Are Microwaves Dangerous to Your Health?

As most of you probably did, I grew up with a microwave. I actually can’t remember life without one. And while we didn’t use it all the time, I do remember it getting quite a bit of use.

And when I started working full time, it was the only way I ever warmed up my lunch.

And when I got married we used it quite often for reheating dinners and frozen foods. I used it to defrost meats, heat water, melt butter, and cook vegetables.

When I got pregnant with my son it was the first time I heard there were any issues about microwaves. I read multiple times that pregnant women shouldn’t stand to close to them for fear the microwaves would escape. And so I always backed away while using it.

Just. In. Case.

The science behind that theory may not stand up to modern machines because of the way they’re designed, but that’s not exactly why I wonder about them anymore. (Though I never stand close to a microwave while it’s cooking. You know…just in case)

After I had my son and began pumping occasionally for when I wasn’t around, I kept coming across literature that told me to never heat breast milk (or formula for that matter) in the microwave. The reasoning was that it caused nutrient loss and damaged the properties that protect babies from infections.

Hmmmm……..

So if it caused nutrient loss in milk for my little baby, what was it also doing to my own food?

It was then that I started making it a habit to use my microwave less, though I did keep using it. Now? I think after a bit more research I might just be ready to give it up all together.

How a Microwave Oven Works

In very simple laymens terms, and the way I understand it, microwave ovens use a form of radio waves (called microwaves) to heat food. These radio waves are absorbed by water, sugar, and fats in foods. When they are absorbed the food molecules get excited and start moving around and heating up. By exciting the atoms of the food is this way, it cooks the food. So there is no actual heat involved.

So Are There Issues?

Unfortunately it’s hard to find concrete evidence against a microwave! I’ve come across story after story after article here on the web, but it’s hard to know who to trust.

One story I kept coming across was a woman whose family alleges she was killed by a microwaved blood transfusion. Supposedly she was doing well after her hip surgery and then a nurse microwaved the blood and she died moments later. Yet another site claimed it was a hoax and that she died of a blood clot. The full case report includes more information about the case and some effects microwaves may have on blood. But the fact of the matter is also that hospitals do not warm up blood in a microwave, do they have a scientific reason not to? Just because a judge couldn’t find concrete evidence doesn’t mean there wasn’t some truth behind the allegations.

The other story I found that was often referred to, was a study done by Hans Hertel. He carried out a small, controlled study by feeding participants (including himself) and testing the blood shortly after consumption.

The food used:

• raw milk from a biofarm
• the same milk conventionally cooked
• pasteurized milk from Intermilk Berne
• the same raw milk cooked in a microwave oven
• raw vegetables from an organic farm
• the same vegetables cooked conventionally
• the same vegetables frozen and defrosted in the microwave oven
• and the same vegetables cooked in the microwave oven

He found that the microwaved foods actually changed properties in the subjects blood. The same changes that were associated with bodily deterioration. But supposedly there was a gag order placed on the whole thing. Again – hmmmm.

It also seems that the Russians have done quite a bit of research on microwave ovens and actually outlawed them at one time. They also seem to have found that microwave cooking decreases bioavailability of vitamin B complex, vitamin C, vitamin E, essential minerals and lipotropic factors in all foods tested. (source)

Yet another source posted this quote from FDA science policy analyst Catherine Bailey says “When you microwave, it’s a good idea not to have the plastic touch the food.” The reasoning behind that is the fact the chemicals from the plastics can leach into our foods!

What I Do Know

1. Most quick foods made in the microwave aren’t good for you anyways. Those pizza rolls and frozen burritos do nothing good for your health!
2. Quick foods are not nourishing foods.
3. There may be possible nutrient loss cooking foods in the microwave.
4. I am not willing to risk the detrimental effects microwaves may have on my health.

I wish I knew all the science behind microwave cooking and I wish more studies were done. But I do know that I will be making every effort to cut the microwave completely out of my life. And I will be trying to figure out how to keep my husband from microwaving his lunches everyday!

What about you? Do you use one? Know of any other “true” research I can look into?

Ideas on how my husband can still have a hot lunch for work without the microwave oven?

Further Reading:

Stephanie’s post (from Keeper of the Home): Living Without a Microwave

Phoebe’s living without a microwave post (from Getting Freedom)

Microwaves Ovens: A Danger to Your Health?

The Dangers of Microwave Ovens Everyone Needs to Know

***and tomorrow I’ll have a guest post here by JodiMichelle on how they live without a microwave

** 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.

Sugar and Your Fertility

This morning I happened to come across an article about a study that was published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation. This article was published back in November of 2007 on Science Daily.

I took some time and read through the study earlier and while difficult to weed through, had some interesting findings. Now, it does seem that only one human subject was studied, but still interesting to say the least.

Basically the researchers found that when there is to much sugar in our diets, our livers convert it into a lipid. And the researchers discovered that this increased amount of lipids in the body shut down a gene called Sex Hormone Binding Globulin (SHBG) which reduces the amount of SHGB protien in the body. This protein plays an impotant role in the amounts of testosterone and estrogen available for the body to use.

“If there’s less SHBG protein, then more testosterone and estrogen will be released throughout the body, which is associated with an increased risk of acne, infertility, polycystic ovaries, and uterine cancer in overweight women.” (quote from article)

While I don’t have any information to add to that, I definitely thought it was worthy sharing with you. Especially since I know so many of us are trying to cut back and/or cut out sugar in our diets.

Speaking of…..

How are you all doing on cutting out sugar? My 30 days of no sugar challenge is almost over, and I truly feel so much better. The last 2 weeks my cravings are gone and while I’ve been indulging a bit more than I’d like to with syrup (it’s my sweetener of choice for coffee and I’ve needed coffee again last week when my littles decided to give me only a few hours of sleep at night) I think I’ve done really well! I also slipped up last week when making spaghetti sauce as I added Worcestershire sauce in it without thinking! I also had a small piece of dark chocolate a couple nights ago. Word of advice – don’t say you’ll review some chocolate when you’re not supposed to be eating it!

Oops.

But, I just have a few more days to go. And while this weekend will be a bit tough (I have a wedding, a birthday, and Valentine’s Day) I’m already telling myself that I’m not eating any of that cake!

But, tell me – tell me – how are you doing?

** 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.

My Thoughts on Soy

Don’t forget about the giveaway for a Jellie Babies Mei Tai!! You have till this Friday to enter!

Last night I had a conversation with a friend about soy, and it really got me thinking. And I’ve been asked by many of my readers recently what my thoughts are on it. So I thought I’d try and get something written out and hopefully I don’t just talk (type?) in circles.

For years now soy (edamame, soy milk, tofu, textured vegetable protein) has really been touted as a health food. It’s been recommended as a milk and meat substitute, menopausal and infertile women have been told to drink it to help with hormones, and it’s even in baby formula. It’s cheap to grow and readily available so it’s also in a large majority of processed foods (soy lecithin) and its oil is one of the most used ‘cheap’ oils as well. It’s found in about 60% of the products you see in the supermarket! And I think if we all took a hard look at what we eat each day, we’d realize we eat quite a bit of soy. But should we be?

Three Strikes and You’re Out?

Strike one – Phytoestrogens

Phytoestrogen literally means “plant derived estrogen”. And these estrogens have been shown to reduce the activity of the natural estrogen in your body. Something you really don’t want to happen, and especially if you are dealing with a hormone imbalance already. It’s also been shown to cause the feminization of males as baby boys whose mothers ate a lot of soy products were found to have both smaller penis’s and/or problems with the development of them. So obviously it has some estrogenic effect, and estrogen dominance has also been linked to infertility in both males and females. In women it can inhibit conception by causing endometriosis and PCOS (poly cystic ovary syndrome) as well as decreasing libido. In men it has been linked to lowered sperm counts. Up to a 50% reduction in some cases.

I was able to find a couple studies done on the effects of soy and fertility and neither had great outcomes.

A report in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition a few studies have actually shown that high levels of soy can increase menstrual cycle length, decrease the follicle-stimulating hormone and also decrease the leutinizing hormone. These studies were done with a 60mg of soy per day, the equivalent to three 12 oz glasses of soy milk.

Another study printed in The American Family Physician magazine (June 1996) states that, since the phytoestrogens in soy products increase the length of the follicular phase and lead to fewer menstrual cycles over a woman’s lifetime, it is possible that soy may decrease fertility in some women. They also added that women with multiple risk factors for infertility may be more sensitive to soy than others.

A study, by Jorge Chavarro at Harvard School of Public Health in Boston, on the effects of a man’s fertility has also been done and men who ate more than two portions of soy based food per week had a lower sperm count. On average they had about 41 million fewer sperm per 1 ml of semen than men who did not eat any soy based products. While this may not have an infertile impact on most men, men that already suffer from a low sperm count would be advised to stay away from it.

And from the Weston Price site;

• High levels of phytic acid in soy reduce assimilation of calcium, magnesium, copper, iron and zinc. (and zinc directly effects fertility in men)
• Soy phytoestrogens disrupt endocrine function and have the potential to cause infertility.
• Vitamin B₁₂ analogs in soy are not absorbed and actually increase the body’s requirement for B₁₂.

Which leads us to….

Strike Two: Phytic Acid

The Weston A Price Foundation alleges that soy is not only high in phytic acid, but that the even when soaked (as other legumes are), that the phytic acid does not break down. This assumption would lead us to believe that consuming soy would then cause some nutrient loss within our bodies as the phytic acid binds to certain nutrients during digestion.

Strike Three: Genetically Modified

Since the introduction of genetically modified soybeans to the U.S. in 1992, up to 90% of the soy grown here, is actually genetically modified. If you don’t know what a genetically modified  organism is yet, here’s the gist: Basically scientists take DNA from different sources and combine them with the DNA of something like soy. (or corn, canola, cotton, etc.) This happens in part because a large seed corporation, Monsanto (who used to solely be a chemical corporation), would like to sell seeds that are “round up” ready. Meaning they inject certain DNA from organisms that will keep the plant alive even when sprayed with herbicides and pesticides.  I believe they have also found a way to combine the DNA from certain bugs (?) that allow the plant to contain pesticides itself. (I believe I watched that piece of info in the movie “The Botany of Desire” where they were talking about GMO potatoes at McDonalds – to which consumers had an issue with and farmers are no longer growing)

The problem with GMOs is that they have been placed in the market without thorough testing. And a lot of the studies that are coming out are not very pretty.

• Ladybugs that ate aphids that consumed GMO potatoes had on average only half the lifspan as normal and laid fewer eggs.
• Causes more allergies and may cause more problems to people who already have allergies. Especially since DNA from an outside source can be combined with what you’re eating. Theoretically, what would happen if DNA from a peanut was used in combination with DNA from soy? What would happen if a person who is deathly allergic to peanuts consumed it? To me, it’s a bit sketchy combining all this DNA. I mean, if God wanted DNA from bugs in the corn/soy/cotton, don’t you think he would have done it Himself?

I also found an Australian study that came to the conclusion that GMO products may contribute to lowered fertility:

The Austrian scientists performed several long-term feeding trials with laboratory mice over a course of 20 weeks.

One of the studies was a so-called reproductive assessment by continuous breeding (RACB) trial, in which the same parent generation gave birth to several litters of baby mice.

The parents were fed either with a diet containing 33per cent of GM maize, a hybrid of Monsanto’s MON 810 and another variety, and a normal feed mix..

The team found changes that were ’statistically significant’ in the third and fourth litters produced by the mice given a GM diet. There were fewer offspring, while the young mice were smaller.

Prof Zentek said there was a direct link between the changes seen and the GM diet.

A press release from the  Austrian Agency for Health and Nutrition, said the group of mice given a diet of genetically engineered corn saw a significant change in fertility.

It said: ‘The number of litters and offspring decreased in the GE-fed group faster than in the control. In the GE-fed group more females remained without litters than in the control group.’ Read more

Also, a quote from the WAP site

“The only human feeding study on GMOs ever conducted showed that genes “jumped” from GM soy into the DNA of human intestinal bacteria and continued to function. That means that long after you stop eating GM soy, you may still have GM proteins produced continuously inside of you. (What if the pesticide-producing “Bt” gene found in GM corn chips were also to jump? It might transform our intestinal flora into living pesticide factories—possibly for the long term.)”

The Verdict
Honestly, the verdict from ‘the man’ is still out on this one (I think mostly because a lot of people would lose a lot of money if it ever came about that soy was bad for you). The safety of soy and soy products has yet to be proven and I have a feeling it’s probably going to be one of those products, that 20 years from now, our kids are going to be wondering why in the world we consumed it.

Which is why I don’t eat it when possible.

Traditionally, soy has been consumed only in fermented forms (like miso and tempeh). Very, very different than how we eat it today. Soy in it’s natural form may be fine for your health (especially when fermented like traditional cultures did) but unfortunately we here in the west have started to put in into many, many, of our foods.  The processing the soy bean undergo is in no way healthy or natural, turning a once healthy food into, basically, junk food.

Where it Gets Sketchy….and Where I Begin To Talk in Circles

I hate to be one of those people that is so anti soy that I say it can never, ever be consumed. Some organizations are so anti soy (*ahem* Weston A Price People, among others) that sometimes it can look like a crazy conspiracy theory. But the “unfortunate for soy lovers aspect” is that there is scientific evidence to support the theory.

But will you die if you ingest a bit of soy?

No.

The problem I see is that we regularly consume it in a very highly processed form in many processed foods. And any diet where we eat a lot of one type of food, isn’t good for us.

But I also tend to look at soy the same way I’d look at say, unsoaked wheat or unsoaked oats. Both contain levels of phytic acid. Both can be hard to digest. And both are regularly consumed.

So what would my recommendations be? Well….

• I’d stay far, far away from soy if you have medical problems because of the nutrient losses that can occur. When your body is fighting a disease or disorder you need all the nutrients you can get!
• I wouldn’t consume soy while preparing for pregnancy or while pregnant and nursing, just as I would not feed soy to developing children because of the hormonal aspect. The last thing we want to do is disrupt or endocrine system.
• With the same idea, I would not consume soy when suffering from things like PCOS or endometriosis or infertility. The hormonal upset just isn’t worth it.
• I would not consume highly processed forms of soy like things that are found in boxed and canned foods or things like textured vegetable protien.
• I would not eat conventional soy since such a large portion of soy is genetically modified.
• But if a healthy adult wanted to partake in some boiled edamame every once in awhile? Or soy nuts in a trail mix once a month? My thinking is….it’s got to be better than a milkyway. Right?

And that all being said, I’m pretty anti-soy myself. {see – in circles folks. in circles}

So, what do you think about soy? Inform me.

For more in depth information on soy you can check out these resources:

• The Hidden Dangers of Soy
• The Whole Soy Story
• Soy Alert! from the Weston A. Price Foundation

This post is linked to: Real Food Wednesday

** 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.

Is Milk Affecting Your Fertility?

Other than the few who are lactose intolerant, we pretty much all drink milk. For years and years, I drank only skim. Anything thicker just made me gag. Plus it’s what the doctors, and heads of all medical communities, recommend that everyone over the age of two drink. It’s been touted as a way to keep our weight down while still providing us the necessary nutrients, like calcium.

But is it having an effect on our fertility?
The problem is, it seems our bodies need fat in order to maintain our cellular structure. And removing the fat from milk has actually been shown to cause an imbalance of hormones throughout the body, causing a failure to ovulate or produce a healthy egg. In a recent study, scientists found that women who ate full fat dairy were found to have a 27% lower risk of infertility. Women who ate low fat milk products twice a day were found to be twice as likely to not ovulate. This study shows that eating healthy fats, as are in milk, is helpful in reproduction. And we’re not talking about going out and eating whatever we want, or stuffing ourselves with cake and cookies. We’re talking about supplying our body with healthy fats. Natural, God given fats, not the ones we humans make ourselves.

The problem with milk today
Cows now produce about 20 times more than what is needed to sustain a growing calf. Yet, this over abundance of milk contains only the same amount of vitamins and minerals, meaning our milk is diluted of nourishment. And I’ve also heard that up to 40% of our milk supply comes from cows that have infections in the udders, called mastitis, and this milk is used for the public.  And to counteract the infection, they are routinely given antibiotics. These may antibiotics eventually make their way into the milk as well, though of course it’s only a small percentage of what the cow was given. To make matter worse, much of the milk in stores (and thankfully this is changing!) comes from cows that have been treated with a recombinant bovine growth hormone (rBST). This hormone seems to be linked to early puberty in girls as well as causing hormone imbalances in older women.

So what should we be drinking?
If you would have told me two years ago that I’d be buying only raw whole milk, I would have told you that you were off your rocker! But since my son had a horrible time with digesting pasteurized cows milk, I’ve changed my mind. Exactly two years ago I spent a lot of time researching raw milk as I was afraid of any germs and bacteria in it. I’ve come to the conclusion that not only is raw milk healthier for us, but it can effect our fertility.
The problem with pasteurized milk is that during the heating process, it loses much of it’s beneficial nutrients, nutrients that are already diluted. Most unfortunate for those suffering infertility is the loss of vitamin B in the milk.

A study done in 1934, published in the Journal of Dairy Science, (back when they were first fighting to keep raw milk) showed a loss of 38% of the B complex vitamins. Another study done as a masters thesis at the University of Georgia in 1979 showed a 34.4% loss of vitamin B6, a 33.8% loss of thiamin (B1), and a 24.1% loss of folic acid. These losses were due just to heating the milk.(source)

Another study was done (didn’t write the year-sorry!) on rats fed either raw or pasteurized milk. It was shown that the heated milk was not capable of supporting the reproductive systems in these animals. Two female rats were fed a diet of sterilized milk for approximately 8 months. During this time they were each mated 15 times to male rats that had either been fed a raw milk or sterilized milk diet. No pregnancies were shown on any of these 15 occasions. Once a female was switched to a raw milk diet for 11 weeks, she was able to get pregnant when mated with a male, also from the raw milk group. (source)

And finally, as a very unscientific study, the farmer I receive my raw milk from has many stories of her own. One being goat milk fed to orphaned puppies. A woman was buying raw milk from a different farmer to feed the pups and one by one they were slowly dying. She found my farmer and started buying milk from her, thinking that it was bad milk she was buying previously. Upon my farmer talking with the woman, it was found that she was heating the milk so it was warm when the pups were fed. This small thing proved to be fatal to the poor dogs and when she stopped heating the milk, the puppies started to thrive. My thinking is, if heated milk can’t sustain a puppy, why should we expect it to nourish our own bodies?

What’s a gal to do?
Personally, I won’t touch pasteurized milk anymore. I did take me quite awhile to get used to raw milk, and I have to admit, I still don’t pour myself a tall glass of it, but it’s all we buy. If you must buy pasteurized milk, at least buy full fat. Even better is to buy organic, in order to stay away from antibiotics and rBST. (Though make sure it’s not ultrapastuerized! That’s a whole other can of worms) And consider making yogurt or kefir out of it. This process at least returns some of the beneficial bacteria and nutrients back into the milk that have been lost due to heating. Also maybe consider consuming cheeses to meet your dietary needs. Many vegetables can also be used in place of milk for calcium consumption as well.

If you are finally ready to hop onto the raw milk train, check out Real Milk. This site not only has great information on why raw milk is healthier, but also a list of farms in your area where you may be able to buy raw milk. (it’s how I found my farm!) Personally I love the fact that I can see the animals out grazing on pasture when I stop by for my milk. I get to see the entire production, and I know exactly what the animals are being fed.

Things to look for in a farm

• Cleanliness. Make sure all aspects of the barn and grounds are clean.
• Room to roam. The milk has more nutrients in it if the animals are allowed to free roam and eat on pasture
• A farmer open to questions. You want to be able to ask how and when the animals are pastured, what they eat, if they are ever fed grain (as some do in the winter), and what happens if the animals get sick or contract mastitis.
• Referrals. Most raw milk farms have plenty of folks who are more than willing to give a great referral as well as a lecture on how awesome raw milk is. If you are still unsure, a referral can ease your mind.

While I try not be an extremist in any area of nutrition (because I know not everyone is ready and needs more time), I do recommend raw milk whole heartily! I hope this post gives you something to think about and even if you can’t stand the idea of raw milk, replacing skim with full fat milk is beneficial to your fertility and well being. Healthy fat is not your enemy!

*Along with milk, make sure you replace that sugar filled, low fat yogurt with a whole milk plain yogurt. Use honey to sweeten it and add in fresh fruit if you’d like. Much healthier than sugar!

Anyone else glad they made the switch to Raw? How did you finally come around to the idea?

What would you tell someone who is still “on the fence”?

This post is linked to:

Real Food Wednesday

*This is an updated and expanded post I wrote last September.

** 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.

Journey Through Infertility: A Guest Post

Alcohol and the effects on Fertility

Most everyone should know by now that drinking alcoholic beverages during pregnancy can be bad for the baby. But did you know that drinking while you are trying to conceive can be harmful as well? Men and women who drink heavily can take much longer to conceive than couples who drink little to none. It’s recommended that couples trying to conceive drink a maximum of one glass per day.

Now that’s the recommended amount.

Personally, I would say give it up all together! Why? Well, for one alcohol effects your blood sugar quite drastically. Which in turn effects your endocrine system and too much can throw your hormones out of whack. Especially if you love those girlie drinks like margaritas and mudslides. Full of sugar! When your body is overloaded with sugar, it depletes itself of other vital nutrients (like vitamin B) while trying to digest it.

Yadda, yadda, yadda, and the ball starts rolling…..

A couple other reasons include, that with women, alcohol may actually prevent the production of progesterone, which is vital to ensuring a pregnancy is carried to term. In men, it reduces the levels of sperm-making hormones which can actually wipe out a sperm count for three months after a heavy drinking session.

Is Caffeine Decreasing Your Fertility?

The simple fact of the matter is, what we put into our bodies can make a difference. While cutting out one thing from our diet may or may not have the dramatic impact we’re looking for, each step is a step to better health.

Take caffeine for example. Studies have shown that women who drink one to one and a half cups of coffee each day had up to a 50% reduction in fertility. Three cups a day has been linked to early miscarriage (new evidence shows 200 milligrams as the limit). Yes, there are some women who conceive while drinking multiple cups of coffee a day. Yes there are women who drink it during their entire pregnancy. But remember that each of our bodies are so very different and what effects one women will have no effect on the other.

Some basic facts about caffeine that could effect fertility:

• The liver has to convert caffeine so that it may be passed in your urine. Your liver also has to deal with excreting your hormones. If the liver is overworked in one area, it can’t function properly.
• Caffeine increases the excretion of calcium. Calcium helps build strong bones and the bones of a baby.
• It has also been shown to dehydrate your body, something you need to keep your system in tip top shape.

While it may seem to some that I’m on the extreme side of things here when I say to cut out caffeine completely, I’ve also realized it’s a relatively easy thing to do. I used to be a soda junkie, then turned coffee junkie when my parents owned a coffeehouse. I had at least one large cup per day (by the way, one cup is equal to about 8oz, so if you’re drinking out of a 16oz cup like I did, it’s two cups) and a lot of times two. Caffeine is the most used drug in America, and if you’re addicted like so many others, start slow and cut back a little at a time. Get a small instead of the grande, or ask for half decaff until you can cut it out completely. For those of us who don’t drink coffee, you still need to be careful about sodas, chocolate, tea, and medications.

And you know, I think it’s not only the caffeine in the drinks, but the sugar and flavorings as well. That’s a lot for your body to deal with! Sugar causes your body to lose excess amounts of vitamin B during digestion and also causes a spike in insulin, which effects your endocrine/hormone system. And while this may not be the one issue between you and fertility, is it not worth the extra effort?

How much caffeine do you normally drink each day? Is it something you could give up?

Is your weight contributing to your infertility?

Nobody, and I mean nobody, wants to here that their weight could be an issue. Especially women, like women trying to conceive. But losing weight (or gaining weight if you’re on the other side of the scale) can greatly help you boost your fertility. In fact, being at the correct weight can actually undue your infertility.

Why is weight an issue?
Your ovaries and fat cells actually regulate your estrogen levels.

If you are under weight, or have a BMI of less than 20, you’re body basically goes into survival mode only. You aren’t producing enough estrogen and your menstrual cycle can stop completely as your body’s way of stopping you from getting pregnant when you are not nourished well enough. Studies have even shown up to 50% of women with a BMI under 20 are infertile.

If you are overweight, or have a BMI of over 30, this negatively effects you as well. The problem is, all that excess fat causes excess estrogen throughout your body. To much estrogen and your hormonal system is out of balance and may not produce healthy eggs or release them at the correct times. Obesity has even been associated with an increased risk of early pregnancy loss after IVF and a decreased rate fertilization.

So what’s a girl to do?
The best thing to do is not diet. Honestly. Especially not a crash diet. For when you crash diet, your body goes into starvation made and your metabolism slows. Plus, such a drastic measure can upset your hormonal balance even further. Not something you want to do while trying to get pregnant!

The best thing you can do is slowly change your diet to include more fruits, vegetables, and high quality meats and dairy, skip the fast food and candy bars, and just try and move a bit more. Make sure you eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner along with a couple healthy snacks during the day. If you are a chronic over eater, start taking less on your plate at each meal. Change just one thing each week or each month if need be, but just start making changes. Slowly you’ll see the weight fall off.

And if you are one of those that need to gain, make sure you are eating high quality, regular fat foods. Include an extra meal or snack into each day for another few hundred calories. Just remember, although you need to gain, it doesn’t mean you get to pig out on junk food!

And the over used phrase for those TTC’ing, “Don’t stress about it”
While your weight may be a factor in your infertility, try not to worry about all that weight you have to lose. Sometimes just a 10% drop (or gain for you skinny girls!) in weight can help balance the hormones out enough to where ovulation occurs and a healthy egg is released. It’s not an overnight cure, but it is also something that will help you in the long run to have a healthy pregnancy once you do conceive.