Posts Tagged ‘infertility’

Did you know your brain is about 60% fat?  That your hormones are made from fat? 60% of your heart’s energy comes from burning fats.  Your lungs need fat to work and keep them from collapsing.  Fats help you absorb certain nutrients, including fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K.

I know there’s all this confusing information out there about what’s healthy to eat and what isn’t.  One myth out there is that fat is bad.  Low fat and non-fat products became all the rage in the 90s, but not all fats are created equal.

Monounsaturated fats are the healthy kind. The best example is olive oil, but don’t cook with it.  High temperatures change the chemical make up of olive oil, which can make it carcinogenic (cancer causing). For cooking, I’d recommend refined coconut, safflower and non-GMO canola oils.

Great sources for healthy fat:  nuts, seeds, and avocado.  I suggest adding flax or coconut oil, plus some almond butter and hemp seeds to your morning smoothie.

Signs that you might not be getting enough of the good stuff

* Lack of mental clarity upon awakening

* Depression

* Infertility

* Weight gain

* Brittle Fingernails

* Allergies

* Arthritis

* Poor Sleep

* Poor Memory

* Dry hair & skin

* Lack of Concentration

* Fatigue

You might have heard of Omega 3, 6, and 9 Essential Fatty Acids, but aren’t really sure what they do.  EFAs can reduce risk of heart disease, cancer, stroke, Alzheimer’s, arthritis and many other degenerative illnesses. Sources for Omega 3s:  seaweeds, hemp seeds, flax seeds, borage oil, and primrose oil.  Yes, some fish are a great source of EFAs, but almost all fish have dangerously high levels of mercury in them. Fish get their omegas from eating seaweed. So why not eat the original, safer source instead?

Definitely stay away from trans fats/hydrogenated oils: These fats form when vegetable oil hardens, a process called hydrogenation, and can raise LDL (bad cholesterol) levels, and lower HDL (good cholesterol) levels, repeatedly linked to heart disease. These fatty acids can also cause major clogging of your arteries, type 2 diabetes, obesity and other serious health problems.  For the men reading this, trans fats also reduce sexual performance. They’re found in most processed foods, fast food, crackers, and cookies.

You should also minimize most saturated fats, which are found in animal products such as butter, cheese, whole milk, ice cream, cream and meats. They are also found in some tropical plants and vegetable oils such as coconut, palm and palm kernel. Coconut oil is actually really healthy and is the oil to use for cooking since it is far less likely to be damaged through heating.

I know a lot of you reading this are probably thinking, “I’m young, I don’t need to worry about this kind of stuff until I’m in my 40s or 50s.”  I hate to break it to you, but that’s not really the case.  More people are overweight and becoming diabetic at a younger age than ever before.  I recently saw a patient who had his first heart attack at 35 years old.  He grew up eating a typical American diet and rarely exercised since college.  The hardening of his arteries started in his 20s.  Once that damage is done, it’s really hard to heal.  I don’t want to scare you.  Hopefully, it will motivate you to make smarter food choices from now on.

So when you’re eating on the run, grab some walnuts instead of pizza.  Your body and your brain will thank.

Live natural.  Live well.

Heather

Acupuncture is a safe, comfortable and effective way to treat many of the problems that may occur during pregnancy. Chinese medicine is especially helpful with health issues where Western medicine or pharmaceuticals are contraindicated.

Acupuncture assists in fertility issues (in both men and women), as well as
with pre-existing medical issues that the mother may have prior to pregnancy.

For pregnancy related conditions, acupuncture helps alleviate the following: morning sickness, heartburn, constipation, difficulty sleeping, hemorrhoids, back pain, sciatica, edema, carpal tunnel, breech position, inducing labor and reducing labor pain.

Post-partum, acupuncture/acupressure helps alleviate fatigue, depression,
vaginal discharge, mastitis, post-operative healing and recovery, and insufficient (or excessive) lactation.

Infertility is unfortunately on the rise.  Some of it has to do with people waiting until later in life to have children.  Some of it is due to the high stress levels most of us experience.  Environmental causes- pollution, plastic, pesticides, steroids in non-organic animal products- are a leading cause of infertility as well.  All of these can wreak havoc on your hormone levels, in both men and women.

What else may be hindering your fertility

Obesity, diabetes, testosterone or steroids,  too much exercise, smoking, too much or too little selenium, saw palmetto, weakened adrenal glands, caffeine and alcohol, hypothyroidism

All of the above can be treated.  Look for an acupuncturist in your area who specializes in fertility.  I also offer phone consultations for herbs and nutrition, so you can contact my office to make an appointment.  I also offer medical testing to check hormone levels, your adrenal gland function, and thyroid disorders.

Some suggestions for supplementation to increase your chance of conception.  Please consult your physician.

For women

Magnesium – take as directed
Multi pre natal vitamin
Minimum 1,000 mg vitamin C daily
Zinc 50mg daily
B50 as directed
Folic acid 5 mg/day
PABA 100 mg 3 times a day
Vitamin E 22 IU daily
Lycopene- 2 g day
CoQ10    100 mg twice daily
Before bed- Zinc, B50, and Magnesium taken together

For Men

Vitamin C-  1,000 mg a day may prevent sperm agglutination.
L-Arginine- 1,500- 2000 mg 2 times per day between meals increase sperm count
Vitamin B12- 1,000 mcg increase sperm count
L-carnation 1 g    3 times a day improve sperm count and function

For those of you struggling with this issue, there is hope.  Even if you’ve tried IVF and other Western procedures, Chinese medicine is highly effective for treating infertility in men and women.

Live natural. Live well.

Heather