Samina Qureshi, RDN, LD, CSDH
Endometriosis Dietitian
Summary:
Samina Qureshi, RDN, LD, CSDH, is an endometriosis dietitian specializing in nutrition care for individuals with endometriosis and gastrointestinal conditions. As the founder of Wholesome Start, LLC, she provides 100% virtual, evidence-based nutrition counseling to clients across Texas, helping patients manage complex digestive symptoms that often accompany endometriosis, including bloating, constipation, diarrhea, abdominal pain, reflux, and food intolerances.
Her approach is trauma-informed, weight-inclusive, and patient-centered, recognizing the unique challenges many people with endometriosis face, including delayed diagnosis, chronic pain, restrictive eating patterns, and food-related anxiety. Samina develops individualized nutrition plans that support symptom management, optimize gut health, address nutrient needs, and foster a positive, sustainable relationship with food while honoring each patient’s goals, culture, and lifestyle.
Samina believes nutrition is an important part of comprehensive endometriosis care. Rather than promoting restrictive diets, she focuses on practical, personalized strategies that improve quality of life and work alongside medical treatment. She collaborates closely with gynecologists, gastroenterologists, pelvic floor physical therapists, mental health professionals, and other healthcare providers to deliver coordinated, multidisciplinary care.
She is a Board Certified Specialist in Digestive Health (CSDH) and an Integrative & Functional Nutrition Certified Practitioner (IFNCP). Samina also co-authored Comprehensive Nutrition Therapy for Co-Occurring Gastrointestinal & Eating Disorders and provides education and case consultations to dietitians nationwide on digestive health and disordered eating.
Samina earned her Bachelor of Science in Nutrition and completed the Coordinated Program in Dietetics at The University of Texas at Austin. She also holds a Certificate of Business Foundations from UT Austin’s Halliburton Summer Business Institute.
Visit Type: Virtual
City: Austin, Texas
Spoken languages: English, Urdu/Hindi
Interpreting services for other languages: No
Philosophy of Endometriosis Care:
My philosophy of care for individuals with endometriosis is grounded in trauma-informed, weight-inclusive, and patient-centered nutrition care. I recognize that many individuals with endometriosis experience years of delayed diagnosis, medical invalidation, chronic pain, and challenging relationships with food due to restrictive diets or symptom-driven avoidance. My role as a dietitian is to provide compassionate, evidence-based nutrition support while honoring each patient’s lived experience, goals, cultural foods, and individual needs. My treatment approach focuses on improving quality of life by addressing nutrition-related symptoms associated with endometriosis, including bloating, constipation, diarrhea, abdominal pain, and food-related anxiety. I use individualized strategies to optimize nourishment, support gut health, identify food and lifestyle triggers, and incorporate sustainable meal & snack patterns that support long-term health. I believe nutrition care should be integrated within a multidisciplinary model that includes gynecologists, pelvic floor physical therapists, GI doctors, mental health professionals, and other healthcare providers. My goal is to help individuals with endometriosis feel empowered, supported, and confident in their relationship with food while managing symptoms and improving their overall well-being.
How can the right diet help an endometriosis patient?
The individualized nutrition support can help individuals with endometriosis by supporting symptom management, filing in nutritional gaps, improving quality of life, and promoting long-term health. While diet does not cure endometriosis or eliminate lesions, personalized nutrition care may help address common symptoms associated with the condition, including bloating, constipation, diarrhea, abdominal discomfort, fatigue, and food-related anxiety. A dietitian can help patients identify personalized strategies that support adequate nourishment, gut health, and symptom relief while avoiding unnecessary dietary restriction. This may include optimizing fiber intake and bowel regularity, ensuring adequate intake of key nutrients that support health, incorporating a variety of anti-inflammatory and antioxidant-rich foods, and using evidence-based approaches such as the low FODMAP trial for individuals with significant gastrointestinal symptoms when appropriate. Nutrition care should also consider the patient’s relationship with food, cultural preferences, lifestyle, and history of restrictive eating patterns. A trauma-informed, weight-inclusive approach empowers individuals to feel confident with food choices while supporting their goals, minimizing fear around eating, and improving overall quality of life as part of a multidisciplinary endometriosis care team.
What should be known about you and your practice?
Wholesome Start is a 100% telehealth-based nutrition practice serving clients throughout the state of Texas. I specialize in gastrointestinal nutrition and provide individualized, evidence-based care for individuals managing complex digestive symptoms that commonly overlap with endometriosis, including bloating, constipation, diarrhea, abdominal pain, reflux, and food intolerances. My approach is trauma-informed, weight-inclusive, and rooted in helping clients build a supportive relationship with food while managing symptoms. I recognize that many individuals with endometriosis have experienced years of pain, delayed diagnosis, restrictive diets, and feeling unheard within the healthcare system. My goal is to provide compassionate nutrition care that validates their experiences while offering practical, sustainable strategies to improve their quality of life. I also have specialized training and experience in digestive health (CSDH) and disordered eating, allowing me to support individuals who may have developed fear around food, extensive dietary restrictions, or anxiety related to symptom management. I co-authored the text book, “Comprehensive Nutrition Therapy for Co-Occurring Gastrointestinal & Eating Disorders” and provide case consultations and education on the topic to dietitians across the nation. I believe nutrition care for endometriosis should be individualized and collaborative, and I frequently work alongside healthcare providers, including gynecologists, gastroenterologists, pelvic floor physical therapists, and mental health professionals, to provide comprehensive support.
