Anyone who has tried to conceive for months knows the ABCs of TTC [trying to conceive]… TTC, BFP, BFN, 2WW, DPO, CD, OPK, HPT….

I have to say it’s a really interesting place to be. Everything I’ve wanted in my life, I’ve made happen. But, having a baby…you can’t make that happen in the time you want it to happen! I love working towards a goal and achieving it. I’m Type A, if you didn’t already know, BUT we can’t control everything!  I am a Christian. I do believe that Things Happen for a Reason and when the time is right.

There is still a scientific element to fertility and that’s what I’m posting about here.  What can you do to make sure that your body is functioning at tip-top shape in order to function as it’s supposed to?!

I have NOT struggled for years with infertility nor am I an MD, therefore I am not an expert. I feel for women who have had months and years of infertility struggles. Every month of waiting feels like a lifetime. There are a mix of emotions…

What’s wrong with me?  What’s wrong with us? Why won’t my body cooperate? Am I meant to be a mother?  How long will this take?  Did I do damage from all those years of birth control?  Am I being punished? And on and on….

Where do I start? I think the place to start is the book at the top of this post….Taking Charge of your Fertility. I first heard about and read this book in 2005, the year after we were married when we were trying Natural Family Planning [NFP] rather than birth control and I was learning to chart. I think it’s a great book to read and learn about your body!

I know that many of my friends have had to struggle for years. Most finally had success and have been blessed with a beautiful bundle of joy.  Others are still struggling every month. These women are a wealth of knowledge, understanding and support.  No one “gets” it unless they’ve been through it… Please share what you know in the comments [many of you already did]! I know there are many places to go to get support.  One of the best places I’ve found and been referred is fertilityfriend.com. There is a great support group there as well as charting [which I'll talk about later.]

I really feel less crazy when I can find other people who are thinking the same things and struggling with the same things. Honestly, other girls who are obsessing just as much as I am at that moment! It’s nice to know you’re not alone!  And, there are tons of tips and tricks out there!!

There are tons of old wives tales. Some I think are more than that and others are just that.  Do they hurt? Probably not!  Maybe just your wallet or your hopes!! Please share any others that I’ve missed!  And, you can read some of my fertility posts here regarding milk, teas, fats, caffeine, cleaning products, trans fats, full-fat dairy, etc here.

• PreSeed Lubricant is amazing!!  I have heard many women say they conceived the first month they used it!  You can get it here.
• Grapefruit Juice
• Baby Carrots
• Putting your feet over your head for 15-30 minutes after…fun times!  [Add an instead cup for good measure...worked for a friend of mine!]

“Getting pregnant is all about timing.”  It’s in every book and it makes me feel so out of control every time I read that. Ugh! Timing!

There are many tools out there for helping to find the right timing.

Charting. Charting can be really beneficial to know if your body is working properly and what’s going on. It can be great for all times, not just when trying to conceive.  Many people are worried about waiting through a year of trying before going to a doctor but often if you see something wrong with your chart, the doctor will see you early, look at the charts and offer to run tests to try and better understand those charts. This will help you to get closer to some answers!!!  Don’t be afraid to go to the doctor. I know many women who have waited years to go to the doctor just to get definitive information that they wish they had received earlier.  Other women I know have gone to the doctor, added a few meds or procedures….voila! Baby!

Ovulation Predictor Kits (OPKs) & Home Pregnancy Tests (HPTs) If you don’t want to chart, you can try to time ovulation with OPKs. They are cheaper here than at the drugstore.  Personally, I bought the conception packs that include the OPKs and the pregnancy tests together. The pg tests are cheaper [and no-frills] than the ones at the drugstore AND they are more sensitive…for those who start testing the day they think they might possibly get a positive….[of course I have no experience with wasted pregnancy tests...and I'm sure you won't either! ]  You can get the combo kits here. [I recommend buying the pee cup...keeps it obvious for the husband to know that cup in the bathroom is not for drinking! And it's cheap!]

What have I been doing? I, personally, have not started charting or using Ovulation Predictor Kits. I bought them. I got the thermometer out, but decided not to do it. Why? The two week wait [2ww] that happens after possible conception and until the pregnancy test…for me, is a really HARD and obsessive time. I always wonder if I’m thinking about it too much and how to distract myself. I guess I figure if I chart or pee on a stick 3x a day every day during the other 2 weeks of the month that I’ll be obsessed every single day of the month and isn’t that bad?! I guess I enjoy the 2 week break, knowing I’m not pregnant and a 2 week wait from wondering if every symptom means I’m pregnant.  That leads me to my next statement in my next section….

Advice for my friends. Please read carefully.  Do not, I repeat, do not….tell your friends if they stop stressing they will get pregnant.  Do not tell them to “leave it to God.” Or to “stop worrying about it and it will happen.” Or to “worry about that later because blank is more important now.”  Or that “I have this friend and once they stopped trying, they got pregnant.”  AHHH!!!! If I had a dollar for every time I’ve heard that! Stop it! It’s mean and hurtful! I’m just being real here. When you know better, you do better. I don’t think the people who say this mean any harm; they just don’t know. Now you do.  I’ve talked to many women who have struggled for years and they all tell me that this hurts them too. Stop it!

I am thankful for these months of trying. I am thankful that I can empathize with other women who are going through this time and hope to not make a mistake in my speech and hurt someone’s feelings regarding this tough topic.  I am hopeful I will not have years of infertility struggles but can empathize more with my friends now.

The flip side of this is that I am now worried when I have good news to share….how do you tell your friends who are still struggling with infertility that you’re pregnant? It’s almost a bitter-sweet thing. It is bound to happen for some of us…hopefully.  We can’t all get pregnant at the same time! I am happy for others who share their good news with me…but there’s also a feeling in the pit of my stomach…why not me?  Will I ever get to be a mother? Again, unless you’ve been there, I don’t think you truly understand.

My advice? [I did not follow my own advice a while back due to my plans to compete in the Figure Competition.] I wish I had started trying before I was ready, ready, ready!  I was ready last year BUT I set the goal to compete and I had to wait until I finished that goal to start trying.  It’s hard when you really, really want a baby and have wanted it for a while.  This experience will change out TTC plans for #2 for sure!

I have blogged many times about different foods and lifestyle choices that affect fertility and those all came from a ton of fertility books that I’ve read.  I don’t recommend you buy them all, especially since you can read my blog for the info!  Here is a lot of that info!

My favorite books. I liked the books Fertility Diet & Fertility Foods best regarding fertility nutrition.  I thought they were great!  I have already done my pregnancy research – did that earlier this year. Not sure why, but glad I got it out of the way b/c a lot of the Fertility and Pregnancy Nutrition/Fitness/Lifestyle information overlaps!  I added in Skinny Bitch: Bun in the Oven simply because they have a LOT of info in that book about natural eating and I loved it!! I suggest reading it sooner than later. I think some of the advice is a bit over the top [if you're not going to be a vegan], but it’s all good info.  As with all info gathering I do…I take some and I leave some!

Some great advice given to me that has helped me a lot…Many women with really serious fertility problems have been persistent and after years have achieved a child.  It’s possible in most cases.  It just takes time and effort and often…money.  But, it is possible for most.  Obviously, this doesn’t apply to all, but a friend told me a story about another friend and explained her fertility problems and told me that she had a healthy child and it makes me feel better.

Please share your information, advice, knowledge and experiences to help others!! I hope I didn’t offend anyone with this post.

This post has been in my head for months.  I’ve completed posts in this fertility series on–  protein  |  fats  |  how much to eat  |  caffeine  |  chemicals  | trans fats  |  dairy — but I’ve left out carbs. There is SO much to say about CARBS!  Carbs are good but they’re bad.  I will try to limit this post down to the essential info and then I’ll expand with future posts!

The down and dirty. Are carbs good or bad?! Well, both!  Eliminating all carbs is definitely a BAD idea.  We need carbs.  The brain’s primary source of fuel is glucose (carbs). They give us energy and fill up our muscles. They are often filled with fiber too, which is very important (and I’ll post separately on fiber, soon.)

All carbs are not created equally.  The slower the better! You want to eat carbs in their most NATURAL form!  (This is true for everything, really!)  Let’s use OATS as an example.  Steel cut oats are better than old fashioned oats which are better than instant oats (ground up into about half the size) which is better than instant oat packets (which add sugar) or oat flour (which is oatmeal ground up to the consistency of flour).  When we industrialize food, we are making it easier to cook and we are breaking down the food ourselves, rather than letting our bodies do the work! It’s best to eat the steel cut oats (or a more natural form of the food) because it will be “slower” to process those carbs and turn them into energy. They will fuel the body longer and raise the blood sugar slower….which affects our weight and overall health.

How do carbs affect our weight? Excess and refined carbs can be stored as fat. We’ve already addressed that we should be eating “slow” or complex carbs rather than sugars and refined sources of carbs. BUT, it’s also important to remember that if we eat TOO MANY slow/complex carbs in one meal (i.e. Olive Garden Endless-Pasta-Bowl plus breadsticks, plus Black Tie Mouse Cake – of course, I know nothing about that combo!) some, most or all of it will be stored as fat, especially if that meal has a large amount of fat in it as well!! We all know that 3500 calories makes 1 pound of fat and when you’re trying to lose weight you usually count your calories to try to cut a pound of fat at a time BUT that’s not ALL that goes into this equation as I just explained!  Too many carbs at one meal, even healthy carbs can be stored as fat and too many carbs with too much fat is even worse b/c your body gets confused. It doesn’t know how to burn the fat AND the carb so it kind of gives up.

What happens when we eat refined carbs? Insulin Resistance. Here’s the deal. Your body uses the sugars/carbs you eat through producing insulin.  Eating refined carbs too often or too many carbs in general over the long run makes our bodies insulin resistant (your body can’t keep up w/ the prolonged demands you’re putting on it) and we seem to be in an “insulin crisis” in this country right now.   Short story…When your body is unable to keep up with the demands of all the sugar you are feeding it, your body can no longer regulate your blood sugar and the extra insulin stays in your bloodstream (insulin resistance), promoting fat deposition, hindering fat breakdown and causing a ton of metabolic effects…many that effect fertility!  This becomes a cycle that is impossible to win.

How does this affect my fertility? Insulin Resistance is the underlying cause of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) which is a leading cause of infertility.  Insulin resistance also leads to obesity.  PCOS affects 5-10 % of reproductive-aged women but 75% of the population is prone to insulin resistance.

This relates to pregnancy also. In pregnancy, we are already more susceptible to diabetes and have a harder time processing sugars.  I know you’ve all heard of gestational diabetes.  So, if our bodies are less capable of handling sugars during pregnancy, it’s a good idea to start eating less refined carbs NOW!  (in my opinion, of course).

Sugar. DON’T EAT IT!  There are no nutrients in sugar. They are simply there for taste. They are addictive. They are high in calories. They are the devil To me, they really are the devil!  It is best to eliminate sugar from your diet completely. I find that I do better without it than when I eat it. I tend to crave it more when I eat it more. AND, I can’t stop once I start so it’s best to not eat it. I’m like an alcoholic with sugar cookies. So, I can’t tell you the last time I had one.

What do I do for my sweet tooth? Dark chocolate.  Fruit.  I LOVE apples for this!  They satisfy my sweet tooth and they also fill me up!  They are GREAT!  I often cut out the grains and eat a fruit at the meal for “dessert” instead. It’s the perfect ending to my perfect meal of lean meat and veggie!

So, then, what do I eat?

• Eat whole grains.  Check the ingredient list on bread products for 100% whole grain versus anything that says “enriched.”  Brown rice and yams are excellent lunch and dinner options!
• BREAKFAST:  Oatmeal for breakfast is a winner!  Breakfast cereals are usually too high in sugar to consider, though there are some that are probably okay.  You have to watch your portions with them though. You must watch your portions w/ bagels also – 1/2 a bagel is usually a proper portion.  And, again, check the ingredients!  Don’t fall for the “advertised whole wheat” selling tactics.  They’re trying to fool you!
• Beans are a carb! But, they’re high in protein and fiber as well and an excellent choice because they are packed full of nutrients.
• Whole fruits and vegetables are ALWAYS an excellent choice due to their nutrients and fiber content!
• Some other great foods are popcorn (watch the fat/butter), couscous, quinoa, and bulgar.
• What did I miss? What are your favorite healthy carbs?

I’ll try to do a post on portion sizes soon.  For now, a rule that I usually stick to per meal is 1/2 cup for these carbs at meals.  (I’m talking about 6 meals a day too!) But, I try to keep the carbs only at meals 1-3 or 1-4 at the latest to avoid eating carbs too late at night (if I’m not working out) b/c those nighttime carbs are often stored as fat if not used.

Questions?  Ideas for additional posts on carbs? I could have worked on this post for another year and still not been done! There are entire books written on this subject so I’ll have to expand more later!

sources and more info:  Kimball’s Biology Pages |

Whenever I go into the health food store I am in there for.e.ver.  I end up chatting with the employees and asking for advice, opinions, expertise. I look at everything in the store. I read every label.  The last time I went in I was chatting with the employee about something and mentioned fertility. Oh brother!  Why did I do that?  She told me that she had the perfect combo that would get me pregnant instantly.  Ok. The skeptic is listening.  Well, she told me that the combo of this tea and this root extract is a sure thing for all of her customers.  I’m a skeptic!

I take both of these home and here’s what I find out.  The Ginseng Extractum has the warning:

Persons who are taking prescription medication and/or who have a health condition, or persons who are pregnant or nursing, should consult a healthcare professional before using this or other dietary supplements.

Sorry, but I’m uncomfortable drinking a few bottles of this stuff. I do not know what it is. It has a warning. Sure all of my herbal teas have warnings but at least I know what they are and have already asked the OB about them.  Have you guys ever heard of this stuff? Am I the only person who thinks this is a little weird? It’s sitting on my table ready to be returned.

Raspberry leaf tea is a different story. I am ok with herbal teas. I enjoy drinking a variety of them, for different reasons and tastes.

Raspberry Leafs are good for:

• Raspberry tea has helped with painful menstruation and flow, and lessens an over-abundant period.
• At menopause the adrenals are geared to take over as the ovaries gradually cease functioning
• Many menopausal symptoms are caused by exhausted adrenals; the herb best suited to help is raspberry  leaf.
• Men in mid-life crisis with exhausted adrenals are well-advised to drink the tea also. (hahahahaha! included that for humor only!)
• Raspberry leaf tea is an ideal beverage for reproductive women, the elderly, anyone in recovery, teenagers and children.

Long story short. Not taking the extract. It scares me. [Does it scare you? or just me?]  I do drink the raspberry tea but not on the regular as it says to on the side of the box. I just drink it when I want to drink non-caffeinated tea.  I might think about taking it during a rough crampy time though since it may ease those symptoms more naturally than a pain med.

source:  raspberry leaves |  Traditional Medicinal Raspberry Leaf Tea

Proper nutrition is important for fertility, fats included. This post applies to general health, fertility, pregnancy and nursing. Pregnancy and nursing require more nutrients and allow less leeway for empty calories!

In my fertility series, I’ve discussed protein & fertility. In general, I’ve also posted on how much protein and how much of all the nutrients.  This post is on FATS and applies to everyone.  I will get to carbs soon too. There’s a LOT to say about carbs!

There are different categories of fats. Some you should never eat, others you should limit and then some you should fill up on daily, but in the proper portions!  Beware:  fats are calorie dense so they’re any easy way to gain weight! That doesn’t mean you should be scared!  We need good fats.  They make our foods tasty and our bellies full.  They are important.

The problem is that the normal American diet is full of the bad fats and WAY too many of them!  Increasing saturated fats means increasing our cholesterol.  Saturated and trans fats are everywhere when we eat out!  We should never eat trans fats if we can help it!

Never eat these trans fats:

• dining out fried foods, commercially baked goods including crackers and cookies
• partially hydrogenated oils.

We should limit our saturated fats to about 10% of our diets: decrease butter, full-fat dairy, fatty meats, unskinned chicken, palm & coconut oils.  We get plenty of polyunsaturated fats (including Omega-6).

Limit / watch your portions of these :

• butter, full-fat dairy, unskinned chicken
• sunflower oil, safflower oil, corn oil, sesame oil, palm oil, coconut oil
• margarine, solid vegetable shortening, all partially hydrogenated oils,
• all unnatural fats, all commercially baked goods.

Now, to the good stuff.  We need to make sure we are getting plenty of monounsaturated fats and Omega 3 Fats!

Nuts in my house. Store in fridge or freezer if you can. I feel a post on reusing packaging coming up. These are salad containers

The best sources are:

• olive oil, organic canola oil, grapeseed oil
• fatty fish (salmon, tuna, herring, mackerel, sardines) beware of king mackeral and large fish during pregnancy
• walnuts, avocados, pistachios, almonds, cashews
• hempseed and ground flaxseed
• fortified eggs (with Omega-3)
• high quality chocolate

I know it isn’t popular to tell people to use real butter (just a small amount) rather than low fat margarine. It’s my opinion and I’m working toward eating more Real Food.  I will post more on this later…promise.

My Golden, Toby, eating his protein - a bird he caught in the backyard

I recently posted about getting lean and the importance of protein.  I’ve been promising info on what kinds of protein affect fertility…..here it is…finally!

Protein, carbs and fats all have important uses in our bodies and are all important for our bodies to perform in tip-top shape, especially when we are asking it to create life! I recently posted on how much protein we need for fertility but, will the types of protein we choose effect fertility? According to my research…possibly.

A study as cited in The Fertility Diet showed a possible increase in ovulatory infertility by approximately 39% in women with the highest intake of animal protein than in those with the lowest.  The reverse was found to be true regarding plant proteins.

Recent studies suggest replacing animal protein with plant protein because there is possibly…

• an increased risk of ovulatory infertility w/ one serving of red meat, chicken or turkey
• no influence on ovulatory infertility w/ one serving of fish or eggs
• modest protection against ovulatory infertility with plant proteins

These studies suggested that plant protein may be better for good health and fertility than animal protein.    It makes sense, right?  If it has been recommended to eat full fat dairy to avoid unnecessary hormones, it would make sense that the hormones in our meats may affect our own hormone balance and thus our fertility!

But, I won’t be cutting animal proteins completely out of my diet! Personally, fish and eggs are daily staples around here.  Chicken is eaten often as well.  I I don’t eat red meat much anymore b/c I just don’t like it and there’s really no reason to force it (it can be good for muscle growth but that’s not my main concern right now).  This book and the studies in it are not scaring me away from animal protein.  I know that fishes, chickens and turkeys are better for me than cows. I know that plant proteins are also good for me so I eat those too.

The book says that plant protein is best and to try to get half of your daily protein from plant sources.  Next is fish and poultry (including eggs).  Last, is beef, pork, and lamb (eat the leanest cuts you can find and only rarely).  My nutrition studies have suggested getting at least 1/3 of your protein intake from animal sources.  You decide what’s best for you!

What am I?  I’M A FLEXITARIAN!! Ok, not really in the book’s definition, but I’m flexible!  Be flexible! Variety is the key to proper nutrition so vary your diet! That’s a good thing!

If you do choose to cut out all animal protein, which I am in no way suggesting, be careful! Please do appropriate research on vegetarian and vegan diets to be sure you are adequately nourished.  If you are not consuming complete proteins (found in meat, fish, poultry, cheese, eggs, milk and some soybean products), you must ensure that you are consuming complementary proteins or at least varying your diet enough (each meal and throughout the day) that you are getting all of the different essential amino acids.  I could talk much longer about this subject but I think that if you choose to go this route you need to do more research than one paragraph on my blog. I’m am not an expert regarding vegan or vegetarian diets!

Are you a flexitarian, a vegetarian, a vegan, a meat-itarian?

Calories matter. Calories in, calories out.  Move more, eat less.  BUT, it may matter MORE what we are eating and in what combinations.

It’s so confusing though!  Do we eat no carbs, low carbs, which carbs, high fat, high protein, low fat?  We’ve all heard about different fad diets that people have lost a ton of weight on and then we hear how horrible they are for your health.  Many people claim that the low fat diets of the last two decades are the reason Americans are so fat today!  With low fat diets came low fat diet foods full of chemical crap!  Enter industrialized food…and FAT Americans.

The cause is way more complex than that, but I hope to help give you a little help with what to eat to achieve your goals to get lean and healthy! There is a balance of what to eat and variety is key for health!

According to a book I read about fertility, the macronutrient requirements for my 5’8″ were:

• 100 g protein
• 100 g carbohydrates
• 25-32 g fat
• The chart ranged from 5’0″ to 6’1″
• 82 – 106 g protein
• 82 – 106 g carbohydrates
• 20 – 35 g fat

I think this is an accurate amount to strive for a healthy person.  You might have to cut down on some carbs and/or fat when trying to lose weight. More on that and why later.

When you break that out between 5 meals (3 meals and 2 snacks) it’s totally do-able and a great way to break it down.

***Sample menu***

• 100 g of protein looks like this:  6 egg whites + 1 scoop whey or casein protein + 4 oz chicken breast + 4 oz salmon filet
• 100 g of carbs looks like this: 1/2 cup oatmeal + 3 oz yams + 1 cup broccoli + 1 cup spinach + 1/2 cup brown rice + 1 medium apple
• 25 – 32 g of fats looks like this: 1 T olive oil + 1/2 oz walnuts + 2 T almond butter

Total calories is approx 1475 for this sample menu  – NOT that you should only eat 1500 calories!!!
Just saying that it’s EASY to get that much of each of the macronutrients every day!!  It’s soo simple to add in those items and THEN some!

Keep in mind the almonds and walnuts have some protein. Also, take a look at the carbs and if you’re trying to get lean you can cut the oatmeal, yam and brown rice portions in half and keep the carbs in the morning and afternoon, NOT evening.

These recommendations came out of a fertility book and as we know, if you are feeding your body for fertility, it would reason that you are also feeding your body for optimum overall health. So, these recommendations apply to most of us!

Fertility & household cleaners

There is evidence that household cleaners are not good for us – not just for fertility but for our overall health in all stages of our lives, but we do not know for sure.  Daily use of many of these products may have effects on fertility, both for women and men.  An Australian study in 1994 showed a 33% increase in inability to conceive and a possible increase in the risk of pregnancy loss of 75%!

Since these products have so many different ingredients, it’s hard to know which ones may be the most dangerous and exactly the effects on us.  Just like it’s best to make your own food so you know what’s in it, it’s best to make your own cleaning products so that you know what’s in them! There are some great, natural cleaning products on the market, but it’s cheaper to make your own! It’s also better for the environment b/c you’re saving on bottles (same one every time, refilled) and you’re keeping chemicals out of our water supply!

Non-smelly vinegar!

For me, I hate hate hate the smell of vinegar, SO when I heard that vodka can clean just as well as vinegar but without the smell….my problem was solved!!!

Benefits of vodka

• Disinfectant
• Makes glass and chrome *sparkle*
• Removes adhesives (works w/ bandaids on skin, too!)
• Kills mildew and mold
• Freshens clothing like Febreze
• Cleans eyeglasses and sunglasses
• Works on grass and vomit stains
• Doesn’t smell like vinegar

Cost

• Cheap vodka & water                    Approx 10 cents per ounce (once diluted)
  • + Plastic bottle  $1.99 (one time cost)
• Clorox Clean-up Cleaner                    Approx 19 cents an ounce
• Mrs. Meyer’s  Countertop Spray      Approx 31 cents per ounce

Vodka Cleaning Recipes

• 1 part vodka + 2 parts water = counter and bathroom cleaner
• 1 part vodka + 5 parts water = clothes freshening spray
• Add lemon or lavender oil to add fragrance

This post, like many of my fertility posts applies to pre-pregnancy, pregnancy and to all other girls too.

It’s true that our pre-pregnancy diet effects our pregnancy because we are feeding our body and storing nutrients to feed the baby later during pregnancy.  And, for many women, the first trimester may be hard to eat much in the way of nutrients so it’s important to “stock up” on the good stuff.

Caffeine is an important subject for pre-pregnancy because if you decide you want to remove caffeine from your diet, you should do so slowly to avoid side effects.

There is a great deal of controversy surrounding caffeine during pregnancy with no real conclusive evidence, so will you take the chance? It’s a personal choice as is anything you do, eat, drink, etc during pregnancy.  For me, with so much controversy, it’s not worth it to wonder.

We do know:

• caffeine is a diuretic and your water needs go up during pregnancy so caffeine may not be assisting in staying hydrated
• some studies show that caffeine in moderation (300 mg a day approx) has no effect on fertility, pregnancy or fetal development, others indicate some risk
• a study did show that caffeinated soft drinks were linked to infertility (but we don’t drink those anyway, now do we?) :-/
• we also know it is hard to judge the amount of caffeine per cup of coffee or Starbucks drink so measuring moderation may be harder than counting calories, for example.
• there was one study that showed a link between caffeine (most likely a great deal of it) and miscarriage

I just can’t see any reason for it, so I  have cut out all caffeine after my morning coffee and that morning coffee is now half regular and half Organic Decaf.  Why decaf?  Sometimes there are more chemicals used in decaffeinating coffee than in the caffeinated coffee itself!  So, I’m sure organic isn’t perfect but it has to be a little better, right?  I just love my morning coffee ritual and don’t want to give it up altogether…just yet!

I wanted to take a minute to clarify what I’m doing here with my fertility series.

I am sharing with you what I have found in my MANY HOURS of reading on nutrition.

I am telling you that I research all things nutrition and that it is my passion, including fertility, pregnancy and nursing.

I am telling you what I have found and a great deal of that is contradictory or unproven.

I am telling you to make your own decisions about what you will eat and feed your families!

I subscribe to the notion that it’s better to be aware than not.

I soak up as much information as I can, from every source I can.

I then take that information and I decide what I will believe and do with that information.

That’s how I live my life!  All of my hours of gathering information I feel may be useful to others, so I am sharing.

No surprise here….TRANS FATS ARE BAD!  Basically what I’m coming up with in ALL of my nutrition research is EAT REAL FOOD.  Trans fat is NOT real food!  The effects of trans fats are not all known, but we do know….

• Trans fats are not real food!  Eat real food!
• Trans fats = greater chance of ovulatory infertility
• 4g / day of trans fats showed effects on fertility (BTW, 4g = one donut, 2T stick margarine or 1 med order of french fries!)
• Trans fats make the body more resilient to insulin (higher blood sugar + insulin = reduced fertility)
• Trans fats increase inflammation in the body which interferes w/ ovulation, conception and early embryonic development (BTW, it also assists in creating a great environment for disease…inflammation in the body = bad)

Read labels because 0 Trans Fats can mean that there are .49g of trans fats per serving and if you eat 2 servings, you’re essentially getting 2g of trans fats!  When reading labels and eating out, look for trans fats here….

• partially hydrogenated soybean oil
• hard margarine
• commercially baked goods, cookies, crackers, donuts (pancake mixes, popcorn, granola, protein bars, etc)
• fast foods
• restaurant fried foods
• baking with shortening or hard margarine

There are a few companies that are finally getting on the bandwagon with cutting out trans fats. I’d like to give them a shout out! Let me know if you know of more!

• Ruby Tuesday
• Some Frito Lay products
• Trans Fat Free Crisco & Oreos

**Please remember that FATS are good, but TRANS FATS are bad! Make sure you are eating good fats, such as nuts, nut butters, olive oil, avocado, etc!**

References

The Fertility Diet by Jorge Chavarro, Walter Willett, and Patrick Skerrett, Fertility Foods by Jeremy Groll and Lorie Groll