In an effort to heal myself of this endometriosis/adenomyosis, that I was diagnosed with about 4 years ago, I decided to eat myself to a healthier lifestyle. I’ve always enjoyed vegetables, only now my intake has and continues to grow substantially.  My diet now consist of approximately 60 -70% of  foods from the earth: fruits, vegetables, herbs, tubers etc. Preparing juices and smoothies and limiting my intake of processed foods has shown tremendous improvement in my overall being.

I don’t deprive myself of any food groups, meaning I eat everything that NATURE provides. What works for me may not work for you. We are all unique individuals with unique biochemistry. There is no one size fits all with nutrition. Once upon a long time ago my pantry was ladened with processed foods. Most were convenient but void of any nutritional value, contained preservatives and chemical and food dyes, which I later realized had contributed to the endometriosis and the unbearable pain that I had to endure during my monthly cycle.

My pantry has been overhauled and I have limited processed foods. No more boxed cereals, pop tarts, homogenized milk. I make my own cereals/porridge with oatmeal, bulgur, quinoa, cornmeal things like that. I have learned to make nut milks: spiced almond milk, walnut milk, cashew milk, pistachio milk, oat milk, coconut milk etc.

I even make my own homemade vanilla.  I know that just about everything that we eat has to undergo some type of processing, but I limit my intake and eat the best way that I know how. I’m not perfect. I’m still a work in progress and have so much more to learn.

I COOK FROM SCRATCH without the use of canola, soybean or vegetable oils. I don’t care what claims they put on those oils; THEY ARE NOT HEALTHY. I now choose healthier oils, such as extra virgin organic olive oil, organic virgin coconut oil, walnut oil and avocado oils. My favorite is the organic virgin coconut oil.  I’m neither vegan, vegetarian or diet specific. I do eat meat and cheese and sometime swap out fresh coconut milk for heavy cream in some of my dishes.

That’s my beetroot with goat cheese pizza and roasted vegetables, that I made from scratch.

My body speaks to me and I understand it very well. I’m unable to tolerate anything that is 100% whole wheat or anything with wheat for that matter and have eliminated such foods, before and during my menstrual cycle, because they tend to exacerbate the endometriosis. Matter of fact, I realized that wheat and endometriosis, PCOS, fibroids does not go together. In my body, It’s an offender. I don’t even eat bread as much as I use to. I’d rather make gluten free pancakes, cake, pizza or naan if I have to (I’m able to control the ingredients).

I used to buy lots of bread. Now I avoid wheat like the plague. I don’t care how healthy it’s claimed to be. I’m now conscious of the breads that I buy and search for those with minimal ingredients for those days when I’m not able to bake my bread from scratch.

Since changing to a healthier lifestyle, I document what I eat and how food affects my body. One thing I know for sure is that, whenever I eat a lot of beets and overdose on vegetables, my menstrual cycle tends to “sneak up” on me; without warning, as opposed to being cranky and experiencing excruciating labor pain. I can live with that.  I now resort to ginger  and cannabis oil (whenever accessible) as my pain reliever.

I drink a lot teas such as the ones featured in my juice ebook, NOURISH WITH NATURE, using fresh herbs and spices, which includes but is not limited to basil, ginger, cinnamon, mint, tarragon, star anise, orange peels, lemon grass, cloves, hibiscus leaves and cerasse.

Cerasse has become one of my favorites during my cycle. It is a blood thinner and prevents clotting. It grows wild all over and may even be in your backyard or on your fence. The elders always said that cerasse purges the blood and now I am a believer. I have noticed the rich, bright red, oxygenated color myself and I am wowed.

Some cycles are better than others, but long gone are the days when I was bed ridden for an entire week. No siree bob! If I am at all bedridden, it may just be for one day.  As long as I remain disciplined and eat the way that I’m supposed to, the pain is more tolerable. I have had cycles with absolutely no pain. I now have regular, light to moderate periods. Yes, changing my diet has regulated my cycle. Isn’t that awesome? I have had irregular since the age of 14 years old. Now I know when to expect my cycle. Every so often, I guess with the changing the climate, it switches up on me. Most females that I know also experience similar cycles changes depending on the weather, so I’m not alone on that one.

I’m still monitoring my body and will keep you updated on any changes or observations, and will add any information that I had forgotten to include. I no longer have the desire to have anymore children. I have two boys and wanted a girl, but God knows best. Now I have a grand daughter, Queen Califia and a Grandson, RJ.
I’m so happy that I refused the hysterectomy!

What kind of hormonal imbalance are you struggling with?