The Endo "Diet"

Research has shown that having a particular diet can lessen the symptoms of Endometriosis. This diet is an anti-inflammatory diet in which you eliminate dairy and gluten. One of the first things I did after I started researching Endometriosis was change my diet to see if that helped my symptoms. Over time it actually did! I don't believe a dairy and gluten free diet is for everyone. Personally, I believe in fueling your body with whatever you want in moderation and also believe everyone’s body needs something different and nothing is "one size fits all" when it comes to a diet or food. What works for me might not work for you and it's important to talk to your doctor before eliminating foods or changing what you eat.

One thing I found overtime is that I cannot use ground turkey as a healthier alternative to hamburger because my body is usually low on iron. To keep my iron up I have to have red meat at least every other week (on top of taking a prenatal with iron three time a week) to keep myself from having dizzy spells. Another thing I found out is that I have to have sugar. I went through a period of time believing sugar was bad for my body until I found out I actually have low blood sugar and need to have sugar in my diet. Now I make sure to include healthy natural sugars daily from fruit. Finding out these things has led me to learn more about my body and how to feel and be my healthiest with the food I put in my body. I was able to learn about what my individual body needs. Low iron and blood sugars can be attributed to Endometriosis so when I got my diagnosis these things made sense.

When I was in third grade, I was diagnosed with a milk allergy. No not lactose intolerant but an actual allergy. I went through a lot of allergy testing during this time and immunity treatments which allowed me to reintroduce milk and dairy to my diet a few years later. Over the past two years my body has returned to rejecting dairy products and I have slowly changed to a almost completely dairy free diet. To do this I made easy simple changes such as using lactose free milk, using a plant-based butter, and using plant-based cheese. I stick to Lataid brand milk, Country Crock for butter and Diaya for cheese. When I am out to eat or do make something with dairy, I always make sure to take a Lactaid pill.

Growing up I had no issues with gluten. I ate it all the time! However, after making the switch to mainly gluten free products a year and a half ago my cramps have decreased, I am bloated less, along with having less stomach aches. I now notice a huge change in how my body feels and I almost always regret eating a hamburger bun or a piece of pizza if it is not gluten free. Switching to mainly gluten free was pretty simple by buying Brilla gluten free noodles, getting gluten free bagels from Trader Joes, cauliflower crust pizza (Trader Joes and Caulipower are both good), and I love finding new gluten free snacks to try. Some of my favorite snacks have come from Target and Trader Joes. I will share a post about my favorite gluten free snacks at a later time! Gluten intolerance has also been linked to Endometriosis. I also have bumps on my arms which are also associated with gluten intolerance.

As I end this post, I just want to remind you that it is so important to be aware of your body and to be aware of how what you eat might be impacting your body and how you feel. I hope this helps those that are struggling with a diet and those that are trying to eat gluten and dairy free for whatever reason it may be! I know these changes in my diet have helped me personally but also know it isn't for everyone and for everyone’s body! Just like my body isn't okay with no red meat and with no sugar. Fuel your body with what it needs and enjoy figuring out what your own body needs! It has also helped not only my physical health but has also helped my mental health as I have loved finding new recipes on Pinterest to try and enjoy making my own new dairy and gluten free recipes. I even started my own cookbook with some of the receipes I have found! My hope is to use this blog to share some of those as well!

~Marissa