Good morning to you! I hope you had a lovely weekend. I did. My nephew was born Saturday morning and we are all in love. I'll share photos and details about him in an upcoming post.
Today's post is for my Trying To Conceive (TTC) Sisters, or anyone that wants to enjoy a nutritious ball full of protein + vitamins. All the ladies going through IVF right now probably know that we should be consuming nutritious foods, especially pomegranate juice, avocados, pineapple with the core, and brazil nuts. There are plenty of studies on the benefits of these specific foods and fertility. I'm writing about the brazil nuts today, and sharing this recipe for the protein balls, because I think the brazil nuts are kind of gross alone. I was trying to choke them down each day and I just couldn't do it. I like to enjoy what I eat, as do most people. I went on the hunt for a recipe that would make these things enjoyable, and I found this one and it's so easy and they truly taste delicious now. Ry ate one and agreed, they are good!
Before I share the recipe I want to share WHY they are good for you, just in case you are like me and want to know the reasons you should be eating certain foods.
Carley Mendes, the blogger behind Oh Baby, shared the following information about Brazil Nuts.
"Brazil nuts are an incredible source of selenium, which is a mineral that helps to thicken the uterine wall, and a healthy lining aids implantation.
"Brazil nuts are an incredible source of selenium, which is a mineral that helps to thicken the uterine wall, and a healthy lining aids implantation.
Selenium also works as a mild anticoagulant that can increase blood flow to the uterus and ovaries, which may also increase the chance of conceiving.
The anticoagulant properties in selenium can also help to prevent blood clotting. Sometimes the lining of the uterus and a developing fetus can develop a blood clot, which may lead to an early miscarriage. Aspirin is commonly recommended to women who have suffered from multiple miscarriages, because aspirin thins the blood and can greatly reduce the likelihood of a clot developing.
Selenium also works as an antioxidant and can assist in creating a healthy environment for a developing egg by decreasing damaging free radicals in the body."
To find more information on pineapple for conception & brazil nuts for implantation, visit Oh Baby.
To find more information on pineapple for conception & brazil nuts for implantation, visit Oh Baby.
WHEN to start eating Brazil nuts?
A fellow TTC sister asked when the pomegranate juice, pineapple, avocados, and brazil nuts should be eaten and I didn't know the answer. I simply started eating all of these goodies after doing my research on the benefits. I figured it'd be good to eat them regularly starting now versus trying to time it based on the IVF calendar.
I did look into her question. A fertilized egg burrows into the uterine lining about a week after ovulation, so consume 2-3 brazil nuts per day, from the day of ovulation until 10 days post ovulation. You can adjust this information according to your IVF calendar.
Brazil nuts must be fresh and raw only, not roasted or cooked. I found raw brazil nuts at Trader Joe's and on Amazon.
Brazil Nut Protein Balls
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups Brazil nuts
1/4 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup raisins
2 tbsp chia seeds
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup protein powder (I used this from Whole Foods)
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
pinch of sea salt
1/2 cup of Brazil nuts, chopped (to roll into the balls)
Directions
Add 1 1/2 cups of Brazil nuts to a food processor and process for about 20-30 seconds so there are still chunky pieces of nuts. I don't have a food processor so I used the blender and it worked just fine.* Then add in the remaining ball ingredients and process until it is well mixed.
*the remaining ingredients didn't mix well in the blender, so I moved everything to a bowl and just stirred it all up
Next, roll the balls into the chopped Brazil nuts and refrigerate until ready to eat.
Then enjoy with a glass of pomegranate juice!
xo
Wen
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