And so it begins...

Remember how I talked about lifestyle changes? They're slowly beginning to happen this week. Slowly being key for me. I'm posting them here, half for me, and simply so they're written down somewhere that I can view over and over.

I'm freaking sick of being in pain all the time. I know when I eat things that effect my kidneys/endo and I can't take it. So I had my friend Leah look into it and ask a nutritionist for me. What did she have to say? Mostly the same as what this page said. And so Leah took me shopping and off we went to superstore where I was introduced to the organic aisle. Now don't get me wrong. I shopped there sometimes. But she pretty much encouraged me to buy everything from there. And I did. I was surprised at how cheap my bill actually was for what I got. It wasn't out of the budget at all.

So what does an endo diet look like? Like this...

Let's start with what I CAN eat:

• High fiber - up to 25 grams a day. It is thought that fiber decreases the amount of total circulating estrogen (estrogen = bad when you have endo). This means lots of whole grains (excluding wheat and rye), beans, peas, brown rice, veggies, fruit, and oatmeal.
• I am also supposed to incorporate mustard greens, broccoli, cabbage, or turnips into my diet daily to moderate estrogen levels. This will be difficult and I'm still looking into "mustard greens."
• Because endo wears down your immune system so badly (and remember I have a little one who's germs are going to be abundant very shortly) they suggest increasing foods to up your immune system (as mentioned and): onions, garlic, carrots, live yogurt, rhubarb, seeds/sprouted seeds, ginger, and green tea.
• There are also foods that contain "phytoestrogens" that are thought to be helpful - they actually block the estrogen receptors so that there is not excess estrogen in the body (as mentioned and): red/purple berries, apples, parsley, cauliflower, nuts, celery, and sage.

That's actually quite a bit of food. They also suggest to increase Omega-3s (so some fish is good).

What can't I eat? The famous question, but of course:

• Wheat - this includes breads and pasta products, all based on wheat.
• Red meats - promotes negative prostaglandins.
• Refined and concentrated carbohydrates (refined flours).
• Refined sugars and honey - causes inflammatory reaction.
• Caffeine which increases abdominal cramps and increases estrogen levels.
• Dairy produce including all milk and cheese - inflammatory.
• Fried food, margarine and hydrogenated fats - can stimulate negative prostaglandins.
• Soy products and soy protein products - tamari can be used in small amounts.
• Tinned and frozen packaged foods as little as possible.
• Additives and preservatives - increase chemical load on the system. 

So that's where I am.
I'm not going to lie I hate being restricted. I know it will be a challenge for me.

But quite frankly I'm sick and tired of this pain, literally, and can't fight the tears any longer. I need something to work. And here we start.
kortney elise xoxo