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Do cooked foods, warm drinks, and toasty feet really make you more fertile?

I can’t tell you how many people come into my office with super strict fertility diets and extreme lifestyle rules: NEVER eat raw foods. Say NO to ice. ALWAYS keep your feet warm. DON’T swim in cold water. Many times they’ve been sold on these very ideas by other “holistic” providers like naturopaths and acupuncturists.

So let’s talk about where this (spoiler — not helpful) advice comes from, and what the science really says about cooked foods, warm drinks, and warm feet for your fertility!

Oh, and notice I put “holistic” in quotes up there. Pushy and overwhelming dietary, supplement, and lifestyle advice is actually what I call faux holistic. Read all about how to spot faux holism and learn the much more fertile alternative.

Does avoiding cold and raw foods help fertility?

Nope. And this advice stems from a combination of two main things.

First, many traditional medicines predate consistent food safety — remember, refrigeration and preservation weren’t a given. So sure, if you were regularly risking food poisoning and contamination when eating raw and uncooked foods and drinks, it makes sense that healthcare providers of the time would advise you to cook everything to stay fertile and healthy. Food poisoning isn’t great for our overall wellness — kind of a no brainer. But jump ahead now to modern times and we have refrigerators, clean water, and loads of food safety measures, so it’s not the same.

Second, it IS true that you generally absorb more energy and nutrients when foods are cooked vs raw. It takes less chewing and digestion to break down cooked foods and certain nutrients are more bio-available. But, that’s still a vast oversimplification.

For example, you might get more antioxidants, such as carotenoids and compounds like lycopene when veggies are cooked. But on the flip side, Vitamin C, sulforaphane (a compound that prevents certain types of cancers and stomach ulcers), and polyphenols (which decrease heart disease) are all damaged or even destroyed by heat!

Plus, some ways of cooking — like steaming and boiling — are helpful, while frying ups the free radicals and other damage that foods do to our bodies. So it’s not as easy as just cooked or raw.

Debunk extreme fertility diets with logic.

So yes, traditional medicines say to only eat cooked foods and drinks. That’s why are there are loads of people trying to have soup for breakfast in mid-July in MN. But, there are also tons of people eating yogurt and granola with berries who are perfectly healthy and fertile. And you could argue that the probiotics from the yogurt, and the fiber and antioxidants from the berries, are every bit as fabulous for your health as the soup. Soup isn’t inherently good or bad. But I’d argue it’s way more enjoyable and good for the whole you to be seasonal and listen to your own likes and what your body says it feels best eating!

And while we’re on the subject of eating traditionally — why is no one recommend drinking fermented drinks like mead and wine? They too prevent waterborne microbes from wreaking havoc on our bodies, and actually have lots of antioxidants and benefits when consumed in moderation.

So we need to challenge what’s hypocritical and defies logic in both what we eat, and what we avoid. Making entire types or temperatures of food and drink either healthy or unhealthy hurts our quality of life, our joy in eating, and risks moving us towards orthorexia — which is an unhealthy fixation on eating “healthy” to the point of developing what is actually disordered eating.

Bodies really don’t like to feel scarcity and restriction when they’re being asked to say ‘yes’ to pregnancy. Pregnancy takes resources. If we’re approaching fertility in a way that makes us feel even less resourced and more restricted, it’s only hurting our odds.

So use common sense and think about what you really enjoy. What feels abundant and joyful and delicious? If boiling many types of veggies is technically the best way to help our bodies absorb the most nutrient from them, why aren’t we all having pureed carrots and eating baby food for fertility?

I’d argue because it’s gross and not needed and makes us enjoy our lives less instead of feeling fertile and awesome and thriving. And I’d rather eat in ways that make me feel joy, nourished, and whole. Wouldn’t you agree?

So let’s get holistic.

Let’s all take a step back and think about what we’re doing in a truly holistic way. Let’s get nuanced and think about our quality of life, and say ‘so long’ to all or nothing, extreme suggestions that are rarely good for our quality of life. Let’s find the sweet spot between history, culture, science, palatability, community, joy, and sanity!

Warm feet for better fertility?

So, does keeping your feet warm make for a warm uterus? If you’ve read up until here, I bet you already know the answer.

Again, this advice makes a ton of sense coming from a part of human history long ago where climate control wasn’t invented or a given. But that’s not how things are for most people today. If you’re afraid to cool down after taking a nice walk in the summer because someone told you “cold is bad for fertility,” or if you’re barely sleeping because you’re way too hot wearing socks to bed but you’re afraid it’ll hurt your uterus if you don’t keep them extra toasty — just say no.

Push back. Enjoy the seasons. Wear the warmest best fluffy socks when it’s winter in MN. But stick your feet in the cool pool and revel in the sweetness of summer. Listen to your actual body. Common sense and moderation is always going to win in the end!

If you want to learn the best nuanced ways to eat for optimal fertility, I’d love you to check out more of my content!

My Fertility and Elimination Diets video covers:

• Food allergies vs food sensitivities

• Problems with food sensitivity testing

• Problems with elimination diets

• 3 things to do instead of elimination diets
  

And my fertility course The Baby You Want includes lessons on:

• How Chinese medicine thinks about digestion and gut health

• Why anxiety, digestion, and immune function are all linked to your gut

• Why gut health is key for the body feeling resourced enough to get pregnant

• Why PCOS and gut health are especially linked

• My evidence-based best ever fertility diet

• Ways to heal your gut if it has issues
  

A healthy and balanced gut is a great thing for fertility, mental health, immune function, and so much more — I’d love to teach you all about it!

With so much love,

Nicole

Nicole Lange

LICENSED ACUPUNCTURIST
HOLISTIC FERTILITY EDUCATOR