We all want to live long, healthy lives, and for many, that includes having children. But are you engaging in lifestyle habits that could be affecting your fertility? Here’s a breakdown from an expert.
### Want Healthy, Happy Kids?
Fertility issues affect both women and men. If you’re planning to have kids now or in the future, avoid these four habits that can harm your ability to conceive.
### Overdoing Cardio
Many women, and some men, avoid weight lifting because they think endless hours on the elliptical or treadmill will solve their problems. That’s not true. While cardiovascular health is important, doing cardio for an hour is largely a waste of time and puts unnecessary stress on your body. Not only is it tough on your joints, but cardio-only routines can also increase cortisol levels, which can seriously disrupt your hormones. For women, this can mess up menstrual cycles, making it harder to plan a pregnancy.
Plus, cardio-only exercises are not efficient. They only burn calories while you’re working out, whereas weight lifting burns calories even after you’ve left the gym. A good weight lifting session lasts 25-45 minutes, challenges your stability and coordination, and boosts your strength and endurance.
### High Stress Levels
Cortisol, the stress hormone, also spikes when we’re mentally over-stressed. Our busy lives, demanding jobs, and constant striving for perfection take a toll on our health. Chronic stress is incredibly harmful. Cortisol can block sex hormone receptors and even steal the precursor to progesterone, essential for regulating a woman’s menstrual cycle.
To manage stress, start your day with five deep belly breaths through your nose and out through your mouth, focusing on gratitude. Repeat this throughout the day to stay grounded and reduce stress.
### Eating Processed Foods
Processed foods taste great because they’re engineered in labs with chemicals to achieve the perfect texture and flavor. These chemicals are often harmful to our bodies, which struggle to digest them. One common preservative, sodium benzoate, has been linked to various health issues, yet it receives little media attention. It’s far more toxic than processed sugar or high fructose corn syrup.
Consider the long-term effects on women consuming these toxins from childhood. Difficulty in getting pregnant, and if they do, the health impact on their developing baby can be significant. It’s our responsibility to eat healthy, whole foods for our benefit and that of our future children.
Drink more water, eat plenty of vegetables, fresh and fatty proteins, healthy fats like coconut oil and avocados, and limit packaged carbs.
### Binge Drinking
Our culture often promotes social gatherings that include heavy drinking, but binge drinking is linked to heart problems, liver and pancreas damage, and reproductive issues. Alcohol can cause erectile dysfunction, sperm growth issues, lowered testosterone in men, and reduced fertility in women. If you’re trying to conceive, it’s best to avoid alcohol altogether.
The “everything in moderation” mindset doesn’t help us; it’s actually harmful. Be the healthiest version of yourself now for your own sake, your partner’s, and your future children’s.