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6 kitchen swaps to enhance fertility and balance hormones

The truth is there are small steps we can take all the time to improve our health and enhance fertility. A great place to start is in the kitchen! There are so many small health swaps and adjustments we can make to ensure that we are keeping our hormones balanced, our gut health optimal, and therefore increasing our chances of getting pregnant.

So let’s dive right into the 6 healthy kitchen swaps you can make to enhance fertility today! ( All these can be done on your next grocery trip- super easy)

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6 Healthy Kitchen Swaps to Enhance Fertility

Glass instead of plastic

Plastic is not only horrible for our environment. It’s also bad for your bodies and specifically our hormones.  When we heat up plastic ( think leftovers in Tupperware in the microwave or plastic utensils in a hot skillet) then we are actually leaching some of the plastic into our food which we then ingest. So now our bodies are trying to digest the plastic which it was never meant to do. Even without heat, plastic can leach into liquids or foods.

This greatly impacts our hormone health as men and women because many of the items that make up plastic ( BPA, phthalates, etc) are known endocrine disruptors. This means that they can do things like mimic estrogens which confuses our bodies as they try to compensate or even cause cancer. It’s actually pretty scary and sad if you think about it too much ( so let’s don’t and just make healthier swaps).

But we won’t- because we are just going to swap to glass right? I suggest swapping to all glass Tupperware and drinkware. I even swapped out my straws for glass because it’s also easier to see if any leftover debris is in the stem of the straw ( I’m looking at you, smoothie drinkers).

You can swap water bottles for stainless steel as well if that’s more convenient compared to glass. Swap those plastic cooking utensils for wood or stainless steel as well.

AND think about your coffeemaker! Opt for a pour-over coffee maker as opposed to traditional coffee makers that run hot water through plastic pieces.

Organic produce and food items

I strive to buy organic anytime I can! The EWG gives us a Dirty Dozen list that lets us know which fruits and vegetables for sure need to be bought organic and which ones are ok to buy just conventional. This is extremely helpful when it comes to budgeting because let’s be honest- eating organic and clean is not cheap.

I also look for organic ingredients when I look at other options such as granola bars or other processed items we keep handy.

The reason behind this is similar to plastic. The pesticides sprayed on our food like glyphosate help farmers get rid of pesky problems like insects and animals, but guess what it’s doing to our bodily systems- wreaking havoc. It soaks into the soil our produce grows in as well as through the skin right into the part we eat.

So always shop organic when you can but still remember to wash that fruit when you get it home!

The @crosslegacy shows easy ways to keep your produce fresh for longer which also saves you money!

Full-fat dairy products

I know dairy can be a touchy subject when it comes to enhancing fertility. Some experts say you have to avoid it altogether, while others say that a full-fat dairy is a great option for optimizing your hormone health.

I land somewhere in the middle. If you are sensitive to dairy or it creates inflammation for you then it’s obviously important to cut that out of your diet. If you don’t have any sensitivities or issues with it, then there’s no benefit to cutting it out. I mean who wants to cut out cheese if they don’t have to?

If you fall into the group that is unbothered by dairy then it’s important that you are buying the full-fat versions ( even raw versions from local farms when available). This is because the “low fat” options have been so processed that they are now void of the benefits of vitamins and minerals. Also, our bodies need healthy fat/cholesterol to produce hormones. Dairy can be a great option for healthy fats!

On top of all that, it just tastes better!

I personally love this brand of milk and butter I use it in my home. You can get both at Walmart. Raw milk from responsible farmers would be optimal!

Filtered water

We are NOT… I repeat…we are NOT going to drink tap water. I don’t care what system or town you live in and what options they have, tap water is not an option.

We need to be drinking plenty of good quality water that is free of fluoride, chlorine, PFAS ( which are plastics, and remember we already want to avoid plastic), lead, and others.

All these chemicals are harmful to our general health as well as our fertility.

You can grab a water testing kit from Amazon and test your tap water as well as your fridge water.

Great options for better-filtered water are Berkeys or Hydroviv under sink filters ( which would be my personal choice because then even the water you brush your teeth and shower in is cleaner)

Non-toxic cleaner

I personally swapped to a non-toxic cleaner over 4 years ago and I’ll never go back.

Traditional cleaners might smell ultra clean, but they can be full of fragrance ( which disrupts hormones) and other harmful cleaners. Imagine you have that sweet baby and you are cleaning the toys that they play with and put in their mouth with harsh chemicals and toxins! No thank you!

Make the switch to plant-based and fragrance-free options. I have tried a few different brands, but LOVE my Thieves Cleaner. It smells like Christmas and it’s been safe for every single surface I’ve used it on.

Other good options are Truly Free and Branch Basics.

Non-toxic cookware

We love that non-stick cookware, right? Keeps us from having to do extra dishes which I think we can all agree is a big bonus.

But it’s not a big enough bonus to end up with cancer. Most non-stick cookware is coated with Teflon which alone at room temperature is fine, but when you heat it up can release harmful chemicals. Healthline goes into more detail about that here. 

I’ve been using ceramic as a non-toxic option and they have been a good choice, but do look pretty scratched up after a few years ( most likely my fault ) so I think next I’ll be trying stainless steel ( At the time of writing this I did find this set on Amazon for a steal and it has great reviews). Cast iron is also a great and safe option!

So as you can see, making your kitchen a more hormone and fertility-friendly place isn’t too hard. It just takes a little time and dedication! What do you think you’ll swap out first?

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