Tia Mowry-Hardrict got candid about her fear of expanding her family due to her struggle with endometriosis.
The actress told PEOPLE magazine, “I do suffer from endometriosis, so there’s a little bit of a challenge there.”
Endometriosis is characterized by the growth of scar tissue outside the uterus. It leads to severe pain. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services states that 5 million American women suffer from the condition.
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However, it appears that the 38-year-old, who hosts her own show on the Cooking Channel has discovered a way to soothe her symptoms.
Her secret? Food!
How Tia Mowry Uses Food to Combat Endometriosis
“Food is powerful and has a significant impact,” she writes in an excerpt from her new book, Whole New You: How Real Food Transforms Your Life, For a Healthier, More Gorgeous You, per Health magazine. “No matter what you put in your mouth—the good, the bad, or the Cheeto—it’s doing something.”
About the new book, the former co-star of the sitcom "Sister, Sister" wrote in an Instagram post the day of its release:
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"I tell my story of how I was diagnosed with endometriosis and how food was my medicine! In the book are over 100 recipes that nourished me to health and I was able to have my miracle Cree! I want to inspire, uplift and encourage with this book! I hope it nourishes your soul as it did mine!"
Tia Mowry's Experience with Endometriosis
According to Tia Mowry, she was diagnosed in 2006 and soon after began experiencing debilitating abdominal pain.
Later, she underwent laparoscopic surgery, a minimally invasive procedure in which a surgeon makes several small incisions about half an inch. Plastic tubes called ports are then placed through the incisions to create a passageway for a small camera that transmits images of the abdomen to a monitor.
Benefits of the technique include “shorter hospital stays, less pain, rapid recovery and early return to work,” the University of Southern California, Department of Surgery states.
Along with pelvic pain, particularly pain with menstruation, endometriosis can also come with pain during sex, fatigue, diarrhea, constipation, and infertility cites the Mayo Clinic.
After her physician suggested eliminating the junk food she grew accustom to eating on set, the actress ditched processed foods, dairy products, refined sugar, and snack packs, to name a few. "I started to feel deeply, thrillingly alive," she writes. "For the first time in my life, I understood the concept of profound 'wellness.'"
Empowering Others Through Food
Tia Mowry's diet makeover has worked wonders for the star. But she went on to caution others that what works for her may not work for them.
“Although I’ve had my own powerful healing experience, that does not give me the expertise or credentials to offer specific healing advice to anyone with a serious condition.”
However, she hopes that by sharing her story she can help shape a different perspective. She wants her story to aid in doing away with the stigma surrounding eating clean. It's about making healthy food choices.
"It’s not just because they’re packed with nutrients and are simply good for you. I’m determined to push past that stigma because whole, natural foods, cooked with love, taste absolutely fantastic," Mowry writes. "You heard me: fantastic.”
To try over 100 of these "fantastic" recipes, pick up Mowry's new book here.
