So by now we've given you a few recipes for the endometriosis diet (and many more are to come!), but you may still feel confused about what you should be eating on a daily basis.
Here are some tips to get you started. Remember, we call this the "endometriosis diet," but really these rules apply to everyone. This is the healthiest way to eat.
1) The salad is the main course. This may seem counter-intuitive, but once you start eating this way, it will start to feel more natural. You should be trying to eat a salad at every meal (well, maybe not breakfast...but even then I sometimes do!). And as you dish up your food, try to think of the salad as the main event of the meal. You should think of the other stuff (grains and other starches, meat/fish) as side dishes. You're probably thinking you are going to get very sick of salad. But there are so many wonderful recipes that you can try something different everyday. Besides, you don't always have to eat your veggies raw (though that is the best way to get all their nutrients)--so, if you need a change, try steaming or lightly sauteeing your veg, or make it into a delicious stew. We'll be posting tons of recipes here to help keep you inspired in the kitchen.
2) Maximize nutrient-to-calorie ratio. This is an idea pioneered by Dr. Joel Fuhrman (I love him! check out his books Super Immunity and Eat to Live for awesome eating tips). Basically, this means that you should eat foods that have large quantities of nutrients PER CALORIE. Meat and dairy products are high in calories, but relatively low in nutrients, so these foods have a low nutrient-to-calorie ratio. Basically, they are not very nutrient-dense. What foods have a high nutrient-to-calorie ratio? Veggies, fruits, nuts, seeds. Whole grains have a lower ratio than vegetables, but are still high compared to meat, dairy, and refined starches. This way of thinking will help you make your food decisions, because it gives you an easy criterion by which to judge things. When you start to understand the myriad health benefits of phytonutrients (plant nutrients), you won't want to "waste" your calories on low-nutrient foods.
3) Taste the Rainbow. You've heard this before, but it bears repeating: make sure your plate has lots of colors on it! Make it pretty. If you ensure you are eating vegetables in many colors, you are probably getting a really wide variety of nutrients. It's best to avoid eating beige meals...
4) Forget what you learned in school! As kids, we were all taught the basic food groups and food pyramid put out by the USDA. Unfortunately, the research now is showing that the food pyramid is not the healthy way to eat, because it allows so many calories to come from nutrient-poor foods. In fact, the USDA has a new "My Plate" program to replace the old Food Pyramid, but it still recommends that half the calories in each meal to come from meats, grains, and dairy. My Plate is an improvement on the old system, but it still doesn't go far enough. Luckily, the illustrious Dr. Fuhrman has come up with the Nutritarian Food Pyramid, which provides a great guide for how to eat, whether you are on the endometriosis diet or not. Bookmark the page, and refer to it often to see how your meals measure up.
5) Keep it Fresh. We all tend to get stuck in ruts. Sometimes I catch myself buying the same 5 things every time I go to the store (well, at least it gets rid of the need for shopping lists). It's important, however, to vary your diet as much as possible. The more types of fruits, vegetables, grains, and beans/legumes you eat, the more nutrients you are accessing. If you are just now embarking on the endometriosis diet or something similar, it's a great time to throw all your old habits out the window, and start on your plan with a spirit of adventure. If you've been doing the diet for awhile, but find yourself eating the same things again and again, maybe it's time to invest in an exciting new cookbook that will challenge you to keep it fresh.
6) Beans, Beans, the Magical Fruit. We've talked a lot about veggies (and I promise, there will be more), but we haven't said much about one of the staples of the endo diet: beans and legumes. These are wonder-foods. Beans have tons of protein and fiber, plus they have been shown to reduce the risk of cancer and heart disease. They can help lower blood pressure and cholesterol, and they also have high levels of antioxidants. Beans aren't glamorous super-foods like acai and pomegranate, but they are just as good for you! But the best part about beans? They are so wonderfully filling. You don't need meat and dairy to make your tummy get that nice full feeling. Add some beans to your salad to help keep you feeling full till it's time to eat again. (Oh, and by the way, in regards to that not-so-pleasant side effect that we associate with beans: the more beans you eat, the less gas you will get. It seems that the more often you eat them, the better your digestive tract gets at processing them). Dr. Fuhrman (yep, him again) recommends eating a cup of beans a day. See Ellen's hummus recipe for a good way to prepare beans, and stay posted for more great bean recipes.
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