This EndoLife

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 first steps to reducing those endo belly flare ups and supporting your gut health.

I truly hope this episode helps you, and gives you some tools for taking on the endo belly!

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. The waiting list for April’s cohort is open now. 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.

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

This episode is also sponsored by Semaine. Semaine is a plant-based supplement for reducing period pain and inflammation, that you take for 7 days of your cycle, during your period. Semaine is made up of 9 super-powered plant extracts and minerals that are all vegan and sourced for maximum quality and bioavailability and selected based on the latest clinical research.  If you want to try Semaine, they are currently offering 15% off your first order and they deliver worldwide! Head to: www.semainehealth.com

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.

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 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.

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

This episode is also sponsored by Semaine. Semaine is a plant-based supplement for reducing period pain and inflammation, that you take for 7 days of your cycle, during your period. Semaine is made up of 9 super-powered plant extracts and minerals that are all vegan and sourced for maximum quality and bioavailability and selected based on the latest clinical research.  If you want to try Semaine, they are currently offering 15% off your first order and they deliver worldwide! Head to: www.semainehealth.com

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.

Show Notes

Molly’s website

Beyond Bread

Rana’s Bakery

Nush yoghurt

Coyo

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 pain resolved.

In this episode, Molly and I dive deep into -

• Her experience with eating for endometriosis.

• Eating for endometriosis and considerations for people who aer struggling with disordered eating.

• The stress response around eating and how it affects our pain levels.

• Her nutritional approach for people struggling with endometriosis.

This interview was so, SO good that it ended up going on for two hours! So I split it into parts 1 and 2 because who has 2 hours straight these days? And secondly, there’s such a wealth of information here, that I thought it’d better serve you in smaller chunks!

It was so amazing to have Molly on the show - I absolutely loved chatting with her, and I’m sure you’re going to love this interview!

Listen and subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, listen directly/download MP3 here or just listen below!

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 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.

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

This episode is also sponsored by Semaine. Semaine is a plant-based supplement for reducing period pain and inflammation, that you take for 7 days of your cycle, during your period. Semaine is made up of 9 super-powered plant extracts and minerals that are all vegan and sourced for maximum quality and bioavailability and selected based on the latest clinical research.  If you want to try Semaine, they are currently offering 15% off your first order and they deliver worldwide! Head to: www.semainehealth.com

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.

Show Notes

Molly’s website

Beyond Bread

Rana’s Bakery

Nush yoghurt

Coyo

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.

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 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

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 into managing endometriosis, with practical actions steps you can begin taking to reduce your symptoms with endo. You can get your free copy of Jessica’s new book here.

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

Join my free January Facebook endometriosis challenge! A one month free challenge to help you get started with managing endometriosis and reducing your symptoms. Request access to the group here: Owning This EndoLife Challenge FB Group

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.

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 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.

Show Notes

Outsmart Endometriosis

Endometriosis Health Coaches Directory

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 can function properly, it gives us more energy and it reduces those IBS issues we get with endo.

In this episode I explore why basic health needs should be addressed during endo treatment, the benefits of hydration for endometriosis management, how to tell you’re dehydrated and

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

Join my free January Facebook endometriosis challenge! A one month free challenge to help you get started with managing endometriosis and reducing your symptoms. Request access to the group here: Owning This EndoLife Challenge FB Group

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.

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

Show Notes

Bristol Stool chart

Urine chart

Hydration calculator

Facebook Group

One to one coaching programme