5 Ways to Improve egg quality, even if you’re 35+
It doesn’t matter if you’re doing things the old fashioned way or using IVF, your egg quality matters and as you reach 35 years old, egg quality will be one of the biggest determining factors to growing your family. At my fertility acupuncture clinic in Tampa, FL I help women at any age improve their egg quality and prepare their body to have the healthiest baby possible! Let’s talk about 5 ways to improve your egg quality.
Here’s 5 ways to improve your egg quality, even if you’re 35+ years old:
- Eat a whole foods, nutrient rich diet. Focus on eating rich vibrant colors, lean protein, healthy fats and avoiding processed foods. By eating simple, whole food meals, you will give your cells fuel to thrive. You don’t have to eat elaborate meals to eat well and it doesn’t have to be expensive.
- Mind your mitochondria. Your ovaries contain the highest density of mitochondrial cells in your entire body. Our mitochondria are the powerhouses in each cell that make energy. When your mitochondria are functioning at their peak potential you have the best chance possible at making strong, healthy eggs. There’s a whole bunch of nutrients that are helpful, and I like to use a specific supplement to cover them all. Here’s a short list of some of the nutrients essential: CoQ10, Alpha Lipoic Acid, Pantethine, L-Carnitine, B Vitamins, Magnesium and Manganese, Ribose, Malic and Succinic Acids, Creatine ,Resveratrol and Curcumin. Don’t waste your money buying all of these separately, there are some great companies that make a pharmaceutical grade supplement that has all of these nutrients within it. You can click the Supplement Dispensary link under services to get access to all of the pharmaceutical grade supplements I use with my patients.
- Exercise, not too much and not too little. Finding that sweet spot is key. If you under exercise, your cells won’t be happy. Our mitochondria (see above) really like exercise and it stimulates them to work well. Too much exercise can cause hormone imbalances and cycle issues. The sweet spot for exercise would be combining interval training with some light weight training each week. This could come in many forms and doesn’t have to involve a gym. They key is you need to get your body moving regularly. Evolutionary, we were built to move. And if we sit still and don’t exercise, then the first thing to go is our fertility.
- Start meditating daily. Stress will wreck havoc on your eggs. When you’re stressed, your body makes a bunch of different stress hormones that can just wreck your fertility. A short 5-10 minutes of meditation can go a really long way to helping your mind and body respond in a more manageable way to the stress that everyday life throws at us. If you have no experience meditating, then just commit to doing 1 or 2 minutes a day. Don’t expect to become a Zen monk and sit for 4 hours with a completely clear mind, that isn’t the point. Meditation isn’t about clearing your mind. It’s about exercising your mind to respond in a better way to life. It’s not easy. But just like anything, with practice, you get better. I recommend counting your breath as you inhale and exhale – count from 1 to 10. Or you can download an app like Headspace or Calm and just follow along.
- Get acupuncture 1-2 times a week. Seriously, acupuncture is one of the most effective tools when it comes to fertility. Fertility acupuncture research shows that women who receive at least 12 acupuncture treatments have a 20-60% higher chance at conceiving than those who don’t get acupuncture. Acupuncture is a personalized treatment that can help balance your hormones, reduce stress, improve egg quality, improve bloodflow to your uterus and ovaries, regulate your monthly menstrual cycle, reduce inflammation, and a whole bunch of other cool stuff. Find an acupuncture doctor who has experience treating fertility issues. Acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine can also help with male fertility issues (which are 50% of the problem) and acupuncture for fertility has been proven to improve sperm parameters (motility, morphology, quantity).
Just like everything, you get what you pay for. Not all acupuncturists have the same training, some specialize in different areas. So find someone who can become a trusted advisor and resource on your fertility journey.
Okay, so now you have 5 things you can start doing right now to improve the quality of your eggs, even if you are 35+ years old.
If you’re looking for a different type of fertility doctor in Tampa, FL who won’t just tell you that your labwork looks normal, to keep trying or IVF is your only option, then it’s time to reach out to Dr. Josh Hanson, DACM.
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