Caffeine
* Ingesting approximately 300 mg of caffeine or more per day has shown to decrease fertility rates. If you are asking what 300 mg of caffeine is, it can be related to about 3 cups of coffee. That's about 100 mg of caffeine per cup of coffee. Soft-drinks higher in caffeine such as Mountain Dew and Coca-Cola have roughly 50 to 80 mg of caffeine per 20 ounces. Avoid taking caffeine completely if possible. If not, monitor your intake and stay at 200 mg per day or less.
Pasteurized Juice, Sodas and Sugar
* Spikes of sugar from candy, soft-drinks and juices have a negative impact on fertility. There is an interconnected hormonal system that is in play and so you want to eat low-glycemic index carbohydrates (i.e. complex carbs such as spaghetti, oatmeal, quinoa, etc) rather than refined sugars found in pastries, candy bars and the previous mentioned offenders. Avoid artificial sweeteners. Aspartame in particular is a bad bad player in the fertility game and your health in general. Safe alternative sweeteners are agave nectar, stevia, maple syrup and honey.
Alcohol Consumption
* Current studies on alcohol and fertility rates show that women drinking two alcoholic drinks per day contribute to a significant ( 60% ) decrease in fertility. You may have thought not to drink during pregnancy but if you're having problems conceiving you may just want to give up 'the bottle' early. Men should also avoid alcohol as it decreases sperm count. It may entice men to know that alcohol lowers testosterone levels and increases estrogen levels.
Smoking
* Research strongly indicates decreased fertility amongst couples who smoke. Women smoking decreases the odds of conceptions but also their male counterparts contribute to a lower fertility rate if they smoke. Smoking reduces sperm count in men as well as causes DNA damage.
Soy Foods
* Soy has been researched and documented to mimic the effects of estrogen within the body. Your body perceives these molecules as estrogen and being that your body's hormonal system is regulated on how much perceived estrogen is in your system, this can cause hormonal swings and imbalances that contribute to lower fertility. Avoid those processed soy foods including soy milk, soy burgers/patties, soy cheeses, soy protein powders... you get the point. Men as well as women are affected by soy.
GMO Derived Foods
* GMO's or genetically modified organisms are humans attempt to use nature to manipulate nature and has resulted in some emerging health consequences. It has been strongly suspected that fertility rates are decreased with the increase of GMO foodstuffs in one's diet. Avoid eating GMO food and research these commonly modified foods and ingredients. Look for the Non-GMO label on relevant products.
Fat Free Food
* Why is this bad you are asking? Well, if these foods are being advertised as fat-free it usually indicates that it isn't naturally fat-free which further indicates that it has been processed to remove that fat. Remember, we want to avoid processed foods. This leaves the food devoid of its natural fat content and higher in sugars. Studies (conducted at Harvard) showed that fertility rates increased with full fat spectrum dairy products as opposed to their low-fat, processed counterparts. It is important to know that fats are crucial building blocks for hormones... and hormones regulate fertility.
* Ingesting approximately 300 mg of caffeine or more per day has shown to decrease fertility rates. If you are asking what 300 mg of caffeine is, it can be related to about 3 cups of coffee. That's about 100 mg of caffeine per cup of coffee. Soft-drinks higher in caffeine such as Mountain Dew and Coca-Cola have roughly 50 to 80 mg of caffeine per 20 ounces. Avoid taking caffeine completely if possible. If not, monitor your intake and stay at 200 mg per day or less.
Pasteurized Juice, Sodas and Sugar
* Spikes of sugar from candy, soft-drinks and juices have a negative impact on fertility. There is an interconnected hormonal system that is in play and so you want to eat low-glycemic index carbohydrates (i.e. complex carbs such as spaghetti, oatmeal, quinoa, etc) rather than refined sugars found in pastries, candy bars and the previous mentioned offenders. Avoid artificial sweeteners. Aspartame in particular is a bad bad player in the fertility game and your health in general. Safe alternative sweeteners are agave nectar, stevia, maple syrup and honey.
Alcohol Consumption
* Current studies on alcohol and fertility rates show that women drinking two alcoholic drinks per day contribute to a significant ( 60% ) decrease in fertility. You may have thought not to drink during pregnancy but if you're having problems conceiving you may just want to give up 'the bottle' early. Men should also avoid alcohol as it decreases sperm count. It may entice men to know that alcohol lowers testosterone levels and increases estrogen levels.
Smoking
* Research strongly indicates decreased fertility amongst couples who smoke. Women smoking decreases the odds of conceptions but also their male counterparts contribute to a lower fertility rate if they smoke. Smoking reduces sperm count in men as well as causes DNA damage.
Soy Foods
* Soy has been researched and documented to mimic the effects of estrogen within the body. Your body perceives these molecules as estrogen and being that your body's hormonal system is regulated on how much perceived estrogen is in your system, this can cause hormonal swings and imbalances that contribute to lower fertility. Avoid those processed soy foods including soy milk, soy burgers/patties, soy cheeses, soy protein powders... you get the point. Men as well as women are affected by soy.
GMO Derived Foods
* GMO's or genetically modified organisms are humans attempt to use nature to manipulate nature and has resulted in some emerging health consequences. It has been strongly suspected that fertility rates are decreased with the increase of GMO foodstuffs in one's diet. Avoid eating GMO food and research these commonly modified foods and ingredients. Look for the Non-GMO label on relevant products.
Fat Free Food
* Why is this bad you are asking? Well, if these foods are being advertised as fat-free it usually indicates that it isn't naturally fat-free which further indicates that it has been processed to remove that fat. Remember, we want to avoid processed foods. This leaves the food devoid of its natural fat content and higher in sugars. Studies (conducted at Harvard) showed that fertility rates increased with full fat spectrum dairy products as opposed to their low-fat, processed counterparts. It is important to know that fats are crucial building blocks for hormones... and hormones regulate fertility.
About the Author:
Want to find out more about fertility, then visit Scott McLeod's site to learn about the role of follicle stimulating hormone.
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