Hey girl hey! I want to get real for a minute. How many of you are trying to eat “healthy” in hopes of boosting your fertility? You are eating enough protein (hello grilled chicken), you are adding slow-burning carbs to your meals (I’m looking at you sweet potatoes), and you are FINALLY eating fat and enjoying it. But you know the one nutrient that many of my clients miss and I bet you are too, FIBER!
Fiber is a vital nutrient in boosting your fertility naturally and has lots of other amazing benefits. Because it doesn’t get the same love as other nutrients, I think a lot of times it gets overlooked. It’s also not as sexy as protein or fat and therefore people forget about it, including me.
If you are eating a SAD diet, (standard American diet) then you are definitely not getting adequate amounts of fiber especially if you are trying to conceive or live your healthiest life.
What is fiber?
Google describes fiber as the indigestible part of plant foods that travels through our digestive system, absorbing water along the way and easing bowel movements. Dietary fiber refers to nutrients in the diet that are not digested by gastrointestinal enzymes but still fulfills an important role.
What role does fiber play in the diet?
A few things that fiber does for us is:
- Slows the absorption of vitamins and minerals so we stay fuller longer
- Acts as an exfoliate for the colon scrubbing it, detoxing, and helping to eliminate waste
- handles blood sugar spikes and keeps you fuller longer, so your blood sugar stays balanced, and you stay off the blood sugar roller coaster.
- processes extra hormones so your hormones stay balanced and they don’t dip into the infertile category.
If you are trying to get pregnant or are struggling with infertility then fiber is extra important because as I mentioned earlier, fiber balances blood sugar which in turn regulates hormones. When trying to conceive you want to make sure your body is making enough luteinizing hormone (LH) which stimulates the ovarian follicle, causing an egg to grow. It also triggers the production of estrogen in the follicle. The rise in estrogen tells your pituitary gland to stop producing FSH and to start making more LH. The shift to making more LH, causes the egg to be released from the ovary, a process called ovulation. Once the ovary releases the egg the sperm can fertilize it and Voilà you are pregnant.
If you are not eating enough fiber in your diet then your body is missing a key ingredient in making these hormones which are essential to you becoming pregnant.
So what is the best way to get fiber in your diet?
Here are my favorite fiber-rich foods-
- Dark leafy greens (the darker the green, the better)- kale, broccoli, or bok choy
- Beans and legumes – black bean, lentils, and lima bean
- Seeds- chia, sunflower, and flax
- Fruit – Bananas, apples, pears
- Whole grains- Barley, Bran and Oatmeal
My favorite fertility (fiber) bean soup – Adzuki Bean Soup
Ingredients:
- 1 1⁄2 cups adzuki beans, wash then put in a large bowl, cover with water & leave to soak overnight (or 6-8 hours)
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 cup pumpkin or butternut squash cut into 2″ cubes
- salt & black pepper
- 4 1⁄2 cups veggie stock
- 2 large carrots, chopped
- 2 TBSP white miso paste
- 1 TBSP curry powder
- a big handful of fresh parsley or coriander, finely chopped
Instructions”
- Put all the ingredients except the miso and herbs in a crockpot and cook on low for 6-8 hours.
- In the last 30 minutes, dissolve the miso paste in a cup with a small amount of the hot broth and then add to the pot. Simmer for 1 more minute then turn off the heat. Stir in the fresh herbs, and taste to check seasoning.
- Serve in warmed bowls garnished with extra fresh herbs. Yield 6-8 servings
If you are struggling to get enough fiber into your diet or if you are just lost when it comes to how to prepare delicious, nutritious foods that will boost your fertility naturally, you have come to the right place. I help women just like you boost their fertility through my methodology called, The Hormone Puzzle method where I show you all the steps I used to reverse my unexplained infertility diagnosis and get pregnant naturally, (not once, but twice).
If you are ready to stop listening to the doctors tell you, you can’t and finally get pregnant naturally, email me and we will book a call.
Email me here- info@kelahealthcoach.com.
I can’t wait to talk to you so you can be my next success story.
Love and Health,
Coach Kela
