BlogFibroids Twitter Chats
On 18th April, we hosted a fibroids Twitter chat with Le’Nise Brothers, the founder of Eat Love Move. We had a great time discussing fibroids, hormones and diet, and we also touched on the great work that Le’Nise is doing to improve the hormonal and overall health of women.
You can read the highlights of this really interesting chat below and if you have any questions for Le’Nise you can visit her website or send her an email: hello@eatlovemove.com
Today we’ll be chatting to, @LeNiseBrothers, the founder for @eatlovemove, about #fibroids, #hormones and #nutrition – a very interesting topic. #FibroidsChat (2/4)
— Lake Health and Wellbeing (@lakehealthwell) April 18, 2018
Now… it’s my pleasure to introduce our guest @LeNiseBrothers.
Welcome LeNise and thank you for taking part in this Twitter chat, please can you tell everyone a bit about who you are and what you do. #FibroidsChat (4/4)@eatlovemove
— Lake Health and Wellbeing (@lakehealthwell) April 18, 2018
Hi everyone, I’m Le’Nise Brothers, a registered nutritional therapist, health coach & founder of @eatlovemove, a nutrition & wellbeing practice. I specialise in working with women who want to get to grips with sugar cravings, mood swings, bloating & acne #fibroidschat (1/3)
— Le’Nise Brothers (@eatlovemove) April 18, 2018
as well as hormonal issues such as PMS, PCOS, fibroids, endometriosis, heavy & painful periods, irregular / missing periods & perimenopause #fibroidschat
(2/3)— Le’Nise Brothers (@eatlovemove) April 18, 2018
I started my business to help women better understand their bodies, their hormones & to take control of their health. #fibroidschat 3/3
— Le’Nise Brothers (@eatlovemove) April 18, 2018
I want women, especially women of colour to feel empowered when speaking to medical professionals about their health & be able to advocate for better health outcomes. #fibroidschat
— Le’Nise Brothers (@eatlovemove) April 18, 2018
Ok, I think it’s time to get started. with our discussion with @lenisebrothers.
You’ve mentioned this in your introduction, but can you tell us a bit more about your business @eatlovemove and what specifically motivated you start this business.
— Lake Health and Wellbeing (@lakehealthwell) April 18, 2018
Sure. I want to help and empower women to understand what’s going with their bodies, their menstrual cycles & use this knowledge to gain better health outcomes. I work with women with hormonal issues, especially fibroids to use food & lifestyle #FibroidsChat (1/2)
— Le’Nise Brothers (@eatlovemove) April 18, 2018
to improve their hormonal & overall health. In the UK, women only have 10 minutes with a GP & it’s 1 app’t, 1 problem & it’s never enough. I offer more in-depth personalised support, which is sorely needed (2/2) #FibroidsChat
— Le’Nise Brothers (@eatlovemove) April 18, 2018
It’s not discussed enough in mainstream media and I find that women don’t know what to do or what the alternative solutions are for managing fibroids #FibroidsChat
— Le’Nise Brothers (@eatlovemove) April 18, 2018
I guess we should start at the beginning of this hormonal #fibroids story. Can you tell us how #hormones contribute to the development of fibroids? #fibroidschat@eatlovemove @eatlovemove
— Lake Health and Wellbeing (@lakehealthwell) April 18, 2018
No one knows the exact reasons fibroids start – it can be genetic, can be due to excess caffeine, alcohol or it can be due to synthetic hormones in prescription drugs, food, personal & household care products #fibroidschat (2/2)
— Le’Nise Brothers (@eatlovemove) April 18, 2018
Why do you think it doesn’t receive the same attention as other health issues? #fibroidschat
— Lake Health and Wellbeing (@lakehealthwell) April 18, 2018
the cynic in me want to say it’s because the majority of women with fibroids are WOC, however it’s also because women’s health issues are starting to push into the mainstream, i.e. menopause, perimenopause, endometriosis #fibroidschat (1/2)
— Le’Nise Brothers (@eatlovemove) April 18, 2018
I believe a lot of people simply aren’t aware of fibroids and how prevalent they actually are (2/2) #FibroidsChat
— Le’Nise Brothers (@eatlovemove) April 18, 2018
conversations like this are hugely important to increase awareness & show that hysterectomies aren’t the only way #FibroidsChat
— Le’Nise Brothers (@eatlovemove) April 18, 2018
I agree. I think it is very much a hidden problem with women suffering in silence. #FibroidsChat
— Julie Sunkwa-Mills (@Julesunkwamills) April 18, 2018
yes, suffering in silence is the problem, where women feel that pain is normal, when it isn’t! #FibroidsChat
— Le’Nise Brothers (@eatlovemove) April 18, 2018
too many women suffer in silence and fee that pain is normal and part of a women’s burden. i think the stereotype of the strong black woman plays into this too, where they take on everyone’s burdens & neglect themselves #FibroidsChat
— Le’Nise Brothers (@eatlovemove) April 18, 2018
This is so true. Many women with fibroids are resigned to tough it out, while others with severe symptoms often feel helpless or fear further health complications. It’s very important to push back against all of these stigmas. #FibroidsChat
— CAREAboutFibroids (@CAREAbtFibroids) April 18, 2018
i say it constantly: pain is not normal. it’s a sign from your body that something wrong #fibroidschat
— Le’Nise Brothers (@eatlovemove) April 18, 2018
I can imagine that lots of factors can lead to a hormonal imbalance, can you tell us a bit about how food might affect our hormones and thus contribute to the development of fibroids? #fibroidschat @lenisebrothers
— Lake Health and Wellbeing (@lakehealthwell) April 18, 2018
The food we eat has a huge effect on our hormones & can drive the estrogen dominance that causes fibroids to persist. What we eat matters as much as what we don’t eat. A diet high in leafy green vegetables & cruciferous vegetables #fibroidschat (1/3)
— Le’Nise Brothers (@eatlovemove) April 18, 2018
helps our livers detoxify the excess estrogen. This food also helps keep us regular, which is hugely important for hormone excretion. Constipation is one of the worst things for a women with fibroids as it means she’s not getting rid of excess estrogen #FibroidsChat (2/3)
— Le’Nise Brothers (@eatlovemove) April 18, 2018
& then the body will recycle it, which you absolutely don’t want to happen, as this can make fibroid symptoms worse #fibroidschat (3/3)
— Le’Nise Brothers (@eatlovemove) April 18, 2018
Sometimes we just don’t realise, how important our diet is.
Can you share some tips or advice on the changes we can make to our diet to balance our hormones and improve our menstrual health? You’ve mentioned a few here, anything else? #fibroidschat
— Lake Health and Wellbeing (@lakehealthwell) April 18, 2018
food is so powerful! we are what we eat and what we absorb! #FibroidsChat
— Le’Nise Brothers (@eatlovemove) April 18, 2018
Eating at least 7-10 portions of vegetables & some fruit will always be beneficial. Within those portions, making sure that at least 3-4 are leafy greens like kale, spring greens, winter greens, watercress, bok choy & cruciferous vegetables (1/4) #FibroidsChat
— Le’Nise Brothers (@eatlovemove) April 18, 2018
like broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus & brussels sprouts. These vegetables in particular help the liver detoxify the excess estrogen that drives fibroid growth & the fibre in them keep us regular so that we’re excreting unneeded hormones. #fibroidschat (2/4)
— Le’Nise Brothers (@eatlovemove) April 18, 2018
women with fibroids tend to have low iron, so it’s important to get iron levels checked regularly & eat iron rich foods, especially during menstruation when there tends to be heavy bleeding that decreases iron stores. #fibroidschat (3/4)
— Le’Nise Brothers (@eatlovemove) April 18, 2018
if you’re a vegetarian & have fibroids, making sure to be mindful of daily iron intake is crucial, as well as eating vitamin C foods alongside will increase absorption (4/4) #FibroidsChat
— Le’Nise Brothers (@eatlovemove) April 18, 2018
Wonderful. Thank you for all the great tips and information. This is really useful.
Are there any foods that are a no-no and that women should avoid altogether when it comes to fibroids prevention and balancing hormones? #fibroidschat
— Lake Health and Wellbeing (@lakehealthwell) April 18, 2018
Highly processed foods, soda, excessive alcohol & caffeine, conventionally farmed meat & dairy with antibiotics & hormones, processed soy, excessive white flour foods – all of these drive inflammation & hormone imbalance, which can increase period pain & #fibroidschat (1/2)
— Le’Nise Brothers (@eatlovemove) April 18, 2018
increase the discomfort that fibroid sufferers feel around menstruation (2/2) #fibroidschat
— Le’Nise Brothers (@eatlovemove) April 18, 2018
Does being overweight or obese have an impact or is this a myth? #FibroidsChat
— Julie Sunkwa-Mills (@Julesunkwamills) April 18, 2018
it can have an impact, because there are strong links with obesity & hormone imbalance & increased inflammation that can drive pain & discomfort #fibroidschat
— Le’Nise Brothers (@eatlovemove) April 18, 2018
We get a lot of questions about soy and there is a lot of conflicting information out there too. What are your views on soy/soya-based products? Are they helpful or harmful? #fibroidschat @eatlovemove @lenisebrothers
— Lake Health and Wellbeing (@lakehealthwell) April 18, 2018
The only form of soy I ever recommend is fermented soy products like fermented tofu, natto, miso,tamari or tempeh. These are far less processed, free of GMOs, much easier to digest & (1/2) #fibroidschat
— Le’Nise Brothers (@eatlovemove) April 18, 2018
the form of estrogen in these foods mimics the natural form of estrogen that the body produces, so it doesn’t negatively contribute to the hormone load that the liver needs to detoxify (2/2) #FibroidsChat
— Le’Nise Brothers (@eatlovemove) April 18, 2018
.@eatlovemove How do other lifestyle factors affect a woman’s hormones and therefore her risk of developing fibroids? #fibroidschat
— Lake Health and Wellbeing (@lakehealthwell) April 18, 2018
It’s not just about what you eat (although changes in diet can be hugely beneficial!), it’s also about what you put on your body & what you clean your house with. Xenoestrogens / synthetic hormones can increase the hormone imbalance that makes fibroids grow (1/3) #fibroidschat
— Le’Nise Brothers (@eatlovemove) April 18, 2018
& makes periods painful. I always recommend that my clients shift to natural cosmetics & household cleaning products to reduce the hormone load & the work the liver needs to do to detoxify (2/3) #FibroidsChat
— Le’Nise Brothers (@eatlovemove) April 18, 2018
all of the estrogen in the body. Also considering usage of plastics as these contain synthetic hormones is very important. Go plastic free as much as possible (3/3) #fibroidschat
— Le’Nise Brothers (@eatlovemove) April 18, 2018
Absolutely. I switched from using lotion to only using natural essential oils and I’ve recently switched my cleaning products too. Little changes over time can go a long way. #FibroidsChat
— Laterria Patton (@selfcareandfood) April 18, 2018
that’s great! have you seen a difference? #FibroidsChat
— Le’Nise Brothers (@eatlovemove) April 18, 2018
Yes! Yes! Yes! My husband has even noticed a change in his hormonal behavior and that says ALOT! 😁😁😁 #FibroidsChat
— Laterria Patton (@selfcareandfood) April 18, 2018
wow! that’s amazing! our skin is our largest organ so changing what we put on it & absorb makes a huge difference #fibroidschat
— Le’Nise Brothers (@eatlovemove) April 18, 2018
This is really useful. A lot of food for thought. There are many changes that women can make that to improve our hormonal health. #fibroidschat
— Lake Health and Wellbeing (@lakehealthwell) April 18, 2018
absolutely! at every meal, there’s an opportunity to do something for your hormonal health #fibroidschat
— Le’Nise Brothers (@eatlovemove) April 18, 2018
I’ll just move on slightly, as time is against us. @eatlovemove Can you tell us a bit more about how you work with women who have fibroids? What would your programme for women with fibroids consist of? #FibroidsChat
— Lake Health and Wellbeing (@lakehealthwell) April 18, 2018
I generally work with these women on a three part programme of repairing nutrient status, gut health & the diet in general, rebalancing hormones & rebuilding sleep hygiene & stress management. (1/3) #FibroidsChat
— Le’Nise Brothers (@eatlovemove) April 18, 2018
All of my programmes are tailored to the needs, personality & lifestyle of the individual client, as I’m a firm believer that there’s no one size fits all when it comes to health. (2/3) #fibroidschat
— Le’Nise Brothers (@eatlovemove) April 18, 2018
I develop a personalised programme for each client that involves functional blood tests to understand exactly what nutrient deficiencies need to be corrected and work with them over 8 weeks to make realistic, sustainable changes to their health (3/3) #fibroidschat
— Le’Nise Brothers (@eatlovemove) April 18, 2018
From your experience working with women with fibroids, what are the common challenges that you have noticed that women with fibroids face? How can these be overcome? #fibroidschat
— Lake Health and Wellbeing (@lakehealthwell) April 18, 2018
I literally collapsed. I was stuck in the middle of the room – could not reach a phone or computer. Passed out due to the pain. Luckily I was staying with family but I was on that floor from just before 10am til 6pm! https://t.co/WqaJioSzqe
— thefibroidforum (@fibroidforum) April 18, 2018
oh my goodness! did you get a diagnosis after that! #FibroidsChat
— Le’Nise Brothers (@eatlovemove) April 18, 2018
to find out exactly what’s going on.Once they get diagnosed, there’s a lot of misinformation about how to manage fibroids. I recently heard one woman say that her gynaecologist told her that African women get fibroids from eating too many yams & plantains 😳 (2/5) #FibroidsChat
— Le’Nise Brothers (@eatlovemove) April 18, 2018
There are also the day to day challenges that women with fibroids have such as painful sex, heavy menstrual bleeding, constipation, excessive urination due to fibroids pressing on the bladder (3/5) #fibroidschat
— Le’Nise Brothers (@eatlovemove) April 18, 2018
pressure on the pelvis. These must be proactively addressed alongside the long-term work of balancing hormones & reducing inflammation. (4/5) #fibroidschat
— Le’Nise Brothers (@eatlovemove) April 18, 2018
I work alongside other specialists such as osteopaths, physiotherapists, acupuncturists, etc to ensure that all of these areas are addressed (5/5) #FibroidsChat
— Le’Nise Brothers (@eatlovemove) April 18, 2018
I was recently suffering with a bout of estrogen dominance, but practicing better self-care for my skin has help with it tremendously. #FibroidsChat
— Laterria Patton (@selfcareandfood) April 18, 2018
P.s. I also switched to all natural deodorant. That helped with the estrogen dominance too. #FibroidsChat
— Laterria Patton (@selfcareandfood) April 18, 2018
that’s such an important one! i love how proactive you are about your health! #FibroidsChat
— Le’Nise Brothers (@eatlovemove) April 18, 2018
It continues to surprise me that despite how common fibroids are (occurring in approx. 20-50% of women over the age of 30), there is not more mainstream discussion of them. It also shocks me how often hysterectomies are used to treat fibroids. #fibroidschat
— Le’Nise Brothers (@eatlovemove) April 18, 2018
Some doctors bread and butter comes from preforming hysterectomies. Recommending another alternative means they will lose a paying customer. This is why it’s VITAL that we do lots of research before making a decision. #FibroidsChat
— Laterria Patton (@selfcareandfood) April 18, 2018
This has been very informative, particularly about the impact of food and household products on estrogen levels, with excellent tips for management and prevention of fibroids #FibroidsChat
— Julie Sunkwa-Mills (@Julesunkwamills) April 18, 2018
Head over to my website https://t.co/jDjqDe7UA3 to find out more about me & my services. I specialise in working with women who want to get control over their hormones & manage their fibroids with food, supplements & lifestyle changes (1/2) #fibroidschat
— Le’Nise Brothers (@eatlovemove) April 18, 2018
I offer a complementary hormone health review where women can tell me about their health concerns, I offer a few tips & tell them more about how we can work together to improve their hormone health & manage their hormones (2/2) #fibroidschat
— Le’Nise Brothers (@eatlovemove) April 18, 2018
.@eatlovemove, thank you so so much for being our guest today. It has been fantastic, really informative. Do you have any final tips or advice for women living with #fibroids that you can share with us? #fibroidschat
— Lake Health and Wellbeing (@lakehealthwell) April 18, 2018
Sometimes you need to help educate your doctor so they can then help you. (2/3) #FibroidsChat
— Le’Nise Brothers (@eatlovemove) April 18, 2018
Stress management is another very important area to consider, as chronic stress can contribute to the inflammation that drives fibroid symptoms & hormone imbalance. (3/3) #fibroidschat
— Le’Nise Brothers (@eatlovemove) April 18, 2018
Simple things like deep breathing, mindfulness, yoga & stretching can help manage stress. When in doubt, take a deep breath #fibroidschat
— Le’Nise Brothers (@eatlovemove) April 18, 2018
Wonderful. Thank you so much for these final tips, this is really helpful. Thanks so much for joining us tonight. It has been really informative and useful. #fibroidschat
— Lake Health and Wellbeing (@lakehealthwell) April 18, 2018
Thank you so much for the opportunity! I thoroughly enjoyed being a part of this important conversation. If anyone would like to sign up for a complimentary hormone health review, click this link: https://t.co/Wkc95vM42v #fibroidschat
— Le’Nise Brothers (@eatlovemove) April 18, 2018
A big big thank you to everyone who has joined us today for our #fibroidschat. I think we all agree that the information that @eatlovemove has provided has been invaluable. Don’t forget to visit @eatlovemove‘s website for more information – https://t.co/F6JlQ6BByo
— Lake Health and Wellbeing (@lakehealthwell) April 18, 2018
Our next #FibroidsChat is on 30th May with counsellor Olivia Haltman of @OHServices2018. Join us for an interesting discussion on the emotional impact of fibroids.@selfcareandfood, @fibroidforum @CAREAbtFibroids @eatlovemove @Julesunkwamills pic.twitter.com/TgCTO0fiTQ
— Lake Health and Wellbeing (@lakehealthwell) April 18, 2018
@lakehealthwell thanks so much for giving me a platform to share my fibroid experience. #fibroids #FibroidsChat https://t.co/JLh0lhCin2
— Jo-Ann A. Hamilton (@JAlexandrHamil) April 19, 2018
