3 Things You Should Know About Dairy When You're TTC

I used to drink 2-3 large glasses of milk a day. I loved it, especially with Ovaltine (I just checked on Amazon to see if it's still made – it is!).

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I was also a pretty moody teenager, especially around my cycle.

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When I was in my late 20s and when I got off birth control, my hormones went crazy.

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I broke out in painful cystic acne, and I felt awful! I was moody and tired and couldn't figure out what was happening.

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Those many years of being on birth control suppressed the fire that was happening with my hormones.

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And drinking milk was a major culprit in my hormonal craziness.

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That's one of the reasons why I suggest not drinking milk, especially when dealing with fertility challenges.

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The Nurses' Health Study at Harvard looked at the nutrition and lifestyle habits of over 17,000 women over eight years and noticed changes in their fertility based on what the participants ate.

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They concluded that a small amount of dairy supports fertility.

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But what if the benefits came from the added fat - not the dairy?

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There are much better options, like coconut, avocados, olives, olive oil, hemp seeds, flax seeds, chia seeds, and wild-caught salmon.

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Why do I recommend removing dairy, then, you ask?

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First, dairy, namely cow's milk, is a common allergen, along with gluten, corn, soy, eggs, and nuts. And these allergens can create inflammation in your body, similar to how my hormones felt like fire.

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These allergens lead to inflammation and several health concerns and harm fertility.

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Michael Pollan said, "you are what you eat, and you are what it eats."

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So, if the dairy milk you are drinking comes from cows that eat genetically modified and carcinogenic corn, that goes into your body, too, when you drink a cup of milk, eat cheese, or have yogurt.

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These GMOs are toxicants in your body and negatively impact your health and fertility.

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Finally, a lactating animal produces excess hormones, especially estrogen, that enter your system when ingested.

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These added hormones can throw off your hormonal balance as well.

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The good news is that are tons of non-dairy options. My favorite milk is Oatmilk* (from non-GMO oats). It's the closest in taste to cow’s milk.

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Regarding the other benefits of milk that people talk about, like Vitamin D and Calcium, there are other sources for this.

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Vitamin D is best from sunshine, and it's found in foods like fatty fish. Most of us need more, so supplementing may be necessary.

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And calcium can be found in seeds, beans, almonds, leafy greens, amaranth, and figs.

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I hope this information is helpful, and that you'll consider other options in place of dairy, especially when you're trying to conceive.

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If you have any questions, shoot me a message, and let me know what's on your mind.

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Xo,

Ami

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