Endometriosis: A Key to Healing Through Nutrition. Michael Vernon

If we feel in control our bodies may cope better than if we feel out of control. Self-help is important because it makes us try to do something for ourselves and regain control over our health.

      The two foes of human happiness are pain and boredom.

       Arthur Schopenhauer, Philosopher

      HOW TO COPE WITH CHRONIC PAIN

      Some of the following ideas are suggested by the Chronic Pain Outreach Association in America:

      1 Relax – listen to a relaxation tape or imagine a pleasant scene.

      2 Do a distracting activity – reading, craftwork, etc.

      3 Tell yourself that the pain is temporary and that it will pass.

      4 Place a hot water bottle or bag of frozen peas on the pain site.

      5 Make yourself laugh, watch a funny film.

      6 Hold an involved conversation in your head.

      7 Listen to your favourite music.

      8 Try deep breathing or meditation.

      9 Avoid stressful situations wherever possible.

      10 Reduce tension by whatever means (even crying or shouting).

      11 Notice the control that you do have (in whatever areas of your life).

      12 Take a relaxing bath or shower.

      13 Spend time in a very quiet room.

      14 Use disassociation – become an ‘observer’ of your pain rather than feeling it as a ‘participant’.

      15 Use visual imagery to transform your pain into something different – a shape or colour, for example.

      16 Focus your attention on a part of your body which has a different sensation.

      17 Ask for the support of others.

      18 Adjust your activity level gradually. Increase towards normal activity level over 3–4 days.

      NUTRITION TO REDUCE PAIN AND INFLAMMATION

      • CASE STUDY •

       Linda C of Surrey

       After much trial and error I have changed my eating pattern to suit me, i.e. not combining foods and not eating foods that over a period of time have proved not to suit me (dairy, pastry, meats). I take vitamins and minerals every day and most of all I believe that a positive mental attitude to this condition has, along with the supplements, proved vital. I have had NO pain now for several years.

      WHY CAN NUTRIENTS REDUCE PAIN?

      Often diseases which are the result of vitamin deficiency are associated with unspecific pains. Changes in the central nervous system, and mucous membrane and skin inflammation are often highlighted in these conditions. While researching into endometriosis and nutrition, several research papers surfaced which showed that certain vitamins do possess analgesic (pain-relieving) and anti-inflammatory properties which correspond to those of orthodox medicines, but without the side effects. Pain is perceived as the body’s alarm signal, showing that all is not well. For instance, severe vitamin C deficiency causes scurvy, manifested by bleeding gums, and considerable pain in the joints. If the need for vitamin C is corrected, then the symptoms diminish. Vitamin C combats inflammation and pain by inhibiting the secretion of prostaglandins which contribute to the symptoms.³ Pain and inflammation which has its origin in a vitamin deficiency is best treated with that particular vitamin. Various other nutrients are known to play a role in relieving pain; these are the essential fatty acids from fats and natural cold-pressed oils, vitamins C, E and K and some of the B-complex vitamins, and D,L-Phenylalanine (DLPA), zinc, selenium and magnesium. If the body is subclinically deficient in certain combinations of vitamins and minerals, our responses to ‘normal’ pain could be heightened. By becoming optimally nourished we may be able to protect ourselves from the intensity of pain.

      USE OF ANTI-INFLAMMATORY OILS OR FATTY ACIDS

      Use of good quality natural oils may be a vital key to our disease. The choice of fats and oils used in cooking, for spreading and within pre-prepared foods, may have the most profound impact on our health and perception of pain. Most people know about saturated and polyunsaturated fats, but the key is the form in which they are found. Every cell membrane, all the steroid hormones and most brain cells depend upon oils (lipids) which our bodies process from the fatty foods we eat. In foods, oils can be found in two forms, cis oils and trans oils.

       Cis fatty acids

      In nature oil molecules are shaped rather like a horseshoe. This shape of molecule fits tightly with other phospholipids to form a strong cell membrane which protects the processes going on inside each cell. The membrane maintains the integrity of each cell and stops harmful chemicals from entering and damaging the powerhouses inside, which are working to produce proteins, prostaglandins, steroid hormones, enzymes and phospholipids. As these good quality cis oils make up almost one-third of brain tissue and every cell membrane, they are crucial to your state of health.

      Your choice of these cis oils is therefore important. Look around your local healthfood shop for jars of extra virgin cold-pressed olive oils, organic butter and vegetable oils, such as sunflower, safflower and sesame, that are labelled ‘unrefined’, ‘unhydrogenated’ or ‘cold-pressed’. Cold-pressed olive oil and butter are fine for light, shallow frying. For salad dressings use a mixture of extra virgin olive oil and some cold-pressed, unrefined walnut oil. Oils in tins are best, as light causes oil to go rancid. Fresh nuts and seeds are also an excellent source of cis oils. A handful of nuts and seeds or a tablespoon of cis oils each day will help to balance your intake of good quality oils. They aid thyroid function and your metabolism. Used in moderation they do not make you fat. However, if you have poor digestion (heartburn, constipation or diarrhoea) (see chapter 10) or a poor diet to start with so that you are unable to absorb enough of the nutrients needed to metabolize these essential fatty acids, then the digestion must be corrected and a digestive enzyme taken with each meal (see here.).

       Trans fatty acids

      Trans fatty acids are found when oils have been processed, hydrogenated or refined. They are often found in biscuits, cakes, pastries and margarines. Most vegetable oils on supermarket shelves have been processed, and so contain trans oils, which are implicated in breast cancer formation. Women with high levels of trans fatty acids in body cells have about a 40 per cent higher risk of getting breast cancer.^{4, 5} When fats are processed, the molecule shape becomes more like a kink than a horseshoe. This fits loosely into the cell membrane, weakening it so that it is no longer effective at stopping harmful chemicals from entering the cell. This may damage the production of energy in the mitochondria and weaken defences against cancers. This may be why endometrial implants take hold.

      Heat changes cis oils into trans oils, so deep frying is not advisable. You should avoid all oils which have been processed (hydrogenated), all oils which are rancid, and never use the same oil twice for frying. It is very important to read the label on oil jars and to buy only unhydrogenated, unrefined, cold-pressed oils. These are usually available only from your local healthfood store. It is in your best interest to avoid processed foods whenever possible, or to use convenience foods occasionally, but not every day. Being realistic, you will eat some trans fats, but try to keep them to a minimum.

       Using and choosing good quality oils

      There are three main fatty acids which the body uses:

       Linoleic acid – series 1 prostaglandins

       Arachidonic acid – series 2 prostaglandins

       Alpha-linolenic acid – series 3 prostaglandins.

      Series 1 and 3 fatty acids have anti-inflammatory properties, and series 2 fatty acids can cause inflammation if not in balance with the other two. The body can make arachidonic acid from dairy products and the fat in meat,