Fibroid Shrinking Follow Up

I've had questions about my issue with fibroids and the supplement that I've used to get rid of them.  I decided to write a post to inform where I am in that journey.

My fibroids are smaller, however, I learned some things on my journey and I ran into trouble because of my GAPS diet.  If you do GAPS, BED or Paleo, you may run into some trouble because of the meat eating.  You see, meat builds fibroids and vegetables shrink them.  Because of my leaky gut, I'm not able to absorb nutrients very well.  So I HAD to do GAPS first. 

One thing that I’ve learned was that uterine fibroids and fibroids in the breast are very different.  The ones in the breast can be shrunk pretty easily while the uterine fibroids are more challenging.  Uterine fibroids are usually the result of estrogen dominance, so one has to decrease the amount of estrogen in the body to shrink the fibroids and THAT is challenging..  Another thing I learned was that while one doctor told me to stay away from flax seeds (because it is a very estrogenic food) another doctor said that she INSTRUCTS her patients to eat flax seeds because while they do give estrogen where estrogen is needed, it also helps the body to get rid of excess estrogen.  So essentially, it balances hormones.  Because she has had success with that, I followed her advice and tried to eat more flaxseeds.

There were some other issues that I didn't address in the last post because I didn't know until I actually started the protocol.  First, the supplement that I took (Vitalzyme professional strength), you must take it 2-3 times per day; and the challenge is you must take it ON AN EMPTY STOMACH or it doesn't work.  In other words you must wait two hours after eating and wait another hour after taking the supplement before you can eat again.  Second, you must be wary of chemical estrogenic imitators or xenoestrogens (particularly parabens, phalathes, Sodium Laurel Sulphate [SLS] and even phenoxyethanol which is supposed to be a “mild” preservative).  You also need to be aware of plant based estrogen imitators or phytoestrogen (essential oils, natural fragrances…).  I had to learn to make my own deodorant, lip balm, laundry booster (which I need because I use soap nuts) automatic dishwasher detergent and I still have yet to make soap.  In the meantime I buy olive oil soap.  This is the most frustrating part of the journey because I have to watch it when eating at someone’s house (dish detergents), I can’t use lotion (paraben), I have to travel with my own liquid soap in my purse to use in public restrooms (SLS) and I can't even sleep at a hotel or friend's house because the sheets were washed in something that I shouldn't touch (xenoestrogens of various kinds).

So it is working, but it will work much more quickly when I can stay away from meat for a while.  You need to balance your hormones while on this protocol and do it for as long as you need to until they shrink. If you're like me and doing the GAPS (or BED or Paleo), don't despair, it will happen.  You just need to be MUCH more patient.