Detoxify & Cleanse

 Detoxify & Cleanse 

You are what you eat, and so shall your child be too!

The zygote, embryo, placenta and fetus grow from the egg and spec cells.  If every couple planning for a pregnancy ate healthy as if they BOTH were pregnant, the fertilized egg would definitely be healthier and eventually will thank you for it!  Remember that it takes two sets of 23 chromosomes from the mother and father to produce a human being.  We always hear about how important it is for the mother to get enough folate and be cautious of her pre-conception diet but the father's nutritional diet and contribution to pregnancy often goes unnoticed.  Fortunately for me, my husband is just as eager to go on this pre-concieveing cleanse as I am!

Besides helping you shed a few unneeded pounds before a pregnancy, cleansing is important PRIOR to  conception because it helps strengthen and tone the detoxification organs.  One thing that you will learn quickly once pregnant, is that your body is a divinely created machine!!! That fact alone takes my breath away!   We should care for and as the Bible states, treat our bodies as a temple of the Holy Spirit.  

The detoxification organs experience increased stress during pregnancy, so you should make sure that every inch of your body (along with your heart and soul) is in peak condition for healthy fertilization.  Especially your liver , kidneys and veins.  A properly functioning liver is able to clear 99 percent of toxins from the blood before that blood is generated to the rest of the body.  If it has been already overwhelmed with alcohol, junk food and other toxic consumption it will not be able to function when you most need it!!!

I have been reducing my destructive aliment for a few months now and am going a bit above and beyond by going to get my blood work done to make sure that there isn't anything that I am no aware of and should take measures.

AVOID:
1. GMOs (Genetically Modified Organisms) 
GMO's are plants and animals that have been genetically engineered in a laboratory with DNA from other plants, animals, bacteria & viruses.  They are added to processed foods as oils, sweeteners, and soy proteins; and in things like amino acids, aspartame, vitamin C, flavorings (natural & artificial), maltodextrins and more

Have you ever heard about Contraceptive Corn:

Farmers throughout America had already been complaining about GMO corn that caused their livestock to become infertile and also spontaneously abort, wiping out their entire operations, in some cases.

( http://tampa.cbslocal.com/2012/08/04/roundup-herbicide-blamed-for-corn-crop-demise-vilsack-taylor-fda-usda-elizabeth-dougherty-food-nation-radio-network-gmos-pathogen/ )

Organic consumers covers an Austrian study that proved the damaging effect GMO corn has on the reproductive system:
http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_15588.cfm

2. Trans and Saturated Fats
Saturated fat is found in any animal product, such as cheese, milk, beef, butter, etc.; but it is also found in coconut oil and chocolate.  High amounts of saturated fats can lead to high cholesterol (clogging of your arteries) and heart disease.  Saturated fats in moderation in fine but keep it below 7% of your total calories.  
Tans fats on the other hand should be avoided at all costs!  They increase your risk of heart disease and Diabetes.  Trans fats can be found naturally in been and dairy products but the majority in American diets comes from hydrogenated vegetable shortening /oils (deep frying oils).

According to a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, consumption of trans fats can increase a woman’s chances of infertility by a whopping 70 percent or more. The amount that caused this difference was the equivalent to what is found in one pack of French fries or one doughnut! (Am J Clin Nutr January 2007 vol. 85 no. 1 231-237)

3. Soy and Estrogen Dominance
Soy is one of the biggest forms of estrogen-mimicking compounds in our environment. Soy/soybean oil, birth control, meat / dairy, farm animals given growth hormones, plastics and other unnatural additions to our environment and food system all contain estrogen-mimicking comp and that cause and overabundance of estrogen hormones in a woman's body and leaves a deficiency of progesterone, the hormone necessary for implantation of an embryo in the beginning weeks of pregnancy.

4. Pesticides / Insecticides / Chemical Fertilizers 
Logic and research make it clear that exposure (maternal & PATERNAL) to farm and lawn chemicals causes infertility, miscarriage, dirty defects and cancer.  These chemeicasls are absorbed into the body through the skin (largest organ in our body) and air!

DRINK LOTS AND LOTS OF WATER to filter out toxins, help prepare your skin, avoid acne, balances you lymph system, speeds your metabolism, produce new blood and muscle cells, purifies colon and makes it easier to absorb nutrients, etc.  I love adding lemon, mint and fruit to add flavor!

The following is a two week  cleans that I did with my girlfriends to clean out my system after a carb loaded vacation 

What my daily breakfast would look like: roasted cocoa chips (not chocolate) with fruit, honey and yogurt; fresh fruit; parfait; fruit and cocoa oatmeal