Endometriosis Diet Friendly Recipes Part 2

There's no better time than the present to try a new recipe or two so we're pleased to welcome back our Guest Author, women's health coach and founder of This EndoLife podcast and blog, Jessica Duffin, who shares some more of her favourite recipes from 'This EndoLife, It Starts with Breakfast'. The nutrition guide and cookbook is packed with recipes created specifically for living and thriving with endometriosis, including these nutritious and delicious drinks which will ensure you start your day the right way! 

Premenstrual Pumpkin Pie Smoothie

This pumpkin pie smoothie is a really energising way to start the day and is a great alternative to high sugar smoothies. It’s also a good smoothie to go for in your luteal phase, the phase just before your period. The cauliflower supports your body to clear out excess and old oestrogen, whilst the squash can ease PMS and cravings thanks to the B-vitamins and natural sugars, as well as helping to stabilise mood. 

If you’re low on energy and want to spend as little time preparing as possible, buy pre-chopped squash and make sure your veggies are steamed and frozen ahead of time. I try to always have frozen cauliflower, squash and sweet potato in the freezer, so I can easily make a smoothie most mornings.

Serves 1-2

Ingredients

• ¾-1 cup frozen squash or pumpkin

• 1-3 small cauliflower florets (feel free to omit if you really can’t get down with cauli in your smoothie or build up from 1 to 3 in order to adjust to the taste)

• 300ml/1¼ cups nut milk (sub for water if you prefer)

• 200ml/¾ cup water

• 1 scoop vanilla protein powder

• 1 tablespoon almond butter

• 1 tablespoon chia seeds

• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• ½ teaspoon ground  ginger

• ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

• ¼ teaspoon ground cloves

• Topping: A few crushed pecans

Method

Chop, steam and freeze the squash in advance. Allow the veg to cool before freezing, otherwise you get very icy veg that sticks together! You still may need to leave the veg out of the freezer for five minutes to make it easier to separate before using. Add all the ingredients, apart from the crushed pecans, into the blender and blitz. Add more water/milk if it’s too thick.

Pour into a glass and top with a sprinkle of pecans – don’t skip this step! Chewing the pecans will begin the digestion process in your mouth and let your stomach know that food is coming. Remember, gut health is essential for managing endo!

Anti-Inflammatory Super Turmeric Latte for Endometriosis

Turmeric has been essential in reducing my pain levels. A combination of ginger and turmeric supplements gave me my first pain-free period in years. I now use the two daily, and find that when I don’t, I notice a difference in my inflammation levels. Placebo? Maybe, but if it works, I’m all for it. However, there is mounting evidence supporting both turmeric and ginger - go have a look at my section on supplements for further info.

That’s why these two spices are at the core of my latte. I’ve used powders here rather than fresh ginger and turmeric root, as ginger has been found to be more effective for pain in the dry form and I also wanted to save you time and mess in the morning! The spices can sink to the bottom of your cup, so if you’d prefer to use less powder, you can swap the cinnamon powder for a cinnamon stick and use cardamom pods instead - you just may not get such concentrated flavours. You can also add a few extra boosters such as lion’s mane and cordyceps to help fight fatigue in the morning, and/or ashwaganda, which improves endurance under stress and can reduce the harmful effects of stress.

I often find when a turmeric latte isn’t flavoured with other spices, it can be a bit too pungent and that’s especially noticeable when you don’t add sugar to your drinks. If you’d like a bit more sweetness with this, you can try adding some Troo inulin syrup for a dose of fibre, monk fruit powder, or stevia drops. If you like your turmeric latte with a shot of coffee, you can add one to two teaspoons of chicory root granules.

A good way to make this process easier, is by making a big batch ahead and refrigerating for the rest of the week!

Serves 1

Ingredients

• 250ml/1 cup nut milk

• ½ teaspoon ground turmeric

• ¼-½ teaspoon ground ginger (depending on how much heat you’d like it to have!)

• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, powder or a scraping of fresh vanilla pod

• ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom

• Pinch of ground clove

• Pinch of ground nutmeg

• ½ teaspoon coconut butter

• Pinch of ground black pepper

Optional: Your preferred serving size of lion’s mane, ashwaganda or cordyceps. 1-2 teaspoons organic instant chicory root granules

Method

If you have time, briefly blitz all the ingredients in a blender to ensure they’re well combined and frothy. Add to a saucepan and heat on a low-medium heat, whisking occasionally, for about 5 minutes. Pour into a mug and enjoy!