gluten and infertility

dr mercola recently posted this blog on the connection between infertility and celiac disease.  if you don't know about celiac disease, please do some research.  basically it is an intolerance to gluten.  because gluten has become such a part of the western industrialized diet, it seems more and more people are becoming intolerant.  hence, the uprising of wheat allergies.  

well, it turns out that gluten intolerance can even even affect women with miscarriage and preterm births.  and men are also affected with abnormal sperm and lower testosterone levels.  diet has such a deep impact on our health.  it seems the deeper we travel through this rabbit hole, the more things we find we cannot eat.  sugar, is by far the worst culprit of them all.  so if you are trying to get pregnant, and not having much sucess, why not look into your diet before you look into fertilty treatments.  

also, if you are overwhelmed on how to eat gluten free, this blog has some ideas to get you going.

best of luck!

red raspberry. . .a gift for women

red raspberry is by far the safest of all prenatal herbs. . .red raspberry tones the uterus and muscles of the pelvic region, and also contains many vitamins and minerals including Vitamin C, D, E, F, G, A and B complex, calcium, iron, manganese, phosphorus and potassium.

there are many benefits to drinking red raspberry leaf tea.  red raspberry increases fertility in both men and women, prevents miscarriage and hemorrhage, eases morning sickness, reduces pain during labor and after birth, helps to bring down an undelivered placenta, assists in production of plentiful breast milk and colostrum, decreases the menstrual flow, relieves painful menstruation.

i recommend drinking this delightful tea throughout pregnancy.  i also recommend drinking nettle tea.  many women find that it's best to alternate nettle with red raspberry from one week to the next.  these two herbs will see you through pregnancy and beyond.  enjoy the healing of the plant kingdom!

healthy fats oh me, oh my!

Fats are so underrated in the average American diet.  In fact, most people fear them.  Healthy fats are essential, especially for brain development.  You want to make sure you are consuming the right fats and plenty of them.  During the last trimester of pregnancy your baby’s brain grows an estimated 200%. High quality fats help the body stay insulated against daily stress and that of colder weather. Fat is necessary for hormone production. Cells are composed of 50% saturated fat, so eating it helps cells function and stabilize insulin response.

Smart choices for FAT:

Olive oil, fresh avocado, ghee, raw butter, raw coconut oil, raw coconut butter, dairy, eggs, and fish are great places to start. 

Oils are best unrefined and vegetable based.  Also consider seeds such as flaxseed and hempseed.  Flaxseed is excellent for women, colon health, inflammation, teeth, bones, nails and skin.  Avoid buying oils and instead buy seeds direct, as flaxseed oil can go rancid easily.  It is nice to have seeds around the house to throw into salads, etc.

Butter and ghee (much of the lactose in ghee is removed so might work for lactose intolerant people) are great choices for high quality fat.

Not eating fish poses a greater risk to your baby’s brain development than eating fish.  Therefore, do eat fish; however avoid fish high in methyl mercury.  Carnivorous fish contain the highest levels of methyl mercury.  Go for catfish, tilapia and freshwater trout, herring, sardines and smaller line caught American tuna and wild salmon.

If you don’t eat fish, take a high quality fish oil such as Blue Ice, Vital Choice or Nordic Naturals.