Remember when I told you all that I was doing a lifestyle upheaval? I wasn’t kidding. About a year ago I went to the doctor. I weighed around 150 pounds. My cholesterol was 184. My triglycerides were 160 a little too high. My thyroid was .9. My vitamin D level was 18. It should have been 30. My blood pressure was an amazing 166/95. I had anxiety, heart palpitations, psoriasis, and a general feeling of malaise.
After going on a whole plant diet in January I went to the doctor. I had been on this diet for two months. We did a test of all of my vitals including blood work. Guess what happened?
First of all my menstrual period came back. Second, my cholesterol lowered from 184 to 134. My weight is now 142 and I am losing by the day. My vitamin D is 29 just a little under 30 :-). My triglycerides went from 160 to 60!!!! My thyroid is at 1.1 which means it is making more thyroid. My psoriasis is virtually gone. Caveat – my psoriasis will come back if I forget to take my vitamin D supplementation of 2000 mg per day. My blood pressure is now 120/80 which is still high for me but once I begin to exercise I predict that will lower as well.
If you are doing IVF or considering doing it I recommend that you read the China study. This has changed my life. I am no longer feeling ill but energized. I can sprint without feeling drained and my body is urging me to go forward not collapse in exhaustion.
I don’t eat a great deal of meat or animal products and only have milk in my tea. I have soy in everything else or almond milk. Reading that milk and animal products are cancer activators has not only made me worry about my diet but change it completely.
I am about to begin preparations for the FET transfer of my two normal embryos. I will give myself two months of solid activity and work my body into shape so that I will have the best possible result. I know that my body can do this if it is fit and I am mentally ready and clear. I hope you will look at my result and consider a plant-based diet. Do not forget that eating meat for animal products is not a bad thing in moderation. I still eat meat infrequently (probably once or twice per week). I prefer to get the amino acids and protein my body needs from beans, legumes and soy/tempeh etc but I am still having the occasional lamb, red meat (did you know that chicken has more cholesterol than red meat??). The China study was a big eye opener for us. My father in law had zero cholesterol problems. Yet his heart and arteries were completely clogged with cholesterol. How can this happen? Eating animal products every single day has serious implications for our health. When you read this book or watch the movie “forks over knives”, “Food Inc”. and all of the other eye opening messages out there you will come to your own conclusions. I hope this post helps someone out there who is considering IVF or just getting healthy in general. My husband likely saved my life and I owe him for making these amazing shakes (filled with kale, spinach, ginger, cranberry, goji berry, oranges, acai and the list goes on!).. I will keep you posted!
I am turning 45 next month. I will be putting a 5AB and a 4BB (chromosomally normal embryos) into my body. This is scary stuff and my last chance. Here comes the kitchen sink.
congratulations on your weight loss and newfound energy! it would be great if you’d post a sample green smoothie recipe and daily menu for us to see exactly what your diet looks like right now. it sounds impressive!! i’ve read the china study and joel furhman’s eat to live. both very eye opening.
if you’re taking the kitchen sink approach, you might want to consider eliminating gluten as well. there is strong data linking gluten intolerance/celiac to miscarriage and infertility. i dropped all gluten for the first three months of my pregnancy with magpie and i’m not sure if that’s what helped us finally get out the other side, but she is here – five months and going strong!
great to hear your news and am so rooting for you on your next cycle!
Mo
Congratulations on the weight loss and the general health improvements! Plant based diets are so incredibly powerful… Their effect is almost miraculous! Fingers and toes crossed for your IVF attempt!! I hope everything goes extra smoothly for you!
Zoe
Thanks Mo and Zoe – I’m so nervous but thrilled with my health results. I just ran around the block with energy. I could have never done that last year. NEVER! I have fewer aches and pains too. I think taking the Vitamin D has helped so much. Mo – the drinks are mostly kale, walnuts, acai berry, goji berries, flaxseed oil with vitamin D, apples, cranberry, ginger, wheatgrass, lemon juice, spinach, hemp seeds, dates, and some protein powders. I went gluten free and regularly eat UDI’s bread if I am going to eat a PB and J (with my kiddo!). I simply don’t want the pasta bloating feel. I will post more ideas as I find them. I had a huge fight with my husband over the vitamix (he was into the nutrabullet and I told him it would be BLAH). So we had a raging fight (really!!?!) and I gave in. I’ve wanted a vitamix for a thousand years (yes!!!) and said nothing to him. We finally got one on sale and he is using it all the time (Helllo!!). He made the most gorgeous soup the other day. I am loving it and think it is so worth the money. I love that it cleans itself and that I can have a great “meal” in a matter of seconds. I think I will go have one now. Anyway, that was not an advert for vitamix. I can’t believe I own one!!! Doing research on IVF cycles and will avoid gluten at all costs going forward. I have a friend who found out she was celiac (she reads this blog) and when she was pregnant with a donor egg and sperm her body was completely turned off to all forms of gluten. She never put two and two together – then the loss came. Of course how could she know? She went gluten free and then cycled – a surrogacy with her eggs and her husband’s sperm worked – boy/girl twins. My sunshine. You might have heard of her? She is an IVF rockstar….like all of you.
Good luck on your FET!!! ( :
Thank you, Linda! I hope I do have success but also to give hope to others who are looking for some.