The Sol Journal

Guest post by Brittany from Treating Endo

Did you know 1 in 10 women have Endometriosis?

In fact, at least 176 million women worldwide have endometriosis and that number grows every day. Symptoms include painful periods, ongoing pelvic pain throughout the month, excessive bleeding, lower back pain, muscle cramps, infertility and more.

The silver lining

Endometriosis is also largely considered ‘incurable’, however a lot of women like myself have seen tremendous recoveries and minimization of symptoms through a number of lifestyle changes. One major factor in my own recovery process was fasting and cleansing.

The science behind fasting and possible effect on Endometriosis

Consider this:

Every single mammal on the planet will naturally do a fast when they become sick or injured. The reason they do this is because fasting helps preserve energy that can be channelled to repair their injury. The body also multiplies your stem cell count during a fast, and stem cells have the ability to regenerate damaged and weak tissue (as found by the USC -University of Southern California). Another recent study found that fasting can cause increased BDNF (brain derived neurotrophic factor), a major factor in serotonin metabolism regulation and cognitive function (source: Fasting in mood disorders: neurobiology and effectiveness. A review of the literature).

This is commonly practised by women with endometriosis by reducing food intake, practising cleansing or fasting before their menstrual cycle, as this can potentially alleviate the distressing and painful symptoms connected with endometriosis. This is as fasting redirects energy away from the digestive system, enabling the body to rest and recuperate. However currently, there are no studies that investigate the role of fasting in the management of endometriosis.

My Experience with Cleansing

Back in 2013 with the new evidence surfacing of the benefits of fasting for women’s hormones, I decided to give it a go to treat my endometriosis. I felt like I was at rock bottom and I was willing to try anything. I was living in chronic pain, I’d developed chronic fatigue as a result of living in constant pain, and my hormones and emotions were all over the place (I was presenting very high levels of both estrogen and testosterone).

Like I said I was willing to try anything, so I went on a 10 day juice cleanse. By the end I was presenting increased energy and stabilised moods, and best of all I also hadn’t experienced a single endometriosis flare during the cleanse.

After this I began fasting regularly. Couple fasting with a number of other environmental steps, and I began to feel like a new women. I had dramatically reduced my endometriosis symptoms, and to this day I don’t experience anywhere near the symptoms that I used to (think vomiting, fainting, full days in bed and more).

Take it slow, beautiful ladies (and the men that support them)

I am a firm believer that every person is different, and what works for one won’t always work for another. You always have to do what is right for your body. There is NO shame in seeking medical help to support you if you have endometriosis. In saying that, I am so passionate about treating endometriosis naturally because I’ve seen first hand the results that you can get from making some big lifestyle changes. If you’re new to these concepts, or if you think you may have endometriosis, my first advice would be to become your own specialist and start researching.

If you’d like to learn more about treating endometriosis, please head to my Instagram. If you’re ready to jump into a cleanse, my advice is to be gentle with yourself, consider starting with a Level 1 Cleanse and setting aside some time to really slow down and enjoy the process. The Sol Cleanse juices are absolutely delicious and organic (this is a HUGE benefit for women with any hormonal imbalances), and they’re a great way to support yourself through the fasting process.

Note: Please keep in mind that while fasting can be a beneficial method for alleviating endometriosis related symptoms, it may not be suitable for everyone. If you have conditions such as diabetes, hypoglycemia, or other chronic illnesses, it is important to have proper supervision while fasting. Pregnant and lactating women should refrain from fasting altogether. It is advisable to consult with your physician or holistic practitioner before considering this approach.