Because systemic inflammation is such a key element in the development and progression of Endometriosis, one of the most powerful steps you can take is to follow an anti-inflammatory diet.

The word explains what it does - it reduces the systemic inflammation in your body. But what is it?

Well, it is a diet that consists of

1. Removing foods that increase inflammation
2. Adding foods that reduce inflammation.

I give my clients 3 simple to follow principles to make their diet anti-inflammatory.

Principle 1: Eat a wholefood diet

Why?

1. Our bodies are designed to thrive on natural foods and not man-made foods. We haven’t evolved enough yet (evolution works super slowly, it will take thousands of years to catch up) to handle man-made foods as well as natural foods.
2. As a result of eating man-made foods (think biscuits, cereals, processed meats, anything that comes in packed form in the shops), our bodies are in a constant state of slight discomfort. And we’re so used to this that we don’t even notice it!
3. This constant state of slight discomfort comes with chronic inflammation, which is the cause of many diseases.

What?

Wholefoods are:

1. Foods that have grown in soil- e.g. Vegetables (incl frozen)
2. Foods that have walked on soil – e.g. meat, chicken
3. Foods that are produced by something that walked on soil – e.g. dairy, eggs.

How?

1. Start replacing packaged foods with wholefoods in your breakfast, lunch, dinner and snack.
2. Look for easy ways to create your normal meals but without the packaged ingredients. E.g. Bake your own biscuits. Or check the natural ingredients used in a packaged food and use those in your meals.

 

Principle 2: Eat More Plant Matter.

Why?

1. Plant-based foods are natural foods. Our bodies are designed to thrive on natural foods. We haven’t evolved enough yet (evolution works super slowly, it will take thousands of years to catch up) to handle processed foods as well as natural foods.
2. Plant-based foods contain a wide range of key nutrients: vitamins, minerals, trace elements and phytonutrients. Those phytonutrients are ONLY found in plants that have grown above the ground and are powerful anti-inflammatory antioxidants.
3. We typically don’t eat enough plant-based foods. Our ratios between meat, carbs and plant-based foods in our meals is way out.

What?

Plant-based foods are:

1. Vegetables
2. Fruits
3. Nuts
4. Seeds
5. Legumes & beans
6. Grains (wholegrains!), but not wheat (see the next principle)

How?

1. Add plant-based foods to every meal: breakfast, lunch, dinner and snack.
2. For lunch and dinner, ¾ of your plate should be made up of plant-based foods.
3. Eat the rainbow: aim for at least 3 different vegetables from different colours. Frozen vegetables are absolutely fine. And if you buy fresh, don’t buy it pre-cut/sliced, etc as cut plants leak their nutrients.

 

Principle 3: Remove Inflammatory Foods.

Why?

1. Many foods increase inflammation. This includes all processed foods, but some wholefoods as well
2. Certain foods are not inflammatory in themselves, but are a problem in Endometriosis

What?

Inflammatory foods are:

1. Gluten: wheat protein is one of the main inflammatory foods for women with endometriosis. A gluten sensitivity causes an immune response, and damage to the gut wall allows partly digested gluten proteins to enter the bloodstream, causing wide-spread inflammation. Gluten are in breads, pastas, oats, rye, barley, malt, Brewer’s yeast, soy sauce, most salad dressings and marinades, meat substitutes like vegetarian burgers, and many processed foods – check the label.
2. Foods containing sugar: sugar is an immune depressant and is highly inflammatory. Avoid biscuits, lollies, cake, muffins, ice cream, sugary beverages and fruit juices
3. Processed meats: ham, salami, sausages, pre-seasoned meat products such as kebabs
4. Processed snack foods: chips, crackers etc.
5. Certain oils: soybean oil, corn oil
6. Trans fats: many processed foods contain hydrogenated fats – check the label
7. Alcohol: although some alcoholic drinks contain antioxidants, the alcohol content is inflammatory and will undo any benefits you might have gotten from the antioxidants.
8. Caffeine is a gut and bowel irritant and will aggravate existing food sensitivities.
9. Dairy: if you had recurring ear infections as a child, dairy protein may also cause inflammation for you.

How?

1. Review your current diet and determine what you are currently eating that is on the inflammatory list above
2. Remove gluten as a key first step.
3. If you drink a lot of coffee, black or green tea, or eat a lot of chocolate, phase these out of your diet over a couple of weeks (to avoid caffeine withdrawal). Replace your coffee or tea with water or herbal teas
4. Stick to a wholefood, mostly plant-based diet.

 

Now, at this point you might feel a little overwhelmed. So much to change if you want to eat an anti-inflammatory diet!

Well, I’ve got you covered! Start by completing a free diet assessment to see how much of your current diet is contributing to your symptoms.