Tags: Nutritional Healing

The Liver and PCOS

January 26, 2011 – 4:10 pm

By @YourGreenBaby

This is the third post in our series on PCOS. Links to the others are found below.

Your liver is the second largest organ in your body, located on the right upper side of the abdomen; it is responsible for many tasks which are vital to life. The liver plays a role in digestion, assimilation, maintaining blood sugar levels, storing vitamins A, D, E, K and B12, as well as minerals iron and copper, producing cholesterol,  and metabolizing hormones for excretion from the body, to name just few.

I like to think of the liver as the gateway to our body. It acts like a large filter – screening, sorting, breaking down and detoxifying the many chemicals, substances, toxins, hormones, etc in our body.  When we consider the toxic environment most of us live in it is easy to see how the liver can become overburdened and sluggish.  A liver which is overburden and sluggish will have a difficult time breaking down excess estrogens for the body to eliminate, meaning more estrogens in the body, which can aggravate the symptoms of PCOS.

The liver needs constant support to prevent it from becoming overburdened and sluggish, and to ensure it works effectively not only with the task of eliminating toxins and estrogens from the body, but also to perform the many roles necessary for optimum health and well being.

Here are a few things you can do naturally to support the liver:

Enjoy a morning cup of hot water and lemon.  Squeeze a half a fresh lemon into a cup of hot water each morning and enjoy. This helps to stimulate the liver promoting cleansing and detoxification.

Include foods high in indole-3-carbinol. This compound found in cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, kale, cabbage, etc aids in the detoxification of estrogens and helps to protect the liver.

Enjoy liver loving foods. Liver loving foods support the liver and aid in the detoxification process.  Liver loving foods include: apples, artichokes, asparagus, beets, broccoli, brown rice, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, caraway seeds, carrots, dandelion greens, garlic, oat bran, onions, spinach, tomatoes, turmeric, cinnamon, licorice, walnuts, egg yolks, green leafy vegetables and fennel.

Eat a high fibre diet. Once the liver has broken down estrogens they are passed to the gut then the colon for elimination from the body.  If the bowels are not moving effectively, the estrogens can be reabsorbed into the body through the colon wall. A high fibre diet ensures regular bowel movements and ensures excess estrogens are effectively eliminated from the body.

Support the liver with dandelion tea and milk thistle. Dandelion is a bitter herb known to help support the liver in its detoxification role. A substance in milk thistle called silymarin has antioxidant and anti inflammatory properties and helps to protect the liver from toxins.

Ensure adequate hydration. Hydration is necessary for optimum functioning of the body as a whole, and of each and every organ, including the liver.  Hydration is also important to ensure regular bowel movements.  Stay well hydrated.

Avoid chemicals and toxins in your environment.  Chemicals are everywhere in our environment and all have to be sorted and detoxified by the liver. We can control those in our immediate environment with a few simple choices:

  • Choose organic food whenever possible.
  • Limit processed packaged food in your diet. These “food stuffs” contain preservatives, food additives, colourings, etc that all have to be processed by the liver.
  • Avoid chemicals in your immediate environment by limiting the use of chemical cleaning products, body care products loaded with chemicals, fragrances, etc all of which can stress the liver.
  • Minimize the use of over the counter medications. All medications require the liver to work harder to process them, which can leave it sluggish and overburdened.
  • Limit alcohol intake. Less alcohol means less work and stress for the liver, leaving it with time, energy and the resources to break down excess estrogens for elimination from the body.

While the liver does not play a direct role in PCOS, by supporting it and its role in the body you can help reduce some of the symptoms of PCOS.  A healthy liver means a healthy body; supporting it is a step in the right direction to ensure optimum health and well being.

For specific protocols to support the liver and aid in detoxification I highly recommend seeking the advice of a naturopathic doctor or holistic nutritionist who can provide a personalized and individualized plan for you.

It should also be noted that some woman with PCOS do have liver damage known as non alcoholic fatty liver disease which is related to insulin resistance, something a large majority of woman with PCOS have.  Your doctor can order a liver profile test to determine if this affects you. If it does taking the steps above and seeking more individualized advice can help to support the liver and prevent further damage.

Liver Plays Key Role in Maintaing Fertility: A new University of Milan study suggests that estrogen receptors in the liver are critical for maintaing fertility. The findings are published in the journal, Cell Metabolism. The link to the abstract is here.

This is the third in a series of posts on the topic of PCOS. Be sure to check out our other posts on the topic:

Supplement Protocol for PCOS

Understanding PCOS and Recommendations for Nutrition and Lifestyle

And other posts by Kim Corrigan-Oliver

Herbs and Fertility

Nutrition Guidelines in the Preconception Period

The Importance of Preparing For The Journey

Kim Corrigan-Oliver is a first time mom. She is a certified holistic nutritionist specializing in nutrition for mom, baby and toddler. She loves good food and to cook. And, she loves to share her passion for all of the above with those interested in learning more about feeding their babies and raising healthy happy children. For more information please check out her website at Your Green Baby.

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Organic Food Shopping Tips

December 15, 2010 – 11:34 am

By Julie Stockman

After I had my first child, I became what the rest of my family called (affectionately, I’m sure) a “tightwad.” I was determined to stay home with her rather than go back to work; yet, my husband was just starting out at his job and we were making very little money. Those early years with her taught me how to save money in every single area of our life.

As she grew and I matured a little more, I realized that while I was doing a great job at cutting expenses, I was also too often being penny wise and pound foolish, as they say, like driving miles out of my way for a bargain, forgetting to factor in the extra gas money, extra stops along the way, and the time lost. I might as well have paid a couple extra pennies and saved a couple pounds.

The choice between buying organic foods versus conventional ones comes up again and again in discussions about saving money. For our family, choosing conventional foods over organic is one of the best examples of being penny wise and pound foolish.

When we litter our bodies with chemicals, we always pay for it later. We are more sluggish and tired. We’re more prone to viruses, infections & yeast issues. We have to visit doctors or buy expensive supplements to feel better, and we lose productivity in the meantime.

But we still don’t have the financial means to buy whatever foods we wish, at any cost. In truth, after adding more children and building a larger home on a larger piece of property, we must watch those pennies just as closely as we did in our youth.

Here are some of my favorite money-saving methods for saving on organic foods.

CSAs

One way to purchase your produce more cheaply as a group is through a CSA. CSAs typically require you to buy a share or a half-share of all the produce the farm grows. Then, the produce is divided between members based on what is harvested at the time. Members usually don’t choose specific items. CSAs can be found by joining local food groups (“locavores”) or by searching the Local Harvest Database. Some CSAs also offer co-ops that allow members to purchase organic items other than produce, like coffee, tea, bulk herbs, and some boxed foods, at a discounted price.

Farmer’s Markets

A well-known way to buy fresh produce is to visit your local farmer’s market. You might find farmers at the market who advertise as “pesticide-free,” which might be acceptable for you. An organic label requires the soil to be chemical-free for a certain number of years, among other restrictions, and of course the farm is required to pay a fee for that certification. Perhaps you don’t need your food to have this specific label.

I always look for “seconds” at the market. These are the potatoes that have eyes, the tomatoes that aren’t pretty, the apples that have a couple spots. I’ve gotten amazing deals on this blemished produce. I also seem to get the best deals at the market late in the day, but I have to give up the best selection to get the best price.

From the Farm

Don’t forget that you can also go straight to the farm sometimes and get an even better deal, since the farmer doesn’t have to transport. And if you’re willing to pick your own, you’ll save even more.

Grow Your Own

Of course, one of the cheapest ways to get organic food is to grow it yourself. Even if you are in a cold winter climate like we are, you can still take advantage of the ideal growing environment that is your home.

When you consider that your home is always a warm temperature and always has a nearby water source, it makes no sense to not fill your south- and west-facing windows with food plants. Just remember to keep them well-watered, well-drained and well-fed with some sort of organic food. (We use kelp powder and nettle tea.) And don’t be surprised if you have to keep moving them up to bigger pots.

Although buying organically on a budget can take a little more time to find your sources, once you’ve established your avenues, it will pay dividends. Your health might improve, as ours did, and you’ll be helping to build into your community and support a family farmer who believes in the power of wholesome food. It might sound penny foolish at first, but you’ll be very pound wise.

Editor’s Note: Stephanie Langford has a new website devoted to healthy living without killing your wallet called Saving Naturally. She posts sales and discounts happening on products that we regularly use.

Other posts by Julie Stockman that might be of interest:

Ideas for Finding a Good Naturopath or Nutritionist in Your Area

Infertility and Practical Steps For Treating The Whole Mama

Infertility and the Power of Rational Problem Solving

Julie Stockman lives in Farmland, Indiana where she homeschools her children with her husband, Jeff. She spends her days baking, gardening, keeping chickens, exploring the nature around them, practicing gratitude and mindfulness, and writing about it all on her blog, Heirloom Homestead.

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Supplement Protocol for PCOS

December 1, 2010 – 8:55 pm

By @YourGreenBaby

Last month I mentioned three important aspects to dealing with PCOS; the first is to understand each woman is different and unique, second it is necessary to focus on the whole person not just the syndrome and third improving the foundation of health and well being is most important (you can read that post here). We cannot take a one size fits all approach, we cannot treat the symptoms; we must treat the root cause. The symptoms indicate something is wrong or out of balance, we must determine the root of the problem and work to heal that, only then will the symptoms fade. In this process we must also understand the foundation of a women’s health today is not only her future health and wellness, but it is also the health and wellness of her future children. Supporting the foundation with nourishing foods, exercise and supplements is important.

When added to the dietary and lifestyle suggestions from last month the following supplement suggestions can play a role in dealing with PCOS:

Multivitamin

A multivitamin is the foundation of any health and wellness program. Women with PCOS may have deficiencies in many minerals and vitamins so supplementation with a high quality multivitamin is important.

Chromium

Chromium helps to maintain normal blood sugar and insulin levels.  It plays a role in carbohydrate metabolism by participating in the formation of a compound called glucose tolerance factor (GTF). GTF increases the action of insulin.

In order for glucose (sugar) to enter the cells insulin much attach to receptors on the surface of cells, GTF initiates this attachment. This attachment “opens the doors” and allows glucose into the cell.

Since the majority of women with PCOS are insulin resistance chromium may play a positive role in addressing this syndrome.

NOTE: If you are currently taking medication for insulin resistance please consult your health care provider before use; chromium can increase the effectiveness for your medication causing your blood sugar to lower too much.

B Vitamins

The B vitamins are necessary and play an important role in energy production, fat burning and hormone balancing.  They also help the liver to process and excrete excess hormones from the body.

Zinc

Zinc play a role in appetite control, is involved in all aspects of insulin metabolism, is necessary for hormones to work effectively and helps ensure insulin works correctly.

A deficiency of zinc has been linked to insulin resistance.

Zinc deficiency is common today due to depletion of this important mineral from the soil. If there is little to no zinc in the soil, then the food grown on that soil will also be deficient.

Vitamin D

Vitamin D plays a role in normal blood sugar metabolism.  A study in 2006 at the Center for Metabolic and Endocrine Diseases in Germany concluded some women with polycystic ovary syndrome had sub-optimal levels of vitamin D.  Low vitamin D has also been clearly linked to insulin resistance and obesity.

In 1992 a study by the Journal of Clinical Biochemistry and Nutrition found that vitamin D supplementation improved glucose tolerance, insulin secretion, and insulin sensitivity in diabetics.

Omega 3 Fatty Acids

One of the essential fatty acids (EFAs), we must get this from our diet. EFAs are an important component of the cell membrane around every cell in the body, they are a major component of hormones, they help control inflammation in the body, they help control the stress response in the body, they play a role in the functioning of our immune system and reduce the risk of heart disease, high blood pressure and depression, among other roles. Supporting the body with essential fatty acids is important for women dealing with PCOS.

This is by no means a complete list, but supplements I feel are very important in dealing with PCOS and it is a place to start. As I have mentioned every woman is different and a one size fits all approach won’t work, I do suggest taking the time to speak with your health care provider or consult a holistic nutritionist or naturopathic doctor about the best protocol for you.

A question often asked at the onset of dealing with PCOS is how long it will take for changes to occur.  This is a difficult question to answer as every woman is different. Initial changes are great motivators and often go unnoticed – more energy, sleeping better, a decrease in cravings for junk foods, weight loss, etc.  These changes can begin occurring as early as three to four weeks after changing your habits.

Other changes such as the balancing of hormones, return of your menstrual cycle, a decrease in hair growth, acne clearing up will take a little longer. The key is to keep in mind is you are on the right track to restoring and rebalancing your body, the changes will happen, but it will take time. Be patient and success will happen.

Next month I will discuss how supporting the liver can play a role in dealing with PCOS.

Resources:

Prescription for Nutritional Healing by Phyllis A Balch

The Canadian Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine, Sherry Torkos, B.Sc. Phm.

www.ovarian-cysts-pcos.com

This is one in a series of posts on the topic of PCOS. Be sure to check out our other posts on the topic:

Understanding PCOS and Recommendations for Nutrition and Lifestyle

The Liver and PCOS

And other posts by Kim Corrigan-Oliver

Herbs and Fertility

Nutrition Guidelines in the Preconception Period

The Importance of Preparing For The Journey

Kim Corrigan-Oliver is a first time mom. She is a certified holistic nutritionist specializing in nutrition for mom, baby and toddler.  She loves good food and to cook. And, she loves to share her passion for all of the above with those interested in learning more about feeding their babies and raising healthy happy children.  For more information please check out her website at Your Green Baby.

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Ideas for Finding a Good Naturopath or Nutritionist in Your Area

November 10, 2010 – 7:23 am

By Julie Stockman

In my last post, I talked about how important it is to treat the body as a whole rather than simply addressing different symptoms. I found this healing work to be easiest with the guidance of a good nutritionist. The title of nutritionist, however, really says nothing about the quality of help you’ll receive. I’ve met other women who have been guided through the process by someone holding the title of naturopath or homeopath and they have also experienced good results. On the other hand, I’ve spoken with too many women who felt they were taken advantage of by alternative practitioners, paying lots of money for expensive herbs and supplements that did little to no good.

So what should you look for in a good alternative practitioner? And how might you find one in your area?

What to Look For

Individualized Treatment Plan

First and foremost, be sure that the person treating you is giving you a treatment plan that is completely individualized to you. This seems like it would be standard operating procedure among all practitioners, but unfortunately, it’s not. The first time I saw a naturopath, she insisted that I first do a 21 day “liver cleanse.” For 21 days I was to eat nothing but fruits and vegetables, and I was to take around 2 dozen huge pills every day, as well as an awful tasting smoothie mix.

The pills and smoothie mix that she sold to me cost well over $400. The cleanse itself was incredibly hard coming straight from a standard American diet. I barely finished the thing, and to this day, I don’t know if it was helpful or not. I later spoke with several other women who had seen her for treatment. All of them reported they were first instructed to do the same cleanse. This is not an example of an individualized treatment plan.

An individual treatment plan should be based on your symptoms, any blood tests you’ve had taken, and your current medical records and diagnoses. Some people report luck with reflexology or muscle testing as a diagnostic tool. I am one of those people. I think my body works well when tested using reflexology. But I couldn’t in a million years explain why it works. If you prefer logical explanations, then make sure your practitioner can tell you why the suggested treatment plan is right for you, and exactly how it’s individualized.

If anyone tells you they can’t treat you without you first doing a cleanse, or insists that you sign a contract, or is trying to sell you supplements that are out of your budget while suggesting you put them on credit or any kind of payment plan, walk out. Spend the next couple days finding out any and all information you can on that practitioner – do they come highly recommended? What do others think of them? Can you find any reviews of the brand of supplements they sell?

Measure of Progress

In my experience, effective practitioners will give you an idea of how long it should take to see progress on their treatment plan. They will also tell you how that progress will be measured. At the very least, symptoms should be improving steadily. If you are comfortable with reflexology, then each visit should include muscle testing of every major organ to see if they are being strengthened by the treatment plan.

Willingness to Examine and Work with Western Medicine

An effective practitioner will always ask for your medical history, especially any recent lab tests or blood tests you’ve received. If your lab tests or previous medical history is discounted as irrelevant, or if you are dissuaded from seeing conventional doctors while also seeing them, walk away.

In general, remember that all practitioners, alternative or conventional, should be able to clearly explain what is going on in your body and how they plan to help you. They should be able to demonstrate a strong understanding of how the human body works, and how each of its parts affects other parts in the system.

Where to Look

In my experience, good practitioners are easy to find. You just have to know where to look. You want to look for larger groups of people, either online or in person, where several members would be inclined to try natural medicine. Naturopaths and nutritionists who have brought real results will have a strong reputation, and their names will circulate among members. Of course, the opposite is true as well, so groups such as the ones listed below can potentially save you the headache and expense of a poor choice.

LLL Meetings

La Leche League meetings can be a great resource if you are a mama or mama-to-be who are interested in breastfeeding. Every LLL meeting I’ve attended has had at least two or three attendees who have seen a local alternative practitioner. The benefit to tapping this wonderful resource is that if you get a good reference at a LLL meeting, then that professional is likely going to be well-versed in the female body and female reproductive issues.

WAPF meetings

Weston A. Price Foundation meetings can be a wealth of local resources. You can probably find just about anything out of the mainstream you might be looking for here. Or at the very least, you’ll get referrals to someone who would know. Note that Weston A. Price folks are adamantly not vegetarian. If I were still veggie or vegan – especially for ethical reasons – the atmosphere of a WAPF meeting would probably bother me. There’s often a lot of talk about how to find sustainably raised meat and meat products.

Homebirth meetings

Homebirth meetings in my area are publicized in an online Yahoo! group that you first have to apply to join, introduce yourself to the moderator, and then be approved. This might not be the best avenue to explore unless you’re genuinely interested in homebirth. The homebirthing climate across much of the U.S. is so unfriendly that homebirth groups are forced to be pretty exclusive.

Attachment Parenting Playgroups

Check your local independent paper for notices of attachment parenting playgroups, or try a search in Yahoo! groups for your area. You’ll likely find many useful recommendations here.

Bradley Classes

Bradley classes can be easier to find through local hospitals. If you’re not pregnant, try calling the instructor to see if she can recommend any practitioners for you.

Yoga Classes

Yoga classes might be the easiest of all the groups listed to find in your area, but the referrals you would get here are much more generalized. I wouldn’t use this as my only source, but it could certainly be a good starting point.

Mothering Dot Commune’s Find Your Tribe Forum

Try visiting MDC’s Find Your Tribe Forum and posting what you’re looking for. If you don’t get enough responses, try searching the archives to see if others have queried the same information.

The more you start to keep your ears open, the more the same names will start to pop up. If you can, take your time in deciding whom to see. A month should be adequate. Join as many online groups as you can find, attend as many real-life meetings as you have time for, and network away! The right practitioner will be well worth waiting for.

Other posts by Julie Stockman that might be of interest:

Infertility and Practical Steps For Treating The Whole Mama

Infertility and the Power of Rational Problem Solving


Julie Stockman lives in Farmland, Indiana where she homeschools her children with her husband, Jeff. She spends her days baking, gardening, keeping chickens, exploring the nature around them, practicing gratitude and mindfulness, and writing about it all on her blog, Heirloom Homestead.

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Understanding PCOS and Recommendations for Nutrition and Lifestyle

November 2, 2010 – 2:01 pm

By @YourGreenBaby

Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is an endocrine disorder characterized by hormonal imbalance, irregular menstruation, excess hair growth and obesity. It is the most common hormonal disorder among women of childbearing again, affecting 5 to 10% of women.

Read More …

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Infertility and Practical Steps for Treating the Whole Mama

October 18, 2010 – 2:07 am

By Julie Stockman

From the age of 25 to 35, I consumed more medications than I hope to for the rest of my life. With complete, unwavering trust in the authority of Doctor, M.D., I washed down thousands of pills. I had prescriptions for high blood pressure, regulating periods, anxiety, more high blood pressure, obsessive-compulsive disorder, stronger ovulation, and – funny enough – chemical sensitivity.

Meanwhile, inside my body, my chances of conceiving and carrying babies to term were steadily declining as an effect of all this chemical exposure. Each of these pharmaceuticals was affecting my liver as it struggled to keep up with what it considered toxic overload. When it could no longer keep up, other organs that depended on my liver being in a healthy state began to suffer. Naturally, these new declining organs (pancreas, spleen, kidneys) had many other organs depending on them to stay healthy. A cascading effect of harm began to take place.

And I couldn’t conceive a baby.

As I now understand my body much better both intellectually and instinctually, I know that the human body is a system. You must treat it as a whole, and never as a sum of its parts. Especially important is to never treat one of its parts while ignoring the whole. It never works.

In retrospect, losing the babies was probably my body’s own defense mechanism at work to keep itself afloat. How could it sustain a new life when it was struggling to sustain its own?

The first things I did to heal my whole body were simple. I tossed out my synthetic vitamins and started taking one made only from whole food sources. I used Baby and Me prenatals from the Megafood company, but there are others at health food stores, in online vitamin stores, or at Whole Foods Market. Any vitamin that doesn’t state on its label that it is made from food sources is most likely a synthetic version. Synthetic versions of vitamins isolate a part of each vitamin that is easy and cheap to obtain. Unfortunately, the vitamins and minerals we need were – like us – designed to function as a whole, not as a single part.

I also changed my diet. For years, I’d been a vegetarian for ethical reasons. Many vegetarians do a great job at keeping a healthy, whole foods diet while avoiding meat. I was not one of those. I was what you might call a “junk food vegetarian” where french fries, ice cream, sugary baked goods and a heavy carbohydrate intake was all okay as long as no meat was involved. I switched to a diet that was lower in Omega 6 fatty acids and based my meals around more vegetables and healthy fats with a little poultry and fish each day. I gave up sugar.

Finally, I significantly reduced my caffeine intake. Although the jury is still out on whether or not caffeine affects your ability to get and stay pregnant, I am certain it did for me. My adrenals were very weakened from years of too much caffeine. Since adrenals produce most of the progesterone your body needs to stay pregnant during the first trimester, I wanted to give those little glands all the support I could.

But for me, these things alone were not enough. They helped me conceive, just as Clomid had before, but the pregnancies would not stick. I was having very early miscarriages almost every cycle.

So I used the help of an unbelievably gifted nutritionist to keep my babies in the womb, and I share her name far and wide to anyone in our local area. (Cincinnati, Ohio natives, that’s Stacey Lang of Hebron Chiropractic.) She helped me figure out which parts of my body were suffering and how they were affecting the whole. She offered gentle (rather inexpensive) support for those different parts so that the whole body could function as it should again. She saw me weekly to be sure that the supplements she gave me were having no adverse effect elsewhere, and that the whole body was responding positively.

I find it very hard to do this work on my own. When I first came to her, I was firmly entrenched in a system that told me that treating my symptoms was the way to go. At first that system seemed to work. I could get pregnant with Clomid, have lowered blood pressure with beta blockers, less chemical sensitivity with Haldol, so there was a sense that the pharmaceuticals were doing their job.  I ignored any clues that other parts of my body’s whole were suffering by labeling them “side effects.” I was never taught to recognize and pay attention to my body’s own messages and warnings.

To make matters worse, when I began to explore alternative treatment, my first experience with a naturopath left my pockets empty but my body not much improved. “It’s a slow process,” she said. “You must be patient.” When I found my wonderful Dr. Lang, however, I started noticing improvements after every single visit.

Sometimes alternative medicine can get a bad name when progress isn’t noticed right away. At times it really is a slow process, and you must be patient. It is certainly slower than popping a pill to treat the symptoms. But from my experiences, when you find the right person, you will steadily improve. Your body wants to heal itself, but only as a whole of all its parts.

Other posts by Julie Stockman that might be of interest:

Ideas for Finding A Good Naturopath or Nutritionist In Your Area

Infertility and the Power of Rational Problem Solving

Julie Stockman lives in Farmland, Indiana where she homeschools her children with her husband, Jeff. She spends her days baking, gardening, keeping chickens, exploring the nature around them, practicing gratitude and mindfulness, and writing about it all on her blog, Heirloom Homestead.

Read More …
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Herbs and Fertility

October 13, 2010 – 2:30 am

By @YourGreenBaby

Herbs have been used for centuries to maintain health and well being, to nourish the body and to aid in healing the body.  There are a few herbs that are especially beneficial in preparing the body for conception and pregnancy.

Red Clover Blossoms

Red clover blossoms are considered the most useful herb for fertility. Red clover blossoms have a high vitamin content and a high protein content which is beneficial for the entire body. They are quite high in calcium and magnesium both of which play a role in relaxing the nervous system and help to promote fertility. Red clover blossoms contain nearly every trace mineral needed by the endocrine glands and also play a role in balancing hormone functioning.

Chaste Tree Berry (Vitex)

Chaste tree berry increases fertility by stimulating the pituitary gland, the head master of the endocrine system responsible for producing the sex hormones – estrogen, progesterone, testosterone and luteinizing hormone.  Chaste tree berry has been shown to increase progesterone which is considered the hormone of pregnancy and luteinizing hormone which promotes conception.  Chaste tree berry is also responsible for balancing hormonal levels.

Nettles

Nettles are very nourishing for the body, providing chlorophyll, vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, C, E and K, and minerals calcium, copper, fatty acids, folate, magnesium, manganese, potassium, phosphorus, iron, selenium, zinc and sulphur.  Nettles have been shown to increase fertility, provide nourishment for mom and baby during pregnancy, ease leg cramps during pregnancy, reduces pain before and after birth, prevent hemorrhage after birth due to its vitamin K content which aids in clotting and decrease hemorrhoids by tightening and strengthening the blood vessels.  All of that plus it also helps to increase breast milk production.  This herb is a definite must when preparing your body for pregnancy, as well as during pregnancy and once your bundle of joy as arrived.

Red Raspberry Leaf

Red raspberry leaf is a uterine tonic, toning and strengthening the muscles of the uterus and increasing blood flow to the uterus, improving its overall health.  It is a nourishing source of vitamins A, B complex, C and E, and an easily assimilated source of both calcium and iron.  Red raspberry leaf increases fertility, can aid in the prevention of miscarriage and hemorrhage, can ease the symptoms of morning sickness, decrease pain during labour and after birth, increases milk production and supports the contracting uterus to work more effectively during labour which can mean an easier and faster birth.

Fertility Infusion Tea

2tsp of dried red clover blossoms

1tsp dried nettle leaves

1tsp dried red raspberry leaves

Place herbs in a jar and pour 4 cups of boiling water over the herbs. Cover and steep for 10 to 15 minutes or if desired overnight.

Strain and enjoy!

For more information on herbs and using them to help increase fertility I suggest meeting with a professional who can recommend the right combination of herbs and correct dosages for you.

Resources

Herbalist Diane Kent, MNIMH, RH

Prescription for Nutritional Healing by Phyllis A Balch

Holistic Herbal by David Hoffmann


Other posts by Kim Corrigan-Oliver

The Importance of Preparing For The Journey

Nutrition Guidelines in the Preconception Period

See Kim’s posts on the topic of PCOS

Understanding PCOS and Recommendations for Nutrition and Lifestyle

Supplement Protocol For PCOS

The Liver and PCOS

Kim Corrigan-Oliver is a first time mom. She is a certified holistic nutritionist specializing in nutrition for mom, baby and toddler. She loves good food and to cook. And, she loves to share her passion for all of the above with those interested in learning more about feeding their babies and raising healthy happy children. For more information please check out her website at Your Green Baby.

By Kimberly | Posted in Home | Comments (2)

Do you know where your food comes from?

October 5, 2010 – 2:08 am

By Megan Loukota

Strawberry Popcorn

One of the huge advantages of raising your own vegetables and/or meat is that you know exactly how the vegetable or animal was fed and raised. It saddens me that family farming has gone by the wayside in this country and big agribusiness has taken over. People, especially children, are losing out on a tremendous learning experience by only getting food at the grocery store. I am sad to say that there was a small window of time that my children thought things came from the grocery store. I assumed that they would know where things came from because after all, I grew up on a farm and I knew things didn’t come from a grocery store. What a silly mommy I was. We need to intentionally teach our children were our food comes from and what it is that we are actually eating and how that food effects our bodies. When we look at the high cost of medical insurance and care, rise in obesity, and the childhood diabetes epidemic, we really need to make changes and fast. I do not want to start a debate, but the formula that was recently recalled is 56.3% sugar. Why? Because it is cheap to produce and has a high profit margin and people believe that it is healthy. After all, it is regulated by the government, right? All the more reason for promoting breastfeeding as the normal way to feed a child, more support for mothers who are struggling and the demand we must make for affordable donor milk from milk banks and more private milk share programs.

We sent our meat chickens to be butchered last week. The kids went with when my husband dropped them off at the local farm that butchers for us. I have gotten some funny looks when I tell people that. I think they assume that it is traumatic for our children, that their “pets” are being sent off to slaughter and the opening scene of Charlotte’s Web races through their mind. Charlotte running through the barn yard to save the runt of the litter. My children understand that some of the animals we get are for pets and we name them and some are for eating. We take very good care of our animals, raising and feeding them as close as we can the way nature intended. Our chickens are free ranged in our fields, free to run and eat bugs. Our cow and calf are pastured, not confined CAFO style, being force-fed GMO corn and soy beans, feed stuffs that were never meant to be ingested by cows, that breed the deadly O157:H7 e.coli.

Blue Hubbard Squash

Our veggies are never sprayed or fertilized. True, we may get smaller yields some years depending on the weather, but oh the taste. Heirloom vegetables are so good and if we are not careful are going to become a thing of the past. This year I ordered all heirloom vegetable. Things like Green Apple Eggplants (which the ducks ate), Blue Hubbard Squash and Strawberry Popcorn. The funnest of all this year was the pole beans. If you only plant one thing next year (or whenever your growing season starts) make it a pole bean. We planted Scarlett Runners, Hidatsa Field Beans, and Rattlesnake Pole Beans. They have gorgeous flowers, climb to about 10 feet and had tons of beans. Lots of bang for your buck and something that most people have never seen before. It is important to us that these oldies but goodies, stay around. Teaching our children the importance of native plants and what happens when we transport things long distances or introduce an invasive species that have no natural predators.

Take your children to your local farmers market to meet the farmers and ask question about how things are grown. I can guarantee that they will love the questions. Ask if you can visit the farm and help for an afternoon. Farmers love help, if anyone wants to come help me, I will welcome you with open arms. These are invaluable ways to teach your kids were their food comes from and just how important your local farmers are. You will also never have to worry about food recalls when you know were your food comes from or about eating GMOs.

A GMO is a Genetically Modified Organism. Like mixing genes from a fish and genes from a tomato so that it is more cold hardy. I have two huge problems with this. One, don’t mess with nature. If you give her a nudge, she will knock you into the next universe. Two, my child has food allergies. GMOs do not have to be labeled. So what happens when a child who is allergic to fish eats a tomato with fish genes and has an anaphylactic reaction. Or my daughter, who is allergic to corn eats a GMO papaya, that has corn genes in it and her throat swells shut. GMO corn and soy beans are in every boxed product on the market today that is not specifically label non-GMO.

Lab animals who were NOT part of an experiment, had their everyday feed switch to GMO soy because it was cheaper. The lab saw a 50% increase in infant mortality rates. Of those offspring that survived, half were infertile. Within three generations, all animals that had been fed GMO soy were infertile. GMO seeds have a “kill gene”, one that does not allow the seed to germinate and produce a crop for next year. No more seed saving making us dependant on the seed companies for food thus relying on them to stay alive. The US population has been eating genetically modified organism since the 1990′s. No one has ever studied the “kill gene” and the effect that it may have on the human population. With the rise in fertility treatments in the last twenty years, I would say that they are having a negative effect on our human population. Without sounding all conspiracy theorist, there are people in this world that believe the human race has had a good run and now we need to die out and leave the earth alone to repair herself. No kidding. I don’t believe this, but I do believe that population control through GMOs and vaccines is occurring.

This is why education and planting of Heirloom plants is so important. It starts with our kids. I really truly believe that most of the time kids are smarter that adults. They have more common sense, more compassion and empathy, and more conviction of what is right and what is wrong. So next year, find some place to plant some heirlooms. One thing that I really like to do is organize a small group, especially if you have limited space, to purchase seeds together. I love ordering from HeirloomSeeds.com, Rareseeds.com, or check out Seedsavers.org. ”Since 1975, Seed Savers Exchange members have passed on approximately one million samples of rare garden seeds to other gardeners. We are a non-profit organization of gardeners dedicated to saving and sharing heirloom seeds.” Make some simple container gardens (be creative, almost anything can grow plants) and watch you children’s eyes light up as the plants grow, produce fruit and then savor the goodness of home grown veggies!

Megan is a Christian AP momma, living her dream of being a domestic goddess to a wonderful husband and four beautiful kids. She loves to share her knowledge and experiences on alternative healing, vaccine injury in children, homebirth, attachment and natural parenting issues, intactivism, whole foods nutrition, co-op shopping, organic gardening, cooking, making your own bath and body products, sewing and crafting, and homeschooling/ unschooling. She loves being a momma and wouldn’t want to do anything else (even when life is not always a ton of fun). You can normally find Megan at Purple Dancing Dahlias, where she blogs about all of the above.

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Nutrition Guidelines for the Preconception Period

September 1, 2010 – 2:47 am

By @YourGreenBaby

Last month I discussed the importance of preparing for the journey of pregnancy and why that preparation is important.  In this post, which is an excerpt from the book I am currently writing on raising happy healthy babies, I will go over some specific nutritional guidelines for the preconception period.  Nutrition is important during the preconception period for two reasons; the first to create the best environment for conception to take place and second to prepare the body for the demands of pregnancy.

The following are some important nutritional considerations:

Include large amounts of fruits and vegetables. Fruits and vegetables provide minerals, vitamins, antioxidants, phyto-nutrients, fiber and more, all of which are important in your health and well being. Organic is the best choice for avoiding the many chemicals used to grow conventional produce.  Many of these chemicals are known carcinogens, are detrimental to our health and have a negative impact on our fertility and the well being of your developing baby.  Choose organic as much as your wallet will allow.

Include cold water fish.  Essential fatty acids aid in hormone production, reduce inflammation in the body, form cell membranes around every cell in our body, improve blood flow and play a role regulating your menstrual cycle.  They also play a role in the production of prostaglandins, which regulate functions such as heart rate, blood clotting, blood pressure, fertility and conception.  Cold water fish provide high amounts of essential fatty acids.  Avoid tuna, swordfish, Chilean sea bass, grouper, orange roughy, shark, king mackerel, halibut, bluefish and tilefish due to mercury concerns.  Instead focus on anchovy, mackerel, Pollock, herring, rainbow trout, salmon (not farmed), sardines and smelt.  Avoid farmed fish as it can contain PCBs, dioxins, mercury and other chemicals that can impair fertility.  If you are vegetarian or vegan you can meet your essential fatty requirements by including plant based sources which include flaxseeds and flaxseed oil, hemp seeds and hemp seed oil, chia seeds, sea vegetables, walnuts and other nuts and seeds.

Include whole grains. Whole grains provide us with fiber and many important minerals and vitamins.  Fiber is extremely important nutrient in our diet – it plays a large role in keeping us regular, it helps rid the body of excess hormones and helps to stabilize blood sugar levels, which in turn aids in balancing hormones. It is also beneficial to avoid gluten.  Gluten is a protein found in some grains – wheat, spelt, kamut, barley and rye.  Many people have difficulty digesting gluten and are sensitive to it.  Avoiding foods that cause sensitivity is imperative to ensure your body functions optimally.  Gluten is also known to be very sticky and can block up the intestine, which in turn means things don’t move quite as well through your body – remember we need fiber and good digestion to help our bodies remove excess hormones.  Gluten free grains include quinoa, millet, oats, amaranth, rice, buckwheat and teff and are a much better choice.

Consume high fiber foods.  Fiber as mentioned above helps to regulate blood sugar levels which have been shown to decrease fertility issues by promoting healthy hormonal balance.  Fiber also keeps our digestive system moving helping to eliminate excess hormones from the body. Include a variety of whole grains, vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts and seeds in your eating plan.

Choose only fermented organic soy products occasionally.  Although there is no conclusive recommendations regarding soy and fertility some research has suggested some women may be more sensitive to soy than others.  This sensitivity may affect fertility.  Soy also contains phytoestrogens which have estrogen mimicking properties, and can lead to hormonal imbalance.  According to The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition a small number of studies have shown that high levels of soy can increase menstrual cycle length, decrease follicle stimulating hormone and decrease luteinizing hormone – both important hormones in the female cycle necessary for ovulation.  Soy also contains phytic acid which prevents nutrients from being absorbed.  Phytic acid actually binds to nutrients like zinc or iron for instance and carries it out of the body.  If you have been trying to conceive or have had difficulty in the past I highly suggest avoiding soy.  Be a cautious consumer, soy is used in many processed foods as filler, if you are consuming processed foods read your labels!

Drink lots of water.  Water is necessary to ensure you are effectively flushing toxins out of your body, it ensures your kidneys are working effectively and helps to maintain your hydration levels.  Avoid bottled water; some of the plastics have been shown to contain BPA which can contribute to hormonal imbalances.  And tap water…it has many issues from pesticides to hormones, chlorine and fluoride– all of which are detrimental to our health and fertility.  Your best bet is filtered water.

Eliminate or minimize dairy consumption.  This one may confuse you a little because you have probably heard that you need dairy to meet your calcium needs, especially preconception and during pregnancy.  There are many other ways to meet your calcium needs without dairy.  Dairy is mucus forming and very congesting to our bodies.  It is also important to note that non organic dairy production uses hormones and antibiotics during production, both of which can lead to hormonal imbalances.  When trying to conceive it is best if we are easy on our digestion system, unfortunately for many of us dairy is difficult to digest.  When our digestive system is stressed the other systems in our body don’t work as well.  Your body must use a lot of energy to digest dairy, energy your body needs elsewhere to ensure optimum health and well being for conception.

Reduce meat and poultry consumption and choose organic.  Conventionally raised meat and poultry contain high levels of hormones and antibiotics which can contribute to hormonal imbalances.  We must also consider meat, like dairy, is difficult to digest, using up energy we need elsewhere.  Meat is also very acidifying; an acidic environment is not conducive to conception, sperm like an alkaline environment.  If you are eating meat, keep servings to three to four ounces, consume occasionally and choose organic.

Avoid sugar.  Sugar sends your blood sugar levels on a downward spiral and has a negative impact on your immune system, suppressing it for up to six hours after ingestion. Fluctuating blood sugar levels can lead to hormonal imbalance and therefore affect your ability to conceive.  One of the many ways it does this by causing your insulin levels to raise. When you eat a sugary food, your body needs to release insulin in order to stabilize the level of sugars in your blood. Insulin is a hormone, and when it is constantly saturating your system, it affects all of your other hormones.

It is also important to note that refined sugar requires specific minerals to break it down, the same ones stripped away when it was processed.  Your body can’t get these nutrients from refined sugar so it steals them from your own nutrient reserves so it can digest sugar.  Sugar has been named the “anti-nutrient” for this reason.  The nutrients required for your body to digest sugar are also key fertility nutrients such as calcium, chromium, magnesium and zinc. Think about how much sugar you ingest just by eating processed food, or snacking on chocolate and cookies; you can imagine how low your reserves of these essential nutrients may become.  Sugar also creates an acidic environment in the body, and sperm do not like acidity, they need an alkaline environment to thrive.  Avoid processed refined and artificial sugars.  If you need some sweetness in your life choose natural over refined, include honey, maple syrup and molasses

Eliminate alcohol and caffeine. Alcohol creates a lot of extra work for your body, especially your liver.  Your liver has to work hard to process and eliminate it from your system.  If the body is working hard to remove alcohol from your system it is being stressed unnecessarily, reducing the ability of it to function at its optimum level for conception.  Alcohol also impairs nutrient absorption, suppresses your immune system and can disrupt your menstrual cycle and reproductive function.  If trying to conceive, elimination is best.

Caffeine also negatively affects fertility, and yes I mean caffeine in coffee, tea, soda and chocolate.  While the mechanism for the adverse affect on fertility is not know, one theory suggests that the stimulant affects ovulation by causing changes in hormone levels, which in turn can hamper conception. It is best used in limited amounts or avoided when trying to conceive.

The food you eat has a large impact on your health and fertility.  Making changes to your diet can maximize your fertility, increase the chance of conception and prepare your body for the demanding, yet wonderful journey of pregnancy. Eat well!

Next month a look at herbs that can be beneficial during the preconception period.

*Image – Heirloom Tomato Salad from mnapoleon on Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/cusegoyle/2601333555/

Resources

The Canadian Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine, Sherry Torkos, B.Sc. Phm.

Prescription for Nutritional Healing, Phyllis A. Balch, CNC

http://www.fertilekitchen.com/index.html

Other posts by Kim Corrigan-Oliver

The Importance of Preparing For The Journey

Herbs and Fertility

See Kim’s posts on the topic of PCOS:

Understanding PCOS and Recommendations for Nutrition and Lifestyle

Supplement Protocol For PCOS

Kim Corrigan-Oliver is a first time mom. She is a certified holistic nutritionist specializing in nutrition for mom, baby and toddler. She loves good food and to cook. And, she loves to share her passion for all of the above with those interested in learning more about feeding their babies and raising healthy happy children. For more information please check out her website at Your Green Baby.

By Kimberly | Posted in Home | Also tagged , | Comments (3)

Importance of Preparing for the Journey

August 4, 2010 – 12:09 am

By @YourGreenBaby

There are many important journeys we take in our lives; as women we are so very fortunate to be able to experience the wonderful and amazing journey of pregnancy.  During pregnancy you are building a baby, a human being, from scratch; it really is amazing.  Preparing for this journey before you conceive sets the foundation to support a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby.

Once you have made the decision to have a baby it is important to take some time to nourish and prepare your body for the amazing journey ahead.  The choices you make prior to conception will have a dramatic impact on the health of your baby.  Give yourself a minimum of three to four months of optimum nourishment before trying to conceive.  Taking this time will be beneficial for a number of reasons, including:

Building nutrient storage for pregnancy – during pregnancy your growing baby will take the nutrients it needs for growth and development from you.  A lot of the necessary nutrients your baby will need will come from storage within your body, especially in the first few critical weeks when you don’t know you are pregnant.  Ensuring you have optimum nutrient storage before conception will allow the baby the very best nutrition while ensuring you do not become depleted.

Conceive with greater ease – by supporting the body with proper nutrition you increase the chances of conceiving.  The food we eat is the building blocks for our hormones.  Antioxidants in the food we eat provide protection for the egg and the sperm from free radical damage, damage that can affect the ability of either to do its job effectively.  A healthy nutrient dense whole foods diet supports the body in reaching health, balance and fertility.

Healthier pregnancy – being in an optimum nutritional state before conception leads the way to a healthy pregnancy with fewer complications. This only makes sense, if you are in an optimum state of health you are better able to handle the demands pregnancy will make on your body.

Give birth to a healthy baby – by preparing and supporting your body pre pregnancy with proper nutrition you are paving the way to delivering a healthy baby.  As I mentioned earlier your baby will take what it needs from you to support its growth and development; if you are not properly supported nutritionally your baby will have inadequate building blocks to build his foundation — the very foundation that will support his health and well being forever.  Nutritional factors play a role in about 10% to 15% of low birth weight babies.[i] At school age, children who were born with moderate low birth rate are more likely than children of normal birth weight to have mild learning disabilities, attention disorders, developmental impairments, and breathing problems such as asthma.[ii] Supporting your body preconception will ensure the health and well being of your baby long term.

Recover more quickly after birth – superior nutritional status not only ensures you are ready to build and support a baby for forty weeks, but it also ensures you have the raw materials for healing and recovery post delivery.

Minimize child’s risk of future adult health issues – many studies are now linking adult health issues to mom’s health and diet preconception.  It is difficult to imagine that what you eat before you even conceive can have an impact on the health of your child 30 years from now, but research keeps pointing in that direction.  The Journal of Physiology July 2009 showed that maternal nutritional history predicts obesity in adult offspring independent of postnatal diet.[iii] We know that obesity sets us up for many other diseases such as high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, high cholesterol and diabetes.  Eat well now to help ensure the health of your child at birth, through childhood and well into adulthood.

Support energy and vitality – when you eat vibrant healthy foods full of energy you will feel vibrant, healthy and full of energy.  A well nourished body functions at its best; it has the required nutrients to perform the day to day processes that occur within our body.  A body functioning at its best sets the stage for conception, a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby.

The importance of preparing for pregnancy cannot be underestimated; it is a challenging journey your body must take, and taking the time preconception to prepare will, as you can see from the above, set the stage for a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby.

Other posts by Kim Corrigan-Oliver

Herbs and Fertility

Nutrition Guidelines in the Preconception Period

See Kim’s series on PCOS:

The Liver and PCOS

Supplement Protocol For PCOS

Understanding PCOS and Recommendations for Nutrition and Lifestyle

Kim Corrigan-Oliver is a first time mom. She is a certified holistic nutritionist specializing in nutrition for mom, baby and toddler. She loves good food and to cook. And, she loves to share her passion for all of the above with those interested in learning more about feeding their babies and raising healthy happy children. For more information please check out her website at Your Green Baby.

*Picture is ‘Vegetables Market’ by EyeFlyer on Flicker http://flic.kr/p/4GdTZr

[i] Wu Wen “Canadian Perinatal Health Report” (2003)

[ii] Shiono & Behrman “Low birth weight: Analysis and recommendations” (1995)

[iii] Davenport & Cabrero “Maternal nutritional history predicts obesity in adult offspring independent of postnatal diet” (2009)

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