5 Holistic Treatments for Endo Flare Ups
After a while, avoiding an endometriosis flare up can feel like just another task endowarriors have to check off their to-do lists.
Did laundry? Check. Ran my business? Check. Avoided an endo flare up? Check.
But can I be blunt? No matter how long you’ve been on your endo journey and no matter how many weeks or months you’ve fought off an endometriosis flare up, even the most seasoned warriors still experience flares.
Trust me, I’ve been a professional endometriosis dietitian and endowarrior for years. My business thrives on helping women avoid them, and I still have flare ups, too! You just have to accept that they’ll happen from time to time.
There’s a silver lining, though. While an endo flare up is inevitable on your journey, you can significantly reduce their occurrence and impact by paying attention to your body and making adjustments where necessary.
Some medical professionals are quick to prescribe medication (which might be the right answer for some endowarriors), but I prefer using other, more holistic remedies where possible.
I’m excited to share more about those so you can learn more aligned ways to tune into your body’s needs and make decisions that provide great lasting benefits.
How to Reduce the Likelihood of an Endo Flare Up
Before we jump into all the ways you can reduce the likelihood of an endo flare up, I want to give you some much-deserved credit.
Living with endometriosis is complicated. From the moment you’re diagnosed, it can be a whirlwind of emotions, followed by bouts of learning, experiencing, and understanding the unique journey you’re on. That’s a lot, and honestly, it’s a journey only us endobabes are built to handle and navigate!
That being said, at some point, all endowarriors slip up or stray from their routine.
Endobabes, we’re human, and this stuff happens.
The only regretful difference is our slipups make us much more susceptible to endometriosis flare ups.
So, to help you reduce the likelihood of them happening in the first place and to avoid endometriosis flare up symptoms, here are some suggestions!
Include More Plant Foods (Keep It Colorful!)
A colorful plate is good for more than just a killer Insta pic – it’s also great for reducing your chances of endometriosis flare ups, reducing inflammation, transforming your gut microbiome, and enhancing your immune system.
Plant foods include:
● Fruits (berries, mango, etc.)
● Vegetables (carrots, beets, etc.)
● Nuts and seeds (chia seeds, pumpkin seeds, almonds, etc.)
Reduce Your Consumption of Inflammation-Promoting Foods
While a plant-focused diet is a great way to avoid flares, reducing your consumption of foods that promote inflammation is important, too.
Stay away from things like:
● Red meat
● Sugary drinks (soda, energy drinks)
● Processed foods
Note: I’m not telling you to avoid eating or drinking these foods entirely. We all have our guilty pleasures! But for us endobabes, it’s all about moderation.
Eat the Right Way
Most people assume that “eating the right way” means watching what you eat or participating in an elimination diet like dairy-free and gluten-free. But that’s not what I’m talking about.
For endobabes, eating the right way means being more mindful and intentional about how we consume our food:
Always sit down when you’re eating.
Put away any distractions. (Yes, even your phone!)
Chew your food 30 to 40 times for optimal digestion.
Stop eating when your body tells you it’s full. (You don’t HAVE to clear the plate.)
Cook the Right Way
It seems like just about everything is deep-fried or grilled these days, but the truth is, those aren’t the healthiest ways to cook your meals. High temperatures can destroy the nutrients in your food and add other unwanted elements.
So, to help avoid endo flare ups, cook in ways that preserve the best parts of your foods while still serving up a delicious meal. Some better ways for endowarriors to cook include:
● Steaming
● Stewing
● Simmering
● Boiling
● Poaching
Get Hands-on Support
Finally, one of the best ways to avoid endo flares is to hire an endometriosis dietitian. Endo dietitians (like yours truly) can help you personalize a plan based on your unique endo symptoms and nutritional needs.
In my 1:1 programs, for example, we work on optimizing your gut and hormone health, but you learn the fundamentals of the evidence-based endo-diet protocol, too. We tweak your diet and make lifestyle changes that work for your needs.
My programs are structured to help you see that endometriosis doesn’t become something you’re ruled by but rather something that helps you live a more mindful and healthy life. And we stay in touch every step of the way until we’ve accomplished that!
Endometriosis Flare Up? Here’s What to Do Next
As much as you might try to prepare for an endometriosis flare up, they’ll still happen. Whether you slip up in your routine or there’s some unfortunate intervention, it’s practically inevitable.
But there are two things I want you to note when this happens.
First, I want you to be prepared for an endo flare up at all times. (I’ll share more on how to do that in a bit.)
The second thing is to give yourself a lot of grace. DO NOT, for any reason, add any additional anxiety or mental anguish to your endometriosis flare up symptoms. Don’t beat yourself up over it, guilt trip yourself, or do anything that could make your body feel even more out of sorts.
Instead, remind yourself that you’re human and you’ll get through it. Then, after you've handled that flare like an endowarrior, get back to doing your best to reduce the chances of it happening again.
But for now, back to being prepared. When you experience an endo flare up, here’s what I want you to do.
1. Try Your Best to Identify the Trigger
Attempt to narrow down the root cause so you can avoid or offset it in the future.
Did you eat a food known to cause inflammation? Are you currently moving through your cycle? Have you been getting enough sleep?
Take a moment to find out what led to your endometriosis flare up!
2. Pay Close Attention to Your Endometriosis Flare Up Symptoms
Knowing what triggered your endo flare up can help you avoid it in the future, but knowing the symptoms of your flare can help you treat it in the moment!
For example, if you experience pain, you’ll want to go into anti-inflammatory action. And I don’t mean Tylenol; remember, we’re keeping it holistic!
I recommend including three different colors with each meal. Some of the best anti-inflammatory support comes from magnesium and omega-3s, which you’ll find in oily fish and dark leafy greens. Also, drink tea to reduce inflammation (especially green tea).
If you're experiencing constipation or diarrhea, focus on treating your immune system accordingly.
This could mean temporarily limiting or eliminating known culprits like legumes, canned vegetables, alcohol, starches, or sugary fruit juices. Instead, reach for simple, protein-rich foods that are easy to digest. Soups and stews are also great go-tos.
3. Implement Healthy Habits
Another way to manage an endo flare up is by implementing healthy habits.
Healthy habits aren’t just what you eat, they’re also how you live! Some healthy habits I suggest for my endobabes are
● A full night’s sleep (7 to 8 hours every night – daytime naps are also welcome!)
● Adding pre- or probiotics to your daily routine
● Getting some vitamin D from the sun or taking vitamin D and E supplements
● Going outside to walk
● Developing a better-balanced diet and eating smaller, more frequent meals (one of my personal favorites is buying healthy frozen meals like gluten-free pizza – a great and healthy way to cook something when I have no energy!)
4. Systems Support
If you’ve checked off all of the above, the next step in tackling your endo flare up is to prioritize supporting key affected systems, like your gut, liver, and nervous system. Here are some ways you can do that.
Gut:
● Reduce antibiotics
● Add probiotics
● Include green tea
● Consume more colorful plants
Liver:
● Take ginger baths
● Try castor oil packs
● Include a vitamin B complex
● Relax in a hot sauna
Nervous System:
● Prioritize rest
● Consume more magnesium
● Include a vitamin B complex
Providing your systems with comprehensive support like this will help them combat the endometriosis flare up and bounce back from this momentary discomfort!
5. Accept That You’re Not Perfect, and You’ll Do Better Next Time!
I know I’ve said it already, but it bears repeating!
Accepting that you’re not perfect is one of the best ways to handle your endo flare ups because it puts you in a better position to support your body through this moment. So give yourself a break, endobabe. Take a breath, let yourself know that you’ll do better next time, and then get back to being the strong warrior I know you are!
Do What’s Right for You!
As an endowarrior, endometriosis flare ups can be our archnemesis. But as long as we mentally and physically prepare for the battle, we’ll win the war!
All you have to do is be conscious and mindful about what, when, and how you eat. And if you do slip up, remind yourself that it’s okay! Figure out the trigger, take action to alleviate the problem (from today and tomorrow), and commit to doing better next time.
You got this, endobabe!
Feeling alone in your fight against endometriosis and endo flare ups? Join my coaching program and get unique, comprehensive coaching support tailored to your needs!