Shedding a light on infertility
In my last post, I wrote about women’s reproductive health issues, giving an overview of some of the major concerns we face today and why. Of these issues, one that I am keen to shed further light on is infertility, as it is one of the greatest hardships faced by many women.
Isn’t it funny to think that we grow up presuming that having children is just a given, a biological process that should unfold seamlessly. But in practice, it is often fraught with difficulties, disappointment, confusion and despair. So what is going on here? Why is infertility so prevalent and what, as women, and as men, can we do to protect ourselves?
In one respect, infertility is not entirely a sign that all has gone awry, in the sense that women today have many more choices than they once did. Having children isn’t always the immediate priority, as women take more time to explore life and their careers before starting a family. But when the time comes that a woman decides she would like to conceive, even though she has mentally made this decision, her body isn’t necessarily ready. As much like a battery, a woman’s reproductive system requires the right care and attention in order to charge it up and get it working to full strength. For, if a woman’s attention hasn’t been focused on having children for some years then energy reserves get diverted away from the reproductive system. This is the mind-body connection of energy reserves going to the reproductive system.
Along with the mind-body connection there are also other aspects to consider. As with every other health issue, it is critical we look at what we’re up against in the way of stress, pollutants and pathogens that put a huge strain on our bodies, sometimes with the heartbreaking outcome of not being able to conceive.
CHEMICALS
Phytotoxic hormone chemicals, for example, found in pesticides, herbicides and plastics bombard the reproductive system, sending it exactly the opposite message of what you’re aiming for. As much as possible try to limit exposure to these chemicals by choosing organic foods where possible, avoiding unnecessary contact with plastics and taking care to avoid chlorine and fluoride.
ADRENALINE
Excess adrenaline both from too much stress and certain foods is like an anti-fertility drug. When the adrenals are over or under active, it knocks the reproductive hormones out of balance interfering with fertility. Certain foods, such as animal foods, are filled with adrenaline due to the animal’s high stress at the time of slaughter, and while some women can get pregnant consuming high adrenaline foods, other women are exquisitely sensitive to adrenaline’s negative effects, even in trace amounts. Other more obvious adrenaline producing foods are those containing caffeine, such as chocolate, tea and coffee.
There are also those foods that contribute to conditions such as PCOS, endometriosis, fibroids and cysts, and therefore to infertility, including eggs, corn, wheat, canola oil, dairy, aspartame, MSG and soy. These foods directly feed the pathogens that cause these health issues.
BIRTH CONTROL
Even though birth control has given women the option to avoid unwanted pregnancies, it also means your body learns to divert its attention and resources away from your reproductive system. And while birth control doesn’t guarantee someone will have trouble trying to conceive, if there is an issue, it needs to be considered. The more years a woman spends not getting pregnant, the less energy goes toward her reproductive system and the more the body learns the pattern of withholding pregnancy. The important thing to consider here is that when making the transition from avoiding pregnancy to trying for it, the body may need some time and focus attention in order to adjust.
MEN
And what about men? Where do men fit into this equation? Women aren’t the only ones faced with infertility in today’s world. One major issue for men is zinc deficiency. Zinc is one of the most precious minerals when it comes to the health of a man’s sperm. Not only is it important to eat enough foods rich in zinc, which are hard to find these days due to soil depletion, it is also important supplement with zinc and to preserve zinc stores by abstaining from ejaculation that’s not intended for pro-creation. This is because zinc reserves are lost with each emission. Heavy metals, especially mercury, can also be a reason why a man’s fertility drops, so the addition of foods that help to eliminate heavy metals from deep inside the body will be crucial, including Hawaiin spirulina, wild blueberries, coriander, barley grass juice powder , garlic and dulse.
PRO-FERTILITY FOODS
So what can we eat to both protect and advance our ability to conceive? Number one is fruit. As Anthony William says ‘’Eat fruit to produce fruit’’ and that is because forming fruit is exactly what you’re doing when you conceive. When you eat fruit, which was once a tiny egg that became fertilised and formed into food, the integral wisdom of that fruit becomes a part of you.
But not only that, the reproductive system runs on glucose and the most bioavailable sources of glucose are fruit, raw honey and coconut water. When it comes to getting pregnant, the high protein approach will work against you because your reproductive system doesn’t run on protein, it runs on glucose, as well as minerals salts, electrolytes, phyto-chemicals and other compounds found in fruits and vegetables.
Berries, for example are one of the most powerful pro-fertility foods because they support the reproductive system by 1) balancing reproductive hormones 2) governing the reproductive systems absorption of specific nutrients that keep the reproductive battery charged.
Other ideal fruits for fertility include oranges, bananas, avocados, grapes, mangoes, melons, raspberries, cucumbers, cherries and limes, as well as asparagus, spinach, artichokes, kale, celery, butter leaf lettuce, coconut, sprouts, microgreens, red clover and raw honey.
So, no matter where you are on your health journey, just know there are answers. And when it comes to boosting your ability to conceive, the mind-body connection and using food as medicine are two of the most powerful tools you can employ.
Wishing you much love, health & happiness,
Rebecca