This is where you can post your diet suggestions/recipes...I recommend a book written by a fellow endo sister in the UK. It has many recipes in it that are wheat,dairy,caffeine & sugar free! available at www.endo-resolved.com
on the diet section of that site.

Hi again.

I ordered this book. I was surprised by all the interesting recipes. Even as a former vegetarian this is quite the challenging diet for me. Any tips for when you're craving something "bad"? My biggest weakness is dairy... Though my smoothies made with frozen fruit and rice milk (instead of skim) are still awesome!

Melanie

Hi, Thanks for the tip about the smoothie, I drink rice milk also & you know I never even thought about- making a smoothie out of it. I am going to try that. My favorite recipe, when I am craving sweets is:
Slice bannanas, add maple syrup, cinnamon, nutmeg & raisins. Bake about 15 min @ 350 degrees. I do not quite understand why maple syrup is allowed -it does not affect my blood sugar for some reason(I am hypoglycemic).
I just recently bought the book, so have only tried a few things in it. I make a lot of soups, but still need more ideas for food, so feel free to let me know if you come across another good recipe. It is hard in the beginning all of this, but you know it becomes pretty routine as you get used to it & you have the right foods on hand. Thanks for writing!!

That sounds good! Yeah, I've thought it strange that maple syrup is allowed. Thank goodness though or it would be hard to eat my oatmeal. I was in Laguna Beach today and my niece was so excited about having a frozen banana. I was a little sad because I couldn't have one since it's covered in chocolate (which I love), but I asked if they had any that had not already been drenched in the good stuff and they did! Surprisingly, it tasted a lot like ice cream. I suppose you could melt some carob, pour it over sliced frozen bananas and top with with some chopped almonds and have a very nice dessert!

On another note, I made an appointment with Dr. Barrett for next week. I'm very excited!

Melanie

Hi again, This site is very new, so thanks for posting. I tried the shake today. I added frozen pineapple & some watermelon to the rice milk & blended it. I was very surprised at how good it was! I am going shopping at Henry's tommorow, so have my list made. I made a big mistake when making my soup the other day. I was out of lentils so used black beans instead-oh it was gross. All the vegetables turned black.
I am going to get carob, that should make some nice desserts & also am buying cardomon pods to try the chai tea. This is kind of fun being creative with food!
Were you talking about the ice cream shop at the corner of pch across from the main beach?

Hi Lori.

Yes, that is the exact ice cream shop, on Forest and PCH! They had to go to the back to get it and I was so thankful that they did. My favorite smoothie is pineapple/mango. Also for extra nutritive value try adding ground flaxseed. As I'm sure you know, it's a great source of essential fatty acids (omega-3s, I think). It gives a slight nutty flavor, but you hardly notice it's there. I also add it to my morning oatmeal.

I just love your site; I hope more people start to post more.

Melanie

Hi Melanie,
I bought some Mangos, so am going to try that shake tommorow, so thanks for that. I am drinking chai tea right now. It is good, makes me feel like I am drinking coffee actually. I spiced it up:
1 1/2 cups water
cinnamon stick
4 cardomon pods
4 cloves
boil in saucepan, cover, simmer on low-10 mins.
strain into cup.
I added maple syrup & some rice milk & more cinnamon. I think I will go make another one.
Lori

Thanks so much for the tip on where to find the recipe book. I have read the book Endometriosis: A guide to Healing through Nutrition (which also has a few recipes in the back), and had figured I needed to avoid all those things but it was hard to do so in creative ways that make you feel like you are not eating the same thing all the time. I ordered the book tonight. My only thing is I also have PCOS and sometimes the diet suggestions for the two seem to contradict each other. But thank you for the suggestion of the book. I am having a particularly hard day with it all today and am spurred on by both of your enthusiasms

A good desert I made up today:

2 mashed bannanas.
1/2 cup granola.
add rice milk or almond milk- enough to make it a little thick.
unsweetened carob chips.

these are approximates, as I never measure anything!
It was so good!

Hi,
I just added a page on the website of some foods & resources, listed under The Endo Diet, so feel free to add some foods here that you get at the grocery store, at restaurants, good fast foods or other sources, so I can make a compiled list on the site, as I have time. Any information is appreciated.
Chow!

Hey Lori,

Noticed you needed some help with the Baja Fresh menu... I can help here as I eat there at least twice a week. I mist often get the Mahi mahi fish tacos (they have really good chicken ones too, but I am not eating any meat outside of fish these days). They come with cabbage, pico de gallo, avocado and the yummiest zesty avocado salsa. They also have very fresh salsas that are great on salads (my favorite is the baja salsa). Their beans and rice are also great! They have both black beans and pinto beans (I always get a mix of both) and they are not cooked in lard. Sometimes I order the beans and rice with a side order of corn tortillas, request some of their avocado salsa, add some cilantro and baja salsa and it is a great meal! Their salads are also very fresh, very good. Bon apetit!

Melanie

Hi Melanie,
I thought of you last night. We went to Baja Fresh. Just love those Tacos & I never knew about the avocado sauce that they had. Very tasty, well it was so good, we are going again tonite. My daughter loves the rice & beans, so I bought a fish taco for myself a rice & beans plate for her, not realizing that I can get the fish taco combo with 2 tacos including rice & beans for a lot cheaper-I think $6.99 total. Not too bad of a price. How are you feeling lately? I am going to post about accupuncture that I tried last nite. Lots read here, but most do not post. I think probably only about 10% or less post, so imagine all of the women reading on the ob-gyn site-oh my!
Thanks again!
Lori

Hi Lori,

As I told a colleague today, "I would drink that avocado salsa if they'd sell it to me in a glass." Indeed, it is a zesty salsa! I am not ashamed to admit that I have, on occasion, licked the little bowl they put it in (I always ask for it on the side because then you get a little more!).

Ahem, anyway.... Thanks for asking how I am doing. I am on my second cycle since my surgery. It started off relatively pain free, which was great because usually my worst cramps are early on and very light. Day 4 was a bit of a different story, lots of cramps (though managed by naproxen which finally took effect about 4 hours later) and heavier flow than I ever experienced before surgery (which also happened during my first cycle). In fact, I missed work because of the severe cramping and for fear of getting myself into an embarrassing situation... I feel much better today though. I am hoping my body needs some time to adjust to having surgery and all the things I've been doing in terms of alternative treatments (I just can't afford to continue to miss work). I will say the pain is nothing like I've had before.

Mentally though I find myself feeling much more emotional than I ever have. I seem to cry at the drop of a hat and I am much more sensitive to things that happen around me. I also find it very difficult to be in social situations. Do you experience that? I'm thinking I need better strategies for dealing with all of it, any ideas? Anyone? Please... I feel like I have to warn people around me of my heightened sensitivity, but at the same time I know they are tired of it all. I don't blame them, sometimes I don't even know what to do with myself. What's hard is a couple of my relationships have really suffered through all of this. But I will say at the end of everyday though my optimism returns and it's getting easier.

Melanie

Lori,

GEEZ! How insensitive of me, how are you feeling these days? I find your site so supportive and I am so thankful I found it...

Melanie

Hi Melanie & other wonderful girls...,
Thanks for asking how I am doing & thank you for coming here & posting!!
I guess it depends on the day you ask how I am doing. Overall every month better & better!! so that is wonderful!!


I have my bad days, as I just did, but it was not without some learning from it, so I am glad.
It seems I am allergic to Soy! read the end of my story as I update it. I had some major fear which came along with the soy incident, not using my progesterone cream as normal & also I ran out of my cortisol adrenal gland stuff. The fear was only their a few days but oh my!

Today I feel great!!! & hopeful and am praying all of us can learn from all of this, but also have some good results, but remember it does take time. If you think about my case, I have had the disease 20 years. Unless a miracle happens, it is going to take some time to get better. Of course my goal is 100% better, but that is up to the Lord, and I do feel sometimes that the down times seem to serve a purpose.

I'm just laying here in bed, not sleeping, with my little laptop. And was just scamming through the messeges. Got a few questions, probably don't remember them all, so will have to read again later and ask. What is carob? And where can flaxseed be bought, just a health food store? I know my sister used to add those to this shake she made everyday.
Oh wow that was weird, and not nice! I'm bummed something that erased half my messege! I hate when that happens. And since its very early morn, I don't even remember what I wrote!!!
Yeah the endo and IC diet contradict each othere quite a bit sometimes, which is quite hard! But hopefully after time I can get things figured out!! If I can even get the diets to help me any! Course right now I'm having some very severe pains that I very much doubt is from the endo or IC, so until I figure out what is causing that nothing will probably help. Crossing my fingers my parents will finally take me to the doc today, and that they won't just blow me off, and will take me serious!
Oh and btw, since I haven't got to email you back yet Lori. Just to let ya know...I have been eating, not enough, but still have some. Eating is causing me severe pain, and once in that pain don't want to eat at all. So yeah...kind of been hard to eat. But I never take my vitamins if I haven't ate, so don't worry about that! If I haven't ate enough cause I felt so horrible, I skipped my vits, which has only been a few times.
Well I best be off! Thanks for any help!!!

I would recomment checking out the www.vegweb.com site for lots of great veggie recipes!

Also, for other recommendations of places to eat, if you have a Sweet Tomatoes Restaurant nearby, it's awesome too. www.sweettomatoes.com

For another cuisine to try, thai food has a lot of great dishes using coconut milk if you're looking for something "creamy or milky"

'Hope this helps! :)

Thank You, Thank You, Thank You Foodie, wow how great to have someone here who loves food, as I am hypoglycemic so need to eat a lot of it often.


I will check out the links. I will also be adding these ideas & others to the endo diet page, as time goes on.

Blessings

Lori

To be honest, this prior month I had no time or energy to stick with the diet, since the chronic fatigue overwhelmed me. I would say I have done the diet 40%. Last month almost 100%.

Last month:
NO PMS
NO PAIN at all (of course other things I take help with that but usually still have some mild cramps)

This month:
PMS SURGE
I can feel the hormonal surge right now-not extreme, but definately their. I should start my period any day now, but not really fearful of the pain as it is usually mild if it comes. I just used more progesterone cream, so perhaps it will take care of the PMS.
PMS is a concern -you would have to read my post on PMS/PMDD to know where I am coming from.

Back to the diet!!!

GOOD LUCK!!! It is a challenge, but you can succeed!!

Margaret

On a rampage today a bit about spreading the word about natural therapies!!! I wanted to add a great shake to this thread:

Vanilla almond milk
frozen blueberries

mix in blender. It is delicious. Talk to you girls another day! It is a beautiful day here in so. California, I wish I were at tbe beach.

Melanie, if you see this post, how are you?

Lori

Hi Lori
I'm a 29 yr old South African woman with endo (look on a map of Africa, the very tip at the bottom of the continent is where I live!) and everyday I hear about more women with endo.
Like you, I also believe the disease is due to environmental and hormonal changes in our diet and lives. The only way to combat the effects of the disease is through diet! (Been following the diet for 4 months now)
Another tip I wanted to give you is to JUICE veggies and fruit. I juice whole beetroot (I think you call them beets in the US) and carrots in the morning before work. I then add celery, or ginger or whatever else I feel like. I very rarely juice fruit, as I find too much sugar makes me unwell. But Veggie juices are a winner. I am keeping an eye out for your friend's book (The Endometriosis Diet) at our bookstores. Sounds really interesting.
PS Really great site! Well done.

Hi Moonbeam!
Welcome here. Thanks for the tips. I need to get that juicer out again. I did hear beets are very good for detoxing, I will just have to try that!

Yea the book is not sold in bookstores, only online.
Feel free to visit us again,
Lori

I'm not sure if this will help anyone or not, but here goes. I have not been diagnosed with endo but came across the site while doing some research. The endo diet sounds almost exactly like a yeast diet which I had to go on before I got pregnant with either of my kids. Both times within 3 weeks of being on the diet I was pregnant. I hope that this can help someone.

Lois, I just read an old post and you mentioned that you were pregnant 3 weeks after starting a wheat free diet. Would you mind telling me a bit more about the diet you were on? Were you very strict? I have been trying to conceive for a long time. Last month I was on a very strict, anti everything diet and felt so good. Fell off this month and had terrible sugar cravings. Hoping that I might have the success you did.

Hello I am new to this forum. I read a couple message and found great ideas, insights, and simple snack recipes. Thank you for sharing your experiences.

I had an endo/intestinal abdominal surgery this past Jan 2008 and was rushed to the ER 3x (misdiagnosed by some incopentent doctors). Prior to the surgery, my pain level would register to a 10.5 during my mese cycle. Not fun. Now period days are tolerable esp. with the diet, excercise, motrin, eve primrose, vitamins, relaxation breathing, and a pos. attitude. However, just this past mense cycle, it wasn't all sunshines and lollipops (I must have had an imbalance in my hormonoe level due to something I ate, who knows) The painful feeling all came rushing back in. I thought the pain (severe mens cramps) would be gone or at least diminish (it has been soo pain-free this past 6 months). Of course, I was wrong. Eventually I managed through the pain by doing relaxation breathing, positive visualization, endo food, eve. primrose with vit E, water, motrin, and a gentle massage on my abdominal area.

I am currently on a 80% endo diet (eliminated wheat, dairy, gluten, caffeine... etc). Surprisingly the diet is not bad. I learned to train my tastebuds and train myself to cook new and exciting endo dishes. The challenging part of this the diet is you have to put a lot of creativity into the dishes without totally cutting yourself short on flavor. Now I am in search to find a good recipe for wheat free/gluten free bread?

P.S. I bought the endometriosis diet book by carolynne lavette... good recipes, love the smoothie recipes. I will try the frozen blueberries and almond milk shake. That should be lovely. I will also check out that website for www.endo-resolve.com thanks.

I have a book on this diet but when I went through it I cannot see myself sticking to it. Why? Because my family would not eat it.

So my question to all of you ladies is.. how do you follow your diet and keep your family happy. I think I could get my children to change their eating habits eventually as they are babies, but my husband is a different story. He loves all things bad for you. I was a vegetarian when I met him and now I wonder how in the world I did it!!

Hi Tracy,
I have the EXACT same problem with my husband! I was so glad when I was married to him (married six months ago) that way I had ALOT more control of what he ate. His diet before marrying me was hot dogs, ice cream, fast food, and that about covers it, oh and pizza. Well that has changed A TON since he has married me. The only down side is that I have eaten worse since dating him. I went a while with hardly eating any sugar, wheat, etc. But now eat sugar, and some wheat. But I didn't find the eating no sugar, wheat, etc to help a ton, which is partly cuz it depressed me so much that my mood effected my health.
But this is what I have done to help my husband eat. Try to cook him meals, and make his lunchs for work when I feel up to it. He is only allowed fast food once a month, which is also cuz no money for it. I do the grocery shopping. And I have slowly introduced healthy food to him a little at a time. Chicken Taco Salad, Chicken Stir Fry, Salad, fruit, etc. Veggies is still hard to get him to eat, but am working on it. If there is one thing you can't seem to get him to eat, move on to the next, and go back to it later. Find healthy things he loves and always get that when shopping. My hubby loves bananas, banana shakes, so I get those. But at the same time still get a few of his favorite, junk foods, hot dogs for my hubby, whatever your husbands are, that way he doesn't think your completely taking over what he eats. As I said SLOWLY introduce him to the healthy food. Anyways any questions or want more info on this, you can email me at the email listed. Good luck!
~Rachel

I have been trying the Endo Diet for a couple weeks and must say, I feel better. However, I am not the chef of the house. I am not the shopper of the food in the house either. I am blessed with a hubby who does the cooking...my girlfriends all want to kill me. So I am forced to cook my own separate meal and frankly, I HATE TO COOK. That's why my husband does it. I can muster up a soup maybe or something VERY easy and simple after putting in 10 or 11 hour days at the office, but that it. Besides going to a resturant, are there any good store bought easy meals. I know I can't eat frozen because of the preservatives, so I have been trying to find fresh made meals. Very difficult...any suggestions?

Hello!
I know it is difficult. I try personally to stick to vegetables, fish and meat. I eat an avocado with gluten free crackers for lunch mostly. Eggs and turkey bacon for breakfast and fish and string beans for dinner.
On the top of this forum are some recipes.

God Bless you!
Love,
Lori

Tracy, my husb is the shopper AND chef too here! He LOVES to cook. Why not ask your husb to alter some recipes. That’s what mine does. Like I’m a vegetarian & if he makes, say, chili, he’ll make it w/o meat & set it aside then finish it w/ meat. He loves experimenting w/ recipes & trying new things. I’ve always been a veg. & into healthy eating so even tho it was a change for him (been married 10 years), he was fine w/ helping me out. I will also add too, he works 8 hours w/ an hour commute each way. I’m home on disability. We only have one car right now. But I had asked him if he’d like me to help but cooking is one of the ways he relaxes.
Now w/ endo, I have asked him to look for the colors & numbers & flavorings & not buy them. We do shop together at times but he works in the city so there’s more choices (cheaper too!) down there.
While I don’t care to cook, I DO like making my own products. I’ve posted in here before I make lipgloss, lotion balms, even toothpaste & laundry soap. I even make my own ketchup & hummus (won’t do HFCS either). I’m for simplistic & the recipes are quite easy. Why do you hate to cook? I don’t care for it ‘cos I’m impatient but I found when I make up the recipe & do it that way, I feel more in control & hence ENJOY it. I get a satisfaction in making something ‘different’. So maybe try that. What you can also do is have a garden. Then you can freeze & can what you’d like.
God Bless!
Love,
Wend