3 Ways to Naturally Boost Your Fertility - Easily!

Photo by LesKZN

It can be hard to conceive naturally. And sadly, the reasons for this are too numerous to list. Often, the root cause boils down to one thing: hormone imbalance.

Reproductive hormones are part of the endocrine system, the same system that manages stress and energy hormones. When there is an imbalance in one area, it’s common for the other areas to suffer as well. 

In addition, everyday products & foods frequently contain “endocrine disruptors” - compounds that act like hormones and can trick the body, artificially inflating or depressing natural hormonal activity.

Even your sleeping patterns can affect your fertility: if levels of your serotonin and melatonin hormones are out of whack, it can influence your reproductive hormones.

It’s common to feel hopeless when struggling with fertility, but there are many natural ways to take back control. It can even be easy!

Here are some tips to effortlessly boost your fertility naturally:

1) Reduce stress however you can. Three of the most quick, effective, and free ways are deep breathing, meditation, and exercise. Short on time? Just take a few deep breaths and clear your mind while you’re on the way to work, washing the dishes, or before you fall asleep. Simple AND effective!

2) Reduce exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals. A few ways to do this are to filter your water, eat organic, avoid plastics and canned foods unless they’re BPA- and phthalate-free, and don’t put anything on your skin that you wouldn’t eat. (Coconut oil is a great moisturizer, apple cider vinegar works as a toner, and jojoba or sweet almond oil rivals even the fanciest eye makeup removers). Pick one area to tackle, and then try to add a new resolution each week.

3) Get good quality sleep. This means getting at least 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep and sleeping in complete darkness. Even the glow of your cellphone or street lights can affect your melatonin levels. Better sleep means more energy, improved mood, a greater capability to deal with stress ... See how all the other hormones (thyroid/energy, serotonin/mood, adrenal/stress) benefit from a good night’s sleep? Well, your reproductive hormones do, too!

If you’d like to learn even more ways to boost your fertility naturally, and become part of a supportive community of like-minded people, sign up for my FREE 14-day Fertility Prep Program at Priming the Bump.


Hungry for more? 

Why Periodic Fasting Is So Important

[Published December 2012 on Can Can Cleanse]

Throughout history, cultures across the world have partaken in fasts that promote the idea of cleansing. Given the increasingly toxic world in which we live today, periodic detoxification has become even more crucial to health maintenance. Juice fasting in particular is an excellent way to help your body detoxify and heal.

A good juice fast consists of a well-selected variety of vegetable, fruit, nut & spice beverages, which give your body an instant boost of minerals, vitamins and phytonutrients. Detoxification requires B vitamins and antioxidants like Vitamin A, Vitamin C, and Vitamin E, so a good cleanse program will include these crucial compounds.

Juicing removes fiber, which gives the gastrointestinal tract time to rest and heal. Since the digestive organs are the largest in the body, their routine operations consume large amounts of energy. Fasting rests the system and frees up that energy for the body to use towards healing and immunity.*

Dr. Andrew Weil, MD suggests fasting as a “good home remedy for colds, flus, infectious illnesses, and toxic conditions of all kinds.”* In addition, naturopathic doctors Michael Murray and Joseph Pizzorno acknowledge that fasting is “one of the quickest ways to increase the elimination of wastes and enhance the body’s healing processes.” Scientific research further demonstrates the value of fasting in the treatment of chronic conditions from obesity to rheumatoid arthritis, allergies, skin disorders like eczema and psoriasis, IBS and mental health issues like depression and schizophrenia.**

Juice fasts are the preferred form of fasting because they contain nutrients to support the body throughout the detoxification process. Toxins are stored in our fat cells and can be released during fasting. Since juices offer such a potent nutritional cocktail, they are a better option to support detoxification than water or “dry” fasts. Juice cleanses also reduce the side effects of circulating toxins and low blood sugar.**

A wonderful time to try a fast is after the indulgent holidays. We may not to be able to completely undo our sweets and cocktails, but taking a few days to cleanse can detoxify and rebuild our nutrient profile. Now that’s a resolution you’ll actually want to keep.

Happy New Year!

Sources:
*Weil, A. (2004). Natural Health, Natural Medicine. New York: Houghton Mifflin
**Murray, M. & Pizzorno, J. (2012). The Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine: Third Edition. Detoxification and Internal Cleansing. New York: Atria.