This Endolife

  It’s really easy, when you’re unwell, to want to fix everything as quickly as possible. When I started managing my endometriosis symptoms, I went full throttle. I changed my diet, my lifestyle, my make up and skin care - everything and anything that could be tweaked or improved to help with endometriosis, I changed. But within a short few months, I was broke and exhausted. I was totally overwhelmed by the amount of information that I was stuffing in my brain, the conflicting information out there on the endometriosis diet and all the noise on natural treatment options. Because I didn’t know what was quality information, I tried everything. My endodiet overwhelm caused me to crash and burn, and I had to work out what was the most important, what were my priorities were in order to create a plan to move forward sustainably. So in this episode, I’m talking about my experience of being totally overwhelmed to having a clear and steady plan to tackle my endo in a manageable way. I’m sharing tips, reflections

TRIGGER WARNING: This conversation includes discussions about abusive relationships. I know you guys have been waiting for this one, and I’m sorry it’s taken so long - but I wanted to find the best person I could to discuss the important and often difficult subject of communication, relationships and endometriosis. Mel Cox is the founder of emotional wellbeing centre, HQ Therapy Rooms in East London. She’s also a Tension and Trauma Release Exercise Practitioner and a Humanistic Psychotherapist. Mel regularly supports couples with communication struggles ranging from conflict to intimacy problems and the impact of depression and anxiety on relationships. Her work focuses on both the physical and cognitive aspects of wellbeing, taking an approach that treats the whole person. Many of us with endometriosis struggle within our romantic relationships. Perhaps we want to start dating but we don’t know how to tell the people we meet, perhaps we’re in a long term relationship and strains are starting to show, or m

Do you want to start eating for endometriosis but feel held back by your finances? Many of us fear that managing or reducing our symptoms through nutrition, natural treatment options and complimentary therapies, will end up costing us a lot of money - and it can - but it’s also possible to follow an endometriosis diet on a budget. In the past five years, I’ve changed jobs and have eventually gone self-employed, in order to find a lifestyle that helps me manage endometriosis, but that also means that my income has dropped significantly. I’ve had to continuously adapt my budget and that includes how and what I spend on food and supplements. I know I’m not alone in this. I’ve met many people who are struggling financially due to endometriosis or other circumstances, and are trying to navigate how to fuel their bodies with good nutrition on a smaller budget. So in this episode, I’m getting REALLY honest. I actually give you real figures when it comes to money, how much money I’ve dropped, what I used to earn, h

Chances are, you’ve heard of Maisie Hill. She’s currently taking the world of periods by storm with her incredible debut book Period Power, which reached the top 50 books on Amazon with days of its release. But despite what you might think, Maisie is not an overnight success. In fact, she’s been treating people with periods for over a decade. Maisie is a women’s health practitioner and birth doula, who is trained in acupunture, reflexology and aromatherapy, and is currently studying at the Integrative Women’s Health Institute and training to become a nutritional therapist. She’s also studied with Red School and Women's Health and Functional Nutrition Coach, Nicole Jardim. A lot of studying, right? But that’s not where Maisie’s expertise ends; in fact, Maisie suffered from crippling periods. Endo-level kind of painful periods. And it was her experience of that pain and healing it, which led her down the path of helping others and eventually, writing Period Power. I cannot tell you how much I loved this book

This episode comes with a trigger warning as the conversation includes sexual trauma. Today’s episode is a big one. I’m talking with Maggie Flood, founder of Sacral Spaces and holistic medical practitioner specialised in sexological bodywork, acupuncture and Chinese Medicine. Maggie’s work with women is not only unique, but fascinating. Maggie has developed her own technique combining embodied pelvic care, acupuncture and herbal medicine to help those suffering with endometriosis, chronic pelvic inflammation, painful sex, scar tissue, sexual trauma, arousal and much more. Maggie’s personal experience of sexual trauma and being diagnosed with endometriosis led her down a path of healing, which finally inspired her to begin working with those who have experienced similar conditions and emotional pain. In today’s episode we talk about Maggie’s own healing journey, the link between trauma and endometriosis, acupuncture for endometriosis, how sexological bodywork and pelvic embodiment can lesson scar tissue and

Okay, so I’ve done a good couple of episodes now on how I treat endometriosis naturally through the endometriosis diet and other holistic lifestyle choices. But instead of another episode on what I avoid, I thought I’d do one on what I DO eat and the foods that I love. This episode is about the reality of the endometriosis diet and how I base my meals around nutrition for endometriosis and hormone balance. I’ve never loved my food more, love getting in the kitchen and LOVE discovering new things to eat - so this is by far not an episode on restriction. Instead, it’s about how to look after your body, feel better with endometriosis and enjoy your food. I hope this episode brings you some clarification around eating for endo, and inspires you to try out some delicious ways to reduce your symptoms! Please remember - that is not about judgement. It’s not about berating yourself for eating something or not eating something. It’s not about a one size fits all for managing endometriosis and what works for me may

Many of us think that endometriosis is linked only to our reproductive organs and pelvic area. But did you know that the liver is essential in helping us to manage endometriosis? In this episode, I explore everything I’ve learnt about the liver and endometriosis so far, and the ways I am supporting my liver, and how that’s positively impacted my endometriosis symptoms. If you’re looking to understand endometriosis natural treatment options, this episode is for you. Come say hello on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook or sign up to my newsletter. If you liked this episode, might like my free guide ‘Managing Endometriosis Naturally’, click here to get your copy. This episode is sponsored by BeYou Cramp Relief Patches. Soothe period cramps the natural way with these 100% natural and discreet menthol and eucalyptus oil stick on patches. Click here to find out more and to shop: https://beyouonline.co.uk/pages/how-it-works This episode is also supported by Onna. Gemstone toys and massage tools designed to enco

Today’s episode is with the absolutely incredible Emily Sauer; founder of Ohnut and co-founder of Lady Bits League and the Sexual Wellness Summit. After years and years of enduring painful sex in silence, Emily made it her mission to find a way to make sex pleasurable again for her and people with vaginas all over the world. Ohnut was the result; a rubber wearable that allows you to be in control of penetration depths and is helping hundreds of women around the world to experience relief from dyspareunia. For those of us with endometriosis-associated dyspareunia, Ohnut could make a huge difference and provides a natural treatment option that allows us to not rely on pain killers or total avoidance. Whilst pelvic floor therapy is incredibly helpful for many with endometriosis and dyspareunia, it can sometimes be a long process, and so Ohnut allows couples to begin exploring sooner. In this episode, we talk about the huge and unspoken issue of dyspareunia, why and how Emily designed the Ohnut, the scientific

Today is a good one. In this episode I’m sharing with you the key tools and endometriosis resources that have enabled me to live a life which is pretty much free from endometriosis pain. Honestly, these resources are the best out there - I’ve done a heck of a lot of research and I’ve tried all the things, and these guys come out on top for me. From books on endometriosis natural treatment options and symptom tracker apps, to courses on the endometriosis diet and charities that help you understand endometriosis - these are my go-to endometriosis resources that I recommend to help you get started with managing endometriosis. I truly hope they’re useful to you. Let's get social! Come say hello on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook or sign up to my newsletter. If you liked this episode, might like my free guide ‘Managing Endometriosis Naturally’, click here to get your copy. This episode is sponsored by BeYou Cramp Relief Patches. Soothe period cramps the natural way with these 100% natural and discreet menthol and

That morning cup of coffee. There’s not much out there that I love more. But my experiences with coffee and endometriosis are not great - in fact, caffeine has always worsened my endometriosis symptoms and when I eliminated caffeine, my symptoms improved dramatically. So what’s the deal? Today I’m talking about endometriosis and caffeine, from it’s affects on inflammation to how it may be increasing our oestrogen levels, and how I manage my love for coffee whilst still reducing my symptoms. Let's get social! Come say hello on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook or sign up to my newsletter. If you liked this episode, might like my free guide ‘Managing Endometriosis Naturally’, click here to get your copy. This episode is sponsored by BeYou Cramp Relief Patches. Soothe period cramps the natural way with these 100% natural and discreet menthol and eucalyptus oil stick on patches. Click here to find out more and to shop: https://beyouonline.co.uk/pages/how-it-works This episode is also sponsored by Planet Organic

Today I’m back talking about my experience of the endometriosis diet - which is a loose term we now use for what is essentially an anti-inflammatory diet for endometriosis. In this episode, I’m focusing specifically on sugar. I talk about the reasons that sugar can make endometriosis symptoms worse and the research behind this, and how I’ve managed to reduce my endometriosis pain through changing my sugar intake. Let's get social! Come say hello on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook or sign up to my newsletter. If you liked this episode, might like my free guide ‘Managing Endometriosis Naturally’, click here to get your copy. This episode is sponsored by BeYou Cramp Relief Patches. Soothe period cramps the natural way with these 100% natural and discreet menthol and eucalyptus oil stick on patches. Click here to find out more and to shop: https://beyouonline.co.uk/pages/how-it-works This episode is also supported by Onna. Gemstone toys and massage tools designed to encourage women to indulge, pamper and prac

Today is a long awaited episode - how to manage endometriosis at work with Clare Knox of See Her Thrive. I know I’m not the only one who struggled in the workplace with endometriosis, from explaining endometriosis to a boss to work place accomodations for the disease, it’s a grey area which causes a hell of a lot of anxiety for many of us. So I was thrilled when Clare agreed to be on the show. Clare is a Business Psychologists who was diagnosed several years ago with PMDD. This condition affected Clare so hugely in the workplace that she eventually went on to found See her Thrive, which helps employees and employers to support women’s wellbeing in the workplace, specifically with conditions such as endometriosis. Together, Clare and her team are changing how the UK does business and how companies support and understand women’s health. In this episode we talk about the current issues facing people with endometriosis in the workplace, Clare’s vision for the future of women’s wellbeing at work, how to talk to

I remember the days when I popped codeine all the time - it made me feel sick, drowsy and would give me awful migraines! The doctors wanted to put me on a type of painkillers I’d have to take every single day to be effective, which would make me very drowsy and I just thought there had to be another way. These days I have a drawer full of go-to home remedies for endometriosis that I use every month and thanks to a combination of these babies and my own personal version of the endometriosis diet, my periods are either entirely pain free or incredibly low on the pain scale. So, in case, for whatever reason, you want to reduce your reliance on pain relief medication, I’m sharing my favourite tools with you today. I hope today’s episode will give you some ideas to be able to reduce endometriosis pain with natural pain relief. Let's get social! Come say hello on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook or sign up to my newsletter. If you liked this episode, might like my free guide ‘Managing Endometriosis Naturally’, c

  Today is a sort of part two to my first solo show about my endometriosis story. Last time I told you a lot more about the medical side of my experience - from my endometriosis diagnosis, symptoms and pretty bad experiences with surgery! Ultimately, that journey got me here - pretty much pain free most of the time, and if I do get pain, it’s only around my period and is never usually higher than a 1 or 2 on the pain scale. So I thought it might be helpful to explain what my journey of healing endometriosis naturally looked like and what my endometriosis management style looks like today. Now before we get started - I want to make a disclaimer, when I say ‘heal’ I do not mean ‘cured’. I don’t believe I have cured my endometriosis, but I manage my symptoms to a point where most of the time my life is uninterrupted by them. I use the word healing to describe my personal journey, because it has been a healing process - from having a broken relationship with my body, hormone imbalances, serious mental health is

Today is a bit different… After an overwhelming response from you guys, I’m bringing in a mix of guests and solo shows. So I thought I’d start with my personal endometriosis story. This episode covers my experiences of my first endometriosis symptoms, my diagnosis, my experience with endometriosis surgery and the desperation that led me to discover natural treatment options for endometriosis, including the ‘endometriosis diet’. I hope by sharing this story, you’ll feel less alone, but also that this episode will provide some context for why I manage endometriosis naturally and how I got to this point. Let's get social! Come say hello on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook or sign up to my newsletter. If you liked this episode, might like my free guide ‘Managing Endometriosis Naturally’, click here to get your copy. This episode is sponsored by BeYou Cramp Relief Patches. Soothe period cramps the natural way with these 100% natural and discreet menthol and eucalyptus oil stick on patches. Click here to find out

Ever heard of the ‘endometriosis diet’ and have been confused about what it actually is? Then this episode is for you. Today is a career (and life) highlight - I’m getting to talk to Take Control of Your Endometriosis author Henrietta Norton. Henrietta Norton’s book was at the very beginning of my holistic journey with endo, and it was her words and endometriosis diet plan that helped me to really understand nutrition for endometriosis. Henrietta is not only the author of one of the best books out there on endo, but she’s also the founder of Wild Nutrition, a nutrition clinic and company specialising in women’s health and Food-Grown® supplements including the Endo Complex, which you’ve probably heard me raving about because I take it every single day. Henrietta is not just passionate about good food, she’s got the science to back it up - Henrietta is a registered nutritional therapist, a Functional Medicine graduate and is currently studying Nutritional Medicine - and that’s why I love her. Henrietta’s book

In today’s episode of This EndoLife podcast, I’m talking to the wonderful Kate McGoey of The Balance Blueprint. I met Kate at one of my first day retreats and was struck by her positive experience of mindfulness for chronic pain and her pursuit to help others with endometriosis experience the same benefits. Kate has endured seven surgeries, extreme pain and other endometriosis symptoms, but several years ago began working with a nutritionist to manage her pain levels. This eventually led her to discover mindfulness for pain, which she now teaches through free guides, online courses and one to one support. Kate takes us through how chronic pain conditions affect our mental health, emotions and quality of life, why changing our experience of and relationship to pain is so important and how we can learnt to live more positively with endometriosis through mindfulness for pain. Kate is such a calming and soothing presence with such a wealth of information - it was a complete honour to have her on the show! This

Today I’m talking to the incredible Elena of Onna and The Yoni Empire, all about endometriosis-associated dyspareunia, otherwise known as painful sex, and how we can move from healing pain to finally experiencing pleasure. Elena lived with vaginal pain - specifically vaginismus - for seven years before beginning a journey that would lead her to not only heal her own experience of painful sex, but to make it her mission to help others living with dyspareunia. Like many of us, Elena experienced dismissal, misdiagnoses and unacceptable treatment options ranging from shrugs from the doctors to suggestions of cutting her pelvic nerves so she could have sex without any sensation whatsoever. Many of us experience strains on our relationships with endometriosis, especially when it comes to our romantic relationships - and sex is often one of the key areas of concerns. As someone living with endometriosis-associated dyspareunia, I’ve spent a long time trying to work out how to treat dyspareunia naturally - often as p

Today I’m speaking to the super inspiring Aubree Deimler, founder of Peace with Endo. Aubree is an Integrative Wellness Coach and helps people worldwide to manage pain, increase energy and find peace with endo. She’s also the best selling author of From Pain to Peace with Endo and has just released her new book, The Energetics of Endo. Aubree’s new book takes us through her endometriosis experiences as she goes from healing on a physical level to healing emotionally and spiritually with endometriosis. In this episode, we discuss some of the spiritual root causes of endometriosis, how energy healing, such as reiki, can play a part in treating endometriosis naturally and how chakra blocks, such as the root and sacral chakras, can affect our reproductive health and our experience of endometriosis. I found this episode absolutely fascinating, and whilst it might seem a bit ‘out there’ to some of us, Aubree’s experiences really resonated with me on a deep level. As always, this show isn’t about stopping surgery or

This episode is all about pelvic floor therapy for endometriosis and the huge role it can play in helping us live well with the disease. Heba Shaheed is the founder of The Pelvic Expert, an online platform that provides programmes and courses on pregnancy, birth recovery, chronic pelvic pain and menstrual issues - including endometriosis. Heba is a women’s health coach, yoga and Pilates teacher, physiotherapist and fellow endometriosis warrior. She provides support to people with endometriosis through her courses, talks and classes, and has recently developed an online programme specially for those of us with endometriosis. In today’s episode, we talk about the link between the pelvic floor muscle dysfunction and endometriosis, and how endometriosis negatively affects our nerves and muscles, as well as how our muscles and nerves actually impact our experience of endometriosis. We explore the role of physiotherapy and pelvic floor therapy can have in healing some of the nerve and muscle damage caused by chron