We often talk about the mind and body connection in relation to fertility and for good reason – stress can have a negative impact on our fertility. Stress, negative thoughts, overstimulation and a busy schedule can leave you with no time to take care of yourself. Many of us feel stressed out constantly; with the pressures of work, relationships and on top of it trying to conceive. Fortunately there are many tools to help you get stress under control.

Typically we think of meditation or yoga for stress relief, but did you know many beverages can be just as helpful as those other mind and body practices? You are going to love these three mood mending, stress combating drinks…

Note: To help create a relaxed, stress-free mood our Customer Service Manager, Natalie, recommends reading these recipes while listening to the Buddha Chillout Lounge on either Pandora or YouTube.

Mood Mender Smoothie

This smoothie is such a treat and has a perfect consistency. When you are craving some stress relief try turning to this delicious smoothie to brighten up your day!

Benefits of the Mood Mender Smoothie

• Passionflower or kava tincture are helpful for lifting your mood and relaxing the mind and body.
• The smell of orange is said to dispel the blues.
• Whole fat yogurt provides ample protein for healthy blood sugar balance, plus probiotics. Recent research shows that Lactobacillus strains (the good bacteria in yogurt) may be effective in treating anxiety and depression.
• Evening primrose oil promotes healthy hormone balance.
• Liquid calcium, magnesium, zinc and Vitamin D3 help promote muscle relaxation, while boosting immune system function.

Ingredients:
Makes 2 large smoothies
1 C. organic plain whole fat yogurt
1 banana
1 C. organic frozen strawberries
1/2 C. each frozen blueberries and raspberries
freshly squeezed juice of one orange
1 Tbsp. liquid Calcium with Magnesium, Zinc and Vit. D3 (optional)
30 drops Passionflower (Passiflora incarnata) or Kava Kava (Piper methysticum) tincture
Two capsules of Fertilica Evening Primrose Oil (I poke a hole in one end and squeeze out the oil into the blender with the other ingredients)

Simple Sun Tea Nerve Tonic

This sun tea can be made quickly at home before work, left all day to steep and then is ready when you get home. It is a cold, slow sun infusion. The herbs in this blend support the nervous system, your liver and digestion; all of which are very important players for healthy fertility. By making a big batch and storing it in the refrigerator you will have a quick nourishing tea to drink throughout the week.

Ingredients:
Makes a gallon of tea
2 parts Lemon Balm also known as Sweet Melissa (Melissa officinalis)*
1 part Nettles lf. (Urtica dioica)
1 part Dandelion lf. (Taraxacum officinale)
2 sprigs fresh Peppermint (Mentha piperita)
3 fresh lemon slices

Directions:
Measure out all loose leaf herbs. Add them to a tea ball, muslin tea bag or make your own tea bags. Fill a gallon glass tea jar with fresh cold filtered water. Place all ingredients in the tea jar. Cap tightly. Set in a sunny area, on your deck, in a South facing window, etc. Let steep for 6-8 hours (all day). It does not have to be in full sun all day, partial is fine. It will become dark. Remove tea bags, lemon slices and peppermint sprigs. Keep in the refrigerator. Optional – you can add a hint of sweetener: honey, agave or stevia.

The Benefits
This tea provides a variety of vitamins and minerals. Lemon Balm is an amazing nerve tonic. If you tend to hold stress, feel overdone and are looking to support your nervous system this is a great herb. It may be safely consumed daily and combines well with other herbs. Nettles is high in iron and combined with the natural vitamin C in lemon will be easily absorbed by your body. Peppermint is a digestive tonic and the dandelion leaf supports liver health, important for hormone balance. This tea is one way to get a simple dose of daily greens as well! Here’s to your health!

Creamy Lavender and Chamomile Relaxer

I love to make this at the end of a long day. Sometimes we get so wound up from life we forget to remember there are allies out there that can relax us, nourish us and remind us to slow down. This fertility journey can be a stressful one. This tea is not just for fertility, it is for any stressful time in life.

How to Make This Tea

Ingredients:
Makes one large cup of tea
1 tsp. Chamomile flowers (Matricaria recutita)
½ tsp of Lavender flowers (Lavandula officinalis)
A pinch of Lemon Balm or Passionflower
Cream to taste, such as coconut milk cream, or organic raw half and half
A hint of honey or agave

Directions:
Place all the herbs in a tea ball, or right into the cup (can easily be strained off). Once your water comes to a boil, take off of high heat, let the boiling subside, then pour over the herbs. Cover and steep for 10 minutes. Remove herbs, add honey and cream, enjoy!

The Benefits
Chamomile has an amazing ability to calm a person down. This plant tames tension through its medicinal action as a muscle relaxant and anti-inflammatory. It also promotes restful sleep.

Lavender promotes sleep, reduces muscle cramping, headache, irritability, exhaustion and depression. Sounds perfect for stress and PMS. This herb is also great for digestion as well.

Lemon Balm is a wonderful tonic for the nervous system, especially for those times when we get so worked up our hearts race, we get down on ourselves and cannot relax. This plant lifts the spirits, relieves mild depression, irritability and nervous exhaustion. This herb is very helpful for stress that is affecting digestion as well.

Every Day is a Good Day to Manage Stress

Implementing a daily mind and body practice to reduce stress is an important part of your fertility journey, don’t neglect this aspect of your life.

All of the herbs in these recipes can be easily obtained at your local health food store. Purchase organically grown herbs whenever possible. Even better Chamomile, Lavender, Passionflower and Lemon Balm are some of the easiest herbs to grow. As summer is rearing its head you may want to consider sowing these plant’s seeds or purchasing these herbs as starters and beginning your own little herb garden. There is nothing as delightful and fulfilling as growing your own herbs and then harvesting, drying and making them into tea….be bold, try it out!

Let us know what you think about these recipes!

*Lemon balm is best avoided by those with hypothyroidism.

• Botanical Medicine for Women’s Health, Aviva Romm, Churchill Livingstone, 2010
• The Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants, Andrew Chevallier, DK Publishing, 1996
• Bravo, J.A., Forsythe, P., Chew, M.V., Escaravage, E., Savignac, H.M., Dinan, T.G., Bienenstock, J., Cryan, J.F., (2011) Ingestion of Lactobacillus strain regulates emotional behavior and central GABA receptor expression in a mouse via the vagus nerve. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1102999108

Dalene Barton-Schuster - Certified Herbalist, Birth Doula

Practicing natural health and herbalism for over 18 years, Dalene received her training and herbal certification under the guidance of Lynn Albers at Yarmony Mt. Herbal College in Colorado in 2000. She went on to become a Certified Birth Doula at Birthingway College of Midwifery in Portland, Oregon in 2007. As a Birth Doula, Dalene has helped to bring many new lives in to this world. Dalene has written 280+ fertility articles and with her vast array of herbal and holistic healing knowledge has helped 1000’s of women on their journey to Motherhood.

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