How Following My Partner’s Endo Diet Keeps Me Healthy

Living with a partner who has endometriosis has provided me with valuable insights into the impact of diet and lifestyle on managing this condition. I have previously shared how following this diet myself has helped me understand the role of blood sugar, inflammation, and hormone regulation in endometriosis, as well as in my own health, and why following her diet and lifestyle choices has helped me feel healthier, too. Well, this is a constantly evolving process. So, this is kind of a follow-up article regarding some other things we’ve learned (that also make me feel healthier) and how we implemented them to manage her endo.

Why high blood sugar can worsen make endometriosis symptoms

But first, a quick recap. We have found managing blood sugar levels is crucial for managing my partner's endometriosis. High blood sugar levels can lead to inflammation and hormonal imbalances, which can exacerbate symptoms. By adopting a diet that promotes stable blood sugar, we aim to reduce inflammation and support hormone regulation, ultimately improving my partner's overall well-being. This also helps me to balance my own hormones, stay energized, feel less inflamed and look younger and healthier.

Managing blood sugar makes us both feel healthier

To further this practice, we now incorporate a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar before meals. Consuming a small amount of apple cider vinegar before or during meals helps us slow down the release of sugars into the bloodstream, possibly preventing spikes and crashes in blood sugar levels. Additionally, we now incorporate ten minutes of movement soon after eating, as it has proven to be effective in reducing the impact of the blood sugar spike. Finally, even the order of the food we eat is important. We try to eat leafy green foods first, followed by low starch vegetables, followed by fats, then proteins, then high starch vegetables and carbohydrates. Now, this isn’t super strict as it can be difficult to manage a meal like that, but eating in this order has a dramatic impact on lowering the blood sugar spike, which is beneficial for endo for the reasons mentioned previously.

Another way we manage this diet is with resistant starch. When potatoes, rice, and oats are cooked and cooled, their chemical composition undergoes a transformation that leads to an increase in resistant starch. Resistant starch refers to a specific type of starch that does not get absorbed into the bloodstream like regular starch does. Instead, it travels to the large intestine where it serves as nourishment for beneficial bacteria in our gut. This process not only helps in avoiding sharp increases in blood sugar levels caused by starch consumption but also promotes gut health. By adopting this method, my partner and I enjoy the benefits of carbohydrates while supporting both blood sugar regulation and the well-being of your digestive system.

In our journey to find suitable alternatives to traditional sweeteners, we came across allulose, a low-calorie sugar substitute. Allulose offers a sweet taste without significantly impacting blood sugar levels (unlike some other sweeteners), making it an ideal choice for individuals with endometriosis who like to manage their sugar intake. This natural sweetener has a minimal effect on insulin and is not metabolized by the body in the same way as regular sugar. Incorporating allulose into my partner's endometriosis diet has allowed both of us to enjoy a touch of sweetness without compromising blood sugar stability or triggering inflammation.

Foods that are good for endometriosis are good for me, too

As I’ve written this, it’s really become clear to me how all of this is about blood sugar, and how important that is for managing endometriosis symptoms and my own health, which is why I follow an endo diet, I guess. Following my partner's endometriosis diet has not only allowed me to witness first-hand the positive impact it can have on managing symptoms and promoting overall well-being, but it’s made me healthier too. By prioritizing stable blood-sugar levels, reducing inflammation, and supporting hormone regulation, we have both seen improvements in our quality of life.