A Gentle Fertility Friendly Cleanse

By: Amanda Silver, M.S, L.Ac | Author's Archive | Bio

Today’s blog was written by YinOva acupuncturist Amanda Silver. Amanda has over a decade of experience as an acupuncturist and herbalist and is a popular practitioner here at the YinOva Center where she is known for her practical, common sense advice on all matters related to OB/GYN.

Spring is a great time to do a cleanse, but some cleanses aren’t particularly safe when you are trying to get pregnant. A lot of popular cleanses today involve fasting or just drinking juices/water, which can be draining to the vital energies needed to get pregnant. Chinese Medicine generally advises against strict fasting and recommends eating a very clean diet of fresh fruit and vegetables and lean organic protein.

Here are some guidelines for a safe cleanse when trying to become pregnant:

• Avoid sugar, including all “fake sugars”. This can be difficult, but I have noticed that it gets easier after the 3^rd day. So hang in there!
• Eat mostly vegetables, organic when possible.
• Eat a variety of grains, not just wheat. Try whole grains, such as brown rice, oats, buckwheat, millet and rye. These foods are high in B vitamins, which the liver needs to support its metabolic processes. Whole grains also bind excess hormones and toxins to carry them through the bowel for excretion.
• Drink water. Try to drink half your body weight in ounces. So if you weigh 140 lbs drink 70 oz or about 9 x 8oz glasses a day.
• Cut out caffeine and alcohol.  Always a good rule when trying to get pregnant.
• Meditate and breathe. These relaxation techniques help to reduce stress hormones. For more information about mediation see this YinOva blog article