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Lifestyle Modification can Boost Woman Fertility: Make a Better Choice Today

1 out of 8 couples have difficulty in conception or sustaining the pregnancy for the full term.

• (CDC, National Survey of Family Growth, 2006-2010)

Most of us would like to be the ones blessed with good genes and a nourishing set of qualities that would make us proud parents. Unfortunately, more than the genes it’s the lifestyle that plays havoc with the fertility. There has been an unquestionable increase in the number of women suffering from clinical infertility . Common causes of infertility among women are attributed to-

• Hormonal imbalance
• Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS)
• Chronic medical illness
• Previous ectopic pregnancy
• Tumour and cyst
• Alcohol, smoking and drug abuse
• Eating disorders
• Obesity
• Congenital disorders

With so many likely possibilities behind female infertility, a disciplined lifestyle- Food, exercise, sleep, and sexual practice, greatly influence your capacity to conceive, sustain the pregnancy and bear a healthy baby and beyond. This is not a folklore wisdom, but sound medical advice.

Still wondering where to start? Here’s a quick preview of what a healthy lifestyle for a woman should ideally look like.

Start with your diet

You are what your diet is.

Since ages, different cultures have their own set of aphrodisiacs and fertility boosters. The common thread linking them all is estrogen content. Women diagnosed with poor egg quality or who are inflicted by irregular menstrual cycles should watch out for the estrogen count in the food items.

Add fertility boosters into your diet like:

• Dried fruits: apricots, dates, prunes, walnuts, pecans, almonds,
• Dried seeds: Flaxseeds, sesame, chia seeds, pumpkin seeds, Sunflower seeds, hemp, apricot seeds
• Fresh and dried beans: Peas, chickpeas, soybeans (tempeh), Alfalfa
• Fibres from whole grains to cereals
• Unsaturated fats and oils: soybean oil, fatty fish such as salmon, mackerel, herring, trout
• Dairy and animal protein: Low-fat servings on a daily basis with eggs and meat
• Vegetables and fruits rich in antioxidants: Berries, oranges, plums, watermelons, spinach, broccoli, Brussel sprouts
• Herbs: Alchemilla Vulgaris (Lady’s Mantle), Yarrow, Licorice, primrose oil
• Nutritional supplements: protein, iron, multivitamins

Consult with a nutritionist before getting it started. Your blood test would reveal your deficiencies. Plan out your ‘fertility platter’ accordingly.

Exercise and maintain healthy weight

Body fat percentage is a key factor in boosting fertility in women. A BMI of 18 to 24 is considered healthy. Any deviation from this range could cost you fertility in the productive years of your life. The best way to maintain a healthy body fat is doing a wide range of physical activities.

Exercise, especially yoga has been acknowledged as the most soothing form of fertility booster. Try these following poses for an enhanced fertility quotient while you are trying to conceive.

• Setu Bandha Sarvangasana
• Paschimottanasana
• Hastapadasana
• Janu Shirasana
• Badhakonasana
• Viparita Karani
• Yoga Nidra

Practicing yoga calms down the flaring nerves, soothes mind and relieves all kinds of anxiety.

All yogasanas should be learned first from the experts and when you are confident then only practice them at home. If combined with pranayama and meditation it works wonders for female infertility.

Plan Your Months

Whether you are a working professional, a student or a housewife- your time management is crucial in enhancing your fertility. Build a proper monthly schedule to match up against the energy levels through your menstrual cycle.

Give extra time to your body and partner between the 10^th and 18^th day of the cycle. On days of menses, focus on drinking more fluids and supplementing your diet with the nutrients.

Practice Safe Sex and maintain hygiene

Believe it or not! Infertility due to unhygienic lifestyle and having intercourse with multiple partners is significantly higher among teenagers than among older women. The risk of STD’s multiply many times over when you share more than one partner. Untreated STDs and fungal infections can permanently scar and block the fallopian tubes, rendering you infertile forever.

Pelvic inflammatory diseases is a major cause of infertility.

Addiction and drug abuse

Even as you try to conceive with healthy food, exercise and sex practices, addiction to alcohol, drugs, prescription pills and smoking are barriers in your plans to get pregnant. Even if you do manage to conceive, there is a huge risk of termination of pregnancy at advanced stages, or the baby being born with ambiguity.

Toxins and neurochemicals in the addictive items can slash your fertility quotient by many points if you happen to be suffering from any of the conditions mentioned in the beginning of the article.

All it takes is a preventive and careful attitude to boost your fertility. Give your reproductive age the chance to bear you happiest moments of your life- a healthy motherhood.

Tags: diet for female infertility, female infertility, healthy lifestyle to boost fertility, importance of supersize in fertility