Category Archives: Fertility
Discover Super Foods to Help Increase Your Fertility
Nutrition and optimum fertility go hand-in-hand. Look: When you eat as many nutrient-rich foods as possible – Super Foods – you may actually increase your fertility. Fertility super foods can help you revamp your overall diet and whole-body lifestyle. Why is this important? Key nutrients play a vital role in improving one’s reproductive system.
Fertility Super Foods
Rather than relying on concentrated supplements, it is better to eat nutrient-rich foods. Remember: Taking a folic acid supplement when you are trying to get pregnant is recommended.
If you eat as many nutrient-rich foods as possible – Super Foods – you have best chance of boosting your fertility.
Sunflower Seeds and Sunflower Seed Butter
Sunflower seeds are an excellent source of vitamin E. Supplementation with vitamin E has been shown to boost male fertility. Specifically, it’s been shown to boost sperm count and motility, and improve DNA fragmentation.
Freshly Squeezed Grapefruit and Orange Juice
Grapefruit juice and orange juice are very high in the polyamine putrescine, which may improve egg and semen health. Putrescine helps both egg and sperm cells maintain their chromosomal integrity.
Mature Cheeses
Mature cheeses are high in polyamines which play an important role in keeping the reproductive system healthy – specifically egg quality in women 35 and older. Polyamines are proteins found in plant and animal products. They are also naturally occurring in humans.
Full-Fat Yogurt and Ice Cream
A Harvard study found that women who ate full-fat dairy products were less likely to experience ovulation problems than women who ate primarily low-fat dairy products. Full-fat products included whole milk, ice cream, cream cheese, and other cheese.
Cow Liver
Cow liver is high in many nutrients that are vital to reproductive health.
Cooked Tomatoes
Cooked tomatoes are high in the nutrient lycopene, a powerful antioxidant.
Lentils and Beans
Beans and lentils are a good source of protein, and research has found that women who get more of their protein from plant-based sources instead of animal sources are less likely to experience ovulation problems. Lentils contain high levels of the polyamine spermidine, which may help sperm fertilize the egg.
A Healthy Body Mass Index (BMI)
A healthy body weight and diet is essential to increasing your chances of becoming pregnant. Strive to achieve and maintain a healthy body mass index (BMI) to keep your reproductive cycle in balance. A BMI of 19 to 24 indicates a healthy weight. Anything above 24 or below 19 may be hindering your chances of ovulation and conception.
Expertise to Help You Increase Your Fertility
It is important to work with a fertility specialist having the education and clinical experience required to design a customized treatment plan meeting your personal needs. To schedule your initial consultation with Dr. John Zhang at New Hope Fertility Center – or call 917.525.5496.
How to Increase Your Fertility With Quick Easy Lifestyle Changes
Have you been diligently trying to get pregnant with no luck? Look: All pregnancies begin when egg meets sperm – so they need to be in the same place at the same time. That’s not all. There is more to getting pregnant than simply keeping track of when your ovaries release your egg – ovulation window – and having sex during that time. There are many quick and easy lifestyle changes you can make to increase your chances of conceiving by improving the health of your eggs.
Egg Health and Fertility
There are many factors that have an impact on the health of a woman’s ovaries and eggs. To enhance your natural fertility, consider some additional factors:
- Proper circulation to the reproductive system
- Environment
- Balanced hormones
- Stress
Oxygen Rich Blood Flow
For the good health of your eggs, proper oxygenation to the ovaries is necessary. Lack of oxygen and blood flow to the ovaries can decrease because of:
- Lack of exercise
- Dehydration
Lack of Exercise
Exercise increases blood flow to a woman’s reproductive organs and brings in fresh blood to cells. Bottom line: Exercise helps to oxygenate the blood. New studies have shown that both online yoga and in-person yoga help to increase the chances of a successful IVF pregnancy by up to 26 percent. This is because yoga is proven to reduce stress and anxiety in IVF patients.
Here’s the deal.
Yoga regimens include a series of poses and postures designed to improve fertility by:
- Increasing blood flow to your reproductive system
- Releasing stress
- Reducing anxiety
- Balancing life energy flow throughout the body
- Helping to reset your endocrine system – aiding hormonal balance
- Supporting a healthy immune system
- Detoxifying the body
- Creating clarity in your mind
Six weeks of in-person or online fertility yoga can reduce an IVF patient’s stress and anxiety between 23 and 26 percent. Now, you can experience the benefits of yoga by practicing online at home.
Dehydration
Lack of hydration can cause a woman’s blood to become thick and decrease circulation in her reproductive organs. Drinking plenty of water upon rising from bed in the morning and throughout the day will naturally increase circulation in the body.
Folic Acid Supplement
Begin by enhancing your diet with foods rich in folic acid.
- Leafy green vegetables
- Fresh fruits
- Dried beans, peas, nuts
- Enriched breads, cereals, other whole grain products
- Ask your fertility specialist to prescribe folic acid as a dietary supplement
Reduce Your Alcohol Intake
Studies show that women over 30 who drank seven or more alcoholic beverages a week were twice as likely not to conceive. Cutting out alcohol altogether while you try for a baby is the best plan because, once you conceive, your cravings for a drink will be diminished.
Watch Your Weight and Get Plenty of Sleep
A healthy adult Body Mass Index (BMI) is between 18.5 and 24.9. A 2016 review of studies shows that not getting enough sleep leads women to consume an average of 385 more calories the next day. Too much body weight can make women less fertile.
Avoid Caffeine
Caffeine – in coffee, tea, and soda – can have an adverse effect on female fertility. It’s best to cut caffeine out altogether to boost your fertility level and prepare for a healthy pregnancy.
Eat Healthy Proteins
Eating healthy proteins helps to maintain blood sugar balance. This balance gives your body the even supply of nutrients it needs for producing hormones and supporting a healthy reproductive system.
- Chicken
- Lean red meats
- Soy beans
- Fresh fish, such as salmon, tilapia, cod (no canned tuna because of high mercury levels)
- Eggs
- Beans, legumes, lentils, chickpeas
- Nuts and seeds
What to do if your lifestyle changes don’t work?
It is important to work with a fertility care team having the experience to accurately diagnose the underlying cause of your infertility and design a customized treatment plan meeting your specific medical and personal needs.
- Timed Intercourse with medical assistance
- Intrauterine Insemination (IUI)
- Conventional IVF
- Mini-IVF™
- Natural IVF
To schedule your initial consultation with Dr. John Zhang at New Hope Fertility Center, call 917.525.5496.
How Sleep Increases Fertility
I recommend women in their prime childbearing years (25 to 35) get 7 to 9 hours of quality sleep every night during a work week. The National Sleep Foundation has found through studies that sleep has a powerful influence on a woman’s reproductive hormonal system.
Sleep Deprivation: BMI – Mood – Stress
Sleep deprivation adversely affects your BMI, your mood, and your stress level. Your Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH) level is directly affected by lack of sleep. Your FSH level should ideally be at its highest level just before you ovulate.
Women averaging 7 to 9 hours of sleep each night had a 20 percent higher FSH level than those who go 6 or fewer hours – regardless of age, BMI, mood, or stress level.
Sleep and BMI
A healthy adult Body Mass Index (BMI) is between 18.5 and 24.9. Look: A 2016 review of studies shows that not getting enough sleep leads women to consume an average of 385 more calories the next day.
Here’s the real story about women who don’t get enough sleep.
- They gain weight
- The make less healthy food choices
- They eat foods higher in fat
- They eat low protein foods
Over a five year period, women can gain 2.1 BMI points for every hour of sleep they lose. Why is this important? A two pound weight gain can easily throw a woman off of her healthy BMI.
The takeaway. Sleep is an important moderator of neuroendocrine function and glucose metabolism. Sleep loss alters metabolic and endocrine alterations.Read more: How Sleep Increases Fertility
Can You Maintain Fertility While Be Treated For Leukemia?
Receiving a leukemia diagnosis is one of the most trying things an individual can experience. Treatment for leukemia often involves chemotherapy and radiation. While both of these treatment methods are effective, they also have the potential to substantially reduce or even eliminate the chance of a woman starting a family in the future.
Read more: Can You Maintain Fertility While Be Treated For Leukemia?
THE MINI IVF AND WHY IT MAY BE YOUR BEST OPTION
Advances in technology and understanding of how fertility works have created new in vitro fertilization protocols. At one time, large doses of fertility medication were needed in order for Conventional IVF to be performed. Minimal Stimulation IVF (Mini IVF) has changed this and now allows for a more holistic and natural approach to fertility medicine. Instead of using large dosages of fertility medication to stimulate egg production, the Mini IVF protocol uses low doses of medication to supplement a woman’s natural fertility. Because of high quality egg production, this new approach increase success rates as well as results in a more comfortable and safe experience. making-babies
Dr. Zhang’s Pick of the Month: Dr. John Zhang’s Interview on Sperm Bank Market in China
Since the two-child policy became effective in China, there have been reports that there is shortage of donor sperm within the country. On May 5th, CCTV America’s Rachelle Akuffo spoke to Dr.John Zhang about the general perceptions in China about donating sperm. Read the full article here.
Read more: Dr. Zhang’s Pick of the Month: Dr. John Zhang’s Interview on Sperm Bank Market in China
Confronting The Biological Clock
Many women spend a large portion of their reproductive years trying to prevent pregnancy. Some women are focused on career while others are waiting for the right partner to start a family with. No matter the reason, many women find themselves needing help while trying to conceive during their 30s and 40s. The main culprit is a woman’s biological clock. More than just a metaphor, a woman’s biological clock can make all of the difference in her ability to get pregnant.
Dr. Zhang’s Pick of the Month: What do I do after a failed embryo transfer?
All the doctors at New Hope Fertility Center and patients hope that everyone would have a good result from their treatments, and we are all looking forward to be able to help many couples and women achieve their dream of being a parent.
Read more: Dr. Zhang’s Pick of the Month: What do I do after a failed embryo transfer?
The Difference Between an Oocyte and an Embryo – What Happens During Conception?
Knowing what happens during conception can help you to understand the fertility process, especially if you’re about to undergo an IVF Cycle.
Read more: The Difference Between an Oocyte and an Embryo – What Happens During Conception?
Pregnancy Success and BMI
Weight impacts fertility for both men and women. For both genders, being overweight can significantly reduce a person’s natural fertility. Being overweight can negatively impact hormone levels making ovulation and sperm production difficult.
