Fertility is a lifestyle issue

Fertility is a lifestyle issue
It is not something you should worry about only when you are ready to have
children, it is critical to think about lifestyle factors well before that.
Infertility affects 6.1 million people. 40% of infertility is attributed
to the male, while 40% is attributed to the female. 12% of infertility cases
are due to weighing too much or too little.

It is critical to understand your fertility and explore healthy lifestyle
options in order to preserve and enhance your fertility.
Lifestyle factors that can have a negative long-term influence on your health
and your fertility are as follows:

Caffeine consumption
Smoking
Unprotected sex
Overuse of alcohol
Body weight
Poor nutrition
Food plays a vital role in fertility and overall health.

For example: Caffeine, a stimulant found in coffee, tea, soda and chocolate,
has negative effects on health and fertility. Caffeine can increase stress
and is known to have addictive qualities. Caffeine may cause damage to sperm
and increases the risk in females of developing endometriosis. So, instead
of reaching for that cup of coffee in the morning, try a cup of herbal tea and
a glass of calcium fortified orange juice to reduce stress, reduce caffeine
intake and optimize your health.

Healthy Eating
Healthy Eating may seem like an oxymoron but making slight changes in your
diet can make a world of difference in your health.

Start by eating more fruits and vegetables
You should have at least 6 servings of fruit and vegetables a day. Not a big
fan or fruits and vegetables? Try making a smoothie as an afternoon snack with
yogurt and fruit, add in a little wheat germ. Start having an apple as an
afternoon snack or add some extra veggies into a casserole. By making minor
changes, eating healthy becomes part of a routine and soon you will start
craving a great big salad with spinach, walnuts and yams.

Change to whole grains
Stop eating white flour, white bread, white rice. Start eating foods made from
a variety of whole grains such as whole wheat, brown rice, oats and whole
grain corn. Start by eating cereal for breakfast, many breakfast cereals contain
the recommended daily allowance of vitamins and minerals. Try switching over
gradually by eating a whole wheat bagel instead of a plain bagel, or whole wheat
sourdough instead of sourdough. Eventually, you will realize that brown rice is
full of flavor and oatmeal makes a great snack.

Folic Acid
Whole grain foods such as wheat, brown rice, oats, breakfast cereals, oranges,
spinach, beans and peas contain folic acid. Folic acid is essential for healthy
fetal development. The key to folic acid is to begin taking it when you are
thinking about getting pregnacy.

Vitamins
Begin taking a daily multivitamin- both men and women should do this. Start
incorporating more foods that are rich in antioxidants into your diet for overall
good health. Kiwi, cantaloupe, broccoli, asparagus, brussel sprouts, yams,
spinach help men maintain sperm motility and act as an immune booster for men and
women.

How Exercise Improved My Life
Wait...keep reading I know you have heard it all before but it has really helped
me deal with the manic pace of infertility. Now that I have started exercising,
I feel more in touch with my body and I feel more in control, of something.

Infertility as we well know is a life changing experience. Suddenly you are
thrown into the at times, overwhelming process of medical treatment, and you are
forced to look at seemingly grim statistics. Your relationship comes under a
microscope because you both get so caught up in grief that you may turn away from
one another. I understand this all too well because it happened to me. For 3
years I refused to believe what was happening. I went through all of the tests and
IUI cycle after cycle always resulting in my period. I tried acupuncture and
"taking a break" but nothing seemed to make me feel better. Forget exercising, I
was too exhausted, too emotionally drained to even consider it. My husband would
get up and run every day, heck he ran 3 marathons during treatment. He seemed to be
coping ok. But I justified this as the fact that he wasn't the one being shot
full of medication.

My attitude changed when I faced the recent devastation of a failed IVF cycle. I was
certain I was pregnant this time around. My body felt different, I was nauseated,
my breasts were huge and my cycle went incredibly well. So what happened? I don't
know and despite the great scientific achievements over the past several years,
once they transfer the embryos, it's fate.

I cannot tell you the grief I experienced, but many of you know just what I am
talking about. So finally, after 5 years of not exercising out of fear, stress,
emotional discord, I decided to exercise out of anger and frustration. I was upset
and I needed to let go. I needed to be angry and mad, and I wanted to punch
something. So I decided to try kickboxing. It was great. I focused on the shoulder
of the women in front of me, and unbeknownst to her, she was the recipient of my
aggression. For 1 hour I was so focused on punching and kicking that I forgot that
I lost my babies. I forgot that those 2 little embryos were no longer inside. I
felt the adrenaline rushing through my body and I felt physically spent. The
exhaustion enabled me to sleep, for the first time in years I slept. The most
remarkable difference was when my husband turned to me and said, "you look
refreshed, I haven't seen that look on you for a long time."

So now, for an hour each day I forget. And for the next IVF, I feel more prepared.

Relaxation and Stress Management For Infertile Women

Listening to comments from some friends, relatives and even medical personnel, you
might conclude that all you need to do to conceive is "Just relax," "Don't try so
hard," "Go on vacation" or the all-time favorite, "Just adopt." But for the vast
majority of couples struggling with infertility, this is not sound advice.

While stress does not cause infertility, infertility most definitely causes stress.
Infertile women report higher levels of stress and anxiety than fertile women, and
there is some indication that infertile women are more likely to become depressed.
This is not surprising since the far-reaching effects of infertility can interfere
with work, family, money and sex. Finding ways to reduce stress, tension and
anxiety can make you feel better.

There are numerous methods for decreasing stress, including learning relaxation
techniques and stress management strategies, taking a good look at your eating and
exercise habits, and remembering how to be good to yourself. Before trying any of
these techniques, however, check with your doctor to be sure they are appropriate
for you and will not interfere with your treatment.

Relaxation Response Traning
The relaxation response is a state of deep rest. This is the direct opposite of the
fight-or-flight response, the physical response to danger. When one is frightened
or threatened, the body releases adrenalin, causing blood pressure, heart rate and
breathing rates to increase. These changes allow one either to fight harder against
the danger or run faster away from it. However, our bodies and minds cannot
discriminate between physical danger and psychological stress; thus, we also
experience the fight-or-flight response when we are stressed.

When you elicit the relaxation response, your heart rate, blood pressure and
breathing rates decrease. You feel more relaxed and less anxious. Individuals who
elicit the relaxation response on a regular basis report that they not only feel
more relaxed and less anxious during the actual relaxation, but also feel calmer
throughout the day. Those who elicit the relaxation response during medical
procedures report less anxiety, pain and medication use.

You can elicit the relaxation response through a wide variety of relaxation
techniques, including progressive muscle relaxation, deep breathing, meditation and
imagery.

Progressive muscle relaxation involves progressively tightening and then relaxing
your muscles, either from head to toe or vice versa.

Deep breathing involves breathing slowly from your belly, like sighing deeply.

Meditation requires focusing on a word or phrase as you breathe. And imagery can
mean a variety of things, ranging from imagining a pleasant safe spot to focusing
on your body.

There are several books that provide instructions, including The Relaxation Response
and Beyond the Relaxation Response by Herbert Benson, MD. You can also call your
local academic medical center to find out about qualified professionals in your area
who are familiar with relaxation response training. In addition, most bookstores
carry numerous relaxation response tapes. Be careful since some are better than
others. Again, check first with your doctor before you start any of these techniques.