5 Diet Tips To Make The Holidays Fertile For Aspiring Moms

The holiday season brings families together. It’s also a popular time to start a family.

U.S. birth rates show conception rates peak in December. Nine of the 10 most common birthdays range from Sept. 9-20, according to data from the National Center for Health Statistics and the Social Security Administration. Given that pregnancies average about 38 weeks, many women are conceiving around Christmas.

But holiday festivities can also wreak havoc on diet, and healthy nutrition is an important factor for optimal fertility, says Hethir Rodriguez, founder and president of Natural Fertility Info.com (www.natural-fertility-info.com) and a certified herbalist specializing in women’s health.

“Eating a fertility diet in preparation for pregnancy and to boost fertility is one of the most powerful health changes you can make,” Rodriguez says. “Numerous studies have shown that specific changes to the diet can improve fertility, prevent recurrent miscarriage, and support a healthy pregnancy.

“A natural fertility diet supports your body in its reproductive efforts, including foods that are dense in nutrients needed for hormonal health, fetal development, egg health, sperm health and much more.”

Rodriguez gives five diet tips that can help improve fertility:

•  Eat Organic. Rodriguez recommends consuming organic produce when available. “Conventional produce could contain harmful herbicides and pesticides, which have been shown to negatively affect both male and female fertility,” Rodriguez says. “Studies have shown that organic vegetables and fruits may have more nutritional value as well.”
• Cold-water fish. Fatty acids aid in the production of hormones, reduce inflammation and help regulate the menstrual cycle. Fish supplies omega 3, an essential fatty acid. Rodriguez says stay away from deep-water fish, such as tuna and swordfish, due to their potential concentrations of mercury. “Focus on cold-water fish such as wild Alaskan salmon, cod and halibut,” she says.
• Grass-fed organic meat. This is a great source of essential fatty acids and protein while being low in saturated fat. Rodriguez says women should eschew conventionally raised cattle that contain high levels of added hormones and antibiotics.
• Superfoods. Rodriguez suggests Royal jelly, which comes in capsules or in a base of honey and is rich in numerous vitamins, calcium, iron and has all the essential amino acids; and maca root, a Peru-produced superfood that helps increase egg and sperm health. Superfoods are easy to add to your diet as they are taken in small amounts and can be added to nearly any recipe.
• Eat your greens. Dark leafy vegetables are packed with minerals, antioxidants and vitamins; all essential to healthy fertility. Examples of dark leafy green vegetables that are readily available over the holidays are spinach, swiss chard, kale, arugula, and collard greens. Green veggies are rich in fiber, which Rodriguez says helps regulate blood-sugar levels and remove excess estrogens from the body, which may in turn help to reduce fertility issues.These vegetables are easier to incorporate in to the diet than you may think. They can be eaten in salads, juices, sauteed, or added to fruit smoothies and warm winter soups.

“You want your diet before conception and throughout pregnancy to build up nutrient stores and provide all the healthy building blocks for a healthy child,” Rodriguez says. “A fertility diet gives you and your future child the best start in life.”

About Hethir Rodriguez

Hethir Rodriguez is the founder and president of Natural Fertility Info.com(www.natural-fertility-info.com), a website focusing on many aspects of natural fertility, infertility, and reproductive health. She’s the author of the e-Book Fertility Smoothies: Elixirs for Optimal Fertility, and has been a certified herbalist for nearly 20 years, specializing in women’s health and natural fertility. Rodriguez holds a B.S. degree in nutrition sciences, and is also a certified birth doula. Since she founded Natural Fertility Info.com in 2007, Rodriguez’s research, articles and guides have been read by over 40 million people.

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During the busy autumn and holiday season it can be a great idea to preemptively boost your immune system. Luckily, essential oils and apple cider vinegar are incredibly useful for this purpose.

Amy Leigh Mercree, a wellness coach and medical intuitive who has gained success as an international best-selling author, is sharing “4 Natural Ways to Boost your Immune System with Essential Oils and Apple Cider Vinegar.” The recipes are featured in her new books, Essential Oils Handbook: Recipes for NaturalLiving and Apple Cider Vinegar Handbook: Recipes for Natural Living.

4 Natural Ways to Boost your Immune System with Essential Oils and Apple Cider Vinegar

1. Antibacterial rub with lavender essential oil: You know it’s relaxing, but did you know it is also antibacterial? Rubbing some lavender oil on your hands and smelling it and inhaling it through your nose and mouth can actually help slow the spread of colds and flu.

2. Oil pulling immunity blend mouthwash. So much of our health begins in our mouth! Oil pulling is believed to help remove bacteria, fungi and even viruses from the gum line. It’s also believed to pull heavy metals from the body in a safe way. Use an oil blend of cinnamon bark oil, clove oil, lemon oil, cinnamon leaf oil, rosemary oil, and eucalyptus oil. This same blend of oils is also incredibly useful in multiple scenarios required to boost your immunity. That blend is antiviral, antibacterial, antimicrobial, and antifungal. Diluting in in coconut oil and using it as a mouthwash daily is a fabulous way to keep your immune system happy and healthy. You can also place ten drops of the blend in a spray bottle (minus the coconut oil) and bring it on a plane and spritz it in your mouth periodically to help curb the spread of germs. (*The recipe for this is featured in The Essential Oils Handbook. Please let us know if you would like the recipe for publication.)

3. Drink apple cider vinegar. Drinking ½ to one teaspoon of apple cider vinegar in a minimum of eight ounces of water each morning also helps optimize your acid and alkaline balance which is an essential component of a healthy immune system. If you'd like, add one drop of organic, therapeutic grade lemon, sweet orange, or lime oil to your mixture.

4. Put oil of oregano on your feet! If you find yourself coming down with a cold and you really want to knock it out quickly, you can place high potency oil of oregano on the bottoms of your feet and put socks over them and sleep that way to let this incredibly powerful antibacterial and antiviral oil work with you intradermally and be absorbed to remove your cold symptoms.

Amy Leigh Mercree is an author, media personality, wellness coach and relationship expert who has been practicing for fifteen years. Her motto is, "Live joy. Be kind. Love unconditionally." She counsels women and men in the underrated art of self-love and self-acceptance to create happier, healthier lives. Mercree teaches internationally sharing Medicine Woman Bootcamp, New Moon Goddess Bootcamp, Heart Shamanism, and Goddess Shamanism classes. Her services include online sessions. Mercree is the author of The Spiritual Girl's Guide to Dating: Your Enlightened Path to Love, Sex, and Soul Mates, A Little Bit of Chakras: An Introduction to Energy Healing, Joyful Living: 101 Ways to Transform Your Spirit and Revitalize Your Life, The Chakras and Crystals Cookbook: Juices, Sorbets, Smoothies, Salads, and Crystal Infusions to Empower Your Energy Centers, The Compassion Revolution: 30 Days of Living from the Heart, A Little Bit of Meditation, A Little Bit of Mindfulness, Essential Oils Handbook, and Apple Cider Vinegar Handbook. Mercree has been featured in Glamour, Women's Health, Inc., Shape, The Huffington Post, Mind Body Green, CBS, NBC, Hello Giggles, Reader's Digest and many more. Mercree holds a degree in early childhood education and worked as a Montessori Kindergarten teacher for seven years. She is also founder of Allegria Marketing, a boutique agency specializing in targeted marketing for wellness, beauty, and lifestyle brands. Mercree resides in Florida and enjoys reading, writing, art, dancing, snorkeling, free diving, and body boarding.

Connect with Amy Leigh Mercree on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat @amyleighmercree and visit www.amyleighmercree.com.

Runner’s Feet: How to Treat Common Training Pains

Running is a high impact sport that puts a great deal of pressure on the many small bones and joints in the foot. Injuries can develop from overuse or trauma. Running is an excellent form of exercise, however, and many people enjoy mental health benefits from running as well. There is no reason to avoid running due to fear of injury.

Common Foot Problems Associated with Running

Stabbing pain in the heel is likely the result of plantar fasciitis. The pain is often worst in the morning and when walking up stairs. Plantar fasciitis develops when the thick band of tissue that runs across the bottom of the foot becomes inflamed. Metatarsalgia is a condition that feels like bruising on the balls of the feet. It can be centralized between the second and third or third and fourth toes or near the big toe. The pain is often worse when you are on your feet. Metatarsalgia develops when excessive pressure is placed on the long bones of the foot.

Stress fractures are small cracks that can develop in bones from repeated stress. They most often develop in the metatarsal. Left untreated, the pain becomes worse and the foot may swell or develop bruising. Pain from a stress fracture is worse during activity and may go away while at rest.

Treatment for Training Pains

Runners understand the importance of healthy feet. They are literally the support system for your body. Anyone experiencing foot pain should consult a foot doctor. Injuries can escalate if not treated properly. It is important to get an accurate diagnosis to know what type of treatment is best. Often, rest, ice, and anti-inflammatory medication are enough to treat an injury. Some ailments, such as plantar fasciitis can be treated with a brace. A complicated stress fracture may require casting.

Risk Factors

Foot injuries can develop for a variety of reasons, some avoidable, others less so. Increasing your training mileage or intensity too quickly is one common cause of injury. The general rule is to increase mileage by no more than 10 percent a week, and only increase mileage or intensity, not both, at one time. An improper gait can increase your risk of developing foot pain. Improper gait sometimes has to do with the way your body is put together and would take concentrated work with a professional to improve. You can work on improving your gait on your own by weight training to correct muscle imbalances and performing running drills on a regular basis.

Prevention

Proper fitting shoes that are in good condition are the key to keeping your feet healthy. Purchase shoes that are made for your stride, whether you are a neutral runner, or under or over pronate. Make sure the shoe fits properly, you should have about one-half an inch of room from the end of your toe to the end of the shoe. Replace your shoes every 300 or so miles.

Foot pain can bring your training to a grinding halt. While frustrating, it is important to rest and seek medical attention immediately. Trying to work through the pain will slow your recovery and may worsen the injury.

Lose Daylight Without Losing Your Mojo

Neuropsychologist Offers Practical Tips to Prepare for the Clock Change

www.comprehendthemind.com

That post-summer sluggishness usually kicks in every October as we head into fall. The temperatures drop and the one thing that makes winter’s rapid approach evident regardless of climate is the loss of daylight. For many, this loss of daylight also leads to a loss of energy, an uptick in short temper and even bouts of depression. So how can we ease into the rapidly approaching winter months? Dr. Sanam Hafeez, an NYC based licenses clinical psychologist and faculty member at the prestigious Columbia University Teachers College, offers practical tips to prepare for the clock change.

Before we get into the tips, it’s important to understand the clock change’s impact on our brains and therefore our bodies, so we understand what is actually going on. Dr. Sanam Hafeez explains that “a cell in the retinas of our eyes called a ganglion cell contains the photopigment melanopsin. When we are exposed to sunlight, melanopsin signals a pathway to cells in the hypothalamus specifically responsible for regulating our bodies biological functions. This process then triggers the pineal gland which is in charge of melatonin secretion which peaks at night and wears off during the day. In simpler terms, the less light exposure we get, more out of whack we feel.”

According to Dr. Hafeez, the following simple adjustments leading up to the clock falling back can make a significant difference for those who don’t struggle with more severe depression or bipolar disorder.

1. Avoid alcohol.

When the clocks are turned back in the fall, many bars stay open an additional hour. This is typically celebrated by people in their 20’s and 30’s who only pay for it the next day opting to sleep away their Sunday. Drinking alcohol before turning back the clocks can add more sluggishness the next morning. “Even with just a one-hour clock change, our body’s circadian rhythm is thrown off making our brains a bit confused. Alcohol only heightens these effects,” explains Dr. Hafeez. Imagine the double whammy of a hangover after the fall back clock change?

2. Enjoy physical activity during the daytime.

The more time spent outside in the daylight doing physical activity, the less sluggish you will feel once the clocks fall back. Fall is a great time to powerwalk or go for a run. If you’re an early riser then you will love the earlier sunrise at least for the next few weeks. “A lot of people shift their exercise routines to include more high energy group workouts in the evenings to give themselves something to look forward to as a way to shake off the workday. You really want to pay attention to when you feel most energized and align your exercise to that,” suggests Dr. Hafeez.

3. Don’t sleep in. Go to bed earlier instead.

In the days leading up to the clock change, add extra “wind-down” time before bed and get to bed an hour earlier. On the Sunday morning of the clock change, people mistakenly opt to sleep in. You really want to stick to the same wake-up time while getting to bed earlier. That’s the key according to Dr. Hafeez. “People think they are gaining an hour of sleep, they’re not because at bedtime they’re losing it. When you keep the wake-up time and get to bed earlier that extra hour isn’t felt as much the next day,” explains Dr. Hafeez.

4. Avoid watching the news before bed.

People think that getting to bed an hour earlier means it’s ok to watch TV in bed before sleep. TV or any kind stimulates the brain. Your favorite show causes you to focus when you’re trying to shut down stimulation. The news is even worse. You get wrapped up in the doom and gloom watching the news. “If you want to really make sure you still wake up refreshed, opt for tranquil music or guided meditations available on YouTube or an app, recommends Dr. Hafeez.”

5. Plan ahead! Consider taking Monday off!

For those who find their mood is negatively impacted after the fall clock change, consider taking Monday off and make it about self-care. Waking up early, taking advantage of the early light, enjoying a healthy breakfast, getting a massage or catching up on reading, tidying and whatever you feel necessary to feel good, do it. “People can feel the effects of the clock change for up to 3 weeks. Taking a day off to focus on your own well-being can become a nice post clock change ritual,” she says.

About the Doctor:

Dr. Sanam Hafeez PsyD is an NYC based licensed clinical psychologist, teaching faculty member at the prestigious Columbia University Teacher’s College and the founder and Clinical Director of Comprehensive Consultation Psychological Services, P.C. a neuropsychological, developmental and educational center in Manhattan and Queens. Dr. Hafeez masterfully applies her years of experience connecting psychological implications to address some of today’s common issues such as body image, social media addiction, relationships, workplace stress, parenting and psychopathology (bipolar, schizophrenia, depression, anxiety, etc…). In addition, Dr. Hafeez works with individuals who suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), learning disabilities, attention and memory problems, and abuse. Dr. Hafeez often shares her credible expertise to various news outlets in New York City and frequently appears on CNN and Dr.Oz.

Connect with Dr.Hafeez via Instagram @drsanamhafeez or www.comprehendthemind.com

Powerful Call To Action Seeks To Abolish Conversion Therapy

New York, NY, October 24, 2018 — You might have thought that "conversion” therapy practices on children in America would have been outlawed years ago. You'd be wrong. This state-sanctioned practice to try to change a child's sexual orientation or gender identity is alive and well—and living in the United States.

Vellah Jones' new book, Dear Congress: Voices of American Children Currently Being Abused by Conversion Therapy, bravely pulls back the curtain on conversion therapy through the voices of 12 American children currently undergoing what amounts to little more than legalized torture. Jones, who sees a correlation between conversion therapy and child abuse, provides examples of the occurrence of neglect, as well as physical, psychological, sexual and emotional abuse during conversion therapy sessions by mental health professionals.

"These 12 high school children represent tens of thousands of children across the country,” Jones said. "This is a practice that's been proven to have no success in changing a person's sexual orientation or gender identity and is known to impair a child's development and result in increased juvenile homelessness, addiction and suicide.

As Jones' first public effort to shine a light on the horrors of conversion therapy and to effect positive legislative change, Dear Congress is a call to action for everyone to press for an end to conversion therapy practices on juveniles.

For more information, please go to: www.dearcongress.love.

Dear Congress: Voices of American Children Currently Being Abused by Conversion Therapy
Release date: August 23, 2018
Published in the USA by Legacy Projects
ISBN–13: 978-1725081345
ISBN–10: 1725081342

TIP SHEET

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Reviews of Dear Congress:

Bruce Kluger, columnist, USA Today: "Conversion therapy is the waterboarding of impressionable young minds, a sanctioned modern-day torture so ignorant of science and abuse in practice that in 2018 it continues to waste the lives of millions around the world, nearly 700,000 in America alone. With their landmark book, Vellah Jones and her 'Children's Committee' have done more than simply expose the politics and perversion ... (they) also reveal, bit by painful bit, the human toll suffered by its innocent victims, while simultaneously providing them a potent forum—and steely solidarity—to fight back and abolish this psychological brutality.”

Kathryn Smerling, PhD, licensed family therapist, New York City: "I wish this book did not exist, that state and federal law prohibited the horrible psychological, physical and emotional abuse of conversion therapy. Hopefully, this book will help to end these practices, and for all.”

Suggested interview questions for Vellah Jones:

What is conversion therapy?

What are your experiences regarding conversion therapy?

What can we do to change the law?

What happens to children who survive conversion therapy?

What are the signs that we can look for to identify a child being abused by conversion therapy?

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