Endo diet help

[Bethleah]

I would like to try the endo diet but due to the endo I'm on benefits so it's tough getting some foods. I have rice milk with cereal but can't do porridge as it makes me heave. I've started to eat more lentils and beans and cut right down on yeast, chocolate etc. I try to have oatly chocolate when I need a chocolate fix. It's also really tough cooking meals when I have no appetite as I a nauseous so much of the time. I take olive leaf, flaxseed, feverfew, calcium and magnesium and green veggie pills. Until recently I had a smoothie in the morning with added barley grass powder but I now find them too sweet to drink. I drink water but find it impossible to drink 2l each day as I feel full of water and spend all my time peeing. I find I can only really manage arrowroot biscuits when the nausea is really bad and water.

Any advice would be appreciated.

[bexter73]

First of all I think everyone's different when it comes to diet, some people can tolerate certain foods when others can't. It's all about finding out what's good for you. For me, it was giving up coffee ( used to be on 6 cups a day - now haven't had any for over a year) red meat ( I admit to having a mouthful every now and again but this is only if out for a meal) and reducing diary. I still have goats cheese and goats yoghurt and I use almond or oat milk. I also still eat eggs. i found that making these changes really reduced my pain and bloating. My diet consists of a lot of green veg, fish, chicken but I'm trying to move towards a more plant based rather than meat based diet. othe r changes you can make (I've yet to achieve this!) is giving up alcohol. The diet can be hard to maintain and we all need some pleasure in life. I have dark chocolate or cacao nibs to help with the chocolate fix. Cacao nibs can be expensive but they go a long way.

What do you have in your smoothie? Try spinach, blueberries (I use frozen berries from lidl ) and some oat milk. Peppermint tea or ginger tea may help with nausea ?

Good luck x

[Bethleah in reply to bexter73]

Hi

I already eat little red meat, dairy. In my smoothie I buy shops own just as it's cheaper, I can ding tesco strawberry, banana, kiwi sometimes es with added bare or wheat grass powder. I rarely have alcohol. I drink nettle and blackberry tea. I can't stand ginger, don't like peppermint tea either. I know I'm really picky. I do slow cooked casseroles with lentils, beans and veg. I also eat fish when I can afford it.

Thanks for the advice.

[applebird]

Hey, I haven't found it too bad switching, the one thing I struggle with is bread, so I have wholemeal if I really want. Cutting out choc etc. The cravings pass in about 3 days but then you need to stay off it - hard job! I have really enjoyed meals like salmon, broccoli and brown rice. Cutting out red meat and alcohol was hard but getting used to it. I mainly fill up on fruit and take as much veg as I can with chicken or fish for main meals. Tesco have 3 for £10 on a range of stuff from chicken to lamb, beef and salmon. I usually buy two chicken and salmon - feeds myself and my husband for a week x

[Hollie90]

Hey,

I got sent to an NHS nutrition/ dietician. She had a look into the research around endo diet and said there's not a lot of evidence to suggest its a real thing just eating healthy which we should be doing anyway =S

It sounds like you need to find something that you can eat without setting off your nausea and talk to your GP about getting referred to a dietician?

I hope this doesn't sound too negative. I was spending a fortune on gluten free lactose free oil free everything, still ill and she told me to focus on what I can eat rather than trying to afford a diet that doesn't exist!!

Hope you feel at least a bit better soon x

[Bethleah in reply to Hollie90]

Thanks for this. I'll ask when I see her next. X

[Mole18]

I am Asian so rice is a staple and I switched to eating brown rice instead of white..avoiding coffee and sweets as much as possible too. I have been taking Nature's way Alive multivitamins and DIM plus few months before lap(stage 4endo and 9cm cyst) and now it's my second month post laparoscopy and didn't take any pain meds which is fantastic!! I only had mild migraine on the 1st day of period which was not too bad. The doctor did not put me on any pills etc after lap which i preferred because Im against due to it's horrible effects on my body. So there's hope of having less pain And I'm so happy with my life now👍😊

[Bethleah in reply to Mole18]

Pleased you are doing so well. X