Newspapers and online news outlets often tell us that fertility is decreasing in the West as a result of unhealthy lifestyle trends. Karen Ranzi tells us how to buck that trend.
To have a healthy reproductive system, it is crucial to live a healthy lifestyle, incorporating a diet of fresh raw plant foods and regular exercise. Any problems that occur in the reproductive system affect the reproductive organs and hormones, leading to infertility and difficulties during pregnancy. Many women today exhibit difficulty in conceiving. The failure to ovulate, or release an egg, is often the result of hormonal irregularities, damage to the ovaries or fallopian tubes, or structural problems with
the uterus, such as fibroids or endometriosis. In The Food revolution, author John Robbins states: “Tests done at several major universities have found that nearly 25% of today’s college students are sterile. This is a terrifying trend. Only 35 years ago, the sterility rate was less than one-half of one percent.”
Poor lifestyle choices will inevitably harm your reproductive system. If pregnancy is in your plans, it is essential to consume a majority of healthful whole, raw, ripe and organically grown plant foods, from your local region as much as possible.
To keep the reproductive system functioning optimally, you should completely avoid: caffeine, refined sugars, alcohol, fast- burning carbs such as white rice, white bread and potatoes, processed foods, and pesticides in conventional produce. Caffeine is a stimulant and can negatively affect fertility. It is largely present
in coffee, sodas and chocolate, as well as caffeinated teas. Refined sugars also interfere with reproductive health and should be avoided at all costs. Alcohol is known to worsen PMS symptoms, and statistics show it significantly decreases the chances of a woman becoming pregnant. Alcohol also decreases the quality and count
of the male sperm, so it is best if you both avoid alcohol altogether to increase the chances of conception. Refined carbohydrates wreak havoc on the blood sugar levels and can cause infertility. The reproductive system loves fibre-rich foods found in the fruit and vegetable kingdom.
The trans fats present in many processed foods are often cited as a direct cause of infertility. Environmental contaminants, such
as xenoestrogens, can cause hormonal imbalances and problems with getting pregnant and carrying a pregnancy to term. This is one compelling reason to focus on fresh, organically and locally grown plant foods. These are the only foods you can trust to create the powerful immune system necessary for a glowing pregnancy, smooth and easy childbirth and a healthy child.
Essential nutrients are crucial for fertility, a healthy pregnancy and childbirth. If you and your partner are serious about getting pregnant, your diets should feature a variety of fruits, leafy greens, vegetables, sprouts, and soaked nuts and seeds.
Karen Ranzi is an author, lecturer, speech/language therapist and raw food consultant. Her book, Creating Healthy Children: Through Attachment Parenting and Raw Foods, contains further information on this topic. For more information or to order Karen book, go to www.superhealthychildren.com
Recent Comments