based around my mast cell activation syndrome and dysautonomia, which I was diagnosed with officially last

Today’s episode is all about improving fertility outcomes with endo with Dr. Amy Beckley. Dr. Amy Beckley is a PhD scientist and co-founder of Proov - a company dedicated to empowering women at every stage of life to track their own hormones quickly and easily at home.  After Amy experienced multiple miscarriages and three years of infertility, Amy applied her own science expertise to her fertility struggles and with the help of her doctor, Amy was able to get pregnant with her daughter. As an endo warrior herself, Amy is deeply passionate about helping others in the community to conceive.On today’s episode we discuss: Amy’s own personal endo story and fertility experience. The prevalence of fertility issues within the endo community. Why endo could cause fertility issues and how these can be addressed/improved? The key strategies she suggests for improving fertility outcomes within the endo community. How Amy’s company, Proov is helping those trying to conceive. Where Amy suggests people start if they wanted

Today’s episode is a repost as I am off on annual leave this week and a client’s experience with painful sex has inspired me to share this episode with you. This episode is a follow on episode from my ‘Root Causes of Painful Sex’ podcast, so if you’re interested in learning more about that, I’ve linked in the show notes.Of course, this episode already has an intro so I’m not going to intro the intro - I’ll just let you get to it! I hope you find this episode helpful.TRIGGER WARNING: This podcast contains brief references to sexual trauma.I wanted to do an episode on the back of my 9 Root Causes of Painful Sex with Endometriosis episode, as I talk about bloating, bladder pain, brain fog and fatigue a lot, but I haven’t covered painful sex much lately. This episode contains a range of strategies, some long-term, some more short-term and this list certainly isn’t exhaustive. Many of the changes you make to improve your endometriosis in general, such as healing the gut, are not covered here but will certainly mak

If you’re a long-time listener of the show, you’ll know that endo belly – that classic bloating many of us get – is not just caused by endometriosis itself, but it is often the result of co-conditions and complications that people with endo face, such as small intestine bacterial overgrowth and microbiome imbalances. Gut dysbiosis, which means an imbalance of the bacteria in our gut, has been found in the research in people and animals with endometriosis. Whilst some more drastic measures can be taken, such as using antimicrobial herbs to kill off the ‘bad’ or opportunistic bacteria, one of the most essential and core things you can do to bring about balance, is to support your healthy gut bugs with their favourite foods, so that they can get back to the right numbers again.Many of us think that eating for gut health is about taking probiotics and drinking kombucha, but in fact, these strategies are just drops in the ocean – they are the paint on the walls, but first, we need to build the wall. We need to bui

It’s August and some of us will be heading off on our holidays, but a big concern for many of with endo, is whether we will have a flare up or our period whilst on holiday. Typically, on holiday, inflammation levels will rise; we may be drinking more, sleeping less, eating less veggies and eating more sugar – all scenarios that have been shown to raise inflammation levels and unfortunately, inflammation is a key driver of endo and menstrual pain, and pain in general.Now, whilst it is never, ever your fault if you have a pain flare or endo – let’s be clear, you didn’t choose to have endo and you certainly didn’t cause it – there are some strategies we can adopt that can prevent such high increases in inflammation levels, and therefore, can reduce the chances of a flare, or at least minimise the severity of it.Whilst I cannot guarantee this will work for everyone, as after all, endo is unpredictable and there are multiple factors which can influence a flare, today I am offering three ways to counteract some of

Today’s short solo episode is another one that I hope will provide you with some practical tools for living well with endo, today I want to briefly talk about acupuncture.Now, I am not an acupuncturist, so I am not an expert, but as a certified endometriosis health coach, it is a type of alternative therapy that I often recommend to clients, especially when they are struggling with pain and are looking for a tool kit of modalities to help reduce it over time. So, let’s first talk about what acupuncture is. Acupuncture is rooted in Chinese medicine, but it has now been adopted throughout the world and is even acknowledged to be a beneficial therapy by western medicine. At a very basic level, acupuncture is the practice of gently inserting very fine needles into specific points of the body, and traditionally, the idea behind this was that these needles would help to encourage correct and healthy flow of Qi, which is  - again, in basic terms – our life force or life energy.Read more.Show Notes1) https://www.nhs.

So, if you’ve been listening to my podcast for a while now, you’ll know that the proper balance of oestrogen and progesterone can significantly help manage endometriosis symptoms. Not only is endo an oestrogen dependent disease, but the symptoms of oestrogen dominance can look a lot like what we associate with endo symptoms, such as heavy bleeding, clots, cramps and bloating.Oestrogen excess put very simply, is when we have too much oestrogen circulating in our body, whereas oestrogen dominance is when the oestrogen to progesterone ratio is off, and oestrogen is dominating over progesterone in the second half of our cycle, when it should be the other way round.The other issue that can occur is when our liver isn’t properly clearing out oestrogen. This can result in oestrogen building up, creating excess levels, but the liver can also convert oestrogen into an unhealthier metabolite, which can cause more exaggerated oestrogenic effects.Read more.Need more help or want to learn how to work with me?Free resource

Many of us with endo have what we call ‘endo belly’, that swollen, distended abdomen. For some of us, endo belly can be constant, or it can come with a flare up and may also be accompanied by IBS issues like gas, nausea, diarrhoea or constipation.Whilst you’ve heard me say over and over again that the endo belly is likely caused by gut issues like low stomach acid and digestive enzymes, microbiome imbalances and SIBO (as well of course, inflammation from endo itself), there’s also another culprit I don’t talk about a lot, and that’s NSAIDS.Read more and show notesNeed more help or want to learn how to work with me?Free resources:This podcast! Endometriosis Net ColumnEndometriosis News ColumnNewsletterInstagramWays to work with me:This EndoLife, It Starts with Breakfast digital cookbookMasterclasses in endo nutrition, surgery prep and recovery and pain reliefLive and Thrive with Endo: The Foundations DIY courseOne to one coaching info and applicationThis episode is sponsored by Semaine. Semaine is a plant-base

Something I hear a lot of people struggling with is the overwhelming amount of supplement options out there. Many of us don’t know which ones to choose, which ones can help us personally and how and when to take them, and how long for. As a result, when I meet clients some of them are on double figures of supplements, and others have given up taking any entirely.So, today I wanted to share this tip when choosing supplements. Find 1-4 supplements and choose ones that can target multiple symptoms – and then commit to them for 3-6 months minimum.So, what do I mean by choosing supplements that target more than one issue?Most of us have trouble with bloating, fatigue, PMS, blood sugar issues, histamine intolerance, pain and heavy bleeding to name a few, so ideally, we want a supplement that doesn’t just target one, but multiple.Read moreShow Noteshttps://www.theendobellycoach.com/podcast/supplements-shown-to-target-endometriosishttps://www.theendobellycoach.com/podcast/supplements-for-period-pain-menstrual-symptom

Today I want to talk about a really easy strategy for improving your blood sugar response when eating some of your favourite carbs.Now, as some of you may know, I’m currently doing shorter episodes, so I won’t be diving into blood sugar here – but I do have many, many articles and episodes on the science of blood sugar and how it affects endo, so I’ll link to a few in the show notes.But, let’s do a very quick recap so that for those who aren’t familiar, can easily follow along.So, blood sugar is the measure of glucose in your blood stream. Glucose is the molecule that comes from carbohydrates when we break them down in the small intestine after eating, and it is our body’s primary source of fuel, so it’s needed for energy. Glucose comes from simple carbs and complex carbs.Read more.Show Noteshttps://endometriosis.net/living/diet-sugar https://endometriosis.net/living/how-to-balance-your-blood-sugar-levels-to-reduce-endo-symptomshttps://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/this-endolife/id1243158865?i=1000604296655ht

This short episode is a really practical one and full disclaimer, this is one based on personal experience (and clinical experience, with my clients), rather than something that is evidence based and proven.If you’re someone who gets a lot of pain on your period with endometriosis, try this very, very simple hack: sit up. So, let me elaborate.Many years ago, after much trial and error, I realised that when I lay down totally flat on my period during a peak in pain, the cramping worsened, and when I sat upright, it began to ease off. Now, let me be clear, I don’t mean it eradicated the pain, but it took the edge of those very violent cramps and seemed to lessen their intensity. At the time, I didn’t know why it worked as I wasn’t qualified back then, I just knew it helped.Fast forward to me being a health coach, and I have some theories. A pelvic floor physio could probably explain this properly, but this isn’t an interview episode and nor is it one of my long hour-long episodes with lots and lots of research

This episode is part of a new format I am trying out. These are essentially going to be bitesize podcast episodes with tangible tips for real life, to help avoid overwhelm and to support you to make small, sustainable change. Today I wanted to focus on something that came up with one of my clients recently, and that’s making dietary changes too quickly, leading to nausea and digestion issues.This can especially happen with a sudden increase in fibre or fat, which many of us can do if we’re wanting to balance blood sugar or start eating more anti-inflammatory foods.Today I wanted to talk about fat in particular. Fat helps us to balance blood sugar by slowing down the release of glucose to the blood stream, from the carbohydrates we eat. When a glucose release happens too fast, we get a spike in blood sugar, which can heighten inflammation and pain, and can also mess with hormones.The rule of thumb for fat to support hormones and blood sugar is about two golf ball sized servings of fat, which I find easiest to

For the past few weeks I’ve been recording testimonial videos with people who have taken my course, and I really wanted to share some of these stories because they’re just so incredible. I know a lot of you expressed an interest in hearing more positive and uplifting real life experiences with managing endo, and as I personally found these stories so inspiring, I thought you guys might as well. So I’m starting with Rachael’s story and I’ll leave Rachael to share her experience in the podcast, but to give you an overview, Rachael was suffering with PMDD, chronic fatigue that was affecting her ability to work and painful (endo) periods which required her to use opioids to get through. She’d recently had excision surgery but was still suffering with an array of symptoms and was feeling desperate and didn’t know what else to try.Once Rachael started the course, through making nutritional and lifestyle changes, Rachael was able to: Stop using opioids to get her through her period and instead now just uses magnesiu

Rebecca Sairs is the PMDD health coach helping people with PMDD take back control of their wellbeing with natural methods, self-care and empowering coaching.After experiencing PMDD herself, and struggling with the options of treatment available, Rebecca started down a holistic healing journey which eventually led her to specialise in PMDD as a health coach. She now helps people all over the world with the condition, and as many of us endo warriors also live with PMDD, I thought it was an essential to have her on the show!In this episode, we talk about: Rebecca’s PMDD story and what helped her to feel well again. What PMDD is and the symptoms and causes of PMDD. Her approach to managing and how that compares to the conventional approach, and whether it’s possible for those two to work in conjunction with each other. Where to start with managing PMDD. PMDD-hacks that could help people who are stuck with in-the-moment symptoms and need relief as soon as possible. Where can people find access further support. If

Hi, everyone. So this week I've decided to do a replay because I'm still recovering from my broken ribs and lung puncture, and I just still feel like it's going to take a bit too much out of me to record a whole episode. So we're doing a replay today, and this replay is from May 2022.Today I want to share what I do on my period to avoid a pain flare. Essentially, what I do on my period that allows me to experience either low pain levels or no pain at all, and if for some reason my levels do start to creep up, how I get them back down quickly and prevent them from getting worse. Please do consult your doctor before taking any supplements or making any dietary changes!Show NotesNeed more help?Free resources:This podcast! Endometriosis Net ColumnEndometriosis News ColumnNewsletterInstagram Ways to work with me:This EndoLife, It Starts with Breakfast digital cookbookMasterclasses in endo nutrition, surgery prep and recovery and pain reliefLive and Thrive with Endo: The Foundations DIY courseOne to one coaching in

Trigger warning: In today’s episode we’re talking about a subject that I would imagine, has at some point, affected many of you listening and that’s diet culture. If you’ve felt the impact of diet culture, you’re not alone - I’ve personally lived through eating disorders and so have many of my clients. However, if this topic is triggering for you, please skip this episode.Brandee Hommerding is an expert in holistic nutrition and owner of Bee Collective Wellness where she provides 1:1 nutrition coaching with an emphasis on gut and hormone health. She graduated from the Nutrition Therapy Institute in Denver, Colorado in 2019 and has since completed numerous certifications related to gut and hormone health.As a self-proclaimed diet-culture dropout, she provides women and menstruators with sustainable, holistic nutrition practices to overcome bloating, fatigue, PMS, and irregular menstrual cycles so they may feel more in tune with their bodies and live a vibrant and energetic life.In today’s episode, we discuss:

Okay, so before we dive into this episode I’m just going to give a huge disclaimer and trigger warning. This episode is about red meat, breaking down the misunderstanding around red meat for endo and the nutritional benefits of red meat for the endo community. It is evidence based and I hope I have done my best to provide a balanced approach in this conversation, however, this discussion won’t be for everyone.So, today’s episode is with the amazing Katie Edmonds. Katie is a Functional Nutritional Therapy Practitioner, educator, and author, specializing in helping women with endo. She's the creator of HealEndo.com, a free and comprehensive resource for anyone with endometriosis. She's the author of The 4-week Endometriosis Diet Plan and Heal Endo: An Anti-Inflammatory Approach to Healing From Endometriosis.  In today’s episode, we discuss: Where the fear of red meat for endometriosis comes from in the endo world. Why this information is misleading and, more importantly, problematic for the endo body. The benef