Endometriosis Dietitian Nutritionist

29/06/2022

29/06/2022

WHICH APPROACH DO YOU PREFER?

The truth is being overly restrictive is not your answer to long-term success with your endometriosis and its symptoms. In fact not fuelling your body correctly can contribute to further inflammation, immune dysfunction and more gut issues.

WHY IS THIS?
1️⃣When you restrict your calorie intake, your body takes on a self-preservation mode, it focuses on fuelling the parts of the body that need it the most such as your brain. Your cortisol levels rise as your body becomes more stressed and your fight or flight mode comes into action.

2️⃣The last thing your body is thinking about is supporting gut, hormone and immune health.The nutritional deficits even contributes to symptoms such as a sluggish gut, constipation, a foggy mind, fatigue and anxiety.

✨A much better approach to minimising a flare, is taking time to uncover your root cause and triggers but not forgetting to fuel your body.
✨Build a picture, start by monitoring your intake and your symptoms.
✨Take time to master the basics from mindful eating practices to regular meals.
✨Plus don’t forgot about the impact that non-dietary triggers e.g. stress, poor sleep and high intensity workouts can also have on symptoms.

💫Would you like to take your support to the next level, have someone help you navigate the maze, take the overwhelm out of dealing with endo symptoms and ultimately set you up for success?

👆Head to the link in my bio and book in for your free kickstarter call to discover my 5 step formula to relieving endo symptoms.

20/06/2022

Hey endowarriors are you making any of these mistakes when it comes to endobloat?👇👇👇

1️⃣Blaming the last thing you ate!
2️⃣Pinpointing specific foods as the flare culprit (without getting objective data)!
3️⃣Following a restrictive diet long-term yet still symptomatic!
4️⃣Making many changes at once!
5️⃣Being overly reliant on supplements!
6️⃣Trying to solve the puzzle alone!

Identifying food triggers is not an easy job and trying to figure it out alone can just add to the overwhelm 😫. I get it, it's completely natural when you experience bloating or digestive issues to look back on the last thing that you ate to try and figure out the culprit food. It may even lead you to eliminate certain foods from your diet because you suspect a trigger!

However when it comes to food intolerances and flares it's not so black and white. 🤷Did you know that in most cases it's once the culprit food(s) hits the large bowel that’s when symptoms can start to flare. This window can be from 4 up to 36 hours after a trigger food is consumed. If you experience symptoms sooner it might not even be what you ate but more so how you ate including how much or how quick?

Ultimately following a restrictive diet longterm is not going to serve you, your endo and your health. It will only add to the cycle of flares, stress and food intolerances.

💫If you want to streamline this approach to understanding your flares, cut the confusion and have someone guiding you along the way - then head to the link in my bio and book in for your no obligation Kickstarter call to start relieving endo symptoms!💫
🎗💛🎗

15/06/2022

Are you stumbling in the dark when it comes to figuring out a dietary approach that helps manages your endo symptoms?

Here are my 5 tops tips to set yourself up for success.

1️⃣ Take time to uncover your personal dietary triggers

Once you feel confident in knowing what triggers your symptoms plus you start getting some symptom relief, then you will be in a lot better place to focus on adopting dietary patterns that benefit your endo, health and fertility.

2️⃣ Aim for daily bowel movements

Healthy and regular bowel movements are a must for all endowarriors, otherwise your bound to feel bloated. Regular bowel movements also support oestrogen removal the main hormone involved in endo growth.

3️⃣ Expand your diet and focus on what you can add in

All too often we can start to focus on what we need to kick out of our diet for better health. Yes this can be great if your diet is particularly high in added sugars and saturated fats. But it's just as important to focus on how you can enrich your diet with more fruits, veggies, wholegrains, nuts, seeds and legumes.

4️⃣ Nourish your gut

This powerhouse organ houses 70% of our immune system and plays a role in hormone health, motility, reducing inflammation, synthesising vitamins and so much more. Make sure to nurture it with nutritious foods.

5️⃣ Strike a balance

Don’t forget there is still some room in your diet for a piece of your favourite cake or snack, it’s all about striking a balance and not depriving yourself. Just remember it’s what you do most of the time that matters!

👉 Are you looking for a streamlined approach that strikes a balance and focuses on evidence based strategies to help you get relief from endo symptoms??

💫Book in for your no obligation kickstarter call and discover my 5 step system to start relieving endo symptoms today. Click the link in my bio to schedule your call 👆👆

31/05/2022

Are you looking for a bloat friendly, multi-purpose sauce to add to your main meals, salads or simply perk up your sandwiches. Then you need to try this pesto and pinenut sauce which can be whipped up in a matter of minutes.

Ingredients & Method:

⭐ 3 cups of fresh basil
⭐ 1/2 a cup of pinenuts or brazil nuts
⭐ 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
⭐ 1 tablespoon of grated parmesan cheese

Place all the ingredients into a food processor and blend together.

This is a great recipe, not only is it a non-bloater, but it is packed with some great anti-inflammatory ingredients and a source of protein.

Parmesan cheese like most hard cheeses is low in lactose, so unless you have an issue with the milk protein it should be well tolerated.

💫 Parmesan cheese is also a source of both pre & pro-biotics. A fermented cheese it contains lactobacilli and bifidobacteria - aka it provides gut healthy microbes (probiotics). While a recent study showed its prebiotic effect due to the presence of oligosaccharides which could stimulate the growth of certain bacteria already in the gut that have both immunostimulant and anti-inflammatory capabilities.

So are you a pesto fan? Tag me if you give this dish a go👇

20/05/2022

Are you struggling with fatigue, lack of energy, brittle nails, thinning hair or mouth ulcers with your endometriosis? Then you may be dealing with low iron levels.

There can be a number of reasons why your iron levels may be low- but specifically in endometriosis it can be due to:

1️⃣ Heavy periods every month
2️⃣ Restrictive or a poor quality diet
3️⃣ Having other underlying medical conditions that are not diagnosed or just poorly managed.

It’s always important to get your levels checked by your doctor and explore the underlying cause. There's usually a reason why it's happening.

When it comes to iron absorption, our bodies tend to absorb haem iron (from animal sources) a lot more efficiently than from plant sources. However, you can still get the most out of your plant-based sources of iron by pairing them with vitamin C containing foods. Some of my favourite sources of vitamin C include kiwis, peppers, tomatoes, figs, oranges and strawberries.

Here's some paired examples below:

🔸 Tofu and broccoli
🔸 Oats and figs
🔸 Soyabeans and kale
🔸 Dried fruit and nuts
🔸 Iron fortified cereal and strawberries
🔸 Lentils and peppers
🔸 Cashews and kiwis
🔸 Dark leafy green salad with freshly squeezed lemon

What is your favourite combination? Let me know in the comments below. 👇

18/05/2022

Three reasons to follow a Mediterranean diet for Endo

1️⃣ May help endo symptoms (including general pain, painful periods, painful s*x and constipation linked with defective reflexes)
2️⃣ Improves overall health and is linked with a decreased risk of chronic diseases
3️⃣ It’s non-restrictive and tastes yummy

💫A recent review in 2021 looking at the diet’s effect on endo symptoms found those who followed a Mediterranean diet had significant relief of some endo symptoms as well as an improvement in overall wellbeing. However, the quality of the studies are not great so it is difficult to draw conclusions about what mechanism may be contributing to the benefits or if there were other contributing factors. However the med diet is considered anti-inflammatory, rich in antioxidants, high in fibre which supports digestion and rich in other nutrients that may help endo symptoms too.

💫Additionally, it is also protective against other chronic diseases including heart disease, cancer and diabetes and it is beneficial for fertility and overall wellbeing. With all that in mind including its great taste - what’s not to love about it!

Now the Mediterranean diet, is not a diet per se but a pattern of eating. The main principles of the Mediterranean diet include:

👉 Eating lots of colourful vegetables and fruits, nuts and seeds, legumes, potatoes, wholegrain breads and cereals, herbs and spices, fish and other seafood and extra-virgin olive-oil
👉 Eating eggs, cheese, yoghurt, milk and white meats in moderation.
👉 Eating red meat sparingly.
👉 Limiting intake of processed foods and refined oils (think takeaways, sweets, fizzy drinks).

Let’s set some goals! Let me know in the comments below what you need to add more of into your diet? 👇

17/05/2022

Ok Endowarrior do you find food can trigger bloating, wind and cause a change in bowel habit?

👇Here are three important points to remember if you feel long-term restriction is your only answer.

1️⃣ Our gut has a threshold of tolerance.

Meaning - it is only once your 'bucket' is overflowing with trigger foods - that is when symptoms are triggered. If you know your body’s limits and stick within these remits just for your trigger foods, you will unlikely run into problems. (*exception - those with food allergies and coeliac disease need complete avoidance).

2️⃣ Your gut can be trained to tolerate foods you find you are sensitive to.

A prime example of this is lactose (the carbohydrate found in milk products). About three in four people are deficient in the enzyme lactase aka lactose intolerant and therefore will struggle with digestive upset when they consume milk & yoghurts. However it has been demonstrated in a few studies and that you can re-build your tolerance levels. In one study, ten days of daily lactose consumption, caused the microbes in the gut to adapt to digesting and utilising lactose. As a result less digestive issues, most notably less flatulence was seen.

3️⃣ Long-term elimination diets will only exacerbate food sensitivities.

Your gut microbiota is highly changeable and adaptable and they reflect the type of diet you consume. Like a muscle that needs to be trained your gut needs to be nourished and fed a diverse diet continuously (little and often is far better than sporadic nourishing binges) otherwise you reduce the number of digestive enzymes in your gut needed to digest your food. The elimination of food long-term in particular prebiotic fibres (carbohydrates foods) weakens the gut microbiome, your immune system and makes you more prone to digestive distress.

💫 Although it often feels intuitive to naturally remove foods from our diet when we experience symptoms, expanding and diversifying your diet will be much more valuable to you in the long run.

Tell me, are you focusing on diversifying your diet? 👇

15/03/2022

FIBRE, FIBRE, FIBRE – a powerhouse nutrient when it comes to supporting your health and endometriosis. It has quite a remarkable repertoire which I have previously discussed, but in a nutshell -

⭐ It keeps you regular and minimises the risk of constipation (*some exceptions here)
⭐ Regular bowel movements supports oestrogen removal
⭐ Fibre also strengthens the gut microbiome which benefits both immune and hormone health.

However, what is equally important to the quantity of fibre in your diet, is that you are also getting fibre from a variety of different food sources.

Here are some tips to help you increase your fibre intake.
✔️ Eat the skin on your fruit and veggies (just make sure you wash it well first!)
✔️ Add nuts and seeds to yoghurt/curries
✔️ Add grated carrot or courgette to your baked goods like muffins
✔️ Switch to wholegrain breads, cereals and pastas
✔️ Add legumes to soups, stews and curries
✔️ Add spinach to curries and pasta dishes

What’s your favourite way to add extra fibre into your meals and snacks?

🌟Head to my stories today to fill out a short survey about how I can best support you with endometriosis and make sure to grab your gratitude goodie – just drop me a DM once you have completed your survey🌟.

10/02/2022

Over the years of working in this field, I find the one nutrient people really under-estimate how much they are having in their diet, is their fibre intake and in most cases there is room for improvement.

The current dietary recommendations for fibre is 25g-30g a day (country dependent) but the stats show the average intake in the UK is 18g day 🤯.

In my opinion fibre is an unsung hero and I think this is due to us historically seeing ‘fibre’ as just a ‘stool bulker’, but as science has evolved especially over the last decade we now understand it’s so much more than that. It’s responsible for a number of direct and indirect activities in our body, which are important to consider in endo too.

1️⃣ Enhancing immunity
2️⃣ Reducing inflammation in the gut & body
3️⃣ Diversifying our gut microbes
4️⃣ Supporting oestrogen removal
5️⃣ Regulating blood sugars plus so much more

Now to regularly hit 30g of fibre intake each day, we do need to make a bit of a conscious effort to nail it. That saying it doesn’t need to feel like a chore, for the most part making some food cupboard swaps and having easy to reach options available can make it a lot easier.

When it comes to food labels, if a food has 6g or more fibre per 100g, it is considered a high fibre food and if it contains 3g per 100g it is considered a source of fibre.

Now what does 30g of fibre actually look like in a day? 🤔

Here’s a rough breakdown

🥣Breakfast: ½ cup whole oats (4g) + sprinkle of mixed berries (3.8g) + 1 tablespoon seeds & nuts mix (2g)
🥕Snack: Two wholegrain crackers (3.2g) + hummus (1.5g)
🍞Lunch: A multigrain wrap (4.0g) + handful of rocket & peppers (2)g
🍎Snack : 1 apple with skin on (2g)
🥗Dinner: ½ cup quinoa (5.5g) + mixed veggie salad with some kidney beans (*10g) (*there will be variations depending on what you include/quantity)

So with this set up you are well over 30g a day (more like 38g), which we know is even better for your long-term health.

✨Top Tip: If you need to do a bit of work to add more fibre into you diet but struggle with a sensitive tummy, increase it gradually so it is better tolerated. Your gut microbes need time to adjust too.

Are you hitting 30g a day? 👍👎

08/02/2022

So how do you collect objective data? One way involves elimination diets!

Now before I delve in any further - I just want to highlight that ‘elimination diets’ are not for everyone and it is not something I ‘willy nilly’ (haphazardly) tell people to do. There are a lot of factors that determine if this is appropriate – from dietary and medical history, bloodtest results to client’s wishes, relationship with food and past experiences.

So what is it?
✨It’s a process that involves ‘temporarily’ removing foods from your diet, monitoring if symptoms settle/improve and then reintroducing the food in question back into the diet. Initially it is reintroduced in small amounts and then trialled in larger volumes while monitoring symptom response. This is the most reliable way to know if food triggers your ‘endobelly’.

✨For example while cutting out all traces of gluten from your diet may bring you relief, basing your symptom improvement on that may not be accurate if you have not considered/controlled for other variables. So when you go gluten free, you are also wheat free and reducing overall fructan intake – and in these cases reduced amounts in the diet can be the difference between having symptoms or not.

✨But unless you have considered all these variables, you will not truly know what is triggering your gut symptoms. Understanding what component triggers you, is the difference between giving you more flexibility in the diet, having the foods you enjoy and giving you the confidence to know what is best to leave on the shelf.

✨When it comes to endometriosis and diet, we have limited data about what improves or exacerbates symptoms. Getting ‘objective information’ is what is going to give you real insight and answers into your bloating. Every single person with endometriosis is unique and and when it comes to addressing it, it is multifactorial and more than diet.

⚡Tell me would you like to jump off the hamster wheel of trying to figure it out and have a clear roadmap that helps you feel more confident about your food choices, reduces your symptoms and nourishes your body? Drop me a YES if you want a new endo chapter📗!

04/02/2022

HOT OFF THE PRESS – The European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology have just released the 2022 Endometriosis Clinical Practice Guidelines.

⁠👆Refer to the slides👆
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✨No big dietary revelations to share on this one, in summary there is NOT enough evidence to recommend a specific diet for endometriosis. ⁠
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✨I do find the guidelines only give a snapshot of the literature. In the Vit D section they never mentioned another poignant study (PMID: 33508990) that also showed supplementation had a significant improvement on pelvic pain.⁠

✨While the study that reported symptom improvement when foods such as gluten & dairy were excluded or limited and other antioxidant rich foods were increased must be interpreted with caution. The data collected is 'opinion based' and we don’t know what component in the food helped improved symptoms or in what combination.

✨It is clear more research is needed that explores the effect of specific dietary patterns on endometriosis and its symptoms. I do feel ⁠there is more to the story as I see the benefits of dietary changes among my clients from finding relief from bloating & painful bowel movements to having more energy and a healthier relationship with food etc.

✨Yes there are major gaps, but we do have excellent science into how diet plays a role in other chronic inflammatory diseases, how to optimise our gut health & immune health, how to support our hormones, how to address chronic fatigue, how to tackle troublesome gut symptoms and optimise our fertility. I apply these evidence-based techniques in helping endowarriors achieve the best outcomes.

On a positive note🎵, there are some promising studies in the pipeline⁠
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👉🏻In Australia, an RCT (high quality study) will look at the efficacy of the low FODMAP diet for the relief of gastrointestinal symptoms in endometriosis, results due in 2025. It will also explore the effects of the gut and vaginal microbiota on gut symptoms plus more.⁠
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👉🏻In Edinburgh research will be focused on the effects of diet and gut metabolites (the products of the gut microbes) on the pain experiences in women with endo. ⁠

Do you think diet impacts your endo symptoms👇🏻?