This post contains Amazon affiliate links. I make a small commission if you decide to purchase this book or other items from the links included. But that in no way affects my reviews. I only share books and products I love that I think you'll love too.

I've been (not so) patiently waiting for this book to be released for awhile! After months of counting down and following its authors on Instagram, it's finally here! And I couldn't be more excited to share it with you.

If you know me at all, you know I love books of all kinds, including cookbooks. I'm not ashamed to admit that I read cookbooks from front to back like a novel. So I was beyond excited when the lovely Liz Shaw sent me a copy of her book just in time for my temporary move back to NYC.

For my four-hour bus ride from Alexandria, VA back to NYC, Fertility Foods Cookbook was my companion. Side note- bus rides along the east coast during Autumn are the best! The changing leaves of crimson and gold, the gentle hum of the bus, those comfy reclining seats... So good, soooo good. Now back to this gem of a book.

Fertility Foods Cookbook, written by Liz Shaw and Sarah Hass, is packed with some of the yummiest recipes and beautiful food photos I've seen in a long time. The recipes make use of colorful and enticing foods that are full of fertility supporting nutrients.

Hey love! I've got a quick post for you today inspired by an amazing client I chatted with last week.

She shared that she followed quite a few fitspo accounts on Instagram in an attempt to motivate her to make healthy lifestyle choices. The more we chatted the more she realized most of those accounts weren't actually inspiring her at all, they were causing her to feel guilty and ashamed.

Inspiration by its very definition is meant to encourage and fill you with hope, confidence, and life. But many of those fitspo accounts discourage, depress, and chide. 

I encouraged her to take inventory. And I encourage you to do the same. Ask yourself this one question, when I look at my favorite wellness Instagrammer's account, do I feel like I'm enough and can take good care of myself or do I feel like I'll never be enough and can never do enough?

If the accounts you're following aren't making you feel like your body is good, wise, and you're perfectly capable of nurturing it without depriving it, then I encourage you to reevaluate if they deserve to take up any space on your social media feed.

Guilt and shame never created lasting change. 

In need of some new accounts to follow? I got you! I'm sharing a few of my favorite truly inspiring accounts I think you should take a peek at and maybe, just maybe, add to your feed.

Scroll through and click on the images to visit their feeds.

For the past couple of months, tons of the lovely ladies I've coached have asked for info on following a plant-based eating pattern before, during, and after pregnancy. Maybe it was "What The Health?" or something else. Whatever the reason, folks are clearly curious about eating more vegetation and I'm all for it. So, I thought I'd do a series sharing what you need to know to enjoy plant-based meals that support your reproductive health.

First, let's define what a plant-based eating pattern is AND what it is not.

This may come as a surprise, plant-based does not necessarily mean vegan or vegetarian. Meat eaters who make fruit, vegetables, grains, beans, peas, lentils, nuts, and seeds (you know, plants) the bulk of what they eat, are still eating a plant-based pattern.

Plant-based is more about what you do eat than it is about what you don't eat. So as long a larger proportion of your meals and snacks are made up of plants, you're a plant-based eater. And you're going to reap the many benefits of a plant-based way of eating.

Aromatherapy is a game changer. When it comes to managing stress and PMS pain, very little comes close. It's amazing how quickly a couple of drops can banish cramps and mellow a haggard soul.

I love singing essential oils' praises. So I was beyond excited when one of you lovely readers asked how to use essential oils to balance your hormones and prepare for pregnancy. Thanks for the post idea; you know who you are! This one's for you.

Wanna know how to use aromatherapy to create a more fertile and fruitful body and mind? Read on.

Hi there!

I’m currently on a mission to understand more about how women feel about their reproductive health and fertility. And I could really use your help! I've set the goal to speak with 100 women. Would you like to be one of them?

If you’re up to it, I’d love to ask you a few questions about your experience. The good, the bad, and the ugly.
 

From cover to cover, Elizabeth shares great advice about what to eat before, during, and after pregnancy. The highlight of the book for me were The Words of Motherly Wisdom sprinkled throughout the book where real life mamas share insider tips to manage some pesky pregnancy problems or just offer an encouraging word.

You'll find information on food safety, meeting your nutrient needs, eating for twin pregnancies, preconception nutrition, and recipes.

If you've read any pregnancy books or food safety articles online, you've probably been admonished to "thoroughly wash all produce" more times than you can count. That's because as healthful as fruit and veggies are, they can harbor not so healthful bacteria, viruses, and fungi. All of which could make you and your baby sick.

Fortunately, cleaning produce is not difficult to do at all. Honestly, a thorough rinsing with clean water, followed by drying with a paper towel is pretty darn effective for most produce. But there's something even more effective.

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.