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 oestrogen heightens endo growth.

So ideally, we want to ensure our hormones are balanced and at the levels they should be. One way to do that is to ensure that old and excess oestrogen is properly eliminated from the body through the detoxification system. We need to be eliminating old and excess oestrogen ever day through healthy bowel movements, ideally, you should be having 2 to 4 Bristol type 4 stools a day (check out your stool type here). Research has also found that that antioxidants helped to reduce oestrogen levels by supporting the detoxification pathways.

So how do we support proper bowel function and a healthy detoxification system? Hydration and lots of fibre from fruits and vegetables!

Finally, various studies have found that adding in more fruits and vegetables can be helpful for endometriosis. One study found that adding in more green vegetables and fruits significantly reduced the risk of endometriosis!

Yes it's important to reduce inflammatory food groups but it's also essential to ADD in foods that flight inflammation too!

In this special episode, I am sharing a recording from a FB Live I did in my private Facebook group challenge, Owning This EndoLife Challenge. The free month long challenge involved a new goal each week with videos, tips and resources and this particular challenge feels so important that I wanted to share it. Have a listen to simply to learn, but if you fancy trying the challenge, it’s never too late to join!

Owning This EndoLife Challenge is now set to a free year long group with monthly challenges and videos. You can join here.

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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 endometriosis. To find out more about the programme and to discuss whether it could be right for you, email me at [email protected]

My new book This EndoLife, It Starts with Breakfast: A nutrition guide & cookbook for living and thriving with endometriosis, is out to newsletter subscribers today! Check your email for the secret password to get early access at a special price. My book is out to the rest of the world from Wednesday 20th - get your copy here.

Show Notes

Bristol Stool Chart