letters to baby : our "getting ready for baby" diet

Many people are probably aware of, or are actively involved in, the move "back" to supporting local farmers, home grown foods, reading labels and the general term "organics". The media, researchers, nutritionalists, organic farmers, naturopaths and many physicians have been shedding more light on "what is in our food" and the potential dangers in many foods today. Media is often flooded with GMO information, preservative risks, pesticide use and hormones/antibiotics in meat.

There is a lot of research that supports certain foods that can boost fertility and aid in egg/sperm health. There are many "double blind", "peer reviewed" or "third party reviewed" articles/journals that support optimal health in correlation to healthy food choices. A lot of modern medicine principles and journals indicate that diet does not make a lot of difference in regards to fertility (although supports healthy lifestyle and diet for obvious reasons). As a nurse I understand the importance and benefits of many pharmaceutical medications, nursing science and clinical pathways to gain optimal health and wellness. On the other hand, I am also "big" into the importance and truth with healthy food and health correlation. In many ways, I believe that "food is our medicine and medicine is in our food".

I am not a one stop shopper and spend a good half day going grocery shopping once or twice a week. When thinking about food choices and shopping, I truly believe food should be bought with thought. About 4.5 years ago, before we got married, we started going as "organic" and "natural" as possible and also drastically lowered our wheat and sugar intake. The less sugar the better. The fructose in fruit is what gets me as I love fruit much more than I do vegetables! Anyways, we started reading up on all meanings of organic and natural and became aware that there are many products out there that state those words but are not true to the product. That is why it is important to read labels and know where products come from.

Part of our diet is not buying anything microwavable or anything frozen that needs be cooked in a microwave. I really only use the microwave to heat up tea and sometimes leftovers. At the end of last year we started buying our meat from a butcher called Bokkie's Biltong on young street in Barrie, Ontario. I'll post their website at the bottom of the post if your interested in stopping in. They have so many choices of meat and lean meat options such as elk and bison. They supply game, farmed meat and imported meat from South Africa. Their meat does not include dye, hormones, antibiotics, or preservatives like silver nitrates. Their supply is SO good, plus you know what is in it...or what isn't I should say!

We still have a long way to go with our diet. Personally, I love cheese and find it difficult to stay away from it for too long. I am also chip monster. We buy them once and a while, and lately I have actually been buying quinoa chips as an alternative which I am hooked on...but what I'm getting at is, there is always room for improvment! It is an exciting journey knowing we are bettering our health and also getting our bodies prepared for baby. I want my body to be as healthy as possible for our little one.

EAT BETTER, FEEL BETTER

Classic fertility teas. Caffeine free teas are the way to go of course regarding fertility as excessive amounts can have a negative affect on trying to conceive. Red Raspberry Leaf tea has been used for thousands of years and also as a reproductive aid. It is derived directly from the leaf on a red raspberry plant. It is not recommended to take once you be come pregnant but prior to that, it aids in uterine tone by helping to strengthen the uterine lining. The tea contains many vitamins and minerals including vitamin A, B complex, C, E, iron, calcium, phosphorus and more.

My other "go too" teas are different types of Green tea. Green tea is a super drink packed with antioxidants that fight against free radicles in the body. Along with cleansing the liver, green tea for me is an IVF must-do. I have read research that shows that the two main ingredients in green tea, polyphenols and hypoxanthine, can cause an increase in percentage of viable embryos and can also improve sperm count.

I did try to drink Liquorice Root tea, which is another booster tea for fertility, but I couldn't stand the after taste!

Our other daily rituals include taking 2000units of Vitamin D and Omega liquid gels. Vitamin D is probably something every Canadian should be taking throughout the winter as we don't typically get enough sunlight, but it is also important for fertility. I have always taken Vitamin D every day and would have started on it soon as many fertility doctors start their patents on it before IVF treatment. Our Omega liquid gel brand is NutraSea, recommended by my naturopath. They have a highly potent dose of EPA and DHA so we only have to take 2 a day compared to the typical 4-9... no thank you!

Vega shakes are something else I consume daily. I personally don't eat enough vegetables so I find that one scoop of Vega in a shake adds more nutrients to my diet. Vega is a vegan, gluten free "no sugar added" nutritional powder. One scoop includes 20g of protein, 6 servings of greens, 50% of the daily recommended intake of vitamins and minerals, 25% of the daily recommended intake of fibre, 1.5g of Omega-3 (from hemp and flaxseed), 1000orac antioxidants, and many probiotics. I also add in a tablespoon of chia seed powder. I am increasing my consumption of mono and polyunsaturated fats.