Endometriosis: Holistic Health Relief Tips
Shorts: Fitness leaf by #fitnesstoatee.
March: International Women's Month
Happy new month! I love March because it's Women's Month globally. The theme for International Women's Day which is on Tuesday 8 March 2022 is "Break the Bias" - about working towards a world free of stereotypes and discrimination that is diverse, equitable and inclusive.
In honour of Women's Month itself however, I decided to cover various women's health issues each week and give you holistic health (exercise, nutrition and mind) tips to help them.
I'm excited about this month as I'm covering issues not only which women I work with go through, but that other women globally do too - AND they are just not talked about as often as they should be.
If you're a man following the posts on the Fitness To A Tee pages, dive right into the info. You can pass these tips on to female loved ones.
What is endometriosis & why should we care?
From Monday 28 February, on the Fitness To A Tee pages - I've been focusing on endometriosis ("endo").
Let's care and chat more about this because SO many women go through endo - some in silence. We can never assume women's stories. We can go through so much in our bodies - whilst wearing a smile on our face. Organisations like Jean Hailes Australia and WHO (globally) state that 1 in 10 women have endo.
Endo is a disorder in which tissue that normally lines the uterus grows outside the uterus e.g. it can grow on the ovaries, fallopian tubes or the intestines.
Professional support
If you suspect you have endo or have been diagnosed with it, remember to first talk to your GP, gynaecologist, naturopath or other health professional looking after you - to check what may/may not work for your individual diagnosis.
What are some of its symptoms?
Living with endo is not easy. Symptoms include but are not limited to:
heavy, uncontrollable bleeding and pain during or outside of periods
abdominal cramps, swelling, bloating
pelvic pain
painful sex
pain when going to the loo
constipation etc.
Consequences can be:
emotional/mental stress, including losing confidence, disconnection to the womb
constant pain management
living with adjusted exercise routines
infertility
surgeries (often unwanted) e.g. to remove organs or hysterectomy (removal of womb) etc.
Mental + emotional needs
I've worked with women with endo too and one key thread is the lowering of their self-esteem and confidence e.g.
when they take medications which cause unwanted weight gain;
the shame that can come from going through heavy bleeding, for example, if bleeding comes through clothing unexpectedly because of its heaviness
shame which may happen from having issues conceiving for some women.
the list of consequences we can't see are endless.
If you're a woman who's also gone through previous sexual trauma - having endo can also trigger memories and all sorts of emotions connected with the past trauma.
Look after your spiritual health then also reach out for support from therapists, for example. If you're in Melbourne, a great source of help for women who've been through sexual trauma is e.g. CASA. You can visit their website here.
Using nutrition to help relieve symptoms
There's no cure for endo as yet, but you can use various natural health methods to relieve pain and inflammation which comes with it. Every goal for the body starts in the kitchen first, as you've seen with all the conditions I talk about.
One great herbal tea for overall womb health is raspberry leaf tea. I love the taste and that it relieves menstrual cramps, pelvic pain and inflammation.
Other examples of great foods are (although this is not an exhaustive list): cruciferous vegetables e.g. broccoli, cabbage; turmeric as a tea or in food; blueberries; ginger; fresh beetroot juice.
You can see examples of other great foods you can use in a video where I talk about them too. Click here to see this week's #workoutwednesday video where I show you tips to help relieve endo symptoms.
What foods to avoid
It's also advisable to avoid e.g.
fatty foods
alcohol
gluten
dairy
red meat.
Exercises + stretches
Not only does it help with staying fit, healthier and increasing confidence - but women with endo tend to be in a hunched over position a lot due to their pain in the womb area.
So it's good to lengthen, strengthen + stretch the muscles around the womb e.g. lower back, glutes, hips and core.
Below in the video linked are a few exercises and stretches which you can do even during a flare up (but more likely during a mild one - not a severe one). A flare up is when your symptoms are playing up, which includes e.g. bloating. You can also always reduce sets to 1-2 instead of doing the usual sets you might do on a good, symptom free day.
Click here to see this week's #workoutwednesday video where I show you tips to help relieve endo symptoms.
Natural remedies
Y'all know I love my natural remedies and great ones are e.g. castor and olive oil. You can take a warm towel; mix a small amount e.g. 3 tablespoons worth - of castor oil (option to mix olive oil with it); place it on the towel; lie down then rub the towel all around the tummy area - going down to just above the pubic area and up to below the breasts.
You can do it whilst doing a meditation or playing some relaxing music. Use this time start connecting with your womb and giving it love.
Castor oil helps to reduce inflammation and as such - pain.
Click here to see this week's #workoutwednesday video where I show you tips to help relieve endo symptoms.
To find out more about the #fitnesstoatee plans which help you with a customised exercise and nutrition plan if you're going through endo - click here to book a free 30 minutes consult with me.