The following menu and fertility diet tips are brought to you by Liz Schau, a graduate of the Institute for Integrative Nutrition for Certified Holistic Health Counseling, as well as a member of the American Association of Drugless Practitioners, from LizSchau.com

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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Links in the post above may be affiliate or referral links - meaning that through a sale I may be given monetary benefit. I blog with integrity and only endorse companies and products I love.

I am not a doctor and don\'t pretend to be one. Use everything you read only to inspire you to do your own research and be an advocate for your own health. Please read my disclaimer in full.

One of the most important steps in cost-effective cooking (especially when eating real foods!) is deciding logically and intelligently what your meals are going to be for the week. I can definitely tell that in our season of busyness and lack of time to plan has definitely taken a toll on our grocery budget.

Not only does planning out our weeks menu make grocery shopping and meal preparation easier, we’re also able to look ahead to make sure it has plenty of nutrients.

Monday:
Breakfast – two egg omelet w/ cheese and veggies, sausage,
snack – whole milk plain yogurt and berries, small amount of raw honey only if needed
Lunch - salmon sandwich (canned wild caught Alaskan salmon with homemade mayo) on sourdough bread, steamed broccoli, cheese
snack – cut veggies and avocado aioli
Dinner – roast chicken with gravy made from chicken broth, couple types of steamed veggies with butter

Tuesday:
Breakfast – whole milk yogurt with berries and a touch of raw honey
snack – cut veggies and homemade dip
Lunch – salad w/ red and green lettuce, baby spinach and lots of colorful veggies, chopped nuts, and cubed cheese, organic ranch dressing, steamed vegetables with butter
snack – apple, and crispy almonds
Dinner – tacos with homemade seasoning and shells. Serve with cheese, dark green lettuce, homemade guacamole, creme fraice(like sour cream) and fresh salsa.

Wednesday:
Breakfast – 16 oz. yogurt or kefir smoothie (1/2 cup yogurt or kefir, 1/2 cup raw milk, 1 raw egg yolk, 1 Tbsp melted coconut oil, 1/2 cup frozen berries)
snack – deviled eggs
Lunch – homemade chicken noodle soup made with bone broth
snack – cut veggies and organic dip, cubed cheese
Dinner – grilled or baked salmon, steamed vegetables, baked potato w/ real butter

Thursday:
Breakfast - fried eggs (optional – on whole wheat sourdough toast), smoothie
snack – yogurt and berries
Lunch – chicken sandwich (from leftover grilled chicken) w/ lettuce, homemade mayo, cut veggies
snack – apple, cubed cheese
Dinner – Meatloaf or seasoned hamburger patties, sweet potato fries, salad with homemade dressing

Friday:
Breakfast – soaked oatmeal w/ butter, raw cream, walnuts, and maple syrup
snack – cut veggies
Lunch – taco salad (leftover taco meat, red and green leaf lettuce, some iceberg lettuce, cut avocado, fresh salsa, seasoned brown rice, and sharp cheddar cheese.
snack – orange
Dinner – grilled steaks, lots of steamed vegetables with butter

Saturday:
Breakfast - scrambled eggs w/ chopped spinach and cheese
snack – apple
Lunch – butternut squash soup
snack – yogurt
Dinner – gluten free homemade pizza topped with lots of colorful veggies and healthy meats like sausage
snack – homemade popcorn on the stove w/ real butter and coconut oil

Sunday:
Breakfast – sourdough pancakes,  smoothie
snack – hardboiled eggs
Lunch – salad w/ baby spinach, leftover roast chicken and lots of colorful veggies
snack – apple, crispy nuts
Dinner – Italian Cream Cheese Casserole with steamed veggies and salad

The menu above is one of my own personal menus, and I share it to give you an idea of the foods to incorporate into your diet. Most importantly in this menu though is the lack of refined sugars and processed foods which deplete your body of vital nutrients. The only sweeteners I use are honey, maple syrup,and very sparingly whole cane sugar. I make all of my bread products, mainly through the process of sourdough to make nutrients more available. Water kefir,  kombucha, and fresh milk
should be the drinks of choice during meals.

Not only does this menu nourish my entire family, it’s a great source of very Fertility Friendly foods.

*many recipes linked to offer allergy and fertility/nutrient boosting options.

This post is linked to: Menu Plan Monday and Mindful Menus

All images and content are protected under US copyright laws, please do not copy and paste.

Links in the post above may be affiliate or referral links - meaning that through a sale I may be given monetary benefit. I blog with integrity and only endorse companies and products I love.

I am not a doctor and don\'t pretend to be one. Use everything you read only to inspire you to do your own research and be an advocate for your own health. Please read my disclaimer in full.