Verification

There are some parts of our bodies with a phenomenal amount of elasticity, if you think about it.  Our lungs, bladders and intestines, for example, can all stretch quite a bit in a short amount of time without repercussions.  But uteruses (uteri?) are not one of these organs.

Today was the hysterosalpingogram to make sure my Essure procedure took.  I had been warned that it would be painful before I went, so I took a Celebrex and Sam drove with me to Lebanon.  When we got there, I had to pee, but some diagnostic tests you are allowed to pee and some you are not, so I held it for half an hour until a receptionist was able to find out which it was.

My appointment was for 1:00, but the hospital staff had to get the x-ray room ready, so we didn’t get started until a little past 1:30.  I had to have a speculum so that the doctor could coat my cervix with Betadine and put a catheter in my uterus.  After everything was set up, the nurse called the radiologist to come down so we could start the actual test.

The doctor slowly injected dye into my uterus while the radiologist took photos.  The idea is that, if the Essure procedure worked, my Fallopian tubes would now be blocked with scar tissue and the dye would not be able to flow out from my uterus.  Of course, they have to push in enough dye to be sure, so the uterus swells a little during the test.

I’ve had some really awful menstrual cramps before–once I had to leave school halfway through first block.  Another time I threw up from them.  This was worse than any cramps I have had.  I can think of only two other times when I have experienced pain even close to this.  The tattoo on the top of my foot is one of those.  The other is so personal I will not write about it even in a “tell-all” type of blog like this.

I’ve been pierced 13 times; I have 3 tattoos; I have broken a finger, been bit by a cat and a 2.5′ monitor lizard, and had two surgeries.  I don’t generally think of myself as a wuss.  Today, I totally feel like a wuss.  I told Sam that if sex hurt that much, he would never get laid again.

After the test, the doctor said I looked really pale and asked if I was nauseous.  I told her no, just still very crampy.  I laid on the table for a few more minutes, then got up to use the bathroom.  Apparently, having my uterus filled with dye just sent my GI tract into a “oh, hell no” state.  I ended up having diarrhea and became extremely nauseous.  I have thrown up once in the last 16 years, only because of food poisoning, so for something to make me nauseous, it is extreme.  I managed to keep it down and felt much better once I got off the toilet.

Sam and I left the hospital and stopped at Panera for lunch.  They have a wonderful Mediterranean veggie sandwich that I get toasted and without onions or cheese.  I also had an enormous pecan roll that I felt like I deserved after that grueling experience.  Russty gets his blueberries after his meds, I get a pecan roll.  It’s only fair.

Edit (thanks Katie, I am a ditz today):  The procedure worked!  If it hadn’t, and I’d had to go back in three months for a second test, I would have been very, very sad.  Sam and I no longer have to worry about getting pregnant.  What a weight lifted from my shoulders.

Modern Medicine

Sorry for my absence, but well… it’s Christmas!  Now that the year is over, I’m ready to get settled back into a routine.  Which will hopefully include posting every few days.

Tonight I’d like to cover the treatment options that modern medicine has to offer women with endo.  These include GnRH analogs, pain killers, birth control, surgery, hysterectomy, and pregnancy.  I personally find it sad and appalling that the last two are even considered treatment options, even though at one point I wanted a hyster.

GnRH (gonadotropin releasing hormone) analogs include drugs such as Buserelin, Goserelin, Leuprorelin, Naferelin, and Triptorelin.  The drug I was on, Lupron, is a brand name of Leuprorelin.  I was lucky in that I did not have many side effects.

GnRH analogs work by decreasing the production of estrogen by the body, which in theory “starves” the endometrial implants, as they are thought to be dependent on estrogen.  This also succeeds in putting the body into a menopausal state, complete with all of the menopausal symptoms.

Perhaps the most serious side effect of GnRH analogs is the bone loss.  Lupron’s website will have you believe that an average of only 3% bone loss occurs, according to a private study funded by Abbott Laboratories, the makers of Lupron.  In truth, Lupron causes closer to 48% bone loss on average.  Because of this, many health care professionals will only prescribe it for a 6 month period.  What good is 6 months compared to a lifetime of pain?

Pain killers, in the form of NSAIDs, analgesics, and opioids, are often prescribed to mask the pain.  For many women, this is the only thing that modern medicine can offer long term to help them.  These do not treat the disease, just one (or maybe two, in the case of NSAIDs) symptoms.

NSAID stands for non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, and includes drugs such as Ibuprofen, Naproxen, and Voltaren.  The problem many people have with painkillers (besides addiction), is that they wait too long to take them.  Painkillers should be taken when you first feel pain in order to block it.  The longer you wait, the less effective they are.  The big risks with pain killers are ulcers and gastrointestinal hemorrhaging.  For most people, this is not a problem when taken correctly.

Some women have even been instructed to begin taking NSAIDs before something painful is about to happen.  For many women, this equates to taking them a day before their period starts, and continuing through its duration.  For others, this means taking them an hour or two before sex.  So much for the element of surprise.

Birth control comes in many forms, and all of them purport to have beneficial effects for endometriosis sufferers.  These drugs work by increasing the level of progesterone, and decreasing the level of estrogen in the body, as would happen during pregnancy.  Because many women with endo have imbalanced levels of progesterone and estrogen, birth control has the effect of balancing (somewhat) these levels, and is thought to slow the growth of the lesions.

Some forms of birth control include Depo Provera shot, Nuvaring vaginal ring, Mirena IUD, Ortho Evra patch, Implanon implant, and numerous pills (Ortho Tricyclen, Lybrel, Seasonique, Yaz, Loestrin, etc).  All of these work essentially the same way, and have the same side effects.  They can cause blood clots, sometimes life threatening.  Since they effect hormones, they can also lead to mood swings and depression.

Surgery is the only definitive way for anyone to be diagnosed with endometriosis.  Usually it is through laparoscopy, but occasionally so much endometriosis is found that a laparotomy is needed to clean out the abdominal cavity.  Many doctors will try their best to excise or oblate any lesions they find, but most of them do not have the necessary skill, experience, or knowledge to get it all.  There are a few doctors who claim to have an 80% success rate in healing endo patients.  Most women end up having a recurrence of symptoms within the first year after surgery.

Sadly, hysterectomy is often suggested to women for whom doctors feel they can do nothing more to help.  Unfortunately for these women, up to 1/3rd of them will have a recurrence of symptoms.  Since endo is thought to stem from the reproductive system, usually occurs on the outside of the uterus, ovaries, and pouch of Douglas, and is “fed” by the ovaries, many doctors are at a loss when these symptoms reappear.  Hysterectomy results in early menopause and bone loss, so should not be undertaken lightly.

Pregnancy is recommended by some doctors as a treatment.  Women usually have a lessening of symptoms during pregnancy and breastfeeding, but once the child is weaned, the symptoms return.  It is appalling to me that any doctor would suggest a woman bring a life into the world just to lessen her symptoms for 2 years, especially if that woman never wanted children.

We are still in the dark ages with regards to understanding and treatment of this disease, but I hope that something definitive comes along soon.

Everyday Poisons, part 2

It is truly amazing how many toxic chemicals the FDA allows not only into our food and the medicines we take, but also the cleaners and personal care products we use.  I have tried to figure out why they would allow such awful things, to little avail.  My personal opinion is that they just make too much money from the producers of these chemicals (through gifts or lobbying or what have you), to make them illegal.  I have little faith in them.

I have always been anxious about keeping chemicals in my home, as my cats can (and will) get into almost anything.  Before he was even a proper cat, Gryphon learned how to hook his paws under and around doors to open them.  I put baby locks on all my cabinets in VA, but when we moved to VT, that wasn’t really an option.  We are renting, our landlords hate us, and there are already baby locks on the cabinets–though they are the cheap, plastic kind that don’t work.  My cats have been able to get under the kitchen sink (which is about the only place I had to put chemicals) since about day 2 of living here.  Thankfully, they did not often see the need to go under there.

When I learned that most of the house can be cleaned using just white vinegar, water, hydrogen peroxide, and baking soda, I was nothing short of ecstatic.  Now, the only cleaning chemicals I have in my house are bleach (which I only use on the cat boxes once a month), Nature’s Miracle carpet shampoo, Nature’s Miracle laundry boost, and flea fogger.  Other things I use for cleaning include cream of tartar, rubbing alcohol, natural dish soap and natural laundry detergent.

The laundry detergent is especially curious to me, as it includes only two ingredients:  100% natural anionic coconut kernel oil-based surfactant, and water.  I don’t understand how this company can make a great product using only TWO THINGS, and all other companies seem to have the hardest time with it, having to put 10-20 things (or more) in one bottle.  It works great, too!

According to this wonderful guide from the Center for Health, Environment & Justice (http://www.chej.org/documents/non_toxic_cleaning_guide.pdf), there are many common chemicals used in cleaners that can be toxic not only if ingested, but just from being inhaled or getting it on your skin.  These include methylene chloride, sodium hydroxide, ammonia, ether-type solvents, petroleum distillates, butyl cellosolve, sodium hypochlorite, fragrance, alkyphenol ethoxylates, ethoxylated alcohols, quaternium 15, nitrobenzene, naphtha, phenol, cresols, formaldehyde, silver nitrate, chromic acid, triethanolamine, hydrochloric acid, phosphoric acid, para-dichlorobenzene, EDTA, chlorine, phthalates, and volatile organic compounds.  I bet if you read through all of your bottles of cleaner and personal care products, you will find at least one with some of these chemicals in it.

Chlorine can affect the developmental, neurological and reproductive systems, and cause cancer.  Combining chlorine with other cleaners, such as ammonia, creates lethal fumes.  Bleach made from chlorine can burn your eyes and skin.

Phthalates are generally used to carry fragrances and soften plastics.  Manufacturers do not have to list the carrier in the ingredients, it is okay for them to simply list “fragrance”.  Phthalates can cause developmental, reproductive and respiratory damage, altered liver and kidney function and asthma.  Since they are bioaccumulated, phthalates can be passed through breast milk to children.

VOCs aggravate asthma, irritate eyes, nose, throat and skin, can cause respiratory problems, dizziness, and harm the liver and kidneys.  The EPA estimates that indoor pollution levels can reach 100 times that of outdoor pollution levels, mainly due to VOCs–which are known carcinogens and neurotoxins.

One really scary chemical that we have little control over is perchloroethylene, which is used in dry cleaning.  This substance has caused cancer in lab animals.  Ever wonder why rats are used so much for lab work?  Because their bodies are so similar to ours (combined with the fact that they reproduce quickly and show side effects quickly).  You can be exposed to perchloroethylene while wearing dry-cleaned clothes.  It’s best to look for cleaners that use either wet cleaning or carbon dioxide systems.

Most people know that PABA is not good for you–sunscreen bottles make it a point to let you know that their products are PABA free.  However, parabens and sodium laureth/lauryl sulfates can also be bad for you.  PABA can increase the risk of cellular UV damage, and causes an allergic reaction in some people.  Parabens have been found in breast cancer tumors, and have the ability to mimic estrogen.  SLS also mimics estrogen once it is absorbed by the body.  Unfortunately, SLS is used in almost everything that creates a lather–soaps, shampoos, even toothpastes.

Once I learned about all these chemicals, I was a little bewildered as to what I actually COULD use.  I found that I can use simple ingredients to create a lot of the cleaning supplies I need, but what about personal care products?  Thankfully, there are a host of companies out there that make natural soaps–such as Burt’s Bees, Badger Balm, and Dr. Bronner’s.

Here is my personal list of cleaning products and their uses:

KITCHEN

Clean counter tops and make them smell sweet again with a cloth soaked in undiluted white distilled vinegar.

Clean your counters, table tops with peroxide to kill germs and leave a fresh smell.  Simply put a little on your dishrag when you wipe, or spray it on the counters.

Make a metal cleanser by adding enough white distilled vinegar to 2 tablespoons of cream of tartar to make a paste. Rub it on and let it dry on the surface. Wash it off and dry with a soft cloth.

Wipe grease off exhaust fan grids, the inside of your oven, or anywhere grease gathers with a sponge soaked in white distilled vinegar.

Clean and deodorize a drain by pouring in 1 cup baking soda, then one cup hot white distilled vinegar. Let this sit for 5 minutes or so, then run hot water down the drain.

Clean the microwave by mixing 1/2 cup white distilled vinegar and 1/2 cup water in a microwave-safe bowl. Bring it to a rolling boil inside the microwave. Baked-on food will be loosened, and odors will disappear. Wipe clean.

Remove mineral deposits from coffee makers with white distilled vinegar. Fill the water reservoir with 1 cup or more of white distilled vinegar and run it through a whole cycle. Run it once or twice more with plain water to rinse clean. (Check the owners’ manual first.)

Renew sponges and dishrags by placing them in just enough water to cover them. Then add 1/4 cup white distilled vinegar. Let them soak overnight.

Wash fresh vegetables with a mixture of 1 tablespoon of white distilled vinegar in 1 ½ quarts of water.

BATHROOM

Kill germs all around the bathroom with a spray of full-strength white distilled vinegar. Wipe clean with a damp cloth.

Fill a spray bottle with a 50/50 mixture of peroxide and water and keep it in every bathroom to disinfect without harming your septic system like bleach or most other disinfectants will.

To make the toilet bowl sparkle, pour in a cup or more of diluted white distilled vinegar and let it sit several hours or overnight. Scrub well with the toilet brush and flush.

Use undiluted white vinegar to scrub the inside of the toilet bowl. Before you begin, dump a bucket of water into the toilet to force water out of the bowl and allow access to the sides. Pour undiluted white vinegar around the bowl and scrub with a toilet brush to remove stains and odor. Use a pumice stone to remove any remaining hard water rings.
To remove grime, mildew, and scum from the tub, tile, shower curtain or door, wipe with undiluted white distilled vinegar. Rinse with water.

Get rid of stubborn bathtub film by wiping it with white distilled vinegar and then scouring with baking soda.

For really tough bathroom surfaces such as shower walls, pump up the cleaning power by removing the sprayer element and heating the vinegar solution in the microwave until barely hot. Spray shower walls with the warmed generously, allow to stand for 10 to 15 minutes, then scrub and rinse. The heat helps soften stubborn soap scum and loosens hard water deposits.

Sprinkle baking soda onto a damp sponge to tackle grimy bathtub rings, scour vanities, or remove food deposits from the kitchen sink.
For tougher grime, make a paste of baking soda and water, apply to the tub or sink, and allow to stand for 10 to 20 minutes. Dirt, soap scum and deposits soften and are easier to remove.
Get rid of calcium deposits on faucets by soaking a cloth or paper towel in white distilled vinegar and wrapping the area tightly. Let this sit for a couple of hours or overnight.

Remove soap buildup from faucets by scrubbing them with a solution of 1 part salt to 4 parts white distilled vinegar.

Rid a faucet of lime deposits by tying a plastic bag containing 1/2 to 1/3 cup of white distilled vinegar around it and leaving it there for two or three hours. If mineral deposits don’t wipe off, scrubbing with an old toothbrush should complete the job.

To clean a scummy showerhead, pour 1/2 cup baking soda and 1 cup white distilled vinegar into a sandwich bag and tie it around the showerhead. Let this set for an hour after the bubbling has stopped. Remove the bag and then turn on the water.

Clean a hairbrush by soaking in a white distilled vinegar solution.

Let your toothbrushes soak in a cup of peroxide to keep them free of germs.

And of course, if you like a natural look to your hair, spray the 50/50 peroxide solution on your wet hair after a shower and comb it through.  You will not have the peroxide burnt blonde hair like the hair dye packages, but more natural highlights if your hair is a light brown, faddish, or dirty blonde.  It also lightens gradually so it’s not a drastic change.

FLOORS & WINDOWS

For an economical and environmentally friendly floor cleaner, mix a solution of 3 drops dishwashing liquid to 1/3 part white distilled vinegar, 1/3 part alcohol, and 1/3 part water. Spray sparingly and mop for a fast clean-up.

Clean up pet accidents by first blotting up the area and then adding a white distilled vinegar-and-water solution. Blot until it is almost dry. Then sprinkle baking soda over the area and let it dry. Vacuum up the residue the next day.

Homemade Glass Cleaner Recipe
Mix in a sprayer bottle:
•    1 cup rubbing (isopropyl) alcohol
•    1 cup water
•    1 tablespoon white vinegar

LAUNDRY

Remove perspiration odor and stains on clothing, as well as those left by deodorants, by spraying full-strength white distilled vinegar on underarm and collar areas before tossing them into the washing machine.

You can also add a cup of peroxide instead of bleach to a load of whites in your laundry to whiten them.  If there is blood on clothing, pour directly on the soiled spot.  Let it sit for a minute, then rub it and rinse with cold water.  Repeat if necessary.

Get cleaner laundry! Add about 1/4 cup white distilled vinegar to the last rinse. The acid in white distilled vinegar is too mild to harm fabrics, yet strong enough to dissolve the alkalies in soaps and detergents. Besides removing soap, white distilled vinegar prevents yellowing, acts as a fabric softener and static cling reducer, and attacks mold and mildew.

Remove soap scum and clean the hoses of your washing machine with white distilled vinegar. Periodically run the machine with only a cup of white distilled vinegar in it—nothing else added to the wash cycle.

MISCELLANEOUS

Clean scissors that have become sticky (after cutting tape, for instance) with a cloth dipped in undiluted white distilled vinegar.

Get rid of rust on spigots, tools, screws or bolts by soaking the items overnight or for several days in undiluted white distilled vinegar.

Prevent cats from eating your plants by spraying the leaves with a solution of white distilled vinegar and water.

CARS

Keep car windows frost-free overnight in winter by coating them with a solution of 3 parts white distilled vinegar to 1 part water.

Rid the windshield wipers of road grime by wiping them with a white distilled vinegar-soaked cloth.

If you need a solution for something I don’t, chances are good you will find it on one of the following pages:

http://www.thenewhomemaker.com/vinegar

http://www.snopes.com/medical/homecure/peroxide.asp

http://www.vinegartips.com/Scripts/

http://organizedhome.com/clean-house/pantry-recipes-homemade-cleaning-products

Aloe gel is very hard to find without a lot of additives, but I did order some from http://www.mountainroseherbs.com/learn/aloe-vera-gel.php.  The gel is much more liquid than any aloe gel I am used to, but I am confident in its abilities.  Of course, if you don’t have animals that would like to eat the plants, you can always grow your own aloe gel.

For mouthwash, I mix 2 ounces of water with 1/4 teaspoon baking soda, 1 drop of peppermint essential oil, and 1 drop of tea tree essential oil.  Tea tree oil has antimicrobial properties, so can be a great alternative for many different personal products.  I premix a bottle of this solution and just use as much as I need every night.  It does need to be shaken before use, as you can see the oils settling on the top if you look hard enough.

I have not been able to find an alternative for nail polish remover–luckily, I don’t wear nail polish very often.  I found one website that suggested toothpaste, but my toothpaste didn’t work.  Shaving cream can be substituted with conditioner, aloe gel, or castile soap.

What I Can Eat

With all of those dietary restrictions, it can be overwhelming to try to determine what I can actually eat.  Snacks are the hardest, but apple with organic peanut butter works pretty well.  I was having egg sandwiches for breakfast, until I learned that I’m allergic to eggs.  I had oatmeal for a while, but got sick of it.  Granola is pretty good, but most of it is made with cane sugar, so I have to read the ingredients.  Right now I like Barbara’s Cinnamon Puffins with Rice Dream rice milk.  Rice milk is very sweet, even without sugar.  Tasty stuff!

Instead of wheat, I can have buckwheat, amaranth, quinoa, chick-pea flour,and rice flour.  It’s virtually impossible to find items made with these substitutes.  Lucky for me, I know how to cook!

Red meat has been very easy for me to give up.  I’ve never really craved meat, and I do just fine on occasional chicken, duck, or seafood.  Fish is also so much easier to cook–just wrap it in foil and stick it in the oven.  The duck I get is precooked, and I make a really great soup with it.  Dairy is harder–I really miss it.  I miss ice cream and cheese, especially pizza.  I’ll live though.

Refined sugar, while hard to avoid, is not that hard to give up.  I simply modify my baking recipes.  For instance, I have a great brownie recipe that I make with quinoa flour instead of wheat, maple sugar and maple syrup instead of brown sugar, and goat butter instead of cow butter.  Goat butter does not affect the body as bad as cow butter does.  It does still caused the production of some prostaglandins, but I figure brownies are not supposed to be good for you anyway.  The hardest thing about giving up sugar is chocolate.  Supposedly carob is a good substitute, but I’ve yet to try it.

I have given up caffeine almost completely.  The only time I ever have it is when I have not slept well and then have to drive long distances.  Fortunately, that is very rare.  Whenever I do have caffeine, I get sick, though that might be more from the sugar and dairy.

About soy:  most forms of soy are bad for you, but a few forms are okay in limited amounts.  The difference is in the processing.  According to the book ‘Recipes for the Endometriosis Diet’ by Carolyn Levett, “The soybean did not serve as a food in China until the discovery of fermentation techniques, some time during the Chou Dynasty” and “the Chinese did not eat unfermented soybeans as they did other legumes such as lentils because the soy bean contains large quantities of natural toxins or ‘anti-nutrients’.”  Fermented soy products include miso, tempeh, and tamari, and are ok to use in small quantities.

The modern use of soy came about from an attempt to use the leftovers from soy bean processing, after the oil had been extracted.  “There was so much soy bean residue that extensive multi-million dollar campaigning and advertising was used to promote this new ‘wonder-protein’.

Soy bean by-products are mixed with alkaline solution to remove fiber, acid washed to precipitate and separate the mixture, and washed in an alkaline solution to neutralize the resulting product.  Acid washing is done in aluminum tanks, and aluminum is leached into the soy mixture as a result.

The curds are then spray-dried at high temperatures and extruded at high temperatures and pressures, which denatures proteins in soy (other than textured vegetable protein).  Spray drying produces highly carcinogenic nitrites, and alkaline processing produces toxic lysinoalanine.  After all this, soy is artificially flavored to resemble meat, sometimes using MSG.

Soy is used in many, many products and foods.  Next time you go grocery shopping, just read the ingredients labels quickly to see how much soy you actually consume.  I know for me, it was way more than I ever thought.  One last note:  “After multi-million dollar figures spent on advertising and intense lobbying to the Food and Drug Administration, about 74 percent of US consumers now believe soy products are healthy”.

Since I cannot use vegetable oils (such as soybean oil, corn oil, canola oil, cottonseed oil), I have to look to alternatives for my cooking.  I do a lot of cooking on the stove top, so I tend to go through a lot of oil.  Acceptable oils are safflower, walnut, flax seed, linseed, borage, star flower, olive, and coconut.  I had been using olive oil for just about everything until my naturopath told me it does not do well at high temperatures.  I have since switched to coconut oil.  The important thing is that the oils are natural, unrefined and cold pressed, and not allowed to go rancid.

Coconut oils provide a variety of health benefits, including:  faster metabolism, reduced risk of heart disease, lowered cholesterol, disease prevention, healthy thyroid function, energy boosting, and skin rejuvenation.  They also improve the condition of people with diabetes, chronic fatigue, and certain gastrointestinal disorders.  Coconut oil has gotten bad press in the past, based on flawed studies completed over 4 decades ago, some using hydrogenated coconut oil.  “Hydrogenated oils are oils with trans-fatty acids, which have been altered from their original chemical composition and have been shown to raise cholesterol levels and lead to heart disease and other health problems”.

Coconut oil does contain saturated fats, but the majority of these are medium-chain fatty acids.  These are easily digested and utilized differently by the body than other fats.  Medium-chain fatty acids have even been shown to have anti-microbial properties.

Fiber is important for everyone’s digestion, but for women with endometriosis, it has an added bonus as an estrogen-binder.  Excess estrogen is filtered out by the liver (when it is not overburdened by poisons), and excreted from the body; fiber assists in this by disallowing the re-absorption of estrogen before it can be excreted.  Good sources of fiber include whole foods, unrefined whole-grain cereals, nuts, seeds, berries, pulses, and vegetables such as celery, carrots and potatoes.

While the majority of my diet includes fruits and vegetables, even these aren’t always safe.  They must be peeled, as they potentially could have picked up dioxins from pesticides.  Even organic foods can be exposed to these.  The best option is to buy locally organic.  Some people think that foods with a peel that you don’t normally eat (such as bananas) are safe to buy non-organic.  This couldn’t be further from the truth.  If you took high school biology, you know that plants absorb water mainly through their roots, and this water then travels throughout the plant.  Any chemical that is sprayed on the ground near the plants can get into their water supply after a rain, and the chemicals are then transferred throughout the plant, instead of just being on the outside.

Certain foods can be helpful in eliminating estrogen from the body.  Foods that contain plant sterols are thought to block estrogen receptors.  These foods include peas, beans, pulses, red and purple berries, garlic, apples, parsley, fennel, cabbage, cauliflower, nuts, seeds, celery, carrots, rhubarb and sage.  Elimination of estrogen is important not just for women with endometriosis.  Those suffering from adenomyosis, polycistic ovarian syndrome, and breast cancer can all potentially benefit from less estrogen in the diet.

Noni juice seems to have been a “superfood” fad about 5-10 years ago, but there are health benefits to back up this title.  For starters, noni juice contains 9 essential amino acids (not found in the body), vitamins A, C, E, and the B vitamins, beta carotene, linoleic acid, bromelain, calcium, magnesium and zinc, as well as others.  Bromelain is particularly effective as it is an anti-inflammatory enzyme, and also assists in digestion.  The drawback to noni juice is that it is expensive, and has a very strong taste, so I am not currently taking it.

Green tea is a wonderful antioxidant, but should be consumed in the decaffeinated version.  Natural decaffeination, using spring water and effervescence, is best; otherwise the antioxidants are not preserved.  Green tea is also thought to protect the body from dioxin.  Dioxin plays a huge role for women with endometriosis, so this is particularly important.

Overall, processed salt, caffeine, alcohol, soy, red meat, fried food and artificial additives have been the easiest to avoid.  Sugar is a little harder, as is dairy because I like it so much.  Wheat is the hardest, as it is everywhere.  Usually I don’t worry too much about wheat, since I have never been prone to yeast infections.  Sugar is probably the biggest problematic food for me personally.

‘Recipes for the Endometriosis Diet’ by Carolyn Levett

I better do this now, before I get too tired again.  Last December, I was looking for a way to control my disease.  I was desperate enough to try anything except pregnancy.  I stumbled upon a website (www.endo-resolved.com) which talks about healing through diet.  It makes perfect sense, and the cookbook was only $23.  I figured if it didn’t work, it only cost about as much as a regular cookbook, so I ordered one.  It took a while to get here, because they are printed to order, but it was worth it.

At first, I only made the recipes that sounded yummy to me.  Since I don’t like beans, zucchini, eggplants, and quite a few other things that are common throughout the book, it didn’t take long for me to run out of recipes.  I switched to just going through the book cover to cover.  Using this method, probably about half of the recipes are very tasty, and the rest are either nothing special or I just don’t like them.

In addition to hundreds of recipes, the book has a section to explain what foods to avoid, and why.  The foods are wheat and other gluten grains, red meat, dairy, refined sugar, caffeine, soy, processed salt, fried foods, tinned and frozen packaged foods, and food additives such as artificial colorings, flavors and preservatives.

Wheat is a contributing factor to the overgrowth of Candida yeast (which thankfully I do not have a problem with).  Wheat also “appears to aggravate the symptoms of endometriosis.”  Wheat contains phytic acid, which impairs the absorption of minerals, calcium in particular.  Finally, many women with endometriosis also suffer from celiac disease, so wheat is just not a good option for them.

Our bodies produce chemical messengers called prostaglandins.  There are different types of prostaglandins, and they have different functions.  One in particular, F 2a or series 2 prostaglandins, is responsible for increasing inflammation.  Red meat and dairy contain cortisols, which promote the production of these bad prostaglandins.  It follows that red meat and dairy promote inflammation in the body.  Since endometrial lesions cause inflammation (and this is half of the problem with them), it is a good idea to cut red meat and dairy from the diet if you have endometriosis.

Meat and dairy are also rife with hormones, unless you buy from a hormone-free source.  Most people know about rBGH by now (bovine growth hormone), but another hormone I have recently learned of is rBST.  rBST is given to dairy cows to force them to go into heat.  It stays in their bodies in small amounts, and is excreted in their milk and their feces.  The hormones from feces are then assimilated into the grass that they eat, and each year they are injected again, causing a buildup of the amount of hormone that stays with them, and that’s in their milk.  Since endo is greatly dependent on the balance of hormones in our bodies, eating anything containing hormones is ill advised.

Refined sugar causes a few problems, and not just for women with endo.  It lowers your immune system, upsets your digestive health, feeds Candida yeast, causes hormonal imbalance, and “will increase menstrual cramping as well as aggravate PMT.”  I used to have IBS-like symptoms at least once a week, for years.  I could never pinpoint what caused it, because my diet in high school and college (and after) was just so terrible that it was probably everything.

I would be walking around Walmart, for instance, and suddenly get very very hot.  I came to realize that meant that I had half an hour to get to a bathroom.  I would have watery diarrhea for 20-30 minutes, sometimes longer, and then feel awful for hours afterwards.  Often, I would get sick multiple times that day.  Since going on the endo diet, my IBS has all but disappeared.  If I have too much sugar I will get sick, but at least now I know what causes it and can avoid it.

One important note about refined sugars:  high-fructose corn syrup has been shown to cause more weight gain than regular sugar, and the weight is harder to shed.  Producers of this chemical are trying to change the name to corn sugar, as the dangers of HFCS are becoming more well known.  If you can do one good thing for your health this year, it will be to cut out HFCS/corn sugar completely.

Caffeine increases estrogen in the body, which is the last thing anyone with endo needs.  According to Carolyn Levett, “drinking more than two cups of coffee daily may boost your estrogen levels and could worsen the symptoms of endometriosis, as well as problems with breast pain.”  Caffeine from coffee is also linked to heart disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, miscarriages and birth defects.  Mentally, coffee contributes to insomnia, anxiety, panic attacks and depression.  Decaf is really no better, as petrol-based solvents are used in the decaffeination process.  Do you really want to drink something related to what runs your car?

Soy is a horrible culprit of many things.  The funny thing about soy is, most people that I have talked to about it will defend it viciously, and they really have no idea what they are defending.  I am not sure if it is because soy is such a convenient alternative for protein and people are just afraid of what they can eat if they can’t eat soy, or if it is something else.  Quite honestly, soy is awful no matter who you are.  Here is the list of bad things soy does from the book.

“1. High levels of phytic acid in soy reduce assimilation of calcium, magnesium, copper, iron and zinc.  Phytic acid in soy is not neutralised by ordinary preparation methods such as soaking, sprouting and long, slow cooking.  High phytate diets have caused growth problems in children.
2. Trypsin inhibitors in soy interfere with protein digestion and may cause pancreatic disorders.  In test animals soy containing trypsin inhibitors caused stunted growth.
3. Soy phytoestrogens disrupt endocrine function and have the potential to cause infertility and to promote breast cancer in adult women.
4. Soy phytoestrogens are potent antithyroid agents that cause hypothyroidism and may cause thyroid cancer.  In infants, consumption of soy formula has been linked to autoimmune thyroid disease.
5. Vitamin B12 analogs in soy are not absorbed and actually increase the body’s requirement for B12.
6. Soy foods increase the body’s requirement for Vitamin D.
7. Fragile proteins are denatured during high temperature processing to make soy protein isolate and textured vegetable protein.
8. Processing of soy protein results in the formation of toxic lysinoalanine and highly carcinogenic nitrosamines.
9. Free glutamic acid or MSG, a potent neurotoxin, is formed during soy food processing and additional amounts are added to many soy foods.
10. Soy foods contain high levels of aluminium [British author] which is toxic to the nervous system and kidneys.
11. The various negative effects of soy weaken the immune system.”

One thing the list leaves out is that aluminum is a poison, and thought to be carcinogenic.  This is another reason that soy is such a problem; it is processed in aluminum vats.

A few more quotes:

“Two isoflavones found in soy, genistein and daidzen…were said to ‘demonstrate toxicity in estrogen sensitive tissues and in the thyroid.”

“When we first questioned the safety of soy, representatives of Protein Technologies told us that they had:

‘Teams of lawyers to crush dissenters, could buy scientists to give evidence, owned television channels and newspapers, could divert medical schools and could even influence governments.'” (from http://www.soyonlineservice.co.nz)

For further reading about soy, check out the book in this post’s title, as well as ‘What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Premenopause’ by Dr. John Lee, and ‘Endometriosis – Healing Through Diet and Nutrition’ by Dian Mills.  Not all soy is bad, and I will get to the differences and the good kinds of soy in my next post.

Processed salt is the common iodized table salt that is bought in bulk.  A much healthier form of salt is sea salt.  Sea salt has natural iodine, so it doesn’t need additives.  It does not go through the same extraction, recrystallization, and iodization that is so necessary for processed salts.  Foods in their natural states are always healthiest.

Fried foods, margarine, and hydrogenated fats are really just not good for anyone.  Processed foods fall into this same category, and additives are awful.  Many additives that are approved by our FDA are illegal for use in other developed countries because of the known perils to our health.  The food coloring red #40 is a prime example.  It has been shown to be a contributing factor to autism in children, and is thought to be carcinogenic.  Most European countries have outlawed it, but our FDA has not.  I don’t know what the big deal is with colorful food anyway–most of the stuff I make is some shade of brown or yellow.  It is tasty and good for me, so whey should I care what color it is?

Next time I will go over the foods that I actually can eat, and the foods that are particularly good for anyone suffering from endo, or with a fragile immune system.