Dancer and actress Julianne Hough always appears to be the picture of perfect health. By simply glancing at her, you’d never guess that the Dancing with the Stars judge suffers from a painful and often debilitating condition called endometriosis.
After being diagnosed in 2008, Hough was unsure what the condition meant for her and her future, especially because it wasn’t spoken openly about by peers. “When I first found out [my diagnosis] back in 2008, it was sort of about me figuring everything out,” Hough explains. “The SpeakEndo campaign is great now that I am aware of what endometriosis is because it lets me hear stories from other people that have it and talk about how they’re coping with it day to day. Just having a community of people and support where you’re changing the dialogue is great.”
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For those unfamiliar with the condition, endometriosis is when a buildup of tissue occurs outside the uterus, causing severe abdominal cramps and pelvic pain. As a consequence of this diagnosis, Hough decided to make a few lifestyle changes—including cutting one food out for good—in order to feel healthy and strong, as well as minimize symptoms. “I love sugar like a lot people do, but I had to take that out of my diet unless it’s natural sugars from fruit,” she explains. “The inflammation from the sugar and salt is really bad for me.”
But Hough didn’t just eliminate foods from her diet because of endometriosis, she also added one as well. “I love avocado because it’s a fat and I feel full but not blocked and stuck like I do with many other foods,” says Hough. “With endometriosis, it’s all tied in through your digestive system as well.”
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Although, avocado wasn’t the only food Hough had to add into her diet, she’s also bringing back one of her healthy childhood staples. “My mom was giving us wheatgrass at 3 years old,” says Hough. “And I didn’t have any clue that it was something really helpful, but now I’m almost 30 and I’m going to do start taking it again.”
