1. Tea

Green tea and orange pekoe tea are both excellent fertility enhancers. Tea contains a high level of antioxidants which aid in healthy immune systems. Research has shown that women who regularly drink tea increase their chance of conception

5. Spinach and other Leafy Greens

Spinach and other leafy greens are an excellent source of folic acid which is important in optimising sperm production, facilitating regular, healthy ova production and helping to prevent neural tube defects during early pregnancy. They are high in Vitamin E, important for improving the number and quality of sperm.  For vitamin E, watercress is especially good.  It is also a great source of iron and vitamin C which helps to enhance sperm quality by protecting the DNA stored within it from damage.

6. Oysters

It is the abundance of zinc found in this seafood delicacy that gives it its fertility boosting qualities. Zinc is often considered to be the most important fertility nutrient as it has been shown to help with both healthy sperm and egg production as well as being important for maintaining optimum semen volume and blood testosterone levels in men. If oysters aren't your thing, zinc can also be found in lentils, legumes, baked beans, eggs, nuts, seeds, whole grains and pumpkin seeds. 

7. Lentils, legumes, eggs, nuts and seeds

They are high in zinc important for hormone health.  As well as this, many nuts and seeds also contain high levels of calcium which is very important for the bone, muscle and nervous system health of the foetus.  

8. Chillies

These certainly 'spice' things up in the fertility department by increasing the flow of blood around the body, ensuring that the reproductive system gets a healthy supply. Chillies also stimulate endorphin production which means more fertility boosting, stress releasing, happy hormones circulate around your body and are also an excellent source of vitamin C which helps with iron absorption. 

9. Avocado

Avocado provides a rich source of vitamin E which is a powerful antioxidant and an essential fertility nutrient for both men and women as it improves the viability of sperm and helps to regulate both ovulation and the production of cervical mucus. It is also an excellent source of unsaturated fats which are essential for healthy hormone functioning, olive oil is another good vegetable source.

10. Olive Oil raw, cold pressed)

Vitamin E is found in olive oil and wheat germ and has been found to be helpful especially in male fertility

and the bonus ... WATER

Probably the most important thing to consume. Get in the good habit of drinking at least eight cups of water a day.  Your baby lives in water for the first 9 months of it’s life so mothers to be have to have enough available so their body will allow them to put some aside to protect the foetus.

In general when trying for a baby it pays to go for good quality, unprocessed foods as these are likely to be much richer in vitamins, minerals and nutrients and also freer from pesticides and added oestrogens that may disrupt reproductive functioning in both men and women. By supplementing a balanced diet and healthy lifestyle with the foods listed above you will help to ensure you have all the nutrients you need to ensure your reproductive system is in optimum condition.

If you are trying to get pregnant, and are having trouble, please let your Chiropractor know so they can tailor the treatment and advice you receive to your situation specifically.

Remember, your body is very smart.  It will only allow you to become pregnant if both partners are in good health.  The mother’s body protects the foetus and the parents are responsible for caring for the newborn.  If there are signs that either parent is not healthy enough to keep up with the rigorous demands of parent hood, the body will do it’s best to prevent a pregnancy from occurring.  

 There are also many supplements you can use to help improve your fertility however these should be tailored specifically for each individual.  As a result it is important to speak to your natural health care practitioner (chiropractor, naturopath etc) about the best options for you.  ~Bel

4. Smoking / Smoking has definitely been linked with infertility in women. It can even bring on an early menopause, which is a particularly important consideration for older women who may be trying to beat the clock. Smoking can decrease sperm count in men, making the sperm more sluggish, and it can increase the number of abnormal sperm. With men, the negative effects on fertility are increased with the number of cigarettes. Cigarette smoking is known to greatly reduce the vitamin C levels in our bodies. RDA of Vitamin C for smokers is twice as much as that for non-smokers. As has been discussed elsewhere, Vitamin C plays a very important role in fertility, especially Male fertility.

5. Soy Products
 Be ware of soy products.  These may provide a good supply of calcium however their high content of oestrogen has been linked with some quite detrimental effects.  If the foetus is a male, the damage can include gynacomastia (breasts on a male), small genital organs.  In females, babies have been born menstruating and tend to develop earlier physically. 

6. Processed Foods
Avoid processed foods like sugar and refined flour (sweets and junk foods) since these provide no nutrition for a developing baby. Many older women who have babies are diagnosed with gestational diabetes, and too much junk food can contribute to high blood sugar and a greater need for cesarean birth due to large babies from diabetic mothers.

Your baby depends on you and the foods you eat. Give it every advantage prior to conception and avoid problems further down the road. Eating healthy is one of the easiest things you can do during pregnancy to safeguard the health of you and the baby. / and the bonus... / 7. Too much exercise / The standard rules of 30 minutes of moderate exercise, a minimum of three times per week seems to provide for optimal fertility.  

Any more than 2 hours of moderate or harder exercise in a day tends to alter hormone levels.  It has been found to severely deplete testosterone in particular – an important hormone in male fertility.  It can also deplete body salts such as magnesium and calcium if they are not being adequately replaced.

~Bel

1. Gonstead is specific.  We take the time to thoroughly assess your spine and determine where your problem is coming from.  A very important part of this is figuring out which areas need to be adjusted when and what areas are problematic but are in fact compensating for the true subluxations.  We then take just as much care in specifically correcting your subluxations in the most biomechanically advantageous way we can find to suit you as an individual. 

2. We can adjust any joint in your body.  Because we understand the mechanics of how each joint functions in your body, a Gonstead chiropractor can find and correct subluxations in areas outside of the spine including but not limited to knees and ankles, shoulders and elbows.  

3.  We take our own x-rays.  X-rays can be very important in determining how to best correct your unique subluxations.  They are also used to rule out any underlying conditions.  We go to great efforts to position you very precisely so we know when we are looking at your x-rays, we have the whole story.  Many people are quite amazed at how much can be determined from your x-rays about the story of your life to date.  

4.  A Gonstead adjustment is in exactly the best direction to have the strongest impact on the brain.  Part of the importance of each chiropractic adjustment is in the ability it has to reset the brain.  Research so far seems to be suggesting that a deep adjustment from the back to the front has the greatest impact on the brain.  To me, this suggests that in order to truly reset and repattern the brain, a Gonstead adjustment should result in changes occuring much faster than adjustments employing less of this particular part of the adjustment.  

5. We consider your whole body.  Part of taking x-rays, listening to your story and checking your whole spine is that your body is a system - everything affects everything else.  When we adjust you, we look to see how other parts of your body are likely to respond to each adjustment.  Certain parts of your spine tend to make certain organs work faster or slower.  Knowing what affect this is likely to have on you often helps your body to normalise certain bodily functions just by choosing what to adjust and what not to adjust at any given time.  /  Gonstead chiropractors spend a lot of extra time outside of university learning how to precisely find and optimally correct subluxations anywhere in the body.  At Heart Chiropractic we are proud to be Gonstead Chiropractors.  ~Bel

Your brain sends messages down your spinal cord to the rest of your body - your hands and feet, all your organs, your muscles, joints and even your skin.  All these parts of your body also send messages back to the brain via the nervous system and the spinal cord.  When you have a subluxation, something is interfering in some way with the messages between your brain and body or vice versa.