It is common to have questions when faced with suggestions to make dietary changes, particularly when the Fertility Diet includes foods many may not typically eat. Included in this Fertility Diet Q&A are five questions we receive regularly, in case you too were wondering.
Q1: “Hello I am currently doing the 10 Day smoothie challenge. I noticed that bananas are in most of the smoothies and wondered is it ok to just omit the banana from the smoothie but just eat it instead either after having the smoothie or anytime during the day? I just don’t like the taste of a blended banana but l do however eat 1 banana a day anyway. I tried the peach smoothie yesterday with the banana inside and just about managed to drink the smoothie because of the banana! I am learning a whole lot from your website/emails! thank you in advance”
A: Yes, you can simply omit the banana. Many reach out to us with a dislike of this fruit and that’s okay. Some other ideas for banana substitutes to try are:
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Q2: I found it incredible that you recommend raw milk as a healthy food. Raw milk can be deadly: listeria, brucellosis, salmonellosis, parasites, etc. What little scientific rigor your books have!
A: Our suggestions for diet, herbs, nutritional supplements, and natural therapies are for the preconception period of time. While Natural Fertility Info does have pregnancy-health guides as well, none of them suggest consuming raw milk or dairy. We understand the concerns of doing so, that is why it isn’t suggested in the pregnancy health guides.
Our Fertility Diet is a preconception diet. Many of our followers do not have access to raw milk, that many avoid dairy altogether, and likewise some do consume it as a regular part of their daily preconception diet without issue. We reach many different demographics and try to meet the needs of them all by offering generalized support.
It is my understanding that each US state has its own laws regarding the sale of raw milk, and that the FDA only bans the sale and distribution of raw milk from one state to another state. It is not illegal for one milk producer to sell raw milk to a neighbor or another in their same state, or to consume raw milk from his/her cows.
I share on this, as well as problems with pasteurization in our guide Fertility Diet Tip: Culture Organic Milk to Make Kefir.
Aside from that, with over 800 pages of natural fertility guides and resources, our team of highly trained natural-health and fertility specialists is focused on our customers having access to the best natural fertility education, empowerment and support. When it comes to choosing to drink raw milk, the choice is the consumers. It is ultimately their responsibility to research and determine whether it is right for their particular needs.
Q3: “…I started taking the pills but then realized that this month is Ramadan which is our religious month to fast from about 5am-8:30 pm with no food or water. That really put a kink in my pill taking routine as some I have to take on an empty stomach but I cannot drink anything to take the pills. I have been taking at least the 2 sets during dinner and breakfast but randomly fitting in a few of the others. Would it be more beneficial to stop altogether for a month or just take them as I can? I was thinking that taking some is better than none?”
A: Whatever the reason a person wants to fast, our herbalists on staff see no issue with a periodic, short intermittent fast if one is healthy. We prefer clients do not dry fast. One should try to consume fresh-squeezed juice, herbal tea and water. Try to eat something highly nutritious at the beginning or end of the fasting day. This could be any whole foods of choice, but even something like a Fertility Smoothie with Fertility Superfoods. Taking supplements when one can eat/drink is fine throughout the fast or fasting Ramadan month. Regarding supplements that need to be taken apart from food, as you can’t consume water either, it may be best to wait to begin them until the fast is complete.
Q3: “I have been taking Royal Jelly for about 6 weeks now and this last cycle I felt the same symptoms as early pregnancy but then started bleeding as usual, but starting with a day of very intense cramping. I am taking about 1250 -1500mg fresh Royal Jelly and also have been taking Maca ever since I miscarried last November. Could the Royal Jelly have lowered my Progesterone and thereby cause a very early miscarriage or the painful period? Shouldn’t the Maca have been able to cancel this out though as it is meant to regulate the estrogen/progesterone balance? Thanks for your feedback!”
A: I am sorry to hear of your loss! Fertilica Royal Jelly and Maca are complementary to one another. Neither has been linked to causing miscarriage, extreme cycle shifts, or lowering one specific hormone or another. That is not how they work. They both provide vitamins, minerals and nutrients that nourish the body and support the healthy function of the endocrine system. The endocrine system is the system that coordinates hormone production and hormone delivery throughout the body. Royal Jelly and Maca can cause slight, temporary menstrual cycle shifts. This is often concerning, I know, but a sign the body is responding to the actions of the herbs.
Cramping can simply be a result of changes in exercise (movement) and lack of hydration. Stress can even exacerbate cramping. Could any of these things be a factor in what you’re experiencing? Are menstrual cramps usually a problem for you? If so, and you were hoping they would subside, it may take time for Maca and Royal Jelly to be helpful. Consider also the other tips we offer in our guide Natural Remedies for Painful Menstruation.
Q4: I ordered 1 bottle of Royal Jelly capsules recently and I’ve only taken maybe 15 so far, and I just had my testosterone level tested and it’s really elevated. After doing research, I found numerous credible studies that it increases testosterone–as a woman with PCOS, I can’t have that… I originally bought it for the touted superfood qualities and am disappointed to find this out.
A: I am sorry you are disappointed as Royal Jelly is highly nutritious. What we know is that there are studies proving testosterone elevation may only happen in men. I have not heard it as contraindicated for women with PCOS. Which studies you have read? Those I’ve seen are animal studies related to Royal Jelly’s gonadotropic and estrogenic-like effects, in the majority of which, findings show that long-term Royal Jelly oral consumption positively affects the animal’s follicular development and reduces the formation of cysts.
By nature of having PCOS, many women can have elevated testosterone levels. It may be best to have a retest after not consuming Royal Jelly for two weeks. This could be helpful knowing if it were to be a cause.
Q5: Hi, I purchased your enzymes, just noticed they have soy. Is the soy organic? Much talk these days on soy and how it increases fibroids and cyst. Please explain.
A: In Fertilica Choice Enzymes, the Nattokinase is extracted from a food called “natto”, which is boiled soybeans that have been fermented with a bacterium called Bacillus natto. The soy that Nattokinase comes from is non-GMO. There may only be trace amounts of soy, which in this form does not affect fertility adversely or contribute to estrogen dominance.
More on soy and fertility…
Soybeans are used to make a lot of packaged foods touted as “health foods”; soy milk, soy yogurt, soy meal replacement bars, soy burgers, soy sauce, protein powders, etc. Soy isoflavones are sold in supplement form as a “health food” and is largely a myth when battling hormonal balance and infertility.
Soy contains naturally-occurring plant nutrients often not beneficial for fertility health:
- isoflavones; strong phytoestrogens (unlike most other plants that are weak phytoestrogens) that mimic estrogen in the body and can cause hormonal imbalance. If consumed in excess >100 mg of soy isoflavones per day, reduced ovarian function may occur.
- Goitrogens inhibit healthy thyroid function in both men and women.
- Phytic acid can inhibit and impair the absorption of minerals by the body.
One of the bigger problems with soy is that in the US it is the 2nd most prevalent Genetically modified or GMO crop. It is grown for food for animals on factory farms and animals that feed on mostly soy can share the food’s nutrients or anti-nutrients with you via its milk and meat.
The impact of consuming soy adds up when consuming several servings a day, particularly with estrogen-dominant fertility health issues like uterine fibroids, etc.
All that said, fermented soy like Natto, tempeh, miso, un-fermented tofu, non-GMO organic soy/edamame, sprouted non-GMO organic soy may be fine in moderation.
Additional resources to help you learn more:
Soy and Declining Sperm Counts
Can Soy Foods Aid Your PCOS Fertility Program?
Fertility: One More Reason To NOT Eat SOY
- Soy Isoflavones: Summary. Retrieved from: https://lpi.oregonstate.edu/mic/dietary-factors/phytochemicals/soy-isoflavones
