subject: The Fertility Enhancing Diet [print this page] THE "SPLEEN QI" FERTILITY-ENHANCING DIET THE "SPLEEN QI" FERTILITY-ENHANCING DIET
Asian dietary therapy provides a powerful tool for correcting disharmonies within the body. Sun Si-miao, a famous doctor of Chinese Medicine, believed the most important therapy was the regulation of a patient's diet, which then could be supported and enhanced with acupuncture and herbal treatment.
Step #1: Begin to adopt the Spleen Qi diet to help ensure optimal intake of nutrients and digestion and distribution to the reproductive and other organ systems.
Basic Guidelines:
Model your meals on an Asian dietvisualize a plate filled with mostly steamed vegetables, some whole grains and hand-sized portions of protein.
Favor cooked or lightly-steamed foods over raw foods. Avoid cold food and drinks that put out the digestive fire.
Chew food slowly and mindfully. For optimal digestion, avoid drinking at mealtime and one-half before and after your meal.
Eat organic foods, especially if consuming meat.
To stabilize blood sugar levels throughout the day, consume a protein and carbohydrate at each meal and snack.
Eliminate all refined sugars and artificial sweeteners. Use low-glycemic natural replacements sparingly (e.g., agave nectar, Stevia, xylitol).
Replace cow-based dairy products with rice milk, almond milk, or sheep or goat's milk.
Eliminate refined carbohydrates and wheat. Look for sprouted breads (e.g., Ezekial, Food for Life) and products made with spelt flour, rice flour, oat flour, corn flour and polenta. Choose brown rice over white rice. Use pasta alternatives including spelt, brown rice, spaghetti squash and quinoa.
Cook with unrefined organic oils: extra virgin olive oil, sesame oil, peanut oil and high oleic sunflower oil.
Replace coffee (caffeinated and decaffeinated) with any of the vast array of healing teas: chamomile (calming), ginger (warming, supportive of digestion), red clover (believed to enhance fertility) and peppermint (cooling).
Avoid alcohol
Spleen Qi tonics improve the quality of available energy in the body. Eat these foods if you are often fatigued, especially during your period, and if you have low blood pressure or bruise easily. They are also helpful with certain conditions of luteal phase defect and premenstrual spotting.
