We know how overwhelming it can be to make big lifestyle changes. The truth is, we’ve been there, too. We weren’t born into families that emphasized nutrition, low stress, healthy living … we arrived there after years of our own unique struggles and explorations. And we’re not perfect, either. We have our days when we're not inspired to cook, or when stress gets the better of us, ruining a night’s sleep and sabotaging the next morning’s workout. Still, we persevere.
What’s our best advice for implementing choices that will “feed” every aspect of your life? Take it one bite at a time. Rather than turning your world upside down, start slowly and intentionally. Here are a few ideas for using this book efficiently, without adding more stress to your life:
• Review the Cheat Sheet for Feeding Your Fertility (page 124) and the sections on conscious conception, self-care, and building a support team (pages 33-44). Note the things you are doing already. You might just be surprised.
• Make a list of the things that you think will be easy to implement and try adding a few of those things each week. Maybe you’ll start adding organic produce, raw milk, or grass-fed beef onto your weekly shopping list. Or get back into your favorite exercise or try a meditation CD before bed.
• Make a list of the things that you imagine will be hard to implement and try adding one of those per week. Maybe try a daily 10-minute meditation, a brisk morning walk, or even some spaghetti sauce made with a touch of “hidden” liver?
• Follow the principle “slow and steady wins the race.” We’ve all been down the road of crash diets, exercise fads, and self-help phenomena. Much of the time, these things take us to extremes which can be fun and exhilarating at first, but ultimately end up being unsustainable. What we are proposing in this book is a lifestyle, not a fad, and we hope you’ll find a way to make it your own and make it last.
• Try a week of real food. We’ve put together a week’s meal plan on page 211.
• Get support. We are here to help. If you live in Los Angeles, we’d be happy to work with you in person. If you don’t, we offer phone consultations. You can also pursue finding a practitioner in your area who is familiar with these principles and who knows about holistic and integrative fertility care.
It is our sincerest hope that you will find your way to optimal wellness in body, mind, and spirit, and that from that place of balance and health, you will cultivate true fertility in all aspects of your life.