Fibroids
Can you believe we are now looking at the last 7 days of March? This is also the last week of International Women's Month on Fitness To A Tee. I'm finishing off by chatting about a common issue which affects women globally - uterine fibroids. If you're a man following, dive into the info. You can pass these tips on to female loved ones. Let's be aware + support each other!
Let's share the info. So many women have fibroids + some go through it in silence. We can never assume women's stories, we can go through so much in our bodies in silence - whilst wearing a smile on our face.
What are fibroids?
Fibroids are non-cancerous growths of muscle that form within the muscular wall of the uterus (womb). They can grow in different layers of the womb e.g. intramural (within muscle of the uterus) and submucosal (within the cavity of the uterus) and subserosal which project to the outside of the uterus.
Fibroids are very common, with stats saying up to 80% of women have them by age 50 and up to 35% before 50 (Office for Women's Health). Jean Hailes Australia says approx 7 out of 10 women are affected by them, by 50.
John Hopkins Medicine says these stats may be low, as many fibroids are too small to be reported and some women never know they have them.
Symptoms + what it’s like living with fibroids
Living with fibroids is not easy. Symptoms include but are not limited to:
heavy, uncontrollable bleeding + pain during OR outside of periods
prolonged periods
abdominal cramps with swelling, lower back pain
painful sex
pain when going to the loo
constipation etc.
Consequences can be:
emotional and mental stress on the women who go through it, incl losing confidence, disconnection to the womb
constant pain management
living with adjusted exercise routines
infertility
surgeries e.g. to remove organs or in worse case- hysterectomy (removal of womb) etc.
Nutrition
Every health goal starts with nutrition and besides other treatment options, using nutrition to help you relieve your symptoms is key. Check in with your treating health professional first.
Here are some great foods which help relieve fibroid symptoms but are also good for overall health (even if you don’t have fibroids). In general, having foods which reduce excess oestrogen and push it out of the body is beneficial as fibroids thrive in an oestrogen dominant environment in a woman’s body.
1. Beetroot
This is a great source of iron, especially if you're having bleeding/heavy bleeding within or in between periods. Also have fibre which helps with #digestion. Being bloated is very common with fibroids so foods which help the digestion are great.
An excess of the hormone oestrogen fuels the growth of fibroids and fibre is good for helping to move extra oestrogen out of the system.
2. Wholemeal carbs
The fibre and digestion benefits apply to these too, just like in beetroot.
3. Cruciferous vegetables
Cruciferous vegetables e.g. cabbage, spinach leaves and broccoli help support the liver with detoxification of excess oestrogen. They also help the digestive system work better.
One of the key effects of fibroids for many women is weight gain, especially if on various medications such as progesterone/contraception pills etc.
4. Dark berries e.g. blueberries + Acai berries/acai berry powder
These are full of antioxidants which are great for fighting infection; warding off diseases; strengthening the immune system; heart health; skin health and more.
Exercises, stretches + natural remedies
It is important to keep moving even if you have fibroids as places like the hips, legs, glutes and back can get super tight from being hunched over from pain or a general posture that can form from “protecting” the womb e.g. during bleeding or when walking around fearing that you will get breakthrough bleeding.
Learn to workout to your comfort level. See this video here for moves you can do even during a mild flare up. These are just a few samples. Weight wise - it is usually wise to use low to medium weight, unless you have days where you can use heavy weight (on non-flare up days). You also don’t want to put too much undue pressure on the womb so listen to your body. There are so many options, including dancing, walking etc.
Click here to see a video where I show you fibroids pain relief foods, exercises, stretches and a natural remedy using castor oil, a warm towel and meditation or deep breathing.
I hope this blog has given you some great info! I would love to hear from you on any other topics you would like me to chat about. To chat with me or find out more about the Fitness To A Tee plans - click here now.