AOL Lifestyle Expert: Fertility Smoothie

Happy Monday! I know Mondays aren’t the best for most, but I have to say I’m really excited on this particular Monday as I’m launching another video with my friends over at AOL! As you may recall, AOL asked me to be one of their Lifestyle experts and I’ve been having a great time creating videos for them!!

Today we are giving you my magic potion AKA a smoothie recipe, that helps boost your fertility and get your body ready for pregnancy.

Getting pregnant isn’t always easy. I’m currently working on baby number two and even with Brooks, I tried every supplement, did every yoga move and ate any food I could to help boost my fertility. I did my research and met with a lot of great experts. One of them was Lori Bregman. Lori is a doula and has a pregnancy-coaching program called Rooted For Life, which helps create a healthy and happy birthing experience for both mother and child all the way from the womb through the first years of life. She is also an author with a book coming out this spring called The Mindful Mom.

Not only are we going to show you how to make the magic fertility smoothie over at AOL, but I’m also going to share some great information Lori taught me about natural supplements and foods that can increase a woman’s fertility.

Vitamin D:

• Not only is vitamin D great for promoting bone density and reducing risk of breast cancer, it’s also a natural fertility booster!
• One study showed that high doses of Vitamin D lowered Estradiol and Progesterone.  And since Estrogen dominance is a main cause of infertility, taking Vitamin D could be a critical component in increasing fertility
• Studies have shown that three quarters of all people in the US are vitamin D deficient so it’s particularly important to make sure you’re getting enough vitamin D before, during and after you have a baby

Co Q 10

• CO Q 10 or co-enzyme 10 is a vitamin-like substance found in all cells.
• The supplement is specifically developed to support healthy eggs with antioxidant protection for people who want to enhance their chance of pregnancy
• Taking a supplemental dose of Co Q 10 is said to improve egg quality, which is why it is often taken by both women who are going through invitro fertilization as well as women trying to conceive naturally

Prenatals

• Prenatal vitamins are a combination of different vitamins and minerals created to cover nutrition gaps in a mother’s diet
• But bonus–the combination of vitamins and minerals also make your hair, skin and nails look amazing! I recommend them to everyone—whether they’re expecting a child or not.  I take them every night before I go to sleep!
• There are lots of prenatal vitamins on the market. I recommend either getting a prescriptive prenatal or taking the New Chapter brand. But regardless of which kind you get, make sure it contains the following ingredients.

Calcium – taking extra calcium is really important during pregnancy because the baby uses the mother’s calcium for it’s own growth.

Vitamin D – helps your body absorb calcium so make sure to take your vitamin D supplement as well!

Iron – helps blood carry oxygen in both mother and child!

Folic acid – prevents neural tube birth defects which affect’s the baby’s brain and spinal cord. You can also get your folic acid from foods like leafy green vegetables, nuts, beans and citrus fruits.

Lori Bregman is truly amazing and I hope you stay tuned and check out my newest video for AOL.