10 Ways to Increase Fertility and Save Money
- Stop smoking – you’ll clear your body of toxins and save a lot of money each week.
- Don’t eat anything with high fructose corn syrup in it – a lot of these items constitute as a snack and empty calories. You don’t need to drink that soda, eat that candy bar, or mindlessly eat a box of crackers.
- Don’t buy foods with preservatives, colorings, or flavorings in them – again, this cuts out most conventional snack items you don’t need!
- Replace your morning cereal with eggs, sourdough pancakes, soaked oatmeal, yogurt and fruit – not only does this usually save money, you’ll be better fueled for your day by providing your body the correct nourishment.
- Switch to full fat dairy – whether or not your on board with raw milk, switch to full fat versions of milk, yogurt, etc.
- Make bone broth often – it’s extra nourishing and made with ingredients normally thrown away!
- Include organ meats in your meals – these tend to be quite cheap as the demand for them is rather low!
- Stop drinking coffee – whether or not you make it at home or buy it from a fast food joint/coffeehouse, cutting out a daily (or weekly) coffee you can save a pretty penny.
- Don’t drink alcohol – this is an extra expense and you don’t need a drink.
- Get off your butt – you don’t need an expensive gym membership to exercise, just move more!
Boost your fertility with vitamin D
*Originally posted on May 22, 2009
As the sun seems to be hiding a bit more these days and the fact that it’s getting colder here in Michigan, it seems like a good time to cover vitamin D again. Plus, as an added bonus, it’s great for the immune system!
What is it?
Vitamin D is a fat soluble vitamin and exists in several forms. Some of these are basically inactive in the body and have limited ability to function.
Why is it important for fertility? Well, you need it in order for your body to produce sex hormones. And without the right amount of hormones in your system, you can suffer from pcos, PMS, and infertility. Vitamin D is also key in regulating cell growth and deciding how those cells grow.
A study was done by the Yale University School of Medicine (source) with 67 women suffering from infertility. Only 7 % of them had normal vitamin D levels! 7%! The rest had either insufficient levels or an actual clinical deficiency.
Dr Lubna Pal, from Yale, said: “Of note, not a single patient with either ovulatory disturbance or polycystic ovary syndrome demonstrated normal Vitamin D levels; 39 per cent of those with ovulatory disturbance and 38 per cent of those with PCOS had serum 25OHD levels consistent with deficiency.
“Given the pandemic of Vitamin D insufficiency, if indeed our observations are substantiated, aggressive repletion with Vitamin D may emerge as an alternative approach to facilitate ovulation resumption with minimal to no risk for ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome or multiple pregnancy.”
Those are some pretty large percentages too! Almost 40% of the women with ovulation problems had clinical deficiencies! Obviously, vitamin D is important to our reproductive system.
How you get it
Food is the best source of vitamin D, and the easiest way to get it is to eat fatty fish, eggs, and grasssfed beef products (especially dairy). If you do have a hard time getting it in your diet (or don’t like fish or are wary of toxic mercury), supplementing with cod liver oil is also helpful in making sure you’re getting enough. (another great reason to take cod liver oil is the fact that it has the right ratios of vitamin A and D in it1) And just make sure if you buy supplements that the ones you buy contain vitamin D3 and not D2 which actually does not raise the blood levels of vitamin D.
And as most of you know, you can also get vitamin D from the sun. About 15-20 minutes of exposure (without sunblock as it blocks the ultraviolet light needed for vitamin D production) a day can be very beneficial. The sun actually causes your skin to produce vitamin D3 which is then converted by the liver and kidneys to the active hormone form of vitamin D. With proper sun exposure, your body can actually produce up to 10,000-25,000 IU of the vitamin.
Journey Through Infertility: A Guest Post
So without further ado here’s her post.
Journeying through years of infertility, we read through every “how to get pregnant” book we could get our hands on. So many anecdotal “tips and tricks” abounded on message boards and in conversation, but would just send us roller-coasting from hope to disappointment each month.
- We both decided to start taking “natural” multivitamins, to fill any potential “gaps” in our nutrition.
- During various seasons, my husband especially focused on taking at least a zinc supplement (and eating foods rich in zinc), and pycenogenol or grapeseed extract (both antioxidants reputed to possibly help sperm health).
- When I noticed my once long- but predictable- cycles becoming irregular and more uncomfortable, I was able to help regulate my cycles with Evening Primrose Oil for the first 2 weeks of my cycle (I did this for about 3 months).
- After spending years as vegetarians, we began adding some naturally/humanely-grown meats to our diet.
- We switched from non-fat dairy products to drinking whole raw milk and eating hormone-free whole-fat dairy products (yogurt, cheeses, etc).
- We eliminated white “all-purpose” flour, white sugar, and corn syrup from our foods, in favor of more whole-grain flours and natural sweeteners (such as raw honey).Note: the sugar cravings during this stage were pretty intense, and showed us how necessary this was for us! We now find that we sweeten things drastically less, as our “taste buds have adjusted.”
- Our previous vegetarian diet had been very high in soy (TVP, tofu, etc.). At one point, as we increased the soy products in our meals in an attempt to save money, we noticed a significant decline in our health. We eventually eliminated soy from our meals, except for an occasional dash of tamari in a stir-fry.
- I began to realize that I had an intolerance for gluten, and discovered celiac. I radically adjusted my diet to eliminate gluten.. (Note: celiac is often a cause of unexplained infertility/miscarriages, and is actually quite prevalent, but under-diagnosed.)
- We made a point to add more seasonal fruits and vegetables to our meals, and discovered a wealth of delicious options at Farmer’s Markets. (Previously, canned or frozen vegetables were our staples.)
- We eliminated canola oil, in favor of “healthy fats” such as coconut oil, and the butter made from raw milk.
- I began following the “Brewer Diet” as a way to help make sure I was actually eating enough nutrients to support a pregnancy.
- Calvin reduced, then basically eliminated, coffee, in favor of more natural herbal teas, and lots of water. (I already was not a coffee-drinker.)
- We added cultured items to our diet (such as kefir and lacto-fermented vegetables).
- We eliminated sources of MSG and other additives/preservatives in our foods, and started using real sea salt and herbs as seasonings.
- I began regular forms of exercise, with walks outdoors a couple mornings a week, along with yoga or pilates one or two evenings a week at home. I pushed our daughter in a stroller for our walks. I didn’t have a need of weight loss, so my yoga/pilates routines focused on a combination of strength, stretching, and relaxation.
- I have noticed that my body has always responded to the concept of “lunaception“. This may not necessarily be a “proven concept”, but I did notice a difference. Plus, our rest was definitely better once we put up some dark curtains!
- Focusing on eliminating a constant state of stress was a significant challenge. I had come from high-stress work environments, to being a stay-at-home mom, and my body took awhile to stop being in an ongoing “adrenaline state!” The relaxation exercises, along with restful baths, occasional naps, and regular prayer times really helped.
- God began to teach me more about relinquishing my fertility to Him, as Lord of my life. Instead of trying to “control” it myself, and being “addicted” to all the fertility message boards and latest fertility publications, I needed to place the control in His hands. In response, I gave up all fertility-related reading (online and print) for a season of Lent. This added such a new peace to our situation- and by the end, I had no desire to go back!
- We were encouraged by reading Mary Pride’s book “All The Way Home,” as she has wonderfully written on healthy marital intimacy and fertility. It provided a much-needed Biblical focus in that season of our lives.
- God began to teach me more about His love for me, as His beautiful creation. Instead of being ashamed or frustrated by my body/infertility, I began to prayerfully embrace His work in my life. This Above Rubies article really encouraged us as we focused our prayers: “Protect Your Womb.”
- I chose to embrace the season God had placed us in, and chose to be content.. I knew that even if God blessed us with more children in the future, I didn’t want to be stuck in the “debilitating” spiritual state of always wanting more. We would love to see God grow our family, but believe that a contentment in His provision is so important in every area of life- not just with fertility. We can embrace His blessings, without allowing our desires to be consuming, and taking His place of headship in our lives.
- In our world full of electronics, we began taking a closer look. The cell phone came out of the front pocket of my husband’s jeans, and was placed in his bag. The laptop computer stayed on the table- not on our laps! We gave away our microwave, and got a $5 toaster oven (both on craigslist).
- We switched from commercial cleaning products, detergents, and cosmetic/hygiene items to more natural choices. Many solutions can be homemade with natural ingredients (such as baking soda, vinegar, and essential oils), along with chemical-free soaps. I got rid of my collection of hairsprays, makeups, etc., in favor of a more natural routine. (Note: we’ve now noticed a high sensitivity to the chemicals/perfumes that we used to use regularly! We now feel “overwhelmed” by smells of commercial laundry detergents, soaps, & perfumes just by walking through store aisles or visiting others homes.)
I wish you blessings in this season of your life!
Zinc and your fertility
Zinc is actually one of the most studied nutrients when it comes to fertility. And the reasons behind that most likely stem from the fact that it is an essential component of genetic material. A deficiency in zinc therefore can cause chromosomal changes in either partner which in turn causes reduced fertility and greater risk of miscarriage.
What is Zinc?
Zinc is basically an essential mineral that your body uses in all sorts of ways, and is needed daily to replenish your bodies supplies. It’s so essential that it’s found in every cell of our body! It helps in the production of DNA, wound healing, and even helps your immune system to name just a few. It also directly effects your fertility.
Zinc also helps in supporting our a balance of our blood sugar. When low or deficeint in this mineral, our bodies insulin response slows and our blood sugar becomes harder to stabalize. (Very important for those of us with hormone balance issues!)
For women, zinc is important in helping your body utilize your reproductive hormones, oestrogen and progesterone. A deficiency can lead to hormone imbalance, abnormal ovarian development, and menstrual irregularity. When your body is low on zinc it also inhibits the metabolism of protein, which in turn lowers egg quality.
For a man, it can greatly impact the sperm count since zinc is found in high concentrations in the sperm. It is also needed to make the outer layer and the tail of the sperm.
Unfortunately zinc is not stored in the body well so you must keep up a constant intake of it. The best ways to get zinc naturally are to eat plenty of:
- beef, venison, and poultry
- eggs
- whole grains
- whole fat dairy products
- seeds like sunflower and pumpkin
- molasses and maple syrup
The recommended daily allowance is only 11mg for men and 8mg for women. Though these amounts may be to low to help boost fertility and may only work well for those who already have an ample supply of zinc. For boosting fertility I’ve seen amounts anywhere from 25 mgs to 50 mgs per day. Although long term use above 40 mgs has also been shown to cause deficiencies in other minerals (like copper), so if you plan on taking large doses, I’d talk to your doctor or get tested to see if you have a deficiency first.
Making sure you eat a diet full of whole foods can go a long way in supplying your bodies needs for certain vitamins and minerals, but if you still can’t get enough you may want to think about taking a good supplement or multivitamin. Head to your local health food store for some help in that area!
Vitamin C and fertility
It seems I’ve been leaving our poor men out in the dark when it comes to things to do to boost fertility, so….
A University of Texas study has shown that increasing the daily amount of Vitamin C in men, helps them produce more sperm, stronger sperm, and more mobile sperm. Sometimes the sperm count rose over ten times when men started ingesting the healthy amount of vitamin C.
Basically, because vitamin C is an antioxidant, it helps to protect the sperm and it’s DNA from damage thereby increasing the sperms quality. Sperm with damaged DNA can fail to thrive or fail to allow conception. And in some circumstances, it’s the damaged DNA that causes birth defects or a failure for the baby to thrive. It also helps to neutralize any chemicals or toxins found in the semen from things like environmental pollution, or smoking. (Another reason to quit before you try to conceive!) Along with it’s antioxidant properties, vitamin C seems to help sperm be less sticky, or clumped together, so that they are more mobile.
Foods high in Vitamin C:
- red peppers (1/2 cup has 142 mg)
- orange (70mg)
- broccoli (1/2 cup has 62 mg)
- kiwi (74 mg)
- papaya (62 mg)
- strawberries (5 of them have 51 mg)
How much should you take?
Currently the RDA amount for Vitamin C was recently raised almost across the board for all men, women, and children. What used to be 60mgs per day for men, now stands at 90 for non smokers and 120 for smokers. But fertility studies showing the effects of vitamin C were using 1000mgs, 3000mgs, and sometimes even more. So really, what you do is up to you! Personally, I’d start by making sure I get a least the recommended amount, if not a little bit more – especially if you have low sperm counts. If it doesn’t seen to help, try upping your dosage or taking a vitamin C supplement.
*I should also let you know that taking aspirin, alcohol, or antidepressants has been shown to lower vitamin C levels in the body. And high doses of C can also make some medications not as effective, so check with your doc if you’re serious about taking large doses and are already on meds. About 3/4 of the way down on this page tells you a bit more about the safety of high vitamin C doses.
Boost Fertility with Exercise
Another great natural fertility booster is to get out and do something! Exercise is a great way to get in shape and lose weight (remember, 30% of our estrogen comes from our fat cells. To many fat cells ((or to little)) and your hormones are out of whack) and also works on fighting off different diseases that may prohibit pregnancy. (think heart disease, etc.)
Exercise also does a great job at minimizing stress. And infertility is stressful. When you exercise, endorphins are released which allow you to be better equipped at it. Exercise also helps you sleep better, and getting plenty of sleep is pivotal in dealing with a stressful life.
Most importantly, it may also help to increase blood flow to your reproductive organs! Most women I know work office jobs. Where you sit all day long at a desk. Do you move enough? How do you think your blood circulation is doing? Getting up and moving around helps blood to flow more easily to the organs that need them.
Just getting started?
We all need to start somewhere. Just get up and walk. Thirty minutes at least a few times a week can have such a positive impact. And you don’t have to jump in with both feet first. Actually, if you do that, you’ll either hurt yourself or cause your body to go into shock, which may lead to reduced chances at ovulation. Start slow if you haven’t exercised in some time (or ever!) and build up gradually.
Already exercise?
Make sure you aren’t over doing it. Women who exercise so much that they have very little body fat, have a hard time becoming pregnant and don’t ovulate each month. (keep in mind that most people don’t overdo exercise – at least no one I know of!) Men who over exercise also have low sperm counts as the extra heat damages the sperm.
As an added bonus, working out helps prepare your body for carrying a baby! It makes pregnancy and birthing easier on you, and gives you more energy.
Vitamin A and fertility
Nearly 15% of all Americans suffer from a vitamin A deficiency. (In animal sources it’s called retinol, in plant sources, it’s called beta-carotene) Not only is vitamin A an antioxidant and helps to protect the body from cancer and disease by neutralizing damaging free radicals in the body, it also assists your body in the metabolism of fat, contributes to the function of healthy eyes, hair, teeth, gums, and mucous membranes, and plays a role in immune function and skin health. It also helps support the reproductive system.
In the past
Traditional cultures actually used to provide couples (women especially) with certain foods that were thought to increase fertility. Dr. Weston A. Price did multiple studies all over the world and found that in cultures with very fertile women and healthy strong babies, they were fed diets high in fish, organ meats, and yellow butter. All of these are rich sources of vitamin A! So while these people had no scientific facts to back what they did, they knew it worked.
What it can do for you
Vitamin A actually helps support a womans fertility in many different ways. Most noticeably is the fact that it promotes better cervical fluid. Not only can it help your body to produce more fluid (making it easier to figure out NFP!) but the fluid itself is more nourishing for the sperm and helps them to live longer.
Vitamin A also assists the follicles in maturing properly. Both in the maturation of an egg and then in assisting the follicle in producing the hormones needed to aid the fertilized egg into the uterus. So if your body is low on vitamin A, a follicle may not be able to function correctly.
What you can do
To make sure you are getting enough, be sure to consume a diet with a variety of foods that are high in vitamin A. The retinol (animal) version is actually easier for your body to absorb while the plant version, beta carotene, is actually considered a provitamin in the aspect that your body must break it down into vitamin A before it can be used.
If you eat little animal products, seem to be low on cervical fluid, have a hard time charting mucous for natural family planning, or have been trying for awhile without success, you may want to think about adding a supplement, such as cod liver oil, to your diet along with your normal prenatal supplement.
The recommended daily amount for men, ages 19-70, is at least 900 IUs up to 3000 IUs. For women, ages 19-70, we need 700 IUs and up to 3000 IUs per day. (during pregnancy and lactation women require about 50 -100 IUs more per day)
Good sources of animal based vitamin A
- Whole milk
- Cheddar cheese
- Real butter
- Whole egg
- Liver (liver is one of the highest sources, so if you can handle liver – you go girl!)
Good sources of plant based vitamin A (just remember the absorb ability factor, each person will absorb it differently)
- Carrots
- Mango
- Sweet Potatoes
- Spinach
- Cantelope
*Also, there is a warning attached to vitamin A, especially when taken in synthetic form. In excess of 10,000 IU’s a day, the synthetic version of vitamin A has shown to increase the chances of birth defects.
Boosting fertility with vitamin B6
When looking to conceive, it’s important to ingest enough foods that properly nourish your body with vitamin B. Vitamin B6 is actually one of the most important in the set of B vitamins, as it helps regulate your hormones. Being deficient in B6 can cause irregular menstrual cycles, a progesterone imbalance, as well as poor egg and sperm development. B6 can also help lengthen the luteal phase of your cycle.How much do you need?
Recommended daily amounts are between 100 and 200mg’s per day. Earlier in the year I actually started charting my daily meals on SparkPeople.com and realized my daily intake was falling quite short of 100mg’s. To boost your intake with food, include more whole grains, legumes, eggs, and meat in your diet. And try and stay away from processed foods as much as you can, since almost 90% of vitamin B6 can be lost during processing.
Supplements are also a good idea, and most women who are actively trying to conceive should be on a great pre-natal vitamin already. But the amount of B6 in them are not enough to increase your fertility, sometimes only giving you a few milligrams a day. The FDA recommended amount in a multi-vitamin is only 2.5 mg’s! Personally, I’ve been taking a B complex vitamin (B vitamins should be taken together for better absorption) along with my pre-natal vitamin. It’s recommended to start taking an additional 25-50 mg’s per day and increase it after a few months if you’re still having problems. (taking to much can cause health issues as well, so be sure to talk to your doctor or midwife about it!)
How you lose it
- Smoking
- Drinking caffeinated beverages
- Taking chemical hormones, (i.e. The Pill)
- Eating to much protein
- Eating white flour and refined bread products
- Eating to much sugar, and you may think you don’t eat many sweets, but simple sugars are in most processed foods!
Your body actually uses it’s stores of vitamin B6 to rid itself of toxic chemicals from smoking and The Pill, as well as extra caffeine, protein, and sugar. Even if you don’t smoke (or hang around anyone who does) and you’re not taking hormones, with this information you would most likely be well advised to limit or cut out all caffeinated beverages and refined sugars.
And while increasing your daily intake of Vitamin B, please note that it could take at least a couple months to really notice a difference.
** Please do not construe my posts as medical advice, because *ahem*, I am not a doctor or medical professional. I am but a student of Nourishing Nutrition and Natural Health. I only hope to ignite a passion within you to do your own research and begin your own journey to better health. And to make sure you don't miss a single post, you can add my blog's RSS Feed to your reader or you can sign up for free updates by Email.
