It’s time for a pantry and fridge reset!
As we all know, when you’re trying to get pregnant the focus, for a few of us the sole focus, becomes on the preparation for your mind, body and spirit to conceive.
There is great importance of bringing your awareness to your life style choices, and dietary intake change can and do make a huge impact on fertility.
I was excited to have Jennifer Redmond on a recent #TellAllTuesday. Jenn is a certified integrative nutrition health coach and shared the follow suggestion for modification to your diet.
Suggested modifications to your diet
Avoid: Caffeine, Alcohol, Sugar, Soy, Wheat, Processed foods.
Add: Whole grains, fruits and vegetables – nutrient dense whole foods, preferably organic.
Stay hydrated: Herbal teas and water.
Buy organic when possible.
Start taking a prenatal vitamin – preferable whole foods based. I find them easier to digest. And Vitamin D which is said to be good for your egg development.
Pantry
No: Sugary and/or artificially or “naturally” flavored drinks – sodas, bottled beverages, energy drinks, iced teas, flavored waters.
Why: No artificial chemicals, caffeine and excess sugar. Balance your blood sugar, balance your hormones and energy.
Replace with: Herbal teas and (room temp) temp water – flavored yourself with fruit, cucumber, etc. Absorbs more quickly at room temp.
No: Sugar and artificial sweeteners.
Why: Blood sugar imbalances, interferes with mood and energy, and prevents some vitamins and minerals from being absorbed.
Replace with: Natural sweeteners – coconut sugar, date sugar (made from ground dates), maple syrup, raw honey. There are some reports that stevia is not good for fertility.
No: Simple and refined carbs – processed foods, white bread, flour, white pastas.
Why: Not whole foods, no nutritional value, not good for blood sugar.
Replace with: Whole grains – amaranth, barley, buckwheat, flaxseed, millet, oats, quinoa, brown rice, rye , spelt.
No: Canola oil.
Why: Most canola oil is genetically modified, and the way it’s processed may be unhealthy.
Replace with: Healthy fats and oils: ghee (milk solids removed), butter, extra virgin olive oil, coconut oil, avocado oil.
Other pantry friendly plant protein: Beans, nuts and seeds.
Refrigerator
No: Cow dairy.
Why: Sensitivities, difficult to digest.
Replace with: Goat or sheep – easier to digest, OR plant based milk and cheese sources: almond, cashew, goat, hemp, oat.
If you use cow – make it full fat, organic. Low fat dairy is negatively impacts fertility and full fat improves fertility and ovulation.
Do: Lots of fresh, seasonal veggies, preferably organic.
Why: Nutrient dense, try to get an array of colors for an array of vitamins, minerals.
Note: Here in Boston, where we’ve just had a blizzard, there’s not much growing locally. Organic, frozen is a good substitute.
Do: Pasture raised, organic (100% grass fed) meats.
Why: Raised more humanely, healthier, cleaner – not corn and grain.
Do: Pasture raised, organic eggs.
Why: Better for the chickens, better for the eggs, better for you. Able to roam, not fed a factory farm mixture, can feed on wild grasses and bugs, less cholesterol, more vitamins and omega 3s.
Do: Dark Leafy greens.
Why: Calcium, fiber, folic acid, antioxidants and immunity.
Do: Bone broth (chicken).
Why: Gut and digestive health, easily digestible protein, supports immunity.
Do: Organic raspberries and blueberries (frozen this time of year).
Why: High in antioxidants, which is good for your cells.
Tip: Try to avoid storing in plastic – opt for glass whenever possible.
I hope you find these suggestions helpful and feel free to view the YouTube #TellAllTuesday here.
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