How to increase fertility: Natural ways to boost fertility

‘There is purpose in season of your waiting.’

~Megan Smalley

Bringing a new life into this world is no child’s play. You might take years to prepare yourself for this life-altering event, but once you have, there’s a flurry of emotions that you experience – nervousness, excitement, joy, and hope. If this decision is challenged by your own body, you feel betrayed and for good reason. According to ‘The World Population Prospects: The 2017 Revision Report’ released in 2017, the fertility rate of Indians has drastically declined by half over the last four decades and has reached 2.3. While some may argue that this is a positive step towards population control, the fact of the matter is that this decision is not one of choice.

Today, we lead far more stressful lives than the previous generation. Our eating habits have gone for a toss, our lifestyles are way more sedentary, and sleeping on time is a far-fetched dream. Add to that an increasingly polluted environment, and voila, you have a perfect recipe to fuel infertility. While there are conflicting opinions regarding a woman’s biological clock, there is no denying the fact that fertility does reduce with age.

Natural Ways to Boost Fertility

Here are some tips that could possibly improve your fertility. While these steps might not be fail-proof, there’s no harm in giving them a shot.

Think before you eat

You may have heard this time and again – ‘You are what you eat’. What you are consuming has a direct impact on your health, and specifically, fertility. You might even lose interest in eating, since you feel powerless, but that extra serving of vegetables on your plate could do wonders for you. Remember, every morsel you consume builds the foundation of a strong uterine lining, and a healthy egg development.

Some studies suggest that animal protein might trigger ovulatory infertility, hence whole foods is what you must focus on. Try incorporating foods with low glycemic load (like whole wheat, oatmeal, sweet potato) and more plant proteins (like soybeans, legumes) for a healthy uterus. Besides, do not cut out fats completely – swap trans-fats with mono-saturated ones.

Hydrate

While it is significant to make dietary changes, do not forget to replenish your body with the magic drink… WATER! We are the generation that downs more colas and sugary beverages than water, but it’s time to change this habit. Make sure you have at least 8–10 glasses of water every day to keep your body well-hydrated.

It may be a struggle to inculcate this habit in the initial days, but stay a little mindful, and you will reap the benefits. What’s more? Water also aids in weight loss and removing toxins from your day. Now, that’s a win-win situation for sure!

Hit the snooze button

Are you spending your nights working on those presentations or addicted to Netflix? Whatever be the case, STOP right now! As you may have heard several times, sleep is essential to regulate the hormones in your body, and in turn, is the cornerstone of a healthy reproductive system.

It is mandatory to get a minimum of seven to eight hours sleep every night. If you do not, it affects your leptin levels, and that means an irregular menstrual cycle. That’s not all – if your sleep cycle is irregular, it will lead to higher stress levels (read: higher cortisol), which is equally harmful if you plan to conceive.

Move your body

Our lives are more sedentary than ever. We are almost always staring at our laptops or our mobile screens, and believe it or not, our laziness levels are sky-high. Get off your electronics and take a stroll; it’ll do you even better than you think. Try to incorporate at least 30 to 40 minutes of exercise every day. You could take a walk in the park, go for a dance class, or hit the gym.

While fitness is a lifestyle, make sure you don’t overdo it. Over-exercising could also be the cause for infertility. Make sure you exercise moderately and build your health.

Say goodbye to stress

Stress is a big danger and more often than not, the cause for most diseases. There’s no denying that we live in a fast-paced environment that triggers high tension levels in our bodies, but there are always ways to unwind and relax. Why take a chance when you know stress can add to your infertility woes?

You could try meditating, going for a massage, or spending some quality time with your friends. Do whatever calms your nerves!

Take these little steps every day and start building a fertility-friendly lifestyle. You never know your cloud may soon have a silver lining!