This Endolife

Many of us with endo have what we call ‘endo belly’, that swollen, distended abdomen. For some of us, endo belly can be constant, or it can come with a flare up and may also be accompanied by IBS issues like gas, nausea, diarrhoea or constipation. Whilst you’ve heard me say over and over again that the endo belly is likely caused by gut issues like low stomach acid and digestive enzymes, microbiome imbalances and SIBO (as well of course, inflammation from endo itself), there’s also another culprit I don’t talk about a lot, and that’s NSAIDS. Read more and show notes Need more help or want to learn how to work with me? Free resources: This podcast!  Endometriosis Net Column Endometriosis News Column Newsletter Instagram Ways to work with me: This EndoLife, It Starts with Breakfast digital cookbook Masterclasses in endo nutrition, surgery prep and recovery and pain relief Live and Thrive with Endo: The Foundations DIY course One to one coaching info and application This episode is sponsored by Semaine. Semain

Something I hear a lot of people struggling with is the overwhelming amount of supplement options out there. Many of us don’t know which ones to choose, which ones can help us personally and how and when to take them, and how long for. As a result, when I meet clients some of them are on double figures of supplements, and others have given up taking any entirely. So, today I wanted to share this tip when choosing supplements. Find 1-4 supplements and choose ones that can target multiple symptoms – and then commit to them for 3-6 months minimum. So, what do I mean by choosing supplements that target more than one issue? Most of us have trouble with bloating, fatigue, PMS, blood sugar issues, histamine intolerance, pain and heavy bleeding to name a few, so ideally, we want a supplement that doesn’t just target one, but multiple. Read more Show Notes https://www.theendobellycoach.com/podcast/supplements-shown-to-target-endometriosis https://www.theendobellycoach.com/podcast/supplements-for-period-pain-menstrual

Today I want to talk about a really easy strategy for improving your blood sugar response when eating some of your favourite carbs. Now, as some of you may know, I’m currently doing shorter episodes, so I won’t be diving into blood sugar here – but I do have many, many articles and episodes on the science of blood sugar and how it affects endo, so I’ll link to a few in the show notes. But, let’s do a very quick recap so that for those who aren’t familiar, can easily follow along. So, blood sugar is the measure of glucose in your blood stream. Glucose is the molecule that comes from carbohydrates when we break them down in the small intestine after eating, and it is our body’s primary source of fuel, so it’s needed for energy. Glucose comes from simple carbs and complex carbs. Read more. Show Notes https://endometriosis.net/living/diet-sugar https://endometriosis.net/living/how-to-balance-your-blood-sugar-levels-to-reduce-endo-symptoms https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/this-endolife/id1243158865?i=100060

This short episode is a really practical one and full disclaimer, this is one based on personal experience (and clinical experience, with my clients), rather than something that is evidence based and proven. If you’re someone who gets a lot of pain on your period with endometriosis, try this very, very simple hack: sit up. So, let me elaborate. Many years ago, after much trial and error, I realised that when I lay down totally flat on my period during a peak in pain, the cramping worsened, and when I sat upright, it began to ease off. Now, let me be clear, I don’t mean it eradicated the pain, but it took the edge of those very violent cramps and seemed to lessen their intensity. At the time, I didn’t know why it worked as I wasn’t qualified back then, I just knew it helped. Fast forward to me being a health coach, and I have some theories. A pelvic floor physio could probably explain this properly, but this isn’t an interview episode and nor is it one of my long hour-long episodes with lots and lots of resear

This episode is part of a new format I am trying out. These are essentially going to be bitesize podcast episodes with tangible tips for real life, to help avoid overwhelm and to support you to make small, sustainable change.  Today I wanted to focus on something that came up with one of my clients recently, and that’s making dietary changes too quickly, leading to nausea and digestion issues. This can especially happen with a sudden increase in fibre or fat, which many of us can do if we’re wanting to balance blood sugar or start eating more anti-inflammatory foods. Today I wanted to talk about fat in particular. Fat helps us to balance blood sugar by slowing down the release of glucose to the blood stream, from the carbohydrates we eat. When a glucose release happens too fast, we get a spike in blood sugar, which can heighten inflammation and pain, and can also mess with hormones. The rule of thumb for fat to support hormones and blood sugar is about two golf ball sized servings of fat, which I find easiest

For the past few weeks I’ve been recording testimonial videos with people who have taken my course, and I really wanted to share some of these stories because they’re just so incredible. I know a lot of you expressed an interest in hearing more positive and uplifting real life experiences with managing endo, and as I personally found these stories so inspiring, I thought you guys might as well.  So I’m starting with Rachael’s story and I’ll leave Rachael to share her experience in the podcast, but to give you an overview, Rachael was suffering with PMDD, chronic fatigue that was affecting her ability to work and painful (endo) periods which required her to use opioids to get through. She’d recently had excision surgery but was still suffering with an array of symptoms and was feeling desperate and didn’t know what else to try. Once Rachael started the course, through making nutritional and lifestyle changes, Rachael was able to: Stop using opioids to get her through her period and instead now just uses magne

Rebecca Sairs is the PMDD health coach helping people with PMDD take back control of their wellbeing with natural methods, self-care and empowering coaching. After experiencing PMDD herself, and struggling with the options of treatment available, Rebecca started down a holistic healing journey which eventually led her to specialise in PMDD as a health coach. She now helps people all over the world with the condition, and as many of us endo warriors also live with PMDD, I thought it was an essential to have her on the show! In this episode, we talk about: Rebecca’s PMDD story and what helped her to feel well again. What PMDD is and the symptoms and causes of PMDD. Her approach to managing and how that compares to the conventional approach, and whether it’s possible for those two to work in conjunction with each other. Where to start with managing PMDD. PMDD-hacks that could help people who are stuck with in-the-moment symptoms and need relief as soon as possible. Where can people find access further supp

Hi, everyone. So this week I've decided to do a replay because I'm still recovering from my broken ribs and lung puncture, and I just still feel like it's going to take a bit too much out of me to record a whole episode. So we're doing a replay today, and this replay is from May 2022. Today I want to share what I do on my period to avoid a pain flare. Essentially, what I do on my period that allows me to experience either low pain levels or no pain at all, and if for some reason my levels do start to creep up, how I get them back down quickly and prevent them from getting worse.  Please do consult your doctor before taking any supplements or making any dietary changes! Show Notes Need more help? Free resources: This podcast!  Endometriosis Net Column Endometriosis News Column Newsletter Instagram   Ways to work with me: This EndoLife, It Starts with Breakfast digital cookbook Masterclasses in endo nutrition, surgery prep and recovery and pain relief Live and Thrive with Endo: The Foundations DIY course One t

Trigger warning: In today’s episode we’re talking about a subject that I would imagine, has at some point, affected many of you listening and that’s diet culture. If you’ve felt the impact of diet culture, you’re not alone - I’ve personally lived through eating disorders and so have many of my clients. However, if this topic is triggering for you, please skip this episode. Brandee Hommerding is an expert in holistic nutrition and owner of Bee Collective Wellness where she provides 1:1 nutrition coaching with an emphasis on gut and hormone health. She graduated from the Nutrition Therapy Institute in Denver, Colorado in 2019 and has since completed numerous certifications related to gut and hormone health. As a self-proclaimed diet-culture dropout, she provides women and menstruators with sustainable, holistic nutrition practices to overcome bloating, fatigue, PMS, and irregular menstrual cycles so they may feel more in tune with their bodies and live a vibrant and energetic life. In today’s episode, we discus

Okay, so before we dive into this episode I’m just going to give a huge disclaimer and trigger warning. This episode is about red meat, breaking down the misunderstanding around red meat for endo and the nutritional benefits of red meat for the endo community. It is evidence based and I hope I have done my best to provide a balanced approach in this conversation, however, this discussion won’t be for everyone. So, today’s episode is with the amazing Katie Edmonds. Katie is a Functional Nutritional Therapy Practitioner, educator, and author, specializing in helping women with endo. She's the creator of HealEndo.com, a free and comprehensive resource for anyone with endometriosis. She's the author of The 4-week Endometriosis Diet Plan and Heal Endo: An Anti-Inflammatory Approach to Healing From Endometriosis.   In today’s episode, we discuss: Where the fear of red meat for endometriosis comes from in the endo world. Why this information is misleading and, more importantly, problematic for the endo body. The

Okay so this episode is an exciting one, well at least for me, being a blood sugar and gut health geek. Today I am talking to Gargi Parikh. Gargi is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and Certified Diabetes Educator, herbalist, and yoga teacher with over 20 years of experience in nutrition. She specializes in diabetes and gut health and takes a functional root cause approach to health helping clients health from the inside out.  In today’s episode Gargi and I are talking about the profound effect gut health can have on blood sugar, and vice versa! So many of my clients struggle with gut dysbiosis, SIBO, gut inflammation and blood sugar imbalances, and so I think tying the two together is going to be really helpful for many of you.  We discuss: The impact of blood sugar dysregulation on inflammation and hormones. The connection between gut health and blood sugar and why gut health is important to balancing blood sugar. Whether SIBO in particular can have an effect on blood sugar and why. How to begin supp

Today’s episode we have some returning guests, my friends and co-founders of Semaine, Lauren and Catherine Lee! If you haven’t listened to my first episode with them, I really recommend you check that episode out to hear their endometriosis stories and all about founding supplement company, Semaine. But let’s do a quick recap for those of you who aren’t familiar… Catherine and Lauren started Semaine Health several years ago to address period pain and hormonal imbalances with plant-based, science-backed supplements.   After decades of painful periods and suffering from stage II and stage IV endometriosis, Catherine and Lauren created the solution they were looking for: a plant-based anti-inflammatory supplement to help lessen their pain while supporting their overall health.  Cath and Lar are driven by the desire to empower other women who have experienced pain and discomfort, who are looking for answers rather than being dismissed or told their symptoms are normal.   In this episode, we’re talking about one o

Today on the show I have the pleasure of speaking with Lux Perry. Lux Perry is the Co-founder of somedays and if you aren’t familiar with the brand, I really recommend you check them out. somedays provides natural period pain relief products that are backed by science. Their mission is to de-normalise period pain and to empower people to transform their relationship to pain and take control of their body. Lux lived with unexplained chronic pain and horrific periods since they were nine years old, and like many of us, spent years and years being dismissed. Their experience with pain, their endo diagnosis and their personal journey with their body, led them to co-found somedays with Cassandra Naud and Annabelle Price back in 2021, and they’ve been lighting the period care world on fire ever since! In this episode Lux and I are talking about one of my favourite topics that I don’t usually get to share here – running a business with a chronic illness. We discuss: Lux’s story and their motivation behind somedays.

Today on the show we are talking to the incredible force of nature that is Dr. Lj Johnson. Dr. Johnson IHP. FDN-P. IIN, CHEK, is a women’s hormone coach specialising in endometriosis. Lj has worked in the women's health and fitness industry for over 20 years while overcoming her own diagnosis of endometriosis. Lj’s passion is to empower, motivate and educate all women so they too can have quality of life despite their symptoms or diagnosis – and after hearing her story, I think you’ll all understand why! In today’s episode Lj and I are talking all about endo burnout and how to overcome it. In the interview we cover: Lj’s personal story with endo. What endo burnout actually is and what symptoms to look out for. What causes endo burnout. The methods Lj uses to help people recover. Where Lj suggests to start with healing endo burnout if you’re not working with a practitioner.   Show Notes Lj’s website Lj’s Instagram Lj’s podcast This episode is sponsored by Semaine. Semaine is a plant-based supplement for

The last in my IG Live in my Endo Awareness Month Series! This final Q&A was all about the endo belly and gut health with endometriosis. I got so many questions and I tried to answer as many as I could. Today I’m answering your questions… Is core muscle dysfunction a reason for bloating? Why is endo belly still happening after total hysterectomy? What to do if you can’t get SIBO to a manageable level (I’ve tried everything)? Do you have any must dos for managing endo and SIBO? How to tame SIBO? Why is my endo belly constant no matter what I eat? Why do I only get bloated with carbs? Why am I still so bloated even though I take supplements/work out and lead a healthy lifestyle? I really hope you find this episode useful! This episode is 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 maxi

The fourth in my IG Live in my Endo Awareness Month Series! I get a lot of great feedback from listeners when I share my IG Lives on the podcast, so I’m doing it again! Each week is themed on an area of healing with endo. This week we’re talking about how to recover from fatigue and brain fog with endo and some of the most common factors causing these symptoms. These IG Lives revolve around your questions, so if you want to submit one, follow me on Instagram @theendobellycoach and send me a question when you see my Stories calling for submissions. Today I’m answering your questions… How to explain to someone you aren’t lazy, you’re fatigued - but to do it in a friendly and assertive way? Does brain fog and fatigue cause low motivation levels? Tips for working a 9-5 office job when recovering from HPA axis dysfunction? How to help support the mitochondria? If you want to learn more about how to recover from fatigue and brain fog, I teach the exact steps inside my course Live and Thrive with Endo: The Fou

This is the third in my IG Live series for Endometriosis Awareness Month. I get a lot of great feedback from listeners when I share my IG Lives on the podcast, so I’m doing it again! Each week is themed on an area of healing with endo, and this week we’re talking about structural problems and pain signals. Structural issues like adhesions can affect not just pain but symptoms such as endo belly and urinary frequency or even difficulty emptying the bladder, so addressing this is a crucial part of healing. These IG Lives revolve around your questions, so if you want to submit one, follow me on Instagram @theendobellycoach and send me a question when you see my Stories calling for submissions. This week I’m answering… What’s causing painful sex after excision surgery? If it’s adhesions, what can we do? How do endo-related adhesions cause SIBO? What range of symptoms can adhesions on the bowel cause? Is there a way to assess your own pelvic floor? If you want to learn more about how structural support fits

This is the second in my IG Live series for Endometriosis Awareness Month. I get a lot of great feedback from listeners when I share my IG Lives on the podcast, so I’m doing it again! Each week is themed on an area of healing with endo, and this week we’re talking about endo, blood sugar and hormone balance. These IG Lives revolve around your questions, so if you want to submit one, follow me on Instagram @theendobellycoach and send me a question when you see my Stories calling for submissions. This week I’m answering… Do blood sugar levels change dependent on the stage of the menstrual cycle? How do fluctuating blood sugar levels impact food cravings throughout the cycle? How does blood sugar affect sex hormones? How to solve PCOS acne? If you want to learn more about how blood sugar fits into a healing plan for endo, join my free Endo Awareness Month Masterclass - The Five Key Pillars of Healing: How to Lower Endo Symptoms and Take Back Control Without the Overwhelm. This two-hour masterclass will tak

This is the first in my IG Live series for Endometriosis Awareness Month. I get a lot of great feedback from listeners when I share my IG Lives on the podcast, so I’m doing it again! Each week is themed on an area of healing with endo, and this week we’re talking about inflammation and the immune system. These IG Lives revolve around your questions, so if you want to submit one, follow me on Instagram @theendobellycoach and send me a question when you see my Stories calling for submissions. This week I’m answering… How can I make the elimination diet easier when socialising or eating with others? How much freeze dried nettle is effective for MCAS? How much magnesium is helpful for endo and which type? How much omega 3 fatty acids should we use for endo? What are macrophages and what role do they play in endo? What role do prostaglandins play on endometriosis pain and development? Show Notes & References This episode is sponsored by Semaine. Semaine is a plant-based supplement for reducing period pa

This is the wrap up week of the Ease Endo Tea Challenge. So, how did you find the tea challenge? Hopefully, you've experienced some changes - or your period/endo pain wasn't as bad as you thought it might be following the festive season! Don't worry if you don't feel dramatic change yet - remember, this was all about dipping your toe in and giving you easy, quick tools to get started with and steady consistency, even with habits as small as tea, is when we'll start to notice changes. Okay so now you've tried all the teas, here's how you might want to use them moving forward: Menstruation: Nettle tea and ginger Menstruation is the time when inflammation and histamines are going to be high, and iron is going to be low. The ginger will address the pain and inflammation, whilst the nettle will replenish iron loss and also lower any histamines contributing to pain. Follicular: Dandelion This is the phase when our oestrogen is building, and whilst we do want a lovely healthy amount of oestrogen, we want to be clear