Where is the Goddess of Fertility Now? 

Popular medical treatments for cancer such as chemotherapy, pelvic radiation, pelvic surgery, or bone marrow transplants can often cause cancer, while disorders such as the following play a large factor in the health of the female reproductive system: blockage or damage to the fallopian tube (the sexually transmitted infection chlamydia is usually to blame), endometriosis (this occurs when the uterine tissue implants and grows outside of the uterus affecting the function of sperm, egg and ovaries, uterus, and the fallopian tubes), thyroid disorders, ovulation disorders, polycystic ovary syndrome, sickle cell disease, kidney disease, diabetes, hyperprolactinemia (high levels of this breast milk enhancing hormone in women who aren't pregnant or nursing may affect ovulation) Pelvic adhesions, Uterine fibroids, and taking medications. 

Whew, and that isn’t even all of it! Many of our clients are suffering with celiac disease or gluten intolerance. Over the past ten years researchers from around the world have been finding a celiac link to unexplained fertility issues. In Philadelphia doctors found the number of recurrent spontaneous abortions was four times higher among celiac patients. Gluten intolerance alone may not cause infertility, but the inflammation in the intestine often affects nutrient absorption leading to deficiencies in nutrients needed for the uterine blood supply and a healthy pregnancy. 

If you think women, you think hormones. Plain and simple yes? Stop laughing men, we know we have them and we know how to use them! 

For a successful pregnancy the correct balance of hormones is essential. Hormones act as the body’s chemical messengers, sending important updates and information between different organs, glands and tissues. Let’s look at a few that specifically relate to fertility. Two hormones generated in the pituitary are luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH). This release of hormones results in a new egg being released each month from its ovarian follicle. (The level of FSH can often indicate how the condition of a woman's ovarian egg reserve is doing.)The ovarian follicles also produce estrogen and progesterone which cause the uterus' lining to thicken. 

Another hormone that helps regulate the menstrual cycle and is secreted in the adrenal glands, placenta, as well as the ovaries, is progesterone. Progesterone regulates and stimulates various functions that play a role in the maintenance of pregnancy. Towards the latter part of the menstrual cycle the levels of progesterone increases as it plays a key role in inducing the endometrium (the mucous membrane that lines the uterus) to produce specific types of proteins. With the rich proteins, the uterus is ready to receive as well as nourish a fertilized egg. If impregnation does not occur, the levels of progesterone and estrogen reduce and the endometrium breaks down resulting in menstruation. 

Following are many chemicals we are exposed to daily that can wreak havoc on our hormones and our reproductive schedule. We must fight for our cells and hormones to be clean and regulated! 

The AVOID list: 

GMO Foods can render you infertile. 

Perfluorinated chemicals (PFCs) found in nonstick cookware, waterproof clothing, food packaging, upholstery and pesticides, can impair the growth of babies in the womb and are sterilizing. 

Phthalates and Bisphenols found in plastic food containers, cling wrap, IV bags, medical supplies, vinyl flooring and packaging have been associated with miscarriage and disrupt hormones. 

Formaldehyde: Found in your braziers, mattresses, air fresheners, deodorants, floor cleaners and upholstery cleaners. 

DAIRY! Study after study shows fertility declines in countries where women drink milk. Following are a few of the hormones found in cows' milk: prolactin, somatostatin, melatonin, oxytocin, growth hormones, lutenizing releasing hormone, thyroid stimulating hormone, estrogens, progesterone, insulin, and corticosteroids. This excess consumption of hormones can disrupt your own hormonal balance. Excess estrogen and pesticide exposure has been linked to PCOS and Endometriosis. New studies have found higher concentrations of pesticides in a pound of cheese than in a field of sprayed non-organically grown fruit and vegetables! AVOID MILK – pretty please…… 

Coffee and Alcohol: Women who drink alcohol three times a week or more and women who drank more than three cups of coffee a day had a reduced chance of conception. 

Pesticides: Found on non-organic fruit and vegetables, meat, dairy and unfiltered tap water 

Organic solvents: Petroleum based liquids found in household products, electronics, car repair, health care, photography, agriculture, printing, construction and cosmetics, and many more. 

Purify Your Water! Industrial waste, pharmaceutical drugs, pesticides, herbicides, commercial cleaning products, heavy metals, pharmaceutical drugs, chemotherapy drugs, contraceptive pills, antidepressants, anabolic steroids, HRT (hormone replacement therapy), and heart drugs are all found in your WATER! 

Vaginal lubricants such as FemGlide, Replens and Astroglide damage sperm. 

Avoid dry-cleaning chemicals, paint fumes, progestin (a synthetic form of progesterone that has a list of side effects that would scare anyone) and the biggie….Stress! (Although this list may have just stressed you out!) 

The ENJOY List! 

Red Raspberry Teas and Formulas! All day, every day! 

Moon & Your Love Life! Female fish lay their eggs on a full moon, all ancient civilizations practiced conception on full the moon, horses in stud farms today enjoy practicing conception during a full moon, and so should you! 

Royal Jelly and Bee Pollen balances our hormones and improves the quality of eggs. A few months of regular bee pollen consumption often boosts fertility. Maca Root is another fertility enhancer that naturally balances hormones critical for conception. A tablespoon or two a day is what's generally recommended. SIDE EFFECTS: libido increases! Raw Coconut Oil is known to increase fertility. Moms-to-be benefit from coconut oil as it provides plenty of disease fighting medium-chain fatty acids. Transferred to the baby in the milk, they protect the infant as their immune system is developing. Beet it for the Baby! Red beets boost fertility and extend fertility. They're rich in folic acid, aid in DNA repair, and prevent birth defects. 

Evening Primrose Oil increases fertility and is also used to reduce the risk of preeclampsia and eclampsia, two conditions that threaten pregnancies. 

ZINC! "Zinc seems to be a key switch that helps control whether the egg moves forward in its development stage. Zinc helps the egg exit from a holding pattern to its final critical stage of development," explained Tom O'Halloran, director of the Chemistry of Life Processes Institute. 

Enjoy Selenium, Magnesium, Calcium, B12, B6, Folic Acid, Vitamin C, Omega-3 fats 

Cleaning the cells from chemicals and toxins is a safe way of restoring reproductive, cell and hormonal health to an imbalanced system. And often infertility isn't just a physical problem, it's an issue related to circulation or energy channels of the body. We recommend a complete CEDSA scan using the new Vital System. Of course it wouldn’t hurt to put in a call or two in to Bona Dea, she must have done something right to be listed as a Roman goddess of fertility! Perhaps then you can offer rice to the goddess Carmenta for an easy child birth, something many women wish they had a chance to do right now.