Photo backdrop of buckwheat dish for the text- Is Healthy Food Good For Trying to ConceiveIs healthy food good for trying to conceive? Sarah Frankenburg, nutritionist and Chinese medicine practioner, recently gave a workshop at the Gefen Center that opened our eyes and our appetites on the topic. Starting off with a picture of a nice big salad versus a nice hot bowl of cooked grains, she went on to say a fertile body is a warm body and warm foods will help to promote that.

I’m jumping courses, sorry! Let’s backtrack to the appetizers of the evening.

Not all foods are bad for everyone

Sarah prefaced by stating that what she was about to say is a generalization and every person is distinct with their own unique constitution. In other words, certain foods aren’t bad for everyone, and not all foods are good for everyone.

That being said here are some tasters of the night:

Cold or Hot?

Cold drinks are a NO NO. If we got one thing out of the evening, it was learning to drink water that is room temperature or hotter.  Most meals are best cooked and warm. As tempting as it is to eat straight out of the fridge (or freezer) that is another habit to break. I must confess, it’s not so easy when you’re HUNGRY!

 

When food is eaten cold and raw, lots of energy is spent on digestion and assimilation- energy that we’d rather spend on more important things. Some suggestions were to eat stir fry in the summer and heavier, slow cooked and baked foods in the winter, with a small ( emphasis on small) fresh salad to balance.

A small amount of homemade sauerkraut is a great way to start a meal and start the enzyme process. This process really starts when you look at the food and the saliva starts to form in your mouth..

Green vegetables tend to have a cold “effect” on our energetic system, even if they are cooked. So… moderation.

Fruits and vegetables are “colder” to the system than grains, which are more balanced.

Buckwheat, for example, is warming to the lower part of the belly, (more than wheat).

Beans have a tendency to cool down the body. BUT they also strengthen the kidneys and the lower abdomen. This is a good thing, eaten in a small amount, with the correct cooking method.

Fruit

Fruit- yea, this is gonna be a tough one, especially living in this country!

On the bright side, fruit has a happy effect that opens the heart. On the flip side, ( why does there always have to be a flip side??) it’s VERY COOLING to our system, especially those HUGE FRUIT SHAKES that can contain 8-9 fruits! Have an apple. Have a fruit at room temperature, that is in season. Eat it mindfully and enjoy every bite!

A Balanced Plate

Sarah showed us what a nice balanced plate ought to look like. Starting off with a nice soup, some sauerkraut or pickled vegetable, 50-60% grains, 30-40% vegetables, a small amount of beans, and an even smaller amount of nuts, seeds and oils. The later is so small, I won’t even bother with the percentage. Notice what’s missing. Yes- LOTS! A small amount of animal protein or dairy might be ok for you. Again, it all depends on your individual make-up.

Mapping temperature

She then spoke about heat in the upper part of the body, which in part has to do with cold climate and emotions. Think of the heart area. The mid-section coldness has to do mostly with cold food. The section below the belly button is considered the place where our energy and strength reside. When our extremities are cold, it is a sign that the heat in the body has to stay central to keep heating the center. The body can’t succeed in spreading the heat outwards.

So, now we have a lot of new information. Some makes sense, some might not. Some might relate to you, some might not. It is always good to be aware, to learn, to listen, and to try to incorporate something new and then notice how the body reacts. Be intuitive, mindful and full of joy while eating the berachot of this plentiful land of ours. May we all reap the fruits of our labor in good health and with a hearty appetite!