For The Endo Girls : Is the Endo Diet Worth It?

Prior to meeting with a naturopathic doctor, and even prior to my official diagnosis, I did a lot of research on the Endo Diet.

I looked through a variety of sources and found that for the most part, supporters of the diet suggest eliminating the following :

gluten. red meat. dairy. sugar. coffee. caffeine. soy. 

chocolate. eggs. fried foods. alcohol. saturated fats and oils.
and others recommended getting rid of all processed foods.

Obviously, what I share here is just my opinion and personal experience. I'm not an expert by any stretch of the imagination. But in spite of the success some women experience with it, this version of the diet didn't work for me and may not be working for other women for a similar reason.

Here's what I mean...

I started the Endo Diet by eliminating gluten 3 months before my surgery. Then I eliminated red meat. I eliminated dairy. One at a time I started getting rid of the things I wasn't "supposed" to be eating and started eating LOTS of strawberries, grapes, bananas, quinoa with vegetables, garlic and onions, organic peanut butter by the spoonful, and replacing most gluten contaminated foods with corn or potato products.

When I went to meet with my naturopath, the first thing he wanted to do was an allergy test. I had never had an allergy test because I have always known I'm not allergic to anything! I've never broken out in hives, never had my tongue swell up.. Why bother? Clearly, I'm good as gold.

If you read this blog regularly, you know that I was very wrong. There were a number of foods that I was sensitive to that I had been eating enormous amounts of, because it was recommended for me on the Endo Diet. Strawberries, bananas, apples, grapes - all foods I have a high sensitivity to. Peanuts, onions, garlic, potatoes, tomatoes, corn... All allergies. The list went on and on.

The thing about allergies is that they don't always reveal themselves through hives or swelling. Your body can have a negative reaction to foods in a variety of ways and the reaction may not happen for days after you've eaten it, which makes it nearly impossible to figure out exactly what it is that makes you feel differently in any way.

All of this was news to me.

I started telling my doctor about the Endo Diet and he agreed that those are probably good guidelines for any person to follow, but I was filling myself up with things that were supposed to help me, like the fruits and garlic etc., when they were actually the things preventing me from getting any better.

Here's another way to explain what I'm saying:

The same day I met my new doctor, I had been fighting a cold that wouldn't go away. I had been taking copious amounts of Vitamin C for weeks, like everyone suggested, went through a Z pack, had been to urgent care for a breathing treatment, and nothing was making it budge. It was getting worse by the day and by the end of the week had even turned into bronchitis! I was so frustrated that I was doing exactly what I was supposed to do and only getting worse.

It finally clicked when my allergy test revealed that I'm allergic to Vitamin C supplements. Not the amount of Vitamin C you can get from food, but the condensed amount that is in a pill. So I stopped taking Vitamin C and was better within days. It had been the thing preventing my body from fighting the illness. This is the same thing the food was doing to stunt my progress with endo treatments.

The thing to remember is that every woman is different.

This is why everyone's skincare regimen can't be the same! Some people have oily skin, others dry, or combination. If everyone used the same products for their skin and washed their face the same number of times, they would all get different results. Some would break out all over the place while others would look marvelous!

I think our diets work the same way. There isn't just one diet that relieves everyone of endometriosis pain. It's important to figure out what your particular body needs and modify your diet to accommodate it.

I consider what I'm doing to be the Endo Diet. It's my Endo Diet. I avoid what I need to avoid for my personal well being and in spite of it's challenges, it seems to be helping.

Regardless of the rules you follow, it certainly doesn't hurt to watch what you eat and live a healthier lifestyle, just be aware of your body and how it responds to things. We don't need anything else getting in the way of our progress! :)

What have your experiences with the Endo Diet been like?
Has it helped you? Were you able to stick to it?

Keep fighting!
xoxo