Fertility Nutrition Tips for Endo Warriors
By Stefanie Valakas, APD
Stefanie Valakas, aka The Dietologist, is an accredited practising dietician and nutritionist based in Sydney, and through her online dietetics practice works with people all over Australia and even internationally. She helps those who are trying to conceive optimise their chances through tailored fertility nutrition, as well as helping those affected by endometriosis, PCOS, hypothalamic amenorrhoea and beyond. In this post she shares three fertility nutrition tips for endo warriors trying to optimise their fertility, whether pregnancy is in your present or far off future.
I don’t know about you, but one of the first thoughts that crossed my mind after I received my endometriosis diagnosis in late 2019, was fears around my future fertility. And I know I am certainly not alone in those thoughts for my fellow endo warriors who would like to get pregnant one day (whether that was yesterday or 10 years from now!)So, in this article, I want to walk you through my top 3 nutrition tips for those endo warriors that are thinking about their current or future fertility to help you on your way.
Create colourful meals
Naturally occurring colour from fruit and veggies are going to provide our bods with an abundance of non-essential but pretty handy antioxidants. Antioxidants can help fight off inflammation and protect our delicate eggs from DNA damage. Given that the genetic material that lives in our eggs could be our future child/children, we want to do what we can to protect them so loading up on a rainbow of fruits and veggies daily is a critical nutrition strategy to opitmise fertility for endometriosis warriors.
Look beyond just the greens and aim to incorporate fruit and veggies that are red, orange, yellow, blue/purple and white - each colour will have its own unique benefits!
Optimising omegas
Omega-3 fatty acids are not only anti-inflammatory but are also known to help reduce pain associated with our periods due to their impact on prostaglandins (more detail on this inside my program!)In terms of fertility and pre-conception health we also know these essential fats found mostly in oily fish like salmon, trout, mackerel, sardines and anchovies are important to maintain optimal egg (and sperm) health too! Win-win!
Aim to get 150 grams of fresh or tinned oily fish into your meals 3 times per week. Hate fish? Consider talking to your health care provider about a safe supplementation regime for you.
Get on top of your gut issues
Many endometriosis warriors struggle with gut dysfunction, whether it be bloating, diarrhoea or constipation or excess wind, getting on top of these ASAP with the guidance of a knowledgable healthcare professional is important to not only your quality of life but also for your hormones and fertility!This is because excess estrogen leaves our bodies via our number 2s (that’s right, our poop!), so if you’re backed up that means that excess isn’t leaving your body and can go and contribute to further endometriosis symptoms.
Diarrhoea or too frequent or too loose bowel motions aren’t the best either, this may lead to poor hydration and the loss of essential water-soluble B vitamins like folic acid, niacin and vitamin C - all important for optimal pre-conception and fertility health.Restoring gut health and resolving symptoms through a tailored approach is key on your fertility journey with endometriosis, but it can take some time, so connect with a knowledgeable dietitian (like me!) to help you sooner rather than later to help ensure that all that hard work with your diet and any supplements is working to its fullest potential and isn’t getting left behind in the bathroom!
Come and hang out on my dedicated endometriosis Instagram account @endo.dietitian and if you’re trying to conceive with endometriosis, get on the list to be the first to know about my new online program, Get Pregnant with Endo
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