Endo and Food Triggers: What You’re Eating Might Be Fueling Your Inflammation and Here’s How to Calm It

If you have endometriosis you’ve probably been told to follow AIP, Low-fodmap or the endo diet. You’re told you have to be strict with your nutrition to feel “good”. 

And yes, nutrition does play a HUGE role in how you feel with endometriosis.. But it’s not all about cutting out the "inflammatory" foods.

But here’s the truth… your healing journey with endo is not about  “clean eating” or cutting everything fun out of your diet. It’s about understanding what’s actually causing your pain and inflammation with endo and eating enough of the foods needed to help reduce inflammation + therefore pain, bloating, + fatigue with endo. Yes, these symptoms suck, but your body is trying to communicate with you.

Food + poor absorption of essential nutrients are often 2 huge triggers I see for endo bloat. Let’s dig into it.

Why Food Matters So Much When You Have Endo

Endometriosis is a full body, complex and chronic inflammatory condition, not just a “period or reproductive” issue. And the lesions caused by endometriosis can leave your immune system on high alert.

How and what you fuel your body the majority of the time can have a huge impact on how you feel day to day. So while I’m not the fear mongering type of nutrition practitioner, it is important to call attention to certain foods that may be a trigger for you with endometriosis.

Foods (like ultra- processed foods/oils, dairy, gluten, and sugar) can increase inflammation and histamine levels in the body… both of which are major players in endo pain, fatigue, bloat + other pesky symptoms like histamine reactions (rash, palpitations, runny nose after meals, etc)

And if your gut is already compromised (which it usually is with endo), these foods can trigger even more reactions because your body’s intestinal lining (that plays a role in immune function) is most likely friable and your immune system is already in overdrive.

Do keep in mind however, I am also not suggesting you cut out the foods I will be mentioning below.

This journey is not about perfection. It’s about understanding your body’s needs and signals.

Common Food Triggers I See in My Endo Clients

Everyone’s different, but here’s what I see most often:

• Dairy: Can be inflammatory due to poor digestion of the dairy, poor gut health, and because it is a high histamine food. Most women with endo also have higher histamine levels because we have more mast cells (the cells that release histamine)
  
  
• Gluten: (and the pesticides used on wheat crops) Can increase gut permeability (“leaky gut”) which can lead to more food sensitivities, drive bloat and worsen period pain or endo flare ups. Sourdough may be less inflammatory for some since it’s less processed.
  
  
• Soy: Has phytoestrogenic properties and often how crops are managed can worsen estrogen dominance symptoms or pain for some women with endo. How it’s processed matters the most though– low quality soy in a protein bar will be more inflammatory than organic tofu or tempeh.
  
  
• Sugar + refined carbs: A little sugar here + there won’t make or break you with endo, but consuming a lot of refined sugars can fuel inflammation + spike insulin levels— which can lead to more fatigue, mood swings, and painful flares.
  
  
• Processed seed oils (like canola, sunflower, corn): These throw off your omega-3:omega-6 ratio especially if you are not consuming enough omega-3s (we need both) and can increase pain + inflammation.
  
  
• Caffeine + alcohol: Too much caffeine can drive pain + inflammation. A lot of women with endo also have interstitial cystitis (IC) and for some, it can be an irritant. Coffee can also be high in histamine + often contains mold, unless third party tested for it. Alcohol on the other hand is horrible for your immune system (hello histamine), gut, liver + nervous system (hello not being able to sleep after a night of drinking in your 30s), so trying to limit it as best as possible is key for endo.

Now before you panic — this doesn’t mean you should never consume these foods/drinks again. I’m always a big believer of being present in the moment, but in the same breath, if your diet is heavy in these foods, it lacks nutrient dense ANTI-INFLAMMATORY foods, you will continue to feel like crap with endometriosis.

Why Restriction Isn’t the Goal

If you’ve done elimination diets before, you know they can quickly turn into a stressful thing and lead to a lot of food fear. If you do need to follow an elimination diet, please be sure to work with a qualified health professional like a dietitian or nutritionist that guides women through short-term elimination with a place to re-introduce.

But if you have endo… and you’re already living in survival mode month after month, the extra stress of “What the heck do I eat?” is the last thing you need. 

The real goal? To find BALANCE in your body. To NOURISH it. To SUPPORT it in the way it’s literally begging for. This is how you beat endo symptoms without having to eliminate everything you love.

You deserve to enjoy food and live without the constant bloat, pain, and fatigue. But that means supporting your gut, your liver, and your minerals — not relying on food elimination as a healing strategy.

Because when your body’s systems are nourished and supported, you can tolerate more foods and live more freely.

If you are currently following an elimination diet and you’re ready to break free from it, but want to reintroduce foods in a way that’ll keep symptoms minimized, read my blog on elimination diets + reintroduction here! 

How to Calm the Fire + Inflammation in Your Body (Without Losing Your Mind)

Here’s where real healing with endo starts…. and where most “endo diet” advice completely misses the mark.

1. Support your gut health. This doesn’t mean just take digestive enzymes or a probiotic. This means working on addressing pathogens like H. Pylori, SIBO, Candida, leaky gut, or low stomach acid that may be driving pain, fatigue, bloat + inflammation. It’s easy to get focused on our hormones with endo, but a lot of time your hormone issues stem from your gut. Also working on motility, lowering stress, good meal hygiene + diversifying your gut microbiome are key.
   
   
2. Focus on ADDING IN anti-inflammatory foods vs removing foods. It’s so easy to get in the mindset of food elimination with endo, but oftentimes what we endo babes are lacking or are struggling to get in due to symptoms or poor absorption, is enough anti-inflammatory nutrients. Think omega-3 rich fats (salmon, sardines, walnuts), colorful veggies, blueberries, turmeric, ginger, and leafy greens like spinach or kale.
   
   
3. Support detox pathways. Your liver, gut, and lymph need love to keep estrogen moving — so eat beets, cruciferous veggies (broccoli, kale, cauliflower), drink at least ½ your weight in oz a day in water of minerals, limit or avoid booze, eat a colorful diet, + move your body to help keep things moving.
   
   
4. Minerals, baby. Many women with endo I work with are DEPLETED from years of having an inflammatory disease, stress, hormonal birth control use and poor gut health. Minerals like magnesium, zinc, and sodium/potassium balance are game changers for cramps, mood, and fatigue. Eating a nutrient rich diet (with animal products if possible), using high quality salt (code “RITA” saves you 15%) and implementing a high quality magnesium supplement are a good place to start. This is why I LOVE using the HTMA (Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis Test) with my 1:1 clients because it helps us see what your mineral patterns are telling us about your body + what you need more support with.
   
   
5. Regulate your nervous system and slow the heck down. Because your gut + hormones won’t heal if your body thinks it’s in danger all the time. Also, stress can tighten pelvic floor muscles, which is something many of us struggle with already. You can support your nervous system with walks, meditation, breathwork (if that’s your thing), journaling, or just not overcommitting yourself are medicine too.

Taking Things One Step Further…

If you’ve been trying to “eat healthy” and your endo pain, periods + gut issues still have a chokehold on your life week after week, month after month… it’s not your fault your symptoms haven’t budged yet.

Up until this point, you’ve been given surface-level advice for a complex condition. Healing with endometriosis starts with nourishing the systems that help keep inflammation + pain down with endometriosis as previously mentioned — not just removing foods you love.

If you’re ready to stop playing symptom whack-a-mole and start tackling your endo symptoms head on, implement the things mentioned in this newsletter! I also wrote a blog that dives a little deeper into where I’d start if I just got an endo diagnosis. 

For my ladies who are ready to learn more about what’s driving your endo symptoms + exactly what your body needs to finally tackle your bloat, fatigue and period pain with endometriosis— this is exactly what I help women do every day. Follow me on IG to learn more!

I also have my Radiate with Rita Podcast + my weekly Radiate + Thrive newsletter where I drop tips about managing endo + chronic illness, how I navigate my own journey, recipes + all the things to make your journey a little easier! Subscribe to Radiate + Thrive here!