Women’s health is unique
This website area focuses exclusively on health topics that affect the health of women.
Topics covered in this section include:
- Endometriosis
- Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS)
- Fertility
- Pregnancy
What is Endometriosis?
Endometriosis is a painful condition where a woman’s uterine lining grows outside of the uterus.
Not only is this extremely pain for women, but can have several effects on her health including:
- Reduced quality of life
- Heavy menstrual periods
- Painful intercourse
- Uncomfortable gut symptoms
- Infertility.
The condition is commonly treated with surgery, hormone therapy and medications; however, researchers are discovering that diet also plays a role.
What is PCOS?
Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) is a hormonal imbalance condition in women that is characterized by symptoms such as:
- Weight gain
- Male-pattern hair growth
- High androgen (male hormone) levels
- Polycystic ovaries seen on ultrasound
- Irregular or absent periods
- Infertility.
Weight loss is a major treatment method in improving the hormonal imbalance associated with this condition, and is therefore one of the main reasons why diet is so important in managing PCOS.
Fertility and pre-natal nutrition
Fertility issues are actually quite common, affecting 10-15% couples trying to conceive.
A woman’s fertility can be affected by a number of factors, diet being a significant one.
However, there are also particular women’s conditions that can affect a woman’s natural fertility – PCOS and Endometriosis; both of which can be managed with diet.
Pregnancy nutrition
The health of a growing fetus relies on the nutrition of their mother.
Likewise, the health of the mother relies on the nutrition they are providing for themselves.
However, there are many additional factors that can affect a woman’s ability to eat well during pregnancy, such as:
- Morning sickness
- Food aversions
- Early satiety
- Reflux
- Knowledge around what’s safe and what’s not during pregnancy.
All articles about Women’s Health
IBS-D: 5 Signs You Need More Than a Food List
If you’re still planning your life around bathrooms even while eating “safe” foods, your IBS-D probably needs more than another food list.
Because food can matter. A lot. Lactose-containing dairy can matter. Coffee can matter. Fatty meals can matter. Other FODMAPs can matter.
But if the list keeps getting longer and your confidence keeps getting smaller, food may only be one piece of the pattern.
This is the question people keep asking in different ways: “I’ve found my trigger foods, so why do I still have urgency?” Or, “Why are there no fully safe foods?” Or, “Why do I eat the same meal twice, and only one time it sends me running?”
In this article, I’ll show you five signs your diarrhea-predominant IBS needs a bigger framework than “avoid this, eat that.” And the last one is especially important because some symptoms deserve medical review, not another diet sheet.
Here’s a video we made; there is also a written version underneath.
[Discover More…]The Diverticulitis Antibiotics Mistake
Doctors used to treat diverticulitis almost automatically with antibiotics. You had the pain, you got the scan, and very often the next step was a prescription. But the advice has changed.
Antibiotics aren’t for everyone and aren’t meant to be used in every situation. And please don’t hear this as “never take antibiotics.” That would be dangerous. But for selected cases of mild, uncomplicated diverticulitis, the newer guideline position is much more nuanced — antibiotics are no longer treated as automatic, because in those selected cases, they don’t appear to speed recovery or prevent recurrence the way we once assumed.
And that matters, because a lot of people are still working from the old model: “I had a flare. I took antibiotics. Therefore, I’ve handled the diverticulitis.” That’s the real mistake. Not taking antibiotics when they’re needed — the mistake is thinking antibiotics are the whole plan.
In this article, I’ll walk you through what changed, when antibiotics still matter, what the main studies found, and the exact questions to ask your doctor after a flare so you’re not just waiting for the next one.
Here’s a video we made; there is also a written version underneath.
[Discover More…]Why You Look Pregnant By The End Of The Day
If your stomach looks fairly normal in the morning but by dinnertime you look six months pregnant, you are not imagining it.
This is one of the most common things people tell us: “I look pregnant by the end of the day,” or “I feel like I swallowed a watermelon,” or even “My bloating gets bigger as the day goes on.”
And the usual advice is almost always food advice: “cut this food”, “avoid that food,” or “try another list.”
But if your belly is visibly changing throughout the day, food may only be one part of the story.
In this article, I explain the five reasons this can happen, what the timing may tell you, and why a stricter food list is not always the answer.
Here’s a video we made; there is also a written version underneath.
[Discover More…]5 Things That Make Diverticulitis Flares More Likely
Most people with diverticulitis ask the same question after a flare: “What did I eat?”
Was it the nuts? Was it the popcorn? Was it that salad? Was it the steak from three nights ago?
You see the same questions everywhere people talk about diverticulitis: coffee before breakfast, red meat, seeds, constipation, stress, fiber, alcohol, and genetics. People are trying to find the one thing they did wrong.
But flares usually aren’t caused by one magic food. In fact, one large study published in JAMA followed more than 47,000 men and found that nuts, corn, and popcorn did not increase diverticulitis risk — and popcorn was actually linked with a lower risk in that study (1).
So if you’ve been blaming one meal, or one tiny seed, you may be looking in the wrong place. And if you’re thinking, “But I eat healthy, so why did this still happen?” then that’s exactly why we need to zoom out. A Mediterranean-style diet, salads, or high-fiber foods don’t make you immune if the rest of the pattern is still working against you.
Below, I share the five things that make diverticulitis flares more likely and show you how to actually fix the pattern between the flares.
Here’s a video we made; there is also a written version underneath.
[Discover More…]Going Gluten-Free Didn’t Fix Your Gut? Here’s Why
Have you gone gluten-free because your gut was a mess — the bloating, the pain, the cramping — and found that it helped at first, but then the symptoms came back? Or maybe you switched to gluten-free products and somehow started feeling worse?
If that sounds familiar, you’re not doing it wrong. And you’re not imagining it.
The gluten-free food market is worth almost eight billion dollars and growing, with tens of millions of people worldwide currently avoiding gluten. But here’s what most of them have never been told: for the vast majority of people eating gluten-free for gut symptoms, the relief they experienced had almost nothing to do with gluten.
In this article, I’m going to explain exactly why that happens, what’s actually going on inside your gut, and what to do instead so you can eat with far more freedom and far less confusion.
Here’s a video we made; there is also a written version underneath.
[Discover More…]Why Diverticulitis Keeps Coming Back (What Doctors Miss)
One in three people who have a diverticulitis flare will have another one. Not because they did anything wrong after the first one. Not because they ignored their doctor’s advice. Most of them did everything they were told. The problem is that what they were told was incomplete. And in some cases, the standard approach may actually be making the cycle worse.
In this article, I’m going to walk through four things that the conventional medical system consistently gets wrong about diverticulitis.
Here is a video we made; there is also a written version underneath.
[Discover More…]Half of People Over 60 Have Diverticulosis. Most Don’t Know.
More than half of all people over the age of 60 have diverticulosis. Most of them have absolutely no idea.
Not because they haven’t been paying attention. Not because they’ve been eating badly. But because nobody told them. And in many cases — including cases we see regularly in our clinic — their own doctor doesn’t explain what’s happening inside their gut, why, or what it means for their future.
In this article, I’m going to explain the five things that most people are never told about how diverticulosis actually develops. And one of them (I’ll save it for last) is something that even the medical research is only just starting to figure out. It might be the most important one of all.
Please keep in mind that this is educational information only and not direct medical advice for your specific situation.
Here is a video we made; there is also a written version underneath.
[Discover More…]The #1 Diverticulitis Prevention Strategy Nobody Mentions
If you’ve had diverticulitis, you know how painful it is. And you’ve probably been told the solution is simple: eat more fiber.
You’ve done everything “right.” You’ve added whole grains, vegetables, and all the recommended foods to your diet. You track your fiber intake carefully. You avoid trigger foods.
But there’s something that works alongside fiber that’s arguably even more important for preventing flares, and almost nobody talks about it. Not your doctor, not the medical advice online, barely anyone.
And the crazy thing is, it’s so simple that when I tell you what it is, you might think it can’t possibly make that much difference. But I’ve seen it transform outcomes for our diverticulitis clients over and over again.
In this article, I’m going to reveal the missing prevention factor that works alongside fiber — and what you can actually do to prevent flares for good.
Here is a video we made, otherwise there is a written version underneath.
[Discover More…]You Finally Booked That Dream Trip… But Your Gut Has You Terrified
You finally booked that bucket-list trip you’ve been talking about for years. Or maybe you’re in the planning phase, seriously considering it.
But instead of feeling excited…you’re terrified.
Not because of the flights or the planning — but because you know your gut. The urgency that comes out of nowhere. The bloating. The pain. The diarrhea has you running to the bathroom multiple times before you can even leave the house in the morning.
At home, you’ve learned to manage it. You know where every bathroom is. You can control what you eat. You can stay close to home on bad days.
But on a trip? You’re out of your routine. Out of your safe zone. And that’s scary.
If that sounds familiar, this article is going to explain the three reasons people get stuck in this cycle — and what you can actually do to fix it.
Here is a video we made, otherwise there is a written version underneath.
[Discover More…]Gut-Directed Hypnotherapy for IBS & Digestive Issues
If you’ve tried dietary changes, supplements, and medications for IBS or chronic digestive symptoms but still feel stuck, there may be an important piece of the puzzle that hasn’t been fully addressed.
For many people, persistent gut symptoms aren’t just driven by food or digestion alone. They’re closely linked to how the brain and gut communicate, especially in the presence of ongoing stress, anxiety, or symptom-related fear.
This is where gut-directed hypnotherapy comes in.
In this article, we’ll explain what gut-directed hypnotherapy is, how it works, who it’s best suited for, and how to use it effectively—plus how the guided session included below is designed to support your recovery.
[Discover More…]Diverticulitis and Fiber: How to Heal After a Flare-Up
You just survived a diverticulitis flare-up. Your doctor sent you home with antibiotics, told you to drink more water and eat more fiber…and that was pretty much it.
But you’re scared, confused, and you’ve got questions: When can I eat normal food again? What if it comes back? What if fiber makes things worse?
Here’s what your doctor probably didn’t tell you: What you do now will dramatically influence whether you stay symptom-free or end up back in the hospital.
In this article, I’m going to walk you through the exact diet protocol and approach we use with our diverticulitis clients—based on the most recent research blended with the lived experience of hundreds of our clients.
[Discover More…]How Hypnotherapy Fixes Gut Symptoms (it’s NOT stage hypnotherapy)
Can you really hypnotize your gut? It sounds quite abstract, right?
But gut-directed hypnotherapy, also known as gut-directed therapy, is scientifically shown to calm digestive symptoms, reduce pain, and especially to help people whose gut issues haven’t improved with diet changes or medication.
And no, this isn’t what you might be picturing. There’s no swinging pendulum, no “you’re getting very sleepy”. For those with religious concerns, there is no mystical or spiritual element to it, and I can promise you no one’s clucking like a chicken either!
Gut-directed hypnotherapy has nothing to do with mind control — it’s a clinical therapy that uses guided relaxation and visualization to retrain how your brain and gut communicate with each other. You’re fully awake and in control the entire time. Nobody is making you do anything. Think of it more like meditation with a specific goal: to reduce gut sensitivity and restore calm to your digestive system.
In this article, I’ll talk about how it actually works, how effective it really is, and how this might be the missing piece if you’ve tried low FODMAP, probiotics, medications, and you’re still suffering.
[Discover More…]
