This EndoLife

Dr. Juan Michelle Martin is a pelvic floor physiotherapist with a specialist interest in endometriosis and women’s health.

Across 13 years of treating patients, Dr Martin has come to notice the inequalities and inadequacies within women’s pelvic health, especially for black women. Often when women finally see Juan, they’ve had years of various dismissive doctors and finding Juan is the first time they’re heard and see. Dr Juan Michelle Martin takes a holistic approach, focusing not just on the pelvic floor but the whole person - their nutrition, lifestyle, stress levels and much more.

In this episode we discuss:

• The disparities in healthcare for black women and what needs to change in the medical industry.

• How pelvic floor dysfunction can lead to worsening endometriosis pain, even after surgery.

• How pelvic floor dysfunction and inflammation can affect abdominal organs such as the bladder and the intestines.

• Why pain spreads and why pelvic pain often worsens over time.

• Exercises to avoid with endometriosis and pelvic pain.

This was such an interesting episode! if you haven’t started seeing a pelvic floor physiotherapist yet, I’m sure you’re going to want to after listening to 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 endometriosis. To find out more about the next round of coaching, starting in July, and to discuss whether it could be right for you, email me at [email protected] or visit my website.

I am now offering one-off two hour sessions for those of you who aren’t quite ready for a 12 week coaching programme. This intensive deep dive session will kick start your journey to living and thriving with endometriosis and give you a plan that you can take forward and work on alone. Click here to find out more about the programme.

My cookbook This EndoLife, It Starts with Breakfast is out now! Get 28 anti-inflammatory, hormone friendly recipes for living and thriving with endometriosis. Order your copy here.

This episode is sponsored by my free “Endometriosis Symptom Tracker”. If you feel like you’re just in pain or tired all the time, and you can’t tell what’s making your endo better or worse, this tracker could help you begin to understand the subtle patterns in your endometriosis symptoms. As always, this guide doesn’t replace your medical treatment and is not intended to treat or cure endometriosis, but provides you with options that helped me to live well with endometriosis. Download here.

This episode is sponsored by The Pod Farm. Learn all about how to start your own podcast with the complete course from The Pod Farm. Aimed at beginners, this course takes a simple and straightforward approach to planning, equipment buying, setting up, recording, editing and hosting your own podcast. With hours of audio and video materials, and downloadable guides and useful links, this multimedia approach aims to have something for every kind of learner. From now until April 15, newsletter subscribers get 20% off the course price. Visit www.thepodfarm.com to enroll or find out more

This episode is sponsored by BeYou. Soothe period cramps the natural way with these 100% natural and discreet menthol and eucalyptus oil stick on patches and CBD range. Click here to find out more and to shop: https://beyouonline.co.uk

Show Notes

Dr Martin’s website

Dr Martin’s Facebook

Dr Martin’s Instagram

Dr Martin’s YouTube

Fueling Her: A Woman’s Guide To Wellness Podcast

 

Hi loves. It’s been a heart-breaking week or so, but an eye-opening one and hopefully a week that signifies the beginning of true change.

Due to the unacceptable murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Nina Pop and Ahmaud Arbery (and countless others), I decided not to continue with the planned podcast this week.

Instead, I wanted to share two stories. One is a repost of my interview with Lauren Kornegay of ENDO Black, where she shares her story of racism, endometriosis and isolation in our community and what we can do to be better allies, and another is a story that I’m sharing, of a girl who is no longer with us, who should be.

I don’t know if I’ve done the right thing sharing this story. But I’m convinced that she had endometriosis, and I am convinced that had she been white, the outcome would have been different and she’d be here within our community today. Of course, this episode comes with a trigger warning. The story I share is a story of yet another black death, I’ve seen various posts on IG with black people asking for people to stop sharing stories of more deaths beacause they can’t take anymore where others are calling for these stories to be shared to raise awareness. I’m not sure of the right thing to do here given the divided opinions, I hope I’ve done the right thing by giving her a voice and sharing her story. Please do not listen to the first 30 minutes of this episode if this is a triggering subject for you. I sincerely apologise for any offence I may have caused, if you do indeed feel that I shouldn’t have shared this story.

I also share in today’s episode several IG accounts by black women working in the period wellness and endometriosis community:

@fertilityfriday

@krystal.kirton

@moonli.woman

@thewombroom

@endo_black

@statusflow.co

@pelviswellness

@berrionlberry

Lauren Kornegay is the founder of ENDO Black; a safe space and community for people of colour and African Americans affected by endometriosis. After being diagnosed with endometriosis and discovering that she couldn’t find any materials or information that represented her or didn’t centre around cis white women, she decided to go out and create it for herself and the communities that have been so underrepresented.

And Lauren’s work is so needed. Here are some shocking statistics about people of colour and the treatment they receive (or don’t receive) around their reproductive health (thanks to Maisie Hill for this info in her book):

Black women are more likely than white women to have unnecessary surgeries such as hysterectomies.

A 2012 review of endometriosis research found that only two articles were devoted to endometriosis in black women. They were published in 1975 and 1976 and found that black women with endometriosis tended to be incorrectly diagnosed with pelvic inflammatory disease - disease caused by sexually transmitted infections.

In the UK, black women are five times more likely to die in the childbirth year than white women, and Asian women are twice as likely to.

 

In fact, Maisie goes on to explain “In the American South there is a history of medical students practicing medically unnecessary hysterectomies on poor black women without informed consent” and that “it was the experimental reproductive surgeries performed on black enslaved women in the 1920s and 1930s that gave birth to modern American gynaecology”.

Lauren is working hard to create support and representation for people of colour, African Americans and other groups that the medical industry have missed when it comes to treating and managing endometriosis. She’s also looking to create change without our policies and laws, and to begin conversations and create awareness within these communities.

In this episode, we talk about Lauren’s personal story and the experiences she had as an African American women with endometriosis, the issues facing people of colour and African Americans with endo and how we can collectively work together to make the endometriosis community more inclusive and be allies to every warrior with endometriosis, not just the ones that look like us.

It was an absolute privileged to have Lauren on and share this incredibly important message with us - I am truly grateful for the work she is doing!

Let's get social! Come say hello on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook or sign up to my newsletter.

This episode is sponsored by BeYou. Soothe period cramps the natural way with these 100% natural and discreet menthol and eucalyptus oil stick on patches and CBD range. Click here to find out more and to shop: https://beyouonline.co.uk/pages/how-it-works

This episode is sponsored by my free “Endometriosis Symptom Tracker”. If you feel like you’re just in pain or tired all the time, and you can’t tell what’s making your endo better or worse, this tracker could help you begin to understand the subtle patterns in your endometriosis symptoms. As always, this guide doesn’t replace your medical treatment and is not intended to treat or cure endometriosis, but provides you with options that helped me to live well with endometriosis. Download here.

Show Notes

ENDO Black

ENDO Black Facebook Group

ENDO Black Instagram

Period Power book

Hi loves. It’s been a heart-breaking week or so, but an eye-opening one and hopefully a week that signifies the beginning of true change.

Due to the unacceptable murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Nina Pop and Ahmaud Arbery (and countless others), I decided not to continue with the planned podcast this week.

Instead, I wanted to share two stories. One is a repost of my interview with Lauren Kornegay of ENDO Black, where she shares her story of racism, endometriosis and isolation in our community and what we can do to be better allies, and another is a story that I’m sharing, of a girl who is no longer with us, who should be.

I don’t know if I’ve done the right thing sharing this story. But I’m convinced that she had endometriosis, and I am convinced that had she been white, the outcome would have been different and she’d be here within our community today. Of course, this episode comes with a trigger warning. The story I share is a story of yet another black death, I’ve seen various posts on IG with black people asking for people to stop sharing stories of more deaths beacause they can’t take anymore where others are calling for these stories to be shared to raise awareness. I’m not sure of the right thing to do here given the divided opinions, I hope I’ve done the right thing by giving her a voice and sharing her story. Please do not listen to the first 30 minutes of this episode if this is a triggering subject for you. I sincerely apologise for any offence I may have caused, if you do indeed feel that I shouldn’t have shared this story.

I also share in today’s episode several IG accounts by black women working in the period wellness and endometriosis community:

@fertilityfriday

@krystal.kirton

@moonli.woman

@thewombroom

@endo_black

@statusflow.co

@pelviswellness

@berrionlberry

Lauren Kornegay is the founder of ENDO Black; a safe space and community for people of colour and African Americans affected by endometriosis. After being diagnosed with endometriosis and discovering that she couldn’t find any materials or information that represented her or didn’t centre around cis white women, she decided to go out and create it for herself and the communities that have been so underrepresented.

And Lauren’s work is so needed. Here are some shocking statistics about people of colour and the treatment they receive (or don’t receive) around their reproductive health (thanks to Maisie Hill for this info in her book):

Black women are more likely than white women to have unnecessary surgeries such as hysterectomies.

A 2012 review of endometriosis research found that only two articles were devoted to endometriosis in black women. They were published in 1975 and 1976 and found that black women with endometriosis tended to be incorrectly diagnosed with pelvic inflammatory disease - disease caused by sexually transmitted infections.

In the UK, black women are five times more likely to die in the childbirth year than white women, and Asian women are twice as likely to.

 

In fact, Maisie goes on to explain “In the American South there is a history of medical students practicing medically unnecessary hysterectomies on poor black women without informed consent” and that “it was the experimental reproductive surgeries performed on black enslaved women in the 1920s and 1930s that gave birth to modern American gynaecology”.

Lauren is working hard to create support and representation for people of colour, African Americans and other groups that the medical industry have missed when it comes to treating and managing endometriosis. She’s also looking to create change without our policies and laws, and to begin conversations and create awareness within these communities.

In this episode, we talk about Lauren’s personal story and the experiences she had as an African American women with endometriosis, the issues facing people of colour and African Americans with endo and how we can collectively work together to make the endometriosis community more inclusive and be allies to every warrior with endometriosis, not just the ones that look like us.

It was an absolute privileged to have Lauren on and share this incredibly important message with us - I am truly grateful for the work she is doing!

Let's get social! Come say hello on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook or sign up to my newsletter.

This episode is sponsored by BeYou. Soothe period cramps the natural way with these 100% natural and discreet menthol and eucalyptus oil stick on patches and CBD range. Click here to find out more and to shop: https://beyouonline.co.uk/pages/how-it-works

This episode is sponsored by my free “Endometriosis Symptom Tracker”. If you feel like you’re just in pain or tired all the time, and you can’t tell what’s making your endo better or worse, this tracker could help you begin to understand the subtle patterns in your endometriosis symptoms. As always, this guide doesn’t replace your medical treatment and is not intended to treat or cure endometriosis, but provides you with options that helped me to live well with endometriosis. Download here.

Show Notes

ENDO Black

ENDO Black Facebook Group

ENDO Black Instagram

Period Power book

Ah caffeine. That legal drug which apparently 90% of the world is consuming, which is pretty interesting when you consider the impact it has on our hormones and endometriosis.

We’ve talked about caffeine and endometriosis before, but today I’m sharing an updated version on the subject as well as my own personal tips and experiences with reducing my caffeine intake.

This is an exert from a Facebook Live I did in my Owning This EndoLife Challenge Facebook group - a safe space where each month you can learn new methods for reducing your endometriosis symptoms and thriving with endo.

Here are some key takeaways from the episode:

• Caffeine causes blood sugar spikes, and if you were with us during March, you'll know how important stable blood sugar is for balanced hormones and endometriosis management. Read up on it all here.

• Whilst it's not an inflammatory for everyone, caffeine is an inflammatory for many of us. Higher levels of inflammation in our bodies mean worsening pain levels - not to mention a host of other issues such as a higher risk of depression, anxiety and chronic diseases.

• Caffeine has been shown in studies to contribute to the development of cysts in both the breasts and ovaries. So if you have PCOS or endometriomas, this is super important.

• Caffeine can over-burden the liver, meaning that it can't handle detoxing the body of excess or toxic forms of oestrogen, resulting in oestrogen build up in the body which can lead to further endo growth.

• Caffeine can cause our body to create feelings of anxiety, such as accelerated heart beat and breathing, making us feel anxious - even if we're not.

• Caffeine is considered an anti-nutrient, meaning it takes a lot of nutrients to process and remove from the body, resulting in depleted levels of hormone essentials such as B vitamins.

• Caffeine can upset the gut in multiple ways, from aggravating IBS to causing an imbalance in your gut bacteria. These problems can lead to multiple issues such as nutrient malabsorption to leading gut and food intolerances.

• Caffeine affects your sleep quality - which has a huge knock on affect on your health, from reducing the healing processes that take place whilst you sleep, to making you insulin resistant the next day (again, read up on blood sugar) and negatively affecting your mental health, just for starters.

• Caffeine has been linked in studies to infertility problems, which many people with endometriosis are battling with.

• Cut down by one cup if you're drinking multiple cups a day. Try removing the cup you have later in the day, to help improve your sleep.

• Start switching to decaf bit by bit - try 3/4 scoop of caffeinated to 1/4 scoop of decaf, and then over the month get to a whole scoop of decaf only.

•  Swap your caffeinated drink for my Lion's Milk recipe (you all have access to my book for free, here).

• If you're really not ready to quit yet - never drink caffeine on an empty stomach, it'll send your blood sugar soaring!

• Add some fat to your caffeine to slow down the blood sugar spike and minimise the damage, try coconut oil, MCT oil or collagen powder.

Let's get social! Come say hello on Instagram 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 endometriosis. To find out more about the programme and to discuss whether it could be right for you, email me at [email protected] or visit my website.

I am now offering one-off two hour sessions for those of you who aren’t quite ready for a 12 week coaching programme. This intensive deep dive session will kick start your journey to living and thriving with endometriosis and give you a plan that you can take forward and work on alone. Click here to find out more about the programme.

My cookbook This EndoLife, It Starts with Breakfast is out now! Get 28 anti-inflammatory, hormone friendly recipes for living and thriving with endometriosis. Order your copy here.

This episode is also sponsored by my free guide ‘Managing Endometriosis Naturally’. This guide is perfect for anyone just starting out on this journey of managing and reducing their symptoms. Download here.

This episode is sponsored by The Pod Farm. Learn all about how to start your own podcast with the complete course from The Pod Farm. Aimed at beginners, this course takes a simple and straightforward approach to planning, equipment buying, setting up, recording, editing and hosting your own podcast. With hours of audio and video materials, and downloadable guides and useful links, this multimedia approach aims to have something for every kind of learner.

This episode is sponsored by BeYou. Soothe period cramps the natural way with these 100% natural and discreet menthol and eucalyptus oil stick on patches and CBD range. Click here to find out more and to shop: https://beyouonline.co.uk

 

Show Notes

My brain fog busting hot choc

My turmeric latte

Bullet Proof Coffee

Ah caffeine. That legal drug which apparently 90% of the world is consuming, which is pretty interesting when you consider the impact it has on our hormones and endometriosis.

We’ve talked about caffeine and endometriosis before, but today I’m sharing an updated version on the subject as well as my own personal tips and experiences with reducing my caffeine intake.

This is an exert from a Facebook Live I did in my Owning This EndoLife Challenge Facebook group - a safe space where each month you can learn new methods for reducing your endometriosis symptoms and thriving with endo.

Here are some key takeaways from the episode:

• Caffeine causes blood sugar spikes, and if you were with us during March, you'll know how important stable blood sugar is for balanced hormones and endometriosis management. Read up on it all here.

• Whilst it's not an inflammatory for everyone, caffeine is an inflammatory for many of us. Higher levels of inflammation in our bodies mean worsening pain levels - not to mention a host of other issues such as a higher risk of depression, anxiety and chronic diseases.

• Caffeine has been shown in studies to contribute to the development of cysts in both the breasts and ovaries. So if you have PCOS or endometriomas, this is super important.

• Caffeine can over-burden the liver, meaning that it can't handle detoxing the body of excess or toxic forms of oestrogen, resulting in oestrogen build up in the body which can lead to further endo growth.

• Caffeine can cause our body to create feelings of anxiety, such as accelerated heart beat and breathing, making us feel anxious - even if we're not.

• Caffeine is considered an anti-nutrient, meaning it takes a lot of nutrients to process and remove from the body, resulting in depleted levels of hormone essentials such as B vitamins.

• Caffeine can upset the gut in multiple ways, from aggravating IBS to causing an imbalance in your gut bacteria. These problems can lead to multiple issues such as nutrient malabsorption to leading gut and food intolerances.

• Caffeine affects your sleep quality - which has a huge knock on affect on your health, from reducing the healing processes that take place whilst you sleep, to making you insulin resistant the next day (again, read up on blood sugar) and negatively affecting your mental health, just for starters.

• Caffeine has been linked in studies to infertility problems, which many people with endometriosis are battling with.

• Cut down by one cup if you're drinking multiple cups a day. Try removing the cup you have later in the day, to help improve your sleep.

• Start switching to decaf bit by bit - try 3/4 scoop of caffeinated to 1/4 scoop of decaf, and then over the month get to a whole scoop of decaf only.

•  Swap your caffeinated drink for my Lion's Milk recipe (you all have access to my book for free, here).

• If you're really not ready to quit yet - never drink caffeine on an empty stomach, it'll send your blood sugar soaring!

• Add some fat to your caffeine to slow down the blood sugar spike and minimise the damage, try coconut oil, MCT oil or collagen powder.

Let's get social! Come say hello on Instagram 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 endometriosis. To find out more about the programme and to discuss whether it could be right for you, email me at [email protected] or visit my website.

I am now offering one-off two hour sessions for those of you who aren’t quite ready for a 12 week coaching programme. This intensive deep dive session will kick start your journey to living and thriving with endometriosis and give you a plan that you can take forward and work on alone. Click here to find out more about the programme.

My cookbook This EndoLife, It Starts with Breakfast is out now! Get 28 anti-inflammatory, hormone friendly recipes for living and thriving with endometriosis. Order your copy here.

This episode is also sponsored by my free guide ‘Managing Endometriosis Naturally’. This guide is perfect for anyone just starting out on this journey of managing and reducing their symptoms. Download here.

This episode is sponsored by The Pod Farm. Learn all about how to start your own podcast with the complete course from The Pod Farm. Aimed at beginners, this course takes a simple and straightforward approach to planning, equipment buying, setting up, recording, editing and hosting your own podcast. With hours of audio and video materials, and downloadable guides and useful links, this multimedia approach aims to have something for every kind of learner.

This episode is sponsored by BeYou. Soothe period cramps the natural way with these 100% natural and discreet menthol and eucalyptus oil stick on patches and CBD range. Click here to find out more and to shop: https://beyouonline.co.uk

 

Show Notes

My brain fog busting hot choc

My turmeric latte

Bullet Proof Coffee

Maybe you want to exercise with endometriosis but you find your fatigue overwhelms you. Perhaps you’re not sure whether you should exercise on your period. Or maybe you’re worried about the impact of exercise on chronic pain?

Today I’m talking to Jenni Hulburt of WILD Wellness, the fitness specialist who is helping women and people with periods to live and sweat in sync with nature. 

After Jenni’s own experience with HPA axis dysfunction and burnout, she began listening to her body and decided to apply her knowledge of fitness and exercise to the natural rhythms and wisdom of nature. With a Bachelor’s degree in Exercise Science and Masters in Sport Psychology, Jenni is the ideal guest to talk to us about exercising with endometriosis and how to move our body whilst listening to its signs and signals, and moving in harmony with our menstrual cycles.

In today’s episode Jenni and I talk about -

• What over-training can do to your hormone levels and how cortisol can affect everything from your sleep to your period.

• Why the modern approach to working out isn’t the best model for the female body.

• What the difference phases of the menstrual cycle are and how they affect our energy levels and physiology. 

• Which types of exercises are best for the different phases of the cycle. 

• How to move your body when endometriosis causes your chronic fatigue, pain and a tight pelvic floor.

• How to get started with moving your body in rhythm with your cycle. 

For those of you who can move your body or are feeling at the stage where you want to consider some kind of movement, this episode is full of information to help you get started.

Let's get social! Come say hello on Instagram 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 endometriosis. To find out more about the programme and to discuss whether it could be right for you, email me at [email protected] or visit my website.

I am now offering one-off two hour sessions for those of you who aren’t quite ready for a 12 week coaching programme. This intensive deep dive session will kick start your journey to living and thriving with endometriosis and give you a plan that you can take forward and work on alone. Click here to find out more about the programme.

My cookbook This EndoLife, It Starts with Breakfast is out now! Get 28 anti-inflammatory, hormone friendly recipes for living and thriving with endometriosis. Order your copy here.

This episode is sponsored by my free “Endometriosis Symptom Tracker”. If you feel like you’re just in pain or tired all the time, and you can’t tell what’s making your endo better or worse, this tracker could help you begin to understand the subtle patterns in your endometriosis symptoms. As always, this guide doesn’t replace your medical treatment and is not intended to treat or cure endometriosis, but provides you with options that helped me to live well with endometriosis. Download here.

This episode is sponsored by The Pod Farm. Learn all about how to start your own podcast with the complete course from The Pod Farm. Aimed at beginners, this course takes a simple and straightforward approach to planning, equipment buying, setting up, recording, editing and hosting your own podcast. With hours of audio and video materials, and downloadable guides and useful links, this multimedia approach aims to have something for every kind of learner. From now until April 15, newsletter subscribers get 20% off the course price. Visit www.thepodfarm.com to enroll or find out more

This episode is sponsored by BeYou. Soothe period cramps the natural way with these 100% natural and discreet menthol and eucalyptus oil stick on patches and CBD range. Click here to find out more and to shop: https://beyouonline.co.uk

Show Notes

HPA Axis Dysfunction tests: Adrenal Hormone Metabolites and/or Advanced Adrenal Stress Test

WILD Wellness website

WILD Wellness podcast

Jenni’s instragram

Jenni’s Facebook

Workout without Burnout - online course 

Quiz: What’s Your Workout Style by Nature?

Cyclical Body Quick Guide - free download

 

Maybe you want to exercise with endometriosis but you find your fatigue overwhelms you. Perhaps you’re not sure whether you should exercise on your period. Or maybe you’re worried about the impact of exercise on chronic pain?

Today I’m talking to Jenni Hulburt of WILD Wellness, the fitness specialist who is helping women and people with periods to live and sweat in sync with nature. 

After Jenni’s own experience with HPA axis dysfunction and burnout, she began listening to her body and decided to apply her knowledge of fitness and exercise to the natural rhythms and wisdom of nature. With a Bachelor’s degree in Exercise Science and Masters in Sport Psychology, Jenni is the ideal guest to talk to us about exercising with endometriosis and how to move our body whilst listening to its signs and signals, and moving in harmony with our menstrual cycles.

In today’s episode Jenni and I talk about -

• What over-training can do to your hormone levels and how cortisol can affect everything from your sleep to your period.

• Why the modern approach to working out isn’t the best model for the female body.

• What the difference phases of the menstrual cycle are and how they affect our energy levels and physiology. 

• Which types of exercises are best for the different phases of the cycle. 

• How to move your body when endometriosis causes your chronic fatigue, pain and a tight pelvic floor.

• How to get started with moving your body in rhythm with your cycle. 

For those of you who can move your body or are feeling at the stage where you want to consider some kind of movement, this episode is full of information to help you get started.

Let's get social! Come say hello on Instagram 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 endometriosis. To find out more about the programme and to discuss whether it could be right for you, email me at [email protected] or visit my website.

I am now offering one-off two hour sessions for those of you who aren’t quite ready for a 12 week coaching programme. This intensive deep dive session will kick start your journey to living and thriving with endometriosis and give you a plan that you can take forward and work on alone. Click here to find out more about the programme.

My cookbook This EndoLife, It Starts with Breakfast is out now! Get 28 anti-inflammatory, hormone friendly recipes for living and thriving with endometriosis. Order your copy here.

This episode is sponsored by my free “Endometriosis Symptom Tracker”. If you feel like you’re just in pain or tired all the time, and you can’t tell what’s making your endo better or worse, this tracker could help you begin to understand the subtle patterns in your endometriosis symptoms. As always, this guide doesn’t replace your medical treatment and is not intended to treat or cure endometriosis, but provides you with options that helped me to live well with endometriosis. Download here.

This episode is sponsored by The Pod Farm. Learn all about how to start your own podcast with the complete course from The Pod Farm. Aimed at beginners, this course takes a simple and straightforward approach to planning, equipment buying, setting up, recording, editing and hosting your own podcast. With hours of audio and video materials, and downloadable guides and useful links, this multimedia approach aims to have something for every kind of learner. From now until April 15, newsletter subscribers get 20% off the course price. Visit www.thepodfarm.com to enroll or find out more

This episode is sponsored by BeYou. Soothe period cramps the natural way with these 100% natural and discreet menthol and eucalyptus oil stick on patches and CBD range. Click here to find out more and to shop: https://beyouonline.co.uk

Show Notes

HPA Axis Dysfunction tests: Adrenal Hormone Metabolites and/or Advanced Adrenal Stress Test

WILD Wellness website

WILD Wellness podcast

Jenni’s instragram

Jenni’s Facebook

Workout without Burnout - online course 

Quiz: What’s Your Workout Style by Nature?

Cyclical Body Quick Guide - free download

 

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.Today I’m talking about SIBO - Small Intestine Bacterial Overgrowth.

SIBO is a very common gut health condition, in fact, research has shown that 60-70% of IBS cases are actually caused by SIBO. To add to that, endometriosis is a risk factor for developing SIBO, so for those of us with endo and even with IBS too, this is a condition we want to be aware of.

• SIBO is an accumulation of of bacteria and archaea in in the small intestine.

• SIBO can cause damage to the small intestine and can cause malapsorption, nutrient deficiencies and intolerances.

• The symptoms of SIBO are bloating, fullness, diarrhea, constipation, nausea, gas, burping, GERD or acid reflux. SIBO can also cause symptoms such as fatigue, brain fog, joint pain, headaches, rashes, swelling and nasal congestion.

• There are three types of SIBO: hydrogen, methane and hydrogen sulfide type SIBO.

• Hydrogen sulfide type SIBO can also cause additional symptoms such as bladder pain, bladder frequency and urgency, generally feeling unwell, worsening food intolerances, histamine sensitivity, sulfur smelling gas, body pain, tingling and numbness in the hands and feet and worsening symptoms after Epsom salt baths and sulfur containing foods.

• Hydrogen type SIBO tends to cause diarrhea.

• Hydrogen sulfide tends to cause diarrhea but can cause constipation.

• Methane tends to cause constipation.

• Both hydrogen and methane together can cause constipation or diarrhea, or a mix of both (so sometimes you’re constipated, sometimes you have diarrhea).

• Methane and hydrogen sulfide together can cause either or both.

• All three types together can cause either or both.

• Key signs of SIBO are symptoms, low B12, low ferritin, vitamins A/D/E/K deficiencies, low omega 3 levels, sometimes low albumin; leaky gut symptoms, and conditions such as interstitial cystitis, psoriasis, restless leg syndrome, rosacea, and rheumatoid arthritis.

• Key causes to look out (there are many, but most relevant to our community) are endometriosis, abdominal surgery (inc. laparoscopy), chronic stress leading to slow gut motility, low stomach acid and low digestive enzymes, food poisoning and hypothyroidism.

If any of the above sounds like you, listen to this episode and be sure to tune into my follow up episode where I talk about SIBO testing and treatment.

A huge thank you to my tutor Dr Allison Siebecker for her SIBO Pro course, which has provided me with the information and training to be able to share this with you today.

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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] or visit my website.

I am now offering one-off two hour sessions for those of you who aren’t quite ready for a 12 week coaching programme. This intensive deep dive session will kick start your journey to living and thriving with endometriosis and give you a plan that you can take forward and work on alone. Click here to find out more about the programme.

My cookbook This EndoLife, It Starts with Breakfast is out now! Get 28 anti-inflammatory, hormone friendly recipes for living and thriving with endometriosis. Order your copy here.

This episode is also sponsored by my free Endometriosis Diet Grocery List. This pdf list includes all the foods I buy on a monthly basis, categorised into easy sections. I share my personal endometriosis diet plan, free recipe resources, recommendations to help you get started with the endometriosis diet and nutrition tips. Download here.

This episode is sponsored by The Pod Farm. Learn all about how to start your own podcast with the complete course from The Pod Farm. Aimed at beginners, this course takes a simple and straightforward approach to planning, equipment buying, setting up, recording, editing and hosting your own podcast. With hours of audio and video materials, and downloadable guides and useful links, this multimedia approach aims to have something for every kind of learner. From now until April 15, newsletter subscribers get 20% off the course price. Visit www.thepodfarm.com to enroll or find out more

This episode is sponsored by BeYou. Soothe period cramps the natural way with these 100% natural and discreet menthol and eucalyptus oil stick on patches and CBD range. Click here to find out more and to shop: https://beyouonline.co.uk

Show Notes

SIBO symptoms

Associated diseases

SIBO testing