After my recent diagnosis, I would like to embark on a healthier lifestyle and perhaps try the endo diet.
The trouble is I am already a fussy eater and crave all the bad stuff :/
I would really like to do the diet, but be successful at it. I don't want to set myself up to fail.
Many people have commented you have to be very strict.
I was wondering about making my own tailor made version and wondered what your top tips, essentials, supplements, no-no's are so I can try and find a balance that is beneficial but I will always stick too
Thank you in advance for your helpxxx
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Lillil
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Yes I have learnt so much from this site in last two months. Go to endo-resolved.com it explains lots of principles but says you have to buy a book to undertsand fully. I want to see what everyone reccommends. Lots of people on here seem to think it helps with pain. I get bad irritable bowel aswell so am hoping it will be life changing xxx
Thanks for that - yeh me to had IBS for years and literally tried everything, nothing seems to help maybe because the endo is on my bowel though? Im now trying yoga to help with the pain really hope this helps xx
Have you been diagnosed with endo on the bowel? I thought that's what I would have as had so many bowel symptoms. However they only found it in my pouch of Douglas in my lap six days ago x
I had a colonoscopy last tuesday where they found that my rectum is fused to my uterus? The surgeon said it was endo and the build up was protruding into the bowel wall not really sure what that means, have to go for an MRI to see how bad the damage is and if I have to have some of my bowel removed.
Also have to go for another lap, I had one 2 years ago but they said everything was fine and that I was just constipated. Its all just very confusing and the waiting to hear whats going to happen next and the extent of the damage is unbearable.
Maybe ask for a colonoscopy I knew they would find the problem there as thats where the majority of the pain I have is xx
i have gone gluten and dairy free and it has helped so much with the pain.. i also limit my sugar and saturated fat intake.. i have also lost quite a bit of weight.. but only really doing it due to endo.. but its really helped me x
I have gone gluten free and it has really helped. I already consume little to no alcohol and caffeine. I'm a vegetarian, but you only have to cut out red meat. The only problem I run into is giving up cheese! I try to have goat cheese whenever possible because it's thought to be better. I don't eat a lot of sugar but new to cut that back. Just go slow - maybe pick one thing to cut back or eliminate at a time. I've tried sticking to the whole diet and had a hard time. I feel better from what I've done so far and can only imagine how much better I'll feel once I follow it closer. This is very similar to the "Cancer Diet". Good luck dear!
Loosing weight will be a big bonus, so am trying to use that as motivation too!
I don't really drink alcohol and my diary intake is fairly minimal - although I love my cheese also!
I think it will have to be gluten I try first as I am always so bloated and always craving carbs! I know this sounds silly but what do you eat for breakfast and lunch!?
I am a nurse who does 12.5 hour shifts that normally end up being much longer and i don't really have time on my hands so i need to learn a whole new mind set of preparing food etc!
I am 30 in June, knowing I will be menopausal at sametime! With injections, I don't want to be frumpy and lethargic too.
I have my diagnosis so now time for a brand new start to life...maybe I will need to eat all the gluten in my house first though
Please keep the advice coming? Anyone else got ideas that helped them? Anyone take supplements? I couldn't live without my extra strength peppermint oil capaules but wonder if qnything else will be of benefit?x
Be careful with the weight though! Endo has made me lose alot more weight than I needed to which causes other problems aswell - the list just goes on haha!
I am also trying the gluten free, ive never been on a diet in all my life, finding it difficult but being less bloated can only be a bonus.
30 in june aswell, feel like i may be having a mid life crisis and going through the same, its time to change my life for the bettter still quite difficult though when you have not got all the answers you want!
Atleast we know there is something wrong with us and its not just in our heads ( this is what most people say to me)
Yes mid life crisis exactly! Even though I always imagined I would be having a crisis over the fact I didn't have a mortgage not that I would be menopausal!
I've spent the whole morning in tears for no real reason. The tipping point was when I dropped my paracetamol on the floor which meant be ding with bruised, pulling stitches and I thought give me a break! Then I went on facebook and someone i know has stomach cancer and I just thought how selfish I am and should be greatful that some treatment will help me.
My head is all over the place but keep trying to remind myself this is normal and not to expect too much from myself but it's hard and frustrating. Hopefully putting my energy into diet will help.
I've got a good stone and half I could loose and have been told injections make you put weight on? So hopefully any loss will be a bonus.
Keep me updated how you do. Will raise a glass for you in June xxx
Hi I am just embarking on the restriction/endo diet again! It does take a lot but I agree with starting to cut out food groups that are easy and then work it from there. Sugar, or to be more precise cake is my weakness so the most difficult to give up. Once you start to notice less pain that will help. I didn't realise how much my diet was affecting me until I started to give up wheat and dairy. I have also removed yeast and red meat from my diet and massively reduced my sugar intake which is quite a feat for me!!!
There are also some good foods that you may want to include in your diet that help excrete estrogen e.g. peas, beans, red & purple berries, garlic, apples, nuts, celery and carrots. If you can afford to then organic is also suggeseted due to the hormones sometimes added in growth of food.
It can be really overwhelming and I have been trying to do this diet for a long time. The difficulty is comfort eating when you feel fed up and as endo sufferes that can be most of the time. So the trick is to congratulate yourself when you've had a good day and don't beat yourself up if you slip up one day.
I eat fresh fruit, g free granola w/ almond milk, g free muffins (I make two dozen and free them). Sometimes I have Greek yogurt (cause I'm still eating some dairy). Lunch is usually salad with beans or quinoa. To be honest, I usually eat only two meals a day and one snack. It just depends on my appitite. For supplements, I take a multi- vitamin, fish oil, evening prim rose and maca root. Those seem to be beneficial for the pain (controls inflammation). Added bonus of the evening prim rose is that it makes my skin look amazing! I agree that buying and eating organic is great to do as much as you can.
I joke that I didn't know how flat my stomach was suppossed to be before giving up gluten! Ha ha! Once in a while I slip up and have a puffy stomach the next day. The longer I follow the diet, the less slip ups I have.
If cake is your favorite and most dreaded food to give up, then don't pressure yourself. I don't know about eating all the gluten on your house before adjusting your eating. It could resemble a "last dinner" type binge. Instead, maybe bring that food to work for co-workers.
Instead of treating this like a "diet"- which, lets be honest, never really work in the long run, I think of it differently. I ask myself (sometimes 10 days daily) - do I really want to eat this? Why do I want to eat this? Is this food/meal WORTH feeling like shit and hurting my body? The answer is 99% of the time "NO"!
I just figured I have to take this seriously and I treat myself as I would my best friend. It's ok to have a bad day, it's ok to make the wrong decision once in a while, but I care about myself and want to see myself healthy. No one is going to do this for me.
There are a few more which makes you feel like you can only drink water and eat vegetables but you can eat these things in moderation. I have found within half an hour of eating these things my pain kicks in so I am having to be quite strict with a few treats but I'm sure some of you could get away with it! Hope this helps and don't be too hard on yourselves with this diet, it's just a guidance and it DOES work! something I'm not used to saying!
Good luck! I had also never been on a diet before, but the pain relief makes it worthwhile! The hardest time I find is before bed when I feel like a piece of toast and can't have it. You can eat lots of roast veg, lots of beans, nuts & seeds, avocados, salad, soups, quinoa. I eat goats cheese.
Anything that increases oestrogen should be left out of the diet: chickpeas and dairy (I eat goats cheese), red meat.
I also only drink mineral water to avoid any residue hormones and chemicals in tap water.
I haven't yet given up sugar, though I replace with maple syrup where possible. I haven't had pain from sugar but if suffering from fatigue its best to avoid too much.
The liver needs to be very clean to deal with the overdose of hormones produced by endo so absolutely no alcohol, caffeine etc.
I really miss cake! But you get used to it! And I guess we can treat ourselves every now and again.
rice crispies with dried fruit and rice milk or oatabix although still higher sugar than I would like it's a start. I've been having this as breakfast for 2 years now.
Good luck. it's a good diet. I stumbled across it by accident, on my own accord before I knew I had endometriosis. In fact, I had 2 intolerance tests a few years apart (for chronic ibs symptoms) that both said I am intolerant to wheat, cows dairy and red meat amongst other items recommended to cut out in the endometriosis diet. This is not just a coincidence??
It's tricky at first but once you get into it, you'll never look back. The weight loss is a bonus too.
Thank you all so, so much for your feedback it has been so valuable.
I was going to start the diet on 1st Feb but realised I still have a lot to learn. Like different components of wheat. If you have to be wheat and gluten free. What meal choices I can make.
So my plan is to try wheat and gluten free first, whilst monitoring my diary intake and ensuring I have lots of the recommended foods and see how i go from there.
I'm hoping this will help with weight loss as I have read with fake menopause injections you can put on three stone! My body couldnt cope with this! So hopefully with diet too it will balance it out x
I think it's easier to try going just wheat free first and see how you get on. I cut out wheat about 6 or 7 months ago and its made a huge difference to pain and bloating. Quite remarkable. I have oats and fruit soaked in a little apple juice. I'll have 100% rye bread, for example with soup for lunch, though not every day. I have experimented making occasional treats with buckwheat flour and other non wheat flours. Also have wheat/gluten-free pasta sometimes. So for me having the gluten isn't a problem but cutting the wheat has made me feel much much better.
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