Food is really the best medicine. But for some reason, we don't always look at food as medicine.
Think about it. If you were to do something every day that made you feel terrible, gave you back pain, or a stomach ache, you probably wouldn't keep doing it. But food. That's a different story. It's too easy to reach for what's easy and convenient. It's too easy to fall into bad habits. Even if it makes us feel terrible, it's just too hard to implement changes. Why do people continue to eat the foods that cause health problems or make them feel terrible? There is no doubt that nutrition directly correlates with quality of life.
I'm curious by nature and I'm always eager to learn more about what I can do to be healthier or feel better. I wanted to explore anti-inflammatory diets and how this way of eating might positively benefit my adenomyosis symptoms. Here's some of what I discovered...
Anti-Inflammatory Diets
Experts link inflammation to preventable diseases and gut dysfunction. Chronic inflammation affects the gut and eventually becomes systematic, meaning it can affect nearly every organ in the body. Here's a simple equation if you want to reduce inflammation. Eat fewer inflammatory foods and more anti-inflammatory foods. Make the structure of your diet whole, nutrient foods that contain antioxidants. That means tossing out and saying goodbye to all of those processed products.
There are undoubtedly a lot of different factors that ultimately drive inflammation. And guess what, some of the biggest factors are the food and drinks that we consume every single day including sugar, alcohol, and caffeine.
Sugar is notably the biggest culprit. And sugar can devastate both gut health and overall health. Too much sugar in the diet leads to insulin resistance, which leads to leptin resistance (which leaves you hungry when you've already had the food you need for fuel), which ultimately results in weight gain with all three increasing inflammation.
If you're searching for ways to reduce inflammation begin with sugar and aim for a maximum daily intake of 25 grams or less or refined sugars.
Bye-bye booze. Excessive amounts of alcohol can create intestinal inflammation, exacerbating alcohol-induced organ damage. Everyone responds to alcohol differently. And keep in mind, sipping organic red wine is completely different than smashing sugar-rimmed margaritas. Experts recommend no more than one drink three times a week or less to keep inflammation low.
What about coffee? There's a lot of conflicting research on whether or not coffee, namely caffeine, is "safe" or disruptive to women who have menstrual disorders -- and overall health in general. So, I'm not going to get into it. Here's my take: Just consider that caffeine is a stimulant, it's a drug. The most widely consumed drug in the world. Experts like integrative nutritionist and hormone expert Alisa Vitti say to break up with coffee, as soon as possible. Dr. Jolene Brighten says "Coffee isn't bad for women's hormones. In fact, coffee can help you make better estrogen metabolites." But she does go on to explain that for some women, coffee makes them anxious, disrupts sleep, and overall is not their body's friend. The best way to see what's true for you, on either side of the spectrum, like any food, is to cut it and then reintroduce it to see how it makes you feel.
Foods to Avoid
Alcohol
Trans Fats: Research out of Oxford has found higher rates of endo diagnosis' in women who consume more trans fats, which are commonly found in fast food and processed foods.
Soybean and corn oils
Processed snacks
Processed meats
Desserts: Sorry.
Refined Carbs: This includes white breads and foos like white pasta. A study published in Europe PMC, including 207 women with endo, showed that 75 percent of them had a decreased in endo-related pain after eliminating gluten from their diets for 12 months.
Sugary drinks
Foods to Eat
Vegetables: Fibrous vegetables can fight inflammation and pain caused by endo.
Fruit: The same goes for fibrous fruits.
High-fat fruits
Healthy fats
Fatty fish: Foods rich in essential fatty acids like salmon, herring, and trout can combat endo pain and inflammation, too.
Almonds and other nuts
Bell and chili peppers
Dark chocolate
Spices: Try turmeric and cinnamon. Curcumin, which is part of turmeric, has also been linked to endo management. A study from the Iranian Journal of Reproductive Medicine found that curcumin suppresses the proliferation of endometrial cells.
Additionally, #adenomyosis diets should include berries like raspberries and blueberries, leafy greens including broccoli and arugula, dark leafy vegetables, omega-3 rich foods such as hemp, chia, and flaxseeds, as well as millet, sunflower seeds, and beans which are all rich in vitamin B. These foods are all packed with antioxidants and other anti-inflammatory substances.
Overall, most of the information I came across relating to diets specifically designed with adenomyosis and #endo in mind fall under the anti-inflammatory umbrella and generally say to avoid trans fats, cut out the alcohol, limit red meat (especially processed types), cut back on processed foods, and eat plenty of fruits and vegetables as well as omega-3-rich foods.
In addition to an anti-inflammatory diet or gluten-free diet, the low-FODMAP diet is also widely recommended for women with endo. Thee National Institutes of Health conducted a study of people with IBS or IBS and endo and found that a low-FODMAP diet improved symptoms in 72 percent of those who had endo and IBS.
In an interview with Harper's Bazaar, Alissa Vitti , the integrative nutritionist and hormone expert who says to break up with coffee, said "By addressing the immune system and the hormone system [through diet] you can really be symptom-free." Vitti also prescribes a specific diet to her own patients which supports the endocrine system (the glands that regulate hormones). The interview with Harper's Bazaar also cites that Vitti believes that endo, adenomyosis, and PCOS, to name a few, can be "dieted into remission" by eating specific foods while cutting out the foods that create a hormone imbalance.
Research around Adenomyosis and Endometriosis is limited. But when I started seeking answers I couldn't help but make connections to diet and nutrition. Food really can be the best medicine.
Since being diagnosed I have come across so much contradictory information from medical professionals, holistic experts, doctors, journals, online resources, and whatever else, which leads me to believe that there's no one, single "right" answer when it comes to treating conditions like adenomyosis or endo. But I do believe that we should all feel empowered to seek out answers and try certain things, like implementing an anti-inflammatory diet, because, maybe, just maybe some good can come of it. So maybe cutting out coffee doesn't work for you, but maybe eliminating gluten does. Those are the little wins I'm all about.
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