I started changing what I ate about four years ago when my endometriosis was getting more severe. Before I made the change, I remember thinking that being a vegetarian was really tricky. How can you eat every meal without meat?! Fast forward four years later and I eat a mostly vegan and wheat free diet. Old me would have been picking her surprised jaw off the floor looking at new me (and then had another cronut once she got her mouth closed). I seriously never thought I could (or would have to) give up my foodie ways.
Before I made the change, I thought I was pretty healthy because I liked fruit and wasn’t opposed to a veg or two on my plate. But I never tried to consciously change my diet just because I had put on 10-15 a few pounds since my early twenties. Loosing weight was never a good motivator for me, but pain was. When my endo got more severe I looked for ways to combat the debilitating pain. The pain motivated me enough to think if giving up hamburgers and beer could help me, let’s give it a go.
I started by reading Kris Carr’s Crazy, Sexy, Diet. I also started following the endo diet as closely as I could. Green juices, big bowls full of kale and broccoli and beans and brown rice became the norm for my meals. I cut out all refined sugar and most fruit too (and replaced the fruit with lots of veg). It was hard, the first two weeks I felt miserable. And then I felt really, really good.
It shocked me to find out that I felt stronger and more awake on a vegan, wheat-free, sugar-free (and alcohol-free) diet.
Sadly the diet didn’t do much for my endo pain even though it made me feel better overall. So about a week every month I would still be in agony (too painful to do anything — even sitting hurt). But I stuck with the diet because it helped me feel stronger the rest of the month.
And I’ve stuck on the diet on and off again the past four years. Any time I veer off the diet for two long, I begin to feel sluggish, achey, more anxious and my digestion gets wonky. Although it doesn’t seem to have much power against my endo, I’m really lucky that my second surgery has helped me feel so much better. I also think it helps keep my body in balance overall, and that should help keep the endo monster humble (Take that, endomonster! You’re getting more broccoli!).
So without further ado, here is a general list of what I usually eat during the day. I often have cheat meals where I don’t stick to the diet, but I try to keep those to one or two a week. As you can see, it’s not completely vegan (I do eat organic eggs), but there’s very little refined sugar, dairy, wheat or alcohol.
Breakfast:
Oatmeal is one my most favourite foods in the whole wide world. I’ve always liked it, but since coming to Scotland (and learning to add a pinch of salt to it), I’ve fallen in love. During the week I’ll just throw in a few dates and chia seeds because I’m usually in a rush. But on the weekend –oh the weekend! — there’s time for pecans, bananas, pumpkin seeds, ground flax seeds, sunflower seeds, maple syrup — the whole works.
Lunch: Buddha Bowl
Steamed broccoli, avocado, tomato, garlic and quinoa, sprouts and and an egg. All sprinkled with some lemon juice and a pinch of salt and pepper.
Lunch #2/Snack
Steamed broccoli with lemon juice and sprouted, wheat-free toast with green pea hummus and sprouts.
Mocktail
I’m not always great at sticking to my teetotal ways. My job involves tasting a lot of delicious boozey drinks. But I do try to keep it to one or two nips of alcohol per month. If I go to a fancy bar, I’ll ask the bartender to make a mocktail that doesn’t have much sugar in it like the one above. You obviously don’t get a buzz from gingery bubbles and mint, but alcohol usually is one of the triggers to make me feel lousy even after a few sips. Enough motivation to keep my intake to a minimum.
Dinner
I usually have something with brown-rice and beans and lots of veg. This is my new favourite. Endo Diet’s daal — sooo good! Even if you don’t eat vegetarian or vegan, this recipe will blow you away. I added chickpeas and lots more garlic and ginger and topped it with a healthy sprinkle of parsley.
Dessert: Healthy Frosty
I have such a sweet tooth. I’ve cut out almost all refined sugar, but I do still eat fruit and . delicious, healthy smoothies! This one is based on Wendy’s frosty but is much healthier: one frozen banana, a big spoonful of cacao (not cocoa — that usually has sugar added to it), a cup of almond milk, a healthy spoonful of almond butter and a dash of maple syrup if you need it. Seriously, I don’t crave other sweet things when I have this and the only sugar is from the banana and a bit of maple syrup.
If you are looking for more recipe inspiration (because I know the idea of eating veggie/gluten-free/dairy-free/sugar-free can seem so daunting), here are some great resources:
Tara eats
Kris Carr recipes
Endo Diet
Detoxinista
Greener Resolutions
Even if eating this way most of the time doesn’t sound like your cup of tea, I strongly recommend trying it for a week and just to see how you feel cutting back on some of the foods that do tend to cause inflammation in the body (dairy, red meat and sugar). And let me know how you feel! I love hearing other people’s adventures in trying new ways to eat — if you’re a foodie or paleo or are an almond-butter junkie like me. I love to hear it all. Happy chomping, guys!
Fabulous advice.Here’s to your continued health!
Thank you so much, Tonya! xoxoxo, Lar
I love this! It’s how I ideally try to eat. Dining out and the fun cocktails (and now San Diego craft beer) kill me sometimes. I find if I can stick to it during the week and keep on my workout schedule, it’s a good balance for me.
Thanks for sharing that daal recipe. I’m going to try it out!
Hi Laura!
I know EXACTLY what you mean. The UK pub culture here usually does me in (after work drinkypoos — they do call them that). Often I break down and have a tipple a few times a month.
I love your blog — and I can’t wait to try some of your lovely recipes!
xoxo,
Lar
Yay!!! I’m so glad you finally did this post! You know I’ve been wanting you to write this forever! I just find it so inspiring. Even though my diet is not healthy like your’s, knowing what you eat helps me think that eating better is doable. All of your meals look sooooo good too! That buddha bowl?! Can we eat that when I come to visit?
Because my endo pain was never close to as bad as yours, I’ve never been fully motivated to cut out alcohol – even though it’s completely ruined my figure! I just love the taste of a perfect wine pairing with a meal. And a deliciously layered cocktail after work. That being said, knowing what it does to my body helps me keep drinking down to just a few times a week.
Here’s one question I do have: how much time do you spend each day preparing meals? I find that after a long day of work, working out and dealing with other stuff around the house, I never have the energy to prepare a meal.
I swear I’m going to take notes when i come to visit you next month – next month!!!
you are so strong and inspiring!!
xoxo, Cath
I am so, so glad that you haven’t had to go through the same amount of pain — I am so, so, so happy you don’t have that as a motivator. Yes, it helps me to not drink, but I much rather lose my figure ;D and not have the pain. I so understand why it would be so hard to say no to a delicious, well-made cocktail or a nice glass of wine.
Matt and I do spend a lot of time prepping food and I do get really grumpy some evenings. Also, I have a much smaller social life than you ;D so that helps give me more time. I do make eating healthy and working out a priority which means I have to say no to things a lot. It’s a trade-off but one that makes me feel better usually. Though that’s really hard sometimes!
I can’t wait to make you a buddha bowl in a month!!!!
XOOXOXO,
Lar
oh lar, you are inspiring me to eat a lot better! Dates in oatmeal sound so decadent– if only I could find locally grown ones that aren’t super un-sweet!
Hi Laura!
Dates are soooo good with everything! I’ve been using them to dip in my almond butter and I can’t stop! ;D
I think the medjool dates we get here are sourced from Turkey. Not the smallest carbon footprint, but decadently sweet.
xoxoxo,
Lauren
thank you thank you thank you for this post!
thank you especially for the links. as much as i do like the foods i have been eating since on the endo diet since february, it is getting boring. this last week there were more cheat days than i’d like to admit.and my endo was seriously hurting a lot. i guess that is what i deserve.
also, i have wanted to take some photos of my typical meals.because ever since i changed my diet everyone is like WHAT DO YOU EAT??? and i do eat.a lot. just healthy now!
No, you never deserve pain just because you don’t stick to the diet, Diane! I am so impressed with how much you have changed your diet. I know cheat days are totally necessary for me or else I fall off the wagon hard. We are only human even if we are endometriosis warriors ;D
Hahaha! I get questions about what I eat a lot too! I totally get it because the diet sounds extreme, but there really are delicious things to eat on it. I still can’t get enough of the date, apple almond butter from Endodiet.se. Soooo goood!
xoxox,
Lar
More of these posts please! I’ve been a vegan for about a year and I’m always curious what other vegans eat that are simple but still healthy. Glad to hear that it’s helped you in so many ways!
Hi Dana!
I will keep doing updates of when I find delicious, healthy things to eat! So impressed that you have been vegan for a year. I would find it hard not to eat eggs and fish — those are my downfalls. But there are so many delicious vegan, gluten-free dishes without those.
x Lar
I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes not long ago, and next to being put on medication, I have been going through a major diet and lifestyle change – I used to eat so much crap, I can’t even tell you. I worked out, but it was in fits and starts and then long periods of nothing.
In addition to the medication I was advised to lose weight and do cardio more regularly. I needed to lose 5-10% of my starting weight and keep it off (so far I am down 7% and counting).
After getting home and doing quite a bit of research it seems that either a vegan/vegetarian or low carb diet works the best for keeping diabetes long term under control (as well as the havoc it can wreak on your body at bay). As I can’t imagine going completely vegan/vegetarian, I am going with low carb and am finding that pretty sustainable so far. I do occasionally eat small amounts of rice, quinoa, oatmeal, potatoes, or a slice of bread, but I always stick to no more than a 40-45g serving in any given meal, usually less than that.
I mostly eat small amounts of lean meat or fish and lots and lots of vegetables.
Meal prep is more than it used to be, but I keep it at a minimum a couple of ways: On the weekend I always cook extra and freeze that in, which covers 2 or more week night meals. I regularly cook a casserole, which takes care of two dinners, or a dinner and a lunch, or sometimes even 2 dinners and 2 lunches. And I often have a tupperware dish of grilled veggies in my fridge for when I want to throw together a quick salad for dinner or lunch.
One of the next things I need to tackle are my horrific sleeping habits It’s now 4 in the morning and I need to be up in 3 hours!!!!!! Ugh
Hi Michelle
Thanks so much for all the genius tips! I’m very impressed with your meal planning. Like you, I have found on this diet that meal prep does take much longer. I remember when I first started I literally felt like I chopped veggies for at least two hours every day. It feels more normal to me now, but we do fall back on premade salads and soups a lot when we’ve had a busy work week.
Good luck with your new foray into a healthy diet and let us know how you get on!
xoxoxo,
Lar
Love this! I’m obv doing some catching up 😉
What brand of sprouted toast do you get? I can’t seem to find a good wheat-free one.
Hi Ashley!
The bread is German and I haven’t looked for it at Kroger or Publix but they definitely have it at Whole Foods in their bread aisle. I’m not sure if this one is sprouted as it looks a wee bit different than the brands I bought in Europe, but this is what I’m eating at home now and the one they sell at Whole Foods:
http://coachlevi.com/product-reviews/mestemacher-sunflower-seed-bread-taste-test-review/
Definitely lightly toast the bread though because it is a little intense to eat it raw — though I know that probably diminishes some of the awesome raw goodness. I love mine with almond butter and a chopped up medjool date!
xoxox,
Lar