Endometriosis? An example of a week menu to comply with the anti-inflammatory diet

Author of the blog I Love Being Healthy

⏰ READING TIME: 5 minutes

Hi, I am glad to have you back on the blog!
Are you already trying to follow an anti-inflammatory diet? (The guidelines are here! [1])
Maybe you have already changed some of your habits or are working with a nutritionist to find the best diet for you, which foods to prefer and which to avoid.
I want to help you! I want to make you understand how I organize my week and, hopefully, give you some more ideas for healthy nutrition without spending eons cooking or wondering what to put on the grocery list.
If you still don’t know why an anti-inflammatory diet is a powerful ally against endometriosis, I suggest you have a look at this article where I explain it.

1. Macronutrients

Let’s start by defining the basic components of nutrition. I won’t discuss everything in depth, but a brief explanation can help to clarify your ideas!

CARBOHYDRATES: they provide energy for both mental and physical activities. You should prefer complex carbohydrates since they don’t induce glycaemic peaks, unlike simple carbohydrates (sugars). Besides, complex carbohydrates satiate for a longer time, are rich in minerals and have a good dose of fibres. They also have a positive effect on intestinal health and lower the cholesterol levels.
Examples of good carbohydrate sources: (wholegrain) cereal kernels, legumes and potatoes (including the sweet ones), but also fruit and vegetables.
PROTEINS: they perform various vital functions, are essential for the skin, hair and bones, produce hormones and allow optimal functioning of the immune system. Most of them (about 60%) are stored in the muscles and, although proteins are not a direct source of energy, contribute to building other structures of the organism.
Examples of high-protein foods: meat, fish and seafood, milk and dairy products, eggs and legumes, but also cereals, seeds, seaweed and dried fruits.
FATS: the nutrients with the highest calorie (and, thus, energy) density. Although fats are often demonised, they must not be completely avoided! Fats are essential constituents of the cell membranes, provide material to build vital tissues (such as brain tissues) and participate in the production of various hormones. Moreover, they deliver the so-called “liposoluble” vitamins, which dissolve in fats, and provide some particular (essential) fatty acids, which the organism cannot produce by itself but are key for survival.
Not all fats are “good”, though, and you should prefer the following products: extra-virgin olive oil, oily seeds, dried fruits, avocado, wild salmon, oily fishes (especially small-sized ones), egg yolk, coconut (in all its forms: oil, butter, fresh coconut, etc.) and clarified butter/ghee.

2. Organizing the week menu

Let’s now try to understand how to organize the week. Prepare a simple scheme: you can draw it on a piece of paper, download an existing one from the web (there are various templates ready to be printed!) or design a table on your computer.
It should be similar to the example below, where you are going to place the various “tiles”.
PLEASE NOTE: the portions indicated in the following sections are “standard” and, thus, they must be adjusted according to your caloric need and other necessities. The same applies also if you follow a vegetarian/vegan diet or have some food intolerances/allergies. Diets must be customised for each of us! Otherwise, nutritionists wouldn’t exist. 🙂

3. Snack: yes or no?

A note about (morning and afternoon) snacks: as far as I’m concerned, I gradually eliminated them. Since I have significantly reduced my consumption of sugars and refined products, I perceive a more stable glycaemic level during the day and, hence, I don’t have those insane hunger attacks that previously made me eat the first thing I found. Now, I make an afternoon snack only when I train more intensely at the gym and, in any case, only if I feel the need for it.
They will be recommended or not according to your personal situation and/or the school of thought of your nutritionist.
Some ideas: a handful of dried fruits (the standard portion is 30 g per day); fresh fruit (which I usually combine with dried fruits or seeds, often in the form of smoothies); uncooked vegetables (fennels, carrots and cucumbers), cut into sticks to be more yummy, alone or accompanied by hummus (made of chickpeas or other legumes). You can also prepare energy bars at home (it’s very easy, you can find some prompts on my Instagram account @ilovebeinghealthy_88) or opt for yogurt (I usually buy plant yogurt; in the organic shops, you can find coconut or almond yogurt), always combined with dried/fresh fruits and/or seeds.

4. Meat, fish, eggs and legumes

Let’s start with the proteins.
MEAT: the standard portion is 100 g. In general, I eat 2-3 portions per weak, at most 1 of red meat (grass-fed) plus 1-2 of white meat (usually, organic chicken or turkey). The quality of the meat is crucial! If you are not sure about its origin or it costs a lot, better to eat less of it.
FISH: the standard portion is 250 g for fresh or frozen fish and 50 g for preserved fish. I eat preserved fish (canned tuna, mackerel or salmon, preferably in glass jars) not more than once a week. In contrast, I eat (wild) salmon and oily fishes 3-4 times per week.
EGGS: the standard portion is a medium egg. The guidelines of the Italian nutrition society recommend up to 4 eggs per week but, in general, if you do sport, one egg per day is fine.
LEGUMES: the standard portion is 50 g for dried legumes and 150 g for cooked or canned legumes. I usually have 3-4 portions of them per week.
I usually eat legumes at lunch because they make me swell more in the evening; in contrast, I prefer having meat and fish for dinner. At least one day per week, I adopt a vegetarian or vegan menu. Sometimes, I have eggs for breakfast on the weekend (a poached egg if it’s “brunch” time) or for the dough of homemade crepes/pancakes/desserts.

5. Milk and dairy products

For this topic, first of all, I suggest you read my previous article (lo trovi here [2]).
IF you consume them, I recommend to not exceed and prefer goat/sheep cheeses, Parmigiano aged for over 36 months, Ricotta made only with whey or sugar-free Greek yogurt, to occasionally alternate with plant milk. To give you an idea, I eat Feta or Pecorino, as well as Parmigiano (for example, grated on pasta), once a week; as for Ricotta or yogurt, I consume them at most once or twice a month.

6. Cereals and tubers

For further details, read my article about Flours and Cereals (here [3]).
BREAD: the standard portion is 50 g (a roll/bun or 2 slices of bread). I made it at home and freeze it already portioned. I don’t eat it often, 2-3 times per week at most. Prefer bread made with flours naturally free of gluten or obtained from ancient grains.
BREAD ALTERNATIVES: the standard portion is 30 g. In this case, I prefer crackers, puffed cakes and sticks. When possible, I made them at home; in this way, I consume packaged products only when it is inevitable.
PASTA, RICE AND CEREAL KERNELS (more information qui [3]): he standard portion is 80 g for pasta and 70 g for rice and cereal kernels. As for me, I rarely eat a dish of “just” pasta or cereals. I always combine them with many vegetables, legumes or animal proteins, almost as a “side dish”; therefore, I usually have smaller portions, about 50 g. Again, every case is different and must be discussed with your expert. I consume 1-2 portions per day (sometimes 30 g for breakfast, for example as porridge, plus 50–80 g for lunch).
POTATOES: the standard portion is 2 small potatoes or a big one, 1-2 times per week. I prefer American sweet potatoes (those with orange flesh) but, from time to time, I crave a portion of roasted potatoes or to add one potato in a soup or a burger/meatball dough.

7. Fruit and vegetables

FRESH FRUIT: the standard portion is 150 g (corresponding to 1 medium-sized or 2 small-sized fruits). I consume about 2 portions per day, usually in the morning and as the afternoon snack.
DEHYDRATED FRUIT: the standard portion is 30 g (corresponding to 3 dried plums or apricots, 2 dates or 2 spoons of raisins). I have one portion per day, not every day (I often use dehydrated fruits as natural sweeteners for homemade cakes and plum cakes or add them to granola).
FRESH VEGETABLES: the standard portion is 200 g (80 g for leafy salads). A portion corresponds to, for example, 1 bell pepper, 1 fennel, 2 small courgettes or 3 carrots. I have at least 3 portions per day.
Try to consume at least a total of 5 portions of fruit and vegetables every day!! Vary as much as possible, select seasonal products (they contain more nutrients and, in general, fewer pesticides) and prepare colourful dishes!!

8. Example of a complete week menu 🙂

You can find these recipes and others on my Instagram account @ilovebeinghealthy_88. However, if you don’t have much free time or don’t like cooking, you can prepare very simple dishes such as follows: roasting or pan-searing fish or meat, with a dash of oil and some herbs; buying uncooked salads and vegetables in stock and storing them in the fridge; preparing trays of roasted mixed vegetables and storing them in the fridge for the week; using well-washed canned legumes; cooking a couple of cereal types (such as wholegrain rice and quinoa) just once a week and keep the portions in the fridge, ready for use.

PS: Leave a comment to let me know which topics you would like to read on the next articles of this blog and whether you like this format! Thanks in advance for your help.

Follow me on Instagram: @ilovebeinghealthy_88

Bibliography:

[1] Endometriosis diet: list of the recommended foods and those to avoid. https://endo-plus.com/dieta-endometriosi/. URL consultato il 30 luglio 2020.

[2] Milk and dairy products: some tips for those who follow the endometriosis diet. https://endo-plus.com/latte-e-derivati-i-consigli-per-chi-segue-la-dieta-endometriosi/. URL consultato il 30 luglio 2020.

[3] Flours and cereals: which to choose, and why, if you have endometriosis. https://endo-plus.com/farine-e-cereali-quali-scegliere-e-perche/. URL consultato il 30 luglio 2020.