Anyone any success with the endometriosis diet?

[me4ever]

Hi girls,

Just wondering if anyone has tried the endometriosis diet or adjusted their food one way or another to have a less painful AF or to fall pregnant? And anyone any success?
I have been looking up some stuff and have decided to start on some gluten free products, like cereal and have picked up some different sorts of popcorn (ha ha what a punishment...), also will be trying to eat more veggies, beans etc. I don't eat much bread in general, and I want to try some wholegrain pasta or maybe gluten free pasta as well. Other than that, had already tried to cut on milk products, used to have rice milk instead of normal milk, but that didn't help. Although that was before my laparoscopy last year.
Even if it doesn't help, I'd like to feel a bit healthier, have been feeling crap since last Monday, about 5 days before AF showed up. I haven't been this bloated and sore in ages, so I must be doing something wrong. Oh yeah, they also mention stress is not good, but am in the middle of planning wedding for this coming December and am about to start my first FET cycle.
Looking forward to hearing any experiences! Thanks.

[juniper76]

The first two times I got a BFP were when I had cut out dairy and sugar. It may just have been coincidence, but it's enough for me to be careful with those things when we're serious about TTC.

I've never had much success at cutting out gluten because I eat a lot of those products and am too lazy to bake my own gluten-free versions. I avoid it haphazardly (eg ordered something gluten-free for lunch, but could quite easily end up buying pizza tonight), but I can definitely tell when I've eaten gluten at specific points of my cycle (whenever there are big hormone changes, ie O and AF, I get bloating and diarrhoea after eating gluten). I also haphazardly avoid red meat, but I'm pretty good about avoiding soy.

I've never done the endo diet 100% properly, but I've seen plenty of women say they feel much better when following it.

[Cassius2]

I had success with minimising the symptoms of the endo by upping the leafy greens and cutting out caffeine and sugar from ovulation until AF was finished.

[me4ever]

Thanks girls for your responses!
Cassius2, am glad that it helped reduce your pain, although it wouldn't have the last 38 weeks?! I'm excited your baby is almost baked! Hopefully I won't have to worry about AF for a while as am doing FET this month and hope to be utd soon, fingers, knees and toes crossed!!! And hopefully for Juniper shortly after me

I forgot to say I've started taking fish oil tablets, I'm already on really low sugar intake (only allow myself half a glass of soft drink a day and only the ones with less than 20g of sugar per 100 ml and only sometimes eat a lolly or a biscuit), & am trying to up my fruit intake, also have been doing my best to keep stress levels low. Am trying to have less dairy products too, but I love milk, cheese, yoghurt...

[juniper76]

Hopefully I won't have to worry about AF for a while as am doing FET this month and hope to be utd soon, fingers, knees and toes crossed!!! And hopefully for Juniper shortly after me

Thanks, hun. Keeping all my crossables crossed for your FET!

Although, I have to say, the Doc will find it hard to do the FET if you insist on keeping your knees crossed...

[Durga]

Hi me4ever, I tried an ayurvedic diet a few years ago after my last IVF attempt and when I found myself single. I ate a lot of lentils (when cooked properly they are quite pleasant on the tummy!) and heaps of green veg, cauliflower, pumpkin and sweet potato. Ayurveda understands the importance of sweet foods, which is why we got along so well so I still ate sweet foods but cut out refined sugars.

While my diet was not totally strict, I did the same as Cassius2, and eliminate all processed foods and for the first time in my life I had pain free periods.

When I started new relationship last year I bounced back to old style of diet and it took a about 6 months for the Endo issues to come back. Am now cutting out processed foods again and making more lentils and veggies to see if it helps TTC this time around

[Flaneur]

I've been trying, but am a sugar fiend. I do see an acupuncturist though and he supports an organic lifestyle and no soy. I don't eat much meat, either. I found Coles to have a great selection of GF cereals, although GF bread tastes pretty bad.