Politics

Calif. mom's recipes to cook up bun in the oven

Posted: 03/19/10 at 12:55 pm Updated: 03/19/10 at 5:53 pm

'The Fertile Kitchen Cookbook'

SAN JOSE, Calif. -- For couples struggling to conceive, the answer may be what's cooking in the kitchen and not the bedroom.

Cindy Bailey and her husband, Pierre, embrace every second of parenthood, especially since at age 40, doctors told Cindy her chances of conceiving were slim.

"I was devastated to hear I had only a 2 percent chance,” said Bailey.

So Bailey went to work researching ways to improve her diet to boost her fertility.

After four months of certain eating foods, she got pregnant and delivered a healthy son, Julien.

Now, there's another product of her research, the couple wrote "The Fertile Kitchen Cookbook" to help others struggling to conceive.

The recipes are rich in organic vegetables, fruits, lean meats and healthy fats. Recipes also call for a ban on processed sugar.

Dr. Philip Chenette, the Medical Director at Pacific Fertility Center in San Francisco, agrees with that recommendation.

"We know also that fertility is very closely related to the insulin system, and we don't want to have your insulin system activated when you're trying to conceive. That means avoiding simple carbohydrates, like vanilla cake and white bread and things like that. And concentrating on complex carbohydrates,” said Chenette.

The book also discourages women from eating dairy products and wheat, in part because they're difficult to digest.

"When your digestive system is doing more work that means there is basically less energy available to nourish and heal other systems in your body. For example, reproduction,” said Bailey.

"I think in the big scheme of things, when you're thinking about trying to conceive, your diet is a very important part. But it's probably about 10 percent of what goes into producing a baby,” said Chenette.

Bailey's convinced her diet made all the difference and with her research and Giauque’s cooking skills. The two hope the recipes they’ve created in their San Jose kitchen will one day help other couples enjoy the fruits of parenthood.