Frequently Asked Questions on a Womans Cycle

I have put together a FAQ for reference, as these are the most common questions I get asked from time to time about a Woman's cycle.

When does the cycle start is it still during my period? CD1 and where it all begins is the first full day of your period. Don’t count it until it is in full flow for you. This means there should be enough blood to require sanitary protection.

What's the process of ovulation? Fertility is a complicated process and hopefully I will help you to understand the importance of each and every hormones to help you in order for you to successfully conceive, and sustain the pregnancy. It is possible that at this stage you have been for some blood tests at your doctors. For those of you who are effectively in the ‘dark’ about the fertility; It all starts with sex hormones. Hormones are complicated. I’m amazed on a daily basis how these wonderful substances manage to build up and then pass on the mantle so to speak to the next phase. As such, I see it in women as a relay race to the finish. Different hormones will come into the race when each in turn reaches a certain point. In some women when their fertility is less than optimum they will have weaker runners at different stages, but ultimately the race will always run. The organiser is always the main organ the hypothalamus and his second in command is the coach – the  pituitary gland, who ultimately grooms the hormones to ensure they are ready and brings on new runners at different stages. The second coach is also the ovaries themselves, who listens to the pituitary and responds on the ground. The cycle for a woman is cut into 2 main phases. The Follicular  ( building) and the Luteal phase ( sustaining). Fertility can be a complicated process, particularly for women as there are some hormones that are vital messengers during your cycle and in order to build the messenger, as well as the major hormones, it is vital the ‘machine’ ie your body produces the right effect in your reproductive system in order for the egg to meet sperm and for fertilization to happen. Hopefully you will have been to your doctor prior to reading this, to check everything is in working order.If you haven’t now’s the time to order a few blood tests.

In the early stages of the cycle the important hormones are: Follicular – (day 1- 16 approx)1.Follicle Stimulation Hormone (FSH) 2.Oestrogen  (E2 or Oestradiol) 3. Luteinising Hormone (LH) Testosterone. and in the Luteal phase ( after ovulation day 12- 28/30 aprox) 4. Oestrogen ( E2 ) 5 .Progesterone  (P4) *Testosterone a) Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH) is produced by the pituitary gland located just behind the eyebrows in the brain/ This gland is super important as it stimulates the development of a follicles and eventually a primary follicle. (b) follicles cells produce oestrogen which in turn increases FSH in a positive feedback loop. (c) oestrogen will thicken the lining of the uterus in preparation for a fertilised egg. (d) oestrogen production peaks at day 12  (aprox) causing the pituitary to release a surge of LH. This loosens the now mature egg from the dominant/Primaryfolicle which is released at ovulation.

LH reduces the secretion of Oestrogen
LH stimulates the empty follicle to develop into the corpus luteum
(e)Progesterone and oestrogen together stop any more LH and FSH being secreted from the pituitary. (negative feedback)
This prevents further follicle development or ovulation.
(f) Progesterone maintains the lining of the thickened endometrium in preparation for the implantation of a fertilised egg. (g) If implantation does not take place then the Corpus luteum falls apart. The progesterone production stops and from day 28 ( approx) a drop in progesterone triggers:

The endometrium breaks down and the 'menstrual period' begins
FSH and LH begin their secretions again
A new cycle has begun

What is the LH surge?The LH surge (seen in the top diagram) is luteinizing hormone which is responsible for the trigger of ovulation. As you can see it comes in fast and leaves fast! I like to see it as the needle that pierces the follicle to allow ovulation! This only lasts a very short time a well, a few hours tops, so once you see this surge its high time to get busy making a baby as you will only have a day at most – however this can vary from person to person.  Some women find that they get a fait line for LH or none at all. Its hard to nail this hormone down, and just because you get it it doesn't mean you are releasing an egg. Many women get quite obsessed with OPK sticks to measure this. What I would advise is rather than using them is getting to know your cycle through charting first. Then use OPK, as the body will ' try a few rounds' of LH to get the follicle to trigger and burst, and if you have PCOS there may be a few highs of this hormone as it tries to balance out during the cycle, so OPK isn't the best measure, all it means is that it is trying to burst the follicle, not that you have actually ovulated. Ovulation can only be confirmed by an ultrasound and pregnancy!

I am charting my cycle and noticed I ‘ peak’ early, is this normal? Most women are snowflakes, we all ‘peak’ or ovulate at different times. Also this won’t always be on a set day each month as we all have months where things change our hormones. We are all told if we have a 28 day cycle we ovulate on day 14. Not always true. Some women can ovulate on day 6, others on day 18. However a more healthier ovulation where the follicles have time to build up to around 18mm is at least 12 days if it is later than 18 days also it can mean that the th hormones have 'hung on' longer often this is seen with PCOS, where the body will try to mature the follicles to allow them to burst and release and egg. Its all about the follicular and luteal phase, which we will talk about in a moment! Its all about the timing as is everything in life!

If I get to know my cycle, when is the best time to have sex to make a baby? Start charting your cycle to understand your phases. I recommend you use something like http://www.fertilityfriend.com/ - although it isn’t designed to show you when you can have sex to conceive, it is a fabulous tool to help you to get to know your cycle, so you are more ‘ body aware’ Once you have followed your cycle for around 2/3 months you will have a bit more of a clue as to your ‘fertile window’. Some ladies find they have a short Luteal phase by doing this, which can have implication to sustaining a pregnancy.

The best time to make sure egg meets sperm is to have sex 2 days before ovulation, the day before. Then have it the day of ovulation. I’ve had clients who assumed they were a classic ‘ 14 day ovulater’  and they were in fact not ovulating until day 16, so were missing it every time!

Cervical mucus – sounds gross, and I have seen this jelly like stuff before, what the heck is it?As we build and sustain you will have noticed over the years that there are, well some changes in your pants! This isn’t anything to worry about, in fact its perfectly normal. There are on average 5 different types of CM to look for.

Dry – a sign your body might be low in oestrogen or you could be very badly dehydrated!

Sticky – not fertile at this time, has a sticky consistency but not stretchy

Creamy – not fertile at this time, and looks like lotion!

Watery - Fertile.  Usually clear to touch, feels cold as a pose to menstruation wetness which is warm.

Egg White (EWCM) - This is the most fertile CM. looks and feels like raw egg white and is very stretchy. If you touch it between your thumb and finger it will stretch without breaking. This stuff feeds the sperm and projects it to the egg faster. EWCM is mostly clear.

As oestrogen builds in your system you will  see changes in our CM as it gets more watery and then more like egg white.

How can I see this happening in me, now I know what to look for? Some women will see obvious signs of CM but unless you have super tight vaginal muscles that expel it outwards, you may not get to see it on your pants. One way to check, is by putting 2 fingers into your vagina and drawing out some of the CM.

I have never seen any fertile types of CM, does this mean I am not ovulating? No. Some women just never see the changes in their CM but it doesn't mean it's not there, they may be up further in the pipes so to speak!

What happens to CM after I have ovulated? After ovulation CM will usually return to an infertile state straight away.

What is the difference between the follicular and luteal phases, I keep hearing about having a ‘ Luteal phase defect!
As mentioned above in ‘ what’s the process of ovulation’  your egg builds based on a concoction of hormones and the follicle will grow to a max of 18mm - 25mm. During the final days before ovulation there will be a ‘fight’ for dominance between 1 or 2 follicles.This is very different if you go for IVF, as the drugs you will be on there will push your body to produce sometimes up to 10 follicles, which can give you up to 20 eggs in some cases! Under normal circumstances you will have 1 follicle which will produce 1 egg. ( or if you are lucky enough, naturally you can produce two eggs to have non identical twins!) When you ovulate your hormonal signals will switch from FSH and LH and Oestrogen to Progesterone and Oestrogen. Progesterone is the hormone that will start to flow as soon as we ovulate. It is produced from the site of the corpus luteum ( where the follicle has burst.) – so on the collapsed follicle, progesterone will start to flow. We have now moved from Follicular phase ( building) to luteal ( sustaining) If we haven’t fed our body adequately nourishing the production of progesterone, this will be a ‘weak’ hormone.  This is often indicated by spotting in the luteal phase or a shorter time from ovulation to period after charting for a few months. Anything less than 11 days, is seen as an indication of low progesterone. However this needs to be confirmed by a blood test and I would say one of the most important tests to go for, so ask your reproductive specialist to order this of you have had problems conceiving. If you do indeed become pregnant if the uterus is not stocked full of Progesterone from many moons of making good levels, when the body switches the ‘tap’ from the corpus luteum to the uterus to produce progesterone, from week 7 – 10, this is often the time when early miscarriages happen, as the growing embryo is feeding from the uterus for progesterone and not like in the early days fed from the corpus luteum and it isn't strong enough to keep it flowing.

Feeling Overwhelmed and Stressed by Fertility Issues?

Hello

Are you finding your fertility journey stressful? Focusing on your fertility 24/7 can be all consuming and draining. Perhaps you’re looking for a way to transform your thinking?

Maybe you’re also curious about how your emotions could be impacting on your fertility. Do your past and present experiences, your thoughts and beliefs have an impact on your ability to conceive?

Can visualisations, meditation, hypnosis and EFT support fertility? And if so, how can your harness their power?

These topics and many more are about to be explored by a panel of leading fertility experts, and I’d love to invite you to listen in.

The Fertility Focus Telesummit is an amazing “virtual event” that you can attend for free and have access to top quality fertility support from the comfort on your own home. Find out more here: http://bit.ly/17gxRfs

The first and biggest event of its kind, The Fertility Focus Telesummit is now in its 6th year and has already reached 20,000+ listeners from all over the world. Join this global audience and receive your own positive experience to transform your fertility journey!

This first Telesummit of 2015 will be focussing on The Power of Your Fertile Mindset where you’ll discover how to transform the emotional aspects of your fertility, unlock your true potential and be armed with support and techniques for success. 

Here are the details:

Event: The Fertility Focus Telesummit ~ The Power of Your Fertile Mindset

Dates: 8th - 14th March 2015

Cost: FREE access to main event (with low cost Golden Ticket upgrade option)

Location: Your home - listen in to the whole event online!

Register: Click here to register your FREE place now http://bit.ly/17gxRfs

You can listen in to all the fertility-focused presentations online every day of the Telesummit for FREE, starting on Sunday 8th March. 

Grab your free place now to attend this exciting event, and discover what you can do to transform your fertility journey and prepare yourself for conception.http://bit.ly/17gxRfs

Here’s what previous attendees said about the Fertility Focus Telesummit:

“I just wanted to let you know that the Fertility Focus Telesummit in 2014 really was the key to me finding the missing piece of our jigsaw! You all had a huge impact on my journey and I'm now expecting our first baby. Thank you so much and keep up the amazing work of giving hope and inspiring women to take back control in what can sometimes seem like a helpless and very lonely situation.” - A

"Well I followed some of the advice given from the last telesummit and am now pregnant!  I'm in my second trimester! So happy to have had a chance to listen to the telesummit. Thanks for offering it!" – Heather

“I was told at age 41 that my eggs were too old and IVF was the only way. When IVF failed something inside me was adamant that was not the way. Your Telesummit last year opened my viewpoint completely and  through listening in and then following some of your speakers’ advice I became pregnant! Thank you so much Sarah for bringing me to a journey of discovery, acceptance, hope and joy.” - Roisin

Be sure to sign up here for your FREE place at this event: http://bit.ly/17gxRfsThis could be the best thing you do this year for you and your fertility.
 

P.S. Do you know anyone else who is struggling with fertility issues?  Please pass this email on to them and I’m sure they’ll thank you. http://bit.ly/17gxRfs

With much love

http://www.fertileground-nutrition.com
angela@fertileground-nutrition.com
Fertility Nutritionist, NT, mBANT

Insulin resistance PCOS diet and supplements

Many women diagnosed with Poly Cystic Ovarian Syndrome( PCOS), suffer from insulin resistance ( approximately 50-70%) and it effects 1 in 15 women worldwide.  Lets bring it right back to basics and go into a little physiology to understand what this is all about and how this impacts your fertility.

What is Insulin and why do we need it?

Insulin is used in the body to maintain the levels of glucose. In the body glucose is a key energy source primarily for the brain and blood cells. Many other tissues can use fat and protein to gain energy but red blood cells and the brain really need glucose.  The liver is the main storage unit for glucose.

Insulin  is the helper hormone directly tied to glucose that allows you to maintain some sort of normality in energy and metabolism management. You get glucose in the body when you break down and eat carbohydrates. Insulins total role is to pull glucose from the blood or store it for later. As a crude analysis it does this by  ‘ dip testing’  to see if levels are dropping to hyperglycaemia,  and it then pulls glucose out of the stores in the liver, or if its too high it will grab all the glucose floating free and store it. When you become insulin resistant it’s almost like the hormone insulin forgets how to do its job and it doesn’t know when to store or pull glucose from the blood, as it gets overwhelmed by the amount of glucose being poured into the blood and therefore becomes less effective at lowering blood sugar. Over time this will have an effect on the endocrine system. With ladies who are polycystic the endocrine function, ie the key organs that support and produce hormones, that regulate metabolism, growth and development, tissue function, sexual function, reproduction, sleep, and mood are sending the wrong signals and over time can create an imbalance. This will happen from the very beginning of the cycle and can cause mild to severe hormonal imbalance, this result s in issues with all the above, ie low libido, or higher and inability to lose weight, hirsutism ( excess hair growth), weight gain, cystic acne,  mood swings, sleep issues and anovulation  (absent menstrual periods)  to name a few.

How does having insulin resistance or PCOS effect fertility?

The body is always working to balance things and is a finely tuned system or almost an orchestra of all sorts of instruments that come together to bring on ovulation. If one of these hormones is ‘out of kilter’ the endocrine system will step in to send out another hormone to correct this. This is exactly what happens with Insulin. The body detects something isn’t working and has repeatedly not listened to the key command, so it sends in another hormone in the view that higher levels of this will tip the other levels to the right function. However this causes all sorts of issues if this goes on for a while.

A woman’s cycles

At the beginning of a woman’s cycle on day one the tag team will be in place to send out hormones to prime her for ovulation. This goes from Gonadotropin Releasing Hormone (GnRH), to Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH), to Luteinising Hormone (LH), to Oestrogen then Progesterone. ( you will be tested for the majority of these when going to the GP for blood work)

In women with PCOS and insulin resistance, the GnRH will detect higher Insulin and pulse out more GnRH than normal to balance, this then sets the tone for the rest of the cycle as LH will then rise too high, too early,  (this is the hormone that indicates the egg must be released from the follicle and should in most cases be a short lived hormone)  Having a high level of this gives the indication that follicles are now ready to pop and reduces FSH almost before it has had time to do its thing. This then leads to excessive production of the big players oestrogen, and then androgens  ( Testosterone and  androstenedione) and then oestrogen dominance becomes a fixture.  The ‘poly’ in the diagnosis comes from the fact that lots of follicles will try to develop but not fully mature. In a normal pattern, follicles develop then die away where one to two become dominate and this releases the egg. This will also have an effect on progesterone the hormone that maintains pregnancy and womb lining and in many situation women with PCOS will have low progesterone levels.  In most cases ovulation falls short as the egg won’t have been able to grow sufficiently to produce a viable oocyte.  Women with PCOS will have a very real indication the cycle isn’t working as there is no period to speak of for many months or a very long cycle over 35 days. A normal cycle is a  process where lining is broken down and built up as the hormones come to play throughout the month and is usually between 26- 33 days.

Managing my insulin, looks like the key that unlocks this problem, so how can I help improve insulin resistance?

A huge way to help improve insulin resistance, is through most probably the very source of this issue in the first place, – diet!  I’m not normally a calorie counter, or a believer in ‘ group weigh ins and slimming clubs’  or foods you can buy that tell you how many points you have, its all a gimmick to me especially after watching ‘ the men who made us fat’  Our ancestors never lived like this. What I do believe in is following traditional wisdom.  Why break what thousands of years have honed?  instinctively our ancestors just knew what worked and ensured fertility year on year!  I believe based on the old model emphatically in  reducing our reliance on processed white/baked and ‘pants’ foods that give us zero nutrients but provide the massive ‘ deafening’ effect on our poor old insulin to the point that it is now causing the hormonal epidemic in our modern lives.

So what is the diet you talk about?

In order to ‘reeboot’ your bodies ability to ovulate we need to go back to basics and cut out starchy carbohydrates to a large degree and focus on protein and fat. Remember what I said at the start of this article about the brain and the red blood cells being the only ones needing glucose? All other tissue can work on protein and fat as fuel, so what we need to do is trick your body back into line by maintaining a blood sugar level that is primarily fuelled by  some very basic ingredients: Protein/legumes and veg and very simply cooking like your Grandma made!

Foods to Help Balance Blood Sugar Levels

Here is a list of  a few of my seasonal choices of food for winter. The trick is also to have 5 meals a day, 3 medium sized ones and 2 snack type meals, to keep your blood sugar even and reduce cravings.

Protein – I would generally get clients to go organic  (as the conventional ones will only exacerbate your oestrogen burden as the animals are pumped full of this to overproduce) so buy more protein from animals and if veggie vegetable sources. If you eat animal products choose grass-fed, organic and free range animal products. Abel and cole provide organic meat which is good qualitywww.abelandcole.co.uk  A woman needs to consume 46 grams of protein per day while trying to conceive.

• Free-range organic chicken, lamb beef ( pork can contain some contaminants, so avoid for now) make sure its all fresh cuts and not processed!
• legumes/beans like chickpeas, lentils and black beans
• Nut and seed butters: Sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, almonds, walnuts, chia and hemp seeds, and Brazil nuts.
• Cold-water fish, Free range organic eggs and chicken, grass-fed beef and grass fed dairy (go for sheep yogurt as this seems to be less inflammatory) If in the UK you can get this in Waitrose
• Carbohydrates – All veggies are carbs, so when you say ‘ I’m on a no carb diet, not strictly true!  Choose fresh not frozen too. Some people think that eating carbohydrates will make them gain weight, but the fact is that eating too many of the wrong carbohydrates (pastries, crackers, white pasta, white rice, etc.) is what results in weight gain as they have zero nutrients. Whole food sources of carbohydrates contain important nutrients that can help you feel full longer and give your body energy.
• Whole Grains – bread/crackers/rye/pasta  – limit these for now,   (ie oats once a week) as they will breakdown in the body to glucose, you can introduce them once things are balanced again!
• Fruits –again as this breaks down to fructose and then eventually glucose limit fruit to 2 servings daily in season at mo are apples, pears and blackberries
• Vegetables –carrots, Brussel sprouts, greens, sweet potatoes (not white potatoes) and artichokes, cabbage, turnips, kale, chard, leeks, onion, garlic, turnips, parsnips broccoli, cauliflower, Kale
• High fibre foods – Fibre helps remove excess oestrogen from the body which can be helpful for some reproductive imbalances. Dark leafy greens, brassica vegetables like broccoli and cauliflower, quinoa and beans and lentils.
• Spices – Horseradish (fresh root as opposed to a prepared sauce), garlic, onions, cinnamon, fenugreek, tarragon, coriander and allspice..

Women living with PCOS who educate themselves about healthy nutrition for PCOS are more likely to be successful at changing their health.  I know it will be a massive change to start eating like this, but how much do you want a baby? is what I say to those who say, its too much!

Changing your diet will have a huge effect on your ability to balance your hormones and I have had many success stories. Taking out gluten is one of the first things you can do, which will really help you to lose weight, I’ve had ladies drop so much weight in 3 weeks who did this! ( and that doesn’t mean replacing it with ‘ gluten free options/ as these are starchy carbs also!  )

Start being a health detective and go right back to basics. Maybe even investing in a slow cooker? These changes will start to take hold after around 1 month and you will need to follow this for at least 3-6 months to see changes.

While it may seem daunting to have to change your diet, it is one of the best ways you can improve insulin resistance and your overall health, with the added benefit is increased in fertility.

The sheet to the right is an example of  the diet I honed after many years as I also suffer from PCOS to a mild degree due to genetic issues with insulin

 Supplements for PCOS

I’m always asked about supplements as a nutritionist and many of the ladies I see with PCOS are at the stage that they are chucking in anything they have seen working on forums all over the net.  As a practitioner I like to ‘ Heal with food’ as add too many supplements in the mix and you really don’t know what is working and what isn’t. Undoubtable like many ladies diagnosed with PCOS who are trying to conceive, you may be on a raft of medication that will ‘ mug’ you of a lot of your vital nutrients. The basic approach I like to suggest is only the bare minimum until I can really see if the food is healing and if not working as fast and needs a jolt after the first month, that’s when I add more supplements.   Also I’m a  trained professional and can only advise on things based on a consultation where I go through specifics. Many of you have been asking each other for advice recently on specifically things like maca and vitex which are herbal medications. This is very personal and can be very powerful ( after all its where all out modern medicine comes from in the first place) so be careful ‘ self prescribing’ as it can interfere with your hormonal balance and any medically prescribed medication.  The following I do feel safe suggesting as part of a generic plan. I also tend to use places like the Natural Dispensary    or Revival as I know and trust them as a practitioner. 

1. Thorne research B complex  – look for this online to order as you won’t find this in regular shops!
2. A good probiotic with at least 10-30 billion good guys in it! Like Udos  choice 50+
3. Inositol powder. 4g Jarrow or Swanson

I hope you have found this article useful. And please get in touch with me if you want to talk about your situation and tailor a plan to you! I offer 15 mins free chats to all clients, to see if you want to take things further after an initial assessment.

Blog:  http://fertileground-nutrition.com-nutrition.com 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FertileGroundNutrition

Twitter: @angeheap

References:
1. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9467578

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11397835

2.Philip M. Sarrel, MD. Androgen. HealthyWomen.org.http://www.healthywomen.org/condition/androgen
3. The National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse is a service of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health. Insulin Resistance and Prediabetes. http://diabetes.niddk.nih.gov/dm/pubs/insulinresistance/#metabolic NIH Publication No. 14–4893 (June 2014)
4. About Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome: Types of Medical Treatment.http://www.pcosfoundation.org/types-of-treatment
5. PCOS Nutrition Center. What’s Your Protein-To-Carb Ratio?http://www.pcosnutrition.com/links/blogs/whats-your-protein-to-carb-ratio.html

6. Anna-Marija Helt, Ph.D. CH, personal communication, May 2014.

7. Chris Kresser ‘ The right and wrong way to balance hormones http://chriskresser.com/the-right-and-wrong-way-to-treat-hormone-imbalance

8. Effects of Myo-inositol supplement on oocyte quality in PCOS patients

9.The rationale of the Myo-Inositol and D-chiro-Inositol combined treatment for Polycystic Ovary Syndrome.http://www.researchgate.net/publication/263858485_The_rationale_of_the_Myo-Inositol_and_D-chiro-Inositol_combined_treatment_for_Polycystic_Ovary_Syndrome

Carrying a little holiday weight? What I'm really more interested in is what you do with the rest of the year to build fertility!

Right now we may be feeling a little guilty over the excesses of the Christmas period and thinking ‘ I ate so much between Christmas and New Year,  I’ve got to do something about it now 2015 is here’

While I always promote healthy eating, a few days out of 365 days isn't going to hurt your fertility if you indulge. Hey you’re not alone there, after 4 days at Heap headquarters with my Mum, Dad and the rest of the Heapsters, I am also ‘carrying a little holiday weight’ and as I track my cycle things have gone a little haywire there too, as I've stayed up late chatting and laughing with the family and popping a few chocolate nuts along the way! 

( I'm also now suffering as I have the dreaded lurgi which has lingered on from the 28^th until today!) The difference is, I know that it's normal to put weight on and feel a bit off colour as we wind down from the manic year, and I'm not beating myself up about it. My sister said to me only this morning ‘ who doesn't put a bit of weight on over this time period, if you don’t you are just plain weird!'

Yes, you may like me be a few pounds heavier, but once you resume healthy eating and exercise those couple of pounds you put on over Xmas will be gone with a few weeks of healthy eating and exercise.  And don’t forget if you have been good most of the year your system will be back to normal after a few weeks.

What I'm really more interested in is what you do with the rest of the year. Don't focus on a few days, when in fact you should be focussing on the other 360 days of the rest of year. If you can eat healthy and exercise 80% of the time, you are doing well. If you do it 90% of the time, you are doing fantastic. If you do it 100% of the time…… you need to get a life and live a little ….  (hey we are all human and we need a bit of structure but not so much it strangles us!)

Remember the time you spent with loved ones over the Christmas/New Year period? This time is all about enjoying yourself and removing the stresses as much as you can and ‘ gratitude’ for what’s good in your life and trying hard not to focus on the fact that 2014 didn't bring you that longed for baby. 2015 is a whole new year full of possibilities! I wrote a post about this in December too! 

Its estimated that people only keep their new years resolutions for up to ten days after the new year. Many of the reasons behind this are that people set themselves really unrealistic goals which can become a millstone round your neck. I would say I have been honored to be part of some amazing support groups for fertlity  the tail end of 2014 such as ' Your Fertility Support Group; https://www.facebook.com/groups/Yourfertilitysupportgroup/ and PCOS Fertility Suport UK https://www.facebook.com/groups/PCOSfertilitysupportUK/ However what has really hit home to me when I delve in and give advice is that when it comes to diet people really don't see the connection with low nutrient food in and deficiencies occuring; and how hormone balancing can really happen if you put the right fuel in the tank to build them correctly. What I also saw was that people are really confused and many rely on advice via lay people, where something has worked for their online friend,  as well as advice from colleagues and then there is always Dr Google!

Here’s a great New Years resolution to add to yours that is really simple. There is so much out there,  try not to confuse yourself with everything under the sun around improving fertility and focus on a few people you like and trust either on the internet or directly. I’d love to be part of your ‘ trusted source’. Most practitioners will offer a free chat to get to know each other, and after that its your choice to take things further!

I'm doing just that at the moment myself, as well as doing my annual calculation on success rates and I had a 63% pregnancy rate this year on the clients I saw, including 2 gorgeous twins  (one pictured below). Hooray! 

Here’s a recent interview I did with the lovely Kate Davies Fertility Coach for Your Fertility Journey to give you a flavour of how I work 

http://yourfertilityjourney.com/interview-fertilitynutritionaltherapist/

I'd love to hear from you to help you plan and take forward a personal food and supplement programme thats unique to your circumstances. I'd be delighted to have a chat, whether over skype of if you are based in the UK and want to do a' face to face' I'd love to see you in London in my clinic. You can reach me via the email below.

In the meantime I hope you are having a lovely break and are all charged up with fabulous realistic resolutions for 2015 and some great next steps to take in your fertility journey after the holidays.

With much love

http://www.fertileground-nutrition.com
angela@fertileground-nutrition.com
Fertility Nutritionist, NT, mBANT

Start a Gratitude Jar in 2015

If you are on Facebook, you may have seen something that is popping up called ' This is my year'.

Its a great idea to think back to the amazing things and people who have touched your life in the last year. I have made my own version and I would love it if you could join me in this new tradition for 2015.

When we are on your own personal Fertility journey, you live each month from ovulation to pregnancy test and it’s a harrowing one, not just of you but also for your nearest and dearests.  Life almost standstill  and months and even years can seem like a blur of monthly cycles from birthdays to Christmas’s, in an endless carousel.

I know you all think, ‘ hey its alight for you Angela, you aren’t in the same situation as me, waiting and longing for that baby that never comes, but we all suffer from the ‘ Never Enough Syndrome’  

Sometimes I wake up and my first thought is 'I worked too late last night and I didn’t get enough sleep'. I get to the kitchen, open my fridge and realise I don’t have enough veg for my breakfast. I get showered and feel a momentary happiness as the water cleans and cleanses. Then I get to my desk and sigh as I look at my to-do list is as long as my arm and it means another 12am day. Then I go out and I miss the bus….I’m late to my first appointment and the lady I’m seeing is of the same negative thought pattern and I get met with ‘ Angela can changing my diet and having these supplements really help me to get my  baby in my arms?.. as its just me and my husband at the moment and I’m sad to say I don’t think this is enough for me’.

The Never Enough syndrome

As human beings, we spend our lives ‘ being’ something and focusing on the past and future, that we miss the present. We move from one moment to the next moment so fast, that we forget to appreciate the moments where life changes in a whisper; kind words from a stranger on the underground that can make you smile, the fantastic meals that are made for us to ‘cheer us up’ by family members friends and other halves. Or presents around Christmas  to try and help you to remember how life used to be to take your mind off the conveyer belt of ‘ babymaking’  before it all started.  A self-defeating cycle that will always ends with the same conclusion: We are lacking. We never have enough. We  are never enough.

Here’s the answer to the Never Enough Problem: Gratitude.

Gratitude will remind you that you have enough and that you are enough and it can help you to fill the time in between the happy moment when you do get a BFP ( Big Fat Positive)!

I created a Gratitude jar in January 2014. I took some advice from Sarah Holland which I'm really excited to look through on the 31st of December. I’m not sure where she got it from, but its genius!

It’s a fabulous way of reminding us to flip the negative to the positive in all our lives.

I don’t add something every day, but sometimes I do updates several times daily. I write down what I am grateful for and add these "Gratitude Notes" to my own jar that sits behind family photos and my bookcase of favourite books.

Something about being British and Irish decent means you are almost programmed in your DNA to be a little cynical, negative or suspicious – however since starting the gratitude jar something in me has shifted. I no longer feel like I am inadequate from the food I have available in my fridge, to the activities and appointments I have during the day, no matter what sadness I may have in front of me with clients stories.  I am grateful. From the  sunrise and beautiful blue winter sky, to the amazing summer we had, to the fabulous friends and support I have on a daily basis, to a kiss blown to me by a busker in the street! And I record it as I have a brain like a sieve as some of you may know! Sadly the big ones are colour coded! 

I implore you to try it! Appreciate yourself for your strengths and your imperfections as this is what sets you apart as a good human being and an amazing one. This will allow you to find a sense of belonging and to feel more connected to life.

A Gratitude Jar reminds you that life is full of wonderful things to be grateful for and with the jar being either half full or empty you will have the strength and support to overcome anything! Particularly if you are having a crappy day. Best thing for it is to write 3 things down you are grateful for daily if you have a bad day, and if this doesn’t do it.. empty out the jar from the previous scribbles and read all the things you have added so far! I guarantee you will feel better after 20 mins!

Starting it is the easy thing… like anything including being healthy  and eating the right amount of protein and 7-10 veggies a day. It takes practice and setting this up as a routine is the first step which you then need to nurture like fertile ground! And as you do this it will yield an appreciation for life and for yourself.

What I really loved this year that I saw on FB was The Journey of Purpose. A video put together from an inspiring speech Jim Carrey made at Maharishi University. Powerful stuff and I came back to it lots of times last year to remind me to live in the moment, not the past. One quote really got me and its one I am taking forward to 2015 is "As far as I can tell, it's just about letting the universe know what you want, and working toward it, while letting go of how it comes to pass." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uJD5-R_HPCc

Gratitude Jar Ingredients

·         1 jar

·         Paper for writing Gratitude Notes on

·         Gratitude

·         Time

Are you getting enough protein to build yourself a baby?

One thing I always seem to do at the start of seeing new clients is always get a food diary. I don’t know what it is, but women in particular always seem to be lacking in protein when we work through their daily food intake. I know its all about veg and protein, but what’s this all about? Possibly that they have forgotten the vital part protein plays in ensuring life and also the importance of this in the preconception diet to give the body the signals that there is enough ‘fuel’ to maintain a new life and sustain hormonal health too! Men on the other hand are all too happy to be given my recipes which contain more meat, beans and legumes ( although to be fair sometimes the legumes make them a bit more unsociable if not told how to properly prepare them!!)

In order to perform as a human being it is vital that we gain ‘fuel’ to sustain life. I’m sure you read all about this in biology at school, but as a trip down memory lane, here is a bit about why we need protein.

The Word protein was coined by a Dutch chemist in 1833 and comes from the Greek word ‘Protos’ which means of prime importance. After water the body is primarily made up of protein. Protein is used by the body to build, repair and for growth of new tissue and  to maintain muscle.  Protein is made up of amino acids or the building blocks. There are approximately 20, of these 9 are considered essential, as they cannot be made by the body and therefore must be supplied by diet.

If you don’t have adequate protein, your body will begin to break down its tissue.

Our bodies are in a constant state of building up and breaking down tissue and to do this they need protein. There are many thousands of combinations of amino acids needed to perform the necessary ‘transfers’ in the body for tissue and neurotransmitters which all require sequences that are very different from the amino acid needed to complete this process.

According to loads of nutrition textbooks healthy people should have at least 0.8g of protein a day per body weight. This is particularly important for those trying to get pregnant, as hormones are made up largely of protein!

Unfortunately this calculation isn’t accurate for everyone as we all have different levels of activity, stress in our life and we also have to be careful of acidity of the protein! If you are deficient I would recommend upping this to 1.2 – 1.8g per body weight. However if you have inflammation in the body as seen on blood tests in high amounts of C-reactive protein, in this instance excess protein will be harmful to the liver.

Another important thing to consider is -  what kind of protein are you having? You always need to consume the highest amount of bioavailable protein with the full package of amino acids.  Nutritional Scientists will rate this using a scale called the Protein- Energy Ration. (PER) and Biological Value (BV) ratings of proteins, which measure how well the body utilizes amino acids in a protein. Here’s how the main proteins rate (from highest to lowest) by how well they are utilized in the body.

·         Whey protein

·         Egg white

·         Fish

·         Dairy products

·         Chicken

·         Beef

·         Legumes (e.g., beans, lentils)

For me Whey is out, as its just so mucus forming and lots of people lose the enzyme to digest this past 3 years of age, I do however like raw prepared and fermented kefir and I'm really starting to become obsessed about fermented food ( more about this in later posts)

However  - Top of my list is always Eggs! At least 2 daily, and if lacto ovo veggie 3-4 daily.

Cold water fish, great, but with caution large fishes build up heavy metals in their tissue so only go for wild caught or in non polluted areas.

Chicken, quite a substantial amount of protein! So please add this also but make sure its free range and organic.

Grass fed and organic red meat, such as lamb and beef and buffalo at least once weekly

Beans and Legumes – and make sure these are produced organically! Huge amounts of folate, prepare by popping a piece of seaweed in the pot while cooking t absorb the gas. Also pre-soak and rinse a few times.

Other forms of ‘protein’

I don’t like soya at all, i'm sure you have heard me banging on about this! – unfortunately this is creeping into the UK quite rapidly, and many with dairy intolerances are having this as an alternative to lactose! Also it is used almost without a thought by a lot of vegetarians in some form as it has been touted as a ‘ health food’  and is a source of protein. Soya can have a very strong effect on your thyroid disrupting vital hormones here and disturbing fertility. Soya is also a low sulphur based amino acid, and sulphur is the compound that is vital for glutathione to get a kick start, and support your methylation cycle, which is one of the most important things that happens in the body billions of times a second in order to survive and replicate our own DNA. Glutathione is one of the most important substances in this process as it helps with detoxification, so is the ‘ cleaner’ so to speak and gets rid of excess nasties in the body and is a major antioxidant. Other proteins do have sulphur bases, and most meat has the complete package! Soya is also not a good choice for sperm health as it has been cited as reducing count in some studies, and is very detrimental as a whole, so if you are using soya, as milk substitute or to increase protein as a veggie or vegan, consider the other options of hemp, beans and legumes instead.

Do vegans get enough protein and is this a wise choice to follow for preconception and pregnancy?

Speaking of vegans, this is one group that eat and have a fantastic knowledge of food combining and in my experience have the basic foundations for an excellent diet! However as much of what they eat is lacking in B12 deficiencies can build up, so its wise to always take a B12 supplement such as Methylcobalamin ( low dose, to begin with) It sounds factitious to say this but the level of veggies vegans eat is enviable, however – the proteins to help sustain the metabolic processes in the body are incomplete and over time this may pose health issues. Thankfully many do keep an eye on the protein levels they eat, and also if you are vegan, its worth going for regular vitamin and mineral blood tests as well as having regular Full blood counts to see if inflammation is setting in.

Personally I recommend a diet from a paleo perspective, with a mixture of animal and vegetable protein but modified depending on your circumstances where you may have more need for it during times of stress or illness and heavy exercise. Pregnancy is a time where you need less protein as the liver and kidneys are under a tremendous amount of stress hormonally. At different times of your life will have more need for certain things and a balance ratio of carbs to protein based on your situation.

I'm not about ‘ one size fits all’ as your genetics will also play into this and if you have MTHFR and other mutations expressing your need for folate will be huge and the diet will need to reflect this ( beans and legumes must be had here until coming our your ears!). Some may also may have compromised digestive systems and need digestive enzymes to help them to break the food down in order to optimize absorption of the amino acids in the protein. As I always say everyone is a snowflake, and your level of protein needs to be a safe 50g as a woman ( if average weight and not overweight  and 60g as a man in a similar situation. To be safe try the calculation mentioned above 0.8x kg weight and start off at a lower amount I mentioned and build up to your level. If you find this is too much, you may have weaker kidneys and anything more than that may be too much for your kidneys to process. However you need to try this and see how you get on with it before throwing higher protein away as a lifestyle and preconception model suggestion!

Are your Genes Blocking Your Fertility?

Hi lovely people.

I'm just winding down from a manic day in Fertile Ground Nutrition HQ. 

I launched my new website, http://fertileground-nutrition.com/ and talked for around 45 minutes about Genes and their effect on Fertility at the amazing Fertility Focus Summit http://www.fertilityfocustelesummit.com/ 

I'm still buzzing from the day and I've already had so many people sign up to the free guide I have produced on my website and I've also had a few queries already!

My talk was almost at the end of such an amazing week with so many fabulous experts all talking about fertility!  If you missed any of the talks including mine - the upgrade to this is such a reasonable price and includes a massive array of Fertility specialist all under one event so to speak. 

Sarah Holland has done such an amazing job this year! (To be fair she does an amazing job every year and as this is the 5th year running she pushed the boat out with some really interesting speakers for the 2014 line up) 

I spoke to her at around 6pm this evening as, as usual I was a little excited and needed some last minute info about the talk around the logistics ( well prepared as usual - dyslexic bird!) and while we were talking, she had unloaded the dishwasher, was feeding the baby and her eldest son and was preparing for the evening ahead, as she also had her talk that evening!! I left the call feeling a bit in awe! Which put me in a bit more of a clear and present place - that girl was destined to be an EFT guru! My talk went ahead without a glitch, which she assured me it would! I'm now unwinding and took her advice to chill out and relax afterwards and in a sec I'm taking my tired behind off to bed! 

Lots of love

Angela x