Natural Nutritional And Fitness Practice For Healing Infertility

Fertility is the ability to contribute to conception while Infertility is the inability to contribute to conception. It is a condition and not likely a disease. Infertility can be primary and secondary:

Primary Infertility: is a situation where someone has not contributed to bearing a child at all.

Secondary Infertility: situation whereby one has contributed to bearing a child before but cannot now.

In men it could as a result of low sperm count, diabetes, hormonal imbalance while in women it could be as a result of hormonal problems, damage to the ovaries, premature menopause, follicle problems ( like infection, Abdominal Diseases  etc). The rate at which infertility problems are increasing by the day is so disturbing, nutrition and fitness has so much effect on fertility, research suggests that couples nutritional and fitness habits before conception has a lot of influence on the baby’s well being, so ensure adequate fitness and nutrition for a good result. A healthy diet helps boost energy levels, support mental health and helps maintain a healthy weight. 

The truth is that certain food can help you get pregnant. Note that a diet rich in dairy products or carbohydrates may make it harder to get pregnant, women should eat less trans fats and sugar from carbohydrates, consume more protein from vegetables than from animals, eat more fiber and iron, take multivitamins, maintain a body mass index (BMI), by exercising for longer periods of time each day, and surprisingly, consumed more high-fat dairy products and less low-fat dairy products.

While all nutrients are important for health, there are some that have been specifically shown to have a direct impact on fertility. Below is a list of the nutrients, their functions and the food you can find them in.

Nutrient	Function	Food Source
Vitamin D	Helps the body create sex hormones which in turn affects ovulation and hormonal balance.	Eggs, fatty fish, dairy, and cod liver oil. You can also get vitamin D from sitting out in the sun for 15 to 20 minutes per day. But absorption is impacted by the darkness of your skin.
Vitamin E:	Studies show it improves sperm health and motility in men, also an important antioxidant to help protect sperm and egg DNA integrity.	Almonds, olives, spinach, paw paw, dark leafy greens.
Vitamin C:	Vitamin C improves hormone levels and increases fertility in women. As for men, vitamin C has been shown to improve sperm quality and protect sperm from DNA damage.	Red peppers, broccoli, cabbage, potatoes, tomatoes, and citrus fruit.
Lipoic Acid	Lipoic acid is a very important antioxidant because it not only helps to protect the female reproductive organs and has been shown to improve sperm quality and motility but it also helps the body to continually re-use the antioxidants in the body.	Small amounts found in potatoes, spinach and red meat( you can supplement)
Vitamin B6	Used as a hormone regulator. Helps to regulate blood sugars and alleviates PMS	Banana, turkey, liver, sardine, spinach, garlic, cauliflower, cabbage, broccoli, kale.
Vitamin B12	Improves sperm quality and production. It also may help to boost the endometrium lining in egg fertilization, decreasing the chances of miscarriage.	Oysters, liver, caviar (fish eggs), fish, crab, lobster, beef, lamb, cheese, eggs.
Folic Acid	Helps prevent neural tube defects as well as congenital heart defects, cleft lips, limb defects, and urinary tract anomalies in developing fetuses. Pregnancy complications such as placental abruption and pre-eclampsia.	Liver, spinach, black beans, navy beans, kidney beans.
Iron	Helps prevent from suffering a lack of ovulation and possibly poor egg health.	Spinach, sesame seeds, kidney beans, pumpkin seeds (raw), beef
Selenium	An antioxidant that helps to protect the eggs and sperm from free radicals. Selenium is also necessary for the creation of sperm.	Liver, salmon, sardines, shrimp, mushrooms, turkey.
Zinc	In women: without zinc, your cells can not divide properly; your estrogen and progesterone levels can get out of balance and your reproductive system may not be fully functioning. In men: zinc boost sperm levels; improve the form, function and quality of male sperm and decrease male infertility.	Oysters, beef, lamb, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, turkey, green peas, shrimp. Zinc can be damaged by cooking so it is important to eat some foods high in zinc in their raw forms.
Essential Fatty Acids	Helps to regulate hormones in the body, increase cervical mucous, promote ovulation and overall improve the quality of the uterus by increasing the blood flow to the reproductive organs.	Walnuts, salmon, sardines, shrimp.

  

In addition to the micro-nutrients, macro-nutrients are important as well. Getting enough protein, fiber, fat, carbohydrates, etc is also very important. This is a time for nourishing and providing building blocks for your body in preparation for conception.

Please note that a fertility massage can help your body prepare for pregnancy, and a regular pelvic exercise can also aid pregnancy.