More men and women are choosing to eat better with the hope of healing their infertility. Many have turned to a Natural Fertility Diet. Some are trying to eat healthier and live a healthier lifestyle. Many are making Fertility Smoothies but some have posed the question, “Does cold food and drink contribute to infertility”?
Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioners say eating warming foods are better because they support overall fertility. So the question should I continue the smoothies and eat a big salad every day is asked. The answer is yes and no! It is also based on the individual.
Traditional Chinese Medicine views each person as unique and the body as a whole, this is a holistic and natural approach. Some TCM practitioners suggest only eating warming food and drink when trying to conceive because they believe that some foods interfere with your chances of conceiving, but it really is all about balance. If you have been eating cooling and cold foods and drinks you should balance them with foods that are warming.
Yin and Yang
According to TCM, foods are considered cold, cooling, neutral, warming or hot. All of these are either yin or yang. For people experiencing fertility issues, there is considered to be kidney yang. Remember, this is a generalization and it is important to remember that each person is unique and it would be best to have a diet plan given to you by a Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioner. Fertility issues are generally a sign of kidney yin qi – inadequate kidney function. So when eating for fertility you will want to nourish your body with foods that are warming or yang. Kidney yang deficiency happens when there is lack of exercise, poor diet high in fat, sodium and sugar as well as a diet low in fiber.
Warming foods according to TCM to increase Kidney Yang
- Leafy green vegetables; collards, kale, chard, mustard greens, broccoli, cabbage, lightly cooked, not raw
- Seaweed in small amounts (2 tablespoons a day 4-5 times a week)
- Barley, Quinoa
- Beans – especially black beans
- Chicken, trout, salmon
- Garlic, onion, chives, scallions and leeks
- Cherry, peach, raspberry, cooked
- Spices – clove, ginger dried, fenugreek seed, fennel seed, anise seed, black peppercorn, cinnamon
- Walnuts
- Burdock root – cooked
- Carrot, turnip, parsnip, rutabaga, cooked (no more that 2 times a week)
- Black sesame seeds
All of this is a generalization and only touches on some foods. Yang deficiency may affect fertility when we eat too many cooling foods. Balance this by eating more warming foods.
Making smoothies with raw fruits, and veggies can be very beneficial to healing infertility because of antioxidants, enzymes, minerals, vitamins and phytonutrients found in them; all which are negatively affected or destroyed by heat.
For example –
- Zinc is an essential nutrient for both male and female fertility but is very heat sensitive and can be destroyed up to 50% in cooked foods.
- Antioxidants – these nutrients are a must for helping to promote egg health, repair and protect DNA (which can help to prevent miscarriages and mutated sperm) as well as protect the body from the effects that modern stress plays on our lives. Antioxidants are extremely sensitive to heat and are destroyed when cooked or heated.
- Enzymes – which are only found in raw foods, are important for digesting and utilizing the nutrients that are available in our food. Without enzymes the body is not able to repair itself as quickly or breakdown the foods you are eating.
Because our dietary and exercise habits as well as our nutritional intake is often considered poor, smoothies and salads are a great way to boost nutritional intake each day and in turn improve egg health, endocrine function, overall fertility and complete health.
Everything you eat does not need to be raw; it’s crucial to get in the important 5 in a day. For help with nutrition for optimal fertility – try our Fertility Nutrition Basics. It’s a free report and will get you started on your way to nutrition for fertility.
Contact us for more help with nutrition and for a complimentary consultation. We are here to help and would welcome the opportunity to talk with you about your concerns. Visit our SHOP where you will find other great items to help you on your fertility journey.