Fertility Friday: Tips for Cooking at Home

 

 When trying to enhance overall health, here are a few tips to try at home:

• Use olive oil, greapesee oil, or rice bran oil instead of canola oil, peanut oil, or butter.
• Never use shortening (Crisco)
• Avoid deep frying or frying foods
• Be careful of how long a food is cooked in oil for, don't over cook foods, especially vegetables. Check the cooking time on vegetables.
• Steam things when you can
• Avoid trans fats at all costs
• Add good carbs, like beans and legumes to change up old recipies
• You don't need rice or pasta, vegetables and legumes are great sides

Tip Tuesday: Fighting the Stress

As the holidays descend upon us, I know how hectic it can get.  It's so important to take time for yourself. This is just a gentle reminder to take time this holiday season to do something for yourself. Invite a friend over to bake cookies, go for a walk, take that exercise class that you've had your eye on, or splurge on that fun drink at Starbucks. Sometimes we just need a little nudge or a little encouragement to splurge on time for ourselves, give yourself a big hug, and tell ourselves you love you. Happy Turkey Day. Thank God for all the Blessings.

Fertility Friday: Cutting out the White

Sometimes we can get overwhelmed with what we can and cannot eat, and so sometimes it's nice to have things simplified.  Cutting out the white is about avoid all processed foods. Unless its a coconut or jicama most foods are not meant to be white. The whiteness of a food often signals the high processing that this particular food has gone through. Most grains, sugars and starches are naturally brown in color. Avoiding white breads, white sugars, and white grains is a helpful reminder when trying to enhance fertility.  Other foods that are naturally white, like potatoes are high in fast burning, high sugar carbohydrates. Exchange the color white in  your food for cream, khaki, amber, burnt, tan, taupe, sepia, seal, and beige.

Tip Tuesday: Aloe Water

The new fad, or something great? Aloe is fantastic and aloe water is a great way to get added vitamins and minerals in your diet. Aloe is also very alkaline, and we all know the more acidic we are the more disease can manifest in our bodies.
Aloe contains vitamins, A, C, E, folic acid, choline, B1, B2, B3 (niacin), B6, even B12. It also has calcium, magnesium, zinc, chromium, selenium, sodium, iron, potassium, and copper.
Aloe also has a potent anti-microbial effect, meaning its great to get at bacterial, virus and fungus.  And finally, it aids in decreasing inflammation and increasing hydration.
Fad or not, sounds like great stuff.

In addition to containing vitamins, good fatty acids, and serving as an amazing alkalizing ingredient for bodies, its 99 percent water content makes it an ideal hydrator, increasing the skin’s elasticity and supplying oxygen to the skin cells along the wa - See more at: http://www.elizabethstreet.com/living/winter-skin-care-aloe-vera?section=home#sthash.bK2iMcsp.dpufw

In addition to containing vitamins, good fatty acids, and serving as an amazing alkalizing ingredient for bodies, its 99 percent water content makes it an ideal hydrator, increasing the skin’s elasticity and supplying oxygen to the skin cells along the wa - See more at: http://www.elizabethstreet.com/living/winter-skin-care-aloe-vera?section=home#sthash.bK2iMcsp.dpuf Aloe

In addition to containing vitamins, good fatty acids, and serving as an amazing alkalizing ingredient for bodies, its 99 percent water content makes it an ideal hydrator, increasing the skin’s elasticity and supplying oxygen to the skin cells along the wa - See more at: http://www.elizabethstreet.com/living/winter-skin-care-aloe-vera?section=home#sthash.bK2iMcsp.dpuf

The juice from the succulent aloe vera plant is indeed a natural miracle worker that has been used medicinally for several millennia, and is one of the primary compounds used in the cosmetics business. In addition to containing vitamins, good fatty acids, and serving as an amazing alkalizing ingredient for bodies, its 99 percent water content makes it an ideal hydrator, increasing the skin’s elasticity and supplying oxygen to the skin cells along the way.

You can easily add aloe vera juice to your morning smoothie or mix it with a favorite drink--from lemonade to punch or iced tea--and get a super hydrating boost to keep your skin soft and glowing. - See more at: http://www.elizabethstreet.com/living/winter-skin-care-aloe-vera?section=home#sthash.bK2iMcsp.dpuf

The juice from the succulent aloe vera plant is indeed a natural miracle worker that has been used medicinally for several millennia, and is one of the primary compounds used in the cosmetics business. In addition to containing vitamins, good fatty acids, and serving as an amazing alkalizing ingredient for bodies, its 99 percent water content makes it an ideal hydrator, increasing the skin’s elasticity and supplying oxygen to the skin cells along the way.

You can easily add aloe vera juice to your morning smoothie or mix it with a favorite drink--from lemonade to punch or iced tea--and get a super hydrating boost to keep your skin soft and glowing. - See more at: http://www.elizabethstreet.com/living/winter-skin-care-aloe-vera?section=home#sthash.bK2iMcsp.dpuf

The juice from the succulent aloe vera plant is indeed a natural miracle worker that has been used medicinally for several millennia, and is one of the primary compounds used in the cosmetics business. In addition to containing vitamins, good fatty acids, and serving as an amazing alkalizing ingredient for bodies, its 99 percent water content makes it an ideal hydrator, increasing the skin’s elasticity and supplying oxygen to the skin cells along the way.

You can easily add aloe vera juice to your morning smoothie or mix it with a favorite drink--from lemonade to punch or iced tea--and get a super hydrating boost to keep your skin soft and glowing. - See more at: http://www.elizabethstreet.com/living/winter-skin-care-aloe-vera?section=home#sthash.bK2iMcsp.dpuf

The juice from the succulent aloe vera plant is indeed a natural miracle worker that has been used medicinally for several millennia, and is one of the primary compounds used in the cosmetics business. In addition to containing vitamins, good fatty acids, and serving as an amazing alkalizing ingredient for bodies, its 99 percent water content makes it an ideal hydrator, increasing the skin’s elasticity and supplying oxygen to the skin cells along the way.

You can easily add aloe vera juice to your morning smoothie or mix it with a favorite drink--from lemonade to punch or iced tea--and get a super hydrating boost to keep your skin soft and glowing. - See more at: http://www.elizabethstreet.com/living/winter-skin-care-aloe-vera?section=home#sthash.bK2iMcsp.dpuf

The juice from the succulent aloe vera plant is indeed a natural miracle worker that has been used medicinally for several millennia, and is one of the primary compounds used in the cosmetics business. In addition to containing vitamins, good fatty acids, and serving as an amazing alkalizing ingredient for bodies, its 99 percent water content makes it an ideal hydrator, increasing the skin’s elasticity and supplying oxygen to the skin cells along the way.

You can easily add aloe vera juice to your morning smoothie or mix it with a favorite drink--from lemonade to punch or iced tea--and get a super hydrating boost to keep your skin soft and glowing.
- See more at: http://www.elizabethstreet.com/living/winter-skin-care-aloe-vera?section=home#sthash.bK2iMcsp.dpuf

The juice from the succulent aloe vera plant is indeed a natural miracle worker that has been used medicinally for several millennia, and is one of the primary compounds used in the cosmetics business. In addition to containing vitamins, good fatty acids, and serving as an amazing alkalizing ingredient for bodies, its 99 percent water content makes it an ideal hydrator, increasing the skin’s elasticity and supplying oxygen to the skin cells along the way.

You can easily add aloe vera juice to your morning smoothie or mix it with a favorite drink--from lemonade to punch or iced tea--and get a super hydrating boost to keep your skin soft and glowing.
- See more at: http://www.elizabethstreet.com/living/winter-skin-care-aloe-vera?section=home#sthash.bK2iMcsp.dpuf

The juice from the succulent aloe vera plant is indeed a natural miracle worker that has been used medicinally for several millennia, and is one of the primary compounds used in the cosmetics business. In addition to containing vitamins, good fatty acids, and serving as an amazing alkalizing ingredient for bodies, its 99 percent water content makes it an ideal hydrator, increasing the skin’s elasticity and supplying oxygen to the skin cells along the way.

You can easily add aloe vera juice to your morning smoothie or mix it with a favorite drink--from lemonade to punch or iced tea--and get a super hydrating boost to keep your skin soft and glowing.
- See more at: http://www.elizabethstreet.com/living/winter-skin-care-aloe-vera?section=home#sthash.bK2iMcsp.dpuf

The juice from the succulent aloe vera plant is indeed a natural miracle worker that has been used medicinally for several millennia, and is one of the primary compounds used in the cosmetics business. In addition to containing vitamins, good fatty acids, and serving as an amazing alkalizing ingredient for bodies, its 99 percent water content makes it an ideal hydrator, increasing the skin’s elasticity and supplying oxygen to the skin cells along the way.

You can easily add aloe vera juice to your morning smoothie or mix it with a favorite drink--from lemonade to punch or iced tea--and get a super hydrating boost to keep your skin soft and glowing.
- See more at: http://www.elizabethstreet.com/living/winter-skin-care-aloe-vera?section=home#sthash.bK2iMcsp.dpuf

Fertility Friday: Unsaturated Fats

Unsaturated fats are monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. These are the good fats. These are the fats we all should be eating to be healthier, to have healthier hearts, to lower our cholesterol, improve our sex drive and increase fertility. These types of fats help in maintaining a normal slow burn throughout the day and help to prevent dramatic increases and decreases in blood sugar levels.
Eat these fats:

• Fish, fatty fish
• Walnuts
• Flax
• Olives and olive oils
• Avocados

Cut back on these fats:

• Red meat
• Animal fats
• Dairy products with fat, like ice cream
• Trans fats

Some inspiration for the Day

Tip Tuesday: Talk it Out

Be empowered to talk to your provider about your hopes, fears, and desires. Don't be afraid to talk out your feelings and frustrations with your provider. Many providers are open to hearing from patients, so go for it. Be bold and speak up. Talking things through can help ease fears and anxieties about the birthing experience.

Fertility Friday: Carbohydrates

As we learn more about how our bodies work, we are learning more about how carbohydrates effect our metabolism and hormones. Carbohydrates, once ingested, become glucose (sugar). Some carbohydrates are digested very quickly and turn to sugar quickly. Other carbohydrates have a slow burn and take longer to turn to sugar in the system. These slowing burning carbohydrates are a better choice to keep hormone levels under control. Glucose peaks effect insulin (a hormone) which effects sex hormones. Think of the metabolism like wood burning furnace. We want to keep the fire going all day, without having to stoke it too much and without letting it go out. Carbohydrates that are slow burners are ones that have a low glycemic index. Low glycemic index carbs include:

• Beans: white, black, kidney, lentil
• Soy beans
• Nuts, almonds, walnuts
• Small seeds like anything smaller than a pumpkin seed
• Intact grains like spelt, kamut, wheat, oat, rye, rice, barley
• Large pitted fruits like peaches, mangos, avocados, and strawberries

Tip Tuesday: Write it Down

As you think about your birthing experience, write it down. Visualize how you see the labor and delivery experience progressing and your own reaction to what happens. Keep in mind, while the timing of labor can be unpredictable, a lot of what happens once labor starts can be steady, calm and reassuring.  Write down where you will be, who will be with you and different birthing scenarios as well as a the perfect dream scenario.  While we can't always "plan" for birth, we can "try on" different scenarios.

Fertility Friday: Stop Bad Habits

We all have some bad habits that we need reminding every once in a while to cut out of our life.  It takes 21 days to form and break habits, so encourage yourself to try something for 3 weeks before you completely disregard it. Some major bad habits we need to come clean about relating to fertility are:

• Smoking. No amount of smoking is ok when trying to conceive or have good overall menstrual health.  Nicotine and the preservatives in cigarette smoke can interfere with egg quality and hormone levels.
• Caffeine. Caffeine is moderation is ok. One cup of coffee and one other source from chocolate or tea is ok, but a double extra grande with an extra shot may be pushing it. Be mindful of how much caffeine you consume.
• Sedentary lifestyle. If you have no exercise in your life, think about setting a realist goal and getting something going.
• Drink plenty of water.