What to eat for endo

Why is diet important?

• Healing Potential: The right food can have a healing effect, similar to supplements.

• Avoiding Harm: Some foods can worsen endo and its symptoms.

• Addressing IBS: a stunning majority of endo women have irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or food intolerances, adding pain when eating certain foods.

FODwhat?

Let me first address the elephant in the room. Most dieticians recommend the low FODMAP diet. Which is super valid. So why am I not recommending the low FODMAP diet, just like everyone else?

Because of how IBS and endo work together:

• IBS = a local allergic reaction to food + a heightened pain perception

• Endo’s constant inflammation makes us prone to allergies + increases pain perception

You see how the two go together like peanut butter and jam? Endo is the real culprit, paving the way for IBS.

This means we have 2 options:

1. Treat IBS (the consequence)

2. Treat endo (the cause)

I’m a big believer of the second. That doesn’t mean we should forget about IBS though. The pain it causes is real, and you know how I think about pain: our guards have to get a break.

The low FODMAP diet helps you identify which foods hurt you. Due to its complexity, it’s highly recommendable to do this under professional guidance, by a doctor or a registered dietician.

That’s why I’m not a fan, or at least not at this stage of the process: it requires too much energy.

I prefer to eat in a way that heals my gut and reduces endo symptoms, before considering paying for professional guidance to deal with remaining issues*.

Enter: the Endo To Energy "Diet"

*Download the tracker at the bottom of this page to keep track of what you eat and how you feel. You might be able to identify a few foods that don't agree with you without following a restrictive diet.

Endo To Energy Diet

more plants + less bad foods

Simple, right? One could argue it's too simple to be called a diet. One could be me.

The 30 Plants Per Week Rule

The American Gut Study discovered that 30 plants per week is the tipping point where the gut microbiome became more diverse and thus healthier.

Plants contain polyphenols, which are antioxidant and anti-inflammatory. Gut microbes also support immune function, hormone regulation and communication between the brain and the gut.

If there was a pill that did all of that, I bet you'd take it.

30 may sound like a lot, but it’s actually not that difficult:

All wholefood plants count :

• Vegetables

• fruits

• legumes

• wholegrains

• nuts

• seeds

• spices (only for 1/4 point though, because of the limited amount we consume)

Plus, variety matters, so different colors of the same plant count as different plants!

Which plants don’t count? Processed plants, like white rice or bread, or even fruit juices (they don’t contain fiber anymore, so they don’t benefit your gut microbiome).

Less Bad Foods

On to the bad guys, a.k.a. foods that increase inflammation or mess up your gut microbiome. Limit these:

• Alcohol

• Refined sugar

• Coffee

• Fried foods

• Ultra processed food (ingredients you cannot pronounce? The less the better.)

The jury is out on meat and dairy. My stance on this? Try to cut back on them if you are ready to replace the much-needed protein with plant-based protein (e.g., legumes like beans, lentils, chickpeas, certain nuts and mushrooms, …).

A word of advice

Action over perfection, remember? Don't beat yourself up about the 'bad' foods you eat. It's all about crowding those out. Start by eating more plants and you'll automatically start feeling better and craving healthier habits. Give it time and don't be too hard on yourself.