05/03/2026
Fertility Starts and Stops
Considering infertility is becoming an issue facing more and more couples, it is hard to understand why it is so widely ignored. People are talking about fertility, but people aren’t talking about what’s making us so infertile as a nation. In the United States, our fertility rates are dropping. If you find yourself in the situation of facing in fertility, here are some of the first things I would look at if I was starting this journey again.
Stops
1. Plastic everything - we sleep in plastic, we eat from plastic, we drink from plastic, and these things take a toll. Plastics contain endocrine disruptors.
2. Under-eating - while we definitely have a surge of obesity in our nation, we also have a food culture that teaches you to eat 1200 calories a day. This simply isn’t enough food for the average adult. Especially the average adult that wants to conceive a baby!
3. Over-exercising - let’s be real, this isn’t really most people‘s problem. But it is some women’s problem. A body that is taxed by over exercising will not give priority to conception.
4. Over-stressing - just as was mentioned in over exercising, leaving the body in fight or flight or freeze, is not helpful when considering fertility. When your body perceives your in danger, it does not give high priority to conceiving a baby.
5. Alcohol and caffeine - in a society that tells us it’s OK to drink and it’s OK to load up on coffee, it’s really hard to tell ladies that this simply isn’t true for fertility. This isn’t true for women and this isn’t true for men. For optimum fertility, no alcohol, and no caffeine is ideal.
6. Blood sugar spikes - balanced blood sugar is much better for fertility. Blood sugar spikes raise insulin levels, reduce fertility hormones, and cause havoc on our system.
Starts
1. Low intensity activity - we simply sit on our bums way too much as Americans. This low level of movement is not healthy, especially for fertility.
2. Eating for fertility - your body has a list of vitamins and nutrients that it needs for normal functioning. Your body has an even more robust list of vitamins and nutrients that it needs to produce a baby.
3. Intentional supplementation - a doctor would suggest that you immediately start on a prenatal, which may be true for people who are not eating nourishing foods. My focus is on suggesting supplementation based on your needs.
4. Sunlight - Another issue with most modern Americans, is that we don’t go out in the sunlight. Ideally, you would get five to ten minutes of sunlight exposure to your eyes in the morning shortly after waking, 20 to 30 minutes of sunlight in the afternoon, and 2 to 5 minutes of sunset light.
5. Sleep - speaking of sleep… You need it. You need 7 to 8 hours of sleep at night nonnegotiable.
6. Relaxation - as we mentioned before stress is detrimental to fertility. We need to involve relaxation in everyday life.
7. Femininity - honestly, I love this one. We need to add back in our beautiful femininity. Learning to embrace our femininity is a long process, but totally worth the effort.
8. Increasing blood flow - whether it’s through movement, going to the chiropractor, or trying out acupuncture, getting our blood flowing is vital.
9. Parasympathetic nervous system regulation- this goes along with relaxing. We need to intentionally engage our parasympathetic nervous system instead of our sympathetic nervous system.