The Fertility-Fitness Disconnect: When Too Much of a Good Thing Becomes Harmful

If you clicked on this blog, you or someone you care about may have difficulty getting pregnant and having babies. Perhaps you live a healthy lifestyle, or so you thought. You are not alone, many people around the world are experiencing this. In this blog, I hope to help you understand the possibility as to why this is happening, clear up some common misconceptions, and provide some tips that may help one make a tiny human.

The human body is designed to make survival a top priority

There are many factors to consider when talking about getting pregnant. One theory is that the female human body has an amazing built-in defense mechanism. This defense mechanism can detect if it is safe or not to make a tiny human. Since being pregnant is a vulnerable state to be in, it has the potential to make survival more challenging. Below are some commonly experienced things that would make survival more challenging among pregnant women:

• Morning sickness - Nausea and vomiting, especially in the first trimester. This can make it difficult to keep any food down.

• Fatigue - It takes a lot of energy and nutrients to make, carry, deliver, and raise a human being. Hormonal changes can cause it as well.

• Brain fog - Difficulty concentrating and forgetfulness are common during pregnancy.

• Dizziness - Commonly caused by changes in blood flow and pressure.

• Weight gain - As the baby grows, so does your weight. Physical strain and discomfort are common.

• Pain - The most common pain is back pain. Other common areas of pain include the wrist, hands, and hips. Pregnant women can also develop muscle cramps and tingling or numbness. This can cause muscle weakness and limited functional ability.

• Feet and Ankle Swelling - This is typically caused by fluid retention.

• Random Uterine Contractions - This is known as Braxton Hicks.

After reading all of the above, it should make some sense why the body would want to make sure it is safe before committing to growing a baby for the next nine months. Also, do not forget postpartum recovery, breastfeeding, and baby raising. Thus if a woman lives in a stressful, chaotic, unpredictable, or even dangerous environment, the human body will, in theory, detect this and prioritize staying alive and not making a tiny human. It is like wanting to make a huge investment but at the same time don't think it is the right time or situation to make it.

Imagine being a human female living thousands of years ago and living in a part of the planet where survival was difficult. What might some of those challenges be?

• Finding food (foraging, fishing, hunting, cooking, etc)

• Staying hydrated

• Staying warm during cold nights or staying cool when it is hot.

• Avoid danger or fighting (predators, tribal enemies, etc)

• Weather conditions (rain, storms, snow, etc)

• Environmental changes and shifts

How does this prevent females from trying to get pregnant in modern times?

Now fast forward to the present time, if you live in a good place, many of these things are not as big of a deal as back thousands of years ago.

• In modern times we have plenty of access to food. To eat, one can go to the supermarket or to a restaurant to buy food. Many of us eat 2 to 3 times per day.

• Many of us have access to clean drinking water and have many refreshing beverages to choose from.

• Many of us live in homes that help keep us warm when the weather is cold and cool when the weather is hot.

• We don't have to run away from predators that want to eat us.

• Many of our homes also help protect us from the rain, storms, snow, etc.

At this point, you are probably thinking, what does this have to do with infertility? Do you remember the self-preserving survival mechanism discussed earlier? The answer is that there are other ways to trigger this protection mechanism. Many of these have been told are good for us, especially regarding diet and exercise.

What you are not eating can potentially be the cause of infertility

Yes, we all have heard that a healthy diet is important for living a long and healthy life. However, most popular diets are only good for the short term. For example, if you are overweight or obese, a vegetarian diet and daily exercise may help you lose weight, lower your blood pressure, and improve other aspects of your health. However in the long run this may lead to other health problems years later.

For example, someone I knew was a pure vegetarian for over 15 years. For about six months of her journey as a vegetarian, she felt healthier than ever before. She lost some weight, felt lighter, and had more energy. However, as years went by, she developed chronic fatigue, migraines, insomnia, painful period cramps, weak muscles, and tendons.

One day she was so hungry and weak that her concerned friend gave her a hamburger from a fast food restaurant. Guess what happened next. Her migraine disappeared almost instantly, and her fatigue was gone. Then she decided to try incorporating animal protein into her life and many of her symptoms improved greatly. She slept better, her menstrual cramps improved, and she gradually regained muscle and tendon strength. It is obvious in her case that she was missing certain nutrients such as essential amino acids which are not easy to get enough of by eating only vegetables, fruits, grains, legumes, etc.

Now I am not saying you should eat steaks and hamburgers every day. This of course will cause other kinds of health problems down the road like high blood pressure, cardiovascular problems, obesity, digestion issues, inflammation, etc. I am saying that, like anything in life, nutrition is all about maintaining balance, especially from a TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) perspective. Balance is crucial for one's health, especially when it comes down to nutrition.

Going back to infertility, something some of my TCM teachers and I have noticed when taking a thorough health history intake, tongue diagnosis, and Chinese medicine pulse reading is that many vegetarians, vegans, and malnourished patients have difficulty getting pregnant or maintaining a healthy pregnancy. Also, many of these women tend to have any of the following:

• Painful periods

• Irregular or no periods

• Anemia

• Weak digestion

• Hair loss

• Fatigue

• Poor sleep quality

• Anxiety

• Depression

• Irritability

• Palpitations

• Chronic pain

• Headaches

• Poor memory or concentration

• Dry eyes, nails, or skin

• Bruise easily

• Muscle spasms

• Pale complexion

Since most readers of this blog do not have a background in Traditional Chinese Medicine, which is very sophisticated and complex, I will explain everything using the survival mechanism theory because it is easier to understand. If you do not get enough of the right nutrients or are starving often, your body is more likely to go into survival mode.

Let me ask you a question, do you think our ancient ancestors voluntarily starved themselves to get six-pack abs or to look great in a cocktail dress? Probably not right. Well, guess what, the human body is hardwired a certain way and does not know the difference between being in an environment where food is difficult to come by or if you are trying to look like a supermodel or a Hollywood actress. The result, the body thinks there is barely enough to keep the female alive, let alone make another life.

Nutritional recommendations

A balanced diet is the foundation of a healthy body. An extreme diet typically lacks balance because you will always lack something your body needs. If you or someone you know is trying to get pregnant or have a healthy pregnancy, I would recommend you avoid any extreme diet such as:

• Vegetarian

• Vegan

• Peleo

• Carnivore

• Fasting

To eat a balanced diet, I recommend reading "The Enzyme Factor" by Dr. Hiromi Shinya, MD. This is a great diet to help improve digestion and gut health and prevent other health problems. The foundation of this diet consists of:

• 80 to 90% Plant-based foods

• 10 to 20% Animal-based proteins

• Note to the reader: This is not the entire Enzyme Factor Diet. I highly recommend reading this book to learn more, trust me it is worth it.

• Avoid any foods that you are allergic to or should avoid because of a preexisting medical condition you may have.

What if I do not want to eat animal protein

Many people do not want to consume animal protein for many reasons. For those who refuse to or cannot consume animal protein for whatever reason, the second best option would be to take a good quality essential amino acid supplement. Please see a qualified nutritionist or pharmacist to help select the best one for your needs.

Excessive exercise or too physically demanding workouts can be another potential cause of infertility

Yes, too much of a good thing can be bad for you. I know many women love to spend more than a few hours a day in the gym, lifting heavy weights, taking physically challenging classes like CrossFit, training in MMA like a professional fighter, preparing for the Olympics, and more. These are great ways to become strong and lose many inches off your waist. However, please be aware that you will increase your chances of having a difficult time getting pregnant or even maintaining a healthy pregnancy.

Before I ever thought about attending Chinese Medicine School, I was a pre-med student and took Endocrinology while attending university. For those of you who do not know what Endocrinology is, it is the study of hormones. I remember my university professor telling the class a story about him and his wife's struggle to have a baby. He told us that the reason why was that his wife was very athletic and very physically active. She would exercise 3 to 4 hours, 6 days a week. She would do advanced, challenging, and physically demanding workouts such as Crossfit, Kickboxing (Muay Thai), and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. She had a low body fat percentage. My professor was positive that the reason she was not able to get pregnant was because she was obsessed with physical fitness. After all, it was causing a hormonal imbalance. After years of trying to convince her to reduce her workout intensity, duration, and frequency, she eventually followed her husband's advice. Guess what happened, she got pregnant in a matter of months. Nine months later, she gave birth.

Going back to the survival mode theory, what do you think the body of my professor's wife was thinking was going on? Holy cow, this woman must live in a dangerous environment where often she has to either run from wild predators that want to eat her or fight for her life. We need to help this lady survive and forget about making a baby, this will only decrease her chances of survival.

Now let us imagine she also had some joint pain and inflammation from a workout injury. Now the body is thinking, holy cow, she is injured and also fighting to stay alive. It is not a good idea to grow a tiny human. This will make it more difficult to survive this crazy environment.

If you add an unbalanced diet on top of that, the body likely thinks there will not be enough food to keep both mommy and the baby alive.

Exercise recommendations

Daily exercise is essential for good health. A healthy woman equals a healthy mommy and a healthy baby. I recommend:

• Only mild to moderate exercise

• Exercise 3 to 5 days a week

• Workout duration 30 to 90 minutes max

• Avoid exercises that can potentially injure your tendons, ligaments, or joints

• Walking, moderate stretching, light cardio, breathing exercises, lightweight training, basic calisthenics, and body weight exercises are recommended.

• Avoid heavy lifting, advanced stretching, rigorous cardio, professional-level combat sports training, and high-intensity workouts.

Other causes of infertility according to modern or Western medicine

There are so many other potential causes of infertility.

• Emotional or mental stress

• Hormonal imbalance

• PCOS (Polycystic ovarian syndrome)

• Endometriosis

• Uterine abnormalities

• Infections that are sexually transmitted

• Chemical exposure

• Obesity

• Smoking

Causes of Infertility in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM)

TCM is challenging to explain to those who do not have a background or education in TCM. However, I will do my best to simplify as much as possible. Note to the reader, this is far more sophisticated and complex than how I explain it.

In Chinese medicine, aside from reproductive organs such as ovaries and the uterus, other organs play a crucial role in fertility. The kidneys, liver, pancreas, and heart are among those organs. If at least one of these organs fails to receive enough blood, oxygen, or nutrients, they will not function optimally and cause health problems which can contribute to infertility in both women and men. The goal of TCM is to restore organ function to improve one's health and vitality.

Chinese Herbal Medicine

In Chinese Medicine, one of the best ways to improve the health of your kidneys, liver, pancreas, heart, and reproductive organs is Chinese Herbal Medicine. It can be used for recovery, restoration, and maintenance.

A herbalist will ask specific questions, observe your tongue, feel your temperature, and read your pulse to determine the likely root cause of the problem. Based on the pattern diagnosis, Chinese herbs will be prescribed to reduce inflammation, improve blood flow, detoxify, expel pathogenic factors, drain fluid retention, shrink what is swollen, or regulate the immune system. Chinese herbal medicine helps patients get better faster with fewer visits to the clinic and longer-lasting results.

Be sure to talk to a Chinese Medicine Herbalist so he or she can assess your condition to determine which herbal formula will benefit you the most. Chinese Herbal Medicine is not a one-size-fits-all, for the best results, herbal formulas should be personalized.

Acupuncture

Acupuncture is a great way to treat infertility because it can:

1. Improve blood flow to improve the delivery of oxygen, nutrients, blood cells, immune cells, medications, and even Chinese Herbs to your organs. It also improves blood flow leaving the organs to help flush out retained waste or toxins that cause inflammation in the organs.

2. The other amazing thing about acupuncture is that with enough treatments spaced properly apart, it can retrain the body to keep the blood flowing into and out of the organs. This results in sustained improvements that can last a very long time.

Dietary Consultations

Let's face it, you are what you eat and there are many popular misconceptions about what is good or bad for your health. I recommend you speak to a qualified nutritionist (or even a Chinese Medicine Physician) about ideal dietary and lifestyle modifications to help you be a healthier version of yourself.

Written by Robert Collazo A.P.

The author is a licensed acupuncturist in Miami who specializes in internal medicine. For more information about our fertility treatment approach and other health problems that can be treated with acupuncture in Miami, please visit our website at www.acureallyworks.com. Experience the difference that a comprehensive and personalized approach to health care can make at Restorative Care Acupuncture & Health.