16 ways to boost your fertility naturally
Conceiving doesn’t have to be hit and miss. If you’re trying to conceive and you need a little help, there are so many ways to boost your fertility naturally.
The main thing to remember is: the healthier you are prior to conception, the healthier pregnancy you will have, and the healthier baby you will deliver.
Without further ado, here are some hints on what you can be doing right now:
- Achieve a healthy body composition or BMI (fat to muscle ratio) – being either overweight or underweight can impact your fertility and delay the time it takes to fall pregnant.
- Exercise regularly – at least 30 minutes a day, five times a week. This will increase your energy and strength, help with stress and help prepare your body for pregnancy.
- Learn stress management techniques like meditation, yoga, tai chi or practice taking ‘time out’ for yourself. Hormones like cortisol and epinephrine are thought to play a key role in up to 30 per cent of all infertility problems. It’s not just natural fertility that is affected – studies have shown women undergoing IVF who had high levels of stress were 20 per cent less likely to achieve fertilisation success.
- Drink filtered water – learn more about the benefits of filtered water in our blog.
- Eat fresh foods – organic where possible and cut down on packaged foods. Eating fresh, natural produce will ensure you give yourself the best possible nutrients for fertility.
- Increase your consumption of good fats and avoid dangerous fats – good fats include monounsaturated fats in olive oil, polyunsaturated fats in oily fish and nuts and mid-chain fatty acids found in coconut oil. Dangerous fats include trans fats hidden in foods like doughnuts, biscuits and lollies. These foods may actually increase your risk of infertility by as much as 70 per cent!
- Increase your vitamin E consumption – this is crucial for the health of the uterine lining, boosting sperm health and motility, and protecting your cells from toxins. It has also been shown to help prevent miscarriage in women with a history of recurrent miscarriages. Good sources include avocado, raw nuts and seeds, raw vegetable oils, berries, cooked spinach, pumpkin and broccoli.
- Ensure you have a healthy level of Vitamin D before and while you are pregnant – it can radically reduce the risk of pregnancy complications, preeclampsia and Type 1 diabetes in your newborn.
- Take good quality pre-conception supplements, whether you are eating a healthy diet or not. Key nutrients for fertility include zinc, selenium, magnesium, calcium, B12, B6, folic acid, vitamin C, vitamin D, vitamin E and omega-3 fats.
- Have an STD check – infections like chlamydia, where symptoms may not be obvious, can interfere with fertility. These are more common than you may think, so it is important to get checked.
- Detoxify your liver – a healthy liver means better hormonal balance, better removal of environmental toxins and better stress coping. This is one of the most important things you can do to boost fertility. We offer a healthy liver program if you need help getting started.
- Minimise your exposure to toxic chemicals – environmental toxins may dramatically affect both male and female fertility. Poisonous chemicals are all around – in our environment, food supply, air and water. Some of the main chemicals to avoid include:
– Phthalates and bisphenols found in plastic containers
– PAH released from cigarettes, car fumes and road tar
– VCH chemicals used in rubber tires, plastics and pesticides
– Endocrine disruptors found in cleaning solvents, cigarette smoke, petrol fumes and more. - Cut out caffeine, alcohol and smoking to reduce your toxicity and oxidative stress.
- Avoid dairy products – cow’s milk contains high levels of hormones that are disruptive to your healthy hormonal balance.
- Avoid gluten – along with dairy, it is one of the most common intolerances and can lead to inflammation and nutrient deficiencies. Having an IgG Food Intolerance Test will help you determine any other intolerances.
- Avoid unfermented soy – processed soy products contain phytoestrogens which may disrupt hormonal balance and affect thyroid function in some women.
It’s crucial to follow a good pre-conception plan for at least four months before conception to ensure the best quality eggs and sperm. So allow yourself 120 days after making these changes before trying to conceive.
Yours in health,
Peter
Are you planning to have a baby? Or are you already pregnant and looking to provide the best start for your new family member?
Click here to download our free guide on natural fertility, preconception and pregnancy to discover the steps you and your partner can take to boost fertility and make a healthy baby naturally.
