I am moved beyond words by the reaction within the endometriosis community to my recent Response to the “Emotional Causes” of Endometriosis article.  A special thank you to the Endometriosis Research Center for including my article on their site along with their official response.  I am truly grateful.

It is no secret that I am a fierce advocate for women’s health and proponent of the integrative approach to this disease; including expert excision surgery, diet, pelvic floor physical therapy and other beneficial treatments.  While not the cause nor a cure, diet is a very important component of the symptomatic management and overall well-being that is all too often ignored or only partially attempted.

How can diet improve symptoms?  In a few different ways.  The foods we eat can increase the amount of inflammation in the body; and when we experience more inflammation, we also experience more pain.  It can also worsen symptoms through poor digestion, endocrine disruption, food sensitivities and increasing our overall toxic load.  All of these factors leave us feeling worse, in more pain and suffering from other symptoms such as digestive problems, fatigue and body aches.

 

These are my 5 essential steps for endometriosis nutrition success.

 

Eliminate Processed Foods

This may seem obvious, but it is a very important one.  Processed and refined foods increase inflammation, toxicity, digestive symptoms and make us feel even worse.  In this phase, I also like to focus on overall health, including getting enough quality sleep, physical activity, deep breathing and stress management.  Balance is really important.

Adopt a Clean, Anti-Inflammatory Diet

This is one step beyond eliminating processed foods and concentrates the focus on foods that naturally reduce inflammation in the body and getting the right balance of essential fats.  When we decrease inflammation, we can help relieve pain while improving overall health, and start natural gentle detoxification of the body.

Gentle Detox

Gentle detoxification is so important for overall health and to keep one’s body operating optimally.  Not only is it important to get rid of toxins that are weighing you down, but it is also important to keep the channels of elimination (liver, bowels, kidneys and skin) open so they can continue to release the toxins we create every day.  This also helps to balance hormones to prevent excreted estrogen from being reabsorbed in the colon and recycled in the body.

Now this doesn’t mean to jump right into an aggressive cleanse (such as the Master Cleanse), fasting or in taking a lot of “cleansing herbs” (ie often mostly a blend of herbal laxatives.)  In fact, in my experience, aggressive detoxification is one of the worst things endo patients can do.  Slow and steady wins the race, although some people do benefit from a balanced 1-3 day long “juice feast” of fresh, raw, organic juices to kick start the process.

Detoxing isn’t only limited to food, but also our environment.  Installing quality water (not just your drinking water but your shower and tub as well) and air filters and avoiding plastics (I love using tempered glass food containers, water bottles and straws), pesticides, herbicides, GMO foods and household chemicals (like cleaning products, air fresheners, personal care products etc) are very important factors to consider as well.

Eliminate Food Sensitivities

Food sensitivities are exceedingly common among endometriosis patients and many find that eliminating these foods provides a great deal of symptomatic relief.  These sensitivities can range from immune-based reactions, difficulty with digestion which can also flare up adhesion-related pain, and other forms of intolerance.  Improving overall digestion is also helpful in this phase.

While there are many common food triggers, it is extremely important to remember that everyone is different and has individual sensitivities and needs.  It absolutely is not one size fits all.  Just because a popular book or website advocates a strict “endo diet” encouraging all endometriosis patients to eliminate foods x, y or z does not mean that you are sensitive to those foods or that you will not react to “safe” foods.  This is even more complicated when you add common co-morbidities like interstitial cystitis (IC) or pelvic floor dysfunction into the picture.  Your personal nutrition program needs to be as unique as you.

Reintroduction and Maintenance

As we identify food triggers and non-triggers, we will gradually begin incorporating these foods back into your diet as tolerated.  The goal is to develop a balanced long term plan that keeps you healthy and supports your overall well-being.

While correctly executing all of these steps may be difficult to achieve on your own, working with an experienced nutritionist to guide you through the process makes all the difference in your success.  Yes, it does take commitment, some effort and time, but in my experience, the benefits of finding the right diet for you can really make a dramatic improvement in how we feel and the quality of our lives.

 

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All material found on www.thenutritionista.ca is intended as general educational material only and should not be considered medical or nutritional advice. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, or cure any medical condition and has not been evaluated by the FDA.  Please consult with your personal physician before implementing any health, nutrition, supplement or exercise program to ensure its safety and suitability for your specific individual situation