By Christabel Tabbada, LAc.

One of the most basic functions of all animals is procreation and reproduction.  Since one of the body’s most fundamental functions is to procreate, the inability to produce offspring indicates a fairly severe imbalance in the body.

Acupuncturists and all Holistic practitioners believe in the innate ability of the body to heal itself and that when the body is working properly, basic functions such as fertility come naturally and easily.  Bearing this in mind, there are a few basic lifestyle changes that form the foundation of a strong and balanced constitution.
 
Sleep
You’ve heard the old adage “Sleep is for the weak”. Quite to the contrary, as reams of sleep studies show, lack of sleep makes you weak because sleep is the time of the day for your body to rest and repair from the days activities. Additionally, your mind is integrating the experiences and lessons from the day into your mental repository, your pituitary is secreting Human Growth Hormone (used as a very expensive anti aging elixir by anti aging doctors), and your organs are purifying themselves of the day’s metabolic burdens. Good and proper sleep is likely one of the most important single factors in your overall vitality. 
 
Stress
 Like sleep, reducing the stress in your life can be one of the biggest wins in improving your overall mental and emotional outlook as well as benefiting your physical body. Stress hormones have been shown to  cause people to easily gain weight, impair ones thinking ability, impact the ability to get a good nights sleep, and long term stress has been shown to impact fertility in a variety of ways, in addition to being linked to cardio vascular disease, type II diabetes, and more. Often we are under stress for such an extended period that we perceive that state to be “normal” and non stressful when it is still having a tremendous impact on our ability to function and our overall health. 
 
Proper Nutrition 
Many types of infertility are linked to either sex hormone imbalances or overall hormonal imbalances. Apart from sleep and stress, food is one of the single most impactful regular activity that we take part in. The Standard American Diet, the bulk of which consists of highly processed carbohydrates, has been linked to both Poly Cystic Ovarian Syndrome as well as Endometriosis, two of the most prevalent disorders associated with female infertility.  A naturally clean diet consisting primarily of whole foods like a variety of vegetables and fruits, small amounts of unrefined grains (like brown rice ), and  lean animal protein like unprocessed cuts of beef, poultry, pork, and fish, along with good sleep and a low stress lifestyle, has been shown to be the basis for  a balanced, vital, and fertile body.
 
For more information on how you can boost your fertility quotient with acupuncture, take advantage of our  special Gift Certificate for a Complimentary Fertility Consultation with Acupuncturist, Christabel Tabbada LAc.  Call 949.631.5226 today!