I just recovered from one of the worst months of menstrual pain that I’ve had in a long time. Endometriosis was kicking my ass. I was in bed for a couple of days nursing my pain and just resting from feeling so drained. I think this month was worse than the previous couple of months because I have not been sticking to a healthy eating plan. I will admit, I have been slipping the last couple of months because the new year brings celebrations, which in turn brings more eating and drinking than I would normally consume. So, I truly think my off-balance eating finally caught up to me, and I paid for it with pain and suffering this month. Period! No pun intended.
So now, I need to get back on track. First, I’m going to reintroduce myself to the Endometriosis Diet, also known as the Endo Diet or an anti-inflammatory diet. This isn’t necessarily a diet, but just a list of foods to eat and to avoid that will help cut down on inflammation in the body.
Eat More of This
- fibrous foods, such as fruits, vegetables, legumes, and whole grains
- dark leafy greens, broccoli, beans, grains, nuts, seeds and other iron-rich foods
- salmon, walnuts, chia, and flax seeds and foods rich in essential fatty acids
- berries, oranges, dark chocolate, spinach, beets and other antioxidant-rich foods
- water and veggie rich smoothies
Limit or Reduce This
- alcohol
- caffeine
- processed foods
- refined sugar
- soy
- gluten
- red meat
- saturated and trans fat
Inflammatory foods are not good for endo sufferers such as myself. In all honesty, I can eat whatever I want at the end of day, but I will definitely pay for it later. I notice that when I eat better, my body thanks me and my pain and symptoms decrease.
Finally, exercising and staying active is very important to managing my endo pain. So, I will be more consistent with going to the gym as well. I am also going to stay on top of my vitamins and supplements because certain supplements can provide energy or help to reduce inflammation.
Although there is no one specific diet that will cure endometriosis, eating better definitely helps me to manage my pain.
Do you have endometriosis or know someone with it? If so, encourage them (or yourself) to eat healthier in order to reduce inflammation, help balance hormones and reduce stress.
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