When I work with my infertility patients, I know that there’s not usually just one single cause of their struggle with fertility. While I do tend to work extensively with my each of patients on the emotional energetics that can be contributing to infertility, it would be negligent of me to ignore the very real threat that common household items pose to both male and female fertility.
When I begin working with a patient, one of the first things we look at are how she can immediately swap out these items for products that not only support her overall health and fertility, but that also are infinitely better for the planet.
#1. Plastics
Plastics literally disrupt your estrogen receptors, throwing your hormones completely out of whack. This is important both for my female fertility patients as well as their partners, as these estrogen activators can seriously impact sperm health. Some BPA-free plastics have actually been shown to have more estrogen activity than non-BPA-free plastics, so be sure to store food in glass or metal containers.
Stop drinking through plastic straws, use reusable cups and reusable water bottles. Yes, it’s also better for the environment, but if you have any tendency to have any kind of thyroid issue, even small amounts of plastic in your body can contribute to a significant thyroid imbalance.
I’ve known so many women who are so health-conscious in almost every other area of their life, but somehow think that this impact of plastic use doesn’t really apply to them. When you start paying attention to just how much plastic you’re ingesting, it can be eye-opening. Every single sip of hot liquid through a to-go coffee cup lid. Every single time you use a plastic fork in hot food, or stir a hot beverage with a plastic straw. Every single time you microwave or freeze food in a plastic container. These all leach plastic directly into your food, throwing off your thyroid and estrogen balance every time.
So ditch the plastics, stat.
#2. What’s Lurking under your kitchen sink
Cleaning products are some of the most fertility-busting items my patients have in their home. When I have them start their fertility detox, swapping these items out is first on the list. Because there are so many natural products available, getting rid of nasty, toxic cleaning products is super easy. Just do it. Toss the Bleach, the Windex, the 401.
When you clean your home with these products, you absorb them through your skin and inhale them into your lungs. This directly impacts all of the energy in your body. Lung health is essential to fertility, as it supports the descent of your Qi or energy down to your reproductive organs and your womb.
Essential oils have been shown to kill as much bacteria as toxic cleaning products so you can make your own all-purpose disinfectant, or even Target and Amazon have really good cleaning products like 7th generation and Method. Swap out laundry detergent, window cleaner, toilet bowl cleaner, everything. If it’s difficult for you to toss items that aren’t completely used, consider donating them to shelters. (Although I believe no one should suffer from inhaling these nasties)
#3. You So Pretty
I will admit that this one is the most challenging for me, because I am a self-proclaimed “product junkie.” I love makeup, skin creams, oils, etc. But, I also know that our skin is our largest organ, so whatever we put on our body is also absorbed into our body.
Read the ingredients of everything you are putting on your skin. Many people think common brands (ie. Neutrogena, Johnson and Johnson) are “clean” but they may actually be filled with chemicals, which are endocrine disruptors. These negatively impact your hormones.
Always look for labels that say “paraben-free,” look for ingredients you recognize — real ingredients, herbs and oils that come from nature. There are so many great clean brands available. I get all of my skincare and makeup here, and when you use this link, you’ll receive 10% off anything you purchase.
#4. What’s in your fridge?
As far as diet, I only have a few hard and fast rules during the time that you’re trying to get pregnant and they are this:
Avoid Dairy
Avoid Gluten
Avoid cold foods in excess.
This includes huge salads, lots of raw veggies and iced drinks.
While I do tend to give my patients additional guidelines and suggestions for each phase of their menstrual cycle, avoiding gluten, dairy and cold, iced foods and drinks are essential for improving your fertility.
One of the keys to our fertility is to really keep our reproductive organs warm. You may have heard of the terrible term “ a cold womb.” While I hate that term, it’s true that warmth in our diet is the name of the game. Our digestive organs sit very closely to our reproductive organs, so we want to keep the whole area warm. If we’re constantly introducing cold into our body, our reproductive organs will absorb that cold too. To support fertility, it is essential to limit raw, cold foods.
Another important change you can make to improve your fertility is to avoid dairy. Diary is cloying and congesting. Think about the difference between milk and water. We want your Qi, your energy, to be moving clear like water, not thick and phlegmy like milk. Think about moving through yogurt or creamy-soup. That’s what your body is trying to do when you’re trying to digest dairy. It creates mucus, which blocks the smooth flow of your Qi. This one is especially important if you have PCOS or are overweight.
Additionally, most dairy has all those extra hormones that are just not good for you when you’re trying to balance your own hormones. For some of you, this might sound sacrilege — what about calcium? What about my bones?
We’ve all been kind of brainwashed to believe that milk is the only way to build strong bones, but there are tons of other ways to get calcium. Nut mylk is a great alternative to dairy. Just make sure to get one that’s unsweetened and doesn’t contain carageenan.
Gluten is kind of a “buzz-word” these days, but in my acupuncture practice, I’ve found that ALL of my patients’ inflammatory processes are significantly reduced when they remove gluten from their diets. Because inflammation can seriously hinder fertility, cutting out gluten is an easy way to improve your fertility. Plus, most wheat is sprayed with RoundUp*** — read more on that below.
So, there you have it. The four common household items that all of my fertility patients swap out for healthier, more fertility supporting alternatives as soon as we begin working together.
Learn more about supporting and improving your fertility at https://www.wisdomofthewombonline.com
*** The use of Roundup in many GMO foods, including soy and corn, has increased 6,500% between 1991 and 2010. It is absorbed through the plant, and does not wash off. Glyphosate has serious effects on human health. It deprives living organisms of vital nutrients, vitamins and minerals. In humans, it is a chelator of magnesium, iodine, zinc, iron and cobalt. It lowers B12, glutathione and biotin, which are important to the liver’s ability to detoxify. It blocks manganese uptake, inhibiting the enzymes necessary to make neurotransmitters, which ultimately can lead to brain disorders having to do with communication. It can also block phenylalanine production, which can lead to leaky gut.
As if that’s not enough, it acts as a potent antibiotic, which can lead to an imbalance of microflora. So even if the chicken or meat you eat does not contain added antibiotics, if their feed contains “Roundup Ready” soy and corn, your beneficial bacteria may still be depleted, which can lead to build-up of other pathogenic species such as Group-B Strep and Clostridia.
Glyphosate also binds with aluminum and mercury, and they work synergistically to create deficiency in sulfate supplies to the brain, which may contribute to autism, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.