Can I Cure My Infertility By Going Green?

It looks like another cycle is about to come to a close, sans pregnancy. I didn’t have too high hopes though, since Chris was working odd hours at work and well you kinda need to see each other to do the dirty. This was the first cycle that we didn’t get to time everything just right. However, not all is lost. We took the first steps to start our journey through infertility this month. That’s right, I’ll go ahead and say it since we’ve been trying for more than a year. We are infertile. It’s honestly kind of hard to admit that to myself. I never thought it would happen to me, to us. Yet here we are. Does that mean we wont ever be able to have children? No. So far we are infertile, not sterile. Big difference. A cactus can still grow in a desert of sand, right? Now, I’m not saying we’re dried up! Haha, cause we so AREN’T. But every day, thousands of people who are struggling with infertility get their prayers answered. I will continue to have hope and faith until this journey is through, because even though it may be difficult, with God nothing is impossible.

Along those lines, I believe God spoke to me a few weeks ago. No, he didn’t talk in a earth rumbling, bass voice that movies always portray, which I believe is extremely inaccurate. When God speaks to our hearts, he whispers. And that’s exactly what he did to me.

I was standing in the kitchen one day, trying to figure out something to make for lunch or dinner, can’t remember which. I looked at everything we had in our refrigerator and pantry, yet none of it looked appetizing. Saying we didn’t have anything to eat was a lie, because we did. It was mostly boxed or processed food. So why didn’t I want any of it? I usually liked it, craved it, yet I had grown tired of it. I figured my body was trying to tell me something.

Then I heard a soft voice that was not my own. It asked me why do I choose to eat dull and boring food when I could eat a rainbow of fresh fruits and vegetables that God has provided. Then it hit me. Most everything processed is a dull color. Is it not? If it has color it’s because it has food DYE that has been added. The original color is usually lost in processing. Golden grain is stripped and turned into white bread and pastas. What color are America’s favorite foods the hamburger and french fries? Not counting the tomato, lettuce, and onion, the burger and fries are brown as well. Most American’s have become accustomed to eating a high meat, high processed grains diet. And so had I.

I have had trouble getting pregnant for a year, so this was my wake up call because my body clearly isn’t working as it should. I also had fatigue, stomach issues, bloating, allergies, and frequent headaches. I already thought I was eating pretty healthy, but when I really looked at my diet I noticed it was highly processed. So the big question was, how could I easily fit more fresh fruits and vegetables into my diet? I don’t know about you, but I don’t like to crunch on lettuce all day long. Talk about feeling like a rabbit!

Image Courtesy of Frank Gruber through CC.

It then occurred to me that I could drink them in a smoothie. I first got the idea a few years ago when a parent of one of my students raved about how her kids loved and even asked for spinach smoothies. Back then I thought the idea sounded gross. Now, with an open heart and mind, I figured since I love the taste of spinach why not try adding a little to a fruit smoothie. So I looked up a few beginner recipes, bought the ingredients, made one, and LOVED IT! Could not taste the spinach at all. You wont believe it until you try it for yourself. Seriously.

Something in my heart told me this was the direction that God has been wanting me to go. So I did more research, stocked up on smoothie supplies, and have been drinking one or two green smoothies a day for the past 3 weeks. I have one for breakfast and sometimes one for dinner. And you know what? I feel amazing. Aside from fighting an icky cold virus right now, I have had more energy and have been sleeping better.

The more research I do the more I discover how amazingly good raw food is for the body. I have scoured websites and watched documentaries and the evidence speaks for itself. Animal based diets cause diseases where plant based diets cure them. I’ve known that fruits and veggies were good for years but didn’t know the profound affects they could have on one’s health.

Want to know one of the biggest myths that we have all been spoon-fed since birth? That our main protein source needs to be meat. Thank you meat industry. Yet, protein is found in so many other foods it’s not even funny.

For the sake of my health, I will be transitioning to a green smoothie/vegetarian/raw foods diet. It will be a gradual weaning process because meat is so ingrained into my diet and it would be difficult to go cold turkey. (Haha!)  I hope this change will kick start my hormones and get my reproductive system working right again.

I leave you with some resources that have helped me personally decide to make this change.

Documentaries
Forks Over Knives
Fat Sick & Nearly Dead

Websites
Raw Family
About.com What are Raw Foods?
Veg Online
The Vegetarian Resource Group
Simple Healthy Tasty Smoothies
Green Plate Rule Beginner Smoothie
Got Greens? Smoothie Recipes
Green Smoothies Power Blog: Why drink green smoothies?
Naturally Knocked Up