Eating well with endometriosis: where food fits

This post isn’t about treating endometriosis with food, and nothing here claims that eating a certain way changes the condition. It’s about where food fits in the bigger picture.

The bigger picture

Endometriosis is a chronic disease. The World Health Organization notes that treatment aims to control symptoms and limit long-term impacts.1 Treatments are based on things like severity, your preferences, side effects, and whether you want to become pregnant.1 That conversation belongs with your doctor or gynecologist.

The WHO also points out that approaches such as physiotherapy and cognitive behavioural therapy can help with endometriosis-related pain and quality of life.1 So care can be wider than medicines and surgery, and it’s worth asking about.

Everyday eating

For day-to-day eating, Canada’s food guide suggests:2

• eating plenty of vegetables and fruits, whole grains and protein foods, and choosing protein foods that come from plants more often
• choosing foods with healthy fats instead of saturated fat
• limiting highly processed foods
• making water your drink of choice

These are general recommendations for everyone, not endometriosis advice. Food is also about enjoyment, culture and who you eat with, and that counts too.2

Where I come in

If you live with endometriosis, I’m happy to be one part of your team. We can look at your whole picture, including pain, energy, digestion, cycles and fertility goals, and I’ll work alongside your doctor or gynecologist rather than in place of them. If you’re not sure where to start, a good first step is to bring a few weeks of notes on your symptoms to a visit.