Archive for the ‘Fertility Nutrition’ category

If you have not found out yet, I am crazy about superfoods. Super foods are foods that are nutrient dense, have an abundance of minerals, vitamins, anitoxidants, and other beneficial ingredients in high amounts.

Superfoods should be a part of every couples fertility diet to help bridge the gap for proper nutrition, nourish the egg and the sperm, and help to balance hormones. Here is a rundown of 5 Fertility Superfoods your should know about:

Maca
Maca is a wonderful superfood from Peru which helps to balance the hormones, increase egg health, increase sperm count and sperm health while also being a tonic for the endocrine system. Maca also helps to increase progesterone if the body is low in this important hormone. Maca comes in capsules, powder and tincture. It can be taken everyday.

Royal Jelly
Royal jelly is another fertility specific superfood which may help to increase egg health, quality of egg, and genreal fertility. Royal jelly is the food that is fed to the queen bee which is what makes her the queen bee. She goes on to live 6 years and lays up to 2000 eggs per day. Most bees live less than two months.

Royal Jelly is rich in vitamins, A, B, C, D,and E. It is also contains minerals including calcium and iron, all of the essential amino acids plus antibacterial and immune stimulating properties.
Royal jelly comes in capsules or in a base of honey. It can be taken everyday.

Bee Propolis and Bee Pollen
Bee propollis and bee pollen are two more fertility super foods from our friends the bee. These foods are rich in nutrients. Bee pollen contains 50% more protein than beef and is rich in every vitamin and mineral. Bee Propolis is a powerful immune system stimulant and inflammation aid. It also helps women who have endometriosis.
Bee propolis and Bee Pollen are available in capsules or in a base of honey. They can be taken everyday. I like to take all three together in one product.

Whey protein powder
While we all know that protein is essential for a healthy diet, many women do not get enough protein in there diet daily. In the fertility diet it is essential to have protein with each meal so your blood sugar levels stay balanced. This can be hard in our daily lifestyles so I suggest for you to use a protein powder. But it can be hard to find a protein powder that is acceptable with a healthy fertility diet. All protein sources should be organic or raised without hormones and antibiotics, and the protein source should never be soy.

I have found one protein powder the is made from “clean” whey, which means it was made from cows milk that does not have any hormones or antibiotics. It is called True Whey. True Whey does not contain sugars, dyes, or artificial ingredients. This has been essential in many women sticking to there fertility diet.

Spirulina
Spirulina is a tiny aquatic plant has been eaten by humans since prehistoric times and is grown worldwide as a healthy food. Imagine a vegetable with more protein than soy, more Vitamin A than carrots, more iron than beef, profound source of protective phytochemicals, naturally low in fat, source of the essential fatty acid GLA and is easy to digest.

Spirulina makes it easy to get your greens every day. Spirulina is available in a powder form.

Get Your Free Maca Fertility Superfood Recipes Here!

The Maca Fertility Superfood Recipes shares with you easy and fast ways to eat Maca and other fertility superfoods to help increase your egg health, balance your hormones, and prepare forconception with nutrient dense fertility foods.

It can be quite frustrating if you are trying to get pregnant and yet have no period. having a healthy cycle is step one for boosting your fertility naturally and being able to get pregnant. There are a couple of reasons your cycle may be irregular such as stress, dietary deficiencies, low body weight, getting off of birth control pills, hormonal imbalance, or other underlying issues.

Since the lining of the uterus is not being shed, it is very important to clear out the old blood and establish a healthy cycle again. This can be done naturally and effectively with herbs and nutrition. I have talked with many clients who have been offered synthetic estrogens to get there periods going again… taking synthetic estrogen for this issue is like using a sledge hammer on a thumb tack.

Here are the steps you can take to get your period back:

1. Eat a healthy fertility diet. Diet is so important for a healthy menstrual cycle and reproductive system. What you eat impacts everything.

2. Take a whole food multivitamin. Iron deficiency is one of the major factors for women not having a menstrual cycle and lack of ovulation. Other nutritional deficiencies can cause the menstruation to cease.

3. Use herbs to help clear the stagnant blood and increase circulation to the uterus while balancing the hormones.

The best Herbs for amenorrhea (lack of menstruation)

Dong Quai
This is the main herb for this issue. Dong Quai works by promoting blood flow to the pelvis where it will stimulate an absant or scanty period. It also nourishes the blood (it is in nearly all chinese herbal blood-building formulas). Treats iron deficiency and anemia. One of the best uses is it helps women who are not menstruating to invite there menstruation back. The increased circulation also helps to stregthen and balance the uterus.

Vitex
Vitex is another great herb for amenorrhea due to hormonal imbalance. It helps to balance the hormones while not containing any hormones within the herb.

If you have not had a menstrual cycle for two or months you may want to do a Fertility Cleanse. The Fertility Cleanse helps to cleanse the uterus of old blood and tissues while helping the liver to get rid of excess hormones.

Be patient, the body needs time to establish a cycle and hormone balance. Be gentle with yourself and your body will come back into balance.

Question:
Am 38 yrs old, i have been married for now 4 yrs but no children. I really would like to conceive but the problem is that i was recently diagnosed with a cyst and was told it will dissolve after medication. Am still feeling a bit of some pain on the same side. What should i do? I really want to conceive could the cyst limiting the chance of me conceiving?

Hethir’s Answer:
Hi,
If you are off of the medication you should look into Fertility Enzyme Therapy. It helps to dissolve cysts and adhesions. It may take a little bit of time but you will know it has worked when the pain leaves you.

Cysts can limit conception due to the irritating and rubbing against organs causing irritation, inflammation, and scar tissue. But can be turned around naturally.

You can learn about the Ovarian Cyst Remedy Kit Here:

http://natural-fertility-info.com/shop-ovarian-cyst

How many of you out there in the cyber space that are reading this today have had problems getting pregnant? This is a touchy subject for many and
unfortunately this is something that we will see more and more of as the decades roll on. Many people, it seems no matter what they try just can not seem to
get pregnant!

Even trying the expensive in-vitro methods do not always work and then you are left with a broken heart and a big doctor’s bill am I right? Well, remember
this, you are not the only one going through this. There are many women in the world who have a similar experience but now many are turning to foods that
will help their bodies become more “fertile”. Hard to believe? Not really when you think about it. Read on…

Here is a recent PCOS diet coaching I did with a reader…

Karen:
I am a very picky eater so I try to stick with the things I like. I love veggies and fruits but I’m not sure what grains to eat and how.

breakfast: apple, orange or banana-2 of the 3
water 22 oz

lunch: large salad leafy greens tomatoes and cucumbers-salt and pepper
a small serving of steamed broccoli carrots and cauliflower
water 22 oz

snacks-plain peanuts or granola sometimes plain popcorn

dinner 4 oz of chicken or beef with red yellow and green peppers
water

Hethir:
Here are some pointers for making your diet PCOS friendly.

I am seeing in your list here that you are eating pretty healthy. Having the four meals is great. Ideally four to five meals a day is best. One of the major guidelines for eating for PCOS is to make your meals balanced with protein and carbohydrates. To begin with make sure you are eating protein at everymeal. That is important for keeping the blood sugar levels balanced.

So for example here is your food diary with my modifications (MOD):

breakfast: apple, orange or banana-2 of the 3
water 22 oz

MOD:add 1/2 C .oatmeal and 2 scrambled eggs
—

lunch: large salad leafy greens tomatoes and cucumbers-salt and pepper
a small serving of steamed broccoli carrots and cauliflower water 22 oz

MOD:add 4oz salmon and 1/2 Cup quinoa

—
snacks-plain peanuts or granola sometimes plain popcorn

MOD: add organic yogurt

—
dinner 4 oz of chicken or beef with red yellow and green peppers
water

MOD: none, great meal.

I hope that helps to make it clearer for everyone. To learn more about how to eat for boosting fertility with PCOS I have a PCOS Diet guide available here:

http://www. natural-fertility-info.com/pcos-fertility-diet

Essential fatty acids are a major part of the fertility diet, but many of you may be asking how to do I eat them? What foods are they in? Here are 12 new ideas you can try to get more of those hormone balancing, ovulation boosting oils in your diet…

1. Sprinkle flax seeds on your oatmeal in the morning. Even better, grind them fresh in your coffee grinder, than add them to salads and cereal

2. Add flax oil to your yogurt.

3. Eat a smoothie that contains evening primrose oil, almond butter, banana, cocoa powder and acai. Evening primrose oil helps to boost ovulation and acai is an antioxidant powerhouse that also contains EFA’s

4. Do cod liver oil shooters. Take a shot glass, fill 1/2 with OJ, and one teaspoon cod liver oil and throw it down the hatch.

5. Make an essential fatty acid snack; combine
2 T flax seeds
1 cup macadamia nuts
Dates (pitted) enough to make a dough consistency

-Put in food processor and mix until a firm dough consistency, put in a plastic bag and munch!

6. Eat lots of wild Alaskan salmon, it contains tons of Omega 3’s (the EFA we lack most of in our diets) salmon can be used in breakfast, lunch and dinner… I love to make salmon for dinner and plan for extras that can be used for salmon omelets or salmon spinach salad with pine nuts, goat cheese, and cranberries.

7. Eat grass fed bison, new studies show that organic grass fed meats contains essential fatty acids. Meat from grass-fed animals has two to four times more omega-3 fatty acids than meat from grain- fed animals

8. EFA’s come in capsule form, so for those of you on the go make sure you have a bottle with you in your purse. If eaten between meals they also help with increasing metabolism and weight loss.

9. Use Udo’s Wholesome Fast Food
and sprinkle on salads, fruit, yogurt, and smoothies. This essential fatty acid blend contains a wide variety of EFA’s freshly ground for convenience. It does actually taste really good.

10. Make an EFA Balsamic salad dressing

Ingredients:
1/2 cup Olive oil
1/4 cup flax seed oil
1/4 cup Balsamic vinegar
1 Shallot; finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon Salt
1/4 teaspoon Freshly ground pepper

-Put into a blender and enjoy. Refrigerate.

11. Eat seaweeds. Seaweeds contain essential fatty acids also! When you go out for sushi try the seaweed salad, it tastes really good and is packed with EFA’s.

 12. Try Hemp Protien Powder
. Hemp contains a ton of essential fatty acids, protien, and fiber. Add the protien powder to your smoothies for a healthy meal!

Hi Hethir,
I have a few questions for you. I gave birth this year in February to my first child, she died after 3 days, due to some complications from me having diabetes very early or right before conception with her. The doctor’s were never quite sure which took place first, the diabetes or the conception. I have PCOS and have recently started on vitex extract. I did have a menstrual cycle this month after not having one for the past 2 months. But this cycle was very long. It lasted around 3 weeks.

Here is a news report on the latest findings about eating a fertility diet…

Here it is… the findings from Harvard Medical School. It is an amazing discovery, especially simple and easy to do. This is the fertility tip from one of the top research publishers in the country… enjoy!

HERE IT IS….

“A study performed by Harvard medical school has shown that taking multivitamins improves chances of pregnancy.”

BUT THE BAD NEWS IS…

NOT ALL MULTIVITAMINS ARE CREATED EQUAL. Here’s the real news - you need a multivitamin that is going to actually be absorbed by your body. And the absolute best multivitamin to be taking when you are preparing for conception and boosting your fertility is…drum roll please… a prenatal multivitamin.

A prenatal vitamin such as Baby and Me (my personal favorite) has all of the vitamins and minerals that are specific for increasing fertility as well as nutrients that should be taken BEFORE conception for a healthy baby… such as Folic Acid and Calcium. Plus it is made from 100% whole foods.

Watch this video (just over four minutes in length) to get the real inside scoop on the vitamins and minerals you need to increase your fertility…

THIS IS GOOD NEWS INDEED…

The scientists created a test-tube model to simulate the effects of overheating (hyperthermia) on the seminiferous tubules-the tubes through which sperm pass on their way to seek out the ovum. One of the first treatments for male infertility is advice for the man to wear boxers instead of briefs to allow the testicles to remain farther from the body, which in turn keeps them cooler. Too much heat hampers sperm production, but sometimes all that is required is to cool things off a bit, and fertility returns.

Study:Women who eat a diet high in red meat may be at increased risk of endometriosis, a new study has found. The study, published in the August 2004 issue of Human Reproduction also showed that eating a diet high in fruit and vegetables may reduce the risk of the condition. What did the study show about eating red meat?

In general, endometriosis affects around 1-15% of women of childbearing age.

“Women who want to get pregnant may want to stay away from fast food french fries not just to avoid putting on some extra pounds, a new study shows. The more trans fats a woman eats, the more likely she is to be infertile, Dr. Jorge E. Chavarro of the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston and colleagues found.” - MSNBC

Eating trans fats have an effect on the body by interfering with a cell receptor involved in inflammation, glucose metabolism and insulin sensitivity. Insulin sensitivity and poor glucose metabolism are the same factors that affect the fertility of women who have PCOS.

With every 4 grams of trans fats eaten instead of omega-6 fatty acids, the risks of fertility issues doubles. It is not hard to get 4 grams of trans fatty acids a day, especially if you eat fast foods and processed foods.

Solution?

Hi there Hethir

Firstly, I just want to say how much I love your site. Your knowledge, inspiration and motivation just amazes me.

I just have a question about maca and flaxseed oil. I’ve been trying to get pregnant for 4 months and last month started having your fertility smoothie and charting and testing for the fern pattern. I was using an IUD for contraception previously; it has been out since October. My cycle is usually 29 days and ovulates on day 15.

Well, a strange cycle this one. I ovulated on day 19 and then yesterday, day 23 I started spotting very lightly. It’s still happening today but not as much. I’m thinking this might be implantation bleeding (fingers crossed).

You may have heard many times that our foods are not as mineralized and full of vitamins as they once were. But did you know that can have an effect on your health, and has been?

Have you ever heard of people craving non-edible objects such as coals, nails, brick, clay pots, or wood?

When I was working at a health foods store as there herbalist, I had a client come in and ask me what he could eat that tasted like dirt or brick, but would not hurt him. Right away I knew he has a major mineral deficiency, so much so that his body was craving items rich in minerals, regardless if they were edible.

I have also seen this in a large number of pregnant women, as the demands of minerals are high during pregnancy.

Question :
I love your site so much. Been TTC for two years. I am vegetarian, and wonder if any of your fertility diet has any substitution suggestions? Even if not, this is a terrific site, and I want to thank you, and wish I could offer some web site assistance in some way. Thanks again!

Cynthia

Hethir’s Answer :

HI Cynthia,
Thank you for your kind comments about the site. It is my passion and I love what I do, to know I am helping others is why I do this.

The Study:
There’s promising hope for women who suffer from endometriosis, one of the most common causes of infertility and pelvic pain. A new study to be published in an upcoming edition of the Journal of Reproductive Medicine reveals that Pycnogenol (pic-noj-en-all), an antioxidant plant extract from the bark of the French maritime pine tree, significantly reduces symptoms of endometriosis by 33 percent.

Calcium is famous for strong bones, healthy teeth but did you also know it is essential for getting pregnant?

Two different studies have published calcium’s roll in conception. One study shows that calcium is a vital ingredient in the process of triggering growth in embryos. The more calcium in the surrounding fluid, the better.

Question:

Hello, thank you for listening. I’m 36 years old. After being on birth control pills for 9 years, I stopped taking them in sept. I feel like crap in every way. I would like to do a cleanse but it has to be realistic and I’ve been taking every herb I can take for hormonal balances and fertility. We’ve been trying to get pg for 3 months. Do you have any helpful suggestions?

Question :

I am planning on ttc’ing within a few months. I have been reading about MACA. My question is, well, I don’t know if I will have problems conceiving, but is it okay to take MACA even though I may not have any problems? I read that it caused a few people to have a delayed ovulation and also caused CM to dry up (on a message board). I also read that it enhances FSH levels on an information site. From what I understand, the higher the level, the harder it is to get pregnant. But on the other side of the coin, I read so many good things about it. Do you think it’s best to ttc without MACA first and then if there is no success, at that point to try MACA? I read also on a site that is selling this product, that you should use it for 3 months, then stop using it for a month, alternating it. Thank you for your help and advice!! this is so confusing for me, lol