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
* Spikes of sugar from candy, soft-drinks and juices have a negative impact on fertility. There is an interconnected hormonal system that is in play and so you want to eat low-glycemic index carbohydrates (i.e. complex carbs such as spaghetti, oatmeal, quinoa, etc) rather than refined sugars found in pastries, candy bars and the previous mentioned offenders. Avoid artificial sweeteners. Aspartame in particular is a bad bad player in the fertility game and your health in general. Safe alternative sweeteners are agave nectar, stevia, maple syrup and honey.
Drinking Alcohol
* Research shows that alcohol can decrease fertility significantly in women. Women who had 2 drinks of alcohol per day were shown to have a 60% decrease in conception. All women plan to stay abstinent from alcohol DURING pregnancy but many are unaware that drinking while trying to conceive may be frustrating their chances. Abstinence for men is also advises if fertility is difficult as alcohol decreases the male sperm count... it also decreases testosterone and increases estrogen.
Cigarettes and General 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 Foods
* 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 Foods
* Genetically modified organisms uses bacterial DNA to create modifications of a natural organisms characteristics and expression. Although a marvel in science, it is being shown more and more that there are unforeseen consequences of this unperfected science. Avoid GMO food and look for the GMO free label on relevant products. Research common GMO foods.
Fat Free Food
* I thought fat-free was good? Well, fat-free foods are processed and usually result in higher sugar content that once again affects blood sugar levels negatively. Aside from this, Harvard studies show that women who consumed full fat dairy products as opposed to their non-fat compatriots actually increased their fertility. It is an important biopsysiological concept that hormones are primarily synthesized from fats and hormones regulate fertility. Women needs to eat good fats throughout conception and pregnancy.
* 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
* Spikes of sugar from candy, soft-drinks and juices have a negative impact on fertility. There is an interconnected hormonal system that is in play and so you want to eat low-glycemic index carbohydrates (i.e. complex carbs such as spaghetti, oatmeal, quinoa, etc) rather than refined sugars found in pastries, candy bars and the previous mentioned offenders. Avoid artificial sweeteners. Aspartame in particular is a bad bad player in the fertility game and your health in general. Safe alternative sweeteners are agave nectar, stevia, maple syrup and honey.
Drinking Alcohol
* Research shows that alcohol can decrease fertility significantly in women. Women who had 2 drinks of alcohol per day were shown to have a 60% decrease in conception. All women plan to stay abstinent from alcohol DURING pregnancy but many are unaware that drinking while trying to conceive may be frustrating their chances. Abstinence for men is also advises if fertility is difficult as alcohol decreases the male sperm count... it also decreases testosterone and increases estrogen.
Cigarettes and General 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 Foods
* 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 Foods
* Genetically modified organisms uses bacterial DNA to create modifications of a natural organisms characteristics and expression. Although a marvel in science, it is being shown more and more that there are unforeseen consequences of this unperfected science. Avoid GMO food and look for the GMO free label on relevant products. Research common GMO foods.
Fat Free Food
* I thought fat-free was good? Well, fat-free foods are processed and usually result in higher sugar content that once again affects blood sugar levels negatively. Aside from this, Harvard studies show that women who consumed full fat dairy products as opposed to their non-fat compatriots actually increased their fertility. It is an important biopsysiological concept that hormones are primarily synthesized from fats and hormones regulate fertility. Women needs to eat good fats throughout conception and pregnancy.
About the Author:
Want to find out more about fertility, then visit Scott McLeod's site to learn about the role of follicle stimulating hormone.
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