EP.238/ Your Cyclical Tea Plan for Endo

This is the wrap up week of the Ease Endo Tea Challenge.

So, how did you find the tea challenge? Hopefully, you've experienced some changes - or your period/endo pain wasn't as bad as you thought it might be following the festive season!

Don't worry if you don't feel dramatic change yet - remember, this was all about dipping your toe in and giving you easy, quick tools to get started with and steady consistency, even with habits as small as tea, is when we'll start to notice changes.

Your cyclical tea plan
Okay so now you've tried all the teas, here's how you might want to use them moving forward:

Menstruation: Nettle tea and ginger
Menstruation is the time when inflammation and histamines are going to be high, and iron is going to be low. The ginger will address the pain and inflammation, whilst the nettle will replenish iron loss and also lower any histamines contributing to pain.

Follicular: Dandelion
This is the phase when our oestrogen is building, and whilst we do want a lovely healthy amount of oestrogen, we want to be clearing it out properly once it's been used up. That's where dandelion comes in and can help support our oestrogen detoxification in this stage to ensure it doesn't contribute to oestrogen excess in the later phases of our cycle.

Ovulation: Peppermint
Ovulation is a time that can bring bloating due to the high levels of hormones and the inflammation which occurs as part of the ovulatory process. If you struggle with bloating during this time, peppermint can really aid you there!

If ovulation is a particularly painful part of your cycle, then feel free to also bring in ginger and/or nettle, which will both address the inflammation levels (though ginger is better for pain relief).

Luteal: Ginger and dandelion
Once we've ovulated, inflammation begins to build in our uterus right up until menstruation, so to keep those pre-menstrual aches and pains down, and to reduce the pain you experience on your period, you can begin drinking ginger in your luteal phase.

This is also a time when we can have some oestrogen dominance if our hormones aren't balanced, so dandelion can assist there too.

If you're finding yourself particularly bloated, try the peppermint, though ginger should help with that as well.

I'm hoping that after taking this challenge, you can see that many of these teas play various roles and can help with various symptoms. So, you don't have to follow the above, it's just some suggestions - feel free to bring in whatever tea you like when you feel you need it!

Also, if tea hasn't been your thing - don't worry. There are plenty of different methods for managing endo, and this is just one tool from the tool box!

Finally, there's no perfection here - don't force yourself to drink tea every day if you don't fancy it, I certainly don't. I use these teas at various points in my cycle, but I don't drink them every day. For the purpose of this challenge we did, but going forward, you can just use them as you see fit.

Hot chocolate
Now, I understand that teas aren't always enough to hit the spot, so how about a hot chocolate?

Raw cacao is the raw form of cocoa powder, and it's rich in iron, magnesium and other essential nutrients. It's wonderful for replenishing your nutrient stores when you're on your period!

Cacao is also mildly stimulating, so it's a great pick-me-up if you're feeling brain fogged or fatigued.

A quick way to drink it is to add a teaspoon of cacao to a cup, top with boiling water, a little good quality milk of your choice and a few drops of monk fruit sweetener. I call this my 'instant hot cacao' - it's a nod to my 90's obsession with diet instant hot chocolates, which I now understand was a terrible idea! Anyway, this instant cacao isn't made with water to be low cal, but to be quick!

For extra creaminess, add some nut butter (cashew works well). You could also include some mushrooms like lion's mane and cordyceps which aid with focus and concentration, and you could use those in the instant version too - or not at all, the cacao still works wonders.

Must-read Precautions
Now just a reminder, when you registered for this challenge, you agreed to the terms and conditions – including informing your doctor if you make any dietary or supplement changes, so please do consult with your doctor regarding our new teas!

If you're very sensitive to histamine foods, you might find cacao isn't for you, or you can only have a certain amount. If you notice a worsening of allergy symptoms, heart palpitations, shortness of breath, stomach cramps or a worsening of any of your symptoms, you might currently be sensitive to histamines and I suggest you work with someone to see if that's the case. When my histamine issues have been at their worst, I have had to cut down on cacao or even at times, have removed it entirely for a short while.

Cacao also has some caffeine in it (it varies from brand to brand, crop to crop), so you may need to be mindful of how much you have if you're sensitive to caffeine. I find if I have it too late at night I'm wired!

Finally, cacao is reported by many interstitial cystitis patients to be one of their trigger foods and this is thought to be because it's quite acidic (though it could also be down to the histamine levels). If you still want to be able to enjoy a hot chocolate from time to time but find it causes bladder irritation, you can take calcium glycerophosphate with it, which neutralises acidic foods. Just remember, this isn't a long-term solution and root causes should be addressed so that you can expand your diet and minimise symptoms long-term.

So that’s it! I really, truly hoped you enjoyed this challenge and I would LOVE to know how you found it or if you experienced any changes in your cycle or symptoms.

If this challenge has you motivated to continue on your endo healing journey, I have plenty of other resources to help you along the way.

Short but sweet (and affordable!) masterclasses
Nutrition for Endo Foundations Masterclass
Nutrition for Endo Advanced Masterclass
Natural Pain Relief Tool Kit Masterclass
Holistic Pre- and Post-Surgery Protocol Masterclass

Free tools
This EndoLife Podcast
My Endometriosis Net and Endometriosis News articles
Pain Relief Tool Kit Guide
 
Thank you for joining me on this cosy challenge.

This episode is sponsored by Semaine. Semaine is a plant-based supplement for reducing period pain and inflammation, that you take for 7 days of your cycle, during your period. Semaine is made up of 9 super-powered plant extracts and minerals that are all vegan and sourced for maximum quality and bioavailability and selected based on the latest clinical research. If you want to try Semaine, they are currently offering 15% off your first order and they deliver worldwide! Head to: www.semainehealth.com

This 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-it-works

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