This Endolife

Today I’m talking to Britt from Food Period - a start up company, which in my opinion, is revolutionary. Food Period make 'moon bites'; natural and nutritious energy balls, which contain specific seeds that are used in the nutrition protocol known as 'seed syncing', which helps balance our hormones and create easier, healthier periods. As I’ve mentioned before, endometriosis is an oestrogen dominant disease, and seed syncing helps reduce oestrogen dominance and bring our hormones back into balance, so I was super excited to get Food Period on the show! Jenn and Britt’s story to starting Food Period is pretty much jaw-dropping, with it all stemming from Britt’s diagnosis of blood cancer, Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, which she’s thankfully now recovered from. Both Jenn and Britt go on a journey together to bring their periods and hormones back into balance, and are now on a mission to provide others with a natural option to regulate their periods and reduce the impact of menstrual related conditions like endometriosis.

In this week's podcast, I have the privilege of speaking to the wonderful Kristy Curry. Not only is Kristy super kind and lovely to chat to, she's also the co-founder of Flutter Health, the mobile endometriosis symptom tracking app that lets you track your period and journal your endometriosis symptoms, to better manage the disease. This is far from your every day period tracking app with fixed settings that frustrate you and don't match your experience of menstruation. Six week period? You can put that in. Every endometriosis symptom under the sun - even the obscure ones? You can put them all in. You can even track your endometriosis symptoms or unusual period behaviours, download the past few months as a PDF, and take them to your doctor so you can get better treatment, or even a diagnosis. I chat to Kristy about how her experience of endometriosis and period tracker apps led her to start Flutter Health with her husband. We discuss how tracking your endometriosis symptoms can not only enable you get more

In this episode I’m talking to Kate Magic, founder and Creative Director of Raw Living, Europe’s leading raw food and super foods supplier. Kate is a well known raw foodie here in the UK, having written the UK’s first raw recipe book back in 2002 and the world’s first raw superfood book, Raw Magic. Kate has now launched her latest book, The Empowered Woman, which is all about female hormones, women’s empowerment and working with our body to support our hormones in order to feel our best. In this episode, we're talking about her new book and dive into female hormone health and endometriosis. We explore the wide range of hormones in our bodies, how they work together and how they support us in our lives, we also delve into the difference between male and female hormone systems and how we can nurture these to live a life that empowers us, and how to treat hormone imbalances and the symptoms of endometriosis.  Let's get social! Come say hello on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook or sign up to my newsletter.   S

In this episode I’m talking to Cori Smith about his experience of endometriosis as a trans man and how we can make the endometriosis community a safer, more supportive place for transgender and non-binary people and others who do not identify as cis female with endometriosis. Cori is currently launching a lawsuit against medical institute in New York for discrimination based on his gender status. Cori has endometriosis and his story of how he was treated as a women vs how he was treated as a trans man is shocking, but so important to talk about and raise awareness of. Trigger warning: Cori went through some traumatic medical procedures and abuse from medical professionals, so if you’re sensitive to those kind of subjects you may want to forward those moments. I speak to Cori about the ways in which transgender and non-binary people are treated with endometriosis, why he decided to be brave and sue the medical institute and how we can make our support services and community more inclusive. Cori is doing inc

Our opening Season 3 episode is with the organic period subscription start-up TOTM. TOTM make tampons, pads and cups that are kinder to your vagina and are both sustainable and made without all the chemicals you find in your everyday period products. I talk to the lovely Fee and Alex about how TOTM started and why the founders were so passionate and determined to create organic period products. We discuss the chemicals found in tampons and pads and how those can affect our hormone health and even diseases like endometriosis, we also discuss how organic period products can help you have a better period and what the start up is doing to change the lives of those living with endometriosis. 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.   Show Notes: This podcast is sponsored by you guys. I’m asking for your help and support to keep This EndoLife Podcast going

Today we're back for a special one off episode to raise awareness of the #WeMatterACOG  campaign. This campaign has been launched by social worker Casey Berna, Heather Guidone who is part of the Endometriosis Research Center and the Surgical Program Director at the Center for Endometriosis Care and Shannon Cohn of the Endo What? film. The #WeMatterACOG protest will be taking place this Thursday 5th and Friday 6th in Washington DC, outside the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and together, patients will demand that the ACOG address the endometriosis care crisis in America. You're invited to join the campaign, in person, online or by signing the petition. In this podcast, we talk about the poor standard of treatment and care for those with endometriosis, what needs to change and how patients can and are leading the way for better endometriosis care. Check out the show notes below to take part.   Let's get social! Come say hello on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook or sign up to my newslett

You can't go on to Instagram these days without seeing a picture or story of a gorgeous sparkling crystal. Crystals are big these days, and it's easy to go and buy a couple without knowing why, except for the fact that they look really, really pretty in your bedroom. You might have heard of terms like 'crystal healing' or 'crystal therapy' and wondered what the hell it is or maybe wondered if they could help you deal with some of the emotional or even physical issues that come with endo. So today, I'm talking with Tamara a.ka. Wolf Sister, about crystal healing and self-care rituals. Firstly, massive disclaimer here: crystal healing is not a cure for endometriosis. We know there isn't a cure, but as I always say, everyone is welcome to mange their endometriosis in the ways that suit them. And if you feel called to crystals to help you deal with depression, anxiety or maybe life with chronic pain, I want to give you the information to get the most out of crystal healing. I met Wolf-Sister a year or two ago w

Ready to get spiritual? This week I'm talking to Gail Love Schock - Transformation and Happiness Coach, reiki healer, meditation teacher and Interfaith Minister and we're discussing mind, body and soul medicine. This is deeply spiritual one, and there's a reason for it. Gail Love Schock has endometriosis, though no longer has any symptoms and no longer identifies with the disease. Following her first laparoscopy, Gail had a spiritual experience that changed the way she cared for and communicated with her body, changing her life forever and ultimately, her experience of endometriosis. Faith and spirituality has played a huge part in Gail's personal life, wellbeing and work, and I wanted to chat with Gail about how this has affected her and how having a spiritual practice might help some people cope with endometriosis. We talk meditation and visualisations for endometriosis, how a sense of spiritual community can reduce feelings of isolation, depression and anxiety, and why she's reclaiming ministry for wome

Remember Heather? This genius creative was on the show when I first launched This EndoLife Podcast, talking about her diagnosis with interstitial cystitis and how changing her diet overhauled her health and allowed her to live again. Heather Crosby went on to found Yum Universe, and in more recent years, got so much into gluten free baking that she created the insanely good looking Gluten-Free Baking Academy. I've been eyeing up these recipes for a while... Gluten free English muffins, gluten free sourdough bread, gluten free wraps, gluten free bagels - BAGELS - gluten free cornbread, gluten free biscuits... It's aaaaall there. I know how tough the endometriosis diet is, and how cutting out carbs (read: bread), can be really, really hard. I miss toast like I missed my first ex-boyfriend, before I realised he was a dick. And to be honest, I have some go-to gluten free brands, but they're still not the same. Gluten free baking with The Gluten-Free Baking Academy is about understanding gluten free baking so yo

Oliwia Drzymuchowska, founder of Womanology, went through 8 years of agony and unanswered questions before she was finally diagnosed with vulvodynia, vestibulodynia and clitorynia, amongst several other pelvic pain conditions. After being prescribed countless drugs and taking various hormones, she decided to take control of her health and find her own way of managing her pain. Now she lives practically symptom free and her journey has led her to found Womanology, an intimate wellbeing brand which encourages women to reclaim their womanhood. With Valentine's Day just around the corner, I chatted to Oliwia about painful intimacy and how her products can repair our relationships with our sexuality, why we need to break the taboo of female pleasure and how we can learn to love ourselves through reconnecting with our bodies.  

Pandora Paloma is a holistic nutritionist, life coach, yoga teacher and founder of Rooted London. After dealing with deep issues around her body and self-worth, Pandora embarked on a journey of healing, that saw her learn how to love herself again and how to listen to her body and take better care of it. Her experience inspired her to reach out to other women and support them to create positive relationships with themselves, especially with their bodies. She now supports female clients with endometriosis, infertility, eating disorders, PCOS, hormone conditions and various others. Through her unique approach to nutrition and health, Pandora encourages women to create an intuitive relationship with their bodies, where they're not only guided by the advice of Pandora as a nutritionist, but they learn to become aware of and respond to what the body and mind need. Pandora's work is largely focused on self-love empowerment, and her support doesn't end at nutrition. Pandora is all about looking at our entire lives

Fangirling much? You know I am. Jessica Murnane has been on the podcast and This EndoLife a couple of times before. Jessica is the founder of the One Part Plant Movement, is author of the One Part Plant cookbook, and is host of the One Part Podcast. She has stage IV endometriosis, and was once at the point of a hysterectomy - her last attempt was with a plant-based diet and it changed her life. Now she's dedicated a new website, Know Your Endo and a new online course, The Endo Toolkit, to helping others live with the disease. I talked to Jessica about what inspired her to launch these new endometriosis projects, what she felt was most important to communicate and what we can expect from The Endo Toolkit online program. For those of you who are interested, enrolment is now open for the Early Bird bookings. To check out The Endo Tookit free tour, to find out more information or to enrol, click here. Show Notes The Course: A five-week online program to create tools to help manage endometriosis pain and

Lucy Sheridan is the world's only Comparison Coach and an incredible bubble of energy! Whether it's comparing themselves to their best friends or comparing themselves to a stranger online, Lucy specialises in helping people get out of the trap of comparison and back into their own lives, feeling good. An issue I find many people with endometriosis deal with, is comparison. Endometriosis can force us to put our lives on hold or change direction, and it can be really hard to see everyone else (or so it seems) moving at 100mph towards their dream lives over on Instagram. I speak to Lucy about how to get ourselves out of the comparison trap when we can't seem to stop scrolling, how we can still move towards our goals and dreams at our own pace with endometriosis and why following the rhythms of our own bodies and lives is the most fulfilling route of all. I think this episode is a perfect starter for 2018...

You might remember Paige from an interview I did with her last year, recently after the launch of her podcast The Uterus and The Duderus. Paige is the Uterus half of the show; and she shares her life with endometriosis (and advocates for women everywhere) with her co-host and best friend Nik. On top of that, she also has a YouTube channel; Fireside Chats with The Uterus, which is about the spiritual, mental and emotional side of living with endometriosis and other chronic diseases. In this episode, Paige and I discuss her recent diagnosis with adrenal fatigue, her intense struggles with chronic migraines and her upcoming surgery, plus the link between endometriosis and chronic migraine syndrome. We also get real geeky about the universe, mindfulness, and changing your mind set around chronic illness and your health; plus we crush out on Gabby Bernstein and chat hormonal acne. This one is a roller coaster - it's emotional, painful but Paige's positivity, persistence and resilience shine through. She is a tru

Saschan Fearon-Josephs is the founder of The Womb Room and event series; Real Talk. The Womb Room is an online digital space, which Saschan is currently re-developing, to become a network where women can get access to information, professionals and communities - all related to reproductive issues. The Real Talk series is a 12 month period of events taking this digital space and making it a physical reality, with guest speakers, workshops and an opportunity to connect with other women. We talk about Saschan's painful and courageous story of diagnosis; not with just endometriosis, but fibroids, uterine polyps and adenomyosis, and the experiences that has inspired her to start The Womb Room. We also talk about how women from BME communities are more likely to suffer with specific reproductive health issues yet receive the least support medically and socially, and what needs to be done to provide services to hard to reach communities and how Saschan is doing that through The Womb Room. This conversation, to me,

In episode 9 I'm talking with Anoushka Florence Loftus of The Goddess Space. The Goddess Space is a beautiful physical and digital sanctuary for women to gather together, to get in touch with their mind, body and spirit and tap into their own wisdom, desires and guidance. Anoushka holds workshops where women can feel empowered to not only share their story but find their story, and her work varies from 1:1 sessions, to workshops, retreats and even woodland walks. Anoushka and I cover a lot of ground in this episode! We get into the complex areas of politics, gender roles and equality and how the election of Donald Trump has seen women rise up and speak out. We also explore the mystical and spiritual world of Anoushka's work; from getting in touch with your inner Goddess, to using tarot, crystals and astrology to support you in your life. Whilst it may sound hippy, I'm a firm believer that we all should have the right to heal and find happiness in any way that feels right to us (as long as it's not harmful t

This week on This EndoLife Podcast, I'm talking to herbalist, Natasha Richardson, founder of the gorgeous Forage Botanicals. Forage Botanicals is all about supporting women to have better periods, through herbal medicine and other natural methods of self-care. Natasha has suffered with primary dysmenorrhea for nine years and during this time, she's gone on a journey of trying to mange her pain through herbal and natural remedies and more conventional treatments, like metamorphic acid. As a result of her experiences, her research into the history of women's health and the stories of her clients, Natasha has tailored Forage Botanicals to help women feel empowered about their cycle, to help them to really understand it, work with it and reduce the negative symptoms of conditions such as endometriosis, fibroids and PMS. In this episode, we're talking about why society rejects women's natural hormonal rhythm, how to use our hormones to our own benefit, how natural treatments can help manage endometriosis and why

Meghan Cleary is the creator of Bad Periods; an incredibly clear and informative website covering endometriosis, fibroids and other conditions that contribute to "bad periods". The ex-Wall Street marketing executive is also writing a book on her 31 year diagnosis experience and has only just begun in her pursuit to support women with these conditions. Meghan is also a DES Daughter. DES was a synthetic oestrogen given to up to 10 million women in the US alone, during 1938 - 1971. Since then, the drug was discovered to be unsafe and the following generation of females are at a much higher risk of endometriosis, as well as other serious side effects, than women who were not exposed. In this episode, I talk to Meghan about her painfully long journey to diagnosis; the many many forms of alternative and conventional treatments she has tried, how to get the right care from your doctor and how endocrine disruptors are linked to reproductive health disorders in women. This is a big one. Perhaps even a controversial

This week I'm talking to Rachael Welford of Welford Wellbeing. Five years ago Rachael hit rock bottom when she experienced a breakdown and her entire life changed. Up until her breakdown, Rachael had been partying, working a million miles per hour and was self-medicating - all the while with severe anxiety. Following her breakdown, Rachael spent nine months recovering, and in that time, found support from medication, the Samaritans, therapy and eventually alternative healing. As a result of her experience, Rachael now runs Welford Wellbeing; a space where she supports and heals others through reiki, sound therapy and tapping, also known as the emotional freedom technique. Rachael and I get pretty deep on this episode; we're talking wanting a break by any means possible (even being hospitalised), just how bad anxiety can feel in the work place when you don't know how to tell people what you're feeling and how Rachael found finally peace with her mind.

Vickie Williams is a yoga teacher, reiki healer and theta healing practitioner with severe endometriosis. Since she was eleven years old, Vickie has dealt with intense endometriosis symptoms and was fainting repeatedly as soon as she began her period. When she was finally diagnosed, they discovered just how bad her endometriosis had progressed in all those years and since then, she's tried numerous treatments from the coil, to zoladex, to surgery. Now Vickie is facing the possibility of bowel surgery and an colostomy bag, but after seeing some dramatic and positive results, is giving the endometriosis diet and lifestyle changes a chance before moving forward with the procedure. This episode may not be what you're used to hearing from the podcast - Vickie's approach to endometriosis is both scientific and spiritual and her healing work features heavily in her own self-healing and management of endometriosis. We chat about how our experiences can affect our body, how yoga and alternative healing has improved h