Superfoods That Enhance Fertility!

No one food can be called a magic bullet when it comes enhancing fertility, but there are some foods that assist with human reproduction and that are highly recommended for both sexes to eat in order to facilitate having a child.

Here are the top ten superfoods to include in your diet to increase fertility.

1.    Cod Liver Oil

Cod liver oil is a very rich source of Vitamin D and it supports the production of estrogen in both women and men. Estrogen is crucial for insulin production and key to regulating all cell growth. It also regulates insulin in your body so that it is in top shape for producing healthy sperm an ovum.

2.    Free Range Eggs

Eggs contain a full protein but when you eat free-range eggs you are consuming two thirds more Vitamin A then regular eggs and seven times more beta-carotene. Beta-carotene is crucial to prevent celiac disease, diabetes and other conditions of poor health that sabotage fertility.

3.    Sunflower Seeds

This is a fat-soluble vitamin that has an ingredient known as tocopherol, which in Greek means, “to bring forth a child.”

4.    Caviar

Caviar and most types of fish roes are very rich sources of Vitamin K2 that helps the body absorb Vitamins A and D. This is essential to keeping the sexual organs and sex drive in good shape.  Caviar is also high in Vitamin D and Vitamin E.

5.    Grass-fed Dairy Products

Grass fed dairy products such as yogurt, milk and cottage cheese are a good source of the fat-soluble vitamins that keep both male and female bodies supported by ample amounts of A, D K2 and E.

6.    Kefir

Fermented dairy products such as Kefir are rich sources of long-chain conjugated acids that help keep your DNA, and your future child’s DNA, healthy. Kefir is also a good source beneficial bacteria for your gut.

7.    Maca

Maca is an ancient remedy for infertility and impotence. It is an adaptogen that boosts immunity, energy and vitality in general. It is best consumed in the powdered form and mixed in a smoothie. Maca may increase the sperm count in some males.

8.    Royal Jelly

Royal Jelly contains bee pollen, which contains fifty percent more protein than beef as well as all of the B vitamins. It helps women who may be suffering from fertility issues due to endometriosis (fibroids.)  It has been used for centuries to increase sperm production in men and egg production in women. Have a teaspoonful every day.

9.    Kale

Kale is rich in Vitamin A, C, calcium, iron, potassium and folic acid. Folic acid is needed for women to conceive and also is needed to produce a fetus without neural defects.

10. Spinach

Spinach is high in both iron and folic acid, which makes it the ideal fertility food for females. Eating your spinach is particularly important for women who have low iron levels as they are more prone to experiencing ovulatory infertility. Eat spinach along with foods full of Vitamin C such as oranges, broccoli, strawberries or green peppers for a synergistic effect.

Remember to avoid all white sugars and flours, chemicals and preservatives as choose organic groceries whenever possible.

For more information or to book a consultation about our restorative Healthy and Active diet and weight loss programs or any health issue you may be experiencing, visit the Pinewood Natural Health Centre website that has a list of full services and products at www.pinewood.ca or call our Toronto Office at  (416)-656- 8100.  We also have an office in Pickering, Ontario at (905)-427-0057. You can also email us at info@pinewoodhealth.ca and we would be happy to answer any question that you have about our holistic health services.

Toronto Holistic Nutritionist Karen Gilman Helps Get Rid of Hot Flashes, Insomnia and Fatigue With Diet

Are you constantly tired? Have low energy? Want a better night’s sleep? 

Do you suffer from acne and dry skin issues?

We, women, need to pay special attention to our hormonal health.  As a Holistic Nutritionist, I often see women experiencing hormonal imbalances. These imbalances are part of our journey through life and we should eat appropriately for this stage to minimize the effects of this transition and to set us up for future health.

As a busy mom with two young daughters, I understand you need lots of energy to tackle the day from packing lunches (ugh!) to ferrying the kids to soccer practice. Being up in the middle of the night unable to fall back asleep doesn’t help!

In my practice, prevention is key and I encourage all the women I see to follow a diet that will take them through these middle years easily with minimal weight gain, sleepless nights (though not due to crying baby anymore), hot flashes and mood swings. To help my clients make the necessary dietary changes, I have put together a whole foods based Hormone Balancing Nutrition Program. This is a great program to supplement those on hormonal correction therapy.

If you experience the following, you can benefit from this program:

Hot flashes                  Low blood sugar                 Moodswings  

Acne rosacea              Weight gain                         Dry skin                     

Sleepless nights         Irritability

Book a Hormone Balancing Nutrition Program today for just $99!

(Value of $115)

I will work with you to create a meal plan and give you the right tools to minimize your risk for developing chronic medical conditions like high blood pressure, heart disease or osteoporosis.

Call the clinic at 416-656-8100 to book your appointment or email me at Karen@nutrilicious.ca.

To eating nutritious and delicious food!

Karen Gilman

Registered Holistic Nutritionist

Hormonal Correction Therapy

If you are going through menopause or perimenopause and experiencing typical symptoms such as hot flashes, migraines, night sweats, memory loss, weight gain, headaches, aching joints and panic attacks then it might be time to consider a course of naturopathic therapy using bio identical hormones.

Hormone replacement therapy is meant to replace the hormones that a woman’s endocrine system stops producing as she ages. Hormones are important because they act as messengers from the command center of the brain to the organs and the cells. As your supply of hormones diminish due to aging, so do these messengers and women begin to experience a loss of energy, changing body shape and a loss of sex drive.  This leads to a diminishment of well being as pathways to organs are shut down due to a lack of hormonal fuel.

The best way to prevent accelerating aging and diminish lack of capacity in general is to embark on a program of bio identical hormonal therapy so that those messengers can be prompted again into doing their job.

What are Bio identical Hormones?

Bio identical hormones are the exact substances that are bodies produce in our glands only the hormones are created in lab. These hormones are created from compounds found in soy beans or yams.  The man-made plant-based hormones are chemically altered in a laboratory so that its molecular structure becomes identical to the one manufactured by our bodies.

These hormones are available to you in many different forms including tablets, creams, gels and pellets.  The bio identical hormones that are right for you are mixed together by a trained pharmacist in a “compounding pharmacy.” Not all pharmacies are a compounding pharmacy so you need to be aware of that when talking to your Pinewood naturopath about this issue. 

The reason that synthetic hormones are not recommended to help women through menopause is because your body simply does not recognize them. Adverse side effects are often the result of using synthetic hormones.

However bio-identical hormones have been known to be quite effective at reducing the symptoms of menopause. One of the biggest celebrity supporters of the practice is Oprah Winfrey who wrote that, "After one day on bio identical estrogen, I felt the veil lift," Winfrey writes. "After three days, the sky was bluer, my brain was no longer fuzzy, my memory was sharper. I was literally singing and had a skip in my step."[1]

Your Individualized Program of Healing

A prescription of this type of treatment requires the creation of a highly individualized health profile so that you are prescribed the proper hormones. Many factors come into play including your genetic profile, the state of your health, your environment, what nutritional supplements you already take and the types of foods that are in your diet.

This replacement therapy begins with a comprehensive review of all of your symptoms and medical history and will include the testing of your blood, urine and saliva. It may also include nutritional planning and a fitness program. 

It is also a good idea for you to have a mammogram, PAP smear and uterine ultrasound before you enter into this type of therapy to make sure that you are in good health and a good candidate for the treatment.

For more information about hormonal correction therapy and how bio identical hormones might be able to help you  visit the Pinewood Natural Health Centre website that has a list of full services and products at www.pinewood.ca or call our Toronto Office at  (416)-656- 8100.  We also have an office in Pickering, Ontario at (905)-427-0057. You can also email us at info@pinewoodhealth.ca and we would be happy to answer any question that you have about our holistic health services that you have.

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[1] Miranda Hitti, Oprah and Bioidentical Hormones, WebMD Health News. Posted 2014. Retrieved Jun3 6, 2013. http://www.webmd.com/women/news/20090115/oprah-and-bioidentical-hormones-faq

Additional Suggested Anti-Aging Foods

As discussed in our last blog, part of maintaining any treatments that you have done at the Pinewood Health Clinic, whether it be cosmetic fillers, laser resurfacing or mesotherapy injections, is eating well.  Here are some additional suggestions for foods to include in your diet that boast amazing anti-aging properties.

1. Squash

Bright orange squash is loaded with beta-carotene, which in turn converts to vitamin A in the body. This reduces the risks of cancers, cardiovascular disease and osteoporosis.  The lutein and lycopene found in produce also help protect the skin from sun damage and reduce wrinkling.

Squash is easily baked in the oven. It can be mashed like a potato and served cold and cubed in a salad.

2.  Broccoli

Broccoli and broccoli sprouts contain sulorphane, which increases the production enzymes that help clear toxins from the body. The younger the broccoli is, the more of this anti-aging substance it contains. Broccoli also contains a substantial amount of calcium that is good for teeth, bones, skin and hair.

Broccoli is most nutritious if it is served raw and the broccoli sprouts are delicious served in a sandwich. If sprouts are eaten when they are about three days old they offer up about fifty times the protection of the mature stalks.

3.  Kale

Kale, and other leafy greens like Swiss chard are chock full of antioxidants including the carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin. This antioxidant combination decreases the risk of macular-related vision degeneration and protects them from sun-induced damage.  Kale also promotes youthfulness by improving your cardiovascular health, boosting your immune system, fight cancer through hormone moderation, regulating blood sugar levels, and aiding in digestion.

Slightly steaming kale or braising makes it easier for the body to assimilate the healing carotenoids.

4.  Red Kidney Beans

Red kidney beans are one of the most nutritious of anti-aging foods.  They contain high levels of LDL cholesterol, which lowers the “bad cholesterol” that can cause heart disease.  Beans also contain anthocyanins and quercetins that fight free radical damage in the body.

Beans are of the most benefit if they are served in a salad or as part of a bean salad with red onions and apple cider vinegar.  Beans are also delicious and healthy served as part of a tomato stew.

5.  Acai Berry

The healing constituents of Acai are vitamins A, C, E, omega fatty acids, protein, iron, and fibre. Every 100 grams of Acai contains 1000 IU of Vitamin A as well as the minerals potassium, calcium, magnesium, copper and zinc.

Acai has ten times the antioxidant power of red grapes and twice that of blueberries. The free radical cancer fighter that is especially prominent in these berries is anthocyanin.

Another surprising nutritional fact about Acai is that it contains more protein than an egg as well as Omega 3, 6 and 9 fatty acids. It is a whole food.

You can find Acai juice quite easily in most grocery stores but be sure to check labels to make sure it is not “cut” too heavily with other juices such as grape or apple.

The most common Acai product available is the frozen pulp but once again be sure to read labels to make sure that there is no sugar added.  Acai should be the first ingredient on the label and not sugar or some other kind of fruit or additive.

For more information about improving your diet, losing weight, special diets and the HCG program visit the Pinewood Natural Health Centre website that has a list of full services and products at www.pinewood.ca or call our Toronto Office at  (416)-656- 8100.  We also have an office in Pickering, Ontario at (905)-427-0057. You can also email us at info@pinewoodhealth.ca and we would be happy to answer any question that you have about our holistic health services that you have.