Baby making foods

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Howdy my beautiful blogosphere friends,

I recently had a request from a lovely reader on the subject of baby making: to write about fertility boosting foods and general health thoughts surrounding this topic. I'm so glad I was asked this question because it's something I enjoyed conducting loads of personal research on when planning the conception of little Arie; who thankfully is as healthy as I could ever ask. I believe that taking the time to really nurture myself before and during pregnancy has paid off; with a brilliant birth experience and a happy, healthy little man. 

So, if you are interested, here are three of the major things that I incorporated into my lifestyle prior to falling pregnant. I will just add that for Grant & I it took 6 months of trying before a success. Everyone is different, and it can be a very disheartening road for many women, but I believe that prayer and connecting to a higher power is the best way to navigate the journey :)

I will also add that I AM NOT A DOCTOR, nor a qualified health professional. I am simply someone who is passionate about researching health and nutrition and incorporating my findings into my own life. Below are the resources, ideas and foods that I personally implemented.

Natalie Kringoudis

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Thank God for Natalie Kringoudis! I think for a start, this woman's website offers the best holistic approach to baby making you can find. It's easy to grasp, comprehensive, and Nat herself is just gorgeous; inside and out. She is incredibly passionate about what she does (author, speaker, Doctor of Chinese medicine and owner of 'The Pagoda Tree'; a natural fertility and acupuncture clinic in Melbourne) , which is the first sign you're onto someone good.

Natalie's website offers a wealth of information on fertility, ovulation, and general health and wellness. I personally loved her E-book Fertilise Yourself  and HIGHLY recommend it if you are desiring to bring a little munchkin into the world. Her info on food particularly challenged my previous beliefs about saturated fat; which is in fact INCREDIBLY important for fertility and overall hormone health.  

For fertility friendly food choices, I chose to incorporate all of the principles discussed in Fertilise Yourself. She has some great, practical lists of foods to avoid, and foods to stock in the pantry for boosting fertility. She also talks about the importance of sunshine and vitamin D (something we all need more of).

Maca Powder

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Maca is a Peruvian root vegetable that has been grown and consumed in the Andean mountains for thousands of years. It's a known adaptogen; meaning it has the ability to help the body adapt to stress and make it more resistant to disease, and is has specific endocrine adaptogenic qualities; making it especially great for regulating hormones and mood; due to its effect on the hypothalamus and pituitary gland; both known as the "master glands of the body.

 With stress being one of the primary obstacles to fertility, adaptogenic foods such as this are really helpful. The month previous to falling pregnant with Arie, I was taking a teaspoon of this in water every morning. I could never say that this was the reason it happened when it did, but who knows?

Maca is also super high in phytonutrients, enzymes, up to 20 essential fatty acids, amino acids, protein,  vitamins and minerals.   

It's very well known for being a sex drive booster (believe me, I can attest to this and so can my husband! TMI I know), for both men and women. I found that after having Arie I didn't have much of a sex drive due to all the prolactin (breastfeeding hormone) floating around, however once starting to incorporate a teaspoon of maca into my smoothie each morning I've noticed a marked increase; much to the excitement of Grant.

Start by adding 1/2 a tsp to a smoothie or in a g lass of water and work your way up. I usually have 1 tsp a day, but you may find you thrive on more, or less.

Maca has an interesting taste, but combines well with raw cacao and other superfood powders in a smoothie. Browse the web for recipes.

Questioning Gluten

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I've been doing a bit of research and reading about gluten for the past couple of years and one of the things that I've heard on the lips of various nutrition experts is the possible link between gluten and fertility/hormonal issues. 

Now clearly, there isn't a definite link, because I know plenty of people who eat gluten and have fallen pregnant, but when looking at the research I think it's definitely worth thinking about. I personally got rid of the gluten (especially any refined wheat), not just because of the fertility link, but because the more I research, the more I believe it's contributing to a range of modern day illnesses. I got back onto it a little during pregnancy by eating spelt sourdough, but have yet again eliminated it all together; feeling much better for it.

I have heard Cyndi O'Meara describe it from an anthropological nutrition perspective and she basically shows us that the modern day high carb low fat diet is only a very recent phenomenon that our DNA has only been adapting to for a short time, compared to thousands of years of eating higher protein, higher fat, lower carbohydrate diets (when refined grains didn't line supermarket shelves and you actually had to refine the grain by hand). In particular, the wheat grain that approximately 95%  of the world eats today was only hybridised in the 90's, and has a completely different biological structure to what the human body has been consuming for thousands of years (see up for a chat pod cast below). Our DNA simply hasn't adapted to the onslaught of copious amounts of modern gluten filled food (If you would even call it 'food'). 

The over consumption of modern grains, combined with a low fat diet (thanks to the agricultural industry derived food pyramid) are believed to be a combination that is key in not only the rise of infertility, but also of the immense uprising of auto-immune conditions, and neurological disorders including Alzheimer's. 

Fertility expert Nat Kringoudis also highlights Gluten as a food on the 'out list' in her E-Book fertilise yourself, as it interferes with nutrient absorption and places a burden on digestive health. This is critical as the body works in an instinctive way to prioritise the health of the mother before conceiving a child, so it will in a way be distracted from baby making processes in favour of healing the body of the inflammation caused by gluten consumption.

To find out more on why you might like to question your gluten eating, listen to these pod casts:

Episode 230 of Underground Wellness: Interview with Dr Perlmutter (Author of Grain Brain)

Episode 60 of Up For a Chat: Cyndi O'Meara Live at the wellness summit 

Or read Grain Brain by Dr Pelmutter

These aren't specifically aimed at fertility (Cyndi talks a bit about it) but the more you understand what these guys are saying the more you will understand how it is affecting the health of the whole body, which obviously correlates with endocrine health.

And for specific fertility-gluten linked info, check out this post on Green Med Info

Overall, apart from the above, I implemented a diet filled with mainly raw and some cooked veggies, some fruit, some high quality organic grass fed beef or lamb, some fish, fermented foods, sea vegetables like arame and dulse for iodine, oils from avocado's and nuts, cold pressed coconut oil and grass fed rendered fats like tallow for saturated fat, olive oil, superfood smoothies, veggie juices, and for 'pregnancy vitamins' I took Changing Habits green powder, colloidal minerals and probiotics.  

Hope this helps!


In the meantime, have fun making babies! ;)

Do you have a morning routine?

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I'm constantly on the search for ways to streamline my day, be more productive, and manage my time more efficiently so that I can keep all my priorities in check.

Rewind a few years ago and I was the messiest, most unorganized person. When I was at uni, I couldn't understand why I was constantly feeling overwhelmed, and like the world was caving in on me every week. But I didn't have any structure to my day, I'd just wake up, do whatever I felt like in the moment, and cruise through life. Ironically, this 'cruisy' existence brought me constant stress and anxiety; as important things on my to-do list were swept under the carpet in favour of something more fun; like cooking a gourmet meal for one and pampering myself with face masks (a guilty pleasure of mine).

Since having my son Arie, I've received a royal butt kicking. I've learnt the hard way that a lack of organization means you get pretty much nothing done. 

I had this deep feeling when I was pregnant that being a mum would bring out the best in me. In this area, it definitely has! I now thrive on organizing my time and ticking off all the things I've accomplished in the day, however small or large they may be.

The biggest thing I've learnt; an echo from a series of memorable posts I read years ago by Sarah Wilson; is the importance of having a morning routine.  

This has honestly revolutionized my productivity. When my day has started well, I feel I have the motivation to do all the things I need to do. It's also a great way to do all those things that are really important to you first thing in the morning; so you feel to some degree accomplished, even if the rest of your day turns to chaos (a regular occurrence for mummies).

So here I thought I would share with you my morning routine at the moment:

I normally wake up some time between 5.30 and 6. Arie usually wakes at 7 so this gives me about an hour. The first thing I do is grab a big glass of water with apple cider vinegar and down it.

Then I roll out my yoga mat and do some stretching (I see an awesome trainer once a month who gives me stretch and strength exercises to correct posture etc). When I keep the stretching up I have no pain in my body and I move soooo much better.

After this I'll have another big glass of water.

Then I'll get into some strengthening exercises with my Swiss ball for about 40 minutes or so. Or I'll go for a barefoot run on Thirroul beach, or do a body weight workout at the park. Moving my body every single day is incredibly important to me. It wards of blue moods, clears my head and helps me to focus for the day. Not to mention the health and body benefits. It also helps me have the strength to carry a growing baby around without damaging my posture. I listened to some great pod casts by Chris Kresser titled 'How to be insanely productive' and he stated that Richard Branson's number one productivity boosting secret is simple: work out every day. If it's good enough for him, it's good enough for me.

After moving my body and getting the blood pumping I'll jump in the ocean for a swim. Even when it's cold, I never regret a swim. The salt is awesome for my skin, and I feel super energized, rejuvenated and ready for the day.

By this time it's about 7am and I'll come say good morning to Arie, and give him a breastfeed and lots of cuddles. I'll then drink some more water and help Grant put together a breakfast smoothie. They change every day, but usually have a combo of soaked chia seeds, cashews, coconut oil, greens, berries, amonst other fruits or superfood powders.

Grant is usually off to the gym or to work by this time, and Arie usually gets tired again by about 8.30. 

When Arie is down to sleep I'll spend half an hour or so taking care of my spiritual life: reading my bible, journalling, practising thankfulness, praying, and sometimes meditating on what I've read (I'll set a timer for 15 minutes). Then I check my diary, organize my day and get to work doing housework, writing, and all the other things I need to do.

And that's how I spend the morning! Of course it doesn't always go to plan, and it sounds like a lot, but because we aim to get to bed by 9.30 at the latest, it means I have much more time in the morning. When I complete this routine, it doesn't matter if the rest of the day is torn to shreds because most of the important priorities in my life have been covered.

How do you spend your mornings? Do you have a morning routine?

If for some reason you can't comment below (still working out blogger, and many people have said they can't comment), please email me your comment, or any questions to sproutingsplendour@gmail.com

I'd love to connect with you and get to know you!

I've changed my blog name!

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Howdy friends,

Its been too long AGAIN!

In the past few months I've been busy as heck, but also bursting at the seams with creative overload (if there is such a condition). Basically, all I can say is that I've had too many ideas for blog posts and too wide a vision. I have been unhappy with the name 'Life of Splendour' for quite some time now. Why? Because to be honest, I think it sounds too try-hard. When I really thought about it, I realized that it could come across as having the kind of spirit that says "Hey! Look at me! My life is AMAZING, my life is AWESOME!! So awesome in fact that I need to show it to the world, and you should come and see how full of SPLENDOUR my life is!". 

Cringe.

This was not my intention. In fact, my life is far from impressive on a multitude of levels.   

The word splendour is really what it's all about. I'm an idealist. I believe everyone deserves to shine and reach their potential. However, since starting my blog so much has happened: I've survived the storms of pregnancy (with much power spewing), I've started a career in teaching which has come to a screaming halt due to the birth of my son Arie. I've learnt the ropes of motherhood, and have navigated the difficult task of balancing all the priorities that life requires of me. My has brain been narrowed down to the sphere of motherhood. And through the lens of motherhood, I now see the world differently.

As a result, I have found "LIFE" of splendour to be too broad to commit to. After much thought and angst and creative overload, I have realized that my blog name also needs to be narrowed down.

Enter the word SPROUT

verb (used without object)
1. to begin to grow; shoot forth, as a plant from a seed
2. (of a seed or plant) to put forth buds or shoots
3. to develop or grow quickly

verb (used with object)
4. to cause to sprout

To me this word holds beautiful imagery and symbolism. In my own life, sprout makes me think of health and wellness, but also of something small; of babies and children that require nurturing and care to reach their potential. SPROUT-ING is a verb. It implies DOING something. Growing something, doing something new and fresh.

That's what I've been doing the past 7 months, sprouting my little man Arie, but also sprouting and nurturing myself (in mind, body & spirit) in order to fulfill all that motherhood requires of me.

Sprouting splendour is therefore a blog all about motherhood; for mums and mums to be who want to sprout splendour and health in their children, in their marriages, relationships, and in their community. 

If you are a wild hearted woman seeking to find a place in (or a perspective of) motherhood that is fun, refreshing, beautiful, purposeful, adventurous and exciting then this is the blog for you. This won't be a place where motherhood is seen as daggy, a "throwing away of your life", or a life sentence of living in your tracky dacks, and miserably doing housework.

We're in the 21st century for crying out loud!

Welcome to my new blog: Sprouting Splendour. I hope you can join me on this crazy adventure of motherhood, and maybe together we can make it look cool again!

Peace,

Jess