Thoughts of pregnancy as nurturing a growing body inside one’s own inspire many women to discover a new respect for their own bodies and health.
They forego prepackaged dinners, suddenly finding both time and money to cook fresh, organic foods; they pass up that double mocha for a decaf green tea; they muster the memory twice each day to take their vitamins, which used to go forgotten for weeks at a time.
According to healthpally experts, these nutritional changes not only make women healthier but also actually can increase their chances of getting pregnant.
Causes of Infertility in Women
Naturopathic physicians and holistic medical doctors often treat infertility with a three-pronged approach: detoxifications, dietary changes, and herbal supplements.
By the time most people want to start a family, they’ve spent a good 20 years exposed to environmental and dietary toxins.
Pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers, drugs, certain foods, and all things plastic contain substances known as xenoestrogen, chaktty said.
Once there, they either mimic the hormone’s activity thus increasing the overall level of estrogen activity or trigger different effects in the cell, either of which can upset the delicate hormonal balance women and men need to reproduce successfully, According to Dr. Ellen Kamhi Ph.D., R.N, author of cycles of life.
Carlson-rink stresses the importance of eating broods low on the food chain because they tend to have fewer toxins.
Xenoestrogens “aggravate the cells structure and can cause all kinds of changes, from an interruption in the normal function of hormonal release to the development of infertility, xenoestrogens are a double-edged sword.
Not only do they also create symptoms that mask its other biological causes.
That’s why Cathy Carlson Rink, ND, OB/GYN, advises getting rid of them as best you can and recommends a gentle detox as a first step for every couple she sees at her Langley, British Columbia, practice.
How to prepare your body for pregnancy?
You get a clearer picture of what’s truly hormonal and what’s just the effect of improper digestion and poor liver function, she says.
Supporting the body’s detoxification organs, specifically the liver and bowels carries special importance for women.
At different times of the month, a woman’s body produces varying levels of its many hormones, according to sexpally.
When the intricate interplay of those hormones is in balance, the reproductive organs function, as they should.
But when the body’s detoxification systems run at less than full speed, the body can’t break down and flush out the hormones during cycle changes.
This lead to an over-abundance of the wring hormones at the wrong times of the month, potentially causing reproductive turmoil.
During the detoxification, Carlson-Rink instructs both partners to eliminate alcohol, caffeine, tobacco and illicit drugs as can interfere with fertility and healthy pregnancy.
Kamhi concurs and also recommends a special fasting diet for one to two weeks that consists exclusively of detoxifying vegetable soup along with a couple pieces of fruit each day.
Certain herbs and supplements can support the body during detoxification.
Dandelion, burdock, licorice root, and milk thistle all help detoxify the liver; Psyllium Husk, ground flax seeds, and probiotics support the digestive system.
Adjust your Diet Plan
The official detox ends after a couple of weeks, but don’t pick up the Cheez Whiz just yet, your long-lasting nutritional changes are just beginning.
Dr. Joel Evans MD, OB/GYN recommends that all parents-to-be eating whole-foods diet, the forms closest to nature, where foods have a shelf life and there’s natural decay.
Carlson-Rink stresses the importance of eating foods low on the food chain, because they tend to have fewer toxins.
Other general recommendations are:
- Choose organic foods whenever possible
- Eat brightly coloured fruits and vegetables
- Reduce red meat; and eat more omega-3 essential fatty acids (from cold-water fish such as wild salmon or from ground flax seeds, for instance)
- Avoid alcohol, caffeine, refined grains, sugar, prepackaged and fast foods, and non-organic meats and dairy
Several individual nutrient deficiencies of Iron, Zinc, Chromium, Selenium, and folic acid, for example can hinder fertility.
But rather than prescribing a one-size-fits-all approach to nutritional supplements, holistic doctors order tests to determine if a person lacks any specific vitamins or minerals.
They can then design a targeted diet and supplement routine. For some people, just improving their diet solves their infertility problems.
In a study conducted by the British group Foresight, the association for the promotion of preconception Care, 86% of couples with infertility problems achieved healthy pregnancies through an improved diet.
What can Herbal Medicines do?
Because so many underlying conditions can cause infertility, experts hesitate to give general herbal recommendations.
This beautiful thing about herbs is that they all have their subtleties, and which one is more suited to each situation is the art of practice, “says Carlson-Rink.
Also, Kamhi cautions against starting fertility-enhancing herbs before giving your body a chance to get into the best shape possible to be detoxifying regular estrogens to the point where you have estrogen dominance, then putting in more estrogenic compounds, even natural ones, is only going to complicate things,” she says.
Kamhi instructs her patients to spend 6 months to a year on a cleansing diet before starting any of the commonly prescribed fertility herbs like chaste berry, false unicorn, rhodiola, and shatavaria.
Recipe for Pregnancy
Will a clean diet and a handful of herbs guarantee your pregnancy?
Unfortunately, all experts interviewed for this story report high success rates in people who truly take charge of their health.
But regardless of whether you become pregnant or you choose a different path to parenthood, such as adoption, says Kamhi.
This lifestyle choice will help you become as healthy as possible so that you’re ” in Better shape to be a parent, and you’ll learn more about eating and cooking naturally so you can feed the child the right way. In every way, it’s a win-win”
Kamahi’s Detoxifying Vegetable Soup
- 1 onion, peeled and chopped
- 1 head cabbage, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
- 2 carrots, chopped
- 2 celery stalks, trimmed and chopped
- 1 bunch parsley, chopped
- 5 kale leaves, chopped
- 2 sheets nori sea vegetable
- 4 pieces okra, trimmed and chopped
- 1 cup uncooked brown rice
- 2 quarts water.
- Combine all ingredients in a large soup pot and simmer over low heat for 1 1/2 hours. Add Bragg’s amino acids to taste.