Wheat and dairy free diet??

[chilli_button]

I am newly diagnosed and have been reading lots. I asked my consultant if the wheat and dairy free diet works and if I should look to follow it, he told me it is a really good idea. So, I am trying!! I never used to eat much bread but now craving it, I know you can buy wheat free bread in the supermarkets but thy are so expensive. Does anyone else follow this diet and 1) does it help with endo (pain management) 2) any bread recipes so that I can make my own?

[Hidden]

Hello , I'm going to start this diet to i think, i have been doing research about it and you should also avoid foods with soy in them.

I found a few websites about the endo diet that you might find useful

myendodiet.blogspot.co.uk/s...

mrsblondieskitchen.blogspot...

theendoclub.com/theendodiet...

on this forum there is some info about bread i hope i helped somehow

endoboard.yuku.com/topic/67...

also have you tried endo resolved diet book by Carolyn lavett

well i have found a website where you can read the book in a ebook form for free it is

openisbn.com/preview/978095...

[chilli_button in reply to Hidden]

Wow, thank you so much, loads of info and loads of reading to be done. Bi shall read into these over the next few days. Thank you I really do appriciate the information. I hope you get on well with the diet, I have read really good things about is so far, good luck I hope it helps x

[Rrl12345 in reply to Hidden]

THANK you so so much for sharing this, I'm really interested in food as medicine and nutrition but SO much conflicting advice out there and half the foods the endo diet says to try the fodmap diet says not to and half the time not sure if the endo or "ibs" causing the bloating as the doctor keeps fobbing me off with ibs whereas the more I read I think it is the endo, your research has really helped me speak to the doctor and ask to be taken more seriously, if only everyone with endo had access to experts in endo, nutitrition and wellbeing and hot water bottles on the nhs, it would be so much easier eh! x

[Hidden]

good luck to you to, let me no how it goes for you : )

[HannahMary]

I have been trying to follow the endo doet for quite a few months but It does get pricey and I tend to what 'wheat treats' more often than i should recently but when I do stick to it there are definite benefits.

I recommend this book

amazon.co.uk/Endometriosis-...

[chilli_button in reply to HannahMary]

Hi thank you for the link, I will have a good look when I get home this evening. I have one book but not many recipes I like, I like the genius seeded loaf but it is just soooooo expensive. Have you noticed any difference so far? x

[NinaR]

I have been following the endo diet for 7 months now and I can confirm that symptoms greatly reduce and my well being and energy levels have soared. I see a naturopath who also supports me in this as the body does go through a kind of detox phase initially so I recommend you see a nutritionist or naturopath when making this life change - ideally one specialising in endomitriosis.

the best wheat free bread is the Genius brand that you can buy in tEsco or sainsburys or waitrose. you can also make your own wheat free bread using Dove Farms wheat free flour...

Also keep in mind that it's a good idea to elimate any food that has hormones - so all red meat and fowl that has its own hormones as these can feed your endo so that is another diet adjustment I made.

Good luck with the changes....they defo work!!

[chilli_button in reply to NinaR]

Hi I am really pleased to hear from someone that this diet has helped. I am struggling to try and get my head around it at the minute. I saw a dietician at the local GP surgery but she just looked at me like I was mad and said there is not enough evidence to support it. She told me to keep eating cheese as I like it!!! I am prepared to try anything to assist with reducing the pain I am in, so thank you for the info I really do appriciate it xx

[PeterStr in reply to chilli_button]

drmcdougall.com/health/educ...

Perhaps diet does help. Perhaps we have to do our own research in order to get past prejudices coming from a historical viewpoint. Perhaps medicine (including education) is not as scientific as we would like it to be and is clouded by $, tradition and wishful thinking. Peter.

[NinaR]

Giving up dairy is the KEY thing in reducing pain and inflammation and I disagree with your dietician as it is well known this works. Dr Christiane Norpthrup is a world famous Gynae and she has written in her book Womens Health, Women's Wisdom how eliminating dairy helped most of her patients. also in traditional Chinese Medicne is it is known that endo is a condition that arises when there is too much Damp in the body and damp is created by wheat and diary...so there is lots of proof. Go for it!

[NoshB in reply to NinaR]

Hi Nina, Just wondering do you eat chicken and Fish and if so do you just buy it from ordinary supermarkets?

[FionaGFG]

Interesting I asked my consultant the same thing and he thought I was mad and said it made no difference. As I'm already gluten free (coeliac) I may reconsider the dairy free if others have found it helpful.

[worth71]

i have not been following the endo diet, i've briefly looked at it but haven't had time to research it all properly yet, it looks quite complicated and that you have to cut out quite a bit - however! i joined slimming world at the end of march, i follow the plan pretty much 95% of the time, the main things that have changed is i have cut out bread, crisps, sweets, chocolate but i still have pastas, rices, spuds, all different meats - up until about 2 weeks ago i used to have fruit and yogurt for breakfast, overall it is a fairly healthy eating plan but i found i was constipated, it seemed to have worsened since starting slimming owrld, even with drinking plenty of water, by accident (hubby bought shredded wheat fruitful and i pinched some to try) since trying them i have had them everyday, i have not been constipated since, i have also noticed that i am not in as much daily pain - its the only thing i can pinpoint that i have changed, so am i not constipated due to cutting out so much yogurt or just because of eating the shredded wheat fruitful, and has my pain reduced because i've cut out all that yogurt or maybe because i'm not so constipated? questions questions, but i think it backs up some of the theories of dairy products maybe?

by the way, i have lost 2 1/2 stone since joining SW so its all good xxx

[Aquitaine]

I cut out wheat in all forms, most meat, most dairy, caffeine, alcohol (most of the time), and sugar. It's been very effective for stopping the pain, but involved a big lifestyle change. You have to be pretty organised to make this diet work, and the first month is hard, but after a while you get used to it and it's so nice not to have the pain that I find it's worth it.

I do eat lots of fish, beans and pulses and vegetables. Maybe if you've got a problem with constipation then stepping up the veg and the pulses would help?

I'm actually thinking of writing a blog about this, because it's a difficult switch to make, and there's a lot of very contradictory information out there. Basically I found the key was to make quite big changes (eg. instead of replacing toast with gluten free bread, I re-thought breakfast and had an omelette with loads of veg instead). It's also pretty good for weight management and also because it tends to keep your blood sugar more stable, it's very good for managing mood swings (eg. from PMT). Good luck to anyone trying it!

[Rrl12345 in reply to Aquitaine]

hi I think be great if you wrote a blog or between us we could set up something to discuss on here, I've been trying to self medicate the endo and depression with nutrition and have so many books but all say different things and like others on here have said when ask doctors or nhs about diet they just look at you like an idiot! Eating out or planning going away is a nightmare and my hubby is very supportive but he finds it frustrating and misses the old days just eating out normally and I've not even given up dairy or gluten properly yet so any help, tips be great. I only have sheep or goat dairy and still have gluten but not as much as before but I think to really try and tackle this ruddy endo and other associated things need to give it a proper go and reading this spurs me on so thank you x

[Rufio]

I have been experimenting with this diet for a while, mainly cutting out wheat and processed food as being a vegetarian I wasn't sure how i would live without dairy! But I got the Carlyn Lavett book after my last surgery and decided to go for it and cut out dairy, soy etc. I think the thought of it was worse that the actually doing it. For example, I was thinking how am I going to live without cheese or chocolate? But I have and I don't really miss it at all. it takes a lot of research and organisation, but at the moment i feel it's worth it. I couldn't believe it this month when I have only had pain for an evening when I got my period, woke up the next day pain free! Unbelievable considering previously the pain goes on for couple of weeks. And I've felt generally good in myself. Now I can't say that this is solely down to diet because I only had surgery in May but I am not on any treatment currently for my endo so i think diet does make a difference.

In regards to bread, I normally buy the free from stuff when it's in the "whoopsie" section and put it in the freezer and have it when I want it, either toasted straight from the freezer or defrosted as I want it.

If I want a sweet treat I make some banana flapjacks in line with the endo diet. I've made choc pudding using cocoa and advocado, still playing around with the recipe to get one I really like, but I quite like it after it's been in the freezer almost like ice cream! I've also found sometimes a handful of chopped dates taste almost chocolately and helps with cravings!. My taste buds have certainly changed because if I try something that's got any of the "banned" foods in it, it tastes really strong and strange!

Good luck!

[NoshB]

I have tried to stick this too and in between my period I have been fine so I thought I would go back and ended up in A+E!

Worth a try and I no longer listen to my GP and Gyny for advice the best advice I have probably received is from here and the internet and my Gyny told me not to read anything on the internet as it is a load of rubbish - I BEG TO DIFFER!!!

[Hidden]

The Endo diet definitely works! I have been on it for over 2years now and noticed a dramatic improvement in cutting out gluten, dairy and mainly packaged processed foods. I avoid the replacement gluten products too and eat more fruits and veggies and that is really good too. I have a free blog which details heaps about the diet, has free recipes and other information. Check it out: cureendometriosis.com.

It is about my personal journey to find a cure in using natural methods.

All the best with it! Your body is worth it!

[InsideOut]

I had attempted going wheat free for years but did not do it properly. Now for nearly a month I have cut out wheat bread and most other wheat foods. And so far I am so much better, even during my period. Pains are not completely gone but there is a definite different feeling and very little bloating. I have rye bread but not every day and have been eating a lot more raw foods and less meat and dairy. I am going to stick with it for 2-3 months to get a better idea of how much difference it makes but I feel like it's a good start.

[blackburnlass]

Prior to being in hospital for my lap I was on the rosemary Conley diet and had lost Over 3 stone, as I was eating a lot of fruit and veg started to notice some differences with the pain. Now I have been diagnosed with endo I have gone gluten, dairy, alcohol, refined sugar, caffeine free and after a week I have lost half a stone in weight and am feeling a lot better and the issues i had with my stomach are a lot less noticeable. So I now have an endo version of the rosemary Conley diet. I have found the nakd food bars a god send for a now ex chocoholic suffering with endo. I will keep coming back and giving updates on my diet progress and how it improves my pain. I even went a restaurant today that had a gluten free menu and they were brilliant at changing things to meet my dietary needs. Well done bannisters at boundary mill in Colne Lancashire, I feel there is hope for me and moving towards becoming pain free .

[PeterStr]

You may wish to look at:

drmcdougall.com/health/educ...

which has medical references at the bottom. By the way this is also the healthiest for heart disease, diabetes type 2, strokes and more...Good luck, Peter.

[Mindstorm]

As part of my bowel investigations before endo was suspected I went wheat free for a month. I am mostly dairy free apart from the odd instant hot chocolate and lactose free cheese toastie and very occasional pizza. I try and eat healthier foods - pasta with tomato and vegetable sauces, chicken and salads.

The wheat free month was the worst pain month I have had this year. As soon as I was cleared to eat wheat again I gradually introduced it back in and I don't eat bread or pasta every day. I have no correlation between eating wheat and pain. I have no correlation between eating dairy and pain. We cut dairy intake right down years ago as it was a trigger for my daughter's teenage acne - as was soya; something to do with hormone levels.

It seems what works for some may not work for others.