A few weeks ago the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) and WHO announced that:

“After thoroughly reviewing the accumulated scientific literature, a Working Group of 22 experts from 10 countries convened by the IARC Monographs Programme classified the consumption of red meat as probably carcinogenic to humans (Group 2A), based on limited evidence that the consumption of red meat causes cancer in humans and strong mechanistic evidence supporting a carcinogenic effect.

This association was observed mainly for colorectal cancer, but associations were also seen for pancreatic cancer and prostate cancer.

Processed meat was classified as carcinogenic to humans (Group 1), based on sufficient evidence in humans that the consumption of processed meat causes colorectal cancer.”

This was picked up by hundreds of media outlets throughout the world with headlines stating that bacon causes cancer.  Today we wanted to take a look at this and get to the bottom of the media headlines.

Firstly IARC and WHO’s announcement wasn’t really new information, a number of research studies over the years have shown that red and processed meats increases a person’s risk of developing bowel cancer and charities like Bowel Cancer UK and Beating Bowel Cancer have been raising awareness of this fact for a number of years.

The wording of the statement and the classification of red and processed meat suggested that bacon and other processed meats were in the same league as tobacco and asbestos but this is not the case and WHO has since clarified this.  They have said whilst they have placed them in the same category “this does NOT mean they are all equally dangerous.”

If we look at global statistics about one million cancer deaths a year are caused by smoking whilst 34,000 cancer deaths are caused by consuming high levels of processed meat and red meat could be responsible for about 50,000 cancer deaths a year.

Research by the World Cancer Research Fund has shown that people who consume the most processed meat have and 17% higher risk of developing bowel cancer that those who consumed the least.

If you put that into the UK context, 21% of bowel cancers are linked to high consumption of processed or red meat, that’s 8,732 cases per year. So by reducing consumption of red and processed meats we can prevent over 8,000 cases of bowel cancer every year.

You may be wondering why red and processed meats increase a person’s risk of developing bowel cancer and to answer that question we have to understand what processed and red meats are. Processed meats are any meat that has been preserved for example cured, salted,  smoked or had a preservative added. This includes bacon, ham, corned beef, pepperoni, hot dogs, salami etc. And, red meat includes beef, pork, lamb and goat; these are meats that are red when uncooked.

It is not entirely clear why red and processed meat increase a person’s risk of developing bowel cancer, but there are some theories. It is thought that processed meats increase risk of bowel cancer because the methods of preserving these meats lead to the development of cancer-causing substances.  When it comes to red meat,  scientist suggest that it may cause cancer due to the molecule that  gives red meat its colour (haem). This molecule may lead to the development of cancer-causing chemicals too. Additionally, cooking both red and processed meat at high temperatures may also generate cancer-causing substances.

The recommendation is that we should all cut down on red meat and avoid processed meat, these can be replaced with white meat or vegetarian options, and we should all be eating more fruits, vegetables and fibre.

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Sources
WHO
International Agency for Research on Cancer
Cancer Research UK
World Caner Research Fund

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For more information you can email us or complete the form below:

From 7^th November 2015 a new fun, holistic fitness classes will be held at the Salvation Army every Saturday morning at 7:15am and 9am.

During each session not only will you take part in a group fitness session but you’ll be given nutritional advice, a health assessment and 1 on 1 personal training.
All fitness levels and age groups are welcome.

For more information and to book your place please contact Eunice Adu Appiah (euniceaduappiah@yahoo.co.uk, 07943 460 522)

All details can be found on the flyer which you can download below.

Last week the UK government published its report ‘Sugar Reduction: The Evidence for Action’. This is an interesting report which we hope the government will follow through on and take action to ensure that we improve the health of our nation.

In the report, we get a good summary of the problem – we are all eating too much sugar and this is contributing to our ill health. The report states that all population groups are consuming above the recommended amount of sugar.  The report notes that sugar sweetened drinks are a particular problem for school children with their consumption of these drinks being very high. Additionally they state that sugar consumption is the highest amongst disadvantaged groups, and this needs to be tackled.

We learn from the report that one of the key reasons that we are now consuming so much sugar is that food is more readily available, more heavily marketed, promoted and advertised and food is now cheaper than ever before and all these factors mean we over indulge, particularly when it comes to sugar.

The report quite helpfully discusses the factors that affect our sugar consumption which is important if we’re going to tackle sugar consumption and encourage people to change their behaviour. They divide these factors into three categories – influencers,  the food supply and knowledge/education.  Influencers include strategies  that influence our consumption and buying behaviour. This would include advertising and marketing campaigns as well as product promotions. The major players in this area are the food industry, supermarkets etc. but could actually be charities, the government and NGOs who should have a positive impact on our behaviour. Next is the food supply chain. This factor looks at what food is available to purchase and how easy is it to purchase certain foods. This focuses on all food outlets including supermarkets, restaurants, schoolsand workplaces, their pricing strategies and what they choose to offer the public. Finally we have knowledge and education, this is the information we disseminate to the public which can empower people to make healthier choices.

With the above in mind the report stresses that multiple actions need to be taken to reduce our sugar consumption. They believe that by everyone reducing their sugar consumption to no less than 5% of our total energy intake, within 10 years residents of the UK can significantly improve their health and start to reverse the increasing prevalence of obesity, diabetes and heart disease.

The report makes the following recommendations as to how we can begin to tackle this issues and break our addiction to sugar:

• Reduce and rebalance the number and type of price promotions in all retail outlets including supermarkets and convenience stores and the out of home sector (including restaurants, cafes and takeaways)
• Significantly reduce opportunities to market and advertise high sugar food and drink products to children and adults across all media including digital platforms and through sponsorship
• The setting of a clear definition for high sugar foods to aid with actions 1 and 2 above. Currently the only regulatory framework for doing this is via the Ofcom nutrient profiling model, which would benefit from being reviewed and strengthened
• Introduction of a broad, structured and transparently monitored programme of gradual sugar reduction in everyday food and drink products, combined with reductions in portion size
• Introduction of a price increase of a minimum of 10-20% on high sugar products through the use of a tax or levy such as on full sugar soft drinks, based on the emerging evidence of the impact of such measures in other countries
• Adopt, implement and monitor the government buying standards for food and catering services (GBSF) across the public sector, including national and local government and the NHS to the ensure provision and sale of healthier food and drinks in hospitals, leisure centres etc
• Ensure that accredited training in diet and health is routinely delivered to all of those who have opportunities to influence food choices in the catering, fitness and leisure sectors and others within local authorities
• Continue to raise awareness of concerns around sugar levels in the diet to the public as well as health professionals, employers, the food industry etc., encourage action to reduce intakes and provide practical steps to help people lower their own and their families sugar intake

The Lake Foundation is in strong agreement with the above recommendations and will do our part in taking forward these recommendations. This area is of particularly importance to the black community who suffer higher rates of diseases like type 2 diabetes and stroke which are linked to high sugar consumption.

You can download the government’s report below.

Croydon CCG is currently reviewing Urgent Care services across the borough and developing proposals to improve these services which include the Walk In Centre, two Minor Injury Units and the Urgent Care Centre at Croydon University Hospital.   Urgent Care services cover burns, cuts, common fractures, sprains and minor trauma.

The CCG is keen to hear and include the voices of local residents to ensure their views, experiences and priorities shape how urgent healthcare is organised and delivered in Croydon in the future.

Croydon Counctil would like to talk to Croydon residents about the ideas that Croydon CCG have for Urgent Care services and how it may affect them. In particular they keen to understand if there are any elements that they have not put into the plan which may impact more upon some groups of people than others.

If you’re interested in taking in taking part in a information session with Croydon CCG please contact The Lake Foundation on info@thelakefoundation.com to register your interest.

Last Sunday, we teamed up with the Cycling Instructor for a 4-hour cycling session with 10 of our cycling group members. This was an extension of our summer cycling sessions and this event was organised to challenge our members and but also to discover the beautiful countryside of north Surrey.

We started off at 9:30am at Croydon Arena and cycled through Addiscombe,  West Wickham and Biggin Hill on our way to Warlingham. This was a tough route with us having to tackle a number of hills, but it was a really scenic and enabled us to appreciate the beauty that is just on the doorstep of Croydon.  Once we got to Warlingham we stopped off at the very lovely Almno Café for a short break and some light refreshments before making our way back to Croydon through Chelsham,  New Addington, Addington and Addiscombe.

This was a really fun day out and in total, we cycled for  3 hours and 56 minutes,  covered 41.6km, burned over 500 calories and had an elevation gain of 354m (oh those hills!).

A big thank you to the Cycling Instructor for leading the session, to Croydon Council for funding this event and to everyone who attended.

We recently helped organised a fibroids awareness event and one issues that was raised at this event was that many women aren’t aware of the various treatment options available and in this week’s blogs we  provide an overview of treatment options.

It is first important to note that the treatments offered for fibroids depend on the size of a woman’s fibroids, the symptoms they are causing, and if they are likely to affect her fertility. Most women with fibroids will not have symptoms, or the symptoms may be very mild and therefore no treatment may be required.  However, a significant number of women with fibroids will need treatment because they have severe symptoms and/or their fibroids may interfere with pregnancy or fertility.

Treatment options for fibroids may include:
· Watchful waiting
· Medication to treat symptoms
· Medication to shrink fibroids
· Surgery or medical procedures

Watchful Waiting

A woman may not realise that she has fibroids until her doctor detects them after a routine pelvic exam. Therefore she may have no symptoms or very minor symptoms. Or her minor symptoms may have led her to visit her doctor who then went on to diagnose her fibroids. Either way, if a woman has no symptoms or mild symptoms that are not a major problem, her best option is ‘watchful waiting’. This may involve her:
· Keeping an eye on her symptoms and if they get worse or new symptoms develop then the next step will be a visit to her doctor.
· Being regularly monitored by her doctor. This may involve having regular (yearly) ultrasound scans to keep an eye on the size of the fibroids.

It is hard to predict if the fibroids will grow or whether symptoms will develop. It is only through watchful waiting that this can be determined. The benefit of watchful waiting is that unnecessary treatment can be avoided or delayed. Delaying treatment may allow a woman to start her family before having treatment which may affect her fertility.

Women nearing menopause may consider watchful waiting until after menopause as fibroids tend to shrink after menopause and symptoms may ease or disappear completely on their own after menopause.  If symptoms don’t improve after menopause then a woman can speak to her doctor about other options.

Medication to treat fibroid symptoms

Some of the symptoms of fibroids may be treated with over-the-counter or prescription drugs. Women should speak to their doctors before taking any medication, and make sure that they are aware of any side effects.

If fibroids are causing pelvic or abdominal pain, pain-killers may be an effective way to treat that. Or, if fibroids have caused severe period pain, anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen and mefanamic acid can be effective at easing period pain.

Sometimes fibroids can cause heavy flow during periods. If this is the case, a woman can speak to her doctor about the contraceptive pill.  This can make periods lighter and also ease period pain. An alternative to the pill for treating heavy periods is tranexamic acid, a drug that is used in many different conditions to control bleeding.

Medication to shrink fibroids

There are treatments available that may be effective at shrinking fibroids. These types of drugs are usually used before surgery, meaning that less extensive surgery may be required because they make it easier for fibroids to be removed.  These are hormonal drugs that reduce a woman’s hormone levels. This means that there will be less hormones available in a circulation to stimulate the growth of fibroids, causing them to shrink.

Drugs that can shrink fibroids include goserelin (Zoladex®) or leuprorelin acetate (Prostap® SR).  They reduce oestrogen levels, and can cause menopause symptoms, so sometimes patients are given Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) to combat any menopause symptoms. The patient will be started on a course of treatment three to four months before surgery.
Another drug that may be offered is ulipristal acetate (UPA or Esmya®), which lowers progesterone levels. Typically, if this drug is prescribed, it will be given to the patient before surgery and it can be taken for a maximum of up to three months.

Surgery or medical procedures

In many cases, women with symptoms will need some form of surgery or a medical procedure to treat their fibroids. The options here include:
· Hysteroscopic Resection
· Myomectomy
· Hysterectomy
·  Endometrial Ablation
·  Embolisation
·  MRI treatments

Hysteroscopic Resection

A hysteroscopic resection (transcervical resection of fibroids) is a procedure that removes fibroids that develop on the inside of the womb (submucosal/intracavity fibroids).  It is usually performed under general anaesthetic (where a woman is put to sleep for the entire procedure). A small device with a camera and a light on the end of it (a hysteroscope) is inserted through the vagina, past the cervix and into the womb. The camera allows the doctor to see the womb on a video screen. On the end of the hysteroscope is a device that allows the doctor to remove the fibroids.

A hysteroscopic resection takes 20 to 80 minutes and is likely to be a day-case or one that might require an overnight stay in the hospital. Recovery time will be 1 to 2 weeks. After-care advice is given to prevent infection, and to help with any pain that a patient may experience.  Within a couple of months, there should be improvements in the symptoms that were caused by the fibroids, such as heavy bleeding or irregular periods.

This procedure is a good option as it avoids the removal of the womb and allows a woman to preserve her fertility. As with any medical procedure, there is a small risk of complications

Myomectomy

A myomectomy is a surgical procedure used to remove fibroids without removing the womb, and therefore helps to preserve fertility. A myomectomy can be carried out in two ways; either via keyhole surgery (laparoscopic myomectomy) or an abdominal myomectomy (laparotomy).

Keyhole surgery is usually performed when you have one or two fibroids that are five centimetres or smaller that grow on the outside of the womb (pedunculatedand subserosalfibroids). It involves a small hole being made in or near the belly button and then a narrow tube with a camera (laparoscope) is inserted into the abdomen. Through this hole, and other holes in the abdomen, a surgeon is able to cut the fibroids into small pieces and then remove them through the holes.

The benefit of keyhole surgery is that because the operation occurs via the small holes, it is less invasive. This means that there is less blood loss and pain, and recovery is quicker than a full-blown operation – 1 to 2 weeks. It also requires minimal stay in the hospital (either a day case or for one night).

Despite this, there is a small risk of developing complications. These include: excessive bleeding, an adverse reaction to the anaesthetic, a puncture to the womb, blood clots and infection. And, there is a 40% chance that fibroids will re-grow within five years of the keyhole surgery.

An abdominal myomectomy is performed under general anaesthetic. A surgeon will make a fairly large incision in a woman’s abdomen in order to gain access to the womb and will then remove the fibroids. This procedure is used to remove large fibroids from the wall of the womb and may require a 2 to 4 day stay in hospital and takes anywhere from 4 to 6 weeks to recover.  There is a small risk of complications which include infection, damage to internal organs like the bowel, and weakening of the womb. There is also a 10 to 50% chance that fibroids will re-grow.

Hysterectomy

A hysterectomy is a surgical procedure to remove the womb. It is performed under general anaesthetic and is a permanent solution to resolving any symptoms which are caused by fibroids. Removal of the womb means that a woman will not be able to have children, making this option best for women who have completed their families. If the ovaries are also removed during the hysterectomy, a woman will go through menopause immediately. But if the ovaries are not removed, then a woman may go through the menopause within five years of having her womb removed.

Depending on the size of the fibroids, a hysterectomy can be conducted in three different ways. Smaller fibroids can be removed by a vaginal hysterectomy (the womb is removed through the vagina via a small cut at the top of the vagina), or by a laparoscopic hysterectomy (where the womb is removed through small holes in the abdomen). Alternatively, for larger fibroids, an abdominal hysterectomy can be performed where a fairly large incision is made in the abdomen and the womb is removed through the incision.

A hysterectomy is considered to be major surgery and as such takes longer to recover from than other procedures. It takes about 6 to 8 weeks and requires about 1 to 7 days stay in hospital depending on the way in which the hysterectomy was performed.

A woman will be given an after-care plan on how to care for her wounds and will have a follow up appointment to ensure that she is healing properly.
As with any surgical procedure there is a small risk of complications

Endometrial Ablation

Endometrial ablation is a procedure that is used to address heavy menstrual bleeding caused by fibroids or to remove small fibroids (less than 5cm) that have formed in the lining of the womb. This procedure removes the lining of the womb using either a laser beam, radiofrequency waves, microwaves, hot saline, electrical current or freezing.
A small device with a camera and a light on the end of it (a hysteroscope) is inserted through the vagina, past the cervix and into the womb. The camera allows a doctor to see the womb on a video screen. The doctor will then use specialist instruments to remove the lining of the womb by one of the methods described above (i.e. either laser beam, radiofrequency waves etc.).
Because the lining of the womb is removed it is highly unlikely that a woman will be able to get pregnant after this procedure. However, even if her periods stop, there is a small chance that she may become pregnant. And, because of the removal of the lining of her womb, her pregnancy is likely to be a risky one for both her and her baby, and she will probably be advised to use birth control after her endometrial ablation.

An endometrial ablation takes 20 to 45 minutes to perform, and is performed either under local or general anaesthetic. Patients are usually discharged from hospital on the same day and take about 2 weeks to fully recover.

There is a small risk of complications, these include: burns to the womb and surface of the bowel, fluid build-up in the lungs, tearing of the cervix, a womb puncture and a blockage of the major blood vessel in the lung (pulmonary embolism).

Embolisation

Embolisation, or Uterine Artery Embolisation (UAE), is a procedure that blocks the blood vessels (uterine arteries) to the fibroids, starving them of oxygen and therefore causing them to shrink.  This procedure is carried out by an interventional radiologist who makes a small cut in the groin area and then inserts a tube (catheter) through the cut, using live x-ray images on a monitor to guide the tube into the uterine arteries. Tiny plastic beads (the size of fine sand particles) are then injected into the artery supplying the fibroid and these tiny embolic particles block the artery.  Over the next few hours, the fibroids ‘die’ and then shrink over the next few months and years.

An embolisation is carried out under local anaesthetic and patients will have to stay in hospital for 1 night and recovery will take 1 to 2 weeks.

Complications from embolisation are rare and tend to be fairly minor, for example: bruising, pain, fever and vaginal discharge.  Submucosal and particularly intra cavity fibroids can become detached. These can either pass through the cervix and vagina on their own or, if they get stuck, can rarely require a hysteroscopic removal by a Gynaecologist.

Fertility after embolisation has been maintained in many women, and premature menopause is very rare. Recurrence rates are low, being around 15% by 5 to 10 years.

UAE can be used in combination with various forms of myomectomy to get the best of both treatments and maintain fertility.

MRI Treatments

There are two fairly new procedures that may be considered to treat fibroids which make use of MRI (magnetic resonance imaging).  These are:

• MRI-guided percutaneous laser ablation
• MRI-guided transcutaneous focused ultrasound

These treatments are not widely available in the UK and only a handful of specialist centres perform these procedures.

In MRI-guided percutaneous laser ablation, an MRI scan is used to locate the exact location of fibroids and fine needles are inserted through the skin and into the fibroid. A cable is then passed through the needle and light is targeted at the fibroids. The heat from the light shrinks or destroys the fibroids. MRI-guided transcutaneous focused ultrasound also uses MRI to find fibroids, but uses ultrasound energy to target them.

Both of these procedures take 3 to 4 hours to perform and requires only about a two hour stay in hospital after the treatment. Recovery should take a few days during which the patient may experience some pain and nausea.  There are rarely any complications in the short-term. However, the long-term effects and risks are unknown, as are the effects on fertility.

Conculsion

We hope that above has been useful to providing a summary of the various treatments that are available for fibroids. Again, it’s important to note that the treatment a woman receive will depend on various factors. We encourage women who have to have treatment for their fibroids to have an informed discussion with their doctor.

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This blog is based on our fibroids booklet which was reviewed by experts in the field.

On 30^th September we teamed up with Black History Walks to help organise a Queen Nzingha Lecture on fibroids.  The Queen Nzingha lecture series is a regular event developed by Black history Walks and is a series  of lectures  delivered by black women  with expertise in a particular topic. It aims to achieve three things: give black professional women a platform to discuss their area of expertise;  give audiences the opportunity to learn about a specific topic; and provide a forum to debate topical issues.

We were delighted to be asked to help organise the most recent event which focused on fibroids. This was a great opportunity to raise awareness and also give women affected by fibroids the opportunity to learn more about this condition, share their experiences and meet other women with fibroids.

On the day we were delighted to have an interesting agenda which included an overview of fibroids by Abi Begho of The Lake Foundation, a really inspiring presentation by Amanda Epe on her personal experience of fibroids and finally a presentation by Dr Sydney Dillard on treatment options.

Last year, Cynthia Bailey from the popular American reality TV show, The Real Housewives of Atlanta, announced that she had fibroids.

Cynthia revealed that her fibroids caused chronic weight gain,  chronic fatigue and loss of sex drive. She stated that she didn’t understand why she was gaining weight and felt so unwell and visited her doctor who found that she had fibroids. She later had surgery to have them removed and said:

“I’m feeling much better! The surgery was the best thing I ever did! My only regret was I didn’t do it sooner.”

Cynthia also described the negative impact her symptoms had on her marriage but said that her experience with fibroids motivated her to adopt a healthy lifestyle.

We applaud Cynthia Bailey for speaking out about her fibroids and raising awareness of the impact fibroids can have not just with respect to the physical symptoms but its wide reaching effect on daily life.

Lifestyle, this word brings thought to mind of daily tasks, particularly professional and pastimes, hobbies, activities or lack of them. As a former Cabin Crew member the work had a strong influence and was my lifestyle. I was a long haul stewardess, which entailed trips to far distance lands for a few days at a time or a week. My whole life activities were based on where I was going and for how long. I had wonderful opportunities for sight seeing, exploration, shopping or relaxation.  At times though, my peers and I weren’t motivated to go out or it was mundane to re-visit some locations. It became standard to stay in the hotel and meet for a drink or two with my peers. I had to keep myself motivated to use the gym and spa facilities, which were the perks of lodging in five star hotels. My health had deteriorated as A Fly Girl and prior to leaving the job I had a surgical removal of a uterine fibroid.

I had uterine fibroids since I was in my early twenties, prior to working in the airline, and have no history of fibroids in the family. I was also raised on a diet which was balanced and healthy; minimal dairy and red meat. During my twenties my lifestyle had changed and when I reflect back to this I can pick out the decline in a totally healthy lifestyle, it was not drastic however it may have been significant to the cause.

Some key points that I should mention are that in my twenties, and since childhood, I craved sugar and water was not a friend of mine. Until recently I admit water isn’t medicine, but in my twenties instead of water I increased my daily dinner red wine with red meat.

During my youth my menstruation was a curse on my well-being. It came with severe dysmenorrhea, nausea and occasional vomiting. No matter what pain killing medication the doctor prescribed, nothing worked, my stomach looked enlarged on my small and athletic frame. The appearance was a minor, the pain was major.

Although my fibroid was present before being a cabin crew member, my new lifestyle fed the fibroids, my symptoms worsened and my distended stomach gave me the appearance of a second trimester pregnancy.

In my memoir, A Fly Girl, there are many incidences in my tales that reflect on the toxic lifestyle.

Just before leaving the airline I had a myomectomy, the surgical removal of fibroid through an intense operation. It was intense compared to today’s procedure as I had an incision whereas technology now uses laser surgery. It was done privately as I had waited for this operation since my initial diagnosis on the NHS for several years.

I was driven to have the operation because of various new symptoms which accompanied my period; the abdomen swelling was severe and I suffered with menorrhea, the haemorrhaging  would leave me extremely weak and anaemic. I felt quite emotional after surgery however I recovered well and speedily. I became fully conscious from then as to what triggers fibroid growth from a holistic perspective, nutrition, spiritual and physical.

I began to write poetry as a means of self- expression, my diet improved and water became my friend again. I eliminated a lot of foods and it was a turning point in building self-esteem and self-expression. Spiritually I was more expressive as the true me, and being a writer has aided this. I engaged in a lot more exercise, road running, and for a year I was training in Thai boxing to release anger, energy and develop mental strength and finally relaxation in the spa with sauna and steam to eliminate further toxins. I started to enjoy being a creative cook so that my dinners where healthy and whole.

The complete change, spiritual, nutritional and physical was agreeing with me and my body was in balance with no extraordinary monthly pain. Over the years and I started to slip, unconsciously, old habits die-hard and gradually unsavoury patterns took hold. Many years later the fibroid growth returned with vengeance, it came with not just swelling of the abdomen but when menstruating many parts of my body would swell including my face and eyelids. I also experienced restless leg syndrome. I was haemorrhaging and clotting heavily and it had an affect on my work life, I couldn’t commit my presence at work, neither guarantee attending social events and I was fully exhausted because of anaemia. It got to the point where I was emotionally drained and hit rock bottom. I had tried again over the last few years several remedies of natural treatments and some therapies had adverse affects. However determined not to give up, neither to go back to the medical approach, I had a vision that the pain at least should be over and started a six month change programme this year.

I worked on the spiritual and nutritional aspect alone, and I am currently getting back into the physical component. It was a worthy sacrifice to officially eliminate specific foods in my diet for the last six months and gradually experiment with herbs that balance the hormones and strengthen the womb. It has been the best introduction to well being adding herbal remedies to a wholesome diet. Also the spiritual freedom of expression this year has given me joy as I spoke from the heart being part of a national book tour. Having a 90% reduction of symptoms that over the years have accompanied my menstruation and now have disappeared is an amazing testimony, it verifies that there are options for healing in this earth, one must have resilience to overcome and to know that healing isn’t a linear progression.

I am thankful for my diverse experiences in life and I can say that having the fibroid has been a catalyst for my behaviour change. To focus on holistic health can be one of the most self-loving expressions a human can do.

I will update my progress in another six months with the inclusion of physical activity, and this can be found on my blog at www.msroseblossom.org

My experience in treating and healing fibroids or to prevent the onset of them begins with living a spiritual fulfilled life, and includes ways to balance health holistically, along with help from experts and support networks.

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Amanda Epe is a health promotion coach and author.

The Lake Foundation would like to thank Amanda for helping us raise awareness of fibroids and its challenges by sharing her story through this blog piece.