Caffeine
* Higher levels of caffeine on the range of 300 mg and more a day have shown to be associated with lower fertility rates. What is 300 mg of caffeine? About 3 cups of coffee. Each cup of coffee is equivalent to approximately 100 mg of caffeine. Caffeinated soda drinks (which should be avoided anyway) such as Coke and Mountain Dew contain around 50 to 80 mg of caffeine per 20 oz bottle. Avoid the caffeine altogether if you can... if you need your fix, just make sure you are monitoring your intake and not exceeding 200 mg of caffeine a day at the most.
High Sugar Foods, Carbonated Soft-drinks and Pasteurized Juice
* Highly concentrated simple sugars like those found in soft-drinks, candy and pasteurized juices have a bad impact on conception rates. These sugars cause an elevated amount of sugars in the blood, causing insulin spikes and then other repercussions in the hormonal balance. Avoid artificial sweeteners like Splenda (sucralose) or aspartame especially. You may use safe alternatives such as stevia, agave nectar, honey and maple syrup.
Drinking Alcohol
* Current studies on alcohol and fertility rates show that women drinking two alcoholic drinks per day contribute to a significant ( 60% ) decrease in fertility. You may have thought not to drink during pregnancy but if you're having problems conceiving you may just want to give up 'the bottle' early. Men should also avoid alcohol as it decreases sperm count. It may entice men to know that alcohol lowers testosterone levels and increases estrogen levels.
Smoking
* Smoking decreases fertility rates for not only women but for potential fathers. So ladies, if your guy smokes and you are having problems conceiving, try to convince him to quit so he can get his 'swimmers' in full vitality and quantity.
Soy Products
* Research shows that soy is an estrogen analog. In other words, your body will perceive soy as estrogen and try to counterbalance its hormone levels in response. This can obviously affect the delicate hormonal balance we want to achieve in fertility riddled individuals. Avoid processed soy foods such as soy milk, burgers, cheeses, protein powders... you catch my drift. Men are also affected hormonally by soy.
GMO Derived Foods
* GMO or Genetically Modified Organism foods are laboratory experiments without a significant body of research proving their safety despite FDA approval. More and more GMOs are found or highly suspected to cause a growing body of unforeseen health consequences. Research GMO free food and do your best to find products that do not contain genetically modified ingredients. GMO foods are highly suspected as a predator on your fertility ability.
Fat-Free Foods
* Why is this bad you are asking? Well, if these foods are being advertised as fat-free it usually indicates that it isn't naturally fat-free which further indicates that it has been processed to remove that fat. Remember, we want to avoid processed foods. This leaves the food devoid of its natural fat content and higher in sugars. Studies (conducted at Harvard) showed that fertility rates increased with full fat spectrum dairy products as opposed to their low-fat, processed counterparts. It is important to know that fats are crucial building blocks for hormones... and hormones regulate fertility.
* Higher levels of caffeine on the range of 300 mg and more a day have shown to be associated with lower fertility rates. What is 300 mg of caffeine? About 3 cups of coffee. Each cup of coffee is equivalent to approximately 100 mg of caffeine. Caffeinated soda drinks (which should be avoided anyway) such as Coke and Mountain Dew contain around 50 to 80 mg of caffeine per 20 oz bottle. Avoid the caffeine altogether if you can... if you need your fix, just make sure you are monitoring your intake and not exceeding 200 mg of caffeine a day at the most.
High Sugar Foods, Carbonated Soft-drinks and Pasteurized Juice
* Highly concentrated simple sugars like those found in soft-drinks, candy and pasteurized juices have a bad impact on conception rates. These sugars cause an elevated amount of sugars in the blood, causing insulin spikes and then other repercussions in the hormonal balance. Avoid artificial sweeteners like Splenda (sucralose) or aspartame especially. You may use safe alternatives such as stevia, agave nectar, honey and maple syrup.
Drinking Alcohol
* Current studies on alcohol and fertility rates show that women drinking two alcoholic drinks per day contribute to a significant ( 60% ) decrease in fertility. You may have thought not to drink during pregnancy but if you're having problems conceiving you may just want to give up 'the bottle' early. Men should also avoid alcohol as it decreases sperm count. It may entice men to know that alcohol lowers testosterone levels and increases estrogen levels.
Smoking
* Smoking decreases fertility rates for not only women but for potential fathers. So ladies, if your guy smokes and you are having problems conceiving, try to convince him to quit so he can get his 'swimmers' in full vitality and quantity.
Soy Products
* Research shows that soy is an estrogen analog. In other words, your body will perceive soy as estrogen and try to counterbalance its hormone levels in response. This can obviously affect the delicate hormonal balance we want to achieve in fertility riddled individuals. Avoid processed soy foods such as soy milk, burgers, cheeses, protein powders... you catch my drift. Men are also affected hormonally by soy.
GMO Derived Foods
* GMO or Genetically Modified Organism foods are laboratory experiments without a significant body of research proving their safety despite FDA approval. More and more GMOs are found or highly suspected to cause a growing body of unforeseen health consequences. Research GMO free food and do your best to find products that do not contain genetically modified ingredients. GMO foods are highly suspected as a predator on your fertility ability.
Fat-Free Foods
* Why is this bad you are asking? Well, if these foods are being advertised as fat-free it usually indicates that it isn't naturally fat-free which further indicates that it has been processed to remove that fat. Remember, we want to avoid processed foods. This leaves the food devoid of its natural fat content and higher in sugars. Studies (conducted at Harvard) showed that fertility rates increased with full fat spectrum dairy products as opposed to their low-fat, processed counterparts. It is important to know that fats are crucial building blocks for hormones... and hormones regulate fertility.
About the Author:
Learn more about fertility pathways. Stop by Scott McLeod's site where you can find out all about follicle stimulating hormone and what it can do for you.
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