Mothering Forum banner

The Infertility Cure

14K views 154 replies 27 participants last post by  OTMomma 
#1 ·
Anyone want to talk about the book and what you are doing different since reading it?
 
#52 ·
Yes, I am wondering about soy for me, now, too, as it is cold and damp, both of which are things to avoid in my other lists, even though the Kidney Yin list calls for tofu. Hmmm.... well soy has never been a huge part of my diet, anyway, so I guess I will just avoid using it for a substitute. I am thinking rice products in lieu of dairy may be better anway. I LOVE rice milk - not nearly as sweet as soy. I agree with Arwyn on the soy cheese, at least those I have tried. Is there rice milk cheese out there?

And Laura, I think you are right, I think that ridding our diets of the white bread and sugar (which have been proven toxic even by Western medicine - have you ever listened to Dr. Oz on Oprah?) is FAR more important than eating for energy, although, the way my acupuncturist explained it made sense, that the overall concept is to not make your body work too hard to get to its nutrition so it can channel that energy into baby-making. Thus, no rare meat, little raw foods, etc., that are harder to digest.

So I have been looking at recepies, and am wondering about spinach - she says it is a "cold" food, but is that only raw, or would that be in its cooked state as well? I have noticed the other energetically cold foods she mentions are those that are typically eaten only raw, like lettuce and cucumbers. Anyone have any input on this? I found an awesome looking vegan recipe for sweet potato gratin, except that it uses cooked spinach. Well, I may try it anyway...
 
#53 ·
Is anyone else having problems figuring out what problems you have. I have read the book three times now and have taken the diagnotistic test and I am still not sure. The only thing I come up with on the diagnostic test is a kidney yang deficiency and MAYBE liver qi stagnation. I DO have a luteal phase defect that I CANNOT seem to get rid of no matter what I try and they say that typically is from kidney yang and spleen qi but when I read that chapter I couldn't really find a specific BBT chart that fit my problems or I don't feel that the overall described symptoms fit me. I guess I am going to follow kidney yang and spleen qi since that is what it says most LPDs are from. It just seems everyone else can figure out their problems easier than me.

Also- I can't find where they say to give up wheat for LPD. It seems that everyone is doing that but I have read the book several times now and just don't see it.
 
#54 ·
Ava0709, you may not have to give up wheat. I didn't. I am trying to eat less wheat to see if it is contributing to why I get so tired but it had nothing to do with ttc


I did the tests and feel like I have everything
I think the only way to get a 100% accurate diagnosis would be to see a Traditional Chinese Medicine dr.
 
#55 ·
What are your thoughts on soy? I have read that it can impair infertiilty- but the book says to eat it. Is anyone else avoiding soy? Now that I can't have dairy I would really like to have soy yogurt, etc. but since I already have enough fertility issues I don't want to make it worse!
 
#56 ·
Does she recommend any specific kind of tea in the book? I am weaning myself off of coffee/teeccino (currently drink 3/4 cup a day) and onto tea and wanted to pick some up from WF today but am unsure of what to get.

TIA,
Keri
 
#57 ·
Quote:

Originally Posted by OTMomma
I'm also trying to do some acupressure, soak my feet in warm water, and put a heating pad on my lower abdomin daily before O (I had cold uterus). I'm not doing the herbs, as the other herbs I've tried in the past have not always resulted in the desired response, so I'm warry of those.

Oh, and my biggest issues I'm working on are Kidney Yang Deficiency, Spleen Def. and cold uterus. I have other mild issues, but decided to focus on the worst ones.
I've been lurking and found this book in the library, I'm also Kidney Yang deficient (this was highest by far), and had more minor Speen Def and Liver def. I was a little
at all of the diet rules and suggestions, especially how to eat animal products on a vegetarian/low dairy diet? I am going to eat some fish, but We keep a Kosher dairy kitchen, so even if I managed to get some Kosher organic meat, I'd not really have a place to cook it. Any one else trying to do this diet as a vegetarian? I did soak my feet last night, and We are going to stop buying white flour anything. The other HARD HARD one for me is coffee-I've cut down to half caf, but I just don't know that I can go down to 0%. I haven't had any today and the head is pounding!
: I
coffee.
 
#58 ·
Quote:

Originally Posted by Astrid
The sad irony is I am allergic too all nuts except peanuts
However, I have been tempted to give almond butter a try because it is the least "greasy" of the nuts and I remember growing up my dad would buy lots of Fruit and Nut chocolate bars and when I really wanted some chocolate I would eat them but pick out the almonds. I never had a reaction to them and some nuts, like walnuts, just the smell makes my throat start to tingle.

I feel like I am running out of things to eat though
I did sprinkle a little parmesan on my caesar salad today. Cheese will be the hardest for me to give up and I don't like soy cheese

Have you tried sunflower seed butter? I havent had it in years, but we used to eat it when I was a kid and it was pretty tasty.

Oh yeah, before the book I've been Dx with short luteal phase and Uterine polyps 2X.
 
#59 ·
Hi all!

I just wanted to post and say that this book really helped me tremendously. I picked up a copy about a year after my twins were born (conceived with the help of clomid), and became totally determined to ttc #3 without clomid, following the advice in the book. I had kidney yang and spleen qi deficiencies. When we started ttc, I had already cut out caffeine, but I cut out sugar as well. It was hard at first, but after a few weeks, you really do stop craving it. I tried to eat small snacks often to keep my blood sugar consistent. I started seeing an acupuncturist who specialized in fertility and pregnancy. I don't really know which points she worked on with me. . . I went once every two weeks at first, and after a few months started going once a week. My acupuncturist also recommended that I take Ume Plum balls as a supplement. They are very alkalinizing, which is a good state to be in to get pregnant. I was also taking an herbal mix that my acupuncturist made for me. I tried to stick to the Infertility Cure diet recommendations completely for breakfast, lunch, and snacks, but didn't worry about it so much for dinner (although I stopped eating pizza and pasta).

One month after I started taking Ume Plum, and 5 months after I started ttc (and acupuncture), I got pregnant (we took two months off in the middle because I developed an ovarian cyst that my acupuncturist helped me get rid of with acupuncture and castor oil packs). It was such a great feeling to know that my body could do it without clomid (something the western doctors had said would "never be possible"). I'm now 20 weeks away from my EDD, and am just soooo glad that I picked up a copy of this book when I did.

I hope it works for all of you too!



Lex
 
#60 ·
Quote:

Originally Posted by mamimapster
The other HARD HARD one for me is coffee-I've cut down to half caf, but I just don't know that I can go down to 0%. I haven't had any today and the head is pounding!
: I
coffee.
I'm right with you on that one, mama.

Before I conceived dd, I managed to wean myself from coffee by going to one cup a day of half caf, then to one cup of full decaf, and after a few weeks of that I found I didn't really want it anymore. And the best part was I didn't have any headaches...

I don't envy you trying to do this as a vegetarian. Maybe you could buy a couple of inexpensive pots for cooking some meat once or twice a week? There is Kosher organic meat out there - I know we have a small rancher near us who produces it. Best of luck to you!
 
#61 ·
Well, just to prove that one's body doesn't have to be perfect to make a baby, I got two
yesterday, before I even implemented anything I learned in the book (well, I did do acupressure on a couple pro-implantation places, and haven't had wheat pasta in about a week. fair amount of other wheat, though, so
).



Full story (I've been told it's entertaining
) is posted on The One Thread, for which I'm threadkeeper this week.

May I just say, once again,
? Thank you.
 
#62 ·
Quote:

Originally Posted by Arwyn
Well, just to prove that one's body doesn't have to be perfect to make a baby, I got two
yesterday, before I even implemented anything I learned in the book (well, I did do acupressure on a couple pro-implantation places, and haven't had wheat pasta in about a week. fair amount of other wheat, though, so
).

May I just say, once again,
? Thank you.
Wooohoo!
:
. I've got to get over to the one thread, It is confusing to me though.I'm on Cd8, so no EWCM yet, but my swimmers are packaged and on thier way to the clinic
. I haven't had any meat yet, but I harboiled a bunch of eggs and have been eating one a day, and have been eating fish once a day too (whitefish on a bagel
but I just can't eat it alone) I've been doing a little accupressure, eating walnuts/lentils/oats, gave my feet a warm soak once-and figuring out wheere that heating pad has gotten too. Also, I only had one decaf cuppa yesterday, and about 4oz of reg today (there is no decaf where I am today). I've been subbing out my coffee with a RRL/roiboos/greentea blend, when I go to the store tomorrow I'm going to pick up fertility tea and I've been drinking water with out ice
OK, can I just get preagnant already so I can drink my Joe?
 
#64 ·
WHOO HOO!! Congrats!!!

Well, I feel much less stressed about those weekend hot dogs now.


Have a happy and healthy nine months!!
 
#65 ·
Congratulations- Arwyn!
And thanks for sharing your story, Lex!
mamimapster- sounds like you are doing good with your eggs and fish.

Well, I picked up a jar of royal jelly yesterday to start taking. It is in honey, and its like eating honey that is super thick and super sweet. Sort of weird, but not nasty. I'm still having sugar cravings, and can't help but eat a tiny amount of sweets, like 4 M&M's a day. Not doing the diet perfect, but my diet is definately better. Its hard to do this while on vacation. And tonight we are supposed to eat dinner with family , at their house, and I guess I'll have to eat whatever they cook, but I'll live
 
#66 ·
Laura, I really think that better can be good enough. Honestly, I can't see how a few "slips" in the course of an otherwise healthy day would prevent your body from conceiving. The sugar and white bread are hard for me to give up too. I had a granola bar for breakfast yesterday - hoping that the oats would balance out the sugar. ha. And I am having MAJOR pizza cravings. And not the vegan kind either. I want mine with loads of processed sausage and pepperoni and cheese. Mmm... cheese....

I am with Mamimapster - can we all just get pg alread so we can eat yummy food again?!?!
 
#67 ·
Quote:

Originally Posted by Astrid
Ginger Snaps

3/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup molasses
1/2 cup canola oil
3 tbsp finely grated fresh gingerroot (but I cheat and use 1 - 1 1/2 tbsp powdered ginger)
2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp sea salt

Mix together maple syrup, molasses, oil and gingerroot. (the recipe says in a blender but since I use powdered ginger I don't bother)
In a large bowl, put flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add the maple syrup mixture and combine using as few strokes as possible.
Drop level tbsp-fuls of dough about 1 inch apart on lightly oiled baking sheets.
Bake at 350 deg F for about 12-15 minutes
Let cool 2 minutes then transfer to wire rack.

I am a lazy cook so I don't use the blender (more dishes to wash
) These come out nice and chewy
Sometimes I need a sweet treat and these satisfy me without the guilt. I'm curious to see how other flours work with it because I may be going off wheat too!

I'll go through my recipes and see what else I can add

I forwarded this recipe to my cousin. He has cancer and is on a serious diet from his TCM doctor. Kind of like what we are doing, but even more restrictive. He also rarely cheats, since he is fighting for his life. Anyways I just wanted to show you what he wrote back about this.

Wow, I tried them with spelt flour and almond flour and then put the mix into a round cake pan because it was kind of runny. Sooo good! Thanks for the recipe, it's a good one because it's pretty easy too.

So I'm definitely going to try them! My eating isn't as good as last week, but pretty good. We don't have much in the way of groceries since we're going on vacation in a few days.
 
#68 ·
We had this one for dinner a few nights ago. It calls for regular flour, but was great with whole wheat flour, and I see no reason it wouldn't work with corn flour as well:

Homemade Shake and Bake Chicken

1/2 Cup flour
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
4 chicken legs/thighs
1/2 cup milk (rice or soy would be fine)

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine flour, paprika, salt, garlic powder, thyme, and pepper in a plastic bag.

2. Dip chicken legs in milk; shake off excess. Add to bag and shake to coat evenly. Place chicken on a greased baking sheet. Bake 40 minutes, until chicken is tender and coating crisp.

We had these with green beans and sliced tomatoes. Yum.
 
#69 ·
Quote:

Originally Posted by lesliesara63
I forwarded this recipe to my cousin. He has cancer and is on a serious diet from his TCM doctor. Kind of like what we are doing, but even more restrictive. He also rarely cheats, since he is fighting for his life. Anyways I just wanted to show you what he wrote back about this.

Wow, I tried them with spelt flour and almond flour and then put the mix into a round cake pan because it was kind of runny. Sooo good! Thanks for the recipe, it's a good one because it's pretty easy too.

So I'm definitely going to try them! My eating isn't as good as last week, but pretty good. We don't have much in the way of groceries since we're going on vacation in a few days.
I'm so glad he liked them
 
#70 ·
I don't know if any of you have tried this, but I found organic corn pasta at our local health food store today. We are investigating alternative pastas since whole wheat pasta makes me gag.


Anywhoo, the corn pasta is pretty tasty! No weird texture, although it is a little softer than the wheat stuff - shorter cooking time, too. I made a yummy pasta salad with it tonight with white beans, lightly steamed snow peas and red peppers, and tomatoes, and an oil/vinegar/garlic/rosemary dressing.
 
#71 ·
Oooh, that pasta salad sounds yummy!

I feel off the wagon today- we went to Disney World, and I just couldn't do it... And if we do more vacationy stuff tomorrow I will probably just wing it and get back on my diet on Sunday. Unfortunately though- I feel sort of sick tonight, and I'm guessing its the icecream and hotdog. I think my body prefers I not eat that junk. lol
 
#72 ·
I don't blame you, Laura. I don't think DisneyWorld is the place for any kind of diet. I mean, it IS the happiest place on earth, right?


Isn't it amazing how quickly your body rejects junk? We went to the horse races a couple of weeks ago and chowed down on a huge order of garlic fries, and both dh and I felt sooo sick. The next day we were fine, and, not coincidentally, back to eating right.

I just wish that all that stuff that is so bad for us didn't taste so darn good!
 
#73 ·
Quote:

Originally Posted by Dena
I just wish that all that stuff that is so bad for us didn't taste so darn good!
Isn't that the truth? LOL Back to eating better again. So, has anyone else had any positive results from the diet change? Better looking charts or better cm? I haven't had a better fertility month, but I'm going to give it another 2 months at least. And if I keep feeling like my body is happier on the diet, I guess that is something. (But I really want a baby!)
 
#74 ·
Welcome home Laura!

I've been feeling so much better
I don't get so tired and I haven't been getting headaches. I don't even miss sugar, even when my dh and son are consuming my birthday chocolate. I still have peanut butter sandwiches when we are out though, and cheese on my caesar salad. I'm trying to put less on though. Now all I need is my BFP
 
#75 ·
Well, I don't know if it is the energy healing, or the diet, or both, but I have had my most normal cycle this month since before dd was conceived. I had been having early spotting, cramps, major PMS, you name it. But this month, NONE of that! So cool!! I am feeling better too - more energy, a more positive outlook, etc.

I believe af is trying to get into the baby room, so it doesn't look like a baby for us this month either. Major bummer, but there is next month... and if we still need IVF due to our male factor problems, at least I know my body is more likely to accept the embryos.

My question is, has anyone had success weaning from sugar entirely - I mean, to where you are eating nothing with sugar or sweeteners anywhere in it? It is EVERYWHERE - even my organic sprouted wheat bread! And without bread, just what the heck am I supposed to eat for breakfast?!?!
 
#76 ·
Hey, Astrid- Its OK- I am staying with my mom in the house I grew up in, so I sort of feel home. And I use her computer like I own it, so I guess I'm almost back to normal MDC usage.


Dena- I haven't cut sugar completely, and I'd love to know if anyone has, but its not because of bread- I did cut that completely. For breakfast I have some combo of: oatmeal (but with honey), eggs, turkey bacon, fresh fruit (raw, but I think that's OK), or strange leftovers from the night before. I think if you cut out the junky sugars- icecream, sodas and candy etc, the little bit in things like bread and varous milks (almost all have some) are probably not a big deal.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top