Today I’m talking eggs. Women’s eggs to be precise. Egg health.
It may seem odd talking about looking after your eggs, but let’s face it. We are born with all the ones we’re going to have (although some studies suggest that may not be strictly true) so it makes sense to nurture them.
To protect them BEFORE we plan a baby and to max the quality when we want to start making a baby.
Without ovulation of a healthy egg, there is no natural conception. If you’re choosing IVF or similar with our own eggs, egg health is equally important.
Isn’t Egg Health All About Your Age?
The short answer is yes and NO.
The number of eggs and quality does generally decline with age.
But how many eggs we have and how healthy they are is partly genetic. The tendency to early natural menopause can run in families, but not always.
AND we can really influence the health of our ovaries and our eggs with food, lifestyle choices and natural therapies. To support regular ovulation, healthy eggs and a welcoming womb.
Help! I’ve Been Told My Eggs Are Unhealthy or “Old” Or I Have Low Reserve
Okay. Stay calm.
We can influence the health of the eggs we have with good preconception care. We have some control.
Your doctor can talk you through other options like IVF or using an egg donor.
And low reserve diagnosis tells us about the quantity of eggs, not quality.
A Teensy Bit Of Biology
It takes about 90 days for an egg to mature ready for ovulation.
So today’s egg is the product of what we ate, drank, breathed in, touched, suffered from, stressed over about 3 months ago.
That’s it, biology over. Told you it was teensy.
So How Can We Look After Our Eggs?
Here are some simple ways we can take care of our eggs to protect and boost egg health.
#1 Eat To Nourish Our Eggs, Ovaries and Balance Hormones.
I know I keep banging on about this. #sorrynotsorry but a fertility friendly diet (outlined in the link) improves women’s and men’s health and boosts fertility.
Some fab foods to include in your diet are:-
- Dark leafy green veggies
- Wild or organic salmon
- Broccoli
- Berries
- Seeds and nuts
- Turmeric
- Ginger
- So called “superfoods” maca, Royal Jelly and green powders. Avoid Royal Jelly if you suspect clergy to bee products.
Some things to avoid include:-
- Sugar
- Trans fats -look out for hydrogenated vegetable oil on labels and avoid takeaway and fast foods.
- Caffeine – in regular tea, coffee, cola drinks, chocolate and some over-the-counter meds
- Processed, packet, ready-made, GMO foods
- Meat and dairy that is NOT organic
There are some useful supplements and I think that supplements are best tailored to the individual after a case history and tests. Every woman trying to conceive should at least take a good prenatal multi with enough folic acid. Get my views on supplements here.
#2 Live a Fertility Friendly Lifestyle
Another of my top tips.
If you want more details of the hormone and fertility friendly lifestyle, take a read of this blog .
My strong guidance for starters is :-
- Don’t smoke
- Avoid alcohol
- Quit street drugs
- Detox your life of hormone harming chemicals
#3 Boost Blood Flow
It’s been shown that getting oxygen-rich blood to the pelvis supports good egg health.
So you’re thinking, how the heck do I do that? Here are my suggestions:-
- Drink plenty of filtered water or glass-bottled mineral water
- Exercise – move your butt to get your heart pumping and fresh blood circulating
- Speak to a qualified fertility acupuncturist or a qualified fertility massage expert.
#4 Reduce Stress
Stress can impact ovulation. Hormone imbalances can block ovulation temporarily. Even in women who do ovulate despite stress, it can harm chances of fertilisation and implantation.
So, its key to work out ways of managing stress. And that’s different for all of us – try yoga (also good for pelvic blood flow), massage, meditation, qi gong or tai chi, other exercise.
If stress is a real big issue for you, try a talking therapy like EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique), hypnotherapy or counselling and coaching. I know some very good therapists in the field, who specialise in fertility.
So my take home message is we can protect and influence egg health with good diet and healthy habits.
If you loved this egg cosy-ing post, you will love the totally FREE course 7 Steps to Boost Fertility. Find out more by clicking the box below.
Love,
Recent Comments