June 20, 2025 • 7 mins
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Sarah Rae, a registered dietitian specializing in endometriosis and fertility nutrition, shares evidence-based strategies to help manage endometriosis symptoms through diet. She debunks nutrition myths and offers practical approaches to meal planning that focus on nourishment rather than restriction.
• Start with small steps when transitioning to an endometriosis-friendly diet
• Most women need around 2000 calories daily, especially if active
• Include protein at every meal and snack for muscle function, blood sugar regulation, and hormone support
• Add colorful produce to your meals, using frozen or cooked options if fresh isn't accessible
• Create meal planning systems with protein rotations and consistent frameworks to reduce decision fatigue
• Consider meal delivery kits during busy life seasons for nutritionally balanced options
• Working with a dietitian can provide personalized meal planning assistance
Send your questions by using the link in the description, emailing contact@endobattery.com, or visiting the endobattery.com contact page.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Have you ever wondered what diets would be
helpful for both endometriosisand PCOS, or are they different?
Are there conflicts of interestwhen you talk about diet with
PCOS and endometriosis, and isintermittent fasting something
that you should even considerwhen you have endometriosis?
Is it helpful or is it harmful?
Registered dietitian Sarah Raeis here to cut through the noise
(00:23):
and help bring clarity to thesevery things.
Stick around Life moves fastand so should the answers to
your biggest questions.
Welcome to EndoBattery's QuickConnect, your direct line to
expert insights.
Short, powerful and right tothe point.
You send in the questions, Ibring in the experts and in just
five minutes you get theknowledge you need.
(00:45):
No long episodes, no extra timeneeded, and just remember
expert opinions shared here arefor general information and not
for personalized medical advice.
Always consult your providerfor your case-specific guidance.
Got a question?
Send it in and let's quicklyget you the answers.
I'm your host, alanaana, andit's time to connect.
(01:09):
Today we're joined by Sarah Rayfrom Pacific Northwest
Endometriosis Nutrition.
She's a registered dietitianspecializing in endometriosis
and fertility nutrition.
She's here to cut through thenoise and share real,
evidence-based strategies tohelp you fuel your body without
the confusion.
Let's dive in.
What's the best way totransition to an
(01:32):
endometriosis-friendly dietwithout feeling overwhelmed.
Speaker 2 (01:35):
Taking small steps.
So I would kind of take a stepback and look at the areas where
you're finding challenges.
So if it's most of the time Isee people are not eating enough
and not getting enoughnutrients in and then maybe they
feel really guilty becausethey're having cravings or going
for kind of quick processedfoods later in the day or they
(01:55):
feel like they just shouldn'teat and then they feel really
tired and crummy.
So step one I would say makesure you're eating enough.
Most women need around 2000calories a day, especially if
they're active, so that whatwe've been told as teenagers and
growing up that you need only12 to 1500 calories a day Most
people are not going to feelwell at that.
(02:17):
So make sure you're eatingenough, make sure you're getting
enough protein.
So once we kind of get thatfood frequency up, making sure
you're getting protein at everymeal and snack so that you have
enough to support your musclefunction, your blood sugar
levels and your hormones, we'regetting enough to replete that
inflammatory process that'shappening.
(02:39):
That goes a long way for people.
And then try to crowd yourplate with lots of color.
So challenge yourself kind of,once you've had those steps in,
to get a variety of produce inand if it doesn't feel
accessible to buy a lot of freshfruits and veggies and go to
the farmer's market, frozenproduce is also fine to
(02:59):
incorporate.
Or if you're really strugglingwith how that feels on your gut,
cooking your produce is alsofine.
So doing roasted things ormixing your veggies into your
spaghetti sauce, things likethat, just adding a little bit
as we go.
And then, once you've kind ofdone that, like I said before, a
lot of the processed types ofinflammatory foods which I would
(03:20):
say is mainly just like sugar Idon't put dairy on there.
That's helpful with gettingcalcium and things like that but
those processed starchy typesof foods that we need to limit
for most health conditions,we'll kind of start to crowd out
when we're getting enoughprotein and fiber and vegetables
and nutrients in.
Speaker 1 (03:39):
With that.
Are there specific meal prep orgrocery shopping tips that can
make following thatendometriosis diet easier, or a
way of changing your eatingeasier?
Because it's not necessarilyspecific to endometriosis diet,
it's just changing your eatingto benefit you better.
Speaker 2 (03:54):
Yes.
So there's a few differentthings that you can do.
So one thing is kind of tryingto find a pattern, and this
doesn't have to be.
We think about like kind of thewhite diet, where we have like
potatoes, meat, vegetable, likeeverything is separate, but
picking those components andtrying to add them to every meal
(04:14):
, even if they're mixed.
So if you are in a culturewhere there's a lot of curries
or mixed dishes and kind ofeverything is thrown together,
trying to make sure that youalways pick a protein, a
carbohydrate source, a fibersource, and whether you're
cooking that in a healthy fat oryou're adding avocado or
something to the top of that,that is sort of your like puzzle
(04:38):
that you're wanting to puttogether With meal planning.
It can be helpful if you havemaybe a set rotation of proteins
that you're choosing throughoutthe week and then you kind of
play with that.
So maybe you have chicken onMondays and one week you do like
a lemon garlic chicken and thenthe next week you do like a
(04:59):
Mexican spice chicken and thenext week maybe you make that
into a chicken soup, but likeMonday is always chicken day and
then you can kind of likerotate three or four recipes
throughout the month and savethem so that next time you're
trying to meal plan you kind ofalready have that ready to go.
So maybe you know Monday ischicken day and Tuesday and
Thursday are fish day and yourotate out your vegetables every
(05:22):
week, but maybe you always dothe same spices on them if
that's what you like, and thenmaybe we have a red meat day
where we're getting a lot ofgood micronutrients and iron
from that.
So maybe one week that's groundbeef, maybe one week that is
like a stew or a pot roast orsomething.
But trying to make it easy sothat it's like okay, I know I
need to just find a vegetable togo with this dish and save your
(05:45):
recipes either on a Pinterestboard or a notebook, or there's
different apps that will do thatfor you.
That can just make it reallyeasy, where you're not having to
do a lot of thought around it.
And then, depending on theseason in your life, sometimes
those meal delivery kits can bereally helpful.
There are several of them nowthat are really focused on
(06:07):
getting enough produce andprotein in and somebody thinks
of the recipes for you and youjust need to make sure you
choose your meals and have themdelivered.
I'm in a season in my life where, you know, I have a new baby.
I don't really have time tocook lunch, so I will order
double so that when I cookdinner I have lunch for the next
day, or I have two dinnersready and that's kind of ready
(06:30):
to go.
And if you are on a plant-baseddiet, there's some really great
plant-based ones I thinkthistle is one of them that are
also focused on getting enoughprotein around that, so there's
some really great things readyto go.
In my practice I have a mealplanning app that I will use
with patients.
I know there's a lot ofdietitians who use that kind of
(06:51):
service, so they may not handyou just like follow this here's
your grocery list.
But I will do meal planningwith clients where we sit down
and look at recipe books or Iwill send them some recipes
every week.
So a dietitian can be a reallygreat resource to use as well.
If you just like feeloverwhelmed, there's different
(07:11):
people out there who will helpwith that.
Speaker 1 (07:14):
That's a wrap for this quick connect.
I hope today's insights helpedyou move forward with more
clarity and confidence.
Do you have more questions?
Keep them coming, send them inand I'll bring you the expert
answers.
You can send them in by usingthe link in the top of the
description of this podcastepisode or by emailing contact
(07:34):
at endobatterycom or visitingthe endobatterycom contact page.
Until next time, keep feelingempowered through knowledge.
Have you ever wondered what diets would be
helpful for both endometriosisand PCOS, or are they different?
Are there conflicts of interestwhen you talk about diet with
PCOS and endometriosis, and isintermittent fasting something
that you should even considerwhen you have endometriosis?
Is it helpful or is it harmful?
Registered dietitian Sarah Raeis here to cut through the noise
(00:23):
and help bring clarity to thesevery things.
Stick around Life moves fastand so should the answers to
your biggest questions.
Welcome to EndoBattery's QuickConnect, your direct line to
expert insights.
Short, powerful and right tothe point.
You send in the questions, Ibring in the experts and in just
five minutes you get theknowledge you need.
(00:45):
No long episodes, no extra timeneeded, and just remember
expert opinions shared here arefor general information and not
for personalized medical advice.
Always consult your providerfor your case-specific guidance.
Got a question?
Send it in and let's quicklyget you the answers.
I'm your host, alanaana, andit's time to connect.
(01:09):
Today we're joined by Sarah Rayfrom Pacific Northwest
Endometriosis Nutrition.
She's a registered dietitianspecializing in endometriosis
and fertility nutrition.
She's here to cut through thenoise and share real,
evidence-based strategies tohelp you fuel your body without
the confusion.
Let's dive in.
What's the best way totransition to an
(01:32):
endometriosis-friendly dietwithout feeling overwhelmed.
Speaker 2 (01:35):
Taking small steps.
So I would kind of take a stepback and look at the areas where
you're finding challenges.
So if it's most of the time Isee people are not eating enough
and not getting enoughnutrients in and then maybe they
feel really guilty becausethey're having cravings or going
for kind of quick processedfoods later in the day or they
(01:55):
feel like they just shouldn'teat and then they feel really
tired and crummy.
So step one I would say makesure you're eating enough.
Most women need around 2000calories a day, especially if
they're active, so that whatwe've been told as teenagers and
growing up that you need only12 to 1500 calories a day Most
people are not going to feelwell at that.
(02:17):
So make sure you're eatingenough, make sure you're getting
enough protein.
So once we kind of get thatfood frequency up, making sure
you're getting protein at everymeal and snack so that you have
enough to support your musclefunction, your blood sugar
levels and your hormones, we'regetting enough to replete that
inflammatory process that'shappening.
(02:39):
That goes a long way for people.
And then try to crowd yourplate with lots of color.
So challenge yourself kind of,once you've had those steps in,
to get a variety of produce inand if it doesn't feel
accessible to buy a lot of freshfruits and veggies and go to
the farmer's market, frozenproduce is also fine to
(02:59):
incorporate.
Or if you're really strugglingwith how that feels on your gut,
cooking your produce is alsofine.
So doing roasted things ormixing your veggies into your
spaghetti sauce, things likethat, just adding a little bit
as we go.
And then, once you've kind ofdone that, like I said before, a
lot of the processed types ofinflammatory foods which I would
(03:20):
say is mainly just like sugar Idon't put dairy on there.
That's helpful with gettingcalcium and things like that but
those processed starchy typesof foods that we need to limit
for most health conditions,we'll kind of start to crowd out
when we're getting enoughprotein and fiber and vegetables
and nutrients in.
Speaker 1 (03:39):
With that.
Are there specific meal prep orgrocery shopping tips that can
make following thatendometriosis diet easier, or a
way of changing your eatingeasier?
Because it's not necessarilyspecific to endometriosis diet,
it's just changing your eatingto benefit you better.
Speaker 2 (03:54):
Yes.
So there's a few differentthings that you can do.
So one thing is kind of tryingto find a pattern, and this
doesn't have to be.
We think about like kind of thewhite diet, where we have like
potatoes, meat, vegetable, likeeverything is separate, but
picking those components andtrying to add them to every meal
(04:14):
, even if they're mixed.
So if you are in a culturewhere there's a lot of curries
or mixed dishes and kind ofeverything is thrown together,
trying to make sure that youalways pick a protein, a
carbohydrate source, a fibersource, and whether you're
cooking that in a healthy fat oryou're adding avocado or
something to the top of that,that is sort of your like puzzle
(04:38):
that you're wanting to puttogether With meal planning.
It can be helpful if you havemaybe a set rotation of proteins
that you're choosing throughoutthe week and then you kind of
play with that.
So maybe you have chicken onMondays and one week you do like
a lemon garlic chicken and thenthe next week you do like a
(04:59):
Mexican spice chicken and thenext week maybe you make that
into a chicken soup, but likeMonday is always chicken day and
then you can kind of likerotate three or four recipes
throughout the month and savethem so that next time you're
trying to meal plan you kind ofalready have that ready to go.
So maybe you know Monday ischicken day and Tuesday and
Thursday are fish day and yourotate out your vegetables every
(05:22):
week, but maybe you always dothe same spices on them if
that's what you like, and thenmaybe we have a red meat day
where we're getting a lot ofgood micronutrients and iron
from that.
So maybe one week that's groundbeef, maybe one week that is
like a stew or a pot roast orsomething.
But trying to make it easy sothat it's like okay, I know I
need to just find a vegetable togo with this dish and save your
(05:45):
recipes either on a Pinterestboard or a notebook, or there's
different apps that will do thatfor you.
That can just make it reallyeasy, where you're not having to
do a lot of thought around it.
And then, depending on theseason in your life, sometimes
those meal delivery kits can bereally helpful.
There are several of them nowthat are really focused on
(06:07):
getting enough produce andprotein in and somebody thinks
of the recipes for you and youjust need to make sure you
choose your meals and have themdelivered.
I'm in a season in my life where, you know, I have a new baby.
I don't really have time tocook lunch, so I will order
double so that when I cookdinner I have lunch for the next
day, or I have two dinnersready and that's kind of ready
(06:30):
to go.
And if you are on a plant-baseddiet, there's some really great
plant-based ones I thinkthistle is one of them that are
also focused on getting enoughprotein around that, so there's
some really great things readyto go.
In my practice I have a mealplanning app that I will use
with patients.
I know there's a lot ofdietitians who use that kind of
(06:51):
service, so they may not handyou just like follow this here's
your grocery list.
But I will do meal planningwith clients where we sit down
and look at recipe books or Iwill send them some recipes
every week.
So a dietitian can be a reallygreat resource to use as well.
If you just like feeloverwhelmed, there's different
(07:11):
people out there who will helpwith that.
Speaker 1 (07:14):
That's a wrap for this quick connect.
I hope today's insights helpedyou move forward with more
clarity and confidence.
Do you have more questions?
Keep them coming, send them inand I'll bring you the expert
answers.
You can send them in by usingthe link in the top of the
description of this podcastepisode or by emailing contact
(07:34):
at endobatterycom or visitingthe endobatterycom contact page.
Until next time, keep feelingempowered through knowledge.
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