5 tips to improve your chances of conceiving

Infertility is an alarming modern epidemic affecting more couples than ever. If you and your partner are trying to conceive, this would be of interest to you.

Even if infertility is not a concern, these tips would help you have a healthier baby.

In this post, you’ll uncover 5 tips to improve your chances of conceiving and having a healthier baby. Scroll down to find out more:

Exposure to environmental toxins could negatively affect your fertility (and this doesn’t just apply for women, this affects men too!) However due to lax government regulation on the use of such chemicals, these poisonous toxins end up in our food supply, air, water and environment.

So what are the top environmental toxins that you should avoid?

1. Pesticides: from non-organic fruit and vegetables, meat, dairy and unfiltered tap water. For more information on which foods you should buy organic, click HERE.
2. Formaldehyde: commonly found in air fresheners, deodorants, floor polish, carpet cleaners, etc.
3. Bisphenols: found in plastic containers and can leach into food and water. Go instead for glass, ceramic or stainless steel containers. Or if you have to, plastic containers that are BPA-free.
4. Organic solvents: petroleum based liquids found in household products, electronics, car repair, health care, photography, agriculture, printing, construction and cosmetics and many more.
5. Paint fumes

While occasional exposure to these should not cause you much problems. Problems occur when you have regular exposure which then leads to an accumulation of these toxins in your body.

The right diet is as much about what to avoid eating as what you should eat. A good rule to follow is to eat foods that are not processed (or minimally processed), fresh and organic whenever possible. Think about it this way, each food that you eat is either making you healthier (i.e. more conducive for conception) or affecting your fertility negatively.

So what should you avoid eating?

• Deep fried or overcooked foods – When foods are deep fried or overcooked, what happens is the fats in them gets oxidised, proteins denatured and harmful mutagens are also produced.
• GMO foods – the most common GMO crops are canola, soybeans, corn, cottonseed. Their byproducts include: maltodextrin (common filler used in many products, including health products!), high fructose corn syrup, soy lecithin (emulsifier used in many processed foods), etc.
• Bad fats – do avoid trans fat/ hydrogenated fats (i.e. margarine, etc) and vegetable oils (high in omega 6 fatty acids). Opt for these instead: coconut oil, palm oil, butter, ghee, etc.
• Excessive consumption of sugar, especially frustose – sugar causes your body oxidative stress and accelerates aging.

You might not give a second thought about stress when it comes to fertility. However studies have shown that stress negatively impacts fertility. Engage in activities that help you relax and unwind. This could range from talking to friends, doing yoga, meditation, get enough sleep, etc.

While coffee appears to be a good source of antioxidants, when it comes to fertility, studies have shown that you have a higher chance of conceiving if you skip coffee.

Although it’s been known for a long time that drinking or smoking while pregnant should be avoided, drinking or smoking before pregnancy has largely been ignored. The matter of the fact is tobacco and alcohol reduce your chances of conceiving. And this applies for both men and women as they affect both the women’s eggs and the men’s sperm.

You might not see the point in checking if you’re symptom free. However, there are some STDs without obvious symptoms, so you and your partner might not be aware that you have them.

One STD that could affect your chances of conceiving is Chlamydia. It could lead to sperm abnormalities in male and blockages & miscarriages in female.