San Diego Acupuncture Fertility: Three Dietary Tips That Can Boost Your Fertility

The patients of my San Diego acupuncture clinic who are seeking treatment for fertility problems often ask me “what can I change about my diet that can improve my chances to successfully become pregnant?”

I want to share three major tips Traditional Chinese Medicine has to offer women trying to conceive. And yes, men can benfit from these as well.

1. Consume warm foods, and warm drinks. Put your hand on your lower belly, around your naval and below. Does the skin feel cool, or cold to the touch? How about your feet? Are they cold all the time? Do you wear socks to bed? Even in warm, sunny, San Diego I have many patients coming in for acupuncture with a lot of cold issues. The digestive system affects the uterus, and the uterus need to be warm to sustain a healthy pregnancy.  Pass on the ice water, chilled foods and large salads. Warm foods up and drink water at room temperature. Steam and wok you veggies instead of always going raw. Raw foods have their place, but it is often not the best for fertility.
2. Have you had a bowel movement today? When things are stuck and not moving downward when they should, other processes related to our health may be stuck as well, including fertility.  From an energetic standpoint the stuck movement of energy is bad for our bodies. Poor intestinal motility can also relate to issues of moisture and absorption. Since the colon sits right next to your ovaries, we really want to move toxins away, and keep them from building up. So, try to increase the water soluble fiber in your diet (such as brown rice an oat meal) and increase the vegetable content. Reduce excess starchy foods and red meat. Yogurt and probiotics may also be helpful to get your GI tract back on track.
3. Do you always feel congested? Do your sinuses bother you or, do you have post nasal drip, and constantly have to clear your throat? Phlegm and fluid congestion can cause fertility issues. Especially in the tiny fallopian tubes that the fertilized egg must pass through. Phlegm and congested fluids can “gunk up” you internal machinery, and create a cold, sticky, internal environment.  Some of the best ways to improve this is to cut back on the dairy, especially cheeses.  Drinking large amounts of milk and consuming ice-cream will also contribute to phlegm. Other culprits are refined wheat products, and foods containing refined sugars. Try a few slices of avocado on your sandwich next time instead of cheese. Try Rice Dream, or any number of tasty milk substitutes out there instead of filling up a glass of milk.  Replace white flour products with whole grain, whole wheat pastas, and breads. You should see an improvement in the annoying throat clearing in a jiffy.

In my San Diego clinic I look out for all these issues and more. I’ll often use acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine and dietary supplements together to get results quicker. These fertility dietary tips are important whether you are trying to conceive naturally on your own, or going through western medial assisted reproductive techniques (ART). If you want a personal evaluation, and are interested in exploring the acupuncture way toward fertility, please give our office a call today