As you know I specialise in how the mind affects well-being and fertility. We all know diet and lifestyle can also have a large impact on fertility and instead of giving my personal, but inexpert advice on this topic, I choose to hook up with experts that I trust and respect in these areas.
One of these experts is Claudia Spahr and she has kindly written some pointers for you here.
I want you to read the following as if your life depended on it – not to assert what you think you know. Read it with your full attention and you may be surprised at what insight or what your intuition guides you to do.
Over to Claudia…
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Is Your Lifestyle Affecting Your Fertility?
Fertility Diet
The best way to eat for fertility and good health is a balanced, anti-inflammatory diet. Every person is unique. Some people thrive on a raw, vegan diet, whereas others find they’re healthier and happier on a primal, paleo-style diet with lots of animal fats and proteins. But generally speaking to be vibrant, fertile and prepare your body for pregnancy, it’s important to include the following:
- Plenty of fresh vegetables and fruit, ideally local and seasonal.
- Good fats (the long-chain fatty acids, such as omega 3). Take a high quality of EPA/DHA supplement to be sure you’re getting enough.
- Fermented foods such a kefir, sauerkraut and tempeh.
- Wholefoods and grains like quinoa, millet and brown rice.
Try to eat home-cooked meals as much as possible, restaurant food is too salty and deli food is usually too processed.
Limit sugar, factory-farmed meats and processed dairy. Grass-fed, organic meat and raw organic dairy are the best choices.
Most important of all is to stay away from refined, processed, manufactured foods and drinks, especially soda. There is very solid, medical evidence-based research showing that the Standard American Diet (SAD) is to blame for infertility, coronary heart disease, Diabetes Type II, neuro-degenerative diseases, the obesity epidemic and even cancer.
Try to eat home-cooked food as much as possible. Not only will the above tips boost your fertility they will also extend your life. This is important to know for older moms and dads because we want to be around as long as possible for our kids – with our minds and bodies intact.
Fertility Lifestyle
Get up regularly and move, especially if you spend long hours sitting at a desk. Humans throughout history have been physically active; from the hunters and gatherers to the pre-industrial farmers’ wives. Incorporate functional exercise like walking, climbing, lifting and stooping into your daily routine.
Try moderate forms of exercise such as yoga, tai chi and qi gong which are perfect for fertility because they stimulate the internal organs, balance the hormones and get oxygenated blood flowing to the reproductive region.
Get plenty of fresh air and sunlight. All living beings need the sun. We’ve become so paranoid about skin cancer, but Vitamin D deficiency has become a major problem in modern society and it’s also linked to infertility.
Drink less than 3 units of alcohol per week and quit smoking – this applies to men as much as women.
Claudia Spahr is an author, journalist, holistic health counsellor and fertility coach (IIN, AADP). She has trained in over one hundred dietary theories and studied a variety of practical lifestyle coaching methods. She helps create a completely personalised ‘roadmap to fertility’ that suits your unique body, lifestyle and preferences. Claudia’s book Right Time Baby – The Complete Guide to Later Motherhood is published by Hay House UK. She also holds Fertility Detox Retreats and HolyMama retreats in Ibiza, Spain.