If you could take a peak in to some of my private Pinterest boards, you’d see a lot of “fertility boosting” this and “natural fertility boosters” that.

Before I dive in to a blog post that is obviously about fertility improvement, I want to add a disclaimer. It is important to me to say that I believe 100% in our ability to improve our insides by making better choices. Fertility, depression, anxiety, weight, etc. I do however believe that at no given time are we able to control or alter God’s inevitable plan for our lives.

No amount of green smoothies, crystal charms, or meditation can change the path God has for us. Prayer does that.

Now that I have gotten that out of the way, I wanted to share something with everyone that has been a part of my weekly Pinterest search for over the past year.
The short version: we are currently blessed with a pregnancy after battling the emotional storm of two back-to-back miscarriages within a 7 month timeframe.

Those two miscarriages triggered my research and improve portion of my personality. I can’t tell you how many YouTubes I have watched, how many articles I have read, and how much time I spent just trying to research “how to improve fertility”.

I wanted to share with you some of the things I did to help improve my lifestyle and improve my fertility. I will say, when I took on any notion, potion, or idea, I had one rule…. whatever I did had to be an improvement or lifestyle change that I could take on and maintain well after the goal was met.

Translation… whatever I chose to do, I had to be able to do when I was 90 years old. I didn’t want my short term goals to give me problems long term, if that makes sense. 

This post doesn’t just impact fertility, but women’s health. Even if you don’t plan on “trying” for months or years, I would say having an awareness of your health is just as important as fertility. Focusing on being healthy as a women gives our bodies the best chances at optimal health. These are things you can incorporate now, even if you have no plans on trying to conceive any time soon or if you are done “trying”.

So here are some of the things I included in my day to day… besides TONS OF PRAYER… to enhance my odds of starting a family and better health!

1. Acupuncture

   My very first visit to the acupuncturist was 2 weeks after my second miscarriage. I truly believe the acupuncturist and their team helped me recover from BOTH of my miscarriages.We focused on healing the body from surgery, first. Then we focused on restoring balance in my cycle, reducing stress, and focusing on removing negative energy. My acupuncturist talked about how warm foods and keeping warm would keep my reproductive system nurtured, also.My weekly visits to the acupuncturist were something I looked forward to. I loved that we were helping my body recover. Maybe it was because we increase positive energy and blood flow to my reproductive organs. Maybe it was because we helped move stagnant energy and blood. Maybe it is simply because I got 45 minutes to relax each week. I am not sure exactly what it was that I fell in love with, I just know it changed my life.

   

2. Toxic Free-ish Living
   

   After much research, I came to the conclusion that there were several toxins in my day to day that I was not aware of. There are more than 80,000 chemicals in use today in our lives. Yours, mine, his, hers!! Chemicals that haven’t been tested, proven safe, or proven to be safe when mixed together.An even bigger concern I had was that these chemicals when absorbed through the skin or ingested had the ability to disrupt our hormones. It goes beyond hormones, but for the sake of today’s topic I will stay focused.Chemicals in our household products are known to negatively impact our hormonal/endocrine system. It isn’t just limited to your laundry detergent, bleach, and surface wipes. Your makeup bag, nail polish, your bath & body products, deodorant probably have toxic chemicals. Studies have shown MANY products inhibit fertility in both men and women. Studies also show that these chemicals can cause cancer or developmental issues.

   Here’s what I did
   I found alternative cleaning and bath and body products. I started using apps called Think Dirty, Healthy Living, and Food Scores. These apps allow you to search products by their name or (sometimes) a barcode. They score your products or food on a scale of 1 – 10 (10 being the worst) and tell you WHAT in it gives it that score. It will highlight allergy, cancer, and developmental concerns.

   I was shocked to find that our Bath and Body Works hand soap was rated a 10!!

   It didn’t happen immediately, but slowly I started transitioning my personal care products to an alternative, natural product.

   

   I added Andalou Naturals facial products to my routine. Their products are organic, non-GMO, synthetic fragrance free, and cruelty free. I love their face masks and cream cleanser. I also started using Everyone Products their products are also organic, non-GMO, synthetic fragrance free, and cruelty free. I love their body wash, hand soap, and lotion. Dr. Bronner’s is another one of my favorites! I love that they have an unscented baby version of their soap. Look up recipes on Pinterest on how to use Dr. Bronner’s. I also love that both of these companies are AFFORDABLE!! No more than your normal Body Shop or Bath and Body Works favorites.

   I removed plastics from our household, as best I could. The main thing was switching from plastic tupperware containers to only glass containers. Changing out my plastic water bottles for stainless steel.

   Plastics (water bottles, containers, tupperware, etc.) leach chemicals called xenohormone in to our food and water. Especially when heated up or warmed. These xenohormones mimic estrogen in the body, causing there to be too much estrogen and not enough of the other important hormones. There have also been studies showing BPA in plastics reducing egg quality in women.
   

3. Organic, Hormone Free Eating

   Pesticides on produce and hormones in animal products/meats also impact our endocrine system. Remember that post I wrote on GMOs! Genetically modified foods haven’t actually been proven to be safe in any way. Most studies are showing major concerns for the consumers health and the health of the next generation. Don’t forget GMOs have also been studied and shown to negatively impact our endocrine system. GMO foods are pumped full of chemicals and hormones to alter or increase growth in products.In studies, the organs of rats who ate genetically modified potatoes showed signs of chronic wasting, and female rats fed a diet of herbicide-resistant soybeans (GMO soy) gave birth to stunted and sterile pups. Sterile pups, meaning no babies down the road.This made me sad because I had NO IDEA most of the things we were eating were GMO foods or animals pumped full of hormones. I am fully aware that not all infertility, miscarriages, or cancers are caused by GMOs or non-organic foods. However, since I am in control of my food choices I decided it was worth it to make the switch whenever possible.
   Heres what I did
   I transitioned our household to predominately organic foods, produce and animal products. I would say about 90-95% of what we eat is now organic and non-gmo. Going out to eat definitely doesn’t mean foods will be GMO free or organic. I also know that most convenience foods are not GMO free or organic. I ALSO KNOW that organic foods and meats cost more. It is just the name of the game.

   We live on a budget, so the best thing I found was shopping Costco for organic foods and meats. Second, I buy organic produce that is in season and on sale.

   I do my best to choose the organic, locally grown, or non-gmo option whenever possible. I learned what the top GMO foods are and ONLY buy an organic version. Some of the most common GMO foods are corn, soy, canola oil, dairy, sugar, zucchini, squash, and papaya. Most conventional animals for meat are fed soy or corn feed. 93% of soy crops and 88% of corn crops are grown GMO in America.

   Education is key when it comes to food. There is currently no law requiring a product to notify the consumer if it is grown with GMOs.
   

4. Smoothies

   There’s not denying that a healthy, whole foods based diet is good for us on multiple levels. Our diet is the foundation for our health. Without healthy nutrition, the chances of feeling and actually being healthy are very  slim.

   I learned that vitamins and minerals from whole food sources would add antioxidants to my day to day. A deficiency in vitamins and minerals can also put stress on our endocrine system. Proper nutrition can aid the body in fighting free-radicals, stress, and fatigue. All of which can impact our fertility. Finally, fiber can help our body properly eliminate excess hormones and regulates our blood sugar.

   I became focused on learning about fertility superfoods. Did you know there are certain foods that can actually nourish our endocrine system and improve egg health?
   
   Here’s what I did
   I drank a smoothie just about every day and added things that I had read could improve fertility and egg health. **My full recipe is below**

   Greens: I added a handful of spinach to my smoothie. Green leafy vegetables are full of fiber, folate, iron, vitamin B6, and vitamin E. Fiber helps to regulate blood sugar levels which helps to reduce fertility issues such as PCOS, immunological issues, and promotes healthy hormonal balance.
   Maca Root: I added maca root powder to every smoothie I made. Containing 31 different minerals and 60 different phytonutrients, Maca is a nourishing food for the endocrine system, aiding the pituitary, adrenal, and thyroid glands (all involved in hormonal balance.) Maca has the ability to affect key hormones in both women and men without containing hormones itself. Maca is also great for reducing the effects of stress on our bodies. A bonus, the benefits of maca also include weight loss. This is the maca root powder I used.
   Coconut Oil: I made sure to add a tablespoon of coconut oil. Whether you are at a healthy weight, low body weight or overweight, coconut oil has been shown to support a healthy metabolism by nourishing the thyroid gland. Because metabolism and hormonal balance go hand-in-hand it is wonderful that a plant oil can help to support both. I get my coconut oil at Costco.
   Bee Pollen: I added bee pollen to my smoothies and my oatmeal. Bee pollen has been reported to have great results in boosting immunity, fertility for both men and women, reducing allergies and boosting overall nutrition, as well as having healing benefits for a variety of other health conditions. You can find bee pollen at your local health food store or sometimes a farmer’s market.

   At the end of this post is my fertility smoothie recipe. This smoothie is packed with nutrients that are important not only for fertility, but our health. Antioxidants help our body fight against disease and cancers. This smoothie is more than just a fertility smoothie, it is a health boosting smoothie.

As I said in the beginning, I believe these things should be incorporated in our day to day as women, even if we aren’t focused on starting a family. There is nothing more important than our health. Health is more important than money, what we drive, or how much money we have. While it is great to have money in the bank, it means nothing without optimal health.

I hope wherever you are in  your journey,  you found something in this post that you plan on trying. I also hope that these suggestions help women become their best selves.

If you are trying to conceive, plan to, or maybe you are like me and have experienced loss, here are some resources for you. The Natural Fertility Info website was absolutely life changing. I read articles and watched their YouTube videos constantly. I even planned on doing a fertility cleanse in June, but was blessed with a positive pregnancy test before I had the chance.

I read the book Wait and See by Wendy Pope. It helped me truly see how God was using my journey for the better. Learning patience has been the biggest lesson in all of the heartache. If you are in a season right now that hurts or feels stagnant, I recommend reading this book. 

I would love your feedback on this post! Please let me know what you thought or if you are trying things yourself to improve your fertility!

Maca and Greens Smoothie

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