It’s in the news so much it does cause people to wonder. I mean…..the low-fat diet was in the news all the time, then low-carb. How do we really know that going gluten-free is the right thing for our bodies? How do we know that food manufacturers, who are now making gluten-free foods, have our best interests at heart? Does cousin Sally’s, dentist’s, aunt really know what she’s talking about when she recommends to go gluten-free?

And why is gluten so bad anyways?

The basics of a gluten-free diet are this:

• You cut out every tiny portion of wheat, rye, spelt, barley, and any other grain containing gluten.
• Some people even have to go as far as cutting out foods that have been processed near wheat and gluten.
• Beauty products may need to be changed as some contain gluten.
• Your life is now over since you can not eat bread.

Alright, so the last one is a stretch, though many people feel this way when they are told they have to go gluten-free.

The thing is, for some people, cutting out gluten can save their life. There are no if, ands, or butts about it.

Gluten is a protein found in wheat (even in the white flour) that gets through the gut lining. It destroys the villi in the intestines and in classic celiac, it causes obscene amounts of intestinal issues among other things. In “silent” celiac, the digestive system may remain mostly normal while the gluten permeates the gut lining and begins attaching to other parts of the body. The body’s immune system then goes on defense attacking the gluten as the foreign invader it is. The problem is, the body also attacks the organs where this protein sets up camp. It also begins attacking the body’s own proteins that are similar to gluten in structure. One of these is the thyroid.

Other signs of silent celiac (organs that the body is damaging – also known as auto-immune) can include arthritis, nerve problems and disease of the nerves, type one diabetes, infertility, multiple miscarriage, and lupus. Even mental illness has a strong link to gluten.

There are many, many people out there that shouldn’t be eating gluten and they are. Some even have been told by their doctors that they don’t need to go gluten-free because tests show that they are only “borderline celiac”.

So how do you know if you have to go gluten-free? Should you even go gluten-free if you don’t think your intolerant to it?

Because undiagnosed gluten intolerance and celiac are so rampant, and the fact that it has such close ties to infertility and multiple miscarriage, I do recommend that people should at least go gluten-free for a month to see how their body reacts. Testing would be so much easier, but unfortunately there really aren’t any tests that are 100% accurate until the gluten has completely damaged the villi. A one month test, staying away from gluten of any kind, is long enough to see if you have reactions as you abstain from eating it (many people get headaches and body aches). After one month you’ll also be able to tell if you physically feel better – some people have been in a “gluten fog” for so long that they don’t even remember what feeling good feels like!

After a month, you eat gluten for one day. If you get sick, get a headache, have intestinal distress, etc – you’re sensitive to gluten. Or if you’re symptoms go away during the month and begin to come back as you add gluten in your diet again – you’re sensitive to gluten.

The Pros of Gluten Free Diet:

• You are cutting out the one ingredient that could be causing a host of your health issues.
• It also helps people get out of the rut of “bread for each meal”. You can expand your use of other grains (rice, oats, etc) and try many new versions of foods. I love this about being gluten-free! There are so many foods my family eats now, all because we had to give up our “crutch”.

The Cons to a Gluten Free Diet:

• Like I mentioned before, food manufacturers want in on the latest and greatest thing. People see “gluten-free” on a box and they grab it thinking that it must be healthy. Right? Not so. The processed foods are often very high in sugar and white starches, along with other additives to try to give it the texture of wheat.
• It can also be a bit more expensive when you first transition. While you don’t need to buy the pricier gluten-free flours, it is nice to have on hand sometimes for a family treat.
• It’s also very overwhelming! Having to read every label and figure out what food is naturally gluten-free and which ones you need replacements for is enough to make anyone run and hide.

My Thoughts

Eating a gluten-free diet (as long as you stay away from the mass amounts of processed gluten-free foods) is a diet that everyone can follow, but not everyone has to. It’s not a fad diet. But it is also not a diet that’s going to change your health for the worse.

At some point, I also think everyone owes it to themselves to figure out, by method of elimination diet, how their own body reacts to gluten and wheat. Especially people with relatives that suffer from auto-immune diseases (there is a much stronger link if you have a family member with auto-immune issues). If you find you have a sensitivity to it, cut it out of your diet completely.

Our family is currently gluten-free, due to my husband’s gluten intolerance (which we found through an elimination diet). I don’t seem to have any problem with it as I’ve gone months and months without any. I’ve eaten a few times over the last two years and it never seems to have an adverse affect. I’m actually looking at buying some sprouted spelt flour (no reason to sprout and grind my own – I have no grinder and it wouldn’t be cost-effective for me to buy one) to make sourdough bread once or twice a month for those of us in the family that can eat it.

Other posts in this series:

Diet Investigation: Standard American Diet

Diet Investigation: Nourishing Traditions Type Diet

Diet Investigation: Vegetarian Diet

Diet Investigation: Primal/Paleo Diet

Diet Investigation: Gluten Free

You can also check out all the posts from the week we focused on wheat and gluten:

The Silent Cause to Poor Health – a podcast with Dr. Tom O’Bryan – an expert on gluten and infertility (awesome listen!!)

The Transition to Gluten Free – a guest post by Kat from SCDKat.com

Gluten Free Easily – a guest post from Shirley of GFE

Gluten Free Beauty – a guest post by Kristen of Gluten Free Beauty

Gluten, Grains, and Children with Developmental Issues – guest post by Cara or Health, Home, Happiness

and the 4 part Gluten Free Panel: part one, part two, part three, part four (a Q and A with other people who eat gluten-free)

This post is linked to : Real Food Wednesday

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This menu plan mine.

This isn’t a recommendation of what you should be eating, but rather a sample of the foods we eat each week in our home. I strive to live by my “Natural Fertility Manifesto”, which includes plenty of nutrient dense, whole foods and very limited sweets.

Soaked Oatmeal

Monday:

pre-breakfast – hot water with lemon

Breakfast - soaked oatmeal with  butter, cream, and a bit of maple syrup

Lunch – hardboiled eggs, large salad with 3 different colored veggies and homemade dressing

Dinner – venison roast with carrots, potatoes, and celery

Homemade Corn Tortillas

Tuesday:

pre-breakfast – hot water with lemon

Breakfast – omelet with sautéed veggies

Lunch – ‘leftover’ soup (any meat and veggies I have on hand)

Dinner – tacos with homemade seasoning, corn shells, avocado aioli, and cut onion

Wednesday:

pre-breakfast – hot water with lemon

Breakfast – scrambled eggs, sautéed kale, sausage

Lunch – rice cooked in broth, steamed veggies

Dinner – venison steaks, baked potato, steamed broccoli

Thursday:

pre-breakfast – hot water with lemon

Breakfast – arroz con leche (rice pudding)

Lunch – hard boiled eggs, cut veggies and dip, fruit and yogurt

Dinner – roast chicken, veggie rice, steamed veggies

Build a Better Salad

 Friday:

pre-breakfast – hot water with lemon

Breakfast – fried eggs over sautéed kale, fruit

Lunch – large salad / leftovers

Dinner – homemade gluten free pizza

Saturday:

pre-breakfast – hot water with lemon

Breakfast – whole grain pancakes and sausage, fruit

Lunch – salmon patties, steamed veggies

Dinner – chicken soup with wild rice (using leftover chicken from Thursday and broth made from those bones)

Beverages:

• raw milk
• kombucha
• herbal teas with honey
• lemon water

Snacks:

• cut veggies
• fruit
• crispy almonds
• cheese
• hardboiled eggs
• homemade larabars (from the Healthy Snacks to Go ebook)

Caramel Corn

Sweets:

• Peppermint Bark (from the Smart Sweets ebook)
• Caramel Corn (for family movie night!)

For more menu planning inspiration, check out Menu Plan Monday and Stephanie Langford’s new ebook “Don’t Panic, Plan It: Everything You Need to Successfully Create and Use a Meal Plan”.

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Which, don’t get me wrong, is a very good thing!

But there are also days where I need to bring cookies to church or family functions, or bless my family with a treat. And for those days I now have a go-to recipe that has no sugar, not even honey or maple syrup.

Oatmeal Banana Cookies

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups rolled oats
1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup of almond meal
1/2 cup almonds, finely chopped
1 cup raisins (or other dried fruit)
3 ripe bananas, mashed
2 eggs
1/4 cup melted coconut oil or butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Method of Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. In a large bowl, combine all dry ingredients until well mixed.

3. In another bowl, mix together the mashed bananas, eggs, oil, and vanilla. Stir into the dry mixture.

4. Place approximately 2 Tbsp of the mixture on the cookie sheet for each cookie. I used a round cookie cutter to make them, lightly pressing it into the cutter for each one.

5. Bake for 18-20 minutes, just until they begin to brown.

I love finding simple recipes like this, and all of the ingredients are pantry staples for me. I also love taking recipes that most people deem as “healthy” and making them “unhealthy” again! This recipe is an adaptation of one I found on Pinterest a couple of weeks ago. The original had no saturated fats or eggs.

So I added them back in.

And no – these aren’t ‘properly soaked’ cookies. I can deal with that since they are void of sugar. These are best when eaten the same day as they were baked. Or at least while warmed back up. I think what I’m going to have to do is  mesh it with my baked oatmeal recipe……

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I used to be quite attached to sugar as I’m sure some of you are, but I had no idea how to reduce my consumption and then replace refined sugars with natural ones.

Whether you’re just starting on your journey to ‘real’ and natural foods, or you’ve been on this road for some time and just need a bit of encouragement, this ebook is for you!

As our Standard American Diet dictates, most of us are addicted to refined sugars. Not only do we dump them into our coffee, and inhale cookies, it’s hidden in almost every processed food we buy. And the problem is, the more we eat it, the more our body craves it.

Along with the 8 weekly challenges you’ll also find:

• My Story with Sugar
• What’s Wrong with Sugar
• Know Your Good Sugars
• Dealing with Cravings
• Links to recipes using natural sweeteners

To download this free ebook, just subscribe to either the daily or weekly email blog updates! If you’re already a subscriber, you’ll see a link at the bottom of your email. This link will take you to the page of free subscriber downloads. (also available are the “Naturally Balanced” and “Is Your Flour Wet?” ebooks!)
Daily Updates:

Weekly Updates:

You can also sign up for the Naturally Knocked Up Community to receive support from others working to eat healthier and reduce their sugar intake.

Remember – you don’t have to sign up again if you already get our emails! Just check the bottom of your emails for a link to the subscriber downloads page.

Enjoy!

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Donielle contacted me recently because so many of her readers were complaining of having a low body temperature – something that is very common, practically universal, among women with standard menstrual and fertility issues. Since I’m notorious for making women hot, yeah baby, and I even have a “Hot Chicks Club” for all the women who have obtained a consistent waking luteal phase body temperature of 99 degrees Fahrenheit or higher… I guess I’m the go-to guy on this issue.

While I could soften it and explain the particulars of the science and massage you into accepting that the advice I have has validity, I think it might be best if I just keep it simple. And slap you upside the head with it. If you would like to find out more about the basis of why the following information works so well (and I have 30,000 comments on my website confirming that it does indeed work very well – for raising body temperature, restoring menstruation, improving fertility, and many other metabolism-related disorders), I have put out several materials on it – the best and most recent being Diet Recovery: Restoring Hormonal Health, Metabolism, Mood, and Your Relationship with Food. 

So let’s get on with it.

The quick explanation of the problem at hand is that if the human body goes through the supply of something faster than it is being delivered, the body downregulates metabolism to slow down the rate at which it burns through stuff (namely calories and nutrients). There are other factors involved, most of them hereditary in nature (but can still be overcome with the right approach).

In a world in which we have developed serious calorie phobia, carbohydrate phobia, fat phobia, couch potato phobia, saturated fat and cholesterol phobia, and more – almost all women in today’s society have grown so accustomed to actively eating below appetite, with dietary restriction, and exercising vigorously that they don’t even realize that they are basically engaged in disordered eating.

This is particularly harmful to women who are already coming into the world with a suppressed metabolism, which is becoming increasingly common due to our nutrient-poor diet, the dieting our mothers did (kids of dieting mothers have a known increased risk of obesity and type 2 diabetes), chronic physiological stressors, and countless other factors.

To make a long story short, if you have a reduced morning body temperature (this is the most important time to check as this is the best indicator of your absolute lowest metabolic rate), cold hands and feet (another powerful indicator of low metabolism), or other signs of a low metabolism (constipation, frequent infection, yeast issues, chronic fatigue, low sex drive, abnormal menstrual cycle, thinning hair, puffy eyes or water retention, poor fingernail growth, poor strength, hypoglycemia, and others) – the typical modern approach of beating yourself into submission with dietary restriction (even just being a health nut) and lots of “cardio” exercise will take you much farther away from a healthy metabolism. It is counterproductive and worsens the underlying disorder.

Dr. Atkins perhaps said it best when he wrote…

“…remember that prolonged dieting (this one [meaning the Atkins diet], low-fat, low-calorie, or a combination) tends to shut down thyroid function. This is usually not a problem with the thyroid gland (therefore blood tests are likely to be normal) but with the liver, which fails to convert T4 into the more active thyroid principle, T3. The diagnosis is made on clinical ground with the presence of fatigue, sluggishness, dry skin, coarse or falling hair, an elevation in cholesterol, or a low body temperature. I ask my patients to take four temperature readings daily before the three meals and near bedtime. If the average of all these temperatures, taken for at least three days, is below 97.8 degrees F (36.5 C), that is usually low enough to point to this form of thyroid problem; lower readings than that are even more convincing.”

Keep in mind that the metabolic rate – the active thyroid in your system being a primary factor in your metabolic rate, determines the rate at which pregnenalone is converted to progesterone – the pro-gestation hormone. That’s why, when metabolism is low, fertility is poor. When metabolism increases, your chances of conception and a successful pregnancy skyrocket. I highly recommend going through the following steps to anyone looking to get pregnant – whether having problems or not. Having a high metabolism going into pregnancy, and producing abundant progesterone has all kinds of benefits to the offspring – from increased brain size/development to increased ratio of muscle mass to body fat. And it’s good for moms too. Progesterone increases the elasticity of cervical tissues! Making childbirth a LOT less painful.

Alright, so we’re finally getting to the useful stuff. If you consistently have a body temperature below 98 degrees F when you wake up in the morning (rectal temps being the most reliable), you can fix this. It is not hard, unless you consider being on vacation and spa days hard. It is very common for people of all ages, male and female, to see increases in body temperature from as low as 95F to 98F and above in less than 30 days. It really is that simple and reliable. The hard part is getting people to try it because it sounds so strange in contrast to the exercise more/eat less, ‘carbs are the devil’ and/or ‘saturated fat is the devil’ and ‘no pain no gain’ brainwashing that has taken place over the last half century.

To raise body temperature and increase your chances of having a successful pregnancy…

1. Eat as much nutritious food as you can every day. Emphasize the more calorie-dense unrefined carbohydrates like root vegetables, fruit, and grains in particular, but also eat a satisfying amount of meat, fat, dairy products (milk is incredible for body temperature), and whatever else that you find enjoyable. But keep it as nutritious and unprocessed as possible.
2. Eat beyond appetite. This is key. Eating more than you want to eat is what forces your body to get out of its low metabolism rut.
3. Go at least 12 hours straight per day without food – you don’t want to be overeating for more than half the day. So if you eat dinner at 7pm, have breakfast at 7am. I believe this practice can make the body more responsive to the hormone leptin, probably the most important hormone in fertility (because it raises thyroid and progesterone).
4. Get as much sleep as possible. Sleep is an incredibly powerful tool for raising metabolism.
5. Avoid vigorous exercise. This is not a permanent recommendation obviously. You can resume getting more vigorous exercise once your body temperature is fully restored.
6. Emphasize saturated fats over unsaturated fats. Dairy products, red meat, and coconut products are the best source of dietary saturated fats. You should eat these preferentially over nuts, seeds, vegetable oils, avocado, and other plant fats – as well as pork and poultry, when possible.
7. De-stress. While eating a lot, sleeping a lot, and avoiding excessive exercise is inherently de-stressing, it also pays to spend time doing something that you find leisurely or enjoyable and mentally and physically relaxing, which is highly individual. Massage and sunbathing would be my two personal favorites!

And, well. That’s all there is to it.

Enjoy.

Note – you will probably not feel well when you start doing this, but will feel bloated, hungover, and extremely fatigued and drowsy. Those are not bad signs, but signs of deep physiological relaxation and/or signs of adjustment to the new transition. Be patient. Give it a full 30-day trial.

Matt Stone, author of 7 books, is an independent health researcher who emphasizes the dangers of dieting and restricted and restrained eating of many varieties, and raising metabolism naturally. He is the voice of www.180degreehealth.com

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Monday

• Breakfast – 2 egg omelet and 1/2 cup whole milk yogurt and berries (saute onion, colored peppers and kale in butter, add to omelet along with a bit of quality cheese)

• Lunch – salmon patties, steamed broccoli, small salad with multi- colored veggies and lacto-fermented dressing. (you can easily prepare this meal the night before for those who are out of the home during the day)

• Dinner – roast chicken, gratineed leeks, mashed cauliflower : the chicken can easily be made in the crockpot on low all day, just add splash of water and seasonings. After dinner is over, pull the extra meat of the bones and place them back in the crockpot (the bones) along with a few carrots, celery, cloves of garlic and an onion. Set on low at least overnight or 24 hours to make homemade broth.

Tuesday

• Breakfast – fritatta made with broccoli, red pepper, spinach and onion along with a bit of cheese.

• Lunch – Chicken Sweet Potato Curry : this would also make a good dinner, but my husband is not a fan of fruit juice with meats, so I’ll make this for myself.

• Dinner – steak, veggie rice, steamed broccoli : this is definitely an easy meal for me since Todd usually grills up the steaks, I can get the other dishes going and actually clean up a bit before we eat. you can also use broth to cook the veggie rice, adding extra nutrients

Wednesday

• Breakfast – soaked oatmeal topped with butter, cream, maple syrup, and chopped almonds

• Lunch – deviled eggs, cut veggies and dip, fruit

• Dinner – chicken noodle soup and a small salad. (use the broth you made on Monday and the leftover chicken) : I usually forgo a recipe and just add what I have on hand, most normally broth to fill half the pot, 2-3 carrots, 2-3 stalks of celery, a small onion, and a few cloves of garlic. Salt and pepper to taste and then either spinach or kale during the last 5 minutes. You can also add rice or noodles.(do not add GF noodles while cooking – cook them separately)

Thursday

• Breakfast – scrambled eggs, sauteed kale, sausage

• Lunch – leftover soup from dinner, small salad

• Dinner – Tacos : you can make your own whole wheat tortillas or corn tortillas (or make it into a taco salad) along with your own seasoning. Add in lettuce, fresh chopped onion, good quality cheese and avodaco aioli, guacamole, or spicy dressing. You can also cook some soaked rice or beans if you need to make the meat stretch a bit further for your family.

Friday

• Breakfast – smoothies : I love making smoothies for breakfast, fill them with great ingredients and you won’t be hungry again in an hour. I regularly use yogurt and raw milk, adding in banana, frozen fruit, a veggie or three, a handful of crispy almonds, and 2 raw pastured egg yolks. I also use them to add my supplements to!

• Lunch – taco salad : go easy on yourself and use up the leftover meat from the night before and make yourself a nice taco salad

• Dinner – BLT spaghetti squash and small salad with lacto-fermented dressing

Saturday

• Breakfast - soaked whole grain pancakes, bacon

• Lunch – egg salad or tuna salad over a bed of greens, piece of fruit

• Dinner – baked wild caught salmon, baked potato, sauteed kale, cooked carrots

Sunday

• Breakfast – omelets, sausage, fried potatoes : saute veggies for omelets, cut up one potato for every 2 people and fry in butter or bacon grease on the stovetop.

• Lunch – McDonalds. (sorry, just checking to see if you’re still reading. But seriously? After an entire week of preparing whole foods, it does get a bit tiring. Heck, I’m tired just trying figure out this blasted menu!) We usually eat leftovers on Sunday, making it easy after we get out of church. If it’s warm out – make a smoothie and a salad. Chilly? A bowl of soup. Or I love the lunch that Liz posted last week- Loaded sweet potato (with fat of your choice: ghee, coconut oil, yogurt/kefir, etc.), nutritional yeast, scallions, Hemp Seed Creamy Peppercorn Ranch Dressing(or raw sheeps or goats milk cheese, if you are not sensitive), sausage crumbles or fried egg.

• Dinner – chili : one of our favorite one pot meals that will last throughout the week for leftover lunches. You can even put in extra veggies; chopped celery, shredded carrot, etc.

Drinks:

• water
• herbal tea
• kombucha
• kefir
• milk

Snacks:

• crispy nuts
• fruit
• cut veggies
• whole milk yogurt
• pumpkin seeds

Have a great weekend!

You can also download the basic nutritional guidelines from the forum when you sign up for the Naturally Balanced Challenge!

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Well, not so much.

I used to avoid fat like it would be the death of me. And then I had my cholesterol checked only to find that at 23, I had extremely high cholesterol. So high that if I had been older, they would have put me on statins right away. My ‘bad’ cholesterol was through the roof, and it scared the living daylights out of me – especially since heart disease was in my family. I wouldn’t touch anything that had saturated fat in it; buying low fat cheese {gross!} and fake animal products instead. For six months I ate nasty tasting food trying to get my cholesterol down. And to show for it? It worked.

A little bit.

A couple years later, after trying unsuccessfully to stick to a no-fat diet, I found traditional foods, and began to throw away my vegetable oils and margarine. I bought full fat yogurt and milk, and began eating more red meat. {Todd was thrilled!} After years of me telling him he was going to die eating all that full fat stuff, I was now touting it as healthy.

But was it?

Well, I had my cholesterol checked again and after about 6 months on a whole foods diet, my cholesterol was at 168, down from 258 where it was at my very first blood draw.{I was also ovulating regularly for the first time} I felt better than I had in a long time…..fat is here to stay in my diet!

Luckily the popular decision on fat is slowly swinging back to the positive aspects of fat, it’s not all that bad!

Consuming fat in our foods in actually really important for hormone balance, and cholesterol is needed to produce progesterone. We need it for our bodies to work correctly, for our brains to function properly, and to reproduce. Did you know that when Native American couples had trouble conceiving that they put them on bear fat diets.

Supposedly it always worked.

The problem is, there are a lot of bad fats out there too. Fats that contribute to disease and degeneration of our bodies, and are over processed. They are also high in omega 6 fats, which cause us to have way to much omega 6 and not enough omega 3′s, causing inflammation and health problems.

The Good Fats

The following are the fats that I use in my kitchen. They are made from whole foods and minimally processed. It’s also important to note that any animal fats should be organic! Toxins are commonly stored in fat cells, so the cleaner the animal, the cleaner the fat.

Butter – most commonly made from the cream of cows milk, but can also be made from goat or sheep milk, butter offers many needed nutrients. For thousands of years, butter was prized for it’s health benefits! It has an easily absorbable form of vitamin A which is essential to thyroid function. Organic butter is best due to the fact that some toxins can accumulate in the fat cells of animals. Raw butter is even better (pasteurization can damage nutrients), and cultured raw butter is the best you can find!

I make my own butter when I have access to extra cream. And time. Next I try to buy grassfed butter (Kerrygold is good), and then finally organic. I rarely ever buy regular butter due to the fact that toxins are stored in fat – so toxins from a cow’s diet can end up in the butter.

Lard (or pork fat) – was widely used in America during the turn of the 21st century, but has fallen out of favor as the low fat diet has gained in popularity. A good source of vitamin D, lard is also high in monounsaturated fats. It’s solid at room temp and one of the preferred fats for frying due to it’s high smoke point. You can render your own lard if you get the excess fat when you buy a portion of beef from the butcher. Organic lard is hard for me to find, so I don’t use it very often.

Tallow (beef fat) – like lard, tallow is high in monounsaturated fats and when grass fed is also a great source of CLA (conjugated linoleic acid) an important anti-cancer property. Tallow is solid at room temp and it’s a great fat for use in frying.

Poultry fat – (duck, goose, chicken) semi-solid at room temperature, poultry fat is about 50% monounsaturated. The omega 3 fats available depend on what the bird has eaten and may vary. Good for use in cooking and frying. I tend to skim off the fat when I make broth out of a pastured chicken and use it for cooking.

Olive oil - rich in anti-oxidants, olive oil should be purchased as ‘extra virgin’. This slightly cloudy oil is made from the first pressing of the olives. Use olive oil in salad dressing and low temperature cooking.

Coconut oil – solid when stored at less than 76 degrees, this tropical oil has many health benefits. It can help improve insulin secretion and the utilization of blood glucose, provides quick energy (the medium chain fatty acids), and helps to boost the immune system. Always look for extra virgin coconut oil, though it will have a slight coconut flavor. I find it works wonderfully in baking due to it’s slightly sweet flavor, allowing me to lower the amount of sugar I use in a recipe.

Peanut oil – a relatively stable oil for use on a limited basis for stir-frys (it has a rather high ratio of omega 6 fats).

Sesame oil – like peanut oil, it weighs heavier on the omega 6 side of the scale, but can be used on a limited basis for stir frys.

Flaxseed oil – with a high level of omega 3 fats in flaxseed oil, this oil is fine on a limited basis and in small amounts. Best for salads. (may be slightly estrogenic)

The way I use fats in my kitchen is also based on their source. I regularly use animal fats in heated applications, reserving the more fragile oils like extra virgin olive oil and flax oil for unheated preparations like dressings.

The fats I don’t use consist of margarine, vegetable oils (soy, corn, canola), and anything hydrogenated.

Fats from good healthy sources can be a wonderful addition to your diet. Not only do the fats themselves add nutrients to your body, but they also help your body absorb and utilize other vitamins and minerals from the other foods you eat. Without fat in the diet we can easily become malnourished.

What are your favorite fats to consume and how do you use them?

this post is linked to Real Food Wednesday

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My Natural Fertility Manifesto

• Processed foods have no place in a diet meant to nourish the body and balance the hormones. These foods are prepared in ways that denature the nutrients so that they become unavailable to our bodies. They also add chemicals to foods to add color, flavor, and preserve them for storage. These chemicals alter the way our bodies see foods, causing us to overeat as well as affecting many different aspects of our natural function. All foods should be “real” and whole foods.

1. Meats, dairy products, eggs, and animal fats should be preferably from grass-fed animals to ensure nutrient density. Organic is the next go-to preference, and regular store bought last. When you consume grass-fed meats you’ll find they are higher in fat soluble vitamins that are essential for hormone development.

2. Grains should be traditionally soaked whenever possible. By doing do, you’ll make sure that the nutrients are more readily absorbable by the body and easier to digest making less work for your digestive system.

3. Fats should be from wholesome sources, the least processed the better. Many of our current vegetable oils are over processed and rancid by the time we use them. Stick to fats that scientists haven’t messed with.

4. Produce should be organic whenever possible – and eat plenty of them. Eating in season and locally is best not only for your budget, but for nutrition as well. I’m a big believer that God chose to have certain foods ripen when our bodies are most able to utilize certain nutrients. (ex. Spring is a great time for greens which are cleansing – our bodies are naturally more receptive to cleansing in the spring)

5. Milk should be consumed in an uncooked form, from grass-fed cows/goats/etc whenever possible. This ensures that the nutrients are more bio available and have not been damaged by heat. If raw milk is not available, pasteurized milk from grass-fed and/or organic animals is the preferred choice. I choose not to consume conventional dairy milk.

6. I will choose to make most foods in my kitchen instead of eating out or buying convenience foods.
   

• I will make an effort to keep the environment I live in free of chemicals.

1. This means making my own cleaning supplies or buying natural products.

2. I will make most of my beauty care supplies or buy from those who make them.

3. I will keep my home clean and air it out whenever possible.

• My body needs to move more.

1. Daily exercise or an active lifestyle is to be maintained

2. Yoga at least once per week to help balance the hormones.

3. A concerted effort will be made to limit “down time” or vegging in front of the t.v.

• Holistic health is an important part of healing and balancing the body.

1. Charting will be a part of my daily routine and I will follow the ideals of lunaception.

2. I will work with my chiropractor and naturopath to find any supplemental needs my body may have and to fix my symptoms by treating the cause instead of the symptom.

What do you include in your natural fertility manifesto?

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But to make it easier on myself, I also came up with a checklist of foods that I want to try to get in each day, most days of the week. (you can download it on the front page of the forum if you haven’t signed up yet, you can do so here. If you’ve already signed up and are reading this via email- the link to the forum is at the very top)

I’m hoping that having a visual reminder of the good foods I need will help me nourish my body in the best way possible.

The basic guidelines I set for myself mirror the way traditional cultures ate. Real foods, not processed, and prepared in ways that allow our bodies to absorb the most nutrients.

• Traditional Diets and Essential Nutrients
  
• Superfoods for Fertility part one
• Superfoods for Fertility part two
• Other important nutrients
• Foods to Avoid
• What a Fertility Diet Can Look Like

“The cause of all menstrual issues is: not enough nutrients getting in – not enough of the bad getting out”

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Essential elements when working to balance hormones naturally: saturated fat and cholesterol (from healthy sources; pastured, organic, etc.), probiotic/fermented foods and drinks, low-grain/glycemic, properly prepared nuts/seeds/grains/legumes, no food allergens (gluten and casein are the big ones), organic foods with no pesticides, functional foods.

Cholesterol is often called “the mother of all hormones” as our bodies need it to create hormones. Saturated fat, among other things, stimulates thyroid function and acts as an antimicrobial on our gut pathogens. Probiotic foods balance our gut flora, and our gut flora synthesize hormones and stop autoimmune processes which often cause hormonal imbalance. Grains and food allergens are often another source of hormonal imbalance, so by eliminating them or only eating soaked/sprouted/fermented grains and legumes, we aide our hormones. And of course, choosing organic, grass-fed, pastured, and wild-caught whenever possible is also essential because toxins and chemicals from food not only make our meals less nutritive but also hazardous to our health. Above all, I encourage my health counseling clients to saturate their bodies/diets with lots of fats and tons of probiotic foods.

Below is an example of an ideal menu. But things don’t have to be perfect for us to be able to balance our bodies and hormones naturally and to see results from hard work. We all take short cuts, and being perfect isn’t essential; making mostly the right choices over the long-run is what is important. Also, driving ourselves crazy about not making perfect choices with the most pure food is a good way to cause gut dysfunction and more hormonal imbalance. Relax, enjoy what you eat, and find beauty in life. Do not expect yourself or your situation to be perfect and give yourself lots of time.

Day 1:
B: Oatmeal soaked overnight in yogurt of your choice (coconut milk yogurt for those who are sensitive to dairy), cooked with ghee, coconut or nut milk, pumpkin pie spice, sea salt, and raw honey or other sweetener of your choice. Serve with herbal tea (using filtered water).
L: Wild-caught tuna salad (celery, mayo, probiotic pickle juice, raisins) over mixed greens with probiotic pickles and apple slices.
D: Middle eastern kebabs (with meat of your choice) served with Tomato, Onion, and Cucumber Salad, Quinoa Falafel and tahini dipping sauce made with probiotic dairy (for those who are dairy-free, make Cashew Sour Cream)

Day 2:
B: Tex-Mex breakfast taco: sprouted corn tortilla fried in coconut oil, topped with fried egg, salsa, and guacamole. Served with water kefir.
L: Antipasto platter: water-packed olives, roasted red peppers, organic pepperoni (or other cured meat), smoked wild-caught fish, macadamia nuts, raw sheeps milk or goats milk cheese (for those who are not sensitive).
D: Crispy-skin roast chicken with Bragg’s Seakelp Delight Seasoning and basted with coconut oil, served with roasted sweet potatoes, carrots, and parsnips basted in coconut oil. Serve with sauerkraut on the side.

Day 3:
B: Bacon slices and Old-Fashioned Refried Beans (can use bacon grease in place of ghee), caramelized onions and peppers. Served with water kefir.
L: Cold asian noodle salad (with buckwheat, sweet potato, or mung bean noodles) topped with shredded chicken, sliced pork, fried egg or other protein of your choice. Serve with probiotic kimchi.
D: Slow cooker meatballs in tomato sauce (using homemade stock as a base), served with roasted acorn squash (topped with ghee and nutritional yeast), sauteed garlic and kale in olive oil. Serve with sauerkraut on the side.

Day 4:
B: Quinoa porridge with apples and dried cranberries. Serve with water kefir.
L: Loaded sweet potato (with fat of your choice: ghee, coconut oil, yogurt/kefir, etc.), nutritional yeast, scallions, Hemp Seed Creamy Peppercorn Ranch Dressing (or raw sheeps or goats milk cheese, if you are not sensitive), sausage crumbles or fried egg. Serve with probiotic kimchi.
D: Coconut shrimp (made with gluten-free flour, and fried in coconut oil) with apricot dipping sauce, and seaweed salad. Serve with probiotic kimchi. (Use tamari or Bragg’s Liquid Aminos)

Day 5:
B: Fatty morning smoothie: coconut milk, almond, cashew, or macadamia nut butter, blueberries, chia seeds, vanilla, raw honey, cinnamon, pinch of sea salt.
L: Baked eggs in tomato sauce (use nutritional yeast in place of cheese, if you are dairy sensitive). Serve with water kefir.
D:Cincinnati-style chili made with bacon grease and homemade stock, with mixed green salad and homemade probiotic vinaigrette (using Bragg’s Seakelp Delight Seasoning, sauerkraut juice, olive oil, mustard).

Day 6:
B: Coconut flour pancakes with maple syrup, berries, and breakfast sausage. Serve with water kefir.
L: Cold crab salad with mayo, capers and orange, on a bed of mixed greens, herbs, avocado, and sauerkraut.
D: Stuffed zucchini with Mashed Cauliflower (with fat of your choice; ghee would be a good one), and Chipotle Rainbow Slaw.

Day 7:
B: Crustless quiche with summer squash. Serve with water kefir.
L: Leftovers from breakfast
D: Crispy salmon (use ghee or olive oil) with Almond-Crusted Root Vegetable Fries. Serve with probiotic pickles and sauerkraut.

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