That time of the month

As women every month our cycles come. Every month we are either excited to see it come or devastated that it has. This is something that is worse for us battling infertility. You get hopeful every. single. month. This could be it. I think I feel different. I was a little nauseous the other day. Am I a day late? What was that pain? Coworkers, family and friends, all those who mean well will make those comments... Do you think you are pregnant? Could this be the month? Are you late? Please dont. Please stop those comments. We are all ready thinking those thoughts and trying not to get our hopes us. This does not help! I cannot tell you how many times I have waited and waited and waited. Then given in and taken a pregnancy test just to be told, not this month. Try again. It hurts, but there is nothing we can do about it. This is our life. This is what we go through.

Cajun Coffee Shrimp

So this was a new recipe we tried also. I used regular sugar and lime instead of grapefruit because it is what I had. Also next time I will put half the amount of cayenne pepper in it. It was way spicy for me!! I think there needs to be some kind of sauce if going on rice, but would have been great over salad with thousand island dressing. It is safe for gluten and dairy intolerances!

://fitmencook.com/cajun-coffee-shrimp/

F.A.M.

One of the best gifts I was given was the advise to read a book on the Fertility Awareness Method. It is a way of learning your bodies signs on when you are most fertile. This can be to prevent pregnancy as much as to succeed with a pregnancy. It is so simple, just takes a little bit of work. One of the less invasive and easy aspects is temperature charting. You are able to establish your baseline temperature (prior to ovulation) and then when it increases you know you have ovulated. If it stays elevated for 18 days straight or more, you are pregnant. If it drops your cycle is starting over. I included a link to more information on FAM and how it works. This is just the tip of the iceberg. The book I read was almost 10 lbs... ok that may be a bit much, but still it was big.

http://www.fertaware.com/faqs/what-is-fertility-awareness/

Below is the downloadable/printable chart. If you are trying to get pregnant these are critical in keeping on track. Your fertility doctor will love you if you have these to bring. They tell so much about your cycle and can take a lot out of the guessing game.

http://www.tcoyf.com/downloadable-charts/

Pulled Pork Carnitas

Thought I would give something a little different a try. I had a few ingredients left over from last nights fish tacos so we had Pulled Pork Carnitas tonight. The original recipe from www.fitmencook.com is listed below. I always follow a recipe the first time I try it then tweak it from there. I thought this was a little salty. Next time I will leave out the salt. I used lime juice instead of grapefruit because I had it. Also, I thought it needed a kick. I will put some red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper in the slow cooker next time.

Ingredients Serves 6

Main ingredients

1½ lb lean pork sirloin

1 tbsp olive oil

Lime, juice only, to taste

Fresh cilantro (coriander), to taste

Seasonings

1 tbsp sea salt

Pepper, to taste

1 clove garlic, sliced thickly

½ tbsp ground cumin

½ tbsp fresh thyme, or ground thyme

½ cup red onion

1 red grapefruit, juice only

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Steps

1. Add lean pork sirloin to a slow cooker and add the seasonings and fresh grapefruit juice. Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours or on high for 3 to 4 hours.

2. Once the cooking cycle has ended, remove the pork from the slow cooker and transfer it to a bowl. Easily shred the pork using forks.

3. Set a nonstick skillet on medium high heat and add olive oil. Once the skillet is hot, toss in the pulled pork and begin to cook. Allow the edges of the pork to get crispy but be careful not to let it burn. Stir and flip the pork in the skillet using a spatula or wooden spoon for about 6 to 8 minutes.

4. Once the edges are crispy, pour in the leftover broth from the slow cooker and reduce the heat of the skillet and stir the pork.

5. Remove the pork from the heat and garnish with fresh lime and cilantro to taste.

6. Enjoy the pulled pork anyway you want, but again, you can never go wrong with tacos! I used corn tortillas, fresh purple cabbage, pico de gallo and goat cheese crumble for my tacos.

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Nutrition

Approximate macros for 1 of 6 servings (pulled pork only)

Calories 159

Carbs 1g

Fat 5g

Protein 26g

Sugar 0g

Fiber 0g

Fish tacos

One of the most delicious and truly quick and easy meals I make is fish tacos. They are so healthy if prepared properly and full of flavor. It is super quick for busy weeknight options. I love it with coleslaw as a side, sometimes I put the dressing on my tacos... you can never have too much vinegar!

Ingredients:
Fish, I prefer white
Tortillas, if using gluten free be sure to pan fry first
Cabbage
Avocado
Cilantro
Lime for dressing


Coleslaw (I always make from scratch)"
cabbage
carrots
1 cup mayo
1/3 cup vinegar
1/3 cup sugar

Acupuncture

I have started acupuncture a few times before but was never in the place to continue it on a regular basis. I have recently started back, once a month, and I am hopeful. There is a lot of research on how acupuncture can help fertility. It is also recommended during fertility treatments to increase the likelihood of conceiving and holding the pregnancy. The article below is a very simplistic article on how acupuncture works. I find it very relaxing and soothing. They do not hurt, however some places can be uncomfortable. The practitioner I am currently seeing is the first one I have ever noticed a difference after the first visit. We will see what happens in the next couple of months.


http://americanpregnancy.org/infertility/acupuncture/

Fajitas

One of my favorite go to dinners is elk steak fajitas. It can easily be made dairy and gluten free. I use Mission tortillas (GF of course). Here is the key factor... pan fry these first! If you do not, they will get soggy and just fall apart. Seasonings are also something that anyone who is battling food allergies or intolerances needs to be aware of. Many times "natural flavors" or ingredients that are not listed, but lumped into a category contain these items. I make my own seasonings and do large batches so I can use them multiple times before remixing. Below is the recipe for my fajita seasoning:

1 T cornstarch
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp sugar
3/4 tsp chicken bouillon
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp garlic
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp cumin