Boost sperm health naturally

Photo by Franci Strümpfer

Originally published on MindBodyGreen in 2013.

Want to make a baby - but can’t? You’re not alone. Infertility affects 10-15% of couples in the US, and that percentage is steadily rising. When the cause of infertility lies with the male partner (about 30% of cases), it is usually due to poor sperm health. But there’s good news - sperm health can be drastically improved with simple diet & lifestyle changes.

Sperm count & motility are affected by heat, toxins, hormones, stress, sleep, weight - even cellphone use and TV watching have been implicated as factors in declining sperm health. But most of these factors can be remedied by diet & lifestyle changes.

Toxins are one of the toughest categories of sperm-blockers to avoid, because they are hidden everywhere - from pesticides & heavy metals in your food to plastics to prescription drugs. Eliminating them all may not be possible or realistic, so just control whatever you can: eat organic to avoid pesticides, and increase your intake of fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds, which contain antioxidants that help fight free radical damage. Aim to consume low-mercury seafood like lobster, oysters, and salmon. Don’t forget that avoiding toxins also means cutting out those that we willingly choose to consume, such as alcohol, tobacco, and over-the-counter or recreational drugs.

Testosterone, the hormone that drives sperm production & health, can be compromised by too much estrogen in the system. Hormones in meat & dairy foods, drinking water, plastics and even the phytoestrogenic effects of soy foods may contribute to an excess of estrogen in men. Eating organic or hormone-free animal products, filtering your tap water, and using glass containers for water & leftovers may help men avoid the hormone imbalance that can lead to sperm degeneration.

In addition to following the above guidelines, men may be able to improve sperm health in the following ways:

• Using relaxation techniques such as deep breathing or meditation to combat stress
• Sleeping at least 8 hours a night in complete darkness
• Limiting cell phone use and carrying your cell phone away from your body
• Exercising
• Avoiding excessive heat in the pelvic region (hot tubs, tight underwear or tight pants)

The importance of nutrition in fertility preparation program is also paramount. Foods containing Vitamins A, C, and E, selenium and zinc can be of great benefit to naturally boost sperm quality. Giving the body a 6-12 month period to detoxify & restock vital nutrients through a whole food diet is crucial to sperm health, and will help increase the odds of conception.

Men don’t have to overhaul their lives in order to improve their fertility - small changes can make a big difference over time. By taking these baby steps towards better sperm health, men may soon witness baby steps of another kind.

Low Progesterone? Do This.

Photo by Liz West

Progesterone works in partnership with estrogen throughout a woman’s cycle to prepare the uterus for conception. Estrogen is the dominant hormone during the first part of a woman’s cycle (the follicular phase), while progesterone is the dominant hormone during the last part (the luteal phase). The two hormones must be in balance to achieve optimal health.

If you’ve been charting your cycles, you can see where progesterone takes over - it’s responsible for the rise in your temperature.

Not sure if you have low progesterone? Check out Katie Singer’s book The Garden of Fertility for tips on how to read your charts to find out whether they might indicate low progesterone levels.

Low progesterone is quite common. It’s actually not surprising when you consider that estrogenic compounds are everywhere nowadays - in our environment, food, plastics, personal care products, and more. And the higher estrogen is, the more progesterone we need to be in balance.

If you’d like to avoid synthetic progesterone shots & creams, there are some natural alternatives you can try to boost your progesterone level (and/or reduce your estrogen level):

• Cut out dairy. One Harvard scientist & physician found that dairy accounts for 60-80% of estrogens consumed!
• Go organic. Minimizing pesticides and hormones in your food can help avoid estrogen overload.
• Eliminate other estrogenic compounds. Stop eating phytoestrogens like soy (click here for food sources), and stop using plastics and personal care products that could leach xenoestrogens (click here to find out where they’re lurking and how to avoid them).
• Stop eating sugar and refined carbohydrates. Consumption of refined carbohydrates can indirectly exhaust your adrenals, suppressing progesterone1.

If further supplementation is required, you might ask your doctor about natural or bio-identical progesterone from a compounding pharmacy.

1. Singer, K. (2004). The Garden of Fertility. New York: Avery.

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.

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9 Ways to Heal PCOS

Photo by Nossirom

There are lots of baby-blocking health issues out there these days: low sperm count, endometriosis, nutritional deficiencies, toxins ... and I'm passionate about helping you find natural solutions to each of them.

Yet another common reproductive syndrome that can screw with your fertility is polycystic ovarian syndrome, or PCOS. According to the Mayo Clinic:

PCOS happens when your pituitary gland and ovaries overproduce certain hormones. Because those hormones can interfere with the production and release of eggs, PCOS is a common cause of infertility and may be the reason you have difficulty becoming pregnant.

Ugh. Hormones strike again.

In today's world, we have more exposure to hormones than ever before. And hormones must be in balance for your baby-maker to properly function. Unfortunately, our environments, diets, and lifestyles can sometimes cause us to inhale, absorb or ingest excess hormones that may be partially responsible for fertility issues.

Luckily, there are lots of really easy ways to reduce your exposure to hormones and get your reproductive system back on track:

• Eliminate dairy foods like cheese, butter, milk, and cream. According to one Harvard scientist, dairy accounts for 60-80% of all estrogens consumed! If you must indulge, seek out organic, pasture-raised, or raw milk from small farms, whose cows are likely to have fewer hormones.
• Eat organic - especially meat (and dairy). It's illegal for farmers to use hormones on hogs and poultry, so if you can't afford organic, pork & chicken are better options than conventional beef. Pesticides can have estrogenic effects, and many conventional animals are injected with hormones that disrupt our hormonal balance when we eat them.
• Support your liver. The liver detoxifies and regenerates estrogen. So treat it well by avoiding drugs and alcohol. Even prescription and over-the-counter drugs can negatively affect the liver (e.g., Tylenol). Support your liver by eating bitter foods, cruciferous vegetables, and taking a good, absorbable multivitamin (you can purchase my favorite via my store). Drink lots of filtered water, too.
• Avoid soy. Soy is a phyto (plant) estrogen, so many natural fertility experts recommend that couples avoid it. Perhaps an even more compelling argument for eliminating soy is that over 91% of soy is now genetically modified - and GM soy and corn have been found to decrease fertility in animal studies.
• Stay away from xenoestrogens (chemicals that mimic estrogen in the body). Some common xenoestrogens are pthalates, parabens, BPA, food coloring, birth control pills, PCBs, and DDT. These chemicals are most commonly found in canned foods, plastic-packaged foods, cosmetics, personal care products, and household cleaners. READ LABELS! Your safest bet, food-wise, is to eat organic, fresh foods. Avoid eating large fish, as PCBs accumulate in their fat. And don't store or reheat your food in saran wrap or plastic containers like Tupperware. As for cosmetics, personal care & cleaners, check out Pretty Healthy for tips.
• Balance your other hormones: practice stress-reduction techniques and gentle exercise to lower cortisol, get a good night's sleep to regulate melatonin, and get your thyroid checked to ensure proper function. Hormones work in concert with each other, so by helping one, you benefit them all.

In terms of PCOS specifically, there are a few additional risk factors to address:

• Stabilize blood sugar. Elevated insulin (the hormone that's produced when blood sugar rises) plays a huge role in many cases of PCOS. Keeping blood sugar stable will help prevent insulin spikes. Reduce refined carbohydrates like bread, pasta, flour, and all sweets - including soda and fruit juices. Eat healthy fats & avoid low-fat foods. Eat 3 meals and 2 snacks daily, and make sure each has clean proteins and healthy fats.
• Lower inflammation. Try an elimination diet to see if you have an undiagnosed food sensitivity that is creating an inflammatory response. Eat anti-inflammatory foods and spices such as salmon, veggies, turmeric, ginger, and cayenne. Avoid polyunsaturated cooking oils: use olive or coconut oil when you're cooking at home and, when at a restaurant, ask your server if they can cook your food in olive oil or saturated fat.

The final, and perhaps the easiest way to start healing PCOS?  

• Detox with a whole-foods cleansing program like the New Year Cleanse! Everything but the cooking is done for you, and you'll get to become part of a wonderful group of people who are also committed to health. It's a fun, challenging way to kick off the New Year. The program begins January 1, but the price goes up on December 1, so sign up now for just $29!

Though my tips seem pretty easy when you read them, they aren't always as simple to implement on a consistent basis. More than just information, you need support and accountability to make lasting change that can transform your health. And that's where I come in. Schedule a free 30-minute consultation with me to discuss how to put the above recommendations into action.

'Til then, I wish you all the best. Happy Thanksgiving!

How to Prep & Store Beans, Nuts & Seeds

Photo by Isaac Wedin

The life cycle of a nut, seed or legume is to be eaten by a bird and eliminated with the bird's natural fertilizers in order to re-grow. In order to survive an animal's digestive tract, most nuts & seeds contain enzyme inhibitors that prevent absorption. The only problem with this is that we can't get the full nutrition benefits from nuts & seeds unless these enzyme inhibitors have been deactivated. 

Since beans contain lots of natural folate, and nuts & seeds have many fertility-enhancing minerals, I frequently recommend that my clients add these healthy foods to their diets. Traditional cultures soaked beans, nuts & seeds in order to improve the digestion & assimilation of their reproduction-supporting nutrients. Here's how.

Beans
I recommend buying dried beans. This is because most commercial cans contain a BPA lining. BPA, or Bisphenol A, is a man-made compound that exhibits estrogen-like properties upon assimilation into the human body (it is one of many chemicals therefore known as a xeno-estrogen). While the FDA hasn't banned BPA yet, many studies have shown its potential dangers - including a strong link to infertility.

To cook dried beans, first you'll need to soak them. Cover them with lots of filtered water (they will expand quite a bit) and place them in the refrigerator to prevent fermentation. Let them soak overnight or for 12 hours. For extra credit & nutritional punch, you can even sprout legumes (Google "how to sprout beans" and you'll find scores of super-easy DIY tutorials). Regardless of whether you simply soak or attempt to sprout, you'll need to rinse & drain the beans before cooking them. Place the beans in a large pot and cover them with several inches of water. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Don't add salt until after the beans are cooked - this will help them retain their shape & texture. Cook the beans for 60-90 minutes or until they become tender (but not mushy). Once they're cooked, drain them again.

At this point, you can either use the beans in a recipe or store them. If you're going to use them within a few days, you can simply store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator and they'll last for 3-4 days. Or, for longer storage, pat them dry and freeze them in an airtight container. Frozen beans will keep for 6 months to a year.

If soaking, cooking & storing beans seems like too much work for you, you'll be glad to know that some health-minded companies are eliminating BPA in their cans. These cans are labeled "BPA-free" or "No BPA." Eden Organics is one reliable producer who uses BPA-free cans for their beans. But even if you have to settle for BPA-lined cans, try not to beat yourself up too much. Many nutritional experts agree that the health benefits of eating more vegetables and fruits outweigh the risks of exposure to pesticides and other toxins.

Nuts & Seeds
Nuts & seeds only need to be soaked for 7-8 hours, following which they should be dehydrated in a warm oven (150˚) for about 12 hours, turning occasionally. They can then be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator to prevent rancidity.