Any TF's gearing up to TTC in 2012?

[Brown Lioness]

I'd love to have some company with any others who are looking to up their nutrient stores to TTC in 2012. Im not tryna to be precise or anything, but I'd love to share and talk about everyone's else's plans on eating nutrient dense, whole foods to conceive.  :)

[craft_media_hero]

We are not planing on tc in 2012, maybe the year after, but I'm interested! Because I feel I was deficient before this last pregnancy and birth, before TF, and I would like to start on a good path and making a plan for next time

[janinemh]

Hoping to!   We keep putting it off but I had my amalgams out a few months ago and I'm working on Detox and then I think it will finally be a go.

Janine

[momtoatds]

We are not preventing, but not really trying. I am working out on a regular basis. Currently doing the Leslie Sansone 14-day challenge. Also trying to stop drinking pop and eat healthier.

[Brown Lioness]

well, cool, craft_media_hero, have you any thoughts on where you want to start?  How could you tell you were deficient for your last pregnancy?

I hear you, jeaninmh, i have amalgams, but im taking the road of leaving them in until after we're finished having children and just really building my nutrient stores in the interim times.  How long do you have to go with your detox?

momtoatds, what's the Leslie Sanson 14 day challenge about?  How'd you come across it?  How's it going so far?

[Ghislaine]

I'm hoping to start trying next summer so right now I'm gearing up to lose some excess weight.  For me that means low carb, which is how I found NT in the first place! 

[Brown Lioness]

Aah ok, are tryna follow a Paelo diet or just cutting carbs for weight loss specifically.  Are you incorporating exercise too and if so, what are you doing?

Originally Posted by Ghislaine 

I'm hoping to start trying next summer so right now I'm gearing up to lose some excess weight.  For me that means low carb, which is how I found NT in the first place! 

[janinemh]

Originally Posted by Brown Lioness 

I hear you, jeaninmh, i have amalgams, but im taking the road of leaving them in until after we're finished having children and just really building my nutrient stores in the interim times.  How long do you have to go with your detox?

I'm hoping to be done in 4 to 6 months or so.  I don't have an exact time table as I'm using hair-mineral analysis to rebalance my mineral status and monitor the elimination of metals.  When everything is in good range, we'll start TTC. 

[momtoatds]

The Leslie Sansone 14-day challenge is on her website and fb page. A friend of mine started a fb page for moms trying to get fit. We are small but from all around the globe. Let me know if you want more info. My friend also has tons of Leslie's dvds so I am borrowing a different one everyday.

[Ghislaine]

I'll be tracking carbs because that seems to work best for me probably partly because exercise is an issue.  I've got exercise induced asthma and I'm seeing a physical therapist for a few other things.  So any exercise is pretty low key like today's walk a half mile uphill then back down pushing a jogging stroller.

[craft_media_hero]

Originally Posted by Brown Lioness 

well, cool, craft_media_hero, have you any thoughts on where you want to start?  How could you tell you were deficient for your last pregnancy?

I hear you, jeaninmh, i have amalgams, but im taking the road of leaving them in until after we're finished having children and just really building my nutrient stores in the interim times.  How long do you have to go with your detox?

momtoatds, what's the Leslie Sanson 14 day challenge about?  How'd you come across it?  How's it going so far?

Lioness, I was vegetarian for six years or so before my pg and had massive meat cravings which eventually led me to TF. It is kinda a long personal journey, but I think TF is the best way to eat For ttc, pg, and bf. My son was born with a cleft alveolar ridge and we had a twin reabsorbed which I guess happens a lot but I still feel guilty guilty like maybe I couldve prevnted it, but I was doing the best I could with what I had at the time not to get too OT but thats part of why I want to work extra hard to eat super healthy befor we ttc again.

Baby steps for me--I have a goal of drinking a quart of nettle and a qt of rrl infusions daily. I think thst's a good baby step place for me to start. Also being conscious of including more fats in my diet and pretty much anywhere I can cook with them.

I havea big fat naty amalgam that I cannot friggin wait to get rid of . . .

So for his week I am going to callenge myself to daily nettle OR rrl and try to slowly build up to a quart of each

You ladies? Personal goals?

I don count or limit carbs at this timebut am feeling slowly drawn toward primal/gaps. For now I am good with soaking/sprouting seeds, nut, legumes, etc tho and just not eating too carb heavy---which I was a lot last pg and my body full on rejected them to where I could not stand the thought of any bread products o beans.

Gtg now great idea for a thread!

[Brown Lioness]

Hey ladies, ive sucked at replying to my own thread, but ive been slowly gearing up.

I found this great thread from last year that packs an informational punch:

http://www.mothering.com/community/t/1241375/superfoods-additional-stuff-for-ttc-my-plan

This one is also an oldie but goodie:

http://www.mothering.com/community/t/1213675/101-most-nourishing-foods-while-ttc-pregnant-nursing

craft_media_hero: Oh wow, my condolences on the reabsorbed twin :(  I  most definitely feel you on wanting to do everything you can do to be as healthy as possible, I cant imagine.

I'm also about to start the RRL (its on my grocery list this week) and im wondering if I should add in the nettle...

So far, my personal goals are, take my fermented cod liver oil each day, get back in the danged gym, have a mug of chicken broth at least 3 times a week, a salad before lunch and dinner each day, and eat oysters once a week.  I think that will get me started nicely.  The one thing im scared to start/do is eating fermented foods...I have no idea what to start with and it all scares me lol.

[UnderTheOldOakTree]

So happy to have found this thread!  I've been off the TF wagon for a few months now and not feeling so great.  DH and I recently decided that we are ttc so I am ever so slowly trying to get us back to where we were over the summer, eating lots of bone broth, soaked grains, fresh vegetables, fermented vegetables etc.    I had diet controlled gd with my last pregnancy and my recent A1C was high (but not quite enough to say diabetic).  So, in light of this I'm trying to incorporate the GD diet I used with TF in hopes that it will A) help keep me from becoming diabetic B) help us with ttc and C) help me to have a healthier pregnancy overall.  I'm also trying to go for a brisk walk pushing ds in the jogging stroller for 30-60 minutes each day. The two times in my life I've felt the healthiest were after I got the gd diagnosis and last summer when I was doing TF last summer.  I'm also doing rrl tea daily.

[Brown Lioness]

Welcome UnderTheOldOakTree (love that name)!

How do you prepare your RRL tea cause I need to drink it daily like you and I need ideas! lol

What are some ways that you've found to incorporate the GD diet while being TF? 

Do you soak your grains in water or milk/kefir?
 

Originally Posted by UnderTheOldOakTree 

So happy to have found this thread!  I've been off the TF wagon for a few months now and not feeling so great.  DH and I recently decided that we are ttc so I am ever so slowly trying to get us back to where we were over the summer, eating lots of bone broth, soaked grains, fresh vegetables, fermented vegetables etc.    I had diet controlled gd with my last pregnancy and my recent A1C was high (but not quite enough to say diabetic).  So, in light of this I'm trying to incorporate the GD diet I used with TF in hopes that it will A) help keep me from becoming diabetic B) help us with ttc and C) help me to have a healthier pregnancy overall.  I'm also trying to go for a brisk walk pushing ds in the jogging stroller for 30-60 minutes each day. The two times in my life I've felt the healthiest were after I got the gd diagnosis and last summer when I was doing TF last summer.  I'm also doing rrl tea daily.

[UnderTheOldOakTree]

Thanks!  (My son and I used to live in a neighborhood with lots of old oak trees and spent hours under them most days)

Right now I'm just using the RRL tea that I could get at the grocery store and drinking it hot  a couple times a day.  Sometimes I mix a little cinnamon in the tea after I make it since cinnamon is good for blood sugar management too.  It doesn't mix too well in water though.  I might try just adding a cinnamon sick to stir it with but I'm not sure if it would have the same benefits.  I'm going to try to order some loose though and use it like I would any loose tea.  I actually really like just as is this time around.  I remember trying to drink it during my last pregnancy and thinking it was yucky, but tried it again recently and really like it.  It's made a nice coffee substitute for me.

I keep the GD diet plan on my fridge as a guideline. It basically outlines servings of various food groups and how much to eat when throughout the day.  Kefir or yogurt are great for the dairy servings.  I don't eat fruit in the AM ( I remember this being one of the big keys for me when doing the GD diet last time).  I eat cubes of raw cheese now instead of string cheese for snacks.  I also try to make sure that all of my bread servings are from soaked grains.  I think I need to make myself some soaked crackers to have on hand to eat with my cheese too.  Last time I did this I ate lots and lots of just vegetable soups along with my meals to help me get enough vegetable servings.  I think I'm going to make some this week with good bone broth. I figure the fermented vegetables will be a nice veggie addition to my meals too.  We also ate lots of salads but now I'll make my own dressing to go on them.  I remember the nutritionist saying to eat everything on the plan and if I was finding that I was still hungry the things I could add more of were un-starchy vegetables, proteins and fats so I'll continue to use my CO.  I think the TF and GD actually work surprisingly well together.  The most important part is to eat the right amount of carbohydrate and when I've eaten TF before I've always eaten carbohydrate, but it is just naturally less than what I would eat otherwise....because I think about if grains have been soaked or not.

I usually soak grains in a yogurt and water mix....but sometimes use kefir.  Depends on how much I have on hand of either one.  Sometimes I just use whey if I have enough of it.

Edited by UnderTheOldOakTree - 10/30/11 at 11:17am

[craft_media_hero]

Wow, poring over the links to previous threads and starting to formulate my own plan:

RRL/Nettle infusion daily-I think I may mix them and steep for the sake of getting both in one shot. Here's how I make it: heaping 1/4 C herb steeped in 1qt boiling water, covered with lid (I dont remember why to cover, I think I picked the tip up in Susun Weed's book _WW Herbal . .Childbearing Year_), steep 30 mins or til cool (abt two hrs, I think?).

Order Organ Delight and FCLO, take at least one cap of each daily (they are prohibitively expensive IMO but I figure any amount is better than none)

Pick a good whole foods prenatal, any suggestions?

Make a point to eat lots of butter, coconut oil, animal fat daily, evoo, cook with it, add to tea, etc.

Sprinkle nutritional yeast onto one food daily--I love this stuff so that will be easy for me--on popcorn with garlic, evoo, and salt is my fav, also yummy sprinkled on tomatoes with salt, sammiches, etc.

Stay hydrated! I am really bad about this, don't get thirsty til night then don't sleep well due to having to pee from slamming late night water (even not pregnant)

Hmm make a goal to consume bone broth, start with building it into the weekly menu plan 3x/wk, hopefully work up to daily

Eat lots of soaked/sprouted beans, build into menu starting with at least 3x/wk (folate and all that), also easy for me coz I love beans; hey just realized I should simply cook the beans in bone broth, yeah!

Continue to intentionally soak/sprout all grain products

Gotta get sunshine/vit D which is going to be tough with our overcast winters coming here; I may start taking D3 sup again

I think this list will evolve, and I will keep editing it, just to keep myself accountable and intentional ;)

I am torn on the vitamin supplements, what do you all think? Part of me says whole foods is the only way to go but the other part wants that extra insurance and has a really hard time accepting the idea of *gasp* not taking prenatals.

Hmmm, folks, I seem to remember reading on Nourished Kitchen that soaking in dairy actually inhibits the breakdown of the phytates? So I soak/sprout in plain water or add a splash of vinegar. Not sure on that one, though.

[BubblingBrooks]

Soaking with calcium based liquids does not work well. Water with either vinegar or lemon juice will do the job.

As far as supplementing, remember that none of us were bred and raised on the best diet, and we are all lacking in many ways, and certainly all of us have some form of malabsorbtion.
Take plenty of FCLO and if you have trouble sleeping at night, supplement with a high quality magnesium. you will sleep better and absorb all other minerals far better.

[BubblingBrooks]

I hope we can conceive and make it all the way soon (7 losses so far), but we only just recently saw huge improvement in my adrenal fatigue.
I stopped all my glandular sups last week, as they were backfiring on me causing sever hypoglycemia.
Started magnesium a few days later and literally 5 days later, the rest of my cellulite disappeared and a jumper I have not been able to wear for months fits loosely.
Hypoglycemia is gone too.
I will reanalyze where I am at in a couple months!

[UnderTheOldOakTree]

Originally Posted by BubblingBrooks 

Soaking with calcium based liquids does not work well. Water with either vinegar or lemon juice will do the job.

As far as supplementing, remember that none of us were bred and raised on the best diet, and we are all lacking in many ways, and certainly all of us have some form of malabsorbtion.
Take plenty of FCLO and if you have trouble sleeping at night, supplement with a high quality magnesium. you will sleep better and absorb all other minerals far better.

I'd love to hear more about why the calcium based liquids do not work well.  I usually use ACV for cooked grains (like rice or barley) but yogurt of kefir for things I'm going to bake.  I've used the ACV for baked goods occasionally but I find that it tastes funny to me.  Maybe I just need to do it and I'll get used to the different taste.

Interesting about the magnesium.  I started taking it this week and noticed that I am suddenly sleeping much, much better.

[craft_media_hero]

I have got to try some liquid magnesium! We all have major sleep issues in my house. My 15mo ds still wakes, oh at least 4x/night to nurse which leaves me feeling pretty wore out most of the time.

I am thinking more and more about committing my family to GAPS but it just seems like a huuuuge leap. We love our raw dairy and soaked beans and grains! But dd's symptoms seem to be getting worse soo . . .. I am going to read more about it and really meditate on how we can integrate it into our family life--even if it takes us a while to get there.

Well, I am doing all right my herbal infusions goal, though I read one should use 1C of herbs per quart of water in the RRL infusion when pregnant? That is a serious bundle of herbs. I don't have RR leaves available to forage, so I buy them from the hfs, and I think that I would be wiping them out if I used that much daily, plus that $ really adds up, kwim?