Next month is my second favorite month of the entire year (October for some inexplicable reason has always held the top spot in my heart.) I love May! For one, May is Mediterranean Diet Month. It’s also the month our attention turns to mothers and motherhood. And if you didn't know, I'm kinda obsessed with maternal health and women's health in general. Mother's Day serves as a reminder of the amazingly complex ways a mother’s body shaped her child before, during, and after her pregnancy.

At first glance, a connection between the Mediterranean lifestyle and maternal health isn’t readily apparent. But if we look at the research, we’ll find the former has the potential to positively affect the latter.

Before we dig into the impact the Mediterranean lifestyle has on fertility and maternal health, let’s define the Mediterranean lifestyle. 

What is the Mediterranean Lifestyle?

The Mediterranean lifestyle includes the delicious and healthy eating pattern, a focus on fun functional movement, and the social habits of the traditional Mediterranean way of life. There’s plenty of research which details health benefit after health benefit related to following the Mediterranean lifestyle.

The healthy eating pattern is all about eating:

• plant based meals full of fruit, vegetables, beans, peas, lentils, herbs, and spices.
• ample amounts of healthy fats from olive oil, seafood, nuts, and seeds.
• limiting red meat and refined sweets

The other equally important parts of the lifestyle include:

• weaving enjoyable movement throughout our days
• spending time with people we like and love
• participating in activities that light us up

It’s pretty clear why the Mediterranean lifestyle is associated with improved health. And good health is one of the cornerstones of optimal fertility.

I've been putting off writing this post for awhile now.  

Mary Jane, weed, pot, Bobo bash, no matter what you call it, marijuana can be a very polarizing topic. And I tend to steer clear of controversy, at least in my online life. 

When you talk about cannabis, folks tend to assume you're a pothead. Add in my fro, fondness for boho fashion, and love of essential oils, and it's easy for people to assume I must be.

Truth be told, aside from the time in elementary school when my older friend (who had much older friends) rolled sugar, pepper, and dried grass from her backyard in a sheet of loose leaf paper and offered it to me as a makeshift dooby, I've never been offered a smoke of anything, nor have I ever smoked anything. But just because I choose not to, doesn't mean I'm completely against others choosing to.

There are medically legitimate reasons to take it. And it's the most used recreational drug in the US. Nearly half of the US population has tried it at least once. With more and more states decriminalizing its use, medical marijuana going mainstream (heck, even Whoopi Goldberg has medical cannabis line of products for menstrual issues), and Well + Good dubbing cannabis as one of THE wellness trends to watch in 2017, I'm sure its use is only going to continue increase.

Before we get started, remember I'm not here to pass a moral judgment, I just want to provide you with the info. That way you can make a decision that's right for you, your health, and your fertility.

That being said, I would be an awful healthcare practitioner if I didn't say, the American College of Gynecologists strongly encourages women to avoid taking or using marijuana in all it's forms while TTC, pregnant, or breastfeeding.

Alright, let's jump in and answer your questions about fertility and marijuana.

Recently, the FDA and EPA released new advice about how to safely eat seafood if you're pregnant or breastfeeding.

Unfortunately, fish and shellfish have gotten get a bad rap when it comes to preconception and prenatal nutrition. While it's true that some kinds are high in mercury, it's equally true that fish and shellfish are bursting at the seams with health benefits.

Many women have chosen to or been advised to completely forgo seafood to avoid being exposed to too much mercury. Fortunately, you don't have to throw the baby out with the bathwater. You can avoid high levels of mercury and eat fish, too.

"Take rest; a field that has rested gives a bountiful crop. - Ovid

Last year really kicked my butt. The stress from all the changes, some good, many not so good, negatively affected my hormonal health. The wonky periods and acne I experienced over the summer proved that.

While I wasn't TTC, I'm still WTT, I'm fairly certain if I had tried, it wouldn't have gone as I would have hoped. Hormones and periods gone awry usually aren't a sign of optimal reproductive health. Quite the opposite. 

The connection between fertility and stress in all its forms, whether psychological or physical, is complicated. The, "which came first, the chicken or the egg?" question comes to mind. Which comes first? Does stress lead to difficulty conceiving or does difficulty conceiving lead to stress? 

I'm going to go with both.

If I wasn't a dietitian, I would absolutely be an anthropologist. I love learning about other cultures, especially a culture's food, reproductive rituals, dance, and spirituality. So, I thought I'd bring a bit of that to the blog through a new series: Food, Fertility, and Folklore.

I'll be sharing foods that are commonly eaten or given as a gift to improve or bless fertility in different cultures. Then we'll take a look at the science behind that food and its possible effect on fertility. 

First up, cabbage!

At the end of 2016, in an attempt to find community and start dancing again, I took a 4-week long belly dance crash course. And I fell head over heels in love with it. 

There was something about women gathering together to unapologetically shimmy their tummies and hips, areas many of us don't exactly love to flaunt, that just made my heart sing. This was body positivity at its finest. 

The whole time I was taking classes, I kept thinking, "this would be such a great workout for pregnant women." So being the google nerd I am, I searched "pregnancy belly dance" and found some things that confirmed my original suspicions. Belly dance is, without question, one of the best forms of movement for pregnant ladies.

Not pregnant, no worries. It's still a great way for any and all women to get moving. I'll be doing a post about belly dance and fertility in the near future, so keep your eyes peeled for that. Hopefully, I can get my new instructor for an interview. She's amazing!

I love podcasts! I really do. So today, I'm sharing my five favorite wellness, women's health, and fertility (surprise, surprise!) podcasts. Check them out and subscribe if you're on the lookout for quality info about women's wellness from truly knowledgable women's health experts.

Breakfast bowls are my go-to breakfast option. They're simple and can be easily tailored to my ever-changing tastes and cravings. With the right ingredients they can provide your body with the nutrients it needs to promote healthy hormonal balance and fertility.

Minimally processed food with plenty of nutrients are an important part of any preconception plan. You are what you eat. Healthy food=healthier body=best chances of conceiving. The research is clear, diet affects fertility. Each meal and snack has the potential to help you reach your goal of getting pregnant and giving birth to a happy health baby.

Breakfast is often referred to as the most important meal of the day. And for good reason. After your overnight fast your body is begging for replenishment. Give it what it's asking for, lady.