Cracking the Code on Infertility
A Holistic Approach
Hello, dear readers! Today, we’re diving into the challenging world of infertility, a battle that many women face. Extensive research has revealed that infertility is a complex issue with numerous contributing factors. In essence, it’s a multi-faceted challenge, and there’s more to it than meets the eye.
While treatments like IVF and IUI are common choices for women grappling with infertility, the success of these programs hinges on five key areas that we must address.
1. Food:
What you put on your plate each day directly shapes every cell in your body. So, your food choices matter—a lot. Opting for a healthy diet will lead to better quality eggs and sperm, a crucial aspect of fertility.
It’s essential to be mindful of your food choices. Fast food, processed packaged items, sugary snacks, and soda are often laden with what we call “anti-nutrients.” These include preservatives, synthetic additives, fillers, unhealthy oils, excess sodium, soy, GMOs, and excessive sugar. These anti-nutrients are detrimental to your health and can have adverse effects on fertility.
Instead, opt for whole foods in their natural state. Examples include cooking dried beans instead of using canned ones, consuming raw or lightly prepared fruits and vegetables instead of canned options, choosing raw dairy products over pasteurized and homogenized versions, and enjoying fresh, unprocessed fruit and vegetable juices.
2. Exercise:
Regular physical activity is not just about staying in shape; it plays a significant role in fertility. Exercise strengthens your muscles, boosts stamina, enhances flexibility, improves circulation, and helps manage stress, anxiety, and depression. It’s also a natural detoxifier, eliminating excess hormones and toxins from your body.
Aim for at least 45 minutes of exercise per day, five times a week, and make sure it gets you sweating. Sweating is not just about cooling your body; it’s a natural way to detox daily. All of this contributes to healthy hormonal balance and improved circulation to your reproductive organs. It also helps prepare your body for the demands of childbirth.
Choose activities that you enjoy, such as walking, fertility yoga, biking, dancing, swimming laps, Pilates, or a sport of your choice.
3. Positive Lifestyle Choices:
The lifestyle choices you make are a critical component of your overall well-being. When positive choices become habits, you’re more likely to succeed in your fertility journey.
Start by making a list of healthy, enjoyable activities that you can replace old, negative patterns with. It’s essential to address physical, emotional, spiritual, and mental aspects of your well-being. This includes embracing a spiritual or religious practice, quitting alcohol and smoking, seeking help when needed, adopting healthy eating habits, improving your relationship with your partner, and setting aside time for self-care each day.
4. Be Realistic and Make a List:
Preparation is key when it comes to pregnancy and fertility. It’s best to start making dietary, exercise, and lifestyle changes three to six months before you plan to conceive. Create a list of the changes you need to make, and specify how long each should be done and in which part of your cycle it’s most effective.
Keep a journal to track your progress, note any changes you experience, and adjust your plan as needed.
5. Be Consistent:
Consistency is the name of the game. Diet, exercise, lifestyle, herbs, therapies, and supplements won’t work if you don’t use them consistently over time. Herbs and supplements can’t replace a healthy diet and regular exercise. They all take time to be effective, but remember, it only takes 21 days to break a bad habit and create a healthy, positive one.
At Prana, we’ve introduced an integrated program called “Re-align.” This program combines Homoeopathy, Nutrition, Yoga, Acupuncture, and Osteopathy to address all the needs of women trying to conceive.
For more details about this program, please call our helpdesk at 020 66482200.
Wishing you a healthy and successful fertility journey!
Dr. Abhay Talwalkar
M.D. (Hom)
Consultant – Women’s Health Care
Prana – The World’s First Homoeopathy Yoga Centre
