The Endo Diet -- Vegan

by Sylvia
(Rotterdam, the Netherlands)

I recently converted from being vegetarian to being vegan after I found out I was lactose/whey and egg intolerant. The endo diet is basically vegan, however I also am advised to exclude soy because of its hormonal properties. I find that a lot of vegan recipes rely on the use of soy. What can I do to get my needed protein without soy so I can properly follow the endo diet?

Answer:

I have read about how the endo diet is basically vegan and I've also heard good results of people being able to reverse their symptoms and prevent future recurrences of endometriosis with a vegan diet.

In short, the endo diet calls for you to eat:

• whole grains (except wheat and rye)
  
• beans, peas, and legumes/pulses
  
• vegetables (especially greens, broccoli, turnips, garlic, onions and cabbage)
  
• fruits (rhubarb is great for it)
  

The endo diet also calls for you to avoid:

• red meats
  
• refined carbohydrates like bread, flour, and cakes made from refined flours, and all wheat products
  
• refined sugars and honey
  
• alcohol
  
• caffeine
  
• chocolate
  
• processed (frozen, packaged, canned) foods
  
• eggs
  
• dairy products
  

In short, the endo diet is like a strict vegan diet enhanced with a leaning towards macrobiotics.

Luckily, though many people worry that vegan diets depend on soy for protein, many vegans I know eat very little soy. In fact, many non-vegans accidentally eat tons of soy products in the form of refined soybean oil, soy isoflavone, soy sauce, etc.

We have several pages on Vegan Nutritionista dedicated to helping our readers figure out how to get plenty of vegan protein.

In short, the endo diet vegan style should give you an incredible boost in preventing further developing of endometriosis and should make you feel incredible overall. Good luck and congratulations!