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nuts4chic - health |
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With one in three couples now having trouble conceiving and misleading
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| Dr Marilyn Glenville, President of the Royal Society of Medicine and the UK's leading expert in woman's health, has put together a simple guide called Getting Pregnant Faster. |
"It has been designed for individuals. No two couples are ever alike in terms of what may be preventing them from getting pregnant, which is why it is so important to have all the information that addresses your needs at your fingertips," she says.
"From many years' experience of helping couples to become parents it is
clear that a well-structured plan is needed - one that ticks all the
boxes - so that you know what you should be doing and when, in order not
to waste time."
Indeed, with female fertility declining rapidly after an average age of 35, coupled with the growing trend for many women to delay trying for their first baby until their mid-thirties, Glenville says that time is of the essence.
"Although we all look and feel much younger these days, our biological clocks are still ticking over at exactly the same rate that our grandmothers' generation were, and we all have a limited reserve of eggs, so the need to devise an efficient three-month action plan is vital in order to make the most of the time remaining," she points out.
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| "My book is designed for any woman who wants to have a baby, from those who are thinking about it for the first time to those who have been trying for months, or even years, without results" |
"My book is designed for any woman who wants to have a baby, from those who are thinking about it for the first time to those who have been trying for months, or even years, without results," she says, adding that it is also useful for couples undergoing IVF, IUI or ICSI as it can help prepare the body for these infertility treatments, and therefore provide the best chance for success.
"Couples who have already had a baby will also find it useful if they
are struggling to conceive again, and likewise, it will be beneficial to
those who are going for egg or sperm donation and those who have had one
or more miscarriage."
"If you're sceptical about the connection between food and fertility,
bear in mind that your body uses the nutrients from the food that you
eat - and the supplements that you take - to repair cells, produce
hormones and ultimately produce healthy eggs and sperm," advises
Glenville.
Indeed, Glenville believes that, in many ways, your fertility depends
upon what you eat.
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| "Clean up your diet, take out additives, preservatives and artificial sweeteners, and eat as naturally as possible," she recommends. |
"Clean up your diet, take out additives, preservatives and artificial sweeteners, and eat as naturally as possible," she recommends.
"Also try to eat as organically as you can and use natural skincare
products in order to avoid xenooestrogens - or 'gender-bender' chemicals
- which come in to the body from the plastics and pesticide industry.
"They could have a negative effect on male fertility and may also
increase the incidence of fibroids and endometriosis in women which also
affects fertility."
A healthy, nutrient-rich, balanced diet in the preconception period will not only boost your chances of getting pregnant and having a healthy baby, it will also keep your blood sugar levels in balance and your weight under control, according to Glenville.
"If your blood sugar is not balanced, or if you are under- or
overweight, the reproductive hormones which control your fertility will
not work properly, severely limiting you chances of conceiving," she
says.
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| "For both men and women zinc is right at the top of my list." |
"A healthy, well-balanced diet of fresh, whole foods is therefore the
cornerstone of my fertility-boosting action plan."
"For both men and women zinc is right at the top of my list. Not only
does it improve sperm count in men, it also makes the head of the sperm
harder and has a direct effect on sex hormones in both sexes," Glenville
says.
"I would also add in some vitamin C because it's an antioxidant so can
help prevent DNA damage which affects chromosomes and could increase the
risk of miscarriage or damaged sperm.
"For men specifically I'd recommend amino acids like arginine for sperm maturity, and co-enzyme Q10 which actually helps to power the sperm along," she continues.
"I really do believe that supplements are vital when you are trying to
conceive because it's often a struggle to get what we need from the food
we eat these days due to a depletion of nutrients in the soil as a
result of over-farming, and also the longer distances that food tends to
travel today."
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| "Even with the best will in the world, we're not consuming enough nutrients so the aim is to add in some really good vitamins and minerals over a three month period along with the lifestyle and dietary changes." |
In fact, the National Diet and Nutrition survey in 2003 found that only
15% of women and 13% actually eat their five-a-day of fruit and
vegetables.
"Around 84% of women do not get the required amount of folic acid they need, which is why the Government is talking about fortifying flour with it because it's so important for pregnancy," Glenville explains.
"Even with the best will in the world, we're not consuming enough
nutrients so the aim is to add in some really good vitamins and minerals
over a three month period along with the lifestyle and dietary changes."
To make sure that you're getting the best possible combination of
nutrients, Glenville recommends Fertility Plus For Women and Fertility
Plus For Men supplements, available from www.naturalhealthpractice.com
DR GLENVILLE'S TOP THREE FERTILITY TIPS
:: Clean up your diet, including reducing the amount of alcohol and
caffeine consumed.
:: Take fertility boosting supplements.
:: Look at the stress in your life and make sure that you remove as many worry factors as possible.
:: Getting Pregnant Faster, by Dr Marilyn Glenville, is published by
Kyle Cathie, priced £9.99. Available now. For more advice and
information visit www.marilynglenville.com
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