Natural Ways to Boost Your Fertility that Your Doctor Might Not Mention
If you are worried about your fertility, you aren't alone.
More people are suffering from fertility struggles than ever before. This is in part because of our altered food supply and hazardous environmental chemical exposure and in part because fertility treatment is a business, and doctors want your money.
The result is more people struggling to get pregnant and more people opting to go down the expensive and often difficult road of fertility treatment. One scientist captures the scope of the problem in her new book titled Count Down: How Our Modern World Is Threatening Sperm Counts, Altering Male and Female Reproductive Development, and Imperiling the Future of the Human Race. In this 2021 new release, professor Shanna Swan reports dire increases in infertility: a one percent increase in miscarriage rates per year for the last two decades.
The cause of this fertility decrease is overwhelmingly broad, but with every positive change we make, our fertility can be boosted again.
One example is plastics, which are used to store most of our foods, beverages, and beauty products. Many of these plastics leach phthalates, chemicals that disrupt our fertility hormones. The more plastic we can eliminate from our lives, the better our fertility will be.
Additionally, the additives in our foods, the processing those foods undergo, and the role those foods play in disrupting our fertility system alters our ability to get pregnant as well. From pesticides sprayed on our produce to growth hormones injected into our milk-producing cows, our food supply has been drastically altered over the last few decades, and that alteration has reduced our fertility as a population. Buying organic foods that are grown locally (or at home) is one way to combat this issue and boost your fertility.
Perfumes and fragrances hide other culprits that interfere with our fertility hormones. These are found in shampoo, conditioner, lotion, toothpaste, hair spray, sunscreen, and so much more. Purchasing fragrance-free, sulfate-free, and phthalate-free items is a great way to cut down on these fertility-interfering chemicals.
Although it may seem like it's impossible to avoid all of these chemicals that essentially attack our fertility and whittle away the time in which we can reproduce, there are everyday things you can change to undo much of the damage. It's about breaking this large challenge into smaller, tangible pieces.
Here are 20 tips for boosting your fertility:
Buy organic produce when possible. This will limit your exposure to pesticides.
Store leftovers in glass or stainless steel. This will limit your exposure to chemicals that leach from plastic, such as phthalates.
Never microwave plastic, as this can enhance the chemical leaching.
Buy clothes made from organic cotton or bamboo when possible. This will reduce your exposure to pesticides.
Choose fragrance-free products, as fragrances can interfere with reproductive system signaling.
Choose dye-free products, as the chemicals used in dyes can interfere with reproductive system signaling.
Opt for free-range meat. This will reduce unnecessary exposure to antibiotics and growth hormones.
Cook with cast iron, stainless steel, or ceramic pots and pans. This will reduce your exposure to chemicals used in non-stick pans, which can degrade and end up in your food.
Avoid weed killers because they are toxic to the human body.
Avoid herbicides because they are toxic to the human body.
Opt for more natural cleaning products, such as baking soda and vinegar
Buy more fresh food and less packaged food. This will limit your exposure to pesticides and plastics.
Increase your exercise and activity levels. This will help your overall health and aid your body in fighting off the chemicals and toxins it does encounter.
Lose weight if needed. This will help your overall health, and particularly your endocrine communication.
Filter drinking water, but avoid plastic bottles. Water can have chemicals and heavy metals in it.
Avoid fire-resistant clothing and bedding as these are coated in chemicals that interfere with the reproductive system.
Opt for organic cotton or bamboo pillows and mattresses. This will limit your exposure to pesticides and dyes.
Use fewer cosmetics and simpler ingredients. This will limit your exposure to fragrances, dyes, and other chemicals that interfere with the reproductive system.
Opt for second-hand furniture, or air out new furniture. This will limit your exposure to chemicals in glues and finishes, which are toxic.
Adopt house plants, as plants naturally remove toxins from the air.
Tackling just one of these areas each month will help you slowly re-adjust your life toward increased fertility. It is the additive effect of all these chemicals entering your body via different routes that results in decreased fertility, and that is something you could begin to change.
Read next: Fresh, unique baby names part 1
Love all this options on how to boost fertility. So many things we don’t consider removing when we think about fertility