Endometriosis & the Power of Seeds

Endometriosis has been linked to infertility, but eating more seeds can help!

Endometriosis is when the endometrial tissue, which lines the uterus, migrates beyond the uterus lining the pelvc cavity, the ovaries and abdominal organs. A woman's body still sheds this lining but it is extremely painful. Endometriosis can be misdiagnosed as 'just bad PMS'.

Endometriosis has been linked to estrogen dominance. There is estrogen everywhere in Western society. Plastics, conventional dairy and teflon all emit estrogens and are absorbed in the body. Everyone should be avoiding plastics, defenitely never microwave a plastic container, and change from non-stick pans to cast iron, stainless steel or ceramic. All o this estrogen enters your body and if there is an overload, illness occurs. Cancers and uncomfortable menopause have also been linked to estrogen dominance.

As an aside... If there is one piece of nutritional advice I always give is that you should always consume organic dairy. Conventional cattle is given estrogen to increase their milk output, so if you are going to have only one thing in your kitchen that is organic, it should be dairy.

Now what's this about seeds? Lignans are a form of fibre that have been shown to help escort estrogen from the body. Lignans have 2 important roles related to estrogen. First they are blockers. They bind to estrogen receptors and do not allow estrogen to enter a cell. Second, because they are fibre, they absorb the excess estrogen and as they exit your body they take the excess estrogen with them. This is great because if you are struggling with infertility, you need to get your estrogen levels down.

Flaxseeds have the greatest amount of lignans and ground flax ismore beneficial than whole flax seeds. You can buy flax seeds already ground or you can grind whole flaxseeds in a (clean) coffee grinder. Always store ground flax in the fridge. Putting 1 Tablespoon of ground flax in a smoothie is an easy way to consume more flax. I would also recommend using ground flax in a recipe rather than wheat germ.

Pepitas, also known as Pumpkin Seeds are high in zinc. Zinc is a healer of wounds and if you have endometriosis you have wounds which need to be healed. Who knew that the toasted pumpkin seeds from Hallowe'en could be good for you?

Sesame Seeds are powerhouses, considering how small they are! High in lignans, calcium and good fats they should be included in your diet often. Tahini is ground sesame and is a spread that you can add to a sandwich or to hummus. The whole seeds can be ground and put in a smoothie or added to a stir fry.

Sunflower Seeds contain Vitamin E as well as healthy fats, iron and folic acid. Vitamin E promotes blood clotting and healing, reduces scarring and had been shown to protect against 80 diseases. Sunflower seeds are a tasty way to get these healthy nutrients. Throw them in a salad or snack on them (unsalted) throughout the day.

A Seedy Snack! This is a great snack to eat at your desk or add to a salad.

1 C pepitas

1 C sunflower seeds

1/2 C flax seeds

1/2 C sesame seeds

1 tsp each of sea salt, garlic powder and paprika

2 Tbsp olive oil

Place all of the seeds in a bowl and add the sea salt, garlic powder and paprika. Stir

Add the olive oil to the seeds and stir.

Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper and lay the seeds in a single layer on the parchment paper.

Place in a 300 deg. oven for 20 minutes or until golden brown.

I hope this was helpful and informative! I look forward to your comments,

To our health! Laurie