“It occurred to me, that I should get my long list of nutrients from food [rather than supplements]. That if I did that, I would probably get hundreds and maybe thousands of other compounds that science had yet to name, that would be helpful to my brain and my mitochondria.”- Dr. Terry Wahls

Vegetables are an incredible endometriosis-fighting superfood! Packed with antioxidants, phytonutrients, fiber, vitamins, and minerals and low in starches and sugars (most veggies anyways), these big-guns of nutrition are the foundation of the Heal Endo approach. One big reason why is thanks to phytonutrients.

Phytonutrients: The Powerful Antioxidant Group You’ve Never Heard Of

Phytonutrients should receive a standing ovation for having a profoundly beneficial impact on human health, and healing from endo. Phytonutrients (or phytochemicals) are a family of thousands of amazing plant compounds that research is just beginning to uncover. It’s estimated that 5,000 phytonutrients have already been identified, yet a large amount still remains unknown.

Phytonutrients are powerful antioxidants and immune regulators, and are what give plants their unique color. You can imagine just how many phytonutrients there are when you think about the amazing variety of plant colors in the world. They’re so important that over the next few decades we may even have an RDI for many of these, just as we do for vitamins and minerals today.

If you’re not familiar with the name phytonutrient, you’re probably more familiar with some of the subsets.

• Flavanols may ring a bell, a famous phytonutrient found in onions, garlic, cacao, green tea, kale, broccoli, and blueberries.

• Or you may have heard that some foods like dark chocolate, berries, and red wine are good for you because of the phytonutrient resveratrol.

• Anthocyanidins are phytonutrients found in high concentrations in black currants, blackberries, and blueberries, as well as in the skin of eggplant, red cabbage, and cranberries.

• Many so-called “superfoods” like cacao, acai, mushrooms, and goji berries are actually “super” because of the concentrated amount of phytonutrients in them.

You could think of phytonutrients as powerful plant medicines—indeed, many ancient cultures used these types of foods in elixirs or tinctures in folk medicine. If you think that’s hocus-pocus, think again. Modern-day research supports just how beneficial they are to human health, and a number of these compounds have been studied in relation to healing from endometriosis. I talk about this at length in my book.

Not All Veggies are Created Equal

I grew up counting baked beans, sweet corn, peas, and white potatoes as my veggies. These incredibly high-starch veggies are … neat. But they’re not the veggies I’m talking about to get your body (of you reading this) overflowing with antioxidants.

Instead, what you want to do is teach your body to grab for the wide swath of lower-starch veggies known for their potent healing powers. Which ones? Try focusing on these 3 categories as you build your plates throughout the day:

Leafy green vegetables, such as kale, collards, chard, spinach, or lettuce, providing vitamins A, B, C, and K and tons of micronutrients.

Sulfur-rich vegetables, such as cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, onions, garlic, mushrooms, and asparagus, which support the removal of toxins from the body.

Rainbow color vegetables and fruits (ideally three different colors each day), because they’re full of polyphenols!

How Many Veggies Should I Eat for Endometriosis?

Aim for 6-9 cups per day. If that seems like a lot, imagine filling a 2 cup mason jar with veggies at each meal—that’s 6 cups per day! One salad would offer 2 cups green, plus some toppings like shredded beets, carrots, cucumber would mean you’re nearly at 3. Add veggies to smoothing, steam greens to cook them down and make them easier to digest, forfeit rice and have your curry over broccoli instead.The cool thing about prioritizing veggies like is that is that they will also end up taking the place of processed foods you might otherwise eat.

If this is still too much, smoothies can easily be your friend, as long as you stay away from sweet smoothies and stick to nutrient-packed options that include fats, lots of greens, and a few berries. And remember to always eat your veggies with ancestral fats for best absorption of nutrients.

Yet, if your tummy is against this idea, listen to it! Tummies in need may need a lot of healing before they feel well after eating a lot of raw veggies. Instead, aim for highly cooked and very soft veggies. This helps break down the fiber membrane and make the veggies more digestible. Also consider a short-term low FODMAP approach while your digestion is healing and, of course, make sure to test your gut for infections causing the trouble in the first place so you can get to the root cause of the issue rather than just cutting out a lot of foods in order to avoid misery.

Looking for inspo? Grab my cookbook here for a meal plan that helps you learn how to execute this veggie-loving plan!