Are You Eating for Fertility in the Summer?
When we are on the fertility journey, the summer season can be so much fun, we feel the warm sunshine on our face and see everything growing in abundance. Living seasonally can help us to slow down in our busy lives and to take note of the changing seasons as well as the changes that we are experiencing. The summertime can be a time of lots of activities, social settings, vacations, outdoor time with plenty of sun. It can also be a time for overwhelm, heat exhaustion, irritability and frustration. This is why it is so important to find balance within the seasons. We can do this through different types of food.
Cold foods such as garden salads, smoothies, raw fruits and veggies are all perfect during the summer season as our digestive system can handle more of the raw roughage during this time. Try also incorporating bitter foods, like lemon, bitter greens such as arugula, dandelion and beets as this will help your digestion when it is getting in so many other raw foods. This way of eating is drastically different during the colder months when we naturally gravitate towards more warming food like soups and stews.
Our fertility will love getting in all of the rich antioxidants from the colorful fruits and veggies. Our digestion actually speeds up along with our metabolism in the hotter weather. Our thyroid is working to keep us cool as it acts like our little thermometer. Take note of any imbalances during this time as it can be clues into your fertility. Are you still cold in the summer? This could be a sign your thyroid is off. Can your digestive system not handle the summer salads and raw foods as much, this could be an indication that your gut microbiome needs work.
Cool down with foods like watermelon, cucumber, lettuce which are all rich in vitamins, minerals and plenty of water. Hydration is so critical during this time! It is not enough to simply just drink water during the heat of summer, you must add back in nutrients such as electrolytes, Celtic Sea Salt and lemon, cucumbers and mint in your water. Remember if you are constantly having to go to the bathroom this could be a sign that water is just flushing right through you and not actually getting into your cells. Being properly hydrated is critical for your fertility as it helps to create your fertile cervical fluid among so many other things!
Summer Seasonal Foods Pairings:
Think bitter greens to help stimulate digestion like spinach, arugula, dandelion
Asparagus with eggs or quiche and frittata
red bell pepper and Eggplant roasted or turned into delicious dips like babaganoush and Muhammara eaten with vegetable crudite and crunchy herb crackers
watermelon, cantaloupe which is rich in potassium and vitamin A can be added to salads or had for breakfast
Figs with an arugula salad, drizzle of honey and pistachio nuts
Herbs such as parsley and cilantro for pestos or basil paired with tomatoes,
strawberries, raspberries and blackberries on top of your morning yogurt,
salmon, shrimp or any seasonal seafood for dinner
Summer Fertility Tips:
Try Dry Brushing to move circulation and the lymphatic system
Swimming outside in a lake, ocean or outdoor pool
Naps in the hammock
Walk barefoot in the garden
Cucumber eye masks
Rose cooling face toner
Journal Prompts around growth and abundance- this is a season when all of the plants are in abundance and even over abundance- be sure to focus on all the abundant things you have in your life right now. Do you have an abundant mindset or a scarcity mindset