Summary: Our sixty-second show! Ep. 62: Fertility & Early Pregnancy In this episode, Stacy and Sarah talk about boosting fertility, creating a healthy internal environment for conception and pregnancy, and managing the symptoms that come during the first trimester. The Paleo View (TPV), Episode 62: Fertility & Early Pregnancy 0:00 - Introduction 0:52 - News & Views Make sure you go over to the Paleo Magazine 'Best Of's' nominations and vote! The nominations: Most Anticipated New Paleo Book, The Paleo Approach Best Treat Recipe - Cookbook: The Best Brownies from Beyond Bacon Best Culinary Recreation: Mango Sticky [Not] Rice Best Paleo Podcast: The Paleo View Best New Cookbook - Special Topics, Beyond Bacon Stacy's sister recently moved in and Stacy took her to her first Crossfit class - check for other life updates here Sarah recently had one of those weeks where she desperately wished there was a paleo friendly food-delivery option close by Stacy has a peruvian rotissere chicken restauraunt within delivery range and they rely on that option when necessary Both Sarah and Stacy have newsletters, so be sure to check those out Sarah finalized design for The Paleo Approach and will soon be reviewing a full proof copy This week's show is a follow up to the pregnancy show and will touch on the topics of hormone regulation, fertility and early pregnancy (15:28) Science with Sarah - Morning Sickness The lower esophageal sphincter is at the opening of the stomach and it stays closed until you swallow, with the goal to keep things in the stomach - this is the reflux that fails when you have heartburn The cause of morning sickness is the massive hormone shift that is happening during early pregnancy and it happens so that women instinctually avoid foods that may be of harm to the developing, very young fetus At the beginning of the second trimester when the fetus is formed and more robust, morning sickness tends to subside By making choices about the food you eat you can help impact the sickness Foods that are easy to digest are braised or stewed meats, fish, well cooked vegetables Protein can help tighten the lower esophageal sphincter The sphincter is relaxed by caffeine, smoking, alcohol, chocolate, high fat meals and peppermint tea Ginger, raw almonds, and papaya enzymes are all helpful with morning sickness Stacy always attributed her morning sickness to low blood sugar regulation, and Sarah noted that while she hasn't studied the correlation at length there is a tie between insulin and hormones (21:46) Questions & Answers Megan - how do you prepare the body for pregnancy? Check both Westin A. Price and Chris Kresser on this subject A paleo diet, great sleep habits, plenty of sunshine, and stress management will all set you up for success There are many fertility complications that are often linked to lifestyle, so be sure to stay optimistic about your ability to influence the outcome Be sure to look at last week's show on nutrient density and what foods will provide you with all the essential building blocks Getting adequate folate and B-vitamins, six months leading up to pregnancy is incredibly important, which are abundant in organ meats and shellfish (27:35) Rachel - what can I do to handle ovulation struggles? As addressed on the previous show to Rachel's other question, keep working on the stress management, stay patient and relax Sarah suggests taking a look at The Hormone Cure book, not going too low or too high with carbs, cut back on exercise intensity, and regulate your sleep schedule and quality to help with hormone regulation (34:35) Karen - what foods should I eat to have a healthy pregnancy? What foods can I eat when dealing with nausea? Stacy had all of her boys when she was 150 pounds overweight, which wasn't ideal, but being overweight will not necessarily negatively impact you, especially if you are e
