Tag: fertility

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PCOS-Friendly Apple Spiced Granola

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PCOS-Friendly Apple Spiced Granola

Course Snack
Keyword dairy free, gluten free, granola
Servings 3 mason jars
Author Liz Bissell

Ingredients

  • ⅓ cup pumpkin seeds, raw
  • ½ cup pecans, chopped
  • ⅔ cup hemp seeds
  • 1 cup gluten-free old-fashioned oats
  • 1 cup macadamia nuts
  • 1 tbsp cinnamon
  • ¼ cup apple butter
  • ¼ cup coconut oil, melted
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • ¼ tsp ground cloves
  • ¼ tsp all-spice
  • ¼ tsp coarse sea salt

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Combine the cinnamon, cloves, all-spice, and sea salt in a small bowl. Stir to combine. Set aside.

  2. Using a gallon ziplock bag, add the oats, pumpkin seeds, pecans, hemp seeds, and macadamia nuts. Close the ziplock bag and lay flat evenly on a hard surface, such as the kitchen counter. Using the bottom of a small saute pan, hit the bag several times to slightly break down the nuts. You can also chop manually or add to the a food processor and pulse 1-2 times if you prefer. Shake to evenly distribute and pour into a medium size bowl.

  3. Add the spices to the nut mixture and stir to combine. Add in the melted coconut oil and vanilla extract, stir. Heat the apple butter for about 20-30 seconds in the microwave and add to the nut mixture. Stir to evenly combine.

  4. Spread parchment paper or aluminum foil on a baking sheet and spray with cooking spray. Spread the granola evenly on the baking sheet. You want to make sure the granola is not spread too thin so you get some good clusters. I spread mine while maintaining some shape to it and then pressed down with my fingertips to reinforce the cluster creation.

  5. Bake for 25-30 minutes. Let cool for 5-10 minutes then break into smaller clusters. I stored mine in mason jars in the refrigerator but it can also be frozen for later use. Enjoy!

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8 Facts about Alcohol and Fertility

Reducing alcohol intake for potential mama’s and dad’s can be tricky. I don’t know about you but I find that most social events I go to involve some form of alcoholic beverage, which can make it very difficult to avoid alcohol or avoid attention for NOT drinking. Because there in lies the next question, “OMG you’re not drinking, are you pregnant?” This specific question is especially uncomfortable when you are trying to conceive but have not yet had success.

I’m going to be perfectly honest, I enjoy drinking alcohol! Wine, tequila, white claws, and high noon exactly in that order…not on the same night of course 😉 I have no shame! I am human just like the rest of us. Therefore, reducing alcohol intake for me is a purposeful action and takes some work. This may not be the case for everyone, but for me, it is. For this reason, it can be a huge challenge to be socially happy while trying to reduce your alcohol intake to promote optimal fertility, which led me to ask myself, does reducing or avoiding alcohol entirely really help with fertility? I decided to dive into the evidence and see what the science says.

Woman-drinking.png

Here are the 8 facts about alcohol, fertility, and managing PCOS.

  1. Alcohol intake can affect your quality of sleep, which can ultimately alter your cortisol and melatonin levels making your PCOS worse.
  2. Studies related to alcohol intake and fertility are limited and not always reliable due to the unethical issues with testing this and the retrospective nature of many studies.
  3. Moderate intake of alcohol has not shown negative impacts on semen quality and in some cases, moderate alcohol consumption has shown positive health effects due to the antioxidant content found in red wine. However, excess alcohol intake (>14 servings) has been correlated with decreased fertility.
  4. Excess alcohol intake can increase inflammation in the body. This inflammation can cause worsening gut health and central obesity.
  5. Alcohol intake causes a burden on the liver. If the liver is sluggish due to frequently detoxing alcohol intake, it may not be as efficient at clearing estrogen levels, causing hormonal imbalance.
  6. Many alcoholic beverages are high in sugar due to the simple syrups, sodas, and juices used for mixing. Excess sugar intake can lead to worsening abdominal obesity, which can further deteriorate your insulin resistance. Women with PCOS are also more likely to develop non-alcoholic fatty liver disease even without alcohol intake! Drinking alcohol on top of this disease can further worsen your liver function.
  7. Because of the high sugar nature of some mixed drinks, your blood sugar will spike quickly and drop rapidly. This can lead to increased hunger and binge-eating late at night or in the morning.
  8. Limiting or keeping your alcohol intake within the recommended levels is safe. For women, this includes 1 alcoholic beverage daily and for men, 2 drinks or less.

Lime cocktail

What to do with this information?

  • If you like to drink alcohol, drink in moderation! And that includes your partner 😉 If you’re not a drinker, don’t start drinking now.
  • Plan to have your drinks with a meal to avoid low drops in blood sugar.
  • Include high fiber foods in your diet regularly to keep your estrogen levels at normal levels.
  • Avoid cocktails with high amounts of added sugar from juice, soda, or syrups. Utilize diet sodas or flavored water to mix with your alcohol instead.
  • Keep a water bottle or glass of water near you while you drink. This is a good reminder to keep yourself hydrated while you drink.
  • Enjoy a mocktail! A little bit of fresh lime juice with your favorite zero-calorie flavored water and a few sprigs of fresh mint…yes please! Just as refreshing as a regular cocktail.
  • Similar to caffeine, start cutting back on your alcohol intake slowly. Rome wasn’t built in a day! This will improve efficacy for longer term behavior change as well. If you normally drink 2 drinks at night, try to set a time limit on when you can allow yourself a drink or have your favorite zero-calorie flavored water on hand to substitute that other drink.
  • Don’t use alcohol as a social crutch. You are more than capable of having a good time with or without the use of alcohol. Don’t depend on alcohol to make you more social or outgoing. Be yourself!

-EAB