Endometriosis

It's endometriosis awareness month so I wanted to talk about this very important topic that effects so many women before the month ends!

You may have been diagnosed with it, or you may have heard about it, but you're not so sure just what it is and what it means.

As of late, it has been estimated that over 176 million women around the world suffer from the symptoms caused by endometriosis. There are various estimates noting that endometriosis symptoms are quite common: [1]

• 2-50% of women are thought to have what's known as "silent symptoms" leaving these women clueless this may be an issue
• 40-60% of women who suffer from painful periods also have endometriosis
• 20-30%  of women who struggle to conceive may have endometriosis

Endometriosis is a condition where endometrial cells are found on the OUTSIDEof the uterus where they don't belong because they are supposed to be indoors INSIDEthe uterus. These cells hanging out on the outside begin to develop into growths or lesions that respond the same way the tissue in the uterine lining does- build up and then break down. So the major problem is that a woman is having her period in places she shouldn't be. Yeah, as if having your period wasn't painful enough- now from other places.

Common places these lesions are found are the fallopian tubes, surface of the uterus and lining of the pelvic cavity. These lesions cause a woman A LOT of pain (think lip stretched over your head) and hormonal issues.

Symptoms Of Endometriosis:

Additional symptoms can be chronic fatigue, joint pain, chronic lower back pain and abdominal pain. As time goes on, scar tissue and adhesions can build around the endometrial lesions which leads to other issues and symptoms worsen over time. A lot of women may have endometriosis and not even realize it until they try to get pregnant.

So is there anything that can be done?

While it is still uncertain as to the exact cause, there are some suspicious culprits. Primarily it's hormonal imbalance with excess estrogen leading the way. There's also an immune system connection, and possibly a genetic piece too- this is still an area needing much more research as women who have a close relative with endometriosis are 7-10 times more likely to be diagnosed with it. (Institute of Integrative Nutrition)

There are a few more evil doers tied to this painful condition:

Alcohol - increases the bodies estrogen and decreases the livers ability to detoxify

Irregular menstrual cycles

Low body weight

Getting pregnant at an older age.

Can I Improve Symptoms of Endometriosis?

Although as I said there is no known cure for Endometriosis, but you can make some changes to improve symptoms.

Take a guess what number one might be.....??? You probably are thinking it.....

1. Improve your diet

One of the most important things you can do is reduce inflammation. So we are talking getting rid of foods that are known to cause inflammation: wheat, dairy, processed foods, fast foods, fried foods, sugar and caffeine. Instead try incorporating foods that reduce inflammation. Here are few:

• Green leafy vegatables
• Nuts
• Fatty fish- use caution and do not buy farmed, go for wild caught - wild caught salmon is great
• Berries such as, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and blackberries
• Tomatoes
• Broccoli
• Avocados
• Green tea

2. Reduce foods that can be what we call estrogenic- meaning  they mimic human estrogen, by binding to the cell’s normal estrogen receptor location.

These foods are: wheat, soy, conventional meats, alcohol, conventional diary, and additives.

3. Avoid plastics:

• So no bottled water - use stainless instead
• No plastic bags for storing foods. Downloadmy Detox Hitlist for the homecheat sheet and to find out more, and discover some great alternatives that I use and LOVE.
• No plastic packaging
• No plastic wrap
• Absolutely NO HEATING or FREEZING IN PLASTIC. Do not use a microwave to reheat in any plastic container. Seriously no bueno!!
• Avoid plastic packaging. If you do buy items in plastic packaging, simply remove and store in stainless or glass.
• Avoid personal care products in plastic

Once again cleaning up your diet and removing the bad stuff is number one. This is so important and can help you with soooo many other issues. If you find that going cold turkey and completing changing your diet feels overwhelming, then simply incorporate one thing at at time such as adding a leafy green to your plate, or making one storage switch like my all time fave.......mason jars! Love love love, em for their versatility as you can use them for virtually anything. You will discover that over time, these small changes really add up and can make a huge difference in how you feel.

For those of you who may be experiencing any of the symptoms I listed and you've been wondering if endometriosis is the culprit, then run don't walk to your doctor and get checked out.

And if you have already been diagnosed, my heart goes out to you and clean up your diet pronto (yes I am shaking a very caring, but urgent finger at you). It won't cure you, but it can help.

If you suffer from endometriosis and have found ways to improve your symptoms or just simply want to share your journey in living with it, leave a comment or question.

Until next time,

Take good care of that one body you have for life so it takes care of you later...

xoxo

Shannon

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