Has anyone changed their diet and noticed... - Endometriosis UK

Endometriosis UK

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Has anyone changed their diet and noticed a difference?

Cezsobko profile image
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I have recently been diagnosed with Endo and have been searching the internet to see if there is anything I can do to help with the pain. I have read that changing to a gluten free and dairy free diet can help...has anybody else tried this?

should I be taking vitamins (well woman or something)?

Anything that can help reduce the pain would be amazing...

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Cezsobko profile image
Cezsobko
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FMcB79 profile image
FMcB79

Hi

I follow the Endo diet - it is hard but worth it. No wheat, dairy, alcohol, meat ( including eggs), caffeine, soy, or processed sugar... Not easy to eat out!! It's not so bad at home, lots of soups for lunch, I've found some pretty good rye bread for toast in the morning which I have with pressed coconut oil (you can buy in Sainsburys) instead of butter. There are so many gluten-free options available now it is possible to be really strict and still have things you can eat! I have sheeps cheese, and sheeps yoghurt, coz I hate goats cheese and milk! I also take vitamins - floradix is a good, and Phsyllium Husk caps which I find help as I have endo in my bowel.

I usually try to stick to it really strictly for a month or so, and then I might have an evening with a couple of treats, then I go back to it. Unfortunately I do notice now if I eat something bad, wheat makes me feel awful!

Lost loads of weight when I first did it as well, it was so nice not to feel bloated and uncomfortable, and I had more energy. It's just so hard as you really have to plan your meals, and it's hard to find something quick when you are in a rush!

It does take a while before you notice the effects, probably a couple of months, but I do think its worth a go - give it 3 months and see how you feel!

Good luck, and let me know if you want some good recipes, I've amassed quite a store of them now!!

Xx

The endo really does help. I am not consistent with it, but wish I could be better.

When I do follow it strictly, it really lifts my energy levels and reduces swelling and press on my abdomen. I don't really want to lose weight as I'm only 8.5 st but it's my belly that bloats and I can often look 5/6 months pregnant, especially if i eat pizza, pasta, cake, or lists of milky drinks. The reduction is swelling also helps with the pain. They say the fat around the abdomen holds oestrogen's, which drives and encourages endo growth. So the less fat we can have around our middle, we may notice an improvement. Not that I am saying that fat is the cause, because it isn't. i am petite and used to be under weight and still had it, but not nearly as bad..I think some of us just can't tolerate gluten, caffeine and dairy and i know i am in that camp.

Respect to the lady above who replied. I wish I was as strict as you. Mind you, I am reasonably good. I never ever drink alcohol, I never have caffeine, I now avoid gluten mostly but do have bread maybe once or twice a week. And pasta may once a fortnight. I don't eat red meat anyway, so have free range chicken.

Also, try to get as much organic produce in your diet. Pesticides are also bad, but that's a whole other topic which i won't go into now.

You will feel better for it, I am quite sure of that. All the best.

Hope&Faith is spot on. It is a major lifestyle change and it takes time to accept it.

At times when I get the urge for a snack or hunger pangs, I struggle to find something that satisfies me.

I get bored of mixed nuts and fruit. So, I recently bought some organic oat cakes and I put almond butter on them (organic too, one without palm oil or added salt, I better not name the make, but it's gorgeous). I have them with a cup of earl grey rooibos or plain rooibos which is delicious.

I also just started dipping walnuts halves into the same almond butter and cover them in melted chocolate and let them set. Yes, I know chocolate contains caffeine but it's only a tiny amount and it's better have this to satisfy cravings rather than not have anything, and then find yourself caving into the urge to have an bar of awful,dairy and sugar and fat filled milk chocolate, or cake etc etc... Just sharing my tips which are helping me avoid our 'endo food devils'.. :-)

Cezsobko profile image
Cezsobko

Thanks girls. I've been on it for 10 days now and surprised I've lasted but glad I have. (I do have will power it seems)... I'm definitely missing the caffeine and the bread and obviously the chocolate..... Gluten free bread is just not the same.

Sheeps cheese - where did you get that from? I've never even heard of it!!!,

I can already see benefits in my health....I'm not as tired and I am sleeping much better. I just hope I can keep at it....I'm just hoping the pain has eased - time will tell. I shall report back in by couple of weeks.

Any recipes that people have would be great as long as they are easy to make and very tasty...

montana09 profile image
montana09

Yes, please post recipes! I'm a country girl and like to cook. Red meat, dairy and bread is most of my cookbook! Please help!

FMcB79 profile image
FMcB79

Hi everyone - yes I so agree it is a total lifestyle change! Love the walnut halves idea that sounds great!

Sheeps cheese that I like is Manchego (hard cheese, bit like a Parmesan, good for grating on GF pasta) or Parlick Fell, which is soft and crumbly bit more like feta. Sheeps yoghurt (Woodlands Dairy) is really good as well, and "live" so you get all the benefits but in a much more easily digestible form. I get all these from my usual supermarket (in the UK), so pretty easy to come by.

I love these flatbreads, go well with soup and take 5 minutes - just mix 400g of self-raising GF flour with 300ml of sheeps yoghurt, sprinkle in some cumin seeds. You'll end up with a wet dough. Spoon a dollop onto a bit of baking paper and spread it around until it's a rough circle about .5 cm thick. Do the next one with a good gap, they do puff up and spread a bit when you cook them. This amount should give you about 8 dollops! Cook them under the grill, they take about 5 minutes on each side, and voila, tasty bread to dunk in your soup!

I really like the recipes on this blog - glutenfreegoddess.blogspot....

They are american but I can usually substitute most things for a uk alternative, it's all about playing around, some things work and some don't, we've had some interesting meals at times! My other half is very good and eats the same things as me, which makes it so much easier for cooking, and also means we don't have anything that might tempt me in the house!

Has anyone else come across good recipes? Maybe we should start our own endo diet recipe blog!!

Xx

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