Nourish Bump and Beyond
Whether you're planning to conceive, struggling with fertility challenges, or navigating the joys and complexities of pregnancy, this podcast is your trusted source for a nourished start to parenthood.
Nourish Bump and Beyond
Episode 16: Top Fertility Foods for Endometriosis – What to Eat When Trying to Conceive
In this episode, Michelle and Anika explore the best foods to eat if you have endometriosis, focusing on nutrient-dense options that can help manage symptoms and support overall health. They dive into the benefits of Omega-3 foods, like fatty fish and seeds, and how these healthy fats can help reduce inflammation. They also discuss the power of vitamin E-rich foods, highlight the importance of a diet rich in fibre and share insights into foods to avoid that may trigger inflammation or worsen symptoms. Tune in for expert tips on how to optimise your diet for managing endometriosis with practical, easy-to-implement advice.
Research mentioned in this episode
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10088623/
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9357916/
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Disclaimer
The information provided in this podcast is for educational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult with your healthcare provider before making any changes to your diet or nutrition plan, especially if you are trying to conceive or are already pregnant. The hosts and guests of this podcast are not responsible for any adverse effects or consequences resulting from the use of the information discussed.
You're listening to Nourish, Bump and Beyond, the podcast dedicated to all things fertility and prenatal nutrition. We are hosts, Annika Rowe and Michelle Brown. We believe that successful pregnancy outcomes start with good nutrition. Each week, we'll explore various aspects of nutrition, focusing on how specific nutrients, foods, and dietary choices can enhance preconception wellness, optimize fertility, and support a healthy pregnancy. Whether you're planning to conceive, struggling with fertility challenges, or navigating the joys and complexities of pregnancy, this podcast is your trusted source for a nourished start to parenthood. Let's dive in.
Michelle:Welcome back to another episode of Nourish Bump and Beyond. This episode is all about endometriosis and foods you should be consuming if you have endometriosis and you're trying to conceive. How are you doing Annika?
Anika:Hi Michelle, it's been so long since we recorded. I am doing okay, I'm just recovering from a sickness, so I'll try not to cough too much in this episode.
Michelle:That's all right. We can edit them out.
Anika:Yes, we'll try. Are you?
Michelle:Yeah, I'm good. Thank you. I'm back in the swing of recording now, which is nice. We did take a bit of a break, due to a few, personal reasons. I had a passing in the family and I've been caring for my nanny a bit more lately too. so a few family things going on that have kind of prevented the podcast from going at the pace we would hope for, but that's right. We're back into the swing and it's a new year. So it's a new us, isn't it? Yeah,
Anika:to say happy new year to our listeners. Yeah, I did mention, briefly in one of the earlier episodes that you had a lot going on. I feel like it's so hard. There's the mental load of motherhood. And then when other things come up, it's just, so hard. keep up.
Michelle:Oh, for sure. And you definitely have to just pick what needs to go by the wayside. And just, you know, it comes back to like Maslow's hierarchy of needs some days. I feel like, making sure you're fed, you're clothed, you've got shelter. It's like, all right, we're doing well. let's just keep on keeping on.
Anika:Yep. All about the basics.
Michelle:All right, well, let's get into today's podcast. So we wanted to chat all things endometriosis. And if you're trying to conceive, I guess what you could potentially consume to help optimize that journey. So Before we get into it, let's just go over briefly as to what endometriosis is for those listeners that aren't across it. For those who don't know, endometriosis is a inflammatory condition, and it's a little bit of, I guess, mysterious condition. We don't know a great deal about it because it's, a disease, even though it's been documented in history for a little bit of time now, it's only been in the last. I don't know how many years that they, had more conclusive diagnosis with endometriosis. So that's because the gold standard to diagnose endometriosis is a laparoscopy. So even though it is, not as invasive as some other surgical procedures, it is still, a lot more invasive than something like a, a finger prick. Tests or a blood test. So for women to actually get that conclusive diagnosis that they have endometriosis, it does take some time. And it's only with surgery and technology that's evolved over the last, you know, 2030 years that, we've been able to progress and, you know, More women are having these surgeries. So more women are starting to get diagnosed. And, they say it one in eight women or one in nine, depending on the stats that you read have endometriosis at the moment. But I think as time progresses and perhaps as the, gold standard changes in terms of diagnosing endometriosis, I think we'll start to see more women diagnosed with it. And then probably more research in the area. What do you think about that
Anika:Yeah, for sure, that was a really good summary. one of the things that people don't know about endo is that it takes a very long time to get a diagnosis and that's that makes it really tricky for someone to seek fertility treatments, for example, or, They're just kind of waiting. They don't really know what to do in terms of, how to eat or, you know, how to exercise, how to go about their lives. So, they say it takes about six to eight years to get, a diagnosis for endometriosis. and. I, I'm sure you saw, on the news that there is a new blood test, that is going to be coming out in the next few months, hopefully, that will make it more quicker to be diagnosing someone with endo.
Michelle:Yeah, I did hear about that. And that does appear really promising. And I think you've raised a good point with taking so long to get diagnosed, particularly in the context of fertility. A lot of women might fall under that banner of having unexplained fertility, or they may just not know if they've been trying to conceive and perhaps haven't sought any medical assistance, but they may have endometriosis and they could be asymptomatic. So, for example, I just had a family member that was recently diagnosed with endometriosis and, They only had like a little bit of GI symptoms, which was put down to another condition they had. And, yeah, they have obviously had it for quite some time now and they were no one shocked, but, it was a surprise when they did have the laparoscopy and, it came back as positive endometriosis. And I think one of the things to note about the condition is. Your signs and symptoms that you notice in your body they don't correlate with the severity of the illness. So you could have, for example, stage 4 endometriosis, and it may, manifest by preventing you from becoming fertile, but, or prevent you from fully pregnant, I should say. But you may not have any signs and symptoms or nothing really, really serious. Worthwhile noting, but you may have stage one on the other hand and, yeah, have really strong pelvic pain. You might have, heavy periods. Headaches, fatigue, diarrhea or constipation. painful intercourse or just even lower back pain. So, yeah, it does manifest with a lot of pain, but you could have quite severe pain and actually not have a stage four diagnosis of endometriosis. So that is, also something worthwhile noting.
Anika:Yeah, that's a really good point you've raised there because a lot of the times, you know, people think that, if I'm in a lot of pain or, if I'm getting a lot of symptoms, that must mean something. but it just goes to show that. The degree of severity can vary. And another thing to consider is that people's pain tolerance are also going to be different. one of the common symptoms, that, women experienced with endo is, pain and some people will report it quicker to their doctors. And some people might just think it's normal to have that kind of pain.
Michelle:Yeah, that's so true. That's true in any kind of context of, I guess, health with different pain thresholds. And also, I guess, different, concerns some people might just brush off the symptoms as being negligent when in fact they could have quite severe endometriosis.. Well, let's talk about diet now. So if we had three foods that we feel should be on your plate, or you should be trying to actively consume if you're trying to conceive with endometriosis, or even if you've got endometriosis in general, these foods are going to be beneficial. let's start with omega 3 fatty acids. we can find out omega three fatty acids in foods like your fatty fish. So for example, your salmon, sardines, I mean, not as many people consume mackerel, but yeah, salmon is probably one of the more, commonly consumed ones in our diet. And the reason why incorporating omega rich foods into our diet can be beneficial is because they are omega rich. anti inflammatory. So, endometriosis is a, an inflammatory condition, so that it does help mitigate any inflammation in the body and thereby help reduce, A, the disease from progressing, if, you do have endometriosis, but also, you know, Help reduce the signs and symptoms and help that individual, manage their condition a little bit better. So I don't know about you, Anika, but, one of my little cheats for getting a bit more salmon in my diet is to, get some wild tin salmon. And I make a little toasty with the Gevity brand of mayonnaise that's made from bone broth. And I put a little bit of cheese, a little bit of that mayo, the tinned wild salmon, some beets, some spinach. Yeah. On a sandwich and make a little toasty. And that's just an extra way that I can get an extra serve of salmon in my diet, because they do say we should aim for two to three serves a week, which I feel a lot of people aren't hitting because I think in a lot of people's heads, you think, Oh, I need to be having salmon veg for dinner, kind of a dish. But yeah, there's so many ways we can kind of incorporate it into our diet. And I find that one really easy because, the tin salmon's in a tin, the beets are in a tin, bread can be in the freezer, the mayo's in the freezer. Fridge and normally the cheese is in the fridge too. So even if we're at the end of the week and the fridge is looking a little empty, I can still make a nice toasty. Do you have any tips on how you get a bit of extra semen into your diet or any kind of Omega threes?
Anika:I Would say Yeah, I would say patties and I think they're a great way as well because you can make a big batch and you could freeze them if you need To and they're great To do at the beginning of the week. I think I'm more of a tuna toasty girl, but I do eat some sardines as well. But I know a lot of people don't like them because they have a very strong odor.
Michelle:Yeah, that's true. the patties are great because they're also good for toddlers as well. So a good way for them to incorporate, some more omega threes for their growing brains. also I think if eight at a fish shop near you and they do salmon, like takeaway salmon, which is a really good idea. If you're feeling like a bit of a takeaway meal, you can't be bothered cooking, Get some salmon, get some salad. It doesn't have to be, you know, something deep fried, pick a healthy option. And that can be a really good way to, yeah, kind of hit two, two birds with one stone, so to speak, get some salmon and also have your takeaway meal.
Anika:Yeah, I remember that. I think we had that when I was in my early postpartum, maybe. of weeks. And then you came to visit me. Yeah. That's one of my favorites actually. If we were to go have a takeaway and it's so great because most people think takeaway, like fish and chips, but this place does grill fish. So, that's really great. And they do offer salmon, which is so good.
Michelle:Yeah, that's so true. And it's just worthwhile noting if, like you said, the sardines have a strong flavor and strong smell. If you, you kind of not into fish so much, try and up the ante on your flax seeds and even your walnuts into your diet just to get some omega threes that way.
Anika:Yeah. Let's move on to our food. Number two.
Michelle:all right. So our next food group is our vitamin E rich foods. So often your nuts and your seeds as well. And, like our fish, They do have an, I guess, an anti inflammatory impact on our body because they are what's considered to be an antioxidant. So they can help reduce what's called reactive oxidative species in our body, which cause oxidative stress. So regardless of if you're trying to conceive or not, you do want to be, really reducing oxidative stress. And a lot of people think, Oh, I should be consuming things like, blueberries into your diet. To counteract any oxidative stress because they are called antioxidants. But, a lot of people don't know about the health benefits of things like nuts and seeds, in this context. So there was one study that found that, when antioxidants were supplemented, and this was both vitamin E and vitamin C, for individuals with endometriosis, they found that 43 percent of those with a high intake of antioxidants reported less pain, so less severity of symptoms than, Compared to the group that didn't consume antioxidants, there was a 0 percent reporting, reduction of pain, which is quite interesting.
Anika:That's such a positive finding, and I think that's another point that I was going to touch on that healthy diet is obviously very important. but supplements do have their place and I think endo is one of those places where supplements can really help, but it really should be, tailored to the individual.
Michelle:yeah, 100%. That's, yeah, good point to make, yeah, food first, but then sometimes the supplements do serve a purpose.
Anika:Yeah, especially for things like omega 3 and vitamin E. Food Fest is great, but sometimes it may not be enough to have that therapeutic, dose. So that's where supplements can help to meet that gap.
Michelle:Yeah, for sure. Alrighty. Well, next food which should be on everyone's plate is vegetables. I feel a lot of people in the Western diet struggle to get enough vegetables on their plate, but the thing with endometriosis is if you are perhaps not consuming enough vegetables, one of the things you're probably going to be lacking is fiber and the benefit of consuming fiber helps keeps your bowels regular, which helps excrete Any, toxic waste from your body. but the fiber can also bind with estrogen in our body and eliminate that because. Endometriosis is a condition that's driven by excess estrogen. we do really want to help reduce the amount of excess estrogen in someone's body. and also be mindful of any phytoestrogens that they're consuming as well, which are foods that basically mimic estrogen in the body. But in terms of, vegetables, one particular type of vegetable called the Brussica vegetable. there is a little bit of research to indicate that brassica vegetables, they can kind of like sit on the, receptor that the estrogen binds to and prevent the estrogen from binding and doing its thing. So by consuming brassica vegetables, like a kale, broccoli, for example, even bok choy, they can help prevent endometriosis from progressing, but also help reduce some of the symptoms associated with it. one thing worthwhile noting with vegetable consumption is some people with endometriosis, experience irritable bowel syndrome. So, you really want to be mindful and this is why it's important to get that personalized, approach and, Advice from someone like a dietitian. if you're having particular vegetables, and they are high FODMAPs that can exacerbate the inflammatory bowel syndrome. So you, want to be mindful depending on the individual, what they're really consuming in terms of vegetables.
Anika:That's a really good point you've mentioned there, the overlap between IBS and Endo. There was a systematic review that was done about two years ago, which found that there was a, there was a systematic review that was done about two years ago, which found that there was a systematic review that was done about two years ago, There was a connection between the two. It included about 100, 000 participants and they also did a meta analysis. So this was a huge study and what they found was that those who had endo were three times more likely to develop Irritable Bowel Syndrome or IBS.
Michelle:Yeah, that's such an interesting stat. And I think it's with the overlap, it's really important to be mindful of that because, phytoestrogen containing foods are things like your soy, your nuts and seeds, your legumes and grains. And we know that, something like grains are beneficial for fertility. we know a plant based diet or having a large amount of protein. Plant based foods in your diet is good for fertility. So things like your legumes and as I just mentioned before, your nuts and your seeds are vitamin E rich food. So, they do have phytoestrogens and that's why I feel it's good to have that kind of expert guidance, depending on your signs and symptoms to really have a personalized approach to nutrition, to make sure that what you're having is suitable and it's not going to do you any more harm.
Anika:Yeah, that's so true. And I'm glad you mentioned soy because soy gets such a bad rep and I've heard this from clients and, just people I've talked to who have endo and they're always worried about having soy and they think it's going to make their endo worse.
Michelle:Yeah, I know there is a little bit of literature out there, but, I think like a lot of things with endo, as time kind of ticks on and more people are diagnosed, I think we'll have more research in the field and we can have more conclusive answers. Whereas at the moment there's no clear correlation, so it makes it really tricky to come to a particular conclusion.
Anika:Yeah, I think that's the hard thing about nutrition. it's not clear cut for a lot of these things. We can't really make conclusions unless there is a lot of data, from, large amounts of participants. We're talking really large numbers, like thousands and thousands, which is to find. So we've talked about foods to eat. Now let's talk about some potential foods that someone should avoid if they have endo. Would you say there are any, Michelle?
Michelle:Yeah. I just mentioned, there's no clear correlations and further research is needed in the area. But, a lot of health conditions, your fat, so particularly your trans fatty acids and even your saturated fat, there was one study, it was quite a few years ago now though, but they found that, when individuals reduced their saturated fat by 50%, it resulted in a 20 percent reduction in insulin levels. estrogen. So we know that endometriosis is driven by estrogen. So it's obviously going to help that condition from, I guess, progressing and help with the signs and symptoms., other than that, though, there is a little bit of research in terms of, coffee and alcohol, although the findings are inconsistent, though, if I had endometriosis, and even if you're trying to conceive alcohol and coffee are two things that we know, yeah, need to be really, I guess, consumed in moderation. so I'd be working to make sure that we're consuming those in moderation anyway. But, yeah, inconclusive findings, but hopefully in due time we'll have more clear correlations.
Anika:Yeah. Okay. That's really good to know.
Michelle:Yeah, alright, well in summary, if you are trying to conceive with endometriosis, or you have endometriosis and you're just hoping to optimise, where you're at with it, three foods that should be on your plate. your omega three fatty acids. So think fish, sardines, mackerel, also your vitamin E rich foods. So, nuts and seeds like almonds, even sunflower seeds, even some fruits, rich in vitamin E like mangoes and Kiwis and avocados. And lastly, increasing our vegetables on our plates. So particularly those Brassica vegetables can be really beneficial if you have endometriosis.
Anika:That's a really good summary. And then I guess another final thing to touch on for endo is that, supplements are often useful for endo. So if you think you might have it, or if you have recently been diagnosed, please, chat to a dietician to get some tailored supplements for yourself.
Michelle:Yeah, that's it. We do have supplement plans that can be really beneficial to, hopefully, reduce your severity of your symptoms and, yeah, help you on that fertility journey.
Anika:All right, well that's it for today. Thank you for tuning in.
Michelle:Bye for now.
Thanks for tuning in to this episode of Nourish, Bump and Beyond. We hope this episode has inspired you to prioritize your nutrition and nourish your journey towards parenthood. Don't forget to connect with us on Instagram at appetitebyannika and foodforfertility for more tips, updates and resources.