Great guidelines for basic conception preparation.
These outlines are taken from Francesca Naish’s clinic and website. I pass them along as great guidelines for basic conception preparation. To get more individualized treatment, detoxification programs, heavy metal and candida testing, please contact our office at 604-737-0012.
1) To provide your body with the ‘building blocks’ necessary for fertility and to create a healthy baby, you need to eat healthy, nutritious whole foods. This means buying fresh, unrefined foods that have been fed or grown organically and therefore have a plentiful supply of nutrients. This is especially important with animal products (which may have been fed or exposed to polluting chemicals or antibiotics) as these toxins collect in the animals’ fatty tissues and organs. Read your labels carefully and avoid all chemical additives, processed, pre-prepared and packaged foods or food that has been microwaved.
2) Avoid sugar (including all sugar substitutes, soft drinks, fruit juice and excessive fruit), refined (white) grains, coffee (also decaffeinated) and alcohol as these all contribute to nutrient loss. Eat whole grains (in moderation), plenty of vegetables (raw and cooked) and protein-providing foods, but avoid saturated fats (animal and heated) and cows’ milk and cheese. Avoid coastal and river fish or those that are large or farmed as these may be contaminated with chemicals or heavy metals.
3) Eat protein at every meal. Try to balance your carbohydrate-providing foods with an equal amount, by volume, of protein-providing foods. Consult a glycemic index and aim your carbohydrates to be, on average, of low to moderate glycemic value. This is the measure of how the food converts to sugar in your body. Non-starchy/sugary foods such as leafy vegetables have no value on the index and do not need to be limited.
4) To avoid the toxins that come through your water supply such as agrochemicals, heavy metals and hormonal residues and disruptors, you need to use a water purifier. Boiling does not destroy toxins – only bacteria. To further avoid hormonal disruptors which can contribute to reproductive disease and fertility problems in both sexes, you should avoid keeping or heating food or drink in plastic wrap or flexible plastic containers.
5) Exercise for at least three hours per week. Along with reducing carbohydrate intake, this should make it easier to normalise your weight, which can be important for fertility and a
healthy pregnancy.
6) Take a comprehensive nutrient supplement, including the complete range of vitamins, minerals and essential fatty acids. These are required for proper fertility and healthy embryonic growth. The antioxidant nutrients (vitamins A, C and E, zinc and selenium) can help you to detoxify and eliminate heavy metals and chemicals. A hair analysis can give you information on nutrient status and heavy metal residue in your body.
7) Drink 2-3 litres daily of (purified) water, and dandelion tea/coffee which, through its action on the liver, is an excellent detoxifying herb. Eat plenty of garlic, which also helps to eliminate toxins. Better still, consult a medical herbalist or a naturopath for a holistic approach to detoxification and reproductive health.
© Natural Fertility Management Pty Ltd
8) Avoid all drugs. This includes social drugs such as alcohol, caffeine and nicotine, which have all been linked to reproductive and fetal ill-health, and medicinal drugs (except if
medically prescribed and cannot be safely replaced with a natural alternative).
9) Avoid dust and fumes. Studies have shown that paint, glues and all solvents, and many household cleaning materials including oven cleaners, bleach and mould treatments can
affect the health of sperm or eggs. Now is not the time to renovate your house or have it treated for pests.
10) Have a thorough and comprehensive screening for genito-urinary infections in both partners.
11) To avoid the effects of non-ionising radiation, use your microwave and mobile and cordless phones as little as possible and keep your phone away from your body. Further exposure comes from CRT computer screens. Turn the monitor off when not in use, hang an anti-radiation screen in front of it if it is an older model, and place a cushion stuffed with Epsom salts on your lap, as these absorb some of the radiation. Preferably, use a flat (LCD) screen. Laptop computers emit less EMF when used on battery. Avoid sleeping in a room which has active electrical gadgets, or a fuse box on the external wall.
12) To avoid the most toxic, ionizing form of radiation which can damage chromosomes and DNA and affect eggs and sperm for up to 3 years, avoid X-rays for as long as possible before conception, and only fly if it’s unavoidable. A 4-hour high altitude (commercial) flight exposes you to the equivalent of a chest X-ray.
13) For stress, which can especially be a problem for those who’ve been trying to conceive for a while, an effective remedy is to lie down in a quiet place, with no interruptions, and direct breath to each part of your body in turn. Then create mental pictures of the positive outcome of an easy conception, successful pregnancy and birth, and a beautiful, healthy baby. Make sure you get adequate sleep and exercise. If stress is an ongoing problem, it can affect your nutritional status and fertility, so if these simple self-help remedies do not fully address the issue, seek other forms of stress relief/management or professional help.
All of these measures should be in place for both prospective parents for at least four months before a conception, as this is how long it takes for sperm to generate and eggs to mature, during which time they are vulnerable to toxicity and nutrient deficiencies. Continue these steps into pregnancy, and you will lay the foundation for a happy, healthy family life – the greatest gift a parent can offer their child.
Dr. Nari