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The Fertile Heart Revolution: Let’s Get Physical

Inner Strength for Outer Action. Creating Your Unique Fertility Boosting Protocol

By on October 5, 2014

Shift happens

The carefully crafted visualizations, the movement sequences of Body Truth, the central ideas that are the groundwork of the Fertile Heart OVUM Practice. can without a doubt create biochemical changes in our flesh-and-blood physical bodies. Or. as we Fertile Hearters like to say, in our Holy Human Loaves.

I can cite studies to validate this point but the most compelling validation can only come from observing this truth in the laboratory of your own “human loaf.” KingdomRedfertility

The stories of women and couples who conceive the night following a seven hour workshop after years of trying, are testament to the immense power of images, feelings and thoughts to affect our biology.

We have no syringes in the Fertile Heart Studio, no massage tables, and offer no physical intervention. The shift that occurs for each person in the room is evoked solely through the non-physical tools and our interactions.

Her Majesty the Heart

Whether the change is detectable to the naked eye or too subtle to observe, after twenty years of teaching I can declare it with full confidence: in the Kingdom of Baby Making the power of veto is in the hands of her majesty the Heart.

Having said that, our aim in the Fertile Heart practice is to strengthen ourselves on every level with any and all resources available to us; it  allows us to keep conceiving the next Visionary rooted action. Food is is of course, an effective I.B.O.W. tool, as are herbal remedies, supplements, and various  therapies that appeal to our particular sensibility.

Inner strength for outer action

In addition to the changes that occur spontaneously through the practice, our intention is also to use the tools to turn inward in order to build our inner resources.  The stronger we are, the easier it is for us to take health enhancing action in the physical world.slide-3-oat-straw

In the last Visionary circle we talked about herbal infusion and progesterone boosting foods, and after the call some of you emailed me with herb and supplement related questions.

Inspired by your emails I thought we could use the comments section of this post for questions about foods, herbs etc as well as for sharing your experience with remedies that have been helpful to you.

You’re also welcome to share your observation about the physical changes you’ve witnessed  through your Fertile Heart toolkit.

Let’s do it! Can’t wait to learn with and from each of you!

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75 Responses to “The Fertile Heart Revolution: Let’s Get Physical”

  1. Katy says:

    although I feel at times my heart breaking – I feel like the physical for me has been better than ever before. I am not fighting with myself to stop drinking this or that or eating this or that. I seem to be walking towards the healthier options as a natural choice. It feels really good! I have been a dieter off and on for years and not to be at war with food is quite peaceful!

  2. Katy G says:

    I really feel things physically turning around for me! I was using gates of love and fulfillment the last couple of weeks and it was very helpful! I noticed at the time I walked through the gate of work I was very unhappy and tired. Just really tired. My job is exhausting but honestly any job I have had as a nurse has been exhausting. I realized I really need to give a litte more for myself after work. I am dog tired usually when I get home. I have been naturally been choosing food and drinks that I think will be good for my body and my energy and it feels really good to make choices coming from that place.

  3. Robin says:

    Dear Fertile Ones,

    Such wonderful work!!!

    FindingFaith21 – Wonderful for seeing you’re not doing it right orphan and just being.
    Sofi – Good luck with diet choices. Great for good hormones.
    Heather – Wonderful for walking.
    Lori – Wonderful restorative yoga!
    RubyJ – Good focusing on sleep.
    Miraclehope -Great for adding veggies!!
    Bailey930 – Yay for accepting the journey.
    Katy – Good luck with walls.
    Veronica – Good luck with warming.

    I am trying to schedule an appointment related to sleep next week – I wanted to start this week, but there was no availability. I’m really looking forward to it.

    Blessings to all.

  4. Sofi says:

    Hi everyone,
    It’s great to read all the steps that other women are taking to make physical changes. I have been thinking about this blog since the last call, and meaning to share what changes I have been making. My big question is when or whether I am ovulating or not, and what is going on with my cycle. I also started acupuncture at the end of January, and the acupuncturist had a lot of diet recommendations. Her big warning was against soy, any kind of soy including tempeh and miso, because it is an endocrine disruptor. She frankly said that being a vegan and fertility don’t mix because of the heavy use of soy by vegans and in vegan food. So for the past two weeks I have made a very concerted effort to stop eating soy at home and also at my favorite vegan restaurants. I am hoping the acupuncture will help to regulate my cycle, which was what the acupuncturist said she could help with. The ovulation question still looms because my fertility monitor said I peaked at the right time, but my temperatures have not increased the way they normally do after ovulation. I have lapsed on juicing and infusions partly due to scheduling and a lot of chaos in my daily life, but finally got to juice today, and felt so much better. I know these are two simple things I need to do more consistently.

  5. RubyJ says:

    I am encouraged today that all of my efforts are making a difference! I received test results back, one cycle’s worth of hormone testing. My previous tests had been done last April. The current results show that my hormone patterns are almost completely normal. I had super high estrogen less than a year ago, now my estrogen looks just right. I had low progesterone throughout the luteal phase last April, now it starts very normal, but does drop off a little too early in my cycle. So I am so excited. The hard work of using hormone balancing foods and detoxifying my body, and seeking out a practitioner who works conservatively with supplements to balance hormones. I really think it has paid off. I still have low energy issues, that I am working to address, but the fact that the test results looks so good is wonderful!

  6. Bailey930 says:

    Took a v rooted action this month. Dumped my old acupuncturist who made me come twice a week and was out of my way to get to. She was always a little too “into” the details of my medical treatment and would say things that would get under my skin and into my psyche. New acupuncturist is across the street from work and keeps me only half an hour, once a week. She asked for my medical history once up front. And since then, treats me and tells me my job is to relax. I pass out cold and sleep the entire visit each time and feel relaxed coming out. Much different experience. This feels like something constructive and self loving for my physical body and mind.

  7. findingfaith21 says:

    Hi everyone:

    This blog brings up a ton of surprise orphans for me! I found myself getting very agitated and anxious reading about all of these positive changes everyone is making regarding physical actions. This, combined with Monday’s call, really brought up some powerful orphans. But they also brought up a ton of Visionary/UM information, too. I have NEVER once doubted this OVUM work was right for me, and that I was on the right path.Not one single time. From the moment I read “Inconceivable,” I felt the curtains part and I knew I was home. So I’m sure you can imagine my frustration when I felt that imagery wasn’t going as well as I had hoped, even after all this time. It all boiled down to this for me: I MUST NOT BE DOING IT RIGHT!! I MUST BE DOING IT ALL WRONG!! I’M MISSING SOMETHING!! Then along comes this blog and the comments, and those fears/orphan tantrums became deafening. All I could hear was that I was missing something because I wasn’t doing it all perfectly. The imagery, the Body Truth, the eating, the specialists, the sugar, the yoga, the massage–all of it I was failing at and was not doing it “good enough.” THAT’S what I was struggling with! It felt awesome to see this and really understand the source of my issues. It wasn’t the program, it was how I was viewing and rating my progress in the program that caused me to struggle. I kept thinking that unless I had some huge epiphany after each imagery, or every Body Truth, I failed. Every period each month seemed to underscore that belief. I discounted any other accomplishment due in large part to my work here (less stress, more peace, ability to deal with difficult people and their orphans, less animosity toward other pregnant women) and put my definition of success solely on that yes/no pregnancy result each month. And when it was a no, all I could see was failure and how that was my fault because I didn’t do all of this OVUM work to perfection.

    So, all that is to say I feel a lot more enlightened now. I need to work on that Not Good Enough orphan (which is NOT new, just thought she went away). My V (or UM?) encouraged me to see these comments not as a grading scale of my actions, but as a way to gather ideas and cherry pick what may work for me. As I was doing that, I saw one of the posts mentioning meditation. And a lightbulb went off. That was it! That is my problem/struggle with imagery. It’s not the practice itself, it’s that I have a terrible time shutting my brain off and just “being” instead of doing. When that happens, I view my imagery work as failing because I’m not doing it “right.” So I thought, why not try to meditate for a couple of minutes before my imagery? Sort of like a brief warm-up for my exercise? That’s my plan for this week.

    A lot of shifting going on over here, my fertile friends. With this new mindset, I’m going to read through the posts again and return to our forum and see if I can see things in this new light.

    Love to you all!

    • Congratulations on having met this next newly born K. halfway. And what a readable writer you are! As I said to Heather yesterday, is it any wonder that the UM wants you in her army?

      • findingfaith21 says:

        Oh Julia! Thank you so much for the kind words! Coming from the awesome writer you are, that means so much! And thank you even more for guiding me along this way. I never really realized how much these labor pains could hurt, but thank you for being my midwife and not letting me get away with too much. ;-) I need that tough love sometimes, just as much as (ehm, probably more than) I need the cheerleading.

        I’m really working hard to let go of this idea that my OVUM work must be done “perfectly,” to the letter. I’m trying to make this practice my own and not beat myself up for not doing things in a certain way or the exact way others do. This orphan is going to take some work.

    • Bailey930 says:

      Can totally relate Ff21. I have the wheels constantly turning orphan too. What I find helps is working out, as it settles my body and my mind. Also , I try to do my imagery at the same time when I get on a quiet train in the morning, before my day starts and my brain starts going.

  8. Heather says:

    Good morning lovely ladies, hope you are all well. I have been taking long walks recently and I find myself finally thinking of things beside having a baby for stretches of time, which is a nice break. I am going to try to get back into yoga, although I feel more of pull towards walking.

    I decided to wait on the HSG test my OB wanted, after discussing it with my mom and aunt ( who is footing the bill) we decided to wait on that step until after I meet with my new RE in April, to see what testing she would like. I also want the test to be done by an RE, not an Radiologist, lab tech, or by my OB. I want someone gentle, soothing, and familiar with reproductive medicine, who can give me results right away.

    My aunt was very upset at the comments the OB made and the way she handled my situation- she made a good point of saying that a new RE would want me to re-test all my levels in her clinic anyway and I agree. I also felt rushed and panicked by my OB- to get tested/ get the last good egg/ hysteria and I knew operating in state of fear would really feed some orphans.

    I need a fresh start and I want to give my vitamin D supplements a chance to start working before I re-test. I also want to approach this new RE visit as a guidepost/ tool of healing not as a fertility guru-wizard thing. I want to be a part of the process and not be passive.

    My insurance will not cover the HSG, as my OB was unwilling to say that the test was for anything other than ” infertility”. Had she labeled/requested that the test was for irregular menstruation, the test would have been covered by insurance.

    I am unsure as to why my OB recommended this test. I have had IUI’s, IVF, a SHG, countless ultrasounds, surely by now someone would have noticed my tubes were blocked. Even my former RE ( one of top RE’s on the west coast) did not have me take HSG test.

    My acupuncturist ( a RN) thought perhaps the OB simply wanted a ” western medicine” way to explain why I was not getting pregnant. I am not upset or fearful about taking the test, I simply want someone trained in RE to request it before I have it done. I feel like I have been poked, prodded, tested, and had enough hands and gyno-tools in my vagina to last me until I see my new RE.

    On a happier note, I am really enjoying my cranial-sacral therapist visits. I find the process to be soothing and her touch is very gentle and calming.

    • findingfaith21 says:

      Hi Heather:

      It sounds like you are on a good path with the testing. In my experience, OBs are limited in what they can do regarding infertility. It’s basically Clomid and HSGs. After that, the vault is empty and you have to go to the specialists. And let’s not forget this OB has already branded herself as a less-than-knowledgeable authority when it comes to infertility/fertility issues. Try not to read too much into her suggestion for this test.

      BTW, what is cranial-sacral therapy? Totally curious!!

  9. findingfaith21 says:

    Hi MH:

    Julia is right–just don’t go upside down when you have your period. I purchased a yoga for fertility DVD, with four yoga programs designed for the four phases of the female cycle. But in all honesty, I usually do any type of yoga class all but the week of my period. Then I like to do more of a restorative/quiet practice if any at all. The great thing about yoga is that you just listen to your body and see what feels right. You don’t have to push yourself. If you search “restorative yoga poses” or “beginner poses” on Pinterest or Google, I’m sure you’ll find some great ideas. Julia’s suggestion for child’s pose is spot-on. Another great one is “legs up the wall” as well as bound-angle pose. Good luck! Lori had some great things to say about her restorative class in an earlier comment, too. Maybe there’s a yoga studio near you that offers such a class. (Can you tell I adore yoga?? I’ve been doing it for more than 10 years and it’s awesome.)

  10. Lori says:

    I went to a Restorative Yoga class on Saturday afternoon. If any of you have a yoga studio near you, I highly encourage you to see if they offer one or something like it. I wasn’t sure what to expect but I knew it was going to be very low-key which sounded awesome. The room was dimly lit and since it was almost dusk outside, the lighting was perfect. The heated floors added to the comfort of the room. The instructor led us in a 5 min meditation ( sitting up) and then there were only 3 poses in the 75 min class. The first one we were draped over bolsters ( oblong pillows) with smaller bolsters for a headrest and footrest. We were in this position for about 20 mins or so ( I never did look at the clock). She led us through a body scan where we were to just connect to feeling every body part she mentioned and to release any muscle tension. It was beautiful!! Her soothing voice reminded me of Julia and doing imagery. By the time she finished and had us sit up, I was on the verge of sleep. It was that wonderful “twilight” feeling. We then continued to do 2 other supportive postures w/the bolsters and body scans. I have to tell you, I have never felt so restored in my life. It truly was a chance to let go . More so than taking a nap or sleeping, it was a total release. My only hope is that you all can find something like it.. I highly recommend it! I will be going back for sure!

    • Heather says:

      Lori- I am getting relaxed just thinking about your yoga class. Sounds amazing- I need to get back into yoga. I have been taking a lot of long walks on the paths near our house but I think I need to reconnect with my yoga for a while.

  11. RubyJ says:

    Hello wonderful fertile mommas out there!
    Good work on thinking about physical changes you can make and then taking steps toward them! Thanks everyone for sharing what they are working on.

    I have several issues I want to work on, balancing hormones, keeping up regular low-intensity exercise, some gentle upper back strengthening, and low energy. I think the low energy is the most important one to address, so I will work on that for several weeks. I had my cortisol levels tested and then I took some adrenal support supplements and now I am using licorice extract to try to stimulate cortisol production. I don’t think this treatment regime has had much effect. I will see the Nurse Practitioner who recommended it next week, so I will ask her about it. One problem may be getting extra sleep. 8 hours may not be enough. But to get more than 8 hours, I have to be really relaxed and have my mind quiet. So I will start my exercises and bedtime routine 1 hour earlier. This is hard, since I like the time after my daughter is asleep to do things without interruption. But going to sleep early and relaxed is important. I am also trying to use some of Julia’s suggestions from The Fertile Female to tax my digestive system less (like not eating after 7:00 pm). I have been trying to pack my calories in earlier in the day, so I’m not still hungry at 9pm. I will track this for 2 weeks and report back.
    J.

  12. MiracleHope says:

    Well friends I have a lot of stuff happening in my head these days……and its all my V making great strides. I went to a naturopath, who looks like THE right person as he talked minimal about hormones and ruled out numbers are numbers and we need to look for underlying issues that my body was facing. I have a lot of digestion issues and he gave me a long list of good foods to eat (almost the same list that Julia has in Fertile Female). Now I have been on internet research from yesterday non-stop and no wonder this is very much overwhelming. But when he hinted about my digestion issues, for the first time it hit the spot for me. And something in me miraculous made me to do “Cutting the cord” with the food. All these days it felt like not eating what others eat is like a punishment but for the first time I saw how I was ill treating my body and there was a surge of emotions that felt so sorry for what my body is going through and how I was making things harder for her. Current feeling is forget about the baby, first I need to rescue my body baby.
    I also read the “Ally in the cupboard” out loud to my husband too. I usually skip this chapter but something in me made me read it and it made so much more sense this time. Sometimes overwhelming and sometimes empathetic & compassionate for my body baby.
    I decided to experiment with foods. I have enough on my hand to start with and will start observing how the baby reacts.
    Also I want to THANK JULIA !!! When I mentioned what all are part of my daily foods to the naturopath, he was surprised on how good I was – that gave me an opportunity to speak about Julia’s work and the fact that she was the one who suggested me to find a good integrative practitioner in my community because I have some symptoms that were not addressed by the acupuncturist I used to see, or my Gyn or my fertility specialists.

    I guess my observation so far(6months) is that my body definitely improved on 1.length of menstrual cycle 2. length of total monthly cycle 3. blood flow during the menses. And I guess I would like to attribute these to:
    Berries – blue, black, goji; almonds, walnuts, regular herbal infusions, juicing, spinach,my breakfast – I kind of reduced eating processed cereals very much and preparing my own cereals using following ingredients – millet pwd, barley pwd, oats, buckwheat, steel cut oats, greek yogurt and normal yogurt made at home. My breakfast truly improved and I want to now concentrate on next 2 main courses.

    THANK YOU SO MUCH JULIA !!!

    • Lori says:

      MH – SO very impressed with your work and so happy for you!!!! You and your V are making wonderful strides and still are such an inspiration. I love how you said forget about baby and take care of body baby – totally makes sense :)

      • MiracleHope says:

        Thank you so much Lori :) !
        I have started adding small changes to existing diet and seeing how my body behaves. Like adding pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds and sunflower seeds. I grind them and adding to my cereals. The naturopath asked me to add Lecithin to my diet. Unfortunately just by eating 2 spoons of it for 2 meals, my body has been behaving crazily :(…..will have to see if I will continue or not.
        Slowly adding couple of vegetables each week instead of overwhelming myself with everything at once.
        Exercise wise I am not too great, just making sure i get up every 1.5-2hrs in office and walk around and even at least 30min treadmill for minimum 3 days.
        I wanted to start yoga, but I am so tensed which yoga is right for which phase of the cycle (follicular, ovulation, luteal,menstrual) and with those mind gripping doubts I never take any action. Any suggestions or tips are helpul – even just 1-2 yoga exercises.

        • Mind-gripping,S? Maybe it doesn’t have to be that complicated. The one and perhaps the most important thing to be aware of is not to do inverted postures when you are menstruating. And not to hurt yourself. This is a link to an easy beautiful pose. http://www.yogajournal.com/pose/child-s-pose/ Maybe re-reading the Fishing with the Yogis chapter in Inconceivable can also set your mind at ease a little bit.

        • Heather says:

          MH- I think I have seen every ” fertility ” yoga DVD on the market and found a real connection with only one. It’s by Kat Atkinson and it’s called Yoga and Meditation for fertility. I bought mine on Amazon. It corporates some of the practices of moving chi ( kidney energy in TCM) but it’s more about balance and being gentle with yourself. The exercises can be done through out your cycle and I found the instructor to be very soothing and there is an opportunity for imagery.

          • MiracleHope says:

            Thanks Heather and FF !

            I wrote a long post…..alas its gone the moment I submitted addressing you both.
            In short, I am also back working with my controlling orphan, the most notorious orphan babies and the leader of all the orphans in my words :)
            Had few beautiful revelations and I just felt so moved….”when i just have one life and when I know I have no control and I have this enormous energy in me, why in the world am i not being grateful for what I have? Why am I not recognizing my small V rooted actions? Why am I going against the tide of life. Poor thing (Life) its pulling me with it and here I am fighting and swimming against it, thinking i am protecting myself. this just felt very powerful for some reason. I could feel my resistance to flow with the life (nothing new, its so weird this keeps happening, but glad i keep realizing).
            I never understood when Julia kept saying…..”labor pains for conceiving our next V”, i think the struggle, resistance, then bowing and opening up for change is HUGE labor pains that we are all going through.
            My V action, I will try to be more aware of my thoughts and feelings and will try to make a conscious effort to feed the wolf that flows with life and not against it and will try to let go off things.

            On physical changes – I am making conscious effort to add 5 veggies in 1 day to my diet at least 4 days a week. Finally i started making salad :)
            Almost from past 10 days I stopped wheat completely (i make India tortillas – rotis).This is a big step and I am still trying to figure out a replacement for it

            Thank you all for your wonderful support — I truly mean it :)) !!

    • Heather says:

      MH- I am so excited for this new part of your journey- it sounds like the right fit for you. I love the fact that he mentioned ruling out numbers. I really like the idea of taking care of the ” body baby”- I think that is an excellent way to look at food ( would you feed ____ to a baby).Keep us posted!

      • MiracleHope says:

        Thanks Julia for the yoga site ! I will try to do small things which makes me feel better. My orphan loves to complicate every simple scenario, blow things out of proportion and keep worrying that I am in crisis and get attention. I will read the chapter from inconceivable.

        Thanks Heather…I too felt the same and the digestion issues made complete sense to me. I have them from my childhood. I have my first session tomorrow. Lets see how it goes.

  13. Bailey930 says:

    Ok here we go. This month I am going to let my body do whatever it’s going to do. And listen to what it says. And accept the fact that just because I am not actively doing anything…doesn’t mean that I am not on the journey. That is all.

  14. Robin says:

    Dear Fertile Ones,

    I believe a key help for me physically would be in the sleep arena. My daughter’s therapist recommended something as a possibility for my daughter but happened to mention assistance with sleep as well so that sounds good to me. I have been doing Elbows First Fertile Heart body truth (lots to elbow through right now) and Choosing Life Fertile Heart imagery.

    Blessings to all.

  15. Heather says:

    Hi all- hopefully this blog isn’t a repeat of what I had tried to post earlier- I hit the back button and poof, the blog disappeared.

    I am trying be gentle with myself and trust my body. My cycle seems to be getting back into its rhythm after the vitex fiasco of last month. And on the advice of my Family Practice Doctor, I am supplementing with 5,000 I.U.’s of Vitamin D. My tested levels were in the deficient range ( glad I pushed to have them tested- even my Dr. was taken aback at how low my levels)

    I am also choosing to fake it til I make it ( as Julia has said) and take a leap of faith and viewing the HSG test I am taking in few weeks as an opportunity to see how well my body works.

    My Mayan Abdominal therapist ( who is also a nurse) treated me last night and said everything in my body was as it should be at this point in my cycle. When I shared my vitamin d test results, she also felt that explained some things in regards to my last AMH test. I will see my acupuncturist ( another nurse) this weekend as well and I am going to engage her in this process as well. Since both ladies use different health modalities it allows me to look at my body from different angles.

    I have been watching my diet and taking long walks to center myself. It also helps that my wedding dress arrived and fitting into the thing reminded me I need to stay focused on my exercise and eating well.

    Take care!
    Heather

  16. Heather says:

    Hello lovely ladies,
    Just like MH,I was waiting to see how people approached this blog! I feel like my body is getting back into rhythm after the vitex fiasco of last month. I decided as Julia has said to ” fake it til you make it” and decided to see my body as totally healthy and fertile.

    I am trying to be gentle with myself and take a leap of faith and assume the HSG test I will take in a few weeks will be a calm process with an outcome I can work with.

    Physically, my Mayan massage therapist says my body feels as it should and that everything she worked with last night was textbook for where I am in my cycle. I will see my acupuncturist on Saturday and I am looking forward to engaging her in this process. I am seeing my craniosacail

  17. Katy says:

    In physical reality to help my body become more fertile I think I need nutrients and rest. My body is tired. I think I have discovered in doing this work I have been tired of putting on a front. Something I have discussed with Julia before. Putting on a front to the world that there is nothing wrong (except to the very few I feel safe sharing my struggles). My body has taken a hit with putting up this front with the anxiety and fear of being unsafe in this condition. I would like to also add more nutrients that would be easy for my body to assimilate, get some rest when I can and continue to share and break down some of these walls I have built through my life. I aslo think adding more gentle exercise to my life to help with the tired feeling – walking more and outside when I can.

    I plan on watching these steps in the next couple of weeks and will write back to update the progess and any other things that might come up.

    • Bailey 930 says:

      Katy – You described something that resonated with me. I am also putting up a front to the world (especially at work) that everything is fine. And when I read your post, I realized how DEPLETING this is for me to do. How much work it really takes. So thank you for sensitizing me to that.

      • Katy says:

        Hi Bailey

        Thank you so much for that. I am just realizing how much of my energy it was taking from me to put up a front. Still working with this -but now that I recognize it is my orphan it does get a little easier.

        Katy

  18. MiracleHope says:

    Well I was waiting for someone to take the lead so that I can see what exactly is being shared on this blog. But may be posts are awaiting moderator’s acceptance….lol
    So let me see if I am doing the right thing
    My body has asked me get my A.. out of the chair and use the office provided treadmill. So I worked on the treadmill today for an hour, participated in group 15min stretching exercise.
    Will be drinking nettle and oatstraw infusion once i go home, its waiting on me and will also veggie juice
    Food is one area I keep going tipsy topsy. The more I restrict myself, the more i have craving to eat the junk and i am eating :(
    Another thing I have observed in my body from past three months are these things:
    1. Total time of month increased
    2. Total period time increased
    3. Blood flow also appears to have improved a bit
    I guess this is the result of several things that I started: first I stopped taking chastetree nut extract, secondly i got regular on herbal infusions and juicing. Will keep monitoring how my body responds

  19. Veronica says:

    Hi Julia,

    You wanted me to see what steps I can take in my physical reality to support my body in becoming fertile.

    For as long as I can remember, I have had low body temperature. My husband found some herbal packets which are supposed to warm up my core, so he has started to make them for me for breakfast, before dinner and before going to bed. We are trying it for one month. It does not taste great, but after a few days, I do feel that my body temp may be getting higher. I have been doing my yoga practice after the imagery and body truth practices to warm up my core as well.

    Continue to eat organic and hormone-free when possible, and explain to my parents why this is important to my body.

    I’ll write more later.

    Warmly,
    Veronica

  20. Joanne says:

    I find that I feel the best physically and emotionally when I eat healthy. If I start my day off with hot ginger lemon water or after work eat a plate of steamed vegetables, my digestive system is calm and I feel great. Sounds easy enough, right? I do, however; have food addictions. Sometimes (ok, often! lol) I crave carbohydrates and dairy. I try to eat so many healthy foods that I’m too full for any junk, but when I’m busy or tired, it’s challenging to eat healthy. I guess one of the most important things is to maintain a healthy perspective, that a slice of pizza every now and again is good for the soul. Stressing out over not eating super healthy all the time is probably worse than the unhealthy food itself being enjoyed momentarily!
    I’ve recently discovered the joys of fermented foods. If I consume fermented veggies, kombucha, kefir, or other cultured foods at each meal, then I find this really helps my digestion as well.
    I was diagnosed with endometriosis and ovarian cysts several years ago and have suffered severe pain during menstruation. Improving my diet has helped somewhat with relief, but what has helped me the most physically is meditation. The more I meditate (and that includes body truth and FH imagery exercises), the less pelvic pain I have. Meditation has helped me more than years of weekly acupuncture treatments.

  21. Vee says:

    I am still drinking the nettle infusion! I think it is helping me gain more control over my hormone imbalance. My last period had only a few small clots and it was not as painful as usual (severe pain where I am not able to get up because it feels like someone stabbed me).

  22. Janeen R says:

    It is a challenge for me to stay consistent with physical changes. I bought a lot of daikon radish about 2 weeks ago (it does keep really well) and I was planning to try the Balancing Daikon Broth, p 225 of the Fertile Female. I only tried it twice and then fell away from it (partly because I was sick for a week). Since hormone balance is one of my issues, I want to commit to trying it every other day for 3 weeks as Julia suggests and record how I feel. So I will start again today!
    I have two questions about this. After simmering for 20 minutes, I guess the intention is to discard the radish and only drink the broth, correct? Also, is the kombu a key ingredient to this or can I make it without? I guess it would add to the mineral content. I will go look for the kombu to buy it.

    • RubyJ says:

      Tomorrow I will use the last daikon radish from a 25 pound! box that I special ordered from a local health food store. I really enjoy drinking daikon broth. Daikon is wonderful in stir fry in my opinion and sometimes I put it in soups as well. Also, we cut it for raw veggie trays. It keeps really well. I must have bought this box in early November. You do have to monitor its condition. But I was very pleased that it did not go bad before I could use it all.
      Tomorrow I am going to research bee pollen. A friend gave me a container of it and I was wondering whether it could be fertility enhancing or not, and how to use it.
      Good health to our fertile bodies!

      • RubyJ says:

        It looks like bee pollen has lots of great nutrients. Proteins, amino acids, B vitamins, etc. And it is touted on one or more websites as an energy booster, weight loss aid, cancer prevention, and on one website they claimed it had a positive effect on ovulation. But it has great likelihood to be contaminated with agricultural pesticides, unfortunately. Also some sites said it may have allergenic effects (like anaphylactic shock). I would try the stuff that I have if I could determine what the pesticide load might be in it. So, not ready to start using it yet. There is a website on the container (pollen from California), so I will write to them and see what they can tell me.

  23. Lulu says:

    I have been enjoying so much experimenting with healthy food lately that I have subscribed for farmers’ boxes both for veggies and fruits and cooking a lot of those, reducing meet and carbs intake. Farmers’ boxes are an easy and less expensive way to eat vegetables and fruits which are organic and in season. In my last box, I got a daikon and made the daikon broth from the female fertile recipe (I wish I could post a picture!). Loved it and felt so much better about myself afterwards!

  24. A. says:

    How the Fertile Heart work supports physical changes?
    I am on a low sugar diet since July, for the last 8 weeks we (with my husband) do not drink coffee, alcohol, eat sugar and try to stay on low gluten and occasionaly high quality meat. It was hard to imagine before. Thanks to Fertile Heart practice my food decisions became conscious choices. I do not forbid myself anything, I just choose what serves me and our purpose.
    The food choices are not that dramatic anymore.
    The thing I struggle with is cooking. I did not cook for my entire adult life. Maybe sometimes, sporadicaly, when sick, otherwise I ate out and my specialite de la maison and the best of my cooking skills was cheese sandwich.
    So in Julia’s book I run into a sentence: how are you going to feed your child, nourish him or her, if you are not able to nourish yourself…with a decent meal.
    It resonated deeply.
    So I dedicated the month of October to my private cooking challenge. Cooking a warm meal at home is not a habit yet and I still tend to choose the easier option, so I need to stay focused not to give up on this path.
    As for the specific herbs and foods, I am following the low-sugar diet my doctor prescribed and taking few additional vitamins, but somewhere along the path I have discovered I cannot try everything, at least not at the same time ;)
    Few weeks ago I discovered that the remedies my chinese medicine doctor recommended could interfere with some medications I am already taking. So… I try to be conscious of what is serving me, at this exact moment, detox and nourish myself at my own paste and taking into the account my individual health conditions.Good luck to you all and thank you for the spinach sandwich inspiration! I did it today toasted with a goat cheese and sunflower seeds. delicious.

  25. Ruth Hegarty says:

    The FH imagery work has given me so many tools that I find can help me navigate the unpredictability of other’s behaviours and my own in my daily life! I have also observed the real connection between food and emotion. Not just in the sense of reaching for sugar for emotional comfort, but that I am actually far less likely to feel angry, excluded, or unbalanced when I have eaten well and my body is comfortable.

    Creating the quiet space for the inner work has given me the strength to attend a once weekly maternity yoga class. This has become a time in the week that I treasure (though I am by no means saying it would be right for everyone). The class has helped me to stop drawing lines between myself and pregnant women. I’ve noticed the mix of vulnerability and strength in the room, just as there was in the workshop in Woodstock.

    This quiet time and commitment to my body I am making has brought so many realizations. I have really become aware of all the tension in my body. “I need to make my body a comfortable place to be” is a simple phrase that often runs through my mind and truly articulates what I am focusing on right now, more than anything else (shoulders down). My heart tells me that if I follow through on this the baby will follow.

    And yet … though I have been gaining so much from the dialogue between the inner and outer work, I have been aware for some time of a certain resistance from my body to doing it. Slowly I am starting to realize where that is coming from; a remembered fear in my body of what I physically went through during the several IVF cycles that we had. I think that Julia picked up on this upon meeting me, but this realization has been quite recent for me. As we were doing some stretches in class I remembered the pressure changes in my womb during various parts of the procedures, and how that made me feel. I am trying to work gently with my body to move through this and give it the reassurance that it needs.

    It still surprises me how travelling this road can make others uncomfortable (remarks on my lunch at work etc.). I do find this a challenge, but the FH imagery work really does help.

    The inner work is making real change possible in my marriage. We are softening, it takes time and certainly isn’t easy. As I travel this road, to get the most healing I constantly have to come back to the point of being unconditionally kind to myself, no chiding! I certainly don’t glide through the work with ease! This means that if all my body wants to do is to lie down and stretch my arms out, that’s enough.

    xxx

  26. Liz1 says:

    So how is the inner work I’m doing enabling me to take action in the physical word? Something I’m noticing at the moment is that images from the Fertile Heart exercises are materialising!
    Exercises like Field of Creation & Land of Haves have helped to show me what I’m longing for, aside from a baby….old interests which I feel less in touch with now and miss….and new interests which I’ve been good at depriving myself of!
    So now I’m putting more energy into these things, even in small ways, and I feel better in myself when I do it. My allotment is taking shape! And tomorrow I’m hiring a campervan for few days holiday, a step towards my dream of getting one!
    Thank you Julia for your wonderful exercises.
    Wishing everyone all the best.

  27. MiracleHope says:

    I just want to confess I am not at all up to the mark on physical activity and my food diet went for toss as well :(
    I do have plans to get back on track. I am lacking on my levels. When its time for my period,I stop all exercising because the orphan in me says, what if you are pregnant, stop exercising, you might be loosing her. Well I know its a big excuse I love using.
    On the good side, started juicing and continuing nettle infusion. Breakfast is also up to the mark but lunch and dinner are totally out of control.
    I am not keeping my promise to my body that I will follow what the physical therapist suggested to build strength in my back and my hips. So for next 1 week, my target is to do 30min exercise and without fail follow what the PT suggested.

    • Vee says:

      Three months ago, I started with 5 minute stretches. I did them in conjunction with the imagery exercises. The 5 minutes is what I felt like doing and I was happy with that. Now I have built up to 20-30 minutes a day. I did it every day, twice a day, because I know myself that I’ll be lax with myself if I don’t, and in doing them together one after the other, I feel like it forces me to do them when I don’t feel like doing one or the other. And I don’t feel guilty if I miss one, one night when I was exhausted and fell asleep.

      I don’t think you need to force yourself to start at 30 minutes. Start at what length you are comfortable with, but make sure you find something that will help you stick with it (like I had) for 3 times a day (or whatever you are happy with).

  28. Katy says:

    hmm what can I do physically for myself now. I am starting to research a little on low progesterone issues. I am thinking of having a blood test to see if I actually am running low. I am not thrilled to go back to a doctor again for more tests – but I am reminded of what Bee said in her lovely story. She had an orphan that was “f@ you doctors!”. I have definitely felt like that. However inviting them back into my life I am more aware now to use them as an ally not authority.

  29. A. says:

    Thank you for this blog post and the invitation to get more physical.
    I am on a low sugar diet since July, for the last 8 weeks we (with my husband) do not drink coffee, alcohol, eat sugar and try to stay on low gluten and occasionaly high quality meat. It was hard to imagine before. Thanks to Fertile Heart practice my food decisions became conscious choices. I do not forbid myself anything, I just choose what serves me and our purpose.
    The food choices are not that dramatic anymore.
    The thing I struggle with is cooking. I did not cook for my entire adult life. Maybe sometimes, sporadicaly, when sick, otherwise I ate out and my specialite de la maison and the best of my cooking skills was cheese sandwich.
    So in Julia’s book I run into a sentence: how are you going to feed your child, nourish him or her, if you are not able to nourish yourself…with a decent meal.
    It resonated deeply.
    So I dedicated the month of October to my private cooking challenge. Cooking a warm meal at home is not a habit yet and I still tend to choose the easier option, so I need to stay focused not to give up on this path.
    As for the specific herbs and foods, I am following the low-sugar diet my doctor prescribed and taking few additional vitamins, but somewhere along the path I have discovered I cannot try everything, at least not at the same time ;)
    Few weeks ago I discovered that the remedies my chinese medicine doctor recommended could interfere with some medications I am already taking. So… I try to be conscious of what is serving me, at this exact moment, detox and nourish myself at my own paste and taking into the account my individual health conditions.Good luck to you all and thank you for the spinach sandwich inspiration! I did it today toasted with a goat cheese and sunflower seeds. delicious.

  30. A. says:

    Thank you for this blog post and the invitation to get more physical.
    I am on a low sugar diet since July, for the last 8 weeks we (with my husband) do not drink coffee, alcohol, eat sugar and try to stay on low gluten and occasionaly high quality meat. It was hard to imagine before. Thanks to Fertile Heart practice my food decisions became conscious choices. I do not forbid myself anything, I just choose what serves me and our purpose.
    The food choices are not that dramatic anymore.
    The thing I struggle with is cooking. I did not cook for my entire adult life. Maybe sometimes, sporadicaly, when sick, otherwise I ate out and my specialite de la maison and the best of my cooking skills was cheese sandwich.
    So in Julia’s book I run into a sentence: how are you going to feed your child, nourish him or her, if you are not able to nourish yourself…with a decent meal.
    It resonated deeply.
    So I dedicated the month of October to my private cooking challenge. Cooking a warm meal at home is not a habit yet and I still tend to choose the easier option, so I need to stay focused not to give up on this path.
    As for the specific herbs and foods, I am following the low-sugar diet my doctor prescribed and taking few additional vitamins, but somewhere along the path I have discovered I cannot try everything, at least not at the same time ;)
    Few weeks ago I discovered that the remedies my chinese medicine doctor recommended could interfere with some medications I am already taking. So… I try to be conscious of what is serving me, at this exact moment, detox and nourish myself at my own paste and taking into the account my individual health conditions.Good luck to you all and thank you for the spinach sandwich inspiration! I did it today toasted with a goat cheese and sunflower seeds. delicious.
    I eat nuts, and spinach, drink beetroot juice and granate juice,

  31. RachelSF says:

    I really feel great with my eating and supplements routine now. For more than a year I kept iterating on it, but I’ve now been eating the same way for about 3 months now, and if feels liberating to just have a flow and not think about it much. The searching and grasping and changing takes it toll on me some times, so I like the rhythm now. In terms of food, I cut out most wheat, soy, dairy (besides grass-fed butter) and sugar a long time ago. I felt many changes with doing that, and I iterated a bit more so I start with a simple morning juice that feels so nourishing, and then I generally follow the eating guidelines developed at floliving.com in that half my plate at lunch and dinner is a brassica vegetable and dinner has only veggie carbs. I change up my food with my cycle, which I enjoy so I look forward to different food in the month. Breakfast is a bit of protein and a carb. I eat different nuts and seeds during the month and when I need an afternoon snack, it’s usually a nut or seed and fruit combined. Once a month or sometimes twice, I drink a nettle infusion. And, I have a supplement/tincture routine, but that is specific to me and my needs so I’ll leave that out here.
    I have noticed many physical things in this journey, but of course, I will never know if it’s from the way I’m eating, my supplements or the imagery work or slowing down my work and my guess is it’a beautiful combination of all of the above. Some of the physical changes are that I never spot the day before my period anymore, I bleed over one night of my cycle (I used to have no blood at night), I have no breast tenderness before my cycle starts, I don’t sweat at night before my period, I bleed rich red blood, my thyroid numbers are more balanced (the original RE i saw wanted me to take synthroid, but I refused and it changed without it) I am warmer (I used to be cold all the time) and recently, the bags under my eyes are more clear in color. I don’t really crave sugar or other foods that I don’t want b/c I feel like I’m getting to eat such good foods and my blood-sugar feels way more stable in the day.
    Julia asked our group what’s not working and for me it’s when I’m either in searching mode for something new or feeling like I haven’t found the right food that’ll make a difference like there is that ONE thing that if I only knew about it would do the trick. Ha! Or, on the other end, I am too hard on myself when I decide to just enjoy a glass of wine with dinner or take a little bite of dessert. I’ve noticed that now that I eat in this nourishing and nutrient rich way 95% of the time, my body bounces back fine when I sway a bit.

  32. Chiam says:

    Dear Julia and Fertile Mamas

    I read this blog with interest. We were asked to work with the question of how the inner work that we are doing is making it possible to take action in the physical reality.

    Firstly I love Julia’s statement that in the Kingdom of Baby Making the power of veto is in the hands of her Majesty the Heart. As I said on the call on Monday, the main thing that I have taken from his journey is the need to love myself. I was really surprised how little I respected and loved myself. Whilst I cannot say that I love myself as much as I would like, I am learning. I have started to set boundaries with others so that I am clear about how I want to be treated rather than being at the beck and call of those around me. I have also learned that this type of mental and emotional transformation takes energy. The work that I am doing with Fertile Heart lightens the load on my heart and this in turn gives me more energy.

    The threads of thought and emotion that link me to past events or things that are unresolved, all drain my energy. As I nurture the army of orphans that are part of me, one by one, I feel that I am reclaiming a small part of the energy that is being drained. I am not sure whether this makes sense but I can almost feel the pull to unresolved issues and it is such a relief to resolve them. I cannot change the past but I am changing my perception.

    Since working with the OVUM tools, I have become far more aware of my body. In the past, and sometimes now when I forget myself, I would treat my body with an expectation of performance. I would expect it to do what I wanted and did not give consideration to its needs outside of a good diet. I am now far kinder to my body. I say thank you and reassure it each month when I am not pregnant. I feel that it is doing the best that it can and that I still fail to listen to it as often and as closely as I should. It turns out that my body has a lot to say! It tells me that it does not like cheese. It carries my mental stress and struggles to release it without understanding.

    When I underwent my three IVF cycles, my body was screaming at me to stop. It hated the drugs that I was pumping into it and I not only ignored it, I took more each time. Whilst many woman are fine with the IVF drugs, my body did not react well and now, having worked with the OVUM tools, I am surprised that I failed to listen. I think that the inner work that I am doing is making it possible for me to treat my body as an ally and a friend in the physical reality, rather than something that it there to do my biding.

    I know that with the opportunity to express itself, the right food and rest, my body is my most powerful ally and not “an aging enemy” as some in the “fertility” profession would make me believe. I am most grateful that I have recognised this at my age and have an opportunity to nurture my body, whatever the outcome of our fertility journey.

    Take care and I look forward to hearing from you soon.

    Love, Esther xxx

  33. AnnabelL says:

    I love this blog, and its reminder of the power of the heart.
    In Monday’s European Visionaries call Julia suggested we check in here to express how the fertile heart tools are affecting and strengthening us in the ‘real’ world. One thing I’ve noticed is how much my yoga practice has changed – I’ve been doing yoga several times a week for years and I have become so much better, since working with the FH tools, at getting on my mat and tuning into my self and really listening to what my body needs, rather than doing what I feel I ‘ought’ to do, or pushing myself on days I feel tired. I’m noticing, and respecting, how much my body needs different things on different days and that feels like a lovely, connecting and nourishing thing to do for myself. Another thing I’ve noticed is how, thanks to the FH tools, how much better I am at allowing myself to accept the full spectrum of my emotions rather than trying to push away the ones that feel ‘unpositive’ or ‘wrong’, or beat myself up about them. This is such a relief as there’s so much talk everywhere on positive thinking and how it’s ‘bad’ to feel sad or scared or jealous or angry. I’ve also learnt that no feeling is static and lasts forever anyway, so you don’t have to be scared of the ones you don’t like so much anyway (but rather treat them with tenderness while they are here) as they too will pass, and that those orphaned parts of ourselves can even be like the base metal that turns into gold.

  34. Liz1 says:

    Hi,
    Just wanted to share a delicious recipe for a sweet treat! They taste particularly good chilled!

    RAW CHOCOLATE AND GOJI BERRY BALLS

    Ingredients: –

    250 grams Fresh Dates
    50 grams Goji Berries
    100 grams Desiccated Coconut
    75 grams Ground Almonds
    50 grams Raw Cocoa Nibs

    Instructions:-

    Melt dates to a thick paste with a little hot water in the bottom of a saucepan.

    Add ground almonds and cocoa nibs to make a sticky, thick dough consistency.

    Add 75 grams of desiccated coconut and the Goji Berries

    Mix thoroughly and roll in to truffle sized balls.

    Place the remaining desiccated coconut on a plate and roll the balls until they are covered.

    ENJOY!

  35. Veronica says:

    Continuing with my nettle tea. I noticed a couple of days where my temperatures were higher than usual. Normally the highest would be 98.2, but I had a couple of days which were 98.5. I’m excited for this, and hoping it’s not just a one cycle thing!

    I wonder if I should keep drinking this during my non luteal phase part of the cycle too, or just during the luteal phases?

  36. Veronica says:

    I switched to just taking the nettle infusion this past week. I take my basal temperature every morning. For a long while I had stopped because it was too frustrating to notice when my temperature would suddenly drop and I’d know that my new cycle would start.

    I’m glad I started taking my temperature regularly again because I’m seeing my morning temperatures be higher than they had in the past.

  37. Veronica says:

    Day 6 of my doing the nettle/oatstraw infusion. I am drinking 1 cup per day, is that enough? The movement in my uterus has subsided, I wonder if my reproductive organs are getting used to it.

    Juicing–my hubby makes it for me. I drink it throughout the morning while I work. I find that my digestion has been slowly moving since drinking so I get hungry consistently at 11am.

    I need to work on getting to bed earlier so my body has time to regenerate cells and make good use of these things I am putting into my body.

  38. FindingFaith21 says:

    Hi Ladies:

    Veronica, I am so going to make that “progesterone sandwich.” It sounds amazing! To answer your questions, I tried the natural progesterone cream a couple of cycles ago. I had used it in the past when I experienced a lot of mid-cycle bleeding, and it helped. I used it again this time because I felt very estrogen heavy (sore breasts, acne, bloating) in my luteal phase. I figured my progesterone must be low, but I never had it tested. I only used it one cycle, from days 17-28. It did help tremendously with the issues I was having, but it also made my period a day or so late and quite light/short. And the next cycle, I had none of my usual fertility signs that I ovulated (mucous, cramping, etc.). It sort of freaked me out. I am just very, very sensitive to anything that touches on hormones. But the cycle after that was more normal.

    Katy, I love raspberry leaf tea. It tastes great and doesn’t seem to have any negative effects. I’m waiting on my shipment of nettle and oat straw, too.

    Miracle Hope, have you checked on Pinterest for those “salad in a jar” posts? It’s pretty cool. You make up a bunch of salads in Mason jars; you layer the veggies/greens/dressing in such a way nothing gets soggy. Then you just pull out a jar and dump it onto a plate. My friend swears by this method. I also love putting nuts, feta cheese, avocado and lots of cucumbers on my salad. I’ve been a vegetarian for 25 years, so I sort of have to adore salads. ha ha ha. Some other things I really like eating for lunch are avocado toast (whole grain bread with butter from grass-fed cows, slathered in avocado slices), marinated tempeh (coconut oil, garlic, honey, soy sauce, balsamic vinegar) pan seared, Greek yogurt with sliced fruit/raisins and granola (and a bit of raw honey), apples sliced with smoked gouda cheese, hummus and veggies, hard boiled eggs with sliced tomatoes, cucumbers and avocados. And, of course, peanut butter sandwiches. ha ha. I’m not much of a foodie and I’m a lazy chef, so my lunch choices are pretty basic. I hope these help, though. You can also make your own granola. SO easy! The trick is to use good honey and coconut oil. Oh, and don’t over-bake it. It will taste awful.

  39. Robin says:

    Dear Veronica, FindingFaith21, Katy G, and miraclehope,

    I have started the oatstraw and lemon balm and nettle herbs. I love knowing the amounts of the infusion. I’m still only juicing 3 times a week, but that feels good. I’m still working on confidence, 20 minutes to eat lunch and sleep. Sleep is still challenging. I like the choice of the word strengthening. Great for posting everyone.

  40. Lori says:

    Very excited to read this and all the comments! I just visited the Mountain Rose website and was so inspired to get started! I looked up the 5 herbs mentioned here on the Fertility Herb link but found myself a little confused about some of the forms of the herbs.

    Nettle — do I buy leaf? root? leaf powder? extract?

    Oatstraw — regular? powder? extract?

    Chasteberry– I was quite confused w/this one.. powder form??

    Can I use mason jars for the infusions? Any tips? Do I need other supplies such as the tea bags?

    As for juicing, I don’t have a juicer but buy cold pressed juices from my local yoga studio which are fabulous. I never thought I’d really enjoy them, but very tasty! I used to do what I thought was juicing.. really more of a smoothie w/my Ninja blender. Those were always hard to go down. I find the juice very easy to drink and rather crave it once I start. The down side is that it is pricey. I should probably invest in an actual juicer. Any recommendations??

    As for actual physical activity, I just started walking 30 mins at a time. My goal is 3-4 times a week. I used to workout about 4-5 days a week but after injuring my foot back in April, I’ve been pretty sedentary. It feels really good to get back to moving. My body literally feels better and I feel better about myself.

    I hope everyone continues sharing on here about how the herbs and all are going!

  41. Veronica says:

    One thing I can share that has worked for me. 6 months in this baby journey, I went vegetarian for 6 months. Cooked from “The Golden Temple Cookbook” and others from the internet or books that seemed appetizing. Looking back, I realize how toxic my body must have been, all the years of putting anything I wanted in my mouth, knowingly and unknowingly. I still have a high percentage of veggies in my meals (I’ve started eating some meats to keep my body temperature up), but what I want to say is that I noticed that the eczema I used to have for more than 5 years was gone! Whenever I got detergent on my hands or it was rather hot outside, I would break out instantly, and symptoms so severe that my hands used to crack. I had read that skin conditions come from the stomach, so it made a lot of sense as to why I no longer got those breakouts. I was kinder to my stomach, and the symptoms went away.

    Lastly, a great “progesterone sandwich”. No, they don’t call it that but it has avocado and cooked spinach. I got this recipe off of a jiu jitsu video, so I don’t take any credit. Ingredients are 2 slices of (I use) rye bread, almond butter, cooked spinach (in olive oil), dried kale chips and avocado. You just put all that together. It is SO tasty and keeps me satisfied for hours! I like to use the freshly ground almond butter from a health food store, which is thicker than the jarred kind (it tends to be a little runny to me).

  42. Veronica says:

    I was thinking of using a natural yam-based progesterone cream (without parabens). Can anyone that has used this type of cream before mention how you used it and how you like it?

  43. Veronica says:

    Two months ago, I felt that I was pregnant. I had spotting in the middle of my luteal phase, which had never happened to me before. A few days later, my basal temperature dropped (after all, implanting in itself is hard work on the body!) I felt (or I should say, my Ultimate Mom let me know) perhaps my progesterone was not strong enough.

    I was browsing fertileheart.com and came across the infusion webpage, and decide to try two of the herbs which I thought fit for what I needed at the moment (oatstraw and nettle). I started it two night ago, and I did feel something in my uterus a few minutes after drinking. Could be mental, I’m not sure. It was not uncomfortable, but there was some kind of action going on there. What has others who had done infusions long-term, seem or experienced?

    Also, I will start juicing again – 16 oz of celery, carrots and apple. The juicing seems to be too strong for my husband’s stomach that he has quit drinking it. Will report back next week.

  44. FindingFaith21 says:

    What a great idea! As always, Julia, you seem to hit the nail on the head. I have been feeling “left out” or not fully “getting it” because I have not gotten pregnant right after a phone circle or immediately upon doing this program. But reading your words, I understand. Doing the work and experiencing these changes to better my life, and not just have a baby, is key. And that maybe by “having” to do this work over and over again is a blessing and not a sign of me not doing it right the first time around.

    So thank you again for your wisdom!

    As for food and herb questions, I have two:

    1. Is chaste berry an ideal herb for someone who has a regular cycle? I’m hesitant to take anything like that because I seem to react strongly to anything that touches my hormones.

    2. How much/how often should we drink the herbal infusions?

    Something that has worked for me has really been my green smoothies. I have a Vitamix, so my smoothies are more like juices. I blend a bunch of greens together (usually kale, lettuce, cucumber, spinach, etc.) along with some lemon, lime, orange and a bit of pineapple, a bit of agave syrup and maybe a half of a banana. Then the trick is to add organic wheatgrass powder. Tastes great and isn’t gritty at all. It’s also easier to get, store and use than fresh-squeezed. Since I’m a vegetarian who doesn’t eat a whole bunch of cheese or eggs, I also use organic spirulina powder. My drinks are seriously green, but they taste awesome. If the green is too much for you, add more lemon. Oh, and BLEND for 2 minutes on the Vitamix. Really makes it smooth, just like a juice.

    • Lori says:

      That juice sounds delicious!! Is there a certain model of the Vitamix you recommend? Although I thought Julia mentioned at some point, no banana and pineapple?

  45. Katy G says:

    Hooray for this blog post! I have actually just received my shipment of oatstraw and nettle. I have tried both. I am making nettle again today, it tastes pretty good. While I was making it, my husband raised an eyebrow and said “what are you doing now”. I said dont worry I discussed with the tele group and Julia and was like “ah ok”! So glad he got to meet you Julia somehow having him know more about this work and coming to the workshop with me has really helped our journey together!

    I was curious though about red raspberry leaf and if anyone has tried that? I read it could be good for the uterus.

  46. MiracleHoope says:

    I was excited to read this blog !

    Well one thing I wanted to share with all of you (I guess I did in one of the calls too) is that when Julia inquired me about my routine, I had feelings of guilt, shame to say that I was sitting straight for 12 hrs or more using the computer. I hardly got up in between. I went for walk but when Julia asked me to dance or run without stopping for 5min, there was sooooo much resistance to do that. There were so many tools available to me even at office to walk and work on a treadmill, yet I decided not to use any of those and just sit. When I pondered when I was actually naturally active, the last I remembered was when I was 11 yrs. I was super active kid and was unmanageable child. But post that I hardly remember any activities that I have been into. Now i just feel so conscious of how am I using my time, especially how much am I sitting.
    Coming to food, I am okay, improved around 60%. I just got my nettle and oatstraw herbs last week and just planning to start them today.

    One question I did have is the description for Oatstraw says supporting ovulation. Does that mean we should not use it post ovulation?

    I am struggling with preparing salad too. I agree this appears weird for most of you. I kept buying organic salads with dressing etc checking the weight watcher points for them and the protein etc. But can anyone else suggest some health enhancing vegetarian lunch menu?

    • Lori says:

      I have been using organic arugula .. as for dressings, I admit, I don’t usually do organic, but I do try to find the healthier versions and just use a minimal amount. Try adding beans to the salad?? I love chick peas!

    • pineapple says:

      Well done for improving. Sometimes I prepare large portions of salads that will store well for a few days e.g. carrot, beetroot, mixed beans, quinnoa and chickpeas. You could serve them with some hummus, rye toast, jacket potato, or as a side to soup. Also good for packed work lunches in this cold weather are lentil curries or vegetable hot pots with slow cooked brown rice.

    • Anita says:

      Hi

      Ive really found the green smoothies a great way to start the day, they not only provide energy but really help me to stay regular.
      Mine are filled with Kale(or any other green leaf), coconut water, fresh tumeric (can use dry), lemon, grapefruit and ginger, sometimes I will add cucumber and broccoli.
      This is pretty green and tart (which I like, but If you want it sweeter you could add a banana or apple.

      I regularly use these websites for recipes and inspiration for cooking and baking healthy meals and snacks

      http://bonniedelicious.com
      http://www.greenkitchenstories.com
      http://atastylovestory.com/



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