The Infertility Cure - Page 2

[OTMomma]

Astrid- I am so sorry you can't have other nuts! So you can have bread, but can't put anything on it but olive oil? That's hard. You should definately make a list of everything you can eat- I have found that helps me feel less deprived. I'm also cheating and having a little cheese on my salads- I mean, if I go out to eat, and all I can get is a salad.... I'm going to eat the cheese.

Here is the start of a list of foods you can eat:
Popcorn
Fruits- cherries, grapes, apples, bananas, oranges, pineapples, etc
Veggies- Asperagus, Beans, Green Beans, squash, zuccini, carrots
Roasted Sweet potatoes
Baked Potatoes with salsa
Vegitable soup- with corn bread (I'm in the south)
Vegetarian chilli- over organic corn chips
Chinese Spring rolls

Oh- and a favorite of mine, stir fry one zuccini cut into long strips, with one sweet onion in 1tbsp. cooking oil season with soy sauce and sesame oil. Serve over brown rice.

[Astrid]

Thanks for the ideas Laura

I'm thinking of cutting out whole wheat even though it doesn't say for me to do that in TIC, but I noticed today that I feel extra tired and I had toast for breakfast so I'm wondering if it's connected.

I definitely feel like I'm running out of ideas for things to eat but I love love love spring rolls so I think I'll whip up a big batch of those next week for my dinners

I'm so glad I don't have to cut out fruit because those are my favourite foods, esp now when strawberries and blueberries are coming out, then peaches and plums And of course I have my post O pineapples every month

[CorbinsMama]

I want this book! You all are really piquing my interest with all this talk!

I can't afford to buy it right now, but I'll see if my library has it. In the meantime, maybe one of you could answer whether or not it would be helpful to me. I have hypothyroid and don't ovulate regularly. But I don't have endometriosis, PCOS, etc. None of the usual stuff. My first IVF cycle failed, but for no apparent reason, and I'm going to do a FET in July.

Is there anything in this book that will help me or help make my uterus/uterine lining a happy place for embies to stick? I want to do everthing I can in the next month to make it work this time. I am drinking my raspberry leaf tea and having acupuncture, chiropractic, and reiki. If there is anything I can eat/not eat, drink/not drink, or otherwise prepare my body over the next month, I will.

Thoughts?

Edited to say that I certainly don't expect anyone to type out the whole book for me or do the research for me! I'm just wondering if it's worth pursuing the book with the issues that I have, or is it mostly for the fertility issues that I do not have?

[lesliesara63]

Cooking wise- a lot of things that are good with pasta are also good with rice. I make a meal where I brown chicken breast meat on the stove top, then add a jar of tomato sauce and simmer about 20-30 minutes and serve over rice. I also used to eat a LOT of pasta, so we should take turns trading meal ideas.

I just remember what I have in the freezer Roasted red pepper soup. It is so good. I'll post the recipe when I get home tonight. It makes a huge batch and its really tasty.

I can't afford to buy it right now, but I'll see if my library has it.

Megan my library didn't have it, but it was well worth the $23 I spent. Probably getting it for a few weeks from the library would be good enough also. Its a really interesting take on nutrition.

I have always drank diet coke and I'm doing pretty good giving it up. I started using Crystal Light to get used to drinking so much water. Only like one pkg for a whole days water but still. The other night my sister told me that they won't even start fertility treatments if you admit to using artificial sweetener! I didn't have any yesterday and survived. I was pretty bummed after I saw my two sisters b/c they had a few things to say about the RE I'm scheduled to see that remind me of what a #$^^ he is. Like he won't see you if you're also seeing a naturopath. My older sister saw him for years and didn't have any problems with him (except he couldn't get her pregnant). He is just rather arrogant and I really didn't like him as an OB ( for dd) I dread going back to him at all, but feel like the clock is ticking and I need to do something. Anyways venting over I really need to get ready for work :

[OTMomma]

Megan- This book can definately help you. In it, you take a test and self diagnose your problems based on chinese medicine- these do not necessarily have any connection to western based diagnosis- like PCOS etc. It then gives you a whole list of diet, herbs and acupressure points to work on. It also has in the back specific information for how to support IVF and other ART treatments. I ordered it off Amazon and I think it was less than the cover price. Unless your acupuncturist has already had you do a total change of diet and herbs and such....

Leslie- I wouldn't see a doctor that I felt that way about. I'd find another doctor. Dealing with someone like that will only create stress in your life, which won't help you concieve. Roasted red pepper soup sounds yummy.

Astrid- Eating whole wheat makes me feel like I have the flu. I gave up the whole grain stuff years ago when I made the connection, but only just gave up the white proecessed stuff, as it didn't bother me as much. Did you do the test in the book? What were your diagnsis?

I personally think the change of diet is already affecting me. I am having more energy for dealing with the house work and my temps made a nice dip yesterday and nice post O temp today. (Unfortunately the start of my cycle the chart looks awful, so I'm thinking it might take a month or 2 for things to really get to where they need to be).

[Pookietooth]

I haven't read the book but, soy? I thought soy was bad for the thyroid, among other things? It gives me killer migraines, even just a little bit, so it's not really an option for me. I don't do any grains, either, and beans only a few times per week, so animal protein is my only source other than dairy, which I only use in minute quantities (like 2 oz of yogurt per day). I used to be a vegetarian, and my periods were practically nonexistant! At least now they're only every 6 weeks. I will see if I can get it from the library.

Wanted to say, one alternative to Crystal Light (yuck!) is Emergen-C from the health food store in purified water. They have a lite version, not sure what the sweetener is.

[Astrid]

I did the test and in the book and I think I failed them all. Well, not quite but some things I wasn't too sure about. It seems I am heading in the right direction with the nutritional changes but none of my "problems" recommend eliminating whole wheat flour. I am going to try to lessen the amount I consume though, just in case.

I know this all takes time but it's hard when I already feel like I've been waiting a lifetime for my bfp


Leslie, I would try to find another doctor too.

[OTMomma]

Pookietooth- Exactly what the book recommends you eat, is very specific to how you answer the list of questions. It says soy is fine if you have one condition but not another, the same with meat and dairy. Of course if you know something makes you sick you shouldn't eat it. For me, it said to give up all dairy, but to be sure to eat either eggs or meat for 1-3 servings a day, and not to eat soy either.

Astrid- I totally hear you on feeling like you had everything. I think the only thing I felt I really didn't have was heat. I need more heat- so I'm cooking with ginger, cinnamon, and pepper. I've been suprised at how smoothly its gone taking the wheat out of my diet. I still want cheese really badly, and am cooking with a tiny amount of butter- but the wheat is gone. It does suck waiting for the bfp.

[ASusan]

TIC was very helpful to me. I found a paragraph that explained all my random "symptoms" together. Some of them, I didn't even think of as "symptoms" (e.g., cold feet). Once I read that paragraph, I had to buy the book. A week later, I was at a traditional Chinese medicine practitioner for acupuncture and herbs.

I have been doing weekly acupuncture and daily (prescribed) herbs since November. I feel better than I have in the past 3 years (when my lupus started). So, I feel that it's treating both my left-over lupus symptoms AND addressing fertility issues.

I think it is important to get a trained practitioner to help with your diagnosis. After reading the book, I had thought one of my primary diagnoses was was that I was "cold" (e.g., cold feet), but my Chinese doctor said that I had excess heat, which was bound up internally. For example, my feet and hands were cold because the heat wasn't circulating. Other things associated with excess heat: my autoimmune disorder (inflamation is hot), my excessive thirst, my short cycles (heat "pushes" the blood out of you)...It has changed my way of thinking.

I will say that I haven't made the dietary changes that I should. I tried - I bought organic walnuts, and I ate a lot of sweet potatoes in the winter - but I can barely eat enough as it is. Perhaps I'll focus more on diet now that I'm not going to acupuncture every week (I moved...no Chinese doctor in sight )

[OTMomma]

Susan- Glad to hear that chinese medicine has helped you feel so much better. You are probably right that you should make those diet changes now. I would probably re-do the test in chapter 4, as your diagnosis have probably changed a lot since November. Do feel free to jump in on the food dicussion when you know what changes you are going to make.

[OTMomma]

I'm craving junk food. I think its the O hormones, but I really really want things I shouldn't have. Interesting that the diet wasn't so hard the first 4 days, and then my body ran out of stored junk? LOL

How is everyone else? Still doing it?

[lesliesara63]

Laura I'm really wanting sugar today!! I've been trying to eat better just this week like you have. After resisting diet coke all day I caved and had a hot dog when I got home. Oh well at least they are gone now

[lesliesara63]

Jeff Bruce’s Roasted Red Pepper Soup

Ingredients:

2 tbsp oil
3 leeks, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 carrots, diced
4 large potatoes, diced
8 cups vegetable stock
1 – 16 oz jar roasted red peppers (or 6 whole fresh roasted peppers, seeds removed)
1 – 19 oz can tomatoes diced
1 tsp coriander
1 tsp cumin
1 ½ cups orange juice (fresh squeezed is best)
3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
½ cup heavy cream (optional)
salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp chipotle paste (optional)

Method:

In a large soup pot, sauté leeks, garlic, carrots and potatoes in oil. Add stock and simmer until potatoes are soft. Add peppers, tomatoes, spices and orange juice. Simmer 20 minutes and add balsamic vinegar. Puree in food processor and add cream and chipotle paste if using. Salt and pepper to taste.

*The recommended garnish is sliced baguette topped with goat cheese and broiled for a few minutes – floating on top of the soup.

[OTMomma]

Thanks for the recipe, Leslie! Sounds yummy. Oh, I hope your spurge helped you get past the cravings. I have good moments and bad ones with that.

Things I've learned today:
1. You can NOT make a good pie crust with Oat flour.

2. Hummas is actually pretty yummy. A little weird, but yummy. My sweet dh thought it would add "variety" to my diet.

New meal idea for this week:
Tacos with Refried beans
Those doing no meat could do bean burritos

Tonight we had simple veggie and steak kabobs that were yummy. And grilling gives me an excuse to make dh cook.

[Arwyn]

Can I join? I just got this book, in part because of this thread sup:, and in part because I dig TCM, and was really helped by my previous experience of acupuncture.

My primary concerns are Spleen Qi deficiency and Dampness, plus half the other constellations (Kidney Yang deficiency, Liver Qi stagnation, Cold Uterus, a few Blood issues), all of which had actually been previously diagnosed by my acupuncturist. The emphasis has changed a little, though, since I last saw him. (I've moved out of state and can't afford to find a new practitioner right now )

My big dietary change that I need to make is wheat reduction/elimination.

NO WHEAT.

How the **** does anyone manage that?? Seriously! How?!

Dairy's a bit of a bother too, and fruit juice, although I've already cut both those way down based on previous recommendations. (Haven't quite been able to eliminate them - DP is in love with cheese, and fruit juice is the only way I can take my pills, I can't use straight water. But I'm working on it...)

But wheat? Really? Holy crap. I'm screwed. Absolutely boned.

Recommendations??

I also am going to start chasteberry. I had been thinking about it (my naturopath and I are pretty sure I have low progesterone, and we're just waiting for the test results to figure out what to do), but now I'm definitely going to start it. Not sure about any other herbs, mostly just 'cause I can't afford much (couldn't really afford the book, either, but oh well).

And, of course, acupressure. I'd been stimulating a few points that my acupuncturist had showed me for help with migraines, etc, but now I have better idea about what I can do to help with fertility issues. I'm also thinking about picking up some moxa. Anyone else?

[OTMomma]

Welcome, Arwyn. I'm cutting wheat. If you check around the Eating Well (or whatever it is) forum here, there are a lot of moms here who don't do wheat due to allergies and such. The solution I've done is:
Get lots of fresh fruits and veggies to use as snacks.
Got Hummas and Salsa to have with corn chips
Popcorn
Got some oat flour and made some cookies with that instead of wheat flour (turned out pretty good, and satisied some cravings)
Made a list of dinners without wheat like:
Steak with potato and salad
Tacos
Kabobs with Rice
Stir Fry (any meat with a variety of veggies) with brown rice
Stuffed peppers
Fish/pork/beef/chicken with a variety of veggie sides like Corn, beans, squash, peas, etc.

Those were what I had last week, and plan for this week. The peppers were a lot of work, but the others were easy. And I made plenty of dinner to have leftovers for lunch the next day. The key for me, is to make a list of foods I can have, so I don't focus as much on the stuff I can't.

Peace,

[Pookietooth]

I don't eat any grains, and have had to learn to live on things other than bread and pasta, and it's really not that hard once you get them out of your kitchen. You just eat way more veggies and nuts (if you can eat nuts), and do a lot more cooking at home. Soups are good, as are stir-frys. You can use spaghetti squash as a noodle substitute, but I don't really like that. You can also use julienned broccoli or carrots as a grain substitute.
Oh, and oats, unless they are Irish, have gluten in them from processing. But then, so do many things, including mustard, powdered spices, canned soups, etc.

[lesliesara63]

I had my first try at making brown rice and it turned out great. I think I even like it better than white rice. Also I've been eating lots of greek salad - with a bit of cheese though. Last night I made this recipe:http://www.marthastewart.com/page.jh...EDF&layout=edf and substituted rice for pasta. The only thing is that you definitely don't need two cups of water. It was way too runny until I added the rice. Things are going a little better this week. I made some homemade granola bars that were awesome. Yeah until my friend declared them "TOO MUCH" sugar. So much for those!

[Arwyn]

I loooooooooooove brown rice. I don't even buy white rice anymore, although I will have it when eating out. But sandwiches! Spaghetti! Granola bars! (You MUST give me your recipe, Leslie!) Pita! Quesadillas! (of course, I'm not supposed to have cheese, either) Crackers! Cookies! AAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!

Ok, I'm heading over to the nutrition forum, right now. And my ND sent me a couple gluten/wheatfree eating links, so I guess I'll check those out too.

Sigh...

[monocyte]

Oh, I so need to get this book!! (anybody done and want to sell it??)

Sounds interesting!!