Diet & Endo does it REALLY work???

I am going in for my 5th op a week today (about bloody time too!), and have been researching about lifestyle changes (for after my op) to help improve your endo.
Do changes in your diet really work??? I am already on quite a strict diet and wondered if anyone had actually changed their diet and whether it really worked? If it did work, what changes did you make???
Thank you xxx

Yep, after my lap and diagnosis of endo, I changed my diet and believed it helped with the healing and reduction of symptoms. There was nothing fancy, I just cut out all the crap. No soft drinks, no junk food, no takeaway foods. For awhile my diet was fairly bland, just plain meat and veggies. After the op, I found I was really sensitive to alot of spices and sauces and heavy foods, etc. I was gradually able to add those back in though. Oh, and I increased my water intake heaps which really helped too. There is a great book by Dr Susan Evans called "Endometriosis & Other Pelvic Pain" and I found it to be fantastic with the advice she gives on understanding endo and managing the pain and symptoms. Good luck and I hope your next op goes smoothly xox

Thanks Eluned :-)
You read so much stuff that you are not sure what works and what doesn't, so its good to hear from those who have changed their diet to see if it really works.
:hug:

It certainly worked for me. My Naturopath put me on a strictly alkaline, dairy-free & wheat-free diet. I also avoided all refined 'white' grains (white bread, white rice, white pasta etc) and ate wholegrain varieties - spelt, rye and oats were the grains I used to replace the wheat. I consumed rice and oat milk in place of cows milk.
I increased my intake of alkaline foods such as green vegetables and decreased my intake of acidic foods such as red meat, in order to restore optimum Ph levels.
I cut out alcohol, as well as all processed, junky, sugary foods - biscuits, cake etc. This, in conjunction with probiotic ('friendly' bacteria) supplementation, herbs and homeopathic remedies had my periods and symptoms subside altogether within about 3 months.
I now follow the diet loosely - allowing for the occasional treat here and there, and my condition has not returned. If I do feel painful periods return or any other symptom, I immediately purchase a probiotic supplement and begin eating strictly alkaline again. I test my ph levels every few months to make sure I am on track. Endo and PCOS cannot manifest and thrive so long as the body remains in an alkaline state.

Jellybean...just wondering, how do you test your ph levels? Is it something anyone can do easily?

Hi Jellybean. Thank you for the information.
I am already a strict vergetarian - I don't eat eggs, have very little dairy etc - as well as the normal.
I am concerned that if I cut out all dairy (well, the little bit I sometimes have!) AND wheat, then my diet will be even more difficult. I live in Perth ( :rolleyes:) and I find it difficult to find vegan options...any suggestions?
Also, how do you test your ph levels? And is there a book or anywhere else I can get further information from?
Thank you again :hug:

Hiya,

Ph levels can be tested via the urine or saliva. It usually involves dipping a stick of paper either into a collected urine sample or into your mouth for a few seconds.
The resulting colour on the paper can then be compared to the colour chart, each colour indicating the level of acidity or alkalinity within the body.

The acid-alkaline scope ranges from 0-14, with 7 being neutral. Anything below 7 is acidic, and anything above 7 is alkaline. The optimum level for the human body is between 7 -7.4 (slightly alkaline).
Substances such as alcohol, sugar and the contraceptive pill etc make the body more acidic, hence why the latter is an effective contraceptive - sperm need an alkaline environment to thrive.

I cant post websites here, but if you type in 'acid alkaline diet dot com' (with no gaps!) you will find a very useful site. They have a section where you can download an acid-alkaline food chart. There are hoardes of websites dedicated to this, and many Aussie sites where you will be able to order a ph test kit at a low price. Just google! Some chemists or health food stores may stock them.

Other substances which help to restore the body's ph and remove toxins -
-Probiotics (avail from the fridge of your nearest health food store - needs to be kept in fridge)
- Zeolite (Natural Cellular Defense) by Waiora. This is expensive, but brilliant. Has to be ordered from the US unfortunately. Worth googling!!
- Fresh lemon juice (hard to believe - as it is considered acidic, but it is actually powerfully alkalising in the body). Freeshly squeezed lemon into a glass of warm filtered water every morning is the best way to start the day. Lemon juice also kickstarts the gastric juices!!

XX

Fluffy - vegetarians usually have better (more alkaline) ph levels than non-vegetarians, so this is only one factor to consider. Are you drinking soy milk or consuming alot of soy based products? Soy in large quantities has been linked to hormonal imbalances, so I would suggest perhaps getting onto the Oat milk as an alternative. Pure Harvest do a good one.
Heavy metal toxicity is definitely something to look into, particularly when you understand the role they play in mimicking essential nutrients in the body and altering hormones. The Zeolite I mentioned above is perfect for chelating heavy metals safely from the body, and it also assists in resoring optimum ph levels. There are also urine and hair analysis tests which you can do to assess heavy metal toxicity.

XX

Jellybean, you have been so hopeful...thank you!
I don't consume any soy products other than soy milk but am already in the process of switching this over to the oat milk.
I will definitely be googling this information, so cannot thank you enough!
Meantime, I am crossing everything for my op this Thursday.
xxx