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Registered dietitian Sarah Rae shares evidence-based nutrition strategies for those managing both endometriosis and PCOS simultaneously. She explains why balanced blood sugar is crucial for both conditions and how protein intake, fiber, and healthy fats support hormone regulation.
• Similar nutrition approaches work for both endometriosis and PCOS despite perceived conflicts
• Focus on balancing blood sugars which impacts sleep, hormones, and hunger levels
• Aim for 20-30 grams of protein at each meal with fiber and healthy fats
• Those with PCOS and insulin resistance may need slightly more careful carbohydrate management
• Intermittent fasting generally not recommended as it can lead to disordered eating patterns
• Regular breakfast helps prevent binge eating, control sugar cravings, and manage bloating
• Anti-inflammatory food choices benefit both conditions
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0:00
Have you ever wondered what diets would be helpful for both endometriosis and PCOS, or are they different? Are there conflicts of interest when you talk about diet with PCOS and endometriosis, and is intermittent fasting something that you should even consider when you have endometriosis? Is it helpful or is it harmful? Registered dietitian Sarah Rae is here to cut through the noise and help bring clarity to these very things. Stick around. Life moves fast and so should the answers to your biggest questions. Welcome to EndoBattery's Quick Connect, your direct line to expert insights. Short, powerful and right to the point. You send in the questions, I bring in the experts and in just five minutes you get the knowledge you need. No long episodes, no extra time needed, and just remember expert opinions shared here are for general information and not for personalized medical advice. Always consult your provider for your case-specific guidance. Got a question? Send it in and let's quickly get you the answers. I'm your host, alanaana, and it's time to connect.
Speaker 1:
1:09
Today we're joined by Sarah Ray from Pacific Northwest Endometriosis Nutrition. She's a registered dietitian specializing in endometriosis and fertility nutrition. She's here to cut through the noise and share real, evidence-based strategies to help you fuel your body. Without the confusion. Let's dive in. How can someone with both endometriosis and PCOS balance their diet, when recommendations often seem conflicting?
Speaker 2:
1:34
That is a really good question and I'm not sure what recommendations this person is referring to that are conflicting, but I actually recommend kind of a similar diet for both. So how I like to approach endometriosis nutrition and what seems to make most people feel better is working on balancing blood sugars, which can impact our sleep, which can impact our hormones like estrogen and insulin. It impacts our hunger levels when we're eating frequently enough and insulin it impacts our hunger levels when we're eating frequently enough. That kind of helps both conditions. So with PCOS people may not be bloating as much as people with endometriosis, but both kind of need to eat frequently for different reasons. So if you have both and you have PCOS and you're a little bit insulin resistant, say, we might need to be a little bit more careful with carbohydrate intake than somebody who just has endometriosis.
Speaker 2:
2:28
But for both populations I really like to focus on getting enough protein at meals. So usually that's at least 20 to 30 grams every time we're eating, getting a fiber and a healthy fat as a part of that meal and then a moderate amount of carbohydrates. So you don't have to count your macronutrients. But if we have like a whole large bagel and then just one egg, our protein and carbs are really kind of out of balance and it's not necessarily going to make the endometriosis grow, but we're missing out on really key nutrients with that. If you have PCOS, we're really looking at how that might affect blood sugar balance. So trying to get that balance of macronutrients in eating regularly, getting lots of anti-inflammatory foods in that, really speaks to both populations. So I treat both fairly similarly. Unless somebody with PCOS is also struggling with insulin, we might look more at carbohydrate intake.
Speaker 1:
3:25
Would this eliminate doing intermittent fasting? Would you not recommend it for people that are dealing with both of these things?
Speaker 2:
3:33
I generally don't recommend intermittent fasting One, because it's a food rule that can lead to disordered eating and a lot of times is not sustainable. I have a couple of clients who have said they feel better with endometriosis and intermittent fasting and they just tended to not be a breakfast eater naturally. So if that just feels natural, if adding breakfast in makes somebody super nauseous and they kind of always ate that way and we're making sure they're getting enough calories and maybe adding enough foods later in the day if they aren't eating till noon, say, I can support that. But it's not something I recommend for symptom management for either group. Breakfast is really important for preventing binge eating later in the day, for helping control sugar cravings. Usually people feel better with their bloat, with their fatigue, with their brain fog when they are eating balanced meals throughout the day. So it's not something that I use in my practice unless somebody really feels strongly that that's what's been best for them in the past.
Speaker 1:
4:38
That's a wrap for this Quick Connect. I hope today's insights helped you move forward with more clarity and confidence. Do you have more questions? Keep them coming, send them in and I'll. Do you have more questions? Keep them coming, send them in and I'll bring you the expert answers. You can send them in by using the link in the top of the description of this podcast episode, or by emailing contact at endobatterycom or visiting the endobatterycom contact page. Until next time, keep feeling empowered through knowledge.