Fertility Friendly Zucchini Soup

4 to 6 servings.

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1 small onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

zucchini, (about 7 cups diced)

2 teaspoons curry powder

6 cups chicken stock, vegetable stock or water

1/4 cup basmati rice

Salt to taste

Freshly ground pepper

Pinch of cayenne

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

For garnish:

2 tablespoons chopped chives

1. Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large, heavy soup pot and add the onion. Cook, stirring, until it is tender, about 5 minutes. Add a generous pinch of salt, the garlic and the zucchini and stir for about a minute, until the garlic smells fragrant.
2. Add the curry powder, stir together, and add the stock or water, the rice and salt to taste. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, cover and simmer 30 minutes. Taste and adjust salt.
3. Purée the soup with blender.
4. Return to the pot, heat through, add pepper and cayenne to taste and stir in the lemon juice. Serve, garnishing with chopped chives.

Narelle Stegehuis, is a practicing medical herbalist and naturopath specializing in restorative endocrinology for women, with over 14 years clinical experience.  She is both an accomplished writer, editor and technical training advisor for the Complementary Health Care Council.  A recipient of the Australian Naturopathic Excellence Award, Narelle adopts an integrated approach of both medical science and traditional complementary health care principles. 

Her services can be accessed at www.bumpfertility.com.au

Discover Your NEW Fertility Path

Fertility profiling and conception mapping are the first steps towards falling pregnant and maintaining a healthy pregnancy, as Kathryn*, 42 years of Melbourne discovered.

Kathryn’s Story

After I started my new job, my health changed.  For starters, I always felt bloated and my periods had become painful.  To top it off, a family trauma left my immune system so low that I was constantly run down.  In spite of several courses of antibiotics, I just couldn’t get well again and now I was suffering from thrush!

It was when my periods stopped that I knew I was really unhealthy and that my chances of conceiving were low. 

Over the next 12 months we tried to conceive naturally, with no luck and my symptoms worsened; (weight gain, poor immunity, bloating) and I was also constantly fatigued.  I was no longer ovulating so I had a scan.  Although I had ovarian cysts, I didn’t have enough to be diagnosed with Poly Cystic Ovarian Disorder.  At least I had an explanation, but with no answer, I was rapidly giving up hope. 

There had to be a reason why I could not fall pregnant and was so unwell –  I knew I had to find it. I had tried Chaste Tree, Evening Primrose Oil and Acupuncture and although they were helping a little, I felt they were not enough. 

We tried IVF but could not achieve a healthy implantation.  I cried for days when I was told that our chances of conceiving were slim.  But I just could not give up hope.

Narelle’s Comments

Kathryn’s story is a perfect example of how important fertility profiling and conception mapping is.  We see all too often the effects of ‘blanket treatments’ that treat the symptom rather than the cause. It is important to remember that to restore fertility and long term health, you need to identify the initial cause and this takes time and expertise.  Investing time into getting to the ‘root’ cause of Kathryn’s health challenges is what made the difference.  This is what Kathryn’s ‘conception’ map looked like:

After chatting to Kathryn, I established her fertility profile and a conception map that was not only going to restore ovulation and implantation, but also improve egg quality.  These three factors, combined would not only improve her fertility, but also her energy and overall health.   

Kathryn’s  treatment strategy included a personalized tonic using traditional medicinal herbs such Golden Seal and Gentian to restore  digestive infection and Withania combined with Albizzia and Rehmannia to restore adrenal health, lower inflammation and improve immunity.  Other herbs such as Paeonia, Angelica and Pasque flower were included throughout her treatment  to support hormonal balance and improve glucose control. 

Targeted dietary changes to support fertility health according to her personalized profile including limiting broccoli and eating more blueberries were provided in an easy to understand format, that fitted well with Kathryn’s busy life. 

Personalized orthomolecular therapy and nutritional therapy, formed part of Kathryn’s long term plan.  These changes, combined with gentle detoxification techniques; gently guided her fertility health to new levels.  Her new conception plan was a must for overcoming her symptoms of period pain, fatigue, bloating, lowered immunity, hormonal imbalance, weight gain and unexplained infertility.

Outcome:

Today, Kathryn has restored energy levels and is no longer bloated.  Her immune system is healthy and she has lost weight.  She feels healthy again and has conceived naturally.

Discover your conception map.  Start by completing your Assessment online at: www.bumpfertility.com.au/f_form.php

Fertility Friendly Beef Casserole

Hearty comfort meals can be fertility friendly. This delicious beef stew, is full of vegetables and legumes for added nutrition.  

The added ginger helps to bring warmth and energy to the reproductive system.  Legumes support healthy insulin levels and kale is jam packed with extra nutrients.  All important factors in eating for reproductive health.

Ingredients (serves 4)

• 1 cup dried borlotti beans
• 1/3 cup lentils
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 800g beef chuck steak, cut into3cm pieces
• 1 brown onion, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed
• 200g button mushrooms, halved
• 3/4 cup dry red wine
• sprinkle of dried ground ginger
• 400g can diced tomatoes
• 1 cup beef stock
• 1 red capsicum, chopped
• 1/2 bunch silverbeet or kale, trimmed, shredded finely

Method

1. Place beans and lentils in a small bowl. Cover with boiling water. Set aside for 1 hour. Drain.
2. Meanwhile, heat half the oil in a large saucepan over high heat. Add half the beef. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes or until browned. Transfer to a plate. Repeat with remaining oil and beef.
3. Reduce heat to medium. Add onion and garlic to pan. Cook for 3 minutes or until tender. Add mushroom and wine. Bring to the boil. Return beef and juices to pan. Add tomato, stock and capsicum. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low. Simmer, covered, for 1 hour 15 minutes. Add ginger, beans and lentils. Simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until beef is tender. Stir in silverbeet. Cook for 5 minutes or until wilted. Serve.

Is Your Body Baby Ready?

If you have been trying to conceive with no success, your body may not be ‘baby ready’. The great news is, making targeted changes can help you to fall pregnant faster and maintain a healthy viable pregnancy.

 

For many women, the key to improving fertility naturally is to ensure healthy hormonal balance.  One such hormone is insulin. This hormone is so easily influenced and is the key to overall hormone balance, regular ovulatory cycles, optimal egg quality, healthy embryo development and implantation.  It also plays a role in maintaining the PH of cervical mucus.

 

So What Exactly Does Insulin Do?

Understanding the influence of insulin is the first step in the right direction to making pregnancy happen.  Symptoms of imbalance can include cravings, weight gain, mood swings, headaches and insomnia.

 

Although maintaining balanced insulin levels can be challenging, it is widely agreed that dietary changes, although an integral component healthy insulin balance; are not the only influence. 

 

Researchers now agree that there are other underlying factors aside from diet such as  infection, toxins, digestive problems, stress and immune irregularities that can influence  insulin secretion. [i] [ii] [iii] This is why identifying and addressing these underlying factors plays such an important role in ensuring your body is baby ready.

 

My Solution is Simple. 

Solve the Problem That Others Seem to Ignore.

 

The good news is, improvement in these areas can be achieved with a little helping hand from mother nature.  Getting things right takes expertise, guidance and an individualized approach.  

 

The best way to improve fertility naturally is to peel back the layers and get to the root cause.  Without this important step, all your efforts may merely be bandaging symptoms.  Although this can take time and requires expertise, the results can be startling. Restoring balance to each of these levels will dramatically increase your odds of conceiving.  The great news is, with the right guidance and advice, you can restore balance. 

 

In my experience, fertility challenges stem from a combination of factors that don't come down to a single test result or finding.  Isolating these causes is fundamental to improving pre-conceptive health.  This is why I recommend my patients complete my full fertility profile and assessment.

 

I've had amazing success with women faced with challenges and am confident to say that once your body is baby ready, you will dramatically increase your odds of falling pregnant faster and have a healthy pregnancy.

 

Narelle Stegehuis, is a practicing naturopath and medical herbalist with over 30,000 hrs of in-clinic experience specializing in the natural treatment of women's health and fertility. She is both an accomplished writer, editor and recipient of the Australian Naturopathic Excellence Award. 
To find out more, visit www.bumpfertility.com.au

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[i] Wang, C.-H., Wang, C.-C. and Wei, Y.-H. (2010), Mitochondrial dysfunction in insulin insensitivity: implication of mitochondrial role in type 2 diabetes. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1201: 157–165. doi: 10.1111/j.1749-6632.2010.05625.x

[ii] Tehrani, A. Bonakdar., Nezami, B. G., Gewirtz, A. and Srinivasan, S. (2012), Obesity and its associated disease: a role for microbiota?. Neurogastroenterology & Motility, 24: 305–311. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2982.2012.01895.x 

[iii] Yasuhiro Uchida, Kyosuke Takeshita, Koji Yamamoto, Ryosuke Kikuchi, Takayuki Nakayama, Mieko Nomura, Xian Wu Cheng, Kensuke Egashira, Tadashi Matsushita, Hideo Nakamura, and Toyoaki Murohara.  Stress Augments Insulin Resistance and Prothrombotic State: Role of Visceral Adipose-Derived Monocyte Chemoattractant Protein-1 Diabetes June 2012 61:1552-1561; published ahead of print March 6, 2012, doi:10.2337/db11-0828

Cysitis, Fertility and Effective Natural Support

Interstitial Cystitis (IC) and Urinary Tract Infections (UTI’s) are two very different conditions experienced by women.  Three questions that women often ask are ‘what is the difference?’ 'do they affect my fertility' and ‘are there effective natural solutions to help?’

So let’s firstly explore the difference between Interstitial cystitis (IC) and non complex Urinary Tract Infections (UTI’s).

Interstitial Cystitis is a complex condition of the bladder, caused by the protective bladder lining breaking down.  This may be due to infection, inflammation, hormones or autoimmune conditions.  With IC symptoms often worse during ovulation and under stress, a ‘neurohormonal' and immune connection is likely for many women and all of these factors have an affect upon fertility [1-6].  

Urinary tract Infections however, are infections of the urinary tract.  Bacteria that live in the digestive tract, in the vagina, or around the urethra are the most common cause of UTIs.  Research also supports the influence of hormones such as estrogen associated with reproductive disorders (Poly Cystic Ovarian Disorder, or Endometriosis for example)  enhancing the growth of many bacteria associated with recurrent UTI’s [5].  UIT's also influence your ability to conceive and carry a healthy pregnancy to term.

Although symptoms like bladder pain and urinary symptoms, such as frequent voiding (feeling like you want to go to the toilet a lot) and urgency are common to both conditions, IC is vastly different with patients describing pain as intolerable. 

So what natural options are available?

Both IC and UTI’s may improve with medical treatment but unfortunately infection associated with both of these may be resistant to traditional antibiotic treatment which means symptoms may recur with time. 

Improving bladder and the health of the urinary tract is achievable in two easy steps.

Step 1 Identify the underlying cause 
Step 2 Implement a targeted treatment strategy to address the cause 

You can also start today by making small changes such as giving up coffee and alcohol and consuming a more alkaline diet.  Infact, adapting your diet and lifestyle according to your hormonal profile, can make the world of difference. 

Finally, the choice of traditional herbal medicine for IC and UTI’s depends upon the underlying contributing factors to the condition, such as hormones, auto-immunity,  central nervous system excitability, bacterial infection, inflammation or digestive weakness . So if you have tried over the counter remedies such as cranberry and still experience symptoms, a personalized herbal tonic by a qualified medical herbalist is best. 

These conditions are complex and require an individualized treatment approach.  It is recommended that you seek the expertise of a qualified health practitioner and if symptoms persist seek medical advice.

Narelle Stegehuis, is a practicing naturopath with over 30,000 hrs of in-clinic experience specializing in the natural treatment of women's health and hormonal imbalances. She is both an accomplished writer, editor and recipient of the Australian Naturopathic Excellence Award. 
To find out more, visit www.bumpfertility.com.au

References

1.            Grover, S., et al., Role of inflammation in bladder function and interstitial cystitis. Therapeutic Advances in Urology, 2011. 3(1): p. 19-33.

2.            Montag, S. and R. Moldwin, Minimally Invasive Therapy for Interstitial Cystitis/Painful Bladder Syndrome, in Smith's Textbook of Endourology2012, Wiley-Blackwell. p. 1640-1649.

3.            Hsieh, C.-H., et al., Treatment of interstitial cystitis with hydrodistention and bladder training. International Urogynecology Journal, 2008. 19(10): p. 1379-1384.

4.            Fall, M., P. Hanno, and J. Nordling, Bladder Pain Syndrome, Interstitial Cystitis, Painful Bladder Syndrome, and Hypersensitive Bladder Syndrome: New Nomenclature/New Guidelines. Current Bladder Dysfunction Reports, 2011. 6(3): p. 116-127.

5.            Sonnex, C., Influence of ovarian hormones on urogenital infection. Sexually Transmitted Infections, 1998. 74(1): p. 11-19.

6.            Theoharides, T.C., et al., Interstitial Cystitis: A Neuroimmunoendocrine Disordera. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1998. 840(1): p. 619-634.

7.            Mills, S.B., K., Principles and practice of Phytotherapy2000: Churchill Livingstone.

8.            Naish, F.R., J., The Natural Way To Better Babies: preconception health care for prospective parents. Vol. 5. 1996: Random House.

9.            Mills, S.B., K., The Essential Guide To Herbal Safety2005: Elsevier, Churchill Livingstone.

10.          Sarris, J.W., J., Clinical Naturopathy2010: Elsevier.

11.          Pizzorno, J.S., P., Naturopathic Medicine: Fundamentals of Complementary and Integrative medicine.2006, St. Louis: saunders Elsevier.

Fertility Friendly Pumpkin Soup

This is one of my favorite soups for many reasons.  Aside from being budget friendly, it is sustaining, fertility friendly and hormone balancing.  Enjoy!

 Serves 6

Is Your Body Baby Ready?

1/3 cup olive oil
1.5 liters vegetable stock
1 leek, (white part) thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 cinnamon stick
3cm piece ginger, peeled, thinly sliced
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 sweet potato peeled, coarsely chopped
1.5kg butternut pumpkin, peeled, seeded, cut
into pieces
1/3 cup red lentils
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Coriander sprigs to serve
2 tsp salt

1. Heat oil in a large saucepan over lowmedium heat and cook leek, garlic and 2 tsp salt, stirring occasionally, for 3 minutes or until soft. Add cinnamon, ginger and cumin and stir for 1 minute or until fragrant. Add sweet
potato, pumpkin and red lentils. Stir to coat in onion mixture.

2. Add stock and bring to the boil, then simmer for 50 minutes or until lentils are soft.
3. Remove and discard cinnamon stick from soup. Add lemon juice then process in a food processor or blender until smooth. Return soup to pan and reheat over medium heat.

Serve topped with coriander sprigs.

IMPORTANT: New Information For Endometriosis Sufferers

Have you been diagnosed with endometriosis?  If so, recent research reveals new and exciting ways to not only improve debilitating symptoms, but most importantly reverse the cause.

Discovering a New Cause & Finding Solutions

Until now, endometriosis was thought to be caused by a combination of hormones, auto-immune conditions, environmental pollutants and genes [1-3].  However, exciting new research has found that these are triggers for tissue growth rather than initial endometrial tissue development.

Researchers have found bacterial, viral and possibly parasitic infections may be the initial cause of endometrial tissue development [4-8] with some resistant bacteria remaining active in the female reproductive system indefinitely. 

The Good News Is, This New Theory Opens The Door To Solutions

Rethinking conventional treatment models of endometriosis (both natural and orthodox) is the first step.  With the focus of these models being on supporting healthy hormonal balance and other supporting triggers such as inflammation and auto-immune influences [2, 3] the underlying cause such as infection, is often over looked.

An individualized approach to endometriosis treatment, integrating both traditional methods such as hormonal balance and diet and lifestyle changes, with targeted natural immune support to get to the cause, means effective, long term management of endometriosis, is closer than ever before.

Stop Endometriosis in its Tracks.  Treat the Underlying Infection  

With many infections proving resistance to traditional treatments, perhaps the answer can be found in nature.  Research indicates targeted medicinal herbal support such as Andrographis paniculata, Astragalus membranaceus, Hypericum perforatum and Echinacea angustifolia, provide but just a few traditionally tried and tested options [9-12].

Narelle Stegehuis, is a practicing naturopath with over 30,000 hrs of in-clinic experience specializing in the natural treatment of women's hormonal imbalances. She is both an accomplished writer, editor and recipient of the Australian Naturopathic Excellence Award. 
To find out more, visit www.bumpfertility.com.au

References

1.            Harris, H.A., et al., A selective estrogen receptor-β agonist causes lesion regression in an experimentally induced model of endometriosis. Human Reproduction, 2005. 20(4): p. 936-941.

2.            Trickey, R., Women, Hormones and The Menstrual Cycle.  Herbal & Medical Solutions From Adolescence to Menopause.1998: Allen & Unwin.

3.            Naish, F.R., J., The Natural Way To Better Babies: preconception health care for prospective parents. Vol. 5. 1996: Random House.

4.            Aggarwal, B.B. and K.B. Harikumar, Potential therapeutic effects of curcumin, the anti-inflammatory agent, against neurodegenerative, cardiovascular, pulmonary, metabolic, autoimmune and neoplastic diseases. The International Journal of Biochemistry & Cell Biology, 2009. 41(1): p. 40-59.

5.            Khan, K.N., et al., Toll-Like Receptors in Innate Immunity: Role of Bacterial Endotoxin and Toll-Like Receptor 4 in Endometrium and Endometriosis. Gynecologic and Obstetric Investigation, 2009. 68(1): p. 40-52.

6.            Khan, K.N., et al., Differential macrophage infiltration in early and advanced endometriosis and adjacent peritoneum. Fertility and sterility, 2004. 81(3): p. 652-661.

7.            Khan, K.N., et al., REVIEW ARTICLE: Immunopathogenesis of Pelvic Endometriosis: Role of Hepatocyte Growth Factor, Macrophages and Ovarian Steroids. American Journal of Reproductive Immunology, 2008. 60(5): p. 383-404.

8.            Khan, K.N., et al., Association of interleukin-6 and estradiol with hepatocyte growth factor in peritoneal fluid of women with endometriosis. Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica, 2002. 81(8): p. 764-771.

9.            Mills, S.B., K., The Essential Guide To Herbal Safety2005: Elsevier, Churchill Livingstone.

10.          Wagner, H., Herbal Immunostimulants. Z Phytother, 1996. 17(2): p. 79-95.

11.          Butterweck, V.S., St John's wort: role of active compounds for it's mechanism of action and efficacy. Wien Med Wochenschr, 2007. 157: p. 356-361.

12.          Zheng, Y., X. Liu, and S.-W. Guo, Therapeutic potential of andrographolide for treating endometriosis. Human Reproduction, 2012. 27(5): p. 1300-1313.