Endometriosis is probably a word that you’ve heard a lot, but maybe you’re not quite sure what it is? Or maybe you’ve been told you may have Endo but you’ll need a laparoscopy to confirm this…which is often what happens.

A Doctor of Chinese Medicine tells us what it is, how to help yourself and how your Qi can influence this common problem.

“Endometriosis. For so many women it’s a horrible reminder of how much pain their body is capable of handling. And as if that isn’t enough, too often there isn’t an obvious solution on hand – at least not until we can unveil the bigger picture. That’s where I come in. I’ve been helping women address their endometriosis for many years now with great success. The trick lies in knowing what you can do day-to-day in your diet and lifestyle that matters most.

We love to look for complicated answers. It’s human nature. But when it comes to leading your body to greater health, there isn’t a magic bullet, but more so a little TLC that’s needed everyday to really take your health to a new place.

Endometriosis occurs when cells that belong in the uterus make their way into other areas of the body, uninvited – typically outside (but mostly nearby) the uterus. However as endometriosis worsens it can spread as far the nose…cue nosebleeds at the period time (another sweet little sign our bodies show us when things go awry).

Each month when we menstruate, our uterine lining easily makes it’s way out through the cervix and vagina. But here’s the thing, those same cells that have migrated outside of the uterine cavity want to do the same. The only difference being, they don’t necessarily have an easy exit and as a result terrible pain and cramping is common.

This can over time, lead to scarring, which is linked to fertility issues. Endometriosis is incredibly stubborn and more than likely a laparoscopy may be the only option on offer to remove the endometrial tissue – a procedure I’m not opposed to however, let’s get clearer if I may. If a woman continues along with the same lifestyle post-surgery, of course the endometriosis will most likely return. The age old saying, “do nothing, nothing changes” aptly applies.

But there’s hope. In fact, we must act and of course we can make our own way towards finding a real ‘fix’ for these conditions.

Beautifully the same diet and lifestyle I advocate for post-surgery is the same as what I’d suggest for all women, endometriosis or not. It’s the same as what we advocate for here at Your Tea. Ultimately it’s all about happy hormones, and since endometriosis is worsened by oestrogen and the influence of oestrogen mimicking substances (like alcohol, plastics, environmental pollutants, self care products, poor water quality and other toxins found in our foods), we must get savvy around our choices to pave our own way toward better hormone health that comes with helping our bodies work better.

Bottom line is if you don’t, nobody else will do it for you. Ultimately your wellbeing lies with just you.

You might be asking yourself why nobody has talked about your endometriosis tackle plan in this way. That the only options you’ve been told is to use contraception to treat the issue or a laparoscopy. Most often, this is the way we must learn to approach our health. From a Chinese Medicine viewpoint, endometriosis is considered a condition where Qi (energy) and blood become stuck or stagnated in the uterus.

The aim of treatment is to facilitate the smooth flow of Qi to encourage the blood flow down and out, all the while this idea helping to treat pain and preventing it growing back. To me, this seems very logical when stacked up against other methods of treatment, which don’t actually address the problem but try and address the symptoms. That’s not to say that other treatment methods are incorrect for you, but there may be better solutions that work at your ready.

So, I’m here today to share with you a few tips on how you can begin to address your endometriosis no matter where you are in your journey to recovery. Remember, it’s your lifestyle and diet that can play a huge role in overcoming almost all illness.

Change your diet.

A good diet is paramount and food is most certainly nature’s medicine.  Check out the eating plan I’ve created for you here. Including Chinese herbal tea is also a step in the right direction, amongst all of our teas, you might consider fertility tea – whilst it sounds like it’s all about the babies, rest assured that it goes to work in supporting your reproductive organs to aid them to work better. We’ve had wonderful feedback from our customers in how useful fertility tea has been to manage their endometriosis.

Remove stress.

When the body becomes stressed, it contracts. We all hold stress in various areas and for some women that will be immediately in our reproductive organs.  Quite simply when we restrict blood flow (by holding stress in an area i.e. a stiff neck), the muscle will contract, blood and nutrient flow will be minimised and the body suffers and begins doing crazy things to try and counteract.

Stress also means that we utilise vitamins and minerals more rapidly. If we are not providing our body with enough (most of us aren’t) or adjust our vitamin and mineral intake under stress, our bodies will not have what’s needed to perform. This can lead to a host of issues. Stress also affects the gut – we’ve spoken about gut health many times. It really is the key to health.

Stress is serious and we tend to disregard how hazardous it is.  If you need some help, you might like to check out my mini e-course Debunking Stress.  Hands down my most favourite work, all in the one place, helping you to identify stress and where it is coming from and give you actionable tools to help your body along.

Remove toxins.

Sounds difficult?  It’s not – our new Liver Cleanse is the perfect solution! Toxins will build up and lead to a host of drama within your body. Nobody needs a soap opera playing out in their lady parts!

Find your therapy.

For me it is Chinese medicine and acupuncture. Sometimes we need some specific attention that we can’t do ourselves (ever tried to massage your own back!?). Invest in massage or acupuncture, spinal care or regular yoga.  It’s all about what works for you.

Above all, know that with the right care and support, endometriosis is absolutely a treatable condition. The pill or other medications may offer you some short-term relief, but true recovery from endometriosis comes with identifying the root cause, which will differ for all women. Supporting the body through diet and lifestyle is a must (surgery or not) to properly free you from its wraps.

With Love,
Your Tea

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