This Endolife

You all know I’ve been fascinated with the world of chronic pain science for a long time now. In fact, I did an episode on lowering pain signals through calming the brain and nervous system back in 2019 but I’ve been on a continuously evolving research journey since. And this research has led me to Curable, an app for chronic pain, that works by helping to reprogram the brain and nervous system so we can unlearn pain pathways and reduce chronic pain flare ups. I absolutely love Curable, and use it with my clients to help them to address the ways in which trauma, stress and a heightened nervous system could be contributing to their pain levels. Often I find it’s the missing piece of the puzzle in someone’s endo healing journey.So I am so excited to introduce you to this week’s guest, social worker and psychotherapist Christie Uipi. Christie is on the Scientific Advisory Team at Curable, and is specialised in chronic pain, depression and anxiety. After enduring years of chronic pain herself, Christie went on to

Today we’re continuing with our series on low micronutrient levels and the impact on period and endo-related period pain.Vitamin A is an antioxidant, which may have significant benefits for endometriosis pain. Read more.Show notesOxidative stress, endo and period painhttps://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/1477-7827-7-54https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5625949/https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7602455/ https://www.mdpi.com/2075-1729/13/6/1308Low levels of vitamin Ahttps://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31734759/https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10303710/https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0310995https://reproductive-health-journal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12978-024-01895-xhttps://ovarianresearch.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13048-015-0179-6https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/1477-7827-7-54Treatment with diethttps://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/1477-7827-7-54https://rbej.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12958-023-01126-1https://pmc

Today we’re continuing with our theme of micronutrients and their impact on endo pain and period pain. Today, we’re talking about B12.Research on the use of B12 for pain suggests that B12 can reduce chronic pain (and menstrual pain) through various methods.Firstly, B12 can inhibit the production of the inflammatory prostaglandins which are responsible for pain and inflammation, and are found to be especially high in people with endometriosis and dysmenorrhea (which is the medical term for period pain). Additionally, B12 plays a role in supporting nerve health and pain signally pathways, which can influence pain perception. If nerves or pain signalling pathways are comprised, this could increase pain levels. This is particularly relevant to those of us with endo who are suffering with nerve related pain due to endo on the nerves, nerve damage from surgery, leg pain, etc.Read more.Show notesB12 pain benefits and endo/prostaglandin linkhttps://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7468922https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.g

Today we’re continuing our series on nutrients and their effects on period pain and endo pain, and this episode is about B6.Now, we’ve already talked a lot about the powers of B6 for hormonal health, but what about its effects on pain?B6 can support us with pain reduction in a number of ways.Read more.Show notesB6 pain relieving/anti-inflammatory properties https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4519769/https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5902457/https://www.fertstert.org/article/S0015-0282(08)01969-9/fulltexthttps://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39421613/ https://obgyn.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/ijgo.16096https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8361989/ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11401933/ https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/0090698074900549https://www.researchgate.net/publication/328373051_Effect_of_Pyridoxine_on_Prostaglandin_Plasma_Level_for_Primary_Dysmenorrheal_Treatmenthttps://www.mdpi.com/2227-9059/11/9/2578 Period pain and B6https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10178

Today we’re continuing on with our discussion around micronutrients and their impact on endo and period painIn this episode, we’re beginning with the first of the B vitamins, B1, otherwise known as thiamine. Read more.Show notesB1 propertieshttps://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.02.21.639433v1.fullhttps://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5625949/https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4825494/pdf/GJHS-6-144.pdfPeriod pain and low B1 levelshttps://www.jpagonline.org/article/S1083-3188(06)00186-0/abstracthttps://go.gale.com/ps/anonymous?id=GALE|A123709137https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/17455057231185624?icid=int.sj-full-text.similar-articles.9Endo and low B1 levelshttps://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.02.21.639433v1.fullhttps://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11536846/B1 and period, endo and musculoskeletal pain relief https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7146731/pdf/jcs-9-47.pdfhttps://academicjournals.org/journal/AJPP/article-full-text-pdf/71051DE28902https://www.isca.me/IJBS/Archi

Today we’re continuing with our series on endo and period pain and their associations with low nutrient levels. Today, we’re talking about vitamin C.Vitamin C is an anti-inflammatory antioxidant, which means it can help lower inflammation and also prevent oxidative stress - a process that triggers inflammatory reactions in the body and is involved in endo pain and progression. It also has antiangiogenic effects, which means it prevents the formation of new blood vessels, which endo relies on to grow. Read more.Show notesEndo, period pain and prostaglandinshttps://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/6790261/https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7068519/https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.3109/09513590.2011.588753https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4512562Vit C antioxidant propertieshttps://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27521769/https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27125410/Vit C and endo or dysmenorrhea riskhttps://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3484190/https://jcdr.net/articles/PDF/1308/2311-final.pdfhttps://pmc.ncbi.

Today we’re continuing with our series on endo and period pain and their associations with low nutrient levels. And I was going to make today’s episode all about vitamins, but there are so many vitamins to cover, that I thought it would be less overwhelming to break them up, so today, we’re starting with vitamin E.However, before we get into today’s episode, if you haven’t listened to the previous episodes in this series then you’ll be missing some of the essential science behind endo and period pain, which will help you to understand how vitamin E plays a role.Read more.Show notesEndo, period pain and prostaglandinshttps://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/6790261/https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7068519/https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.3109/09513590.2011.588753https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4512562Oxidative stress and vit Ehttps://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5625949/ https://www.clinicalnutritionespen.com/article/S2405-4577(22)00500-9/abstract Vit E and endo riskhttps://rbej.biomedcentra

Today we’re continuing with our discussion on low nutrient levels and their association with period pain. Menstruation is often (though not always) one of the most painful parts of the menstrual cycle, for people with endometriosis - and a connection we see between both dysmenorrhea (which is the medical term for period pain) and endometriosis, is low omega 3 fatty acids.Omega 3 fatty acids are the precursors to anti-inflammatory prostaglandins; which basically means omega 3 makes our anti-inflammatory prostaglandins. In contrast, omega 6 makes our inflammatory prostaglandins, namely prostaglandin E2. And for those of who don’t know, prostaglandins, in the simplest of terms, are immune chemicals.Read more.Show notesOmega 3 and inflammationhttps://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.3109/09513590.2011.588753https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7068519/https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/6790261/Dietary modulation of prostaglandin E2https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.0334211100https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/2/3/

This week I want to highlight three key minerals that when you’re low in, can cause you more period pain. These have all been associated with endo in the research too, and of course, as a classic symptom of endo is horrific period pain, replenishing these minerals could help you improve your experience of your period with endometriosis, Read more.Show notesMagnesiumhttps://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2675496/https://www.ijwhr.net/pdf/pdf_IJWHR_624.pdfhttps://ijwhr.net/pdf/pdf_IJWHR_195.pdfhttps://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3626048https://www.jle.com/fr/revues/mrh/e-docs/magnesium_in_the_gynecological_practice_a_literature_review_309489/article.phtmlCalcium https://ijwhr.net/pdf/pdf_IJWHR_195.pdfhttps://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7834752https://www.cell.com/heliyon/fulltext/S2405-8440(24)11191-7https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3626048https://www.ajog.org/article/S0002-9378(34)90970-4/abstracthttps://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1924661/https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10763903/https://www.tandfonline

Okay so last week we looked at foods to eat more of to support progesterone production. Today, we’re going to discuss the supplement forms of these nutrients and the doses to take.Before we get into it, I have given a lot of warnings for each supplement. This is because I want you to have all the information, including possible side effects, so you can make an informed decision and so you understand what’s happening if you do experience side effects. But to be clear, most of the side effects occur with high doses, over prolonged periods of times, with the exceptions occurring rarely in individuals who are particularly sensitive or have other issues going on that have affected how they respond or tolerate these supplements.Read more.Show notesVit E Thorne Ultimate-E® (500 IU) Pure Encapsulations Vitamin E (400 IU) https://ovarianresearch.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1757-2215-2-1https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminE-HealthProfessional/https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/vitamins-and-minerals/vitamin-e/Ome

The past two episodes we’ve been talking about low progesterone levels and some of the signs to watch for. Today, I want to talk about how to raise your levels with specific nutrients.Read more.Show notesZinchttps://ovarianresearch.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13048-024-01442-zhttps://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36920672/https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3275394/https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Zinc-HealthProfessionalMagnesiumhttps://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11013220/https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3198864/https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/6747732/B6https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/6684167/https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1923170/ Vit Chttps://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4700980/https://www.fertstert.org/article/S0015-0282(03)00657-5/fulltexthttps://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4700980/http://www.usa-journals.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Al-Katib_Vol18.pdfhttps://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0739724009000356Seleniumhttps://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24206213/https

In our last episode, we discussed spotting before your period and what’s normal and what could be a sign of low progesterone or even endo. Today I want to discuss spotting around ovulation and again, this is going to be a nice and easy to digest bite sized episode.So, ovulation occurs roughly midway in your cycle, though that’s just the average. Statistically, the average ovulation day is around Day 14 but it can be a few days before or after, and maybe we can do an episode on what’s a healthy time frame for ovulation and what’s a sign of a problem, but until then, I actually have an episode on what’s a healthy cycle, so I’ll link to that in the show notes.Read more.Show noteshttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK279054/https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/25/8/4499https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S030372071730504Xhttps://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/uterine-fibroidshttps://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/6838950/https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12369286https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih

Today is one of my shorter episodes, a bite size episode!Recently I started working with two new clients and they were both really concerned that they were spotting one to two days before their periods.First up, what do I mean by spotting? Spotting is typically spots of blood appearing in your underwear - it’s light and is typically not very consistent. Often it’s dark red or brown, and we’ll get to why it’s that colour in a minute.So, if you’re spotting one to two days before your period, is this a problem and is it anything to do with endo?Some of you may be surprised to learn that spotting one to two days before your period is okay and normal. Read more.Show notesLow progesterone signs and testing optionsArvigo massageVisceral manipulationMercier therapyNeed more help or want to learn how to work with me?Free resources:This podcast! Endometriosis Net ColumnEndometriosis News ColumnNewsletterInstagramWays to work with me:This EndoLife, It Starts with Breakfast digital cookbookMasterclasses in endo nutrition

At the end of last year I released a series on dairy and its possible effects on endo pain, endo belly and hormones, as well as its benefits - as I know so many of you are confused about the topic.Today, I want to provide you with a summary of these episodes, so you can get the top lines in one place, and then of course you can deep dive into the individual episodes if you need to.So, a big, BIG disclaimer here in case you haven’t listened to the previous episodes. If you’re vegan, please feel free to skip this episode. This episode is not about being for or against dairy, it’s about providing you with information so you can make an informed decision about whether dairy is right for you. The research is very varied and our reactions to dairy really depend on our own individual genetics, so the key takeaway here is that it’s worth investigating if dairy agrees with you personally before coming to any conclusions.Of course this series also does not address ethics or environmental considerations with dairy, I am

Today’s episode is continuing with the theme of why some of your conditions may be worse in January, and today, we’re focusing on endometriosis.Before we get into it, this is a short episode where I am giving you an overview of some of the ways these things can affect people with endo, but it’s not an exhaustive list. In fact, each of these topic areas could have their own episode with a deep dive into how the science works in regards to hormones, inflammation, liver function and so on, but rather than overwhelm you with a bunch of science, I am keeping in what you need to know and have linked to some further resources if you want to learn more.Additionally, the strategies I’m suggesting are very much top line suggestions, but if you go to last week’s episode and listen from 14 minutes in, I give a much more detailed breakdown of how to make these changes there.Show NotesSleephttps://endometriosisnews.com/2020/09/17/5-ways-sleep-deprivaton-affects-endometriosis/https://www.theendobellycoach.com/podcast/how-th

It’s a New Year and perhaps you’re feeling the pressure to get up and go, but you can’t get yourself out of bed.Maybe you’re in more pain than usual, perhaps you’re more depressed than usual or maybe you’re experiencing extreme fatigue and energy crashes?If this is you, please know you’re not alone.As I return to work, I’ve received many emails from endometriosis clients telling me their symptoms are worse and they’re panicked, but I’ve also had friends and endo clients who struggle with Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) experiencing heightened symptoms. And even for me, my anxiety, bladder pain and adhesion pain are worse.This is not uncommon. In fact, in my line of work, it’s expected that many people will have worsening periods or hormonal problems in January. Show NotesOther episodes on PMDDhttps://www.theendobellycoach.com/podcast/what-is-pmdd?rq=PMDDhttps://www.theendobellycoach.com/podcast/natural-treatment-options-pmdd-endometriosis-rebecca-sairs?rq=PMDDhttps://www.theendobellycoach.com/podcast/e

With a new year beginning, I am resharing a very old meditation episode. This episode is a visualisation meditation to help you envision how you want to feel in 2024.I use this visualisation exercise with every one of my clients, to help them see the big picture they want for their health and then to take that big picture and break it down into small, attainable goals. I also use this meditation with course students and with anyone who comes to my free workshops, so you may very well know it!The key question you will be asking yourself in this meditation is - what if you thrived with endometriosis in 2024?What would your body feel like?What would your life look like?You’ll be invited to envision what your life would be like if you did thrive and if you didn’t - and what one accessible step could you take towards this vision of the future.Make sure you have a journal to hand, a pen and an hour to really sit with this episode and go deep with this powerful meditation. If now isn’t a good time to do this medita

The Christmas season is typically, a time of excess for those who celebrate – and even for those who don’t, New Year’s is right around the corner. For many people, we increase our intake of sugar, alcohol, processed foods, etc. and that’s okay – this episode isn’t about judgement. I love Christmas, including all the food that comes with it, but for many of us, the result can be more pain and a worse period come January, due to heightened inflammation levels.So today’s episode is all about how to lower the impact of added sugar and blood sugar spiking foods, to lessen inflammation and hormonal imbalances. Show NotesAllulose here or hereMonk fruitBerberine here or hereChromium picolinateNeed more help or want to learn how to work with me?Free resources:This podcast! Endometriosis Net ColumnEndometriosis News ColumnNewsletterInstagramWays to work with me:This EndoLife, It Starts with Breakfast digital cookbookMasterclasses in endo nutrition, surgery prep and recovery and pain reliefLive and Thrive with Endo: The

So, for those of us who feel social pressure or simply enjoy having a drink with friends or family, I wanted to share some tips that can help lessen the impact of alcohol.Remember, these are just tips and tricks and if you just want to have a drink and not worry about it, you absolutely can – that’s totally your choice!Show Noteshttps://www.fixyourperiod.com/castor-oil-packs/Need more help or want to learn how to work with me?Free resources:This podcast! Endometriosis Net ColumnEndometriosis News ColumnNewsletterInstagramWays to work with me:This EndoLife, It Starts with Breakfast digital cookbookMasterclasses in endo nutrition, surgery prep and recovery and pain reliefLive and Thrive with Endo: The Foundations DIY courseOne to one coaching info and applicationThis 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-

In this penultimate instalment on our dairy series, I’m going to cover the effects of dairy on pain, and what to be aware of when managing endo. And yes - it’s not straight forward!In our first episode on dairy and endo, we discussed A1 casein, but for those who haven’t listened to that episode, let’s cover it again.A1 casein is a type of milk protein which research suggests some people find triggers intestinal inflammation and gut issues. The data on humans is emerging, and whilst it’s true for a number of people, not everyone will have this inflammatory reaction to A1 casein.However, if you do experience inflammatory reactions to A1 casein, this can trigger a systemic full body inflammatory response with regular exposure, in a few ways.Read more.ShownotesA1 caseinhttps://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5593102/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JirAKjC_Kh0https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/microbiology/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2024.1501596/fullhttps://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7033038/https://www.front