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The Stress Hormone That May Be Preventing Your Pregnancy

Hmmm, struggling with infertility...

You can call it a vicious cycle. You can say it’s a which-came-first-the-chicken-or-the-egg situation. But the fact of the matter is that stress can be a cause of infertility.

And infertility causes stress.

And no one telling you to “just relax” is the solution, that’s for sure.

It’s awful to know that your stress can be affecting your fertility because, of course, that’s just going to stress you out more. But if we break down the whys and the hows of the stress-infertility connection, it can help us better understand what to do about it.

 

Understanding Hormones and the Menstrual Cycle

Before we look at stress, it’s vital to have a general understanding of the menstrual cycle and the key hormones involved. This is because of how hormones are impacted by stress.

As most women know from their own personal experience and those of other women in our lives, everyone’s cycle is different. Usually, this cycle lasts anywhere from 21 to 40 days, although 24 to 38 days tends to be more typical.

Ignore the fact that many sources will depict a cycle as 28 days and act like consistency in the length is the only way to be healthy. We know the truth is that every body is different and so is every experience.

The cycle begins as menstruation starts, shedding the lining of the uterus that is not needed if there is no pregnancy. At this point, both progesterone and estrogen are at their lowest.

The low hormone levels trigger the brain’s pituitary gland to release follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), causing an egg in the ovarian follicle to start to mature.

As the egg matures, estrogen begins to be released by the ovary. This estrogen tells the pituitary gland to signal the production of luteinizing hormone (LH), causing ovulation, or the release of the egg. Estrogen is now at its highest in the cycle.

The used follicle, called a corpus luteum, now releases progesterone and, to a smaller degree, more estrogen.

The progesterone causes the uterus to begin to build up the lining that will house and protect the egg once it reaches the uterus. Progesterone is at its highest just before the uterine lining is at its thickest.

As the corpus luteum starts to break down, it produces less hormones, which continue to decline toward the end of the cycle.

If the egg is not fertilized, the lining is no longer necessary and will start to shed again, starting the cycle all over.

You can see from this that hormones play a very crucial role throughout the process. And any interruption of those hormones can greatly impact how it all plays out.

The Relationship Between Sex Hormones and Stress Hormones

Despite how it is often villainized, cholesterol is actually the back bone for a number of steroid hormones. (I like to think of cholesterol and “Mother Hormone.”)  Cholesterol is converted into whatever hormones the body needs most at that moment.

First, cholesterol is converted into pregnenolone. Then, depending on what is being prioritized by the body, pregnenolone is converted to progesterone or DHEA.

DHEA is a precursor for both testosterone and estrogen. But progesterone can become cortisol, one of the most important stress hormones. In fact, progesterone can be bypassed in favor of making cortisol, so that very little progesterone is actually produced (more on this in a bit).

Adrenaline is the stress hormone for short-term stress, think of our ancestors being chased by saber tooth tigers. Cortisol is the long-term stress hormone. In this case, think of our ancestors going through times of drought and famine, when food might be scarce for months on end.

It is cortisol that stays at high levels when we have stressful jobs, daily traffic and money problems that loom.

In these times of stress, our body is more likely to prioritize creating cortisol instead of sex hormones.

Cortisol has also been found to inhibit gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH), which is what triggers the pituitary gland’s release of LH.

Living in Fight-or-Flight Affects Fertility

If you aren’t familiar with the terms sympathetic and parasympathetic modes, you may be aware of their more casual names: fight-or-flight and rest-and-digest, respectively.

Parasympathetic mode, also known as rest-and-digest, is the mode of the nervous system that we are in when we are calm and not stressed out. During this time, our bodies are allowed to focus on proper and healthy digestion, meaning they can better break down food and absorb nutrients. We have better and more consistent bowel movements in this mode.

Our bodies can also focus on reproducing.

But when we are in sympathetic mode, aka fight-or-flight, all we are focusing on is survival. Digestion and reproduction are secondary in that moment.

Because when we’re running from the saber tooth tiger, making babies is not a priority.

And this is not necessarily a bad thing. Stress allows us to survive. But not necessarily thrive, especially long-term.

In fact, cortisol is highly inflammatory.

And as we’ve learned, it also “steals” our sex hormones - as mentioned above - the production of progesterone can be bypassed in favor of making cortisol, so that very little progesterone is actually produced. And, remember, progesterone supports fertility.

Ok, ready for some examples of this in real life?

Menstrual Cycle Under Stress

Let’s review each step of the menstrual cycle and look at how stress, and specifically cortisol, affects them.

Here we go...

Imagine your menstruation is over and your estrogen and progesterone levels are low (as they should be at this point). But you’ve had a bad week at work, the holidays are coming up, the house is a mess and you have no idea what’s for dinner.

Instead of your estrogen levels starting to rise, your body has used that cholesterol to create cortisol. Estrogen may still be created but at lower levels than usual, so the pituitary gland isn’t triggered. Or, if it is, cortisol additionally blocks the release of LH via the GnRH. The follicle isn’t triggered to release the egg, or it is released later than usual, throwing off your usual cycle.

As the stress continues, progesterone that should be released next is instead converted into more cortisol. Without adequate progesterone, your uterine living isn’t building up enough or in time to support the growth of a fertilized egg.

SUMMARY: High stress levels - and therefore your body’s need for cortisol to deal with that stress - has affected your chances for pregnancy in two different stages of your cycle.

Additional Ways Stress Impacts Fertility

Women aren’t the only ones affected by stress in ways that may prevent pregnancy. When men are under stress, they too need cortisol, taking it away from testosterone production.

This has a huge effect on sperm count and quality, as well as being a leading cause of erectile dysfunction and low libido.

Both men and women can experience stress affecting lifestyle and choices they make that are factors in fertility.

Stress can influence sleep, eating habits, exercise consistency, interest in sex, and drinking and caffeine intake. These can all be pieces of the puzzle when struggling with infertility.

How You Can Manage Stress, Not Avoid It

There is nothing that irritates me more than someone telling a woman struggling with infertility to not stress about it. For real.

First of all, if you’ve been struggling with trying to get pregnant (and I don’t care how long because when you want a baby, any wait feels too long), the idea of being able to just let go of that stress is laughable.

It also does not give someone the tools to manage their stress, only acts like they have the ability to remove stressors from their life.

The truth is that money problems don’t just disappear; that traffic will not clear up magically; you will still have nights when you burn dinner; the list goes on and on.

If we had the ability to remove what stresses us out, no one would be stressed. But that is far from the world we live in.

Instead, we need to be talking about how to manage the feelings of stress.

And to make things more difficult, what works may be different for everyone. And what works one day may not work the next.

These are some stress management techniques that work well for some people:

  • Breathing exercises
  • Yoga
  • Massage/body work
  • Meditation or guided imagery
  • Journaling
  • Talk therapy
  • Social media breaks
  • Cutting back or eliminating caffeine
  • Cutting back or eliminating alcohol
  • Exercise
  • Walk or run
  • Nature
  • Aromatherapy
  • Art or art therapy
  • Music, dancing
  • Spending time with family or friends (as long as this doesn’t increase stress, catch my drift?)
  • Hugs
  • Pets

Stress as an Infertility Piece of the Puzzle

For better or worse, there is no one thing that causes infertility.

But there is no denying that stress plays a role in it.

If you have struggled trying to conceive, you probably have already stressed about it and I certainly don’t want to add to that stress. But if you do think it may be a factor in your struggles, there are ways to manage it.

The great news is that most forms of stress management are quite enjoyable. (That is the idea after all.)

Remember to try what appeals to you at that time, knowing that it may help you relax one day but not the next. It is important to prioritize the time you need to make that happen, even if it means asking for help.

The next time someone tells you not to stress may just be the perfect time for that calming breathing exercise.

Whether it’s infertility, autoimmunity or general health support, if you need nutrition therapy that is tailored to you and your lifestyle, my Happy & Healthy Adult Program will have you feeling better than you have in a long time. This is the right fit for you if you already know that underlying health issues, stress patterns or hormonal imbalances are part of the picture.

It’s the perfect place to start if you haven’t worked with me before and don’t know how to begin making changes to your nutrition and your life.

Hormones / Trying to Conceive / Uncategorized - 11/17/2021
11

What Hashimoto’s & Hypothyroidism Means for Your Child

We would all do just about anything to keep our kids safe and healthy. We make them wear helmets when they bike, seatbelts in the car and (safe, all-natural) sunscreen at the beach.

But what can we do when our child is facing a thyroid condition like Hashimoto’s or hypothyroidism?

It is natural to feel worried, to seek answers, to harness every resource possible and even to turn to Dr. Google and research for ways in which we can make it all better.

As someone who has battled Hashimoto’s disease for years, the future of my own children’s thyroid health is often at the forefront of my mind.

True, Hashimoto’s does occur in children, and because of genetic influences, I understand that my kids may be at a greater risk.

Luckily, because of the holistic approaches to thyroid health available today, we don’t have to feel powerless if faced with a diagnosis.

In working with many individuals and families over the years, I am very confident in the ways nutrition supports a healthy thyroid for both kids and adults.

What Hashimoto's and Hypothyroid means for your child

Hypothyroidism and Hashimoto’s in Kids

Just like in adults, Hashimoto’s is the leading cause of hypothyroidism in children.

But what makes both Hashimoto’s and hypothyroidism different when it affects kids?

First let me briefly explain these thyroid disorders.

The thyroid is a gland in the neck (in the area of the Adam’s apple) that is triggered by the brain’s pituitary gland to secrete hormones.

These hormones function in the body in a number of ways for kids, including, supporting normal growth and development (like puberty), regulating metabolism, and keeping an even body temperature.

Hypothyroidism is when the thyroid does not adequately produce, convert and release the thyroid hormones.

Hashimoto’s disease is an autoimmune disorder in which the immune system attacks the thyroid gland tissue, thyroid hormones and even thyroid hormone receptor sites on cells within the body.

Hashimoto’s causes hypothyroidism because the attacked and damaged thyroid cannot function as well as a healthy, normal thyroid.

Causes of Hypothyroidism in Children

Causes of Hypothyroidism in Children

Besides Hashimoto’s, the other most common cause of thyroid disorders in children is what is called congenital hypothyroidism. This occurs in 1 in about every 3,000 babies born.

The infants are born with either a poorly functioning thyroid or even no thyroid at all.

It is believed this can be caused by a deficiency in iodine (a key nutrient for the thyroid), an issue with the pituitary gland or problems with an enzyme that produces hormones.

The good news is that this is usually detected very early on because a blood test to screen for congenital hypothyroidism is required in all 50 states.

Unfortunately, although Hashimoto’s affects 1 in 100 children and is a much more common cause of hypothyroidism, screening for Hashimoto’s is not common.

In fact, just like in adults, missed diagnosis, mis-diagnosis and confusion around symptoms can be part of the journey to discovery of the illness and it may take time before the right physician does the right tests to get to the bottom of things for your child.

There are many tell-tale symptoms that alert physicians and pediatricians when there may be a thyroid issue. And, for parents, being aware of certain signs can help you be proactive if you suspect your child needs to be evaluated.

Signs of Hypothyroidism in your child

Signs of Hypothyroidism in Children

With babies and even with young kids, it can be hard to determine what they are feeling and experiencing, and their ability to communicate with us if they are feeling “off” cannot be relied on.

Therefore, we can’t always look for the same symptoms of thyroid dysfunction in kids as we do in adults, even though some may be the same.

Here are common signs in children of hypothyroidism:

  • Slow growth (may cause short limbs)
  • Delayed tooth development
  • Impaired learning and school performance
  • Lack of energy or inactivity
  • Feeling cold all the time
  • Unexplained weight gain
  • Constipation
  • Dry skin
  • Delayed puberty in teens
  • Absent or irregular menstrual periods in teenage girls
  • Droopy eyelids
  • Slow speech
  • Hoarse voice
  • Puffy or swollen face
  • Hair loss

Hashimoto’s Risk Factors

Hashimoto’s Risk Factors

The truth is, there isn’t one cause of Hashimoto’s.

As parents, we can’t help but look to our own life experiences when seeking health for our kids. When faced with a thyroid condition in our kids, we may even wonder if there is something we could have done better or differently.

Yes, genetics is a factor, so if you or your partner suffer from Hashimoto's or hypothyroid, there is a higher risk for your biological children.

But other risk factors can include:

  • A chromosomal disorder like Down syndrome, Williams syndrome or Turner syndrome
  • Iron deficiency or an overabundance of iron
  • Thyroid injury
  • Head or neck exposure to radiation (such as for cancer treatment)

Because Hashimoto’s is an autoimmune disorder, other autoimmune conditions also increase the risk of Hashimoto’s. This can include Type I Diabetes and Celiac.

Inversely, a diagnosis of Hashimoto’s can mean your child has a higher risk of developing a secondary autoimmune disorder.

Just as women have a higher risk than men for Hashimoto’s, girls are more likely to suffer from it than boys are.

Nutritional risk factors such as deficiencies, leaky gut, and food intolerances can also be evaluated.

Testing for Hashimoto’s & Hypothyroidism In Children

Testing for Hashimoto’s & Hypothyroidism In Children

It’s helpful to know the signs and risks, but only by getting your child tested with a standard thyroid lab panel will you know for sure if they have a thyroid disorder.

But, wait, just to make things a little trickier, there are not steadfast guidelines or reference ranges for children in the same way there are for adults regarding thyroid hormones.

The most common indicator that doctors will look at is the level of Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH), which in the hormone the pituitary gland uses to trigger the thyroid.

In children, these TSH levels are generally considered healthy levels:

  • 0-4 days: 1.6-24.3 mU/L
  • 2-20 weeks: 0.58-5.57 mU/L
  • 20 weeks-18 years: 0.55-5.31 mU/L

When TSH is higher than these numbers, hypothyroidism may be considered and doctors may test for other hormones, such as T3 and T4, the hormones made and converted by the thyroid.

If these are below normal levels in addition to high TSH, your children may at that point receive a hypothyroidism diagnosis.

To know for sure if the cause of the hypothyroidism is autoimmune in nature, your child would need to be tested for thyroid antibodies, the cells that the immune system uses to attack the thyroid.

High levels of these antibodies in the blood are a sign that the gland is being attacked by the immune system in Hashimoto's. The two antibodies commonly measured are thyroglobulin antibodies (TgAb) and thyroid peroxidase antibodies (TPO).

Hashimoto's Diagnosis

How to get the right Hashimoto's and Hypothyroidism Diagnosis

I suggest you read my complete guide to understanding all about Hashimoto’s and hypothyroidism as well as the recommended thyroid testing to help you get proper diagnosis for your child.

If you are having trouble communicating the need for these tests with your child’s doctor, or if insurance approval is standing in the way, you can order thyroid lab tests directly.

I suggest the following lab panel (that includes all of the above lab values) for the clients I work with remotely: Extended Thyroid Test for Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis. It costs just $129 but is valued at over $400.

The good folks at True Health Labs allow you to directly order labs that make the most sense for your child’s health condition.

If you do order these labs, be sure to take them with you to your next pediatrician appointment.

Show them that you are willing to do what it takes to get the correct information for the best treatment plan possible for your child.

Long-term Effects of Untreated Hypothyroidism On Kids

Long-term Effects of Untreated Hypothyroidism On Kids

It can be easy to feel overwhelmed with a diagnosis and want to stick your head in the sand and hope the problem goes away.

But, of course, it’s never that simple and ignoring the problem can lead the bigger problems down the road.

When untreated, hypothyroidism, regardless of the cause, can lead to goiters in the neck (this is the thyroid’s response to under-activity), impaired growth, mental retardation, hearing loss or impairment, loss of permanent teeth, impaired hair and nail growth, and behavioral issues.

Because the thyroid plays a large role in energy metabolism, a child with an underactive thyroid can show signs of forgetfulness, lethargy and trouble with concentration.

Untreated Hashimoto’s also presents the co-morbidities of autoimmune illness - the likelihood of developing secondary or tertiary autoimmune conditions increases over time.

In rare cases, the immune system of a child with Hashimoto's can cause inflammation in the brain and nervous system. Symptoms can include strange behavior, confusion, muscle twitching, and seizures.

The good news is that with proper testing, diagnosis and treatment - as thyroid hormone levels are improved, behavior problems often right themselves.

Unfortunately, however, kids may not be able to make up lost growth or teeth/hair/hearing impairments even after treatment with medication.

Managing Hashimoto’s For Your Child

Managing Hashimoto’s For Your Child

I wish I could tell you that there is a cure for Hashimoto’s. But as of now, there are only ways to manage it through medication and dietary and lifestyle changes.

One of the best things you can do for your child after a diagnosis, and in some cases even before, is to find a doctor who knows hormones backwards and forwards and will be open to the paths you may choose for your family’s health.

I recommend looking for an endocrinologist, DO (Doctor of Osteopathic medicine), family practice doctor or integrative medicine doctor.

You may also wish to seek out a holistic team of specialists to help you advocate for the best treatment for your child.

In my practice, I suggest complementary alternative modalities such as acupuncture, naturopathic medicine and of course - holistic nutrition therapy.

Thyroid Medication For Children

Thyroid Medication For Children

It can be scary to think of putting your child on a medication indefinitely, but the right medication can change the quality of life for your kid and your whole family.

And if you think of it as just one piece of the health puzzle, you may find that medication fits perfectly into your plan.

Just know that it can take time and a bit of tweaking to find the right medication at the right dosage.

Because there are many types of thyroid medications, I’ll reiterate here that you ought to check out my Complete Guide to Understanding Hashimoto’s, Hypothyroidism and Thyroid Testing to learn more.

Being prepared to have a thorough conversation with your child’s doctor is an important step.

You can prepare for your next physician appointment by downloading my FREE Hashimoto’s Checklist. These suggestions work for both adults and kids who are seeking proper medical attention for a thyroid condition.

utrition for Hashimoto’s

Nutrition for Hashimoto’s

Now for the good news - the right nutritional choices can help the body manage Hashimoto’s by supplying it with the nutrients it needs to support the thyroid naturally.

What to Avoid

There are foods that can aggravate hypothyroidism and the antibodies that are part of the Hashimoto’s process. You can read more about this on my blog post Eat to Lower Anti-Thyroid Antibody Levels.

Many of these can cause inflammation, throw off our natural gut flora (good bacteria) and trigger additional food sensitivities.

All of this leads to a more heightened immune system, which can attack the foods that are just trying to nourish us, or the body itself.

But, to name a few, you will want to pay attention that your child is not consuming too many of the following aggravating foods:

  • Junk foods, fast foods and heavily processed foods - these are loaded with food additives, preservatives, chemicals, etc.
  • Conventionally-raised meats and dairy which may have hormones added and can disrupt the overall endocrine system
  • Sugar-rich foods which can create candida overgrowth in the body (candida is a bacteria/yeast that when out of balance can compromise thyroid health)
  • Gluten - your child’s body perceives this protein found in wheat and other grains as “antigenic”, which leads to inflammation and may exacerbate thyroiditis

What to Consume

What to Consume

Here’s the best news all day: your child will feel their very best with a clean, home-cooked food plan prepared with high-quality ingredients.

Here are a few critical nutrients (and the foods which supply them) for thyroid health:

Dealing With Food Sensitivities

Food sensitivity can exacerbate autoimmune disorders like Hashimoto’s because they trigger the immune system.

What foods these can include vary greatly for each person but the most common food sensitivities and intolerances are to:

  • Lactose (a sugar found in dairy)
  • Gluten (a protein found in wheat, rye and barley)
  • Casein (a protein found in dairy)
  • Eggs
  • Soy
  • Fish and shellfish
  • Peanuts and tree nuts

Some food additives, like MSG and sulfites, are also problematic for some people. It can be hard to determine what foods aren’t working for your child.

One possible solution is an elimination diet, but it takes time and commitment and can be difficult for kids. Another is to keep a food journal in order to track foods and reactions, keeping in mind that some reactions can take up to 72 hours.

For kids with food reactions and known autoimmune illness, I suggest the Food Inflammation Test (FIT) which is an add-on option with my Child Advanced Program.

This test takes the guess-work out of food modifications and helps get your child on a faster path to feeling better with Hashimoto’s.

Stress impact on Kids

Stress

For kids these days, stress has a huge impact on their overall health. Stress has been shown in research studies to negatively impact thyroid function and is known to be a factor in many autoimmune diseases.

Many of my adult and children (especially teens!) clients report that stress management plays a large role in the management of their thyroid health.

Can you assess the stress levels your child may be dealing with?

What ways can you implement some stress-free time to help them best cope with their feelings, health condition and any other factors in their life which may be upsetting their life balance?

I suggest nature walks around your neighborhood, deep belly-breathing, yoga is super fun for kids, and even just good old fashioned laughter, play time and rest time - these are all good for our kids!

Doing What’s Best For Your Kid

Doing What’s Best For Your Kid

We all want the best for our children. We want them to be safe, to be healthy and most of all, to be happy.

If this article only scratched the surface of what you may be dealing with in supporting your child’s health, schedule a call with me for a customized nutritional program.

For parents struggling with the complexities of their child’s thyroid health and needs, a one-on-one nutritional program is the best bet for ensuring the nutrient needs of your precious child are addressed fully.

Additionally, I have put together a Hashimoto’s self paced online program that is supportive for parents and caregivers of kids with Hashimoto’s.

It’s a 30 day self-paced online program which

  • teaches you about the thyroid
  • empowers you to be your child’s best health advocate
  • helps you speak confidently with doctors
  • guides you to implement dietary changes
  • suggests supplements that may support your child’s overall health

I recommend you check out Nourished and Renewed with Hashimoto’s.

We may not be able to choose the body they have to grow up in, but we can certainly help them nourish that body and support it in ways we hope will let them flourish.

I am also here to help!

Child Nutrition / Hashimoto's - 10/10/2020
smoothies vs juice

Juice vs. Smoothie: The Fight Is Over, You Can Love Them Both!

There is something so quintessentially summer about a bright, beautiful, cold smoothie or fresh juice, sipped on your porch or patio. Tons of fruits and vegetables are in season, it’s cooling and refreshing, and juice and smoothies both support a healthy summer lifestyle.

There’s been so much debate about the pros and cons of both juicing and smoothies.

Are they too high in sugar?

Too low in fiber?

Can they constitute a meal or meal replacement?

I’m here to tell you that, done right, juices and smoothies can not only be a delicious way to get your fruits and vegetables, they can be carriers for all sorts of health-promoting foods and can even replace some of your meals while keeping you satiated.

So, stop worrying or wondering about these health trends - smoothies and juicing can both be part of your healthy lifestyle!

Read on to find out how!

Juice Versus Smoothie

First, it’s helpful to know what the difference is between juices and smoothies.

What’s Actually In a Glass of Juice?

When I talk about juices, I’m not talking about most of the store-bought juices that have been processed to remove much of the nutrients that would naturally come from fruit and veggies.

Those juices have been pasteurized, the heating of which damages vitamins and enzymes.

Store-bought juices often contain preservatives to make them last longer but may not be healthy for you.

Juices can also have sugar or other sweeteners added to them, or just other juices that are cheaper than the fruit on the front label. (Grape juice is a common one. Apple is another.)

One “real” juice option is the high-end juices found in stand-alone shops that make their own products from quality and often organic fruits, vegetables and spices.

If you have to, read the labels or ask but these are less likely to be pasteurized or contain unwanted ingredients.

The downside is the price.

Depending on the product, your location and other factors, each single serving of this artisial juice can cost $8-12 for an individual serving.

If you are doing a juice-based cleanse or even just drinking these regularly, this adds up very quickly.

Making Your Own Juice At Home

Another option is to make your own juice.

There are a number of upsides to this: you can choose your own ingredients (meaning you can decide how you want it to taste but also opt for organic ingredients), you can drink it as soon as it’s made, meaning it doesn’t get any fresher, and the cost per serving is much less.

However, the savings may not factor in the cost of the juicer itself, which can run you anywhere from $40 to more than $500.

Unfortunately, you sometimes get what you pay for with juicers but you also do not need the highest-end model either. The $100-200 range will usually get you a decent version. (I am a big fan of my quiet and easy-to-clean Hurom juicer.)

Whether you make or buy your juice, one thing remains the same: you are not getting the fiber from the produce. We’ll get into what that means in a bit.

What Makes Something A Smoothie?

Smoothies on the other hand, include anything that is contained in the fruit and vegetables, fiber and all. Smoothies are made by blending in a blender, so nothing is lost.

Your Home-Made Smoothie

While blenders can be cheap, if you’ve ever had a really smooth smoothie (oh, THAT’S why they call them that!) without a single lump but with a very even texture, it was probably made in a higher-end blender, like a Vitamix, Ninja or Blendtec.

Blenders can also cost around $40 to $500, although some companies like Vitamix offer refurbished options.

I got a Vitamix nearly 20 years ago and I have not been disappointed. It has more than paid for itself with daily use (for more than just smoothies; I also use it for soups, dips and more!)

Health Differences Between Drinking a Smoothie and a Juice

Juices and smoothies can each have a healthy place in the diet and can serve different purposes.

Smoothies contain all the nutrients and benefits of the produce used in them, including fiber, which can slow the blood sugar reaction to fruits in the smoothies.

Fiber is a great support for healthy bowel movements.

Smoothies can also include non-produce ingredients like fats and oils, and nuts and seeds, again great if you have a condition that has you paying attention to your blood sugar.

But to get all those foods into a smoothie, you can end up with a lot to drink.

They can be filling, which can work well as a meal replacement, or can be too much if you just need something more concentrated and light.

Juices, on the other hand, are extremely nutrient-dense for the amount consumed, because just the juice is extracted, leaving behind the fiber-based pulp.

Without the fiber, however, juice can cause a glucose (blood sugar) rise.

Just be cautious with juicing if you have diabetes or another blood-sugar-sensitive condition.

The lack of fiber makes juices very easy to digest, making them a great food during a detoxification (also works well for detox during breastfeeding) or during low-fiber therapy to support conditions like diverticulitis. So, this low-fiber option does have some health benefits as well.

Detoxing through a juice program allows the digestive system to rest and focus on ridding the body of toxins. Many people incorporate juice blends into their annual spring detox program.

But if you experience constipation during a detox (or at any other time), fiber may need to be added to the diet to support healthy bowel movements.

Getting Your Veggie Boost

One of the best things about both juicing and smoothies for many people is getting in their vegetables for the day.

A lot of people struggle to get enough veggies in their diet. And while eating both cooked and raw veggies are important, these delicious drinks can be part of the solution.

Don’t think of it as hiding your veggies, because it’s important to find ways to actually enjoy vegetables.

If your juices and smoothies contain fruit, but not vegetables, they may taste delicious but they may be lacking in necessary vitamins and minerals, such as magnesium and iron (both are found in dark leafy greens).

And, I will say it again, just to be clear, sugar levels may also be too high without veggies. It is important to watch sugar levels with both juice and smoothies.

Bonus: Both juice and smoothies are a great way to get kids to drink their vegetables too!

Green Blender Juice or Smoothie Recipe
Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups pineapple (diced)
  • 1 cucumber (diced)
  • 4 cups baby spinach
  • 1 cup parsley
  • 1 Tbsp ginger (peeled)
  • 10 ice cubes
  • 1 lemon (juiced)
  1. Combine all ingredients together in a blender. Blend very well until smooth. Be patient! It may take some time to really liquify.
  2. Pour into a glass and enjoy as a smoothie.
  3. For a juice, use a nut-milk bag or cheesecloth to strain the smoothie. Pour the smoothie through the bag and use clean hands to squeeze out all the liquid into a bowl. (Note: You can also use a strainer and the back of a spoon for this step, it just takes a bit longer.) Pour the juice into a glass and discard the pulp. Enjoy!

Download recipe .PDF here

How Much is Too Much?

You may wonder how many juices or smoothies you can drink in a day. This is a great question considering how delicious they are.

If you have done a detox before, you may be aware of juice cleanses.

The idea behind this is to substitute juices for meals, and many people who do this drink three or four each day of their cleanse, or even more.

While this can deliver an amazing amount of detoxifying nutrients to your body in the short term, long term you may be missing out on important fats and proteins, even in small amounts.

And, again, you’re causing your blood sugar levels to rise more than you may even know.

Another approach is to do what’s called Juice Til Dinner, which is just what it sounds like.

All meals before dinner are replaced with juicing, followed by a detox-supporting evening meal. This is a little more my jam, because it still incorporates a whole-food-based, balanced dinner, including fat and protein.

Ok, so having said that, smoothies by themselves are a wonderful source of micronutrients, as well as protein and healthy fats.

But if you drank a smoothie for every meal, most likely, your calorie intake would be crazy high.

Listen, be smart and include all that healthy yumminess into your smoothies (see below for tips).

With some practice, you can use one smoothie per day or a few times per week as a meal for an excellent addition to your nutrition plan. Just not all your meals, please.😉

Juicing and Smoothies Beginners’ Tips

If you are newer to juicing or smoothies, you may find you need to ease into them being a regular part of your diet.

This may be especially true of juicing, as it can have pretty strong detoxifying properties.

Start with a juice or smoothie every two or three days before having them everyday, if that’s your goal.

And if you want to use smoothies as a meal replacement for both breakfast and lunch, I would recommend easing into that as well.

Playing With Your Smoothies - What Else Can You Add?

One of my favorite things about smoothies is how playful you can be with them. You could make a different one every day, or tinker until you find your favorite.

But there are so many wonderful combinations, that it would almost be a shame to just stick to one.

Smoothies can be used as a snack between meals but if you intend to use them as a meal replacement, it’s important to balance your carbohydrates, protein and fats. That usually means going out of your way to add protein and healthy fats.

Here are some delicious fats you can try in your smoothies:

  • Coconut milk or oil, shredded coconut
  • Avocado
  • Full-fat yogurt if you tolerate dairy well
  • Hemp hearts, chia seeds, flax seeds, nuts or nut butters (rich in omega-3 fatty acids)
  • Medium-chain triglyceride (MCT) oil

These are some great foods that will add some protein to your smoothie (you’ll notice some overlap with the high-fat foods):

In addition, adding spices to your smoothies can make them taste oh-so-good and can be a great source of antioxidants and anti-inflammatories:

  • Cinnamon
  • Turmeric
  • Ginger
  • Pure cocoa powder

For both turmeric and ginger, if you can use fresh, it tastes even better and is more potent but dried works in a pinch too.

Sometimes the hardest part with smoothies is figuring out ratios to get the consistency just right. But playing around with it will soon make you an expert.

Fresh fruits and Vegetables

What Liquids Can You Mix With Your Smoothies?

One question I hear a lot from people trying out making their own smoothies for the first time is what liquid to use. You may feel like you need to use milk to get the creaminess you want from your smoothie.

If you tolerate dairy well, whole-fat, organic milk is certainly a fine option. But you do not need it to make a truly delicious drink.

Coconut water and nut milks are options that work quite well. An even better option (and one that is sure to save you some money) is using just plain ol’ water (filtered if you got it).

Since everything is being blended together already, water and a handful of the nuts of your choice will get nearly the same creamy result as a nut milk.

You may be tempted to add juice to your smoothie, but just as with juicing, if you use pre-made juice in your smoothies, avoid added sugars or sweeteners. A mixture of juice and water can get you tons of flavor without all the fruit sugars.

But even just water is plenty with all the other yummy things you’re already adding. You may find that’s all you need for the liquid.

What Not to Put in Your Drink

There’s plenty of ways to get your creative juices flowing (har har) with smoothies. But there are just a few foods you don’t want to add because they will add empty calories, unnecessary sugar and preservatives.

These are mostly restricted to sugar, soda, ice cream and frozen yogurt.

Smoothies do not equal milkshakes! (Or vice versa.)

It would be such a shame to put all this beautiful produce, protein, fat and spices in a blender and then ruin it with an unhealthy addition like a scoop of ice cream (save that for the occasional decadent dessert, not your healthy daily smoothie!).

You are not doing yourself any favors by adding a bunch of sugar.

Benefits of juicing

Creative Juices Too

In all this focus on ways to have fun with smoothies, I may have neglected to emphasize the creative combinations you can create while juicing. Juices can and should be made with both fruits and vegetables, as well as fresh spices if you like.

This will again boost your nutrient levels, including antioxidants and anti-inflammatories.

For some people, starting with a single vegetable juice gets them in a routine with juicing.

You may have heard of celery juice and its health benefits - in fact, it’s becoming quite popular these days.

I agree there are some pretty incredible benefits to celery juice, but I am a fan of mixing flavors and boosting nutritional benefits.

Imagine combining kale, pineapple and turmeric. Or orange, carrot and ginger. Celery, pomegranate and pear.

See? Not to be outdone by smoothies, juices can have their fun too!

Drink Your Colors This Summer

Whether you go for juice or smoothies, with the right choices for the right situation, these scrumptious drinks can be a healthy addition to your diet and lifestyle.

They allow you to be playful and creative and are great for an on-the-go summer. You can replace your meals or help your body with its natural detoxifying processes. They help you get your fruits and veggies and kids love them.

Drinking juices and smoothies just might be the most fun you can do for your health.

Family Nutrition - 07/04/2020
kids and iron deficiency

Food Is the Solution for Kids’ Iron Deficiency Anemia

Iron. When we think of iron, we conjure images of endurance races, Superman and strength in general. So it may come as no surprise that a lack of iron can make you feel weak, whether you are an adult or a child.

When your child is often tired and has slow growth, it can be alarming to consider that maybe he or she is deficient in iron. But, although it can be very common in kids, it doesn’t have to be a scary diagnosis.

Anemia is when the body lacks enough red blood cells to transport oxygen to tissue adequately.

The most common cause of this is a deficiency in iron. This can occur when there isn’t enough iron in the diet, the iron isn’t absorbed well, or from losing too much blood.

The occurrence of anemia in children is estimated to be between 6 and 18%, depending, not just on age, but unfortunately on family income as well. Income is a factor because diet is such an important part of getting iron.

Iron’s Role in the Body

Iron comes in two forms, heme and non-heme.

Heme comes only from animal-source foods, while non-heme comes from plant and animal sources.

We’ll get into specific foods later. Both forms must be converted to a form usable by the body.

Most of the iron in our bodies is used for hemoglobin and myoglobin.

Hemoglobin’s purpose is to carry oxygen from the lungs to tissue throughout the body via red blood cells. Myoglobin then allows oxygen to be stored in that tissue.

This means that iron is crucial for our bodies as well as our minds because our brains can’t function without that oxygen either.

As you can imagine, this is especially important in the developing brains of children.

Brains impacted by nutrient deficiencies may be more susceptible to developmental issues such as Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) or Autism Spectrum Disorder.

There are times when we need iron at higher levels.

This can include during athletic performance, perhaps a marathon (or 10K, depending on your style) or just an intense workout.

Also, when we are healing from physical trauma (think bruising or post-surgery) or from blood loss from stomach ulcers (which are rare in children but can be caused by certain medications).

And finally, during menstrual flow, when a woman may lose blood for days at a time.

But for kids, who may run (or fling) themselves through life, who seem to be constantly moving, high levels of iron may be an everyday requirement.

Why Do Kids Get Anemia?

Beyond their need to move their little bodies so much, kids have a number of other reasons why they can be prone to iron deficiency anemia.

When babies are born, they have a certain amount of iron stored in their bodies already.

However, where those levels are from birth may depend on a number of factors including the mother’s iron levels.

Women who are anemic during pregnancy are more likely to give birth to babies who will go on to suffer from iron deficiency anemia.

This is because breast milk contains very little iron and the iron stores acquired during pregnancy are meant to last until solid foods are being consumed.

As solid foods are introduced and less breast milk is eaten, kiddos will get more iron from their food just in time for their neonatal stores to run low.

Other risk factors for kids include:

  • Premature birth
  • Low birth weight
  • Exposure to lead at a young age
  • Overweight or obese children

Furthermore, as kids go though growth spurts, their bodies may need more iron to make more red blood cells.

Couple and Baby Bootcamp Divider 3

 

Foods That are Stopping Your Kids From Absorbing Iron

Many kids are given milk starting at a young age, which is often recommended by pediatricians for calcium intake, as well as to get them to sleep through the night.

But the negative side of this suggestion is that cow’s milk can interfere with the body’s ability to absorb iron.

Yes, you read that right - diets high in dairy products can lead to iron deficiency.

Another food component that prevents the absorption of iron is phytic acid, found in a number of foods.

We call phytic acid an “anti-nutrient.”

Why?

Phytic acid binds to certain nutrients, including iron, inhibiting their absorption.

Phytic acid-rich foods include many nuts, seeds, legumes (like beans) and some grains.

But soy contains some of the highest levels of phytic acid.

Soaking these foods can help get rid of a certain amount of phytic acid.

But in nearly all cases, prepared foods with these ingredients (think packaged, processed, preserved) are not soaked.

Furthermore, cooking does not have the same impact as soaking to remove phytic acid.

Signs of Anemia In A Kid

Clearly, every child is different (we call that “biochemically unique” in holistic nutrition!) and may exhibit different signs of iron deficiency.

But most of these anemia symptoms come from a lack of oxygen in the cells:

  • Increased heart rate
  • Breathlessness, or trouble catching a breath
  • Lack of energy, or tiring easily
  • Dizziness, or vertigo, especially when standing
  • Headache
  • Irritability
  • Irregular, absent or delayed menstruation
  • Sore or swollen tongue
  • Jaundice, or yellowing of skin, eyes, and mouth
  • Slow or delayed growth and development / failure to thrive
  • Impaired healing

The term “failure to thrive” can feel like a scary thing - but it is often referring to the slow or delayed growth that occurs when kids may be suffering from a food intolerance - which can then lead to poor iron absorption. Malabsorption of iron can also be a common cause of failure to thrive.

Unfortunately, many parents are not told about this link and it is always wise to investigate food intolerances when iron deficiency is present.

How to Test for Iron Deficiency Anemia

The only way to know for sure if your kid is suffering from iron deficiency anemia, is to have them tested.

The most common test is a complete blood count (CBC), which looks at levels of hemoglobin, hematocrit (this considers how much of your blood is made up of red blood cells) and ferritin (an iron-containing protein). If these levels are normal, your child is not anemic.

The test also looks at color and size of blood cells.

Testing for anemia is common among some kiddos with the above symptoms and I have found most pediatricians and family practice doctors are willing to run this inexpensive and relatively easy test.

Yes, it does require a blood draw, and that can be nerve-wracking for kids and their parents.

But, it’s worth it if you need to find out your child’s iron levels and work to increase the numbers.

What Can Be Done About Your Child’s Anemia?

While I am a huge advocate for a “food first” approach (meaning looking to changes in diet should be the first thing to try), I definitely believe there are certain times when bigger steps like supplementation or even medication can help in the short- or long-term.

In this article, however, I am primarily promoting a dietary approach to resolve iron-deficiency anemia. Please consult with your baby’s doctor if more advanced measures are needed in your particular case.

The good news with iron deficiency anemia is that, because so much of our iron levels are dependent on our food, we can cause a major shift in blood iron levels simply with diet changes.

This is especially good news for children because it is also a very safe approach to improvement for them.

Promoting Iron Absorption

As I mentioned before, certain foods like cow’s milk and phytic-acid rich foods can inhibit iron absorption and should be consumed in moderation by kids. Other foods can actually help promote absorption.

Vitamin C is a nutrient that enhances iron absorption by capturing non-heme iron and helping to store it well in the body.

Vitamin C can be found in citrus fruits, kiwi, dark leafy greens like spinach, peppers and strawberries.

Iron-Containing Foods For Your Child

In addition to promoting absorption, you need to make sure your child is getting iron from iron-rich foods.

As I mentioned, iron can come from both animal and plant sources.

To get heme and non-heme iron, a varying diet of meats and vegetables is ideal.

(Of course we know that many kids are never going to eat what we think would be ideal for them!)

Great foods for iron include:

  • Liver from a grass-fed animal like beef or pastured chicken
  • Grass-fed red meat like beef steak, ground beef, bison, elk and lamb
  • Pastured or organic chicken and turkey (“dark meat” poultry has higher levels of iron than the “white meat”)
  • Wild-caught fatty fish such as salmon, halibut, mackerel, and cod
  • The leafy greens mentioned above, like spinach, Swiss chard, beet greens, collard greens
  • Cumin and turmeric are culinary spices shown to have high iron properties
  • Lentils, garbanzo beans, lima beans, kidney beans and black beans
  • Dried fruits like raisins and dried apricots or prunes also contain iron
  • Blackstrap molasses is an incredibly high source of non-meat iron and can be used in baking, as a condiment for oatmeal and can even be added to sweeten a fruit and vegetable smoothie

Another way to get iron into the diet is to cook foods in cast-iron cookware.

Some of the iron is leeched into the foods, which sounds scary but is actually a safe and effective way to get iron and has been found to increase hemoglobin.

(Fun fact: the use of cast-iron cookware is one way many of our ancestors used specific cooking methods to help maintain their nutritional health - grandma knew best!)

Attacking Deficiency Early

Because babies run out of those iron stores at around 4-6 months of age, what solid foods you introduce to baby first can be crucial to preventing deficiency.

The baby food industry has latched on to this idea of iron-rich foods at a young age and have fortified foods to provide iron, placing iron even in foods that would not normally be a source of iron.

This is not ideal.

Babies (and all of us) should ideally get nutrients from the foods that they would naturally be found in.

This ensures that the form of that nutrient is the best form (as opposed to a synthetic form or one that isn’t a food source, as is often the case with calcium) and that it works synergistically with the other nutrients in the food.

For example, both iron and vitamin C are found in dark leafy greens.

This is not a coincidence.

We know that vitamin C supports iron absorption. When the two naturally co-exist, they can do their jobs better, just as nature meant them to.

Problem with rice cereal - an iron-fortified food for babies

One of the most popular iron-fortified foods is rice cereal for babies, which is recommended by many pediatricians.

These fortified rice cereals can be problematic however. For one, rice cereals have been found to be high in arsenic, particularly non-organic ones.

Furthermore, not all babies are equipped digestively to digest grains properly at such a young age.

Another aspect of rice cereal is that it does not take into account variety.

In the case of iron, babies should get both heme and non-heme forms, which they can get from a varied diet.

They will also learn from a young age that foods have different flavors, colors and textures. Rice cereal, obviously tastes and feels the same every time it’s eaten.

I often lead workshops and work with families around introducing solids and what foods to start with and when is a huge topic.

It can vary depending on the baby’s development but I usually recommend waiting until around 6 months to start introducing solids.

The best signs that a baby is to ready to start trying out solids are:

  • they begin showing curiosity/interest in the foods you are eating and may track your fork with their eyes or open their mouths in imitation of you eating
  • they can hold their head up and sit up unassisted
  • they have begun to move past the tongue-thrust phase of pushing most things out of their mouths instinctively
  • they are significantly more hungry and not satiated/satisfied enough on breast milk or formula alone
  • they have started to play with a pincer-grip
  • they have some teeth!

 

Introducing iron into your 6-month-old's diet

Six months is around that point when those iron stores start to get low and we want to start getting iron into the diet.

Many parents assume they need to start with fruits, or maybe sweeter vegetables like sweet potatoes.

Although these can be great, soft-cooked, and even a pureed high-quality liver is another wonderful first food.

Soft meats (like slow-cooked lamb) and low-mercury fish are other good options as well.

And don’t be scared to try including spices like turmeric and cumin, which can add flavor and color while also supplying iron.

The good news about breast milk is that while it doesn’t contain much iron, the iron that is present is a highly absorbable form (lactoferrin). This is helpful because as foods are first being introduced, babies consume very little of it.

At that point, it’s more about exploring food than eating it.

Foods are just supplementing breast milk (or formula) until later when those roles are reversed.

This is the recipe I fed my babies for their first iron-rich liver puree:

Ingredients

  • 1/4 pound raw organic liver
  • 1/4 cup bone broth
  • 1-2 teaspoons organic butter
  • Sea Salt

Directions

  • Cut raw organic liver into chunks.
  • Combine liver, broth and butter in a saucepan.
  • Bring to a boil and reduce heat.
  • Simmer for eight minutes.
  • Pour into a blender (liver and liquid) with 1-2 teaspoons butter and a pinch of sea salt.
  • Blend to desired consistency.
  • Freeze the puree/pate in a freezer safe container or ice cube tray with a lid so you can take out individual servings throughout the week.
  • Thaw a 1-2 ounce portion and serve at room temperature alongside small portions of pureed/soft-cooked fruits and veggies as well as raw foods like smashed avocado or banana

What About Supplementing Iron?

Depending on how anemic your child is, your physician may want you to consider supplementing while also amping up dietary levels. Before doing this, there are a few things to consider.

The most important thing is to know the right amount to give your child, as too much can cause digestive issues and put too much stress on the liver.

The recommended intake of iron is based on age and includes combined intake from food and supplements:

  • 0-6 months: .27 mg
  • 7-12: 11 mg
  • 1-3 years: 7 mg
  • 4-8 years: 10 mg
  • 9-13 years: 8 mg
  • 14-18 years: 15 mg (females), 11 mg (males)

To get a good idea of how much iron this actually is, look at some food examples: 1 cup of spinach contains 6.4 mg of iron and 100 g of chicken liver has 9 mg.

It’s hard to overdo it with iron from food but too much iron from supplementing can cause:

  • Constipation (this can even occur from the correct amount when supplementing first starts)
  • Diarrhea
  • Stomachaches
  • Nausea
  • Black or discolored stool

Iron supplements usually contain ferrous sulphate, ferrous fumarate or ferrous gluconate.

These different forms contain different percentages of what is called elemental iron. This means that a 15 mg iron supplement might contain 5 mg of ferrous fumarate.

It’s very confusing because that same product could have a label claiming “15 mg” while another might say “5mg.”

It can be most simple to go for an iron supplement that is specifically for kids to make sure the dosage isn’t too high. But this is only in cases where you choose to supplement.

As I said, in most cases, getting iron from food is all that is needed.

The Strength of Iron & Additional Support For Your Kid

None of us want to see our children suffer. Although iron deficiency anemia is very common in kids, that can be little comfort when you see your children weak, tired or in pain.

The good news is that improving iron levels can be easy to do with small dietary changes. In extreme cases, supplementation may be necessary.

But usually by simply adding quality meats, dark leafy greens and other delicious and healthy foods, in addition to cutting back on dairy and soy, your kid may still have a chance to be the next Superman.

I am also here to help!

Book a free call with me to find out more about a customized nutrition program if this article only scratched the surface of what you may be dealing with in supporting your child’s health.

For parents struggling with the complexities of both dietary needs and medical advocacy issues in an effort to solve their child’s anemia, a one-on-one nutritional program is the best bet for ensuring the nutrient needs of your precious child are addressed fully.

Child Nutrition / Family Nutrition - 06/01/2020
Soup cover

We Skip Flu Shots & Eat Soup Instead For Winter Wellness

"Is it really necessary to get the flu shot?"

That's the most common question I get this time of the year.

So, in this article, I do my best to answer this question and address what I know about the flu shot (and natural alternatives).

Please remember that I am not a doctor. This article is NOT to be considered medical advice.

For this article, I am simply sharing with you the information I found while researching the flu shot for my own family.

And, while I don’t normally write about food or recipes because I put most of my top family and kids recipes on Instagram for quick reference when cooking - this blog is different!

I am excited to be blogging about something IMPORTANT, easy, and totally DO-ABLE this month.

Making (loads of) soup this winter!

Yep, there are lots of things you can do to stay healthy this cold and flu season.

But, since making some family dinners occasionally is probably already on your radar, you might as well get some major nutritional benefits out of one of your daily chores.

Amiright?

Anyone can make soup.

You just need a big pot, the ingredients (see end of article⬇️) and readiness (to cook👍🏻).

Easy peasy.

Making soup is especially important as a part of my family’s winter wellness plan.

Read on to find out why.

But First, Why Do We Get Sick in Winter?!

Everyone I know is convinced that as soon as it gets cold outside, they will get sick.

Is it really the cold weather that brings on illness?

No. The problem with the colder months is not necessarily the lower temperatures.

The problem is that our physiological and lifestyle responses to cold weather can make us more susceptible to viruses.

For example, cold weather makes people’s noses run a little more, so more nasal secretions (and germs) have the potential to be, um, how shall I put it?

Spread around.

Ewww.

Also, as more people who have the cold or flu go out in public, they are symptomatic so they cough and sneeze, sending those germs airborne.

More ewww.

What’s worse, in the winter, we mostly stay indoors - in artificially heated rooms.

Here’s what you end up with: a lot of people with infections, and with runny noses, congregating together in enclosed spaces.

Can you picture it? 😖  Scientifically speaking, dry air (like from the furnace) provides a much better travel medium for the little droplets of moisture that are expelled during a cough or sneeze.

In warm, dry air, the cough/sneeze moisture droplets stay suspended in the air, and float better/farther. This results in a longer period of exposure for everyone sharing the same space.

So basically, winter really just provides the elements of the perfect scenario for the spread of cold weather infections.

Oh, I must also mention also that school is in session during colder months, with multiple children in small heated classrooms, sharing germs.

So, there’s that.

Now you see we have the perfect storm.

What can we do to stay healthier in winter?

Go on, read more about other ways to keep your family’s immune system strong.

I am going to get started on my exciting soup info.

Nerd alert: I research soup.

Exciting Research on Soup

In the winter, a warm bowl of soup really hits the spot.

Many of us consider soup to be “comfort food.”

That’s why it kind of cracks me up to think about white-coated lab gurus researching soup.

I mean, for realz, my grandma can tell you everything you need to know about soup’s health benefits.

For starters, before there were flu shots and Tamiflu, there was chicken soup.

Chicken soup is going to be the focus of my discussion in this article, for simplicity’s sake.

Researchers have in fact discovered the following health benefits of soup in general:

Anti-Inflammatory

In 2000, a study published in CHEST suggests that the mild anti-inflammatory effect conferred by chicken soup could be one of the reasons behind the soup’s ability to mitigate symptomatic upper respiratory tract infections like the common cold.

  • Typically, when an individual comes down with a cold, the body responds with inflammation in the upper respiratory tract.
  • The inflammatory response in turn signals white blood cells (WBCs) to migrate to the region.
  • This migration of WBCs into upper respiratory tract may contribute to the commonly encountered cold symptoms, such as a stuffy nose.

So, here’s the neat part: when the study’s researchers measured the ability of the WBCs to migrate through a filter from one side of a chamber to the other side, they found that fewer cells migrated to the other side of the chamber in the presence of chicken soup.

As a result, the scientists of the study proposed that some ingredients in the soup may be responsible for slowing or blocking the migration of these WBCs to the upper respiratory tract.

And thus, it aids in relieving cold symptoms.

Nevertheless, from this study of chicken soup (made from ingredients including chicken, onions, sweet potatoes, parsnips, turnips, carrots, celery, parsley, salt, and pepper), the researchers were unable to identify the biologically active compound.

They knew it worked but they were stumped on the details.

Fortunately, a 2012 study published in the American Journal of Therapeutics discovered that an anti-aging amino acid compound called carnosine.

It is found in sources like chicken soup and chicken breast, could help inhibit the pro-inflammatory conditions.

The pro-inflammatory conditions are typically associated with the initial stages of viral infections and prevent the development of the common cold.

Increased Movement of Nasal Fluids

Although hot fluids (like tea) and steam (like in the shower) can typically aid in the movement of nasal mucus, chicken soup can be superior to hot water in increasing the movement of nasal mucus, clearing the airways, and easing congestion.

This insight into chicken soup is based upon a study that examined the nasal mucus velocity of 15 healthy subjects who drank cold water, hot water, or chicken soup.

The results of this research demonstrated that compared with hot water and cold water, hot chicken soup led to improved nasal mucus velocity.

Furthermore, according to a 1998 report from Coping with Allergies and Asthma, chicken soup may improve the ability of the tiny hairline projections in the nose (called cilia) to prevent infectious particles from afflicting the body.

Trust Your Gut: Soup Ingredients For Immunity

I want to point out the specific nutritional food ingredients found in chicken soup which makes it so powerful:

Bone broth:

Bone broth is a powerful anti-inflammatory and immune-boosting ingredient in soup.

It contains vitamins and minerals that help support gut health and reduce pain and inflammation, and is a particularly good source of the amino acid glutamine.

A study published in the journal of Clinical Immunology found that the amino acid L-glutamine normalizes the effects of the TH2 immune response that stimulates inflammatory cytokines.

In other words, it reduces intestinal inflammation and can help people recover from leaky gut.

Vegetables and herbs:

  • Carrots contain vitamin A precursors called carotenoids (Beta carotene) that are essential for a healthy immune system.
  • Onions are filled with immune-boosting nutrients like selenium, sulfur compounds, zinc, and vitamin C. Plus, they’re one of the best sources of quercetin, a potent flavonoid and antioxidant that has antiviral properties as well as histamine regulating effects (Mother’s Nature’s “natural antihistamine”).
  • Celery supplies an array of vitamins, minerals, and protective plant substances that may protect you from cellular damage and inflammation. Plus, celery has a type of fiber that can nourish the healthy bacteria in your gut. When beneficial gut bacteria thrive, it gives your immune system a boost, helping to offset certain diseases and illnesses.
  • Leafy greens contain a super high level of nutrients coupled with many potent, immune enhancing phyto-chemicals, resulting in much-needed virus protection at this time of year.
  • Garlic contains several compounds, including allicin, that have antiviral, antifungal, and antibacterial properties. Together, they boost your immune system throughout the cold and flu season.
  • Ginger and Turmeric are my two favorite immune-boosting herbs and I put them in almost all of my soups. Studies have shown that ginger has potent antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties. It helps to boost immune function and combat cellular damage. Curcumin is the active ingredient in turmeric, responsible for the distinct yellow colouring and the impressive list of health properties. Curcumin is anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, anti-bacterial, detoxifying and amazing for digestive health.
  • Cayenne pepper is a hot spice which contains capsaicin, a compound that can destroy bacteria and viruses before they make you sick.

Chicken breast

Chicken breast contains carnosine which has been shown in studies to inhibit the pro-inflammatory conditions.

These conditions are typically associated with the initial stages of viral infections and prevent the development of the common cold.

Water

Water in the soup is particularly hydrating.

Hot water also helps to stimulate the healthy flow of nasal and mucosal secretions which move viral particulates out of the respiratory system faster.

Sea salt

Sea salt in the soup is a potent mineral compound which is useful for increasing the immune system’s production of antibodies.

When you consume sea salt daily in small doses, it helps prevent colds, the flu and other viral infections that attack the body.

I believe so strongly in soup (and its ingredients), for my own family , I would actually put it up against the flu shot.

Why? Read on to learn more.

First, What is the Flu?

When referring to the “flu,” I am describing Influenza, an infectious respiratory disease caused by type A or type B influenza viruses, which are present in the mucus membranes and secretions of the nose, throat and lungs.

Only lab confirmation can detect whether flu-like symptoms, including serious complications like pneumonia, are caused by influenza viruses or other types of viral or bacterial organisms.

Please note, there are, in fact, many wintertime respiratory illness which resemble the flu.

What is the Flu Shot?

The National Vaccine Information Center (NVIC) is a non-profit, independent clearinghouse for information on diseases and vaccine science, policy, law and the ethical principle of informed consent.

They state on their website that they publish information about vaccination and health to encourage educated decision-making.

NVIC has compiled a helpful list of links (directly from the FDA website) of the common flu vaccine product inserts and specifics about each product.

Because there are many different kinds of influenza vaccines available in the U.S., I highly encourage you to read through this information carefully so you too can learn all there is to know about what the flu shot is and what it contains.

NVIC encourages consumers to read the vaccine manufacturer's package insert information carefully before receiving influenza vaccine or any vaccine.

Vaccine product package inserts contain important information about ingredients, contraindications, precautions, reported adverse reactions, safety and effectiveness data from pre-licensure clinical trials, use recommendations and more.

(This stuff is so important, I have re-posted the top-line information here for you. Bookmark this page for later, if you are running out of time, I get it.)

Below are links to the U.S. Food & Drug Administration’s (FDA) website for the most current legally-required licensing information published in manufacturer product package inserts for influenza vaccines available in the U.S.

Quadrivalent Vaccines - Nasal

  • FluMist by MedImmune, LLC

Quadrivalent Vaccines – Injected

  • AFLURIA QUADRIVALENT by Seqirus Pty Ltd.
  • Fluarix Quadrivalent by GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals
  • Flucelvax Quadrivalent by Seqirus, Inc.
  • FluLaval Quadrivalent by ID Biomedical Corporation of Quebec
  • Fluzone by Sanofi Pasteur Inc.

Trivalent Vaccines - Nasal

  • FluMist by MedImmune, LLC

Trivalent Vaccines - Injected

  • AFLURIA by Seqirus Pty Ltd.
  • FluLaval by ID Biomedical Corporation of Quebec
  • Fluarixby GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals
  • FLUAD by Seqirus, Inc.
  • Flublokby Protein Sciences Corporation
  • Flucelvaxby Seqirus, Inc.
  • Fluvirin by Seqirus Vaccines Limited
  • Fluzoneby Sanofi Pasteur, Inc.

High Levels of Mercury in the Flu Vaccine

You may have read some of my other blog posts or know me personally.

Some background: I am adopted with very little (no) medical history about my biological family.

I have two autoimmune diseases (Hashimoto's and Celiac disease).

I am compound heterozygous for the MTHFR genetic variation.

I have had 3 miscarriages.

I know I have issues with methylation and toxicity. More about my story here.

I also am committed to a healthy, natural lifestyle for me and my family.

Not everyone goes to the intensive lengths to research and understand medical interventions like I do.

I have a particularly critical (or crazy?) approach to health - especially when it comes to toxins in our world (food, medicines, environment, soils, water, air, etc.!).

I want to lower the risks of toxin exposure as much as possible for our family.

Therefore, my research on the subject of flu vaccines has led me to believe that the flu shot is not safe for me and my kids.

Each dose of these flu vaccines contains more than 250 times the Environmental Protection Agency’s safety limit for mercury.

Many people are aware that children and fetuses are most at risk of damage from mercury (a neurotoxin) as their brains are still developing.

Sadly, the CDC still recommends that children over 6 months, and pregnant women, receive the flu vaccine each year.

Government officials and most medical practitioners say influenza vaccines are safe.

The American Academy of Pediatrics issued a report saying there was no need to test mercury levels in infants, since exposures were quite low and there was “No evidence of harm.”

But the more I thought about this statement, the more curious I became.

It didn’t make sense.

Is the Flu Shot Really Safe?

How did the AAP know that the levels of mercury (a heavy metal much more toxic than lead) was of no significant consequence without truly looking for evidence of harm.

How can one conclude that no harm occurred?

I did a quick PubMed search on studies related to mercury and the brain and came up with over 1,200 results. Not all of these studies are related to the flu vaccine.

As a huge fan of safeminds.org - whose goal is to end the autism epidemic by advancing environmental research on toxicity's impact on the development of the disease - I went there for more info on mercury.

The organization puts out this helpful information sheet with facts and research about mercury’s impact on a baby/child’s health.

Of course, in addition to mercury, flu vaccines contain other hazardous ingredients like:

  • Formaldehyde - a known cancer-causing agent
  • Aluminum - a neurotoxin that has been linked to Alzheimer’s disease
  • Triton X-100 - a detergent
  • Phenol - carbolic acid
  • Ethylene glycol - essentially antifreeze
  • Various antibiotics - neomycin, streptomycin, gentamicin which can cause allergic reactions in some people
  • Eggs/egg remnants - which may be allergenic to some people
  • Glyphosate - a toxic herbicide

These are the types of toxins I want to prevent from harming myself or my children.

The Amount of Information Around The Seasonal Flu Vaccine

When I began to research the flu shot for my own family, the number one thing I wanted to know was: is it safe?

I kind of found myself going down a rabbit hole and realized why and how this subject has become such a hot/controversial topic.

The amount of information and disinformation on the web is astounding.

After months of reading, I concluded the shot is not safe enough to give to my children - especially if it is not that effective, or if its benefits do not outweigh the risks of contracting the flu.

(Read on for effectiveness.)

Please remember that I am not a doctor. This article is NOT to be considered medical advice.

Also remember, in this article, I am simply sharing with you the information I found while researching this topic for my own family.

Here is what the CDC says about Who Should and Who Should NOT get a Flu Vaccine.

 

Is the Flu Shot Effective?

Over the years, the percent of efficacy (or effectiveness) of the flu shot have been estimated as low as 10%.

Wow.

Each flu season an assessment is released by the Centers for Disease Control’s (CDC) Office of Flu Vaccine Effectiveness.

Here’s what I lifted from their website:

CDC conducts studies each year to determine how well the influenza (flu) vaccine protects against flu illness.

While vaccine effectiveness (VE) can vary, recent studies show that flu vaccination reduces the risk of flu illness by between 40% and 60% among the overall population during seasons when most circulating flu viruses are well-matched to the flu vaccine.

In general, current flu vaccines tend to work better against influenza B and influenza A(H1N1) viruses and offer lower protection against influenza A(H3N2) viruses.

And this…

In some years when vaccine and circulating strains were not well-matched, no vaccine effectiveness can be demonstrated in some studies, even in healthy adults.

It is not possible in advance of the influenza season to predict how well the vaccine and circulating strains will be matched, and how that match may affect the degree of vaccine effectiveness.

The above statements coming from the CDC leaves me uncertain about the science behind the shot and I clearly do not have better information about if it actually works.

Furthermore, a 2013 study conducted by the CDC found that older adults who had received the flu vaccine were just as likely to seek treatment for the flu as those who didn’t.

I have read a number of different websites both for and against flu vaccines and they almost all concur with the information from the CDC that it really is a crap-shoot.

The Research behind Flu Vaccine Efficacy

Following is a list of research compiled (and updated annually) about flu vaccine efficacy from Dr. Mercola’s website:

  • Giving young children flu shots appeared to have no impact on flu-related doctor visits or hospitalizations during two recent flu seasons, according to a study published in the October issue of the Archives of Pediatric & Adolescent Medicine. 
  • The flu vaccine is no more effective for children under 2 than a placebo, according to a large-scale, systematic review of 51 studies, published in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 
  • A study published in the Lancet just found that influenza vaccination was NOT associated with a reduced risk of pneumonia in older people. Why is this important? Because 35,000 of the 36,000 “flu” deaths the government claims happen each year are actually caused by diseases like pneumonia, and NOT the flu.

I read these studies - PLUS a number of others - and I concluded that the flu shot is not effective enough to take my chances.

The bottom line --> if you have questions about the flu shot for you and your family, please speak with your health care provider.

Also, do your own research.

Support Immunity with Nutrition

These are tricky questions most parents must face.

Infant/child routine health care, medical interventions, personal/family history, and parents’ gut instincts all play a role in the outcome of why some parents do the shot, and others do not.

Whether or not YOU are decided on the flu shot, there is good news!

I am going to tell you about some easy nutrition protocols you can do to ward off the nasty germs this time of year - and increase your family’s overall immune health for the better.

This information helps you regardless of flu shot administration!

Supplements for Immunity

Yep, I do advocate for certain supplements during winter months.

Research shows that various nutrients become depleted or are needed in greater amounts as we enter this time of year.

Also, the toxins our body cannot process also contribute to emotional malaise and seasonal or “winter blues.” Toxicity creates an appealing host environment for cold and flu viruses that are so common this time of year.

Mainly, the following nutrients help boost the immune system and keep you healthy and strong, longer!

Vitamin C

Everyone knows this vitamin!

In a randomized control trial, vitamin C supplementation (500 mg) was found to help men with below adequate or deficient vitamin C status at the beginning of the study overcome a cold faster.

After taking vitamin C, the duration of infection with the common cold was reduced 59 percent compared to the control group.

The vitamin C group also experienced a modest increase in the physical activity score and increased fasting serum vitamin C levels.

Vitamin D

The sunshine vitamin!

During the winter months, Vitamin D levels drop.

Studies show that supplementing with vitamin D helps protect you against the flu, and may even be more effective than flu shots.

Protect yourself against respiratory infections and balance your immune system by restoring Vitamin D levels in your body.

Zinc

Immune warrior!

Zinc is necessary for normal immune function and has an antiviral effect.

Impaired immune functions due to zinc deficiency are shown to be reversed by an adequate zinc supplementation.

This supplementation must be adapted to the actual requirements of each person (can be tested and evaluated by the Spectracell test).

Probiotics

Not just for the gut!

The benefits of probiotics for digestive health have been long-touted, but recent evidence has shown those "good bacteria" may help fend off colds and flu too.

In September 2011, the Cochrane Collaboration published a report analyzing the effects of probiotics on colds.

They looked at 10 previous studies and concluded that probiotics worked better than the placebo at preventing acute upper respiratory tract infections.

Specialty Products

These special herbal formulas/products can be found on FullScript and are available for purchase if you have an account with them.

I recommend these immune-boosting herbs for your family during winter - start early - like mid to late October and stick with them through April at least.

For Moms & Dads

ViraCon

ViraCon is a powerful combination of immune enhancing herbal extracts.

They function as potent immune system enhancers by increasing cytokines, and the production of other important immune factors.

ViraCon helps support and maintain normal respiratory function and energy.

Ten Mushroom Formula®

Ten Mushroom Formula® is a comprehensive blend of organically grown medicinal mushrooms, including Reishi, Cordyceps, Maitake and Coriolus.

The mushrooms act synergistically to reinforce the immune system while supporting total-body health throughout the seasons.

For Kids

Sambucus

Sambucus is a delicious tasting syrup for children (and adults). Sambucus Black Elderberry Syrup contains a high level of naturally-occurring active constituents.

For centuries the dark berries of European black elder (Sambucus nigra L.) have been traditionally used as a winter remedy.

Echinacea

Parents sometimes use echinacea for treating their child’s cold. A meta-analysis of 14 studies found that echinacea reduced the odds of getting a cold by 58 percent.

It also found that taking echinacea reduced the duration of common colds by 1.4 days.

My 4 Top Soups For Winter Wellness

Now on to the fun stuff. I love soup and have made all of these recipes a number of times. They are my favorites!

Making soup is pretty easy, it just takes some time and patience.

Any of these soups can be made vegetarian or vegan by omitting the chicken and replacing butter with coconut oil.

The chicken is what contains the carnosine which has been shown by research to positively boost the immune system in the face of respiratory viruses.

So, if you are a carnivore, don’t skip the chicken!

I selected these recipes because they all specifically contain the ingredients (or most of them) that I discussed earlier for their anti-viral or immune-boosting properties.

Remember, food is medicine! Eat your soup!

#1 Thai-Style Chicken Noodle Soup

INGREDIENTS:

  • 2 tablespoons coconut oil (or olive oil)
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 tablespoons finely grated ginger
  • 1 tablespoon finely grated turmeric root
  • 4 carrots, thinly sliced into disks
  • 1 1/2 lbs skinless boneless chicken thighs
  • sea salt to taste
  • 4 cups chicken bone broth
  • 1 14 oz can coconut milk
  • juice of 1 lime
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons fish sauce
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons sriracha
  • 1/2 cup sliced scallions
  • 1/2 cup torn cilantro leaves
  • 1/2 cup torn mint leaves
  • 6 oz package of rice pasta, cooked according to package

DIRECTIONS:

  • Preheat oil over high heat in a large heavy bottom stockpot.
  • Add garlic, turmeric & ginger and cook, stirring often, for 1 minute.
  • Add carrots and cook for 1 minute more.
  • Add chicken thighs and cook for about 3 or 4 minutes.
  • Add chicken broth & salt bring to simmer.
  • Cover and simmer for 15 minutes.
  • Remove chicken thighs with a slotted spoon and set aside to cool for 5 minutes or until cool enough to handle.
  • Skim any foam off of the stock.
  • slice or shred cooled chicken into bite sized pieces.
  • add the chicken pieces back to the stock along with coconut milk, lime juice, fish sauce, & sriracha.
  • Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.
  • Bring just back to a simmer, remove from heat, add scallions and cilantro.
  • Ladle into bowls, serve with a generous handful of rice noodles.

#2 Woodear Mushroom and Chicken Miso Soup

INGREDIENTS:

  • 6 cups water or chicken bone broth
  • 1 Tbs. fresh ginger, minced
  • 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
  • ½ cup woodear mushrooms, stemmed and thinly sliced (substitute shitake if you cannot find woodear)
  • ¼ cup strips wakame seaweed
  • 1 medium carrot, thinly sliced
  • 1 pound organic boneless, skinless chicken breasts, poached, cooled and shredded
  • 2 Tbs. light miso (adjust to taste)
  • ¼ cup scallions, sliced
  • fresh cilantro sprigs (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

  • Combine first 6 ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil.
  • Reduce heat, cover and simmer 20 minutes.
  • Add cooked chicken.
  • Place 1 TBS miso each in 2 bowls.
  • Gradually whisk 1/3 cup of the soup into the miso, then return this paste to the soup.
  • Heat but do not boil.
  • Stir in scallions, then ladle into bowls.
  • Garnish each serving with cilantro if desired.

#3 Chicken Curry Soup

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 pound organic boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • 1 cup sprouted or canned organic chickpeas
  • 1 medium bell pepper, diced
  • 3 small sweet potatoes
  • 1/2 bunch spinach
  • 2 onions, finely chopped
  • 2 tomatoes, finely chopped
  • 2 green chilies slit
  • 1 teaspoon ginger-garlic paste
  • 1 tablespoon red chili powder (adjust as per spice preference)
  • 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
  • 1 teaspoon roasted coriander powder
  • 3 cloves
  • 1 inch cinnamon
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 cup organic full fat coconut milk
  • Sea salt to taste
  • 2 teaspoon oil
  • fresh cilantro leaves for garnish

DIRECTIONS:

  • Par Boil sweet potatoes separately with a hint of salt.
  • Poach chicken breasts separately, let cool, then cube or shred.
  • Making the curry:
  • Heat oil in a wok. Add cloves, cinnamon stick and bay leaf.
  • Add finely chopped onions along with green chilies and fry till onions turn translucent. Add ginger-garlic paste and cook till raw smell of the paste is gone.
  • Add finely chopped tomatoes and cook until tomatoes turn soft and mushy.
  • Add the spice powders, mix.
  • Add the chickpeas, cooked chicken and sweet potatoes, sauté for about 3 minutes.
  • Add the bell pepper and sauté again. Add salt to taste.
  • Add about 1 cup water and bring it to boil.
  • Cover and continue to cook until the vegetables and chickpeas are cooked fully and the curry reaches thick consistency.
  • We will add coconut milk and that will make the curry a bit runny so make sure you have a thick consistency curry before you add coconut milk.
  • Just when curry reaches desired consistency, add chopped spinach and cook for 3 to 4 minutes.
  • Finally add coconut milk, give it a stir. Let it cook on low flame for about 2 minutes until you see one or 2 bubbles. Turn off the flame. Do not boil the curry after adding coconut milk, this will make the fat separate. We just want to heat it up after adding coconut milk.
  • Garnish with fresh cilantro leaves and serve hot with steamed rice.

#4 Grandma’s Rosemary Chicken Noodle Soup

 INGREDIENTS

  • 2 Tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 small white onion, peeled and diced
  • 2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
  • 2 stalks celery, ends trimmed and diced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
  • 8 cups (64 ounces) good-quality chicken stock
  • 3–4 stalks fresh rosemary (or more/less to taste)
  • 6 ounces Gluten-free noodles
  • 2 cups shredded cooked chicken
  • salt and pepper
  • (optional: chopped fresh parsley for garnish)

DIRECTIONS:

  • Heat oil in a large stockpot over medium-high heat.
  • Add onion and saute for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  • Add carrots and celery and saute for another 3-4 minutes, or until the carrots are softened a bit.
  • Add garlic and saute for an additional 1-2 minutes, or until fragrant.
  • Add chicken stock and stir until combined.
  • Gently stir the rosemary into the soup, then continue cooking until the soup reaches a simmer.
  • Reduce heat to medium, and simmer for an additional 5 minutes until the broth has your desired level of rosemary flavor. (You can add in more rosemary if needed.)
  • Once the broth is ready, remove the rosemary, and stir in the egg noodles and chicken. Continue cooking for 8-10 minutes or until the egg noodles are al dente. (The longer they cook, the more broth they will soak up. Feel free to add more chicken stock if desired.)
  • Season the soup with salt and pepper to taste.
  • Serve warm, garnished with extra black pepper and fresh parsley if desired.

 

Family Nutrition - 11/08/2019
infertility

Infertility Rising: 4 Hidden Reasons Why Many Women Can't Conceive

A Story about overcoming infertility challenges

Two years ago, Jenny was diagnosed with diminished ovarian reserve. It is a condition in which the ovary loses its normal reproductive potential, compromising fertility.

Both Rob and Jenny are just 32 years old. And, they have a lot riding on an upcoming in-vitro-fertilization (IVF) procedure.

At the time, doctors suggested a procedure for harvesting her remaining eggs, so that someday, they would be able to have a baby through IVF.

Rob and Jenny came to see me recently in an effort to incorporate holistic nutrition with the medical approach suggested by their doctors.

Jenny is taking birth control pills, which her doctor told her would help “regulate her cycle”. But she has been experiencing some unpleasant side effects, such as bloating, moodiness and trouble sleeping.

She is conscientious about her diet, and takes the supplements recommended by the fertility clinic prior to the IVF transfer.

But, with just one month until their big day, Rob and Jenny want to make sure they are doing everything right.

After all, the couple’s dream of having a baby and starting their family is on the line.

Fertility Procedures are Becoming Commonplace

If Rob and Jenny’s story sounds familiar, or if you have struggled to get pregnant naturally, you're not alone.

There are many different causes of infertility. This blog post addresses specifically the four hidden reasons affecting many women today.

In the United States, it is estimated that 1 in 8 couples have trouble getting or staying pregnant.

For the woman, getting pregnant relies on the ovaries releasing healthy eggs.

The reproductive tract must allow an egg to pass into the fallopian tubes and join with sperm for fertilization. The fertilized egg must travel to the uterus and implant in the lining.

(Quick definition: Infertility is clinically defined as not being able to get pregnant despite having frequent, unprotected sex for at least one year. Often, one or more complications in the scenario described above may be present for various reasons.)

Infertility is something that, at first glance, just doesn’t make much sense.

Why in the world - in this age full of technology and medical advancements - are infertility rates on the rise?

In my nutrition practice, I have recently seen more women in their 20’s and 30’s having difficulty conceiving with no known cause.

One theory: Our bodies are quite amazing, and infertility may in fact be a protective mechanism of the body.

Until the underlying causes are addressed, it may continue to be difficult to conceive.

OK, on to the list of the four hidden reasons why many women are experiencing fertility problems...

1. Health in Crisis: Disease-Associated Infertility

While not exactly a hidden cause of infertility among women, it’s important to recognize that strong links have been found between the rise of infertility in women of childbearing age with the increasing prevalence of other health complications, such as diabetes and obesity.

It is not surprising that hormonal imbalances associated with these diseases are undoubtedly a contributing factor to infertility issues.

Women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) have trouble getting pregnant

When a woman receives a diagnosis of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), one of the first things she may be told is that getting pregnant will be a challenge.

Indeed, PCOS is a leading cause of infertility and is a common hormonal disorder, Among women who have trouble getting pregnant, it’s estimated that half have PCOS.

Contrary to the name, cysts do not cause PCOS. Cysts are simply a symptom of the metabolic and hormonal storm that’s going on in the body.

The cysts are egg follicles that were not released when ovulation was meant to occur.

Rather than being released, they remain ‘stuck’ on the ovary and appear as cysts.

Up to 25% of ‘normal’ woman have poly (many) cystic ovaries. However, to have a true PCOS diagnosis, you also need to have the high levels of androgens.

The ovaries produce hormones, which are chemicals that control functions in the body. One of the hormones that the ovaries make is estrogen, a hormone predominantly found in women.

But the ovaries also make androgens, which are sometimes called "male hormones" because men's bodies make more of them than women's bodies do.

(Fun fact: Men and women need certain levels of both hormones for normal health.)
In a woman with PCOS, the hormones are out of balance.

So, a woman with PCOS may have higher-than-normal levels of androgens and may have lower-than-normal levels of estrogen.

Essentially, the cause of PCOS is high androgen levels.

And, subsequently, most of the symptoms of PCOS are caused by higher-than-normal levels of androgens.

High levels of androgens can:

  • interfere with signals from the brain that normally result in ovulation, so that ovulation does not occur regularly
  • cause the ovarian follicles (small, fluid-filled cysts within the ovaries in which eggs grow and mature) to enlarge, forming cysts
  • produce other symptoms of PCOS, including excess hair growth and acne

Inflammation and insulin resistance are the biggest contributors to PCOS.

Insulin:

Insulin is our storage hormone. When we eat, our body detects a rise in blood sugar.

When blood sugar is high for prolonged periods of time, our body doesn’t like it.

This is because it can lead to damage in the cells of our brain, liver, pancreas, heart, and eyes. Therefore, the body stores excess blood sugar in muscle and liver cells for later use.

Insulin is the hormone that tells the cells to open up and let glucose in. It’s excreted by the pancreas and binds to a receptor on the cell. This works in a similar way to a key opening a lock.

When the key has been used too much, or there is chronic low-grade inflammation, the lock starts to get a bit worn and clogged up. The key no longer fits. This is insulin resistance.

High insulin levels stimulate the ovaries to produce more androgens. They also reduce the amount of Sex Hormone Binding Globulin (SHBG) in the blood.

SHBG is like a sponge for excess hormones.

If levels of SHBG are low, then the levels of hormones in the blood will be much higher.

Inflammation:

Inflammation occurs when your immune system is chronically activated. Studies have now shown that inflammation can cause insulin resistance.

It may also have to be present for insulin resistance to occur in the first place.

Many things can cause inflammation, including:

Inflammation has been shown to increase androgens and impair ovulation, even without insulin resistance.

If you get recurrent infections or are sick all the time, this could be an indicator that you have chronic inflammation.

Other signs of inflammation include: seasonal allergies, asthma, sore joints, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or skin problems like eczema.

Undiagnosed (AKA Subclinical) Hashimoto’s or Hypothyroidism Can Cause Infertility

Autoimmune thyroid disease is very common in women of childbearing age.

It can lead to either an overactive (Graves’ disease, hyperthyroidism) or underactive thyroid (Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, hypothyroidism).

Autoimmune thyroid disease occurs when the body makes antibodies that attack the thyroid.

This is characterized by positive thyroid peroxidase (TPO) and/or thyroglobulin antibodies. It is also most commonly associated with an increased risk of developing hypothyroidism.

Hashimoto’s is the name of the autoimmune disease, while hypothyroidism is a thyroid condition that can develop because of it.

Not everyone with Hashimoto’s disease will develop hypothyroidism, but it is the most common cause.

If you have an underactive thyroid, or too little thyroid hormone in your blood due to an issue like Hashimoto’s, the body is unable to function normally.

Symptoms of hypothyroidism often include fatigue, weight gain, dry skin, mood swings and irregular periods causing infertility.

Autoimmune thyroid disease has been shown to be more common in women seeking treatment for infertility.

The significance of thyroid issues for women hoping to conceive is important because often times the disease is overlooked, undiagnosed, or untreated. This is usually due to incomplete testing with blood labs and “inconclusive” results.

Women with positive TPO antibodies have been shown to have an increased risk of pregnancy complications, including miscarriage and preterm labor.

When the thyroid is functioning at a lower than normal level, it will impact other functions of the body - pregnancy is no exception.

Evidence is still inconclusive regarding first trimester miscarriages.

However, a Chinese study in 2014 found that women with both early/mild hypothyroidism and thyroid autoimmunity have a greater risk of miscarriage between weeks 4 and 8.

I believe that Hashimoto’s and hypothyroidism are conditions that should be tested for, addressed and treated as quickly as possible.

Especially so, if a woman is experiencing fertility concerns, and especially during pregnancy, to reduce the risk of miscarriage.

If you have a thyroid disorder and is seeking the right nutrition to support your thyroid and fertility, you can check out my 4-week Hashimoto's Fertility Meal Plan to help you take charge of your hormones, your menstrual health and tackle fertility!

2. Planet in Crisis: Toxin-Associated Infertility

With rising infertility rates, very few experts in reproductive health are pointing to negative factors such as environmental toxin exposure.

But we should be examining the health of our environment as a powerful contributor to decreased fertility.

Exposure to environmental toxins has proven to be a major contributor to infertility on a global scale.

Everywhere we turn there are more chemicals and technological improvements that have negative consequences on health.

Electro-Magnetic Frequency (EMF)

More people on earth now own and use a cellular device than ever before in history. And, researchers believe this change in our surrounding environment may be contributing to increases in male infertility.

EMF radiation is a form of energy emitted by all electronic devices, and this energy has been found to interfere with our body’s cells.

EMF radiation can cause a cellular stress response, which can lead to more concerns, including DNA fragmentation and free radical damage. Other biological effects include cell death (apoptosis) and changes in cell membranes.

This type of damage occurs in both males and females.

A study found that people living close to cell phone base stations had “significantly higher” concentrations of alpha-amylase (a marker of stress) in their bodies.

At the same time, higher levels of stress, as measured by alpha-amylase, have been linked to an increased risk of infertility in women.

So, if we put two and two together, increased exposure to cell phone radiation leads to higher stress, which compromises a woman’s fertility.

Water

A new report by the non-profit Environmental Working Group and Northeastern University finds people in nearly every state are exposed to unhealthy drinking water.

According to the researchers, 43 states have locations, including drinking water sites, contaminated with Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) chemicals.

The CDC says these chemicals have been linked to health issues that include birth defects, cancers and infertility.

Recently, research on the water crisis in Flint, Michigan showed the actual impact on fertility after lead contamination in the city's drinking water.

The results: fertility rates dropped by 12 percent and fetal deaths rose by 58 percent.

Lead

A recent working paper from the National Bureau of Economic Research, “Toxic Truth: Lead and Fertility,” confirms a connection between effects of lead exposure and fertility.

For the first time, they provided causal evidence of the effects of lead exposure on fertility for large portions of the U.S. population, both male and female.

They even found that increased levels of lead in the air increased the probability of a person seeking treatment for infertility.

Plastics

Another example of a pervasive environmental pollutant is the endocrine disruptor bisphenol-A (BPA).

The chemical BPA, which makes plastic hard and clear, has been used in many consumer products such as reusable water bottles.

It also is found in epoxy resins, that form a protective lining inside metal food and beverage cans.

This chemical has been shown to compromise the quality of a woman’s eggs retrieved for in vitro fertilization (IVF).

A small-scale University of California, San Francisco-led study has found the first human evidence of a relationship between BPA and fertility.

It showed that when exposed to bisphenol A (BPA), the percentage of eggs that fertilized normally declined by 50 percent.

3. Ethics in Crisis: Pharmaceutical-Associated Infertility

Pharmaceutical drugs that are prescribed to help manage and treat certain illnesses and diseases can sometimes have a negative effect on both male and female fertility.

If you are trying to conceive, it is important to speak with your health-care provider about the possible effects that your prescribed medication may have on your fertility.

Prescription drugs including hormonal contraceptives (birth control pills), steroids, high blood pressure medication, and antidepressants can all negatively affect the reproductive system.

The most common side effect of these medications is loss of libido, however, some of these medications can also lead to:

  • lowered sperm count
  • erectile dysfunction
  • menstrual irregularities
  • nutrient deficiencies that may result in hormonal imbalances

Birth Control Pills

Birth control is commonly prescribed for preventing pregnancy and to control acne.

The pills are also prescribed for a variety of fertility issues. This includes endometriosis, PCOS, ovarian cysts, pain associated with fertility issues, PMS, and irregular menstrual cycles etc.

An abundance of case reports and research suggests that taking the Pill can negatively impact long-term fertility.

1. Menstrual cycle disruption

Normally, a female’s menstrual cycle is influenced by the ebb and flow of various hormones in the body.

Each month, these hormones encourage the lining to grow and thicken to prepare it for the possibility of receiving a fertilized egg cell.

When fertilization does not occur, the uterine lining is shed in the form of menstrual flow. When you take the pill, you introduce synthetic hormones into your system.

These artificial hormones in the pill suppress the pituitary glands to inhibit ovulation or the release of the egg from the ovary. They also prevent the uterine lining from growing.

These hormonal changes caused by the pill can significantly affect the regularity of your menstrual cycle. When your uterine lining doesn’t thicken, there is very little to shed, so you bleed less than usual.

On the other hand, when you’re on the placebo week, there are no hormones in the pill, so you get your period.

If you are on the pill, chances are you will experience irregular bleeding, bleeding between periods, or no period at all.

2. Hormone imbalance

Synthetic hormone-containing birth control may provide symptom relief.

However, it does not address the underlying imbalance that is fueling or contributing to the fertility issue being dealt with.

What the Pill is doing is introducing synthetic forms of estrogen and progesterone to the body. These synthetic forms then prevent the body’s natural, beneficial hormones from bonding to hormone receptor sites.

Introducing synthetic hormones into the body may further exacerbate hormone imbalance by overloading it.

3. Disrupted ovulation

The synthetic hormones contained in birth control regulate release and timing of specific hormones in the body to prevent ovulation.

This is not how the normal release of hormones plays out in a naturally occurring menstrual cycle.

It is necessary to ovulate a mature, healthy follicle (egg) in order to achieve natural pregnancy.

The Pill prevents the maturation of a follicle for ovulation, one of the ovaries most important jobs.

Over time, the ovaries may “forget” how to do their job on their own. Just because they haven’t been signaled with the right hormones at the correct time in the menstrual cycle.

4. Cervical mucus changes

The Pill has been shown to change cervical mucus so that sperm cannot reach the egg.

Healthy cervical mucus is important for conception because it helps sperm travel through the vagina and the cervix to meet and fertilize an egg.

5. Changes the uterine lining

The Pill changes the uterine lining to make it unreceptive to the implantation of a fertilized egg.

It controls the body’s estrogen and progesterone levels with synthetic hormones. And, it also prevents the proper levels of progesterone to build a healthy uterine lining for implantation.

Many women begin taking the pill at a very young age and don’t stop until they want to begin trying to conceive.

The Pill doesn’t cause infertility but impacts long-term fertility by silencing a woman’s biological clock.

In other cases, women ignore or forget they are dealing with a fertility issue because the symptoms have gone away.

The bottom line is: women trying to control the symptoms of a fertility issue by taking the Pill are not addressing the underlying imbalance that is fueling or contributing to the fertility issue.

Instead, they are using a synthetic medication to control the symptoms of the problem while simultaneously allowing the body to defy nature.

Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) Vaccine

In 2006, Gardasil, sometimes referred to as the human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccine, was approved by the Food and Drug Administration.

Gardasil is administered in three shots over the course of six months, to protect against HPV infection and its complications, including cervical cancers in women.

The vaccine is also marketed as offering protection against genital warts, as well as cancers of the anus, vulva and vagina.

Gardasil is given to males as well as females between the ages of 9 and 20.

A study published in the Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health examined the childbearing capacity of women who received the HPV vaccine and those who didn’t.

Study results suggest the following:

  • Females who received the HPV shot were less likely to have ever been pregnant than women in the same age group who did not receive the shot.
  • The birth rate had declined in America in recent years - from 118 per 1,000 in 2007, to 105 in 2015 for the population cohort aged 25 to 29.

Opponents of the vaccine, including physicians, pose valid questions about the safety, risks, benefits and aggressive marketing of Gardasil.

Between 2006 and 2014, the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) cited 48 cases of ovarian damage associated with autoimmune reactions in HPV vaccine recipients.

VAERS also catalogued other reproductive issues including: spontaneous abortion (256 cases), amenorrhea (172 cases), and irregular menstruation (172 cases). These are all likely under-reported symptoms following administration of the vaccine.

One way to better understand the risk/benefit analysis of all medication (including vaccines) is to thoroughly review materials produced directly by the manufacturer.

I have personally read the patient insert which accompanies the Gardasil vaccine.

My concerns with some of the ingredients in Gardasil:

The best advice about the HPV vaccine comes from Dr. Kelly Brogan. She encourages parents to inform themselves on the safety of the vaccine before subjecting their children to the injections.

4. Lives in Crisis: Stress-Associated Infertility

Today, researchers have data that suggests preconception stress plays a role in infertility. The study findings appear online in the journal Human Reproduction.

Courtney Denning-Johnson Lynch, director of reproductive epidemiology at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, and colleagues found that stress and infertility are related.

The findings showed that women with high levels of alpha-amylase - a biomarker of stress -  are 29 percent less likely to get pregnant each month.

Also, these women are more than twice as likely to meet the clinical definition of infertility. i.e. They remained not pregnant despite 12 months of regular unprotected intercourse) compared to women with low levels of this protein enzyme.

Researchers tracked 501 American women ages 18 to 40 years who were free from known fertility problems and had just started trying to conceive.

The researchers followed them for 12 months or until they became pregnant as part of the Longitudinal Investigation of Fertility and the Environment (LIFE) Study.

Saliva samples were collected from participants the morning following enrollment. And, samples were also collected again the morning following the first day of their first study-observed menstrual cycle.

Specimens were available for 373 women and were measured for the presence of salivary alpha-amylase and cortisol, two biomarkers of stress.

The researchers showed that stress is associated with a greater than two-fold increased risk of infertility among women.

This results should encourage women experiencing difficulty getting pregnant to consider managing their stress using stress reduction techniques.

However, as indicated above, stress is not the only or most important factor involved in a woman’s ability to get pregnant.

Rob and Jenny’s Health Discoveries…

Rob and Jenny, whom I mentioned at the beginning, have been looking deeper into their own risk factors for infertility and eliminating them one at a time.

Here are a few facts about Jenny’s health history that she believes may have played a role in her diminished ovarian reserve:

  • When Jenny was 20 years old she received a course of 3 HPV vaccinations in a 6-month period.
  • At 21, Jenny was hospitalized with a pulmonary embolism. A genetic test revealed Jenny is compound heterozygous for the MTHFR genetic variation, which is associated with increased risk of blood clots.
  • In her late 20s, Jenny was diagnosed with hypothyroidism, and began taking Levothyroxine. Until recently, she did not know her hypothyroidism was the autoimmune disease Hashimoto’s.

Nutrition & Lifestyle Can Help

Here’s the thing, Jenny has always been pretty careful about her eating. She likes fruits and veggies and tries to consume adequate protein.

She admits she has a sweet tooth and likes her coffee but recently she is cutting back on both. Jenny has taken a women’s one-a-day multivitamin from the drug store for nearly a decade.

Aside from the history above, Jenny hasn’t had too many issues with her health.

Infertility came as a bit of a surprise.

When Rob and Jenny came to see me, they wanted to know about the comprehensive nutrition and lifestyle options that would support their plans for IVF transfer.

Together, we thoughtfully embarked on a holistic nutrition plan for optimal fertility:

  • Spectracell micronutrient testing showed us that Jenny had nutrient deficiencies, and specific nutritional needs to support her MTHFR status. With additional methylfolate, b-complex vitamins, carnitine and antioxidants, Jenny is feeling stronger and more energetic than ever. SAMPLE  Spectracell Micronutrient TEST REPORT
  • Food Inflammation Testing (FIT testing) revealed hidden inflammation from frequent foods in Jenny’s diet. Following elimination of the inflammatory foods, Jenny’s digestive system is feeling much better. It has less gas and bloating, fewer aches and pains in her joints and more energy throughout the day. SAMPLE FIT TEST REPORT
  • Avoidance of common food, household and skincare chemicals is helping both Rob and Jenny reduce their toxic load. This is important for helping Jenny’s thyroid be more productive (remember, she has Hashimoto’s). Through daily detox practices, both Rob and Jenny have enjoyed fewer complaints of dry/itchy skin, seasonal allergies, fatigue after meals and digestive disturbances.
  • Rob installed a whole-house Aquasana water filtration system in their home. Pure, clean water has given them the peace of mind that the common chemical residues found in municipal tap is not a threat to them or their future family.
  • Rob and Jenny put EMF radiation reduction devices on their laptops, cell phones and ipads.
  • Finally, they have begun a morning yoga routine together. It incorporates both movement and meditation - for reducing stress and getting more exercise.

You Have the Power To Resolve Your Fertility Challenges

Here’s the good news: some of the things a woman can do to help resolve fertility issues involve making major lifestyle choices.

A woman can focus on what is within her control, such as: nutrition, sleep, managing stress, and chemical exposure.

We each hold tremendous power over our own health and fertility status by choosing healthy lifestyle habits.

The above information hopefully gets you on a path towards resolving your fertility concerns.

But, if this leaves you feeling like additional support is right for you, please consider my Happy & Healthy Adult Program.

I can help you uncover your root cause and get you on a path towards greater health and achieving all your goals and dreams.

Family Nutrition / Trying to Conceive - 10/03/2019
kids brains

Nutrition for Growing Brains & How to Reduce Symptoms of ADHD in Kids

Back to School Brain News

So, your head is spinning from all the back-to-school hullabaloo and stressors, and you might not think a blog post about super-nutrition for kids’ brains is ultra important right now.

But, if you are hoping to get this school year off to a great start - and especially - if you have a child who could use support for his or her attention, focus, memory, cognition or mood - this article is for you.

I am excited about what is in store for this blog post about nutrition for kids’ brains. I have spent tons of time researching this subject for my clients and for my own family.

I’ll also be covering why brain issues are on the rise for kids - specifically why nutritional deficiencies are a root cause of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and what you can do for your kids’ nutrition.

Child Advanced Program Divider 3

Why Does Nutrition Matter So Much for Kids?

Deep down, many parents actually do wonder why it matters what kids eat.

We know that healthy foods are important, but won’t it sort of fix itself in the long run?

I mean, I grew up on McDonald’s and Oreos...and I turned out “OK”, (then I found nutrition, and I turned out awesome!).

Why does nutrition now matter for our kids’ health in the short and long runs?

OK, there’s good news.

You may only need to make a few small changes to improve your child’s nutritional profile in order to ensure a lifetime of healthy living.

Here’s the deal: nutrition affects all aspects of childhood growth, development, and health.

This includes, but is not limited to:

  • Maintaining a healthy weight
  • Avoiding health problems related to excess body fat
  • Digestive system health
  • Brain development and behavior*

*This blog post is all about nutrition for growing brains...read on.

Brain Issues are On the Rise for Kids

Poor nutrition has been studied to contribute to child mood and behavioral problems, such as depression and anxiety, and even aggressiveness and violence.

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common brain disorder marked by an ongoing pattern of inattention and/or hyperactivity-impulsivity that interferes with functioning or development.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that in 2016, 11% of all children in the U.S. aged 4-17 had a diagnosis of ADHD - or roughly 6.1 million American children.

While there is no “cure” for ADHD, currently available conventional treatments to reduce symptoms and improve functioning include medication, psychotherapy, education or training, or a combination of treatments.

Sadly, it is rare for medical practitioners to look at a child’s diet to assess if there are nutrient needs that are not being met in order to support a healthy brain.

Most doctors and researchers do understand that developing brains need quality nutrients.

So, let’s take a look at toxins, foods, and nutrients which may affect brain development in children.

Does Sugar, Caffeine or Junk Food Cause ADHD?

This is a very common question from parents. I will break the answer down for you in three separate parts:

Excess Sugar Impacts Cognitive Skills

The truth is, numerous studies have looked at the relationship between refined sugar and ADHD.

Most studies indicate sugar does not play a role in ADHD, while parents in the trenches with children bouncing off the walls often disagree.

My research has taught me that the human brain uses more energy than any other organ in the body and glucose is its primary source of fuel.

Excess sugar impairs both cognitive skills and self-control in people of all ages.

Furthermore, sugar has drug-like effects in the reward center of the brain. Scientists have proposed that sweet foods can produce addiction-like effects in the human brain.

This effect is even more profound in children - because their brains are still developing.

Addressing the sugar in your family culture is certainly something to consider if you are struggling to improve your child’s behavior, mood or learning.

Caffeine Can Make ADHD Symptoms Worse

Parents I work with note that caffeine use in their child (especially teens) can either make ADHD symptoms worse - OR - help give their child needed focus for certain activities or tasks. (True! And, many ADHD medications are also stimulants in the same way that caffeine stimulates the brain.)

Many adults know how to use caffeine in a responsible way (and many don’t!). But caffeine actually negatively affects kids with ADHD-like symptoms.

Getting a buzz from caffeine isn’t a sustainable way to manage ADHD-like symptoms such as inattention.

Too much caffeine can make a kid feel jittery, anxious, sick to their stomaches and often leads to a “crash” in the afternoon.

The boost that makes caffeine feel helpful during the day can make it hard for you teen to sleep at night. Being tired from lack of sleep makes ADHD-like symptoms worse, not better.

Fast Food & Junk Food Overload The Digestive And Detox Systems

Excessive consumption of fast foods and other foods of poor nutritional value can cause their kids to display behavior that might be similar to ADHD.

Artificial food additives, processed foods and chemical colorings are found everywhere in our food supply - especially in fast foods and junky snack foods.

These food additives, processing agents and food stabilizers/artificial flavors and colorings are part of the overload of toxins in the total body. And these toxins have to be processed and get rid of by the digestive and detox systems.

Proper nutrition is necessary for those detoxification pathways to remain open and functioning.

Toxins that the body cannot get rid of can be stored in the brain.

Excitotoxins are another name for excitatory neurotoxins which are often added to foods to make them seem more flavorful.

Excitotoxins are basically non-essential amino acids that serve to stimulate the umami sensory, which creates a brain inflammation cycle that leads to damage.

It also leads to a host of neurological diseases including Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, dementia, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, multiple sclerosis, lupus and many others.

Aspartame Affects The Part Of The Brain That Influence Our Learning And Memory

OK, one more thing. Many parents who are careful to avoid sugar inadvertently give their children foods sweetened with aspartame. Aspartame is in thousands of “sugar free” foods (in particular diet drinks and chewing gum).

Aspartame is the common denominator for dozens of different symptoms and diseases, such as neurological disorders, cancers, endocrine diseases and more.

Studies have shown the sweetener directly affects our N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors, the part of our brain that influence our learning and memory.

Aspartame damages NMDA receptors by causing nerves to fire excessively, essentially stimulating the neural cells to death.

Aspartame is also in the class of excitotoxins mentioned above but I am giving it its own category because it is particularly harmful in high doses, causing severe damage to the nervous system and brain.

It’s Not Just The Food, Environmental Toxins Interfere With Normal Brain Development

Everyday toxins (in our food and in our world) interfere with normal brain development.

The most critical part of human development takes place in the first trimester of pregnancy, when the cell architecture and connections between neurons are established.

A national study looked at environmental toxins and discovered that 200 chemicals are known to cause clinical neurotoxic effects in adults.

Despite an absence of systematic testing, many additional chemicals have been shown to be neurotoxic in laboratory models.

The toxic effects of such chemicals in the developing human brain are not known and they are not regulated to protect children.

The bottom line: you don’t have to live next to a toxic waste site to be exposed to brain-damaging chemicals!

Examples of toxins that can be found in our day-to-day lives:

  • Perfluorinated compounds (PFCs) are used to prevent food and other substances from sticking to carpets, drapes, and cooking pans.
  • Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), used as fire retardants, are found in clothing and furniture, as well as bedding.
  • Triclosan is an antibacterial agent found in soaps, toothpastes, and many other personal-care products.
  • Bisphenol A (BPA) is an epoxy resin used to line food cans and other containers. It is also used to make plastic containers, like baby bottles, and certain paper products.
  • Phthalates make rubber-based materials soft and pliable. They are found in vinyl, plastic bottles, toys, shower curtains, and raincoats. They are also used to make personal-care products, air fresheners, and shampoos.

How Does Poor Nutrition Contribute to ADHD?

For years, however, holistic practitioners and nutritionists have speculated that certain “Franken” foods may have something to do with ADHD. See above.

Much research has been done on the subject of foods for ADHD, but according to the Mayo Clinic, experts don't believe that foods necessarily cause ADHD.

What some foods seem to do, however, is worsen ADHD symptoms or cause behavior that mimics the signs of ADHD in children.

The general dietary recommendations for children with ADHD are to include fruits and vegetables, whole grains, beans, lean meat, and fish.

These are pretty common-sense suggestions, and while important, I believe we need to look beyond food consumption.

We need to assess the body’s ability to digest and absorb nutrients from food. We need to understand malabsorption and resultant deficiencies.

Gut Health = Brain Health

Leaky gut syndrome, also known as “increased intestinal permeability,” is a condition that has been linked to a variety of health problems. This includes mental health concerns and behavioral issues among kids.

Leaky gut refers to a condition in the body where the tight connections between the cells that line the digestive tract are damaged.

When the connections are damaged, they can no longer provide the snug barrier protection they were designed for.

When increased intestinal permeability (or leaky gut) is taking place inside your gastrointestinal (GI) tract, the wrong molecular substances are able to pass through the gut wall barrier.

These molecules launch an inflammatory response not just inside the GI tract, but also throughout the immune system and whole body - AND THE BRAIN.

It is this inflammatory response that damages the organs of the body and plays a role in the various serious health conditions.

I believe ADHD-like symptoms (from having a leaky gut) are a direct result of an unhealthy, modern lifestyle.

Inflammatory foods, sugar, medications, infections, and chemicals our children’s bodies are exposed to lead to intestinal permeability.

And the stress our kids increasingly face everyday further worsens leaky gut.

Food Intolerances & ADHD

Reactions produced by food intolerances are inflammatory and can be involved in a whole host of health problems.

Sometimes food intolerances will not produce the same reaction each time. Often, mood, focus and learning problems are a result of the foods kids are exposed to on a regular basis.

Neurological symptoms of food intolerances include:

  • Anxiety
  • Headaches & Migraines
  • Depression
  • Fatigue
  • Mood Changes
  • Hyperactivity
  • Brain Fog/Memory Issues

What I commonly see in my practice is that kids rarely correlate their ADHD-like concerns with foods they eat.

Long-term leaky gut and inflammation may lead to the development of more complicated illnesses as children get older.

Eating foods which contribute to leaky gut serve to promote those ADHD-like symptoms as long as the offending foods stay in the body.

So, if your child has ADHD-like symptoms or any of the above neurological complaints from consuming particular foods, it is very important to address your child’s leaky gut with nutrition and help him or her start to feel better.

Proper Digestion Helps Nutrients Reach the Brain

Nutrients follow a tricky pathway to your child’s brain. And, as mentioned above about leaky gut and food intolerances, nutrition trying to reach the brain must overcome several challenges.

Nutrients must first gain entry to your child’s body. So, if your child doesn’t eat healthy foods, well, they will not be available to your child’s brain.

Introducing easy, healthy foods to your child’s diet will be addressed in more detail below.

Once in the stomach, healthy foods must survive an attack by hydrochloric acid (HCl) that breaks down some of the foods.

Further along the digestive tract, nutrients must be absorbed through the cells lining the intestine and transported through blood vessel walls into the bloodstream. (Leaky gut disrupts this perfect process!)

The digestive system breaks down all foods into their component parts, which include amino acids, sugars, vitamins, fatty acids and minerals. It is these substances that move into the bloodstream and circulate to the body's cells.

Once in the bloodstream, nutrients must cross small blood vessels into brain tissue. This transport from the blood to neurons is restricted by the blood brain barrier (BBB).

How the Blood Brain Barrier (BBB) Affects Nutrient Absorption

The BBB is semi-permeable; that is, it allows some materials to cross, but prevents others from crossing. In most parts of the body, the smallest blood vessels, called capillaries, are lined with endothelial cells.

Endothelial tissue has small spaces between each individual cell so substances can move readily between the inside and the outside of the vessel.

The BBB does allow in the necessary oxygen and nutrients transported by the blood cells. Researchers have found that very small and/or fat-soluble compounds can bypass the BBB.

Some brain experts think that the blood brain barrier degrades when proper nutrients are not present, allowing harmful toxins and compounds into the brain.

This causes inflammation in the brain and in kids that means symptoms like depression, difficulty concentrating, memory, learning and cognitive issues, and other brain-based symptoms and disorders such as ADHD.

The strategies for repairing a leaky blood brain barrier are similar to the strategies for repairing a leaky gut because the causes are similar.

Nutritional Deficiencies as a Root Cause of ADHD

Deficiencies of the following nutrients have been shown to correlate with ADHD-like symptoms.

Essential Fatty Acids For Children With ADHD-like Symptoms

I am a big fan of supplementing omega-3 fatty acids for children with ADHD-like symptoms.

Why supplement? Well, you would have to convince your kids to consume A LOT of cold-water fatty fish EVERY DAY to get enough omega-3s that would make a big difference in their focus and behavior.

Some research shows that ADHD and omega-3 deficiency share some common symptoms.

There are three main kinds of omega-3s - EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid), DHA (docosahexaenoic acid), and ALA (alpha-linolenic acid) - with DHA being the most important for your child’s brain.

  • DHA accounts for 97% of the omega-3 fatty acids in the brain.
    It’s a major structural component of the cerebral cortex, the part of the brain responsible for memory, language, creativity, emotion and attention.
  • Besides being a major structural component, DHA also plays a role in brain cell communication.
  • It supports optimal levels of many important neurotransmitters including dopamine, serotonin, GABA and acetylcholine.
  • It also increases the number of neurotransmitter receptors, allowing the brain to better utilize these brain chemicals.

For kids, I recommend supplementing with a high-quality DHA supplement, in a dose around 100-200 mg per day.

B Complex Vitamins To Support Your Kids' Brain Health

B-complex vitamins are really important for brain health and supporting learning and cognition.

  • Vitamin B1 (thiamine) supports the BBB, enhances brain function and helps make use of protein (amino acids). Deficiency symptoms include irritability, poor concentration, and poor memory.
  • Vitamin B3 (niacin) supports brain function and detox pathways. Deficiency symptoms include insomnia, poor memory, anxiety, depression, and irritability.
  • Vitamin B5 (pantothenate) is essential for brain and nerves. Deficiency symptoms include poor concentration and anxiety.
  • Vitamin B6 is essential for the utilization of protein (amino acids), brain function, and acts as a natural antidepressant. Deficiency symptoms include depression, nervousness and irritability.
  • Vitamin B12 supports a healthy nervous system. Deficiency symptoms include nervousness, irritability and anxiety.
  • Folate can restore blood-brain barrier integrity and lower inflammation. Low folate levels have been associated with depression and dementia in older adults.

A variation in the MTHFR (Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase) gene may play a role in b vitamin deficiencies - in particular, B12 and folate.

MTHFR variations limit the body’s available folate levels for numerous functions in the body, including directly controlling the brain and nervous system.

MTHFR gene mutations therefore indirectly disrupt important nutritional pathways that support brain and nervous system health.

ADHD can be one of the results of nutritional disruption.

So the important thing to note about this gene variation is that it may prevent people from properly methylating.

Methylation is one of the body’s key detox processes that helps our bodies get rid of toxins.

Methylation impairment can result in a reduced ability to clear out certain toxins such as mercury and arsenic, both of which can be neurotoxins in the brain.

My recommendation for supporting kids with possible methylation defects who also have ADHD-like symptoms is to supplement with a high quality B-complex vitamin - that contains methylcobalamin.

Additional supplementation with methylfolate is also helpful.

 

Protein

Protein is critical to a child’s growing brain. Having enough dietary protein is vital to providing the essential amino acids which are the building blocks of the body and mind.

Many of the important neurotransmitters children need that may prevent ADHD are made from amino acids with the help of activated folate and the B complex vitamins.

Neurotransmitters have many important roles and largely control how we feel, how we think and how we behave.

Some neurotransmitters are designed to increase our response to external environmental stimulus and others are designed to decrease our response.

In the case of ADHD it may be a matter of having unbalanced neurotransmitters with some doing more than others.

Thus, the end result is altered, unwanted behavior, lack of focus, poor concentration, learning difficulties and or hyperactivity.

Animal meat is rich in vitamin B12 and iron (as well as many other vitamins and minerals) which are key to supporting the brain and nervous system.

But, not all protein is created equal and it can be difficult to get adequate protein intake from diet alone. Many of my young clients have aversions to animal protein, or intolerances to certain animal proteins like eggs or fish.

It is important to work with a holistic nutritionist to figure out the right protein plan for your child.

For some, such as children who are vegans, protein shakes and amino acid supplements are helpful.

 

Other nutrients to include in your child’s supplementation program:

  • Vitamins C and E: These powerful antioxidant vitamins may neutralize the impact of excitotoxins in the brain. For children 6 and older, you can give them divided doses totaling 1,000 mg of vitamin C daily.
  • Vitamin D: a powerful tool in managing inflammation. Every cell in the body has vitamin D receptors. Studies show it can help prevent leaky brain by reducing inflammation and reducing blood-brain barrier disruption. For children 6 and older, you can give them 5,000 ius per day
  • Minerals: magnesium is a vital mineral for more than 300 biochemical processes in the body, and magnesium positively affects brain neurotransmitters, enzymes, and hormones. For children 6 and older, start with 100 mg per day and work up to a higher dose dependent on bowel tolerance.

Food for Your Child’s Brain

Ok, now on to my list of favorite brain healthy foods (that are also really easy to feed your kids):

Avocados

A great food source of folate, avocados help reduce inflammation as well as help improve cognitive function, especially both memory and concentration.

Serve cut up avocado with a pinch of sea salt with your child’s meal in place of or with a salad. Mash up avocados and serve with veggie sticks for a great snack. Avocados can be added to smoothies for a healthy breakfast each day!

Blueberries

These little jewels contain the highest antioxidants of any food on earth, and are also loaded of vitamin C, vitamin K and fiber.

Because of their high levels of gallic acid, blueberries are especially good at protecting our children’s brains from stress.

Frozen organic blueberries can be purchased year-round and are great added to oatmeal, smoothies and yogurt.

Green veggies

Some research points out that getting regular helpings of leafy green brain foods (like kale, Swiss chard and romaine lettuce) can help improve memory and cognition.

The high levels of folate in leafy greens make them an anti-inflammatory food.

Blend baby spinach with banana, frozen blueberries, almond milk and a dash of honey for an easy smoothie that does not taste like spinach!

Wild-caught Salmon

Fatty fish that swim in the deep cold waters of the sea contain a large amount of the ultra brain-healthy omega-3 fatty acids, DHA and EPA.

Consuming wild salmon each week can help keep your child’s brain running smoothly and improve memory.

If you have kids, feeding them grilled, smoked, broiled or steamed salmon can help prevent ADHD by improving their focus.

Walnuts

Eating walnuts might help improve your child’s mental alertness.

Just munching on a few walnuts a day can improve their cognitive health thanks to their high levels of antioxidants, vitamins and minerals.

Add walnuts to oatmeal, healthy cookies, pancakes, and more. I love to grind walnuts and sprinkle on roasted veggies along with sea salt and olive oil.

Coconut oil

Coconut oil works as a natural anti-inflammatory, suppressing cells responsible for inflammation, so it can help with memory, blood flow, mood and sleep.

Cook your children’s veggies in coconut oil, add a teaspoon to smoothies and even use as a spread in place of butter or peanut butter on toast.

Coconut oil plus honey on a piece of toasted gluten free bread is a great after school snack for kids.

Next Step: Get Help For Your Kids

I have applied these healthy brain principles in our family to help my children with school, learning, focus, mood and getting more consistently restful sleep.

That means less worries about poor grades, bad moods, irritability, and instead feeling more empowered and happier every day!

I have also worked with dozens (and dozens!) of families to help them do the very same thing for their children.

If you have already been working on nutrition to reduce ADHD-like symptoms for your child, and the process is feeling overwhelming or complicated, you may need to get professional help.

Healing the gut and addressing deficiencies is the right place to start. I can help you uncover your child’s root cause of ADHD-like symptoms.

Let’s get your kiddo on a path towards greater health and achieving all their goals and dreams.

Child Nutrition / Family Nutrition - 09/09/2019
Breastfeeding Mom and baby

Myths & Truths about Popular Detox Food & Drinks While Breastfeeding (What is Really Safe for Baby?)

Many of us start thinking about how to lose that baby weight and clean up our bodies shortly after baby arrives.

We are ready to get rid of the pregnancy hormones that helped bring our sweet little bundle into the world, but changed our bodies dramatically in a short time.

I mean, your body has not been your own for quite some time, am I right?

You want to feel healthy, light, clean, womanly, svelte, energetic, free and happy. (Insert more of your own adjectives here!)

You Are Totally Normal

Sometimes when you have a nursling, the only thing in your power is adjusting your diet to accomplish some of those goals and feelings of normalcy.

But, it’s so confusing! What can you really do to make an impact on your health without affecting baby?

The internet, your doctor, your best friend, a magazine article...all say something different about what we can and cannot eat during a breastfeeding “cleanse.”

My Experience With Breastfeeding

My experiences with breastfeeding were largely influenced by having Hashimoto’s and postpartum thyroiditis.

So, I struggled with making enough breast milk. My first baby was a bit colicky. (And, by a bit, I mean he was a holy living terror for the first three months of his life 👶🏻.)

My needs for detox were powerful!

I retained the baby weight (I gained 50 pounds when pregnant with both of my children!) for far too long.

My hormones were a mess and I was desperate to find solutions to my own health desires and demands, while ensuring that I could continue to nurse my babies for as long as possible.

I knew that I could not skimp on calories or else my blood sugar, energy levels and moods would crash and burn. That would not be good.

I also knew that I needed enough calories to keep making sufficient and high-quality breast milk.

I knew that protein was essential for healing my thyroid.

I knew that nutrient-dense foods would give me my health back.

But I also wanted some “quick fixes” to purge the unwanted pounds and pimples brought on by pregnancy.

So I researched and began to implement strategies which would help a nursing mother detox safely.

 

Importance of Detox

Because detoxification is so super, duper important, it’s happening all the time with or without our support.

The critical detox pathways in your body are meant to keep you healthy and “clean” without even having to think about it.

There are things we can do, however, to encourage our bodies to detoxify more efficiently, more effectively, and help remove the substances, foods, drinks and chemicals that often get in the way of our own innate ability to detox.

Eating fresh, organic, whole foods, in the natural forms intended by Mother Nature is the best detoxification program available!

You can read more about my step-by-step plan for safely detoxing while breastfeeding here.

Detoxing Safely While Breastfeeding

There are definite safety concerns around doing any intense detoxification programs, whether you are breastfeeding or not.

Not all detoxes are safe, tested or effective. Many detox programs are more like a very restrictive fad diet.

The safety of detox while breastfeeding needs to be the number one priority.

During breastfeeding, a woman’s body is already working double-time to detoxify all of the pollutants that she comes into contact with.

Internal toxins (like hormones and by-products) and external toxins (chemicals from plastics and pesticides) are filtered as much as possible by the body to create nutritious breast milk.

If you are breastfeeding, it is important to be gentle with your body. Extreme detox measures (i.e., Master Cleanse - see below) can result in unwanted side effects to your nursing little one.

When we stress the body during any type of rigorous detox protocol, the body begins compensating for lack of nutrients, and that messes up the body’s homeostasis (“balance”).

The organs of detoxification use clean fuel (food) as energy to maintain their cleansing activities.

Therefore, real, healthy, nutrient-dense food is needed to support detox and to support the energy needs of both mother and baby.

If you want to jump-start your postpartum health & support breastfeeding, you can begin with my Safe Detox for Breastfeeding - 7-day Meal Plan with unique recipes that includes breakfast, lunch, dinner and two snacks everyday.

Finding the Right Balance

Restricting calories, fat, protein or nutritious foods is advised against for a number of reasons. But, primarily because too little of the clean fuel needed for baby adversely affects the quality and quantity of breast milk.

This may in turn affect baby’s growth and development.

Furthermore, while we may feel amazing for a while after doing any extreme detox measures like fasting or juicing, changes to homeostasis in our bodies may result in holding on to or possibly taking on new toxins.

What?

Yes, believe it or not, sometimes the best intentions for cleansing or detoxing the body may actually have the exact OPPOSITE effect. We can actually become more toxic when we detoxify improperly.

Other issues with a stressed homeostasis can occur as well:

  • nutrient deficiencies
  • increased cravings for sweets or carbs
  • slowed energy metabolism
  • increased weight gain
  • increased toxins/heavy metal load
  • worsening of symptoms like aches, pains, headaches, infections, etc.
  • long-term negative effects on hormone balance

Myths & Truths About Breastfeeding Detox Tactics

There are so many myths out there.

Just Google search “breastfeeding detox” to see how crazy some of the ideas and suggestions are. (One strange website recommends taking large amounts of castor oil daily and giving yourself diarrhoea for 7 days to lose weight! 😳 YIKES! Do not do that!)

I get questions all the time from my breastfeeding clients about which approaches to safe detox are best.

I’ve done the legwork on this topic so you don’t have to.

My safety ratings on commonly-held popular detox foods and drinks are listed here.

  • Green light means go for it and enjoy!
  • Yellow light means please discuss this idea with your doctor first and use caution if proceeding.
  • Red light means definitely do not try this idea, now and possibly even after you are done breastfeeding as it is just a bad idea all around!

Popular Detox Food & Drinks - My Safety Ratings For Breastfeeding

GREEN LIGHT:

Lemon water

Fresh squeezed lemon juice in your water is one of the healthiest drinks. It can really help stimulate the body’s natural detox processes and help you feel rejuvenated.

Having lemon water while breastfeeding is a healthy and safe idea because nursing mothers tend to feel tired during the early phases of pregnancy and lemon juice contains antioxidants that can help in raising energy levels.

Lemon water also improves the blood circulation in the body which improves the quality of milk and keeps your baby happy and content.

Lemon water may also help improve digestion in both the mother and baby.

Fresh pressed juices

While fresh juices should not replace any of your other meals (calories, fats, proteins, or complex carbohydrate foods necessary for producing healthy breast milk), FRESH PRESSED ORGANIC juice can be a healthy, energizing snack.

I recommend drinking only ORGANIC juice in addition to eating as healthy as possible. I suggest juicing your own veggies and fruits if you are able to (I love the Hurom juicer) with emphasis on an abundance of leafy greens, which are high in protein, folate, iron, and vitamins C and K.

Also, vitamin C-rich fruits and veggies like navel oranges, kiwi, red and green bell peppers are excellent to support your immune system. Fresh ginger added to your juices is very helpful for alleviating nausea.

Last but not least, you can always sip on coconut water to keep you and baby hydrated.

Herbal teas

For me, a cup of herbal tea helped tremendously when I experienced strong food cravings while breastfeeding since tea can help curb appetite.

Rather than having a “not so healthy snack” you can pour a cup of tea instead.

There is a rather short list of what a woman can drink while breastfeeding.

So, focus on these safe and healthy herbal teas which not only have safe cleansing properties, but may also help boost your breast milk supply.

They are ginger tea, linden flower tea, orange peel, lemon peel, rosehip tea (contains extra vitamin C), chamomile tea, cinnamon tea, and red raspberry leaf tea.

Red raspberry leaf tea is especially good for supporting the reproductive organs and may assist in toning the uterus and restoring the pelvic area after giving birth.

Smoothies

Smoothies are one of the best natural detox beverage options available to a nursing mother because you can load LOTS OF NUTRIENTS into a small, easily digestible package.

Nursing mothers need extra calories and a nutritious smoothie is the perfect mini-meal or snack. Some of my favorite smoothie recipes have numerous medicinal properties, including hydrating and liver supportive ingredients.

To any smoothie, you can add a number of different “superfoods” which are safe for breastfeeding. For example, ground flax seeds, chia seeds, hemp seeds, acai berries, unsweetened coconut flakes, dandelion greens and dates.

My favorite recipe is perfect for a breastfeeding mamma who wants to detox naturally and maintain superior breastmilk.

  • 1 banana (potassium)
  • 1 cup coconut water (electrolytes)
  • 1 bunch of organic dandelion greens, baby spinach or chopped kale (iron, minerals, vitamins C & K)
  • 2 organic pitted dates (iron, minerals, fiber)
  • 2 TBS organic shelled hemp seeds (great source of protein, essential fatty acids)
  • 1-2 TBS (to taste) unsweetened coconut flakes (fiber, minerals)
  • Ice and additional water to your texture/consistency preference
  • Blend all ingredients and enjoy right away!

Protein powders

Honestly, for all kinds of protein powders, they aren’t really a crucial part of any type of detox regimen. But, they are an excellent way to get additional protein if consuming animal meat is either inconvenient or not a part of your normal dietary routine.

Protein is critical for supporting a breastfeeding mother’s musculo-skeletal system, healthy glands and tissues, balanced hormones and strong metabolism.

So, in that way, protein powders do support body balance, and our body’s natural ability to cleanse and detoxify. (In other words, when all systems are working well with enough protein, healthy fat and calories on board, detoxification works optimally on its own.)

Whether or not you are breastfeeding, the quality of this type of supplement is of utmost importance.

Look for a protein powder that specifically states that it is safe for use during pregnancy and breastfeeding. That means it will be of a higher caliber, and won’t contain any of the ingredients which can harm your baby.

Many commercial protein powders contain added sweeteners, unnecessary nutrients which have body-builders in mind, endocrine disrupting soy protein isolates, or energy-boosting herbs and nutrients which can adversely affect mom and baby.

Furthermore, the source of the protein is really important.

Things to consider: is the whey from a grass-fed cow? Is the protein plant-based? Are there any allergenic ingredients in the formula? Is the source of plant protein from a genetically-modified organism?

My favorite protein powder for pregnancy and breastfeeding is the dairy-free product by Designs for Health PurePaleo Protein (link goes to FullScript for those with account credentials).

YELLOW LIGHT:

Wheatgrass juice

Wheatgrass is an excellent source of plant-based vitamins and minerals - packed into a tiny shot of juice. Many people turn towards a shot of wheatgrass juice as a means of quick cleansing.

There are numerous benefits from drinking wheatgrass.

But it’s not for the faint of heart and certainly not something to start anew during pregnancy or breastfeeding if you have never tried it before.

Wheatgrass juice gets a yellow light because not all wheatgrass is created equal.

Most wheatgrass juice that is available at juice bars, health food stores or even specialty grocery stores comes from greenhouse growing operations where mold is a significant issue. I can’t recommend juice from greenhouse grown plants to anyone at anytime.

Most people are allergic to these molds and they can cause anything from mild (nausea) to severe reactions (anaphylaxis). If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, you want to stay away from all food sources of mold.

If you are going to consume wheatgrass juice, please make sure it only comes from organic, field grown plants.

Celery juice

Celery juice is amazing for total body cleansing on so many levels. There are many reasons why I do support the use of celery juice as part of a healthy, balanced nutrition plan.

Just some of the benefits of celery juice include:

  • Balances stomach acid, helps heal digestion
  • Contains folate, a critical B vitamin
  • Helps to lower cholesterol
  • Supports a healthy gallbladder and prevents calcification of gallstones

However, celery juice gets the yellow light because some of the reasons to be cautious of drinking celery juice while breastfeeding are important enough to discuss with your doctor. Especially so if you have other medical concerns or considerations in the postnatal period:

  • Acts as a diuretic which may cause dehydration
  • Lowers blood pressure which may cause blood pressure to go too low if you already have low blood pressure concerns

Last but not least, celery consistently makes the “The Dirty Dozen” list of fruits and vegetables which, when conventionally grown, test positive for at least 47 different chemicals, with some testing positive for as many as 67.

For all produce on the “dirty” list, you should definitely go organic - that goes for celery as well.

Essential oils

Ahhh, calming, aromatic and soothing essential oils have so many uses for pregnancy and breastfeeding. There are a number of benefits to having an essential oils routine including soothing nerves, promoting emotional wellness and supporting your immune system.

In general, essential oils are not a key component of a detoxification regimen, but they do help to support wellness and body balance.

But, unless you are well-versed in the proper use of oils or are working with a certified herbalist or other practitioner, I suggest you limit or avoid essential oils while breastfeeding.

There are specific oils which can help boost your breast milk supply. But a practitioner should create the appropriate protocol for you, rather than trying to navigate this on your own.

Essential oils get the yellow light because we really don’t know for sure how much of the oils we use topically gets into breast milk.

According to Kellymom.com, essential oils may have a higher/deeper absorption rate, so while it’s unlikely that using oils will affect your milk and your baby at all, caution is still advised.

Internal use of essential oils while breastfeeding is a controversial topic and up to your discretion or with the guidance of your practitioner.

Vitamin and Mineral Supplements

This is such a broad and complex category. First of all, it’s important to know that the best supplements for pregnancy and breastfeeding are those that are specifically designed and clinically tested for that specific stage of life, and are often labeled as Pre-Natal or Baby&Me nutrients.

I am a huge fan of the Metagenics Wellness Essentials for Pregnancy (link goes to FullScript for those with account credentials) prenatal packets and I generally recommend them to all my pregnant and nursing clients.

There are, however, a host of other supplements I commonly get questions about and because there is no one-size-fits-all answer for supplementation for any person.

It’s impossible to say what will or will not be important for pregnancy outside of the prenatal multivitamins.

Therefore, vitamin and mineral supplements get the yellow light. You need to work with a skilled nutrition practitioner before taking any additional supplements.

Also, vitamins and minerals to enhance cleansing or detox are not recommended during pregnancy and breastfeeding (so, red light on those kinds of supplements, ok?)

Furthermore, some vitamins and minerals in excess during pregnancy and breastfeeding can have seriously adverse effects on the baby.

I regularly utilize Spectracell micronutrient testing in my practice to find out exactly what each individual needs and customize the client’s repletion plan based on those test results. This approach to vitamin and mineral supplements is suitable for pregnancy and breastfeeding.

Herbal Supplements

Herbal supplements to promote more intense detox while breastfeeding is not something I recommend (red light).

However, numerous herbs exist that can help to promote a healthy milk supply - with some of the most popular sources being fenugreek, blessed thistle, red raspberry, and brewers yeast.

But, herbs in general get the yellow light. This is because the use of most herbs in pregnancy and breastfeeding haven’t been backed by scientific studies.

Please use caution with all herbs, or consult with a certified herbalist.

Yes, herbal medicine has been used by mothers across the world for hundreds of years. Herbs are a great supplement to a diet that is designed to support breastfeeding. (Which is why I recommend the safer herbal tea options listed above.)

Herbs should not replace healthy eating, sufficient calories and ample hydration.

If you are going to take herbal supplements, be sure to take herbs that are organically grown.

Liquid tinctures tend to be most effective at providing the quickest impact. I love Wish Garden Herbs products for pregnancy and breastfeeding.

RED LIGHT:

Water fasting

People may undertake water fasting to lose weight, for spiritual or religious reasons, or to try combat particular health problems. Research suggests that occasional fasting may help with weight loss, although other methods may be more effective long-term.

Water fasting deprives the body of the fuel it needs, and it’s common to feel tired and low on energy. A lack of food can also make you feel dizzy, weak, or nauseous.

Here’s the problem and why water fasting gets the red light: lack of food will ultimately change your breastmilk composition. Healthy fats, protein and complex carbohydrates are all necessary for quality breastmilk production.

Your baby will be adversely affected by water fasting - regardless of the fasting duration. Anyone who is set on water fasting while breastfeeding should seek medical attention.

A healthier alternative to water fasting is intermittent fasting, which studies show could have more health benefits long-term.

While intermittent fasting is a complex subject with many variables, the easiest approach to intermittent fasting is to simply take a break from eating for 12 hours in every 24 hour period.

That means stopping food intake after dinner (around 7 or 8 pm) and waiting until breakfast the next morning (around 7 or 8 am) to eat again.

Master Cleanse (AKA: The Lemonade Diet)

In this 10-day diet, you only drink lemonade that is prepared according to the given recipe.

Master Cleanse gets the red light because the concerns are very much the same as those above for water fasting: too few calories consumed and no balance in healthy fats, proteins and complex carbohydrates.

Side effects of the program may alter breast milk supply and composition and therefore may negatively impact baby.

The real deal is that many of these so-called “detoxes” (like Master Cleanse) are really just fad diets.

Fad diets tend to focus on restricting what you can or cannot eat. They reduce calories to an unhealthy level, which is clearly not the objective when you are breastfeeding your little one.

Fad diets and detoxes often come with intense side effects and symptoms such as digestive upset, diarrhoea, aches and pains, headaches, poor sleep, low energy, disrupted menstrual cycle, skin problems and more.

The goal of any detox while breastfeeding should be to improve your overall health, reduce minor symptoms and complaints, all while maintaining the best breast milk possible for your baby.

You Got This Girl

Ok, to recap the good news: you can safely detox and there are foods, drinks and appropriate herbs, teas and supplements to help you do so without negatively impacting your baby.

The above suggestions are just a start.

My best advice: trust your instincts and listen to what your body (and your baby) really need.

Check in with the communication signals from you and your little one:

  • Do you need to clean up your food plan and eat more organic?
  • More veggies?
  • Increase water intake?
  • Less caffeine?
  • More protein?
  • More rest?
  • Fresh air?

Your own valuable insights will give you beautiful guidance through this process.

But What If…?

I get it. It’s not easy stuff.

Trying to figure out how to take care of yourself as a new mamma (who just wants to feel and look good) and take extra special care of baby at the same time - IS NOT easy.

And, researching via the Internet, talking to a doctor, your friends, your lactation consultant - all with different ideas on the subject of detoxing while breastfeeding - can lead to simply more confusion. 😩

Don’t let this be too hard.

And, don’t worry if you need some extra help.

With the Super Girl/Super Guy Program you learn how to balance your body with healthy eating, quality lifestyle choices, and a comprehensive nutritional supplement regimen that is 100% geared towards your needs and goals. Detox options are included!

Hang in there! The postpartum period is intense, but it doesn't last forever. Even for a nursing mother, balance is achievable. The right nutrition will make you feel incredible!

I found relief, so I know you can too. Drop me a note if you want to get more info.

Family Nutrition / Postpartum - 01/07/2019
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Hashimoto’s and Miscarriage – What You Need to Know So You Can Have a Healthy Pregnancy

I recently watched an interview with former First Lady, Michelle Obama, on the TODAY Show who opened up about her experience with infertility.

In the interview, Mrs. Obama shared about her miscarriage before giving birth to her daughters.

And, she talked about how women keep their secrets about miscarriage. About how couples hide their pain around infertility.

As I watched, I got the feeling that many women would instantly relate to what this high-profile, public figure had to say about her private life and struggle to start a family.

I could relate.

Nourished and Renewed with Hashimoto's

Miscarriage Shame & Statistics

Miscarriage is such a seemingly taboo subject among women.

We all know miscarriages can and do happen. Statistically, as many as 75 percent of fertilized eggs do not go on to result in a full-term pregnancy.

Yet, women still experience shame, isolation and depression as a result of having a miscarriage.

After having gone through a miscarriage, women suffer from all sorts of physical and emotional pain like having the feeling of failure, guilt and having let everyone down.

But, these emotions are kept silent for so many reasons.

Infertility and pregnancy loss is such a broad subject in the realm of family planning, nutrition and couple’s health and hormone balance.

In particular, women who have Hashimoto’s autoimmune thyroid disease have more complicated statistics related to pregnancy loss.

Researchers in a 2011 study published in the British Medical Journal conducted a systematic review of 31 studies involving over 31,000 women.

According to the researchers, they found thyroid antibodies increased the risk of miscarriage by 290%!

Without a doubt, women with autoimmune thyroid disease face greater challenges with fertility than the general population.

Sara Peternell Hashimotos Checklist blog

My Experience with Recurrent Miscarriages

I have Hashimoto’s and I had three pregnancy losses.

The first miscarriage was the most difficult loss emotionally (and still to this day brings tears to my eyes to remember what my husband and I went through).

Before my first miscarriage, I didn’t know my disease could affect my chances for a healthy pregnancy.

I didn’t know that taking synthetic thyroid hormone (Synthroid) was alone not enough to support healthy reproductive function.

I didn’t know that certain nutritional deficiencies were likely at the root cause for my hormone imbalance/low progesterone that ultimately led to three losses.

I also didn’t know that there were corresponding endocrine dysfunction issues. And this prevented my body from being healthy enough to carry a baby to term.

The first miscarriage was definitely an eye-opening experience. It led me to research, read, and learn about the implications of thyroid health (or lack thereof) on pregnancy.

And, through reading and learning, I found it important to talk about my experiences with all three miscarriages.

I wanted to share with other women in hopes of helping ease the pain and loss for someone else.

Connecting the Dots to Prevent Miscarriage with Hashimoto’s

For me, not getting pregnant was not the issue. I was fertile. I could easily get pregnant.

This is often the case with women who have Hashimoto’s disease.

Conception occurs but the pregnancy terminates, usually within the first 8 weeks. These early miscarriages, common in Hashimoto’s, are often called “chemical pregnancies.”

There are many factors in Hashimoto’s contributing to miscarriage:

  • A woman may not know she has Hashimoto’s and may not yet be receiving medication treatment prior to pregnancy. I recommend women get their thyroid panels checked, (including antibodies) before trying to conceive.

 

  • A woman may not be on the proper dosage of medication. Higher levels of thyroid hormone are needed during pregnancy. In women with normal thyroid function, the thyroid gland increases the production of thyroid hormone to meet this increased need. In hypothyroid women, this often means that the dose of Levothyroxine needs to be increased during pregnancy. Many endocrinologists advise pregnant women take a higher dose of synthetic thyroid hormone (like Synthroid) as soon as pregnancy is confirmed. Regular blood tests for TSH to ensure that the level remains normal are also highly encouraged.

 

 

  • A woman may have abnormal Natural Killer (NK) cell activity. They are responsible for protecting us from bacteria, viruses and foreign bodies, and organ transplants rejections. This problem can switch on and off, so some of the women may have 1 or more normal pregnancies as well as recurrent miscarriages.

 

How to Reduce Risk of Miscarriage if You Have Hashimoto's Disease

Most doctors recommend that all women at high risk for thyroid disease should have a TSH and an estimate of free thyroxine blood tests.

Women who are experiencing symptoms of the disease should also go for these tests. Where necessary, other thyroid blood tests should also be considered.

A woman is at a high risk if she has a history of thyroid disease or thyroid autoimmunity, family history of thyroid disease, type 1 diabetes mellitus or other autoimmune condition.

Anyone with these risk factors should be sure to tell their obstetrician or family physician.

Ideally, women should be tested prior to becoming pregnant or as soon as they know they are pregnant.

Thyroid and Antibodies Testing Before Conception

As part of my overall approach to healthy conception and pregnancy, a complete thyroid panel work-up is really the best place to start.

You can request a thyroid panel from your doctor’s office.

You want your doctor to test all of the serum (blood) markers pertinent to the thyroid. The thyroid panel is especially helpful in understanding health impacts of hypothyroidism, Hashimoto's, autoimmune disease, blood sugar control and cholesterol levels.

Other nutritional deficiencies could also be identified. I will explain more about that in a minute.

But, listen, you don’t have to know what each of the test names/acronyms below mean - this list is widely recognized by health care practitioners and standard labs.

So, feel free to print this list off and take it in to your doctor’s office if you are requesting labs.

Comprehensive Wellness Panel + Thyroid/Antibodies panel

  • CBC (includes Differential and Platelets)
  • Comprehensive Metabolic Panel (CMP-14)
  • Ferritin
  • Hemoglobin A1c with eAG
  • Iron, Total and Total Iron Binding Capacity
  • Lipid Panel
  • QuestAssureD™ 25-Hydroxyvitamin D (D2, D3), LC/MS/MS
  • T3, Free (FT3)
  • T4, Free (FT4)
  • THYROID PANEL & TSH
  • Thyroid Peroxidase and Thyroglobulin Antibodies
  • Vitamin B12 (Cobalamin) and Folate Panel

TSH and Thyroid Medication Dosage Adjustment During Pregnancy

If you are being treated for hypothyroidism, it’s imperative to have at least a TSH level checked as soon as your pregnancy is detected. The TSH level results will indicate what adjustments have to be made to your medication levels.

TSH levels may be checked one to two weeks after the initial dose adjustment to be sure it’s normalizing. Once the TSH levels drop, less frequent check-ups are necessary during your pregnancy.

Although thyroid hormone requirements are likely to increase throughout the pregnancy, they tend to eventually stabilize by mid-pregnancy.

Levothyroxine/Synthroid and desiccated thyroid hormone (such as Armor) medication is safe for use during pregnancy.

I suggest that for best absorption of the medication, you ought to take your thyroid hormone pills at least one-half hour to one hour before eating breakfast.

If you are consuming iron-containing prenatal vitamins and calcium supplements, be sure you take your thyroid medication at least one-half hour to one hour beforehand.

In addition, nutritional counseling to help lower antibody levels is ideal prior to conception to help support both the mother and baby’s health.

Nutritional Testing for Pregnancy If You Have Hashimotos

Ok, this is where we get in to the stuff that I really love about holistic nutrition!

Alert: Nerdy Movie Reference Here.

Do you remember that 80s movie "Inner Space" with Dennis Quaid, Meg Ryan and Martin Short?  You know how they miniaturize themselves so they can travel around inside a person's body?

And at one point, Dennis Quaid's character is traveling in his mini space capsule through Meg Ryan's body and he discovers she is pregnant!  It's so cool!

Well, it would be amazing if I could go exploring inside a body to determine what each individual needs as far as nutrients.  But, I can't (and that might be weird).

Spectracell Micronutrient test

So, the next best thing is the Spectracell Micronutrient test. This test analyzes 32 nutrients and metabolites of nutrients which are critical to you and your baby’s optimal health.

The test is not diagnostic, but rather predictive and preventative. This means if we correct deficiencies today, health problems related to Hashimoto’s (including miscarriage) are less likely in the future.

I love to use the Spectracell Micronutrient test to assess each woman’s individual nutrient needs.

This test makes clear your deficiencies, borderline nutrients, nutritional patterns and possible disease correlations.

This information can help you to understand exactly what your body needs in terms of foods and vitamins.

The nutrients we replenish thoughtfully will likely improve your Hashimoto’s, restore your health and support a healthy, full-term pregnancy.

Food Inflammation (FIT) test

Another very cool pre-conception test is the Food Inflammation Test (FIT test).

This test measures 132 edible compounds and determines if your body is reacting in a negative way to those foods and chemicals.

WHY IS THIS SO IMPORTANT? If you know your immune and digestive system’s negative reaction to specific foods, it's easier to avoid them.

You will hear me say more than once that "all health begins in the gut." So, starting with the gut is a great idea.

Inflammation from food reactions shows up in a variety of ways. This includes digestive, skin, sleep, mood, malnutrition and immune system disorders.

Managing inflammation is a key factor in reproductive system healing.

The FIT test detects both Immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies and complement antigens. This will determine your reactivity to 132 foods, colorings and additives.

The IgG and antigen methods yield more complete profiles of the various foods that may cause food sensitivities. The FIT test is the most sensitive food inflammation test available.

The information we glean from this test helps us assess your gut and immune health. And this can steer us in the right direction for making concrete and effective changes to your nutrition plan.

If you have a diagnosis of Hashimoto’s or another autoimmune disease but with few complaints or symptoms, you will still benefit from FIT testing.

The results gives clarity into what level of support is needed to enhance your health and vitality through foods.

A Nutrition Plan to Ensure Pregnancy Success

I get it. This part is sometimes easier said than done: make sure to eat a balanced diet everyday!

Sometimes, in early pregnancy, all you want to eat is potato chips or curry. Or chocolate bars.

But, balance is such an important piece of the nutritional puzzle when it comes to supporting healthy moms-to-be and beautiful new babies.

Below is a list of macronutrient categories to focus on when you are trying to become pregnant.

These suggestions are appropriate for anyone, not just those with Hashimoto’s.

Fats

Fats are necessary to produce hormones. Fats are not the enemy, they provide essential vitamins (such as vitamin A) not found anywhere else. We also need to eat a variety of fats - fats from animals, plants, nuts, etc.

Focus on clean fats from clean animals and coconut, olive, flax and fish oils.

Protein

Proteins are needed for every function of the body. For this healthy conception and pregnancy food plan we will need to eat 70-100 grams of protein a day.

This can be a combination of meats, fish, dairy (raw), eggs (the best), protein powders (rarely), vegetables, beans and nuts.

Carbohydrates

Carbs are a misjudged villain. The types of carbs we are talking about which support healthy pregnancies are whole grains that are in their natural state, un-messed-around-with by manufacturing and processing and contain all their original nutrients.

Also, when you sprout a grain the protein content increases. Sprouting makes the grains easier to digest, causes less inflammation in the body.

Fresh fruits and vegetables

Fruits and vegetables supply the body with minerals, vitamins, enzymes, antioxidants, fiber and water. Oh, and the magic! The magic of food is in veggies and fruits: color, flavor, freshness, texture and aroma.

You should eat a rainbow of fresh fruits and veggies to get all of the different nutrients you and your baby need.

Optimized Diet for Hashimoto’s Disease if you are trying to conceive

If you have Hashimoto’s and are hoping to conceive and stay pregnant, make sure you are eating a healthy, balanced diet rich in the following vitamins:

  • vitamin E, sources: whole grains, broccoli, alfalfa, nuts, seeds, leafy greens
  • vitamin A, sources: cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, bok choy, collards, kale, cauliflower,) alfalfa
  • vitamin C, sources: cruciferous vegetables, orange juice, citrus fruits, red bell peppers, kiwi
  • vitamin D, sources: alfalfa, raw dairy products, salmon, mushrooms, sunshine!
  • calcium, sources: broccoli, bok choy, alfalfa, raw dairy products, salmon, anchovies or sardines with bones
  • iron, sources: grass fed beef, liver, blackstrap molasses, dried fruit, alfalfa, leafy greens
  • zinc, sources: nuts, seeds, oysters, liver, grass fed beef, oysters (preferably cooked if you are pregnant)
  • folate, sources: leafy greens, whole grains, citrus fruits, whole grains
  • essential fatty acids, sources: salmon, other wild-caught fatty fishes, nuts, seeds, grass fed beef, pastured eggs

 

What to Avoid

Here's a list of things to avoid which may be related to miscarriages:

  • alcohol
  • artificial sweeteners
  • food coloring
  • ginger, ginger ale, ginger beer (ginger can be stimulating to the uterus)
  • quinine, key ingredient in tonic water
  • caffeine (chocolate, sodas, coffee, tea, some pain and cold remedies) (*Caffeine has been shown to be related to miscarriage.)
  • monosodium glutamate (MSG), butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) - both food preservatives - and all other food additives (if you cannot pronounce it, best not to eat it!)
  • partially or uncooked foods due to bacterial contamination
  • crash, fad, or ultra-low carb diets due to restrictive calories preventing successful implantation and pregnancy
  • No soy of any form unless fermented such as miso or tempeh

What to Eat More Of

  • fruits and vegetables organic
  • dairy products pasture-raised, raw or organic
  • red meats grass fed and organic
  • chicken and eggs pasture-raised, free range/organic
  • grains in whole, natural form
  • something high in enzymes with every meal – a good example is fresh papaya or pineapple

Prenatal Vitamins To Support A Healthy Pregnancy

The most important thing to know about vitamins and minerals is that they are best absorbed and utilized by your body when taken in food form rather than pill or supplement form.

Also, it is possible to overuse certain vitamin supplements, creating a dietary situation that is actually more harmful than helpful.

One exception to this rule is folate. There is a strong correlation between folate deficiency and neural birth defects. So, it should be supplemented by pill (approximately 800 mcg per day) in addition to food sources.

I prefer the “methylfolate” form of this vitamin because of its superior absorbability.

In general, I recommend a whole-food based prenatal nutrition supplement during pregnancy. It should contain the appropriate amount of vitamins, minerals and essential fatty acids for a healthy mom and baby.

What Does an Ideal Pregnancy Diet to Prevent Miscarriage Really Look Like?

Raw Milk (if you can tolerate dairy, many with Hashimoto’s cannot)

Or raw cheese, yogurt, kefir and always choose organic.
You can drink it with a meal or use it in your morning smoothies.

Most people who are lactose intolerant can drink raw milk because it has live enzymes intact. If you are unable to get raw milk, or not much into it, skip dairy milk all together.

New to raw milk? Learn more!

Non-Dairy “milk”

You can use rice, coconut, flax or almond milk if you need a "milk" for tea. It’s best not to drink soy milk. Processed soy has so many problems such as GMOs and estrogenic effects. It can also cause endocrine disruption for the unborn baby.

Eggs (fresh farm, pasture-raised, free range, organic)

Pasture-raised eggs are one of the best sources of digestible proteins. Cook them any way you like them or add the raw yolks raw to a smoothie.

Fresh Seafood (2-4x a week)

Seafood supplies vital essential fatty acids that are not produced by our bodies. Make sure to eat wild-caught salmon only.

Avoid all large, high mercury fish such as tuna, mackerel and shark.

Bone Broths (chicken, beef, turkey, fish)

Broths are really easy to make and supply calcium, minerals, protein and immune system boosters. You can make stocks in a crock pot using the bones from chickens, fish or beef.

Add water, vegetables and a splash of apple cider vinegar and cook on low in the crock for 12 hours or more.

Check out my favorite bone broth (Kettle & Fire) on my Resources page.

Coconut Oil

This essential fat supplies lauric acid, which boosts the immune system and is necessary for important functions in the body, such as assimilating vitamins.

Avocado (5+x a week)

Avocados are an excellent “healthy fat.” Add them to a sandwich or salad for another opportunity to get some more essential fatty acids into the diet.

Fermented Foods (kefir, yogurt, kombucha, kimchi)

Fermented foods provide our bodies with good bacteria to aid in digestion and immunity. They are cheap and easy to make. Eat with a meal to aid digestion.

Beef and Lamb (grass fed organic)

Grass fed meats provide protein, and essential fatty acids. Grass fed beef and lamb have more beneficial essential fatty acids (EFAs) in them than their conventional counterparts. Grass fed beef are active and eat grass (instead of grains). They are low in cholesterol and can have the same amounts of healthy EFA's as fish.

We get our clean, healthy, grass fed meat from ButcherBox. You can find more information about this company on my Resources page.

Fresh Fruits

Eat a wide range of organic, fresh fruits that are in season. Fruits supply your antioxidants, vitamins and enzymes. You can make a smoothie in the morning with lots of fruit in it.

Fresh fruit/veggie smoothies will give you many of the essential vitamins for your day.

Fresh Veggies

Eating one salad a day and a dark green vegetable with dinner is a great start to getting plenty of vegetables in your diet. Lightly steaming or eating your vegetables raw is ideal.

Add some grass fed organic butter and they will taste really good. Butter also helps nutrient absorption.

Sprouted Whole Grains

Sprouted grains are easier to digest and have more protein than regular grains.

Fresh-pressed Organic Juices (no more than 12 oz a day)

Focus on greens and herbs in your fresh juice. You can make your own at home, or buy occasionally from juice stores in the area. I love the Hurom juicer and use it every week!

Fresh juice is the easiest way to get your daily veggies and one of the best habits you can have for the long run.

Couple Fertility Divider 7

My Hashimoto's Pregnancy Success Story

So, remember, I had three miscarriages. All were early in pregnancy, and all were likely due to the complications of Hashimoto’s disease.

While my husband and I were starting our family, I was in nutrition school. And I learned all the ways in which the right foods could help heal my condition.

Thankfully, I was my own best guinea pig.

During my advanced studies to become an Master Nutrition Therapist, I researched on anti-inflammatory nutritional protocols. These protocols could improve or reverse autoimmune disease, including Hashimoto’s.

I applied core nutrition principles to my own life and I healed (reversed!) my autoimmune diseases. It sounded like a miracle to some! But I knew Hashimoto’s was reversible through changing diet and lifestyle habits and balancing the immune system.

Despite our losses, I never gave up. I worked closely with my doctor to determine the best time to “try again.”

Despite having Hashimoto's, I finally Got Pregnant After 3 Miscarriages

Exactly one month after my third miscarriage I took a pregnancy test and it was positive! We actually were not even trying yet, but Molly had other plans. I texted my husband who was on the golf course with my Dad. Neither of us could believe it!

The outcome to this story?

My two amazing kids - Clay who is now 10, and Molly, 8. They are great kids. And, I am so lucky to be their mom.

And, so lucky to have found nutrition when I did.

I talk about these personal experiences all the time. And I want people to have the same hope and belief in the body’s ability to heal with the right tools in place.

I want couples to know that they will be able to start a family. And that their bodies will be the healthiest they can be thanks to nutrition as their foundation.

I was successful in starting a family with Hashimoto’s - you can be too.

Do you have Hashimoto's Thyroiditis and need guidance for a successful pregnancy?

So, if you read this whole post and some lightbulbs are going off for you...good.

You have so much more knowledge now than you did earlier.

You can manage your Hashimoto's and have a successful pregnancy.

You can share all of this information with your health care provider. Inform them of your choice to implement as many of these nutritional protocols as possible. And, request the tests which will guide your health decisions.

I offer nutrition programs which can help ease the transition and guide you to success.

If you are after more in-depth information about Hashimoto's and your total health to prepare for future pregnancies, my self-paced online program "Nourished and Renewed with Hashimoto's" is a great start.

If you have Hashimoto's and are already pregnant, the Adult Advanced program will be a good fit.

The Adult Advanced program is also a good place to start if you and your partner have had any issues with trying for a baby so far.

For some, the Super Guy/Super Girl program gives you just the right amount of information for feeding yourself well and meeting your unique nutritional needs.

Change is underway for you and your future family. And it all starts with pre-conception nutrition planning.

Hashimoto's / Pregnancy / Trying to Conceive - 11/16/2018
PostPartum Mother and Baby

Postpartum Thyroiditis Can Be Healed with Nutrition

Approximately 5% of women develop postpartum thyroiditis after giving birth.

Women with a personal or family history of autoimmune or thyroid disease are more likely to develop the condition.

When my son, Clay, was born, I went through postpartum thyroiditis (PPT). I didn’t know what was happening to me and I used my own experience to study PPT in depth.

I knew I would encounter other women with a similar story. And, I wanted to be able to help them.

Tired, Wired and Falling Apart After Childbirth

My client “Bella” came to me when her baby boy was just 4 months old.

Her baby boy coo’ed and gurgled happily while we talked during her new client intake session.

While Bella wept.

She felt like she was literally falling apart.

She had lost:

  • so much of her hair
  • too much weight way too fast
  • and countless hours of sleep in the four months since giving birth

She was anxious, edgy and of course, weepy.

Taking a look at her laboratory reports from her obstetrician-gynecologist (OB/GYN), and her medical history, it was clear to me that Bella was in the midst of a postpartum thyroiditis (PPT) crisis. She was hyperthyroid and her thyroid gland was in overdrive.

Bella is not the only one who goes through this kind of medical situation following childbirth.

postpartum thyroiditis

Postnatal Period: A Window for Autoimmunity

For weeks, even months, after giving birth a woman's body is going through enormous changes.

Consider this: a pregnant woman makes as much estrogen in 40 weeks of pregnancy as a non-pregnant woman makes in her entire lifetime.

(WOW! That statistic blows my mind each and every time I hear it or say it!)

It makes sense that the decline in pregnancy hormones shortly after giving birth is a bit of a shock to the system.

All systems are in full-on crisis mode to help the mother detoxify and excrete this excess estrogen in the weeks and months following pregnancy.

The liver, digestive system, kidneys, adrenal glands and the thyroid gland all work over-time to support the health of the mother.

Therefore, the postpartum period is a time when her body can easily get sick.

And, the postpartum period is also a time when the immune system can go awry and autoimmunity can result.

If there is a personal or family history of autoimmunity, the hormonal changes of pregnancy can be a trigger for autoimmunity after childbirth.

And, given that autoimmune thyroid disease affects over 14 million people, the statistics about PPT really should not come as too much of a surprise,

Many times, a woman is told that she has subclinical autoimmunity (meaning she is symptomatic, but the labs are still “normal”) prior to pregnancy.

It is after the birth, that a woman is often most vulnerable to a full-scale autoimmune attack.

 

Pitfalls in the Postpartum Period

Giving birth and becoming a new mother is one of the most exhausting physical and emotional experiences for a woman.

If you have been on this journey, then you know what I am talking about.

But, maybe you are newly pregnant and are wondering what the future holds.

Well, I can tell you from my own experiences, the weeks after giving birth are wonderful and worrisome all at once.

Most importantly, the new life you have brought in to the world will literally change your life forever in a million incredible ways.

Immediately following the rollercoaster ride of labor and birth, a new mother is faced with so many changes and challenges.

Unfortunately, as is the norm in our culture today, the responsibility of taking care of the baby leaves little time for the new mom to rest and recover.

Ages ago (like, literally hundreds of years ago), there were different processes in place to allow a mother to heal and nourish herself before launching in to full-on motherhood.

Ever since the dawn of the modern industrialized era, a woman has had MUCH LESS SUPPORT with child-bearing and children-rearing.

She may have only a few weeks of paid leave from her job, her partner maybe even less. Help from family, friends, neighbors, etc. is also often short-lived.

Even support from medical providers is limited to postpartum check-ups, namely to give the green light to a woman when she can resume exercise and intercourse at around six weeks.

Sara Peternell Hashimotos Checklist blog

Other Complications Besides Postpartum Thyroiditis

There are other complications which can arise after giving birth if the new mother is not taking care of herself.

  • Postpartum hemorrhage
  • Postpartum depression
  • Adrenal fatigue
  • Iron-deficiency anemia
  • Urinary and vaginal tract infections
  • Hemorrhoids
  • Skin changes like acne and rashes
  • Hair loss

Many postpartum issues have a certain amount of “taboo” around them, leaving many women fearful to talk openly about the challenges they face for fear of being seen as weak.

Super-Woman mentality really kicks in during the postpartum period.

 

super women mentality for postpartum thyroiditis

Post-Pregnancy: Trying to Do it All?

Joining social moms groups, taking baby along to classes and outings with older children, going back to work before you and baby are ready, etc. – sound familiar?

A new mom gets no safety rudders from modern society to tell her it is in fact OK (and necessary) to slow down.

Sure, I understand (and relate to) the fact that nearly every woman is ready to get back in to her old jeans and feel like her pre-pregnancy self.

Going on a “diet” for weight loss is a common subject among new mothers. And, doing so too soon could increase the chance of having complications and weaken the body’s constitution, perhaps even resulting in long-term health problems.

More importantly, many moms ultimately find themselves “too busy” to simply feed themselves the healthy, nutrient-dense foods they need to be the very best versions of themselves.

Poor nutrition during the postpartum period compromises the new mother’s ability to produce adequate breast milk for her baby. This can become a vicious and stressful cycle for both mother and baby.

Simply put, being over-worked, under-slept, facing the emotional challenges of parenting and possible malnutrition to boot, women’s needs as mothers are put last.

That sets the stage for postpartum thyroiditis.

Common Symptoms of Postpartum Thyroiditis

In my nutrition practice, about 50% of the women clients who come in with thyroid disease report that their complaints/symptoms/diagnosis arose shortly after giving birth.

During postpartum thyroiditis, a woman might experience two phases. I am one who experienced both.

Inflammation

The inflammation phase constitutes an abundance of thyroid hormone release from the gland in to the body.

And, this overproduction of thyroid hormones might first cause signs and symptoms similar to those of an overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism), such as:

  • Anxiety
  • Irritability
  • Rapid heartbeat or palpitations
  • Unexplained weight loss
  • Increased sensitivity to heat
  • Fatigue
  • Tremor
  • Insomnia
  • Hair loss

These signs and symptoms typically occur one to four months after delivery and may last from between one to three months.

Thyroid Cells Dysfunction

Later, as thyroid cells become impaired and dysfunctional, signs and symptoms of underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism) might develop, including:

  • Lack of energy
  • Increased sensitivity to cold
  • Increased susceptibility to infection
  • Constipation
  • Dry skin
  • Difficulty concentrating/brain fog
  • Aches and pains
  • Hair loss

Hypothyroid signs and symptoms typically occur four to eight months after delivery and can last from nine to 12 months, or indefinitely.

Causes of Postpartum Thyroiditis

Even though though I just pointed out some of the many factors at play, the exact cause of PPT isn't clear.

We do know that women who develop PPT often have high concentrations of anti-thyroid antibodies either before, early in pregnancy or after childbirth.

As a result, it's believed that women who develop PPT likely have an underlying autoimmune thyroid condition that flares after childbirth.

There are many possible triggers and risk factors for PPT:

  1. fluctuations in immune function
  2. normal pregnancy hormonal changes
  3. complications in pregnancy
  4. stressors in pregnancy
  5. illness in pregnancy
  6. food intolerances in pregnancy
  7. poor diet in pregnancy
  8. history of smoking, alcohol and drug use
  9. personal and/or family history of thyroid disease

For most women who develop PPT, thyroid function eventually returns to normal - typically within 12 to 18 months from the start of symptoms. However, some women who experience postpartum thyroiditis don't recover from the hypothyroid phase.

These women will go on to have a lifelong diagnosis of Hashimoto’s disease.

Hashimoto’s and Postpartum Thyroiditis

Women with previously diagnosed and treated Hashimoto’s will most likely have some changes to their thyroid hormone levels and medications, both during and following pregnancy.

There is wide variability regarding the medication dose changes necessary to maintain a normal TSH throughout pregnancy.

Some women need only 10%–20% increased dosing, while others may require as much as an 80% increase.

Therefore, if you are pregnant with Hashimoto’s, at a minimum your TSH levels should be monitored approximately every 4 weeks during the first half of pregnancy, and possibly weekly for the second half.

It is not at all uncommon for dose adjustments to be made multiple times during pregnancy.

Please hear this: After pregnancy, a woman with Hashimoto’s needs to have her levels checked again, right away.

I suggest testing for a TSH level one to three days after giving birth, and a full thyroid panel no later than 6 weeks after giving birth.

Not all PPT is caught early enough.

Often a woman’s symptoms are too closely related to the other physical and mental changes brought on by having a newborn (anxiety, fatigue, weight issues, brain fog, etc.). Some providers will dismiss these symptoms as being “normal” for a new mother.

If you have Hashimoto’s you need to clearly advocate for yourself and tell your provider you want more careful monitoring both during the pregnancy and immediately after.

Not all women with Hashimoto’s will develop postpartum thyroiditis

From my own experience, I can say that having Hashimoto’s was obviously the reason that I had PPT after giving birth to my son.

I was unaware that having Hashimoto’s meant possible complications for me after pregnancy. And, my providers were less than concerned about my off-the-wall symptoms.

But, I was concerned. Very concerned.

First I was severely hyperthyroid for nearly 6 weeks. I wanted to jump out of my skin. I stopped my medication altogether (I do not recommend doing that without guidance from your provider). And, my symptoms improved but didn’t go away.

Then, I crashed and went very hypothyroid for at least the following 9 months. My Synthroid dosage was then prescribed at an all-time high.

Despite that, my symptoms were nearly debilitating some days.

Finally, around my son’s first birthday, I knew the PPT has passed and I was back to a normal (for me) dosage of Synthroid. My symptoms were gone.
postpartum thyroiditis diagnosis

Testing & Treatment for Postpartum Thyroiditis

Tests used to diagnose postpartum thyroiditis depend on the phase of the disease. A blood test can often tell if you have an overactive or underactive thyroid.

Treatment will depend on your symptoms, age, and general health. It will also depend on how severe the condition is.

Treatment depends on the phase of the disease and your symptoms:

The bottom line is that you should have regular thyroid tests after giving birth if you have already been diagnosed with Hashimoto’s, or even if you haven’t but you are symptomatic.

Finding a qualified, caring and experienced practitioner to help manage your PPT is key. I didn’t have one at the time (I do now!) and I know it could have made all the difference in the world.

The good news is, your thyroid may be working normally within 12 to 18 months after the symptoms start. If so, you may be able to stop treatment.

 

Postpartum Thyroiditis and Your Baby

Sure, now you know that having PPT is wrecking some amount of havoc on your health and your life.

You might also be worried that having PPT might be affecting your baby. It’s a scary thought.

This new life you just brought in to the world might be suffering from something that is going on medically with your body.

Hang on, though, Mamma. Don’t let scary thoughts confuse things.

You are doing an amazing job with your baby!

Your baby is healthy and fine!

PPT is a maternal illness. Babies cannot develop thyroid disease at the time that the mother is symptomatic.

Still, I know that when my son, Clay, was a baby, I worried.

I worried that my anxiousness from the hyperthyroid state was rubbing off on him and making him colicky.

I also struggled with producing enough breast milk.

And, despite pumping, lactation consultants, every herbal remedy, and a conscientious breastfeeding diet, I needed to supplement Clay at around 8 weeks.

Oh my goodness, what a difference that made for both of us.

I mean, being hyperthyroid, feeling anxious, not producing enough milk for my baby, baby is crying - it only served to increase stress in both of us even more.

Even my husband was stressed out.

baby formula alternatives for babies

Supplementing breast milk with baby formula

So, supplementing Clay with homemade baby formula broke that cycle for us.

Breastfeeding for some women is challenging enough. Throw in PPT and it can be downright daunting.

Also a concern for many women with PPT is whether the thyroid medication you have been prescribed is safe for baby.

I encourage you to speak to your provider about all the medication options available to you based on your individual needs: synthetic (like Synthroid), natural dessicated thyroid (like Armour), compounded medications, T3-only medications (like Cytomel), beta-blockers and steroids.

Small amounts of levothyroxine (the medicine for hypothyroidism) do pass through breast milk. But most medical doctors agree that levothyroxine will not cause problems for your baby.

Also, please inform your baby’s pediatrician about your diagnosis with PPT. They can be a wonderful, supportive resource to help you through this time.

Recommended Nutrition for Postpartum Thyroiditis

Good nutrition is needed most to help the body recover and cope with the many new changes.

The body will respond like a sponge and absorb whatever natural nutrients it can get – it is important for new moms to take advantage of this time to repair, rejuvenate and nourish the body through healing foods.

If you haven’t already begun so during pregnancy, a nutrient-dense and whole-foods based eating program ought to be implemented within the first few days after giving birth.

Cold drinks and cold foods should be restricted as much as possible because they weaken the digestive system and may cause stomach pain.

Cold food and drink affects digestion, metabolism and healing and may contribute to a weakened immune system.

The following specific nutrients are supportive of overall health and healing after having a baby.

But they are also very important in preventing PPT:

Calcium:

Calcium helps with nerve function and blood clotting, which are very important as you heal from birth.

If you are a breastfeeding mom you will need additional calcium. This is because much of it is drained out of your system through your breast milk for your baby’s developing skeletal system.

Calcium is available in dairy products (choose organic), dark leafy green vegetables, and is also available in supplement form.

Iron:

Iron is an essential part of your red blood cells and their ability to carry and use oxygen in the cells. Without enough iron, you may find yourself fatigued, weak and at a higher risk for infection.

If you are taking iron supplements, adding foods rich in Vitamin C like tomatoes, oranges, baked potatoes, and steamed broccoli can help your body better absorb the iron.

If you want to increase iron through diet, you’ll want to consider eating more lean red meat, spinach, beans, and egg yolks.

Zinc:

Zinc helps support a healthy immune system. It also increases cell production, wound healing, and tissue growth and repair, which are vital as you recover from birth.

Good zinc-rich foods are red meat, oysters, poultry, legumes, eggs, fish, seafood, whole grain products, black-eyed peas, and miso (fermented soybean paste).

red meat for postpartum thyroiditis

Protein:

Eating enough protein will help you rebuild muscle in your body postpartum. Chicken, fish, beef, nuts and eggs are all high in protein.

Water:

Choose liquids like water, fresh juice and herbal tea instead of coffee or soda. Drink at least eight to ten glasses of pure water a day. This will help with milk production and also prevent dehydration, constipation, and clogged milk ducts.

Drinking a glass of water each time you nurse will ensure that you are getting plenty of fluid throughout the day.

Black Wood-ear and Chicken Soup to help a new mother recover from childbirth

I love this very helpful and healthful soup recipe for new mothers.

Give this recipe to your postpartum doula, neighbor or a grandparent to cook and serve immediately when you and baby come home from the hospital. Or, any time after giving birth, really. There are many benefits at any stage in the postpartum period.

This excellent soup is based on Eastern nutritional philosophy and is designed to help a new mother recover from childbirth. Its ingredients are believed to help tonify the blood and the stomach.

This soup helps to clear blockages in the digestive tract and promotes normal flow of discharge from the reproductive organs.

It may relieve inflammation in the lower pelvis and abdomen. It is delicious, warming and comforting to the new mother.

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup of black wood-ear mushrooms (found in health food stores or Asian markets)
  • ¼ cup rice wine
  • 1 large chicken breast, bone and skin still intact
  • 2 T fresh ginger root chopped
  • 5 cups spring water
  • sea salt and black pepper to taste

Preparation:

  1. Soak wood-ear mushrooms in warm water for 30 minutes or until soft, rinse and cut into thin strips.
  2. Put chicken breast in boiling water for 5 minutes to poach, then remove and drain off water.
  3. Put all ingredients in a pot with adequate water (about 5 cups) and simmer on low for 30 minutes.
  4. Add rice wine after 30 minutes of cooking and continue to simmer, until the soup reduces to about 3 cups; chicken will begin to fall off the bone and become very tender.
  5. Season with sea salt, pepper, and even a pinch of cayenne or tamari to serve.
  6. Eat all ingredients with soup.
  7. May be served over steamed brown rice.
  8. Eat approximately 1 cup of soup with a meal once a day for five days to receive maximum health benefits.

soup for post-partum thyroiditis

Seek Help and Know You are Not Alone

For me personally, the worst aspects of PPT were:

  • feeling like I was all alone in my illness and I could not tell anyone what I was going through
  • concerns about being judged about supplementing my baby with formula
  • being a nutritionist and having a “problem” after giving birth
  • not having a good doctor to help me through testing and treatment
  • not knowing when the horrible symptoms would subside
  • not knowing what each day would bring as far as energy, mood and happiness
  • concern that I would have PPT again with subsequent babies (I did not, thankfully)

That was heavy stuff, ladies.

I sigh.

Remembering that time makes me a little sad and also makes me realize how much of it has shaped my life and career.

Really, one of the main reasons for starting a holistic family nutrition practice is because I had postpartum thyroiditis after giving birth.

I previously had other plans for my niche in the nutrition field.

But, everything I learned through having PPT (and also learning about homemade baby formula) was a real game changer for me.

I researched and applied so many nutrition principals (again) to my own health and healing during that time.

Thankfully, due to the abundance of patient advocacy and support groups available on the Internet, I ultimately realized I was not alone.

So, I see you. And, I know you.

I was you.

PPT is a real challenge but you will get through it.

I am here to help.

Family Nutrition / Hashimoto's / Postpartum - 10/04/2018

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The information on this website is for educational purposes only and should not be considered medical advice. This information is provided to help you make informed decisions about your health. It is not meant to replace the advice of your primary physician.

Choosing a holistic approach to health care through nutrition means choosing personal responsibility for your health care. Sara Peternell, MNT, is not liable or responsible for any harm, damage or illness arising from the use of the information contained herein or through any of the nutritional therapy programs available for purchase.

By reading the information on this website, and by becoming a client, you agree to defend, indemnify and hold harmless Sara Peternell, MNT, and all agents, from and against any and all claims, liabilities, damages, losses or expenses, including reasonable attorneys’ fees and costs, arising out of or in any way connected with your access to or use of the website, products or services.

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