Fertility

Estrogen Dominance Explained

Do you experience:

   Heavier than usual periods?
   Irregular or long cycles?
   PMS?
   Menstrual headaches?
   Breast tenderness?
   Weight gain on thighs and hips?
   Irritability?

Then you may be experiencing estrogen dominance! Let me give you the low down on this hormone imbalance.
Estrogen is produced in the ovaries where it regulates the menstrual cycle and is a pro-growth hormone. It is responsible for the endometrial lining becoming thick and stimulates the maturation of the follicle in the ovary. For the average non-pregnant, non-menopausal woman, she secretes between 100-200mcg of estrogen daily. There are 3 different types of estrogen: estrone (E1), estradiol (E2) and estriol (E3) and ideally the ratio of these different types is 15/15/70.
Progesterone protects us from the growth effects of estrogen and it is made from the base product of cholesterol. Progesterone is made primarily in the ovaries by the corpus luteum but after ovulation, the adrenal glands also produce progesterone. This supports a possible pregnancy and helps the embryo to implant into the endometrial lining. The average non-pregnant, non-menopausal woman produces around 20-25mg of progesterone each day.
Estrogen and progesterone have a balancing effect on each other for example estrogen increases body fat while progesterone helps fat to be used for energy. Another example is estrogen increases fluid retention while progesterone is a natural diuretic. For most women, hormone imbalance occurs as estrogen begins to dominate progesterone. Progesterone production declines by around 75% by the age of 50 while estrogen declines only around 35%.  This means there is not enough progesterone to balance estrogen. For optimal health, the progesterone to estrogen ratio should be between 200 and 300 to 1.
For many women between the ages of 20-45, there are two main reasons she may become […]

By |September 16th, 2014|Fertility, Health & Wellbeing, Hormones, Nutrition, Preconception & Pregnancy, Weight Loss|0 Comments
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The Inside Scoop on Female Hormones

I want to share with you the interview I did with celebrity trainer Blake Worrall Thompson from WellBeing by Blake on healthy hormones. In this video, I share some insights into my clinical work in the field of hormonal health. I am sure you will be able to relate to some of my info!

By |July 7th, 2014|Fertility, Health & Wellbeing, Hormones, Naturopathy, Preconception & Pregnancy|0 Comments
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Is Your Phone Making You Infertile?

A new study released by the University of Exeter involving nearly 1500 men showed a clear link between mobile phone use and infertility.  Exposure to environmental factors such as electromagnetic radiation has increased dramatically due to the global rise of mobile phone use in the last 15 years.
Men who used mobile phones regularly had an 8% decrease in motility or the ability to swim forward towards the egg. Sperm viability or the percentage of sperm that were alive as well as the sperm concentration was also negatively affected.
Study author Dr Mathews said: “Given the enormous scale of mobile phone use around the world, the potential role of this environmental exposure needs to be clarified. This study strongly suggests that being exposed to radio-frequency electromagnetic radiation from carrying mobiles in trouser pockets negatively affects sperm quality. This could be particularly important for men already on the borderline of infertility, and further research is required to determine the full clinical implications for the general population.”
Previous research has shown that using a computer affects sperm quality. If your computer is on your lap, within 1 hour the testicles will be heated above what is considered safe. This increased temperature causes damage to the sperm. This is another form of electromagnetic radiation.
Studies back as far as 2007 have shown a clear link between mobile phone exposure and poor sperm health. The more a mobile phone is used, the greater degree of abnormally shaped sperm and the less able they are to swim forward.
So what do you do? Tell your man to get his phone out of his trouser pocket and use a radiation reducing mobile phone cover such as Cell Safe.

By |June 12th, 2014|Fertility, Men's Health, Miscarriage, Preconception & Pregnancy, Research|0 Comments
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    The Link Between Insulin Resistance And Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS)

The Link Between Insulin Resistance And Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS)

Although not yet part of the diagnostic criteria for PCOS, insulin resistance has been proven time and again to be one of the major drivers of this very common and potentially devastating female syndrome.
Insulin is a very important hormone secreted by the pancreas, which is nestled just below the rib cage on the left. Insulin has an important role to play in the control of carbohydrate processing, and is responsible for metabolism and storage of fat. It also helps your cells to ‘take in’ glucose.

Glucose is a sticky substance, and if too much stays in the blood, it is dangerous. When a person’s body cannot respond properly to insulin, it produces excessive amounts (called hyperinsulinemia) in an attempt to remove this sticky glucose from the blood quickly. If hyperinsulinemia continues however, the cells turn down their response to insulin. They virtually turn down their hearing aids. After all, who wants to answer a continual knock at the door to an ever-annoying salesman! This is when insulin resistance results.

Some research suggests between 44 to 70% of women with PCOS suffer from insulin resistance, irrespective of whether they are overweight or slender. However, I believe this figure is higher.
Insulin resistance has a two-fold effect in PCOS. On one hand, insulin resistance increases the secretion of testosterone from the ovaries. On the other hand, it reduces the production of Sex Hormone Binding Globulin (SHBG), which is required to neutralise excessive testosterone in our blood. To make things worse, excessive free testosterone in the blood can further increase insulin resistance creating a vicious cycle.
Due to its dual effect, insulin resistance can both cause, as well as amplify, the symptoms of PCOS.
It is a major culprit behind the central […]

By |July 1st, 2013|Fertility, Health & Wellbeing, Nutrition|0 Comments
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    Introducing Our Next Hottie Contributor – PCOS Specialist!

Introducing Our Next Hottie Contributor – PCOS Specialist!

I am so excited to introduce my next contributor to my blog – international author, PCOS expert and experienced clinician Dr Rebecca Harwin who has been helping women improve their health for many years!

Read this if you’ve been diagnosed with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (also known as PCOS)…

You’ve been to your doctor (or for most women, quite a few doctors) and you’ve received the scary diagnosis, “You’ve got Polycystic Ovary Syndrome”.

Many questions may race through your mind… ‘What does that mean?’ ‘Is it fatal?’ ‘Can I ever have kids?’ ‘How do I lose weight?’ What the research shows is that these questions will often never receive an answer, and most women will not be given the best advice for this syndrome – lifestyle change – even though they innately know that lifestyle approaches are important.

What does it mean?

Let’s take a closer look.

There are two main ways to currently diagnose Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS): the Rotterdam Criteria and the NIH/NICHD. These are both only used after other causes for the signs and symptoms you are experiencing have been ruled out.

The Rotterdam criteria define PCOS as being present with at least two of the following: infrequent menstruation, excessive ‘male’ hormones (hyperandrogenism) and/or Poly Cystic ovaries on ultrasound.

The NIH criteria define PCOS as the presence of hyperandrogenism and infrequent ovulation (oligo-ovulation).

This means that if you have too much testosterone (symptoms/signs like excessive hair growth, acne and/or infertility), and you have an irregular menstrual cycle, and/or you have polycystic ovaries on pelvic ultrasound, you will most likely be diagnosed with PCOS.

Is it fatal?

PCOS increases your risk of conditions like heart dis-ease, diabetes and some types of cancer. The good news is that a positive, healthy lifestyle significantly reduces – […]

By |May 17th, 2013|Fertility, Preconception & Pregnancy|0 Comments
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Dads to be – watch your alcohol!

A study of 690 Australian families with a child suffering from either acute lymphoblastic leukaemia or childhood brain tumours found men who consumed a moderate amount of spirits – up to seven drinks a week – in the 12 months before conception increased the risk of childhood brain tumours by almost 50 per cent. The Telethon Institute for Child Health Research study also found men who drank 21 or more beers a week might also be placing their future children at greater risk of leukaemia and brain tumours.
Study authors Elizabeth Milne and Carol Bower said with recent data showing 8 per cent of men between the ages of 30 and 39 consumed at least four standard drinks a day, “a large number of men may be putting their future offspring at risk”.
The study concluded that men, as well as women, “should limit their alcohol intake when planning a pregnancy”.
Professor Bower said while there was a great deal of research on the impact that women drinking while pregnant had on babies very few studies had looked at the effects of paternal alcohol consumption.
“We don’t know too much about the causes of leukaemia or brain tumours, so there will certainly be a lot more work being done in this area,” she said.
“As a society we should drink less, and there’s some evidence here that shows alcohol, especially spirits, in fathers in the year before their child is conceived may have an effect.”
The study found no evidence linking maternal alcohol consumption before or during pregnancy with cancer in children.

Research link can be found here

By |May 11th, 2013|Fertility, Men's Health, Preconception & Pregnancy|0 Comments
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How Coenzyme Q10 Boosts Male and Female Fertility

Infertility is commonly attributed to the woman however facts show that for one third of infertile couples the cause lies with the male partner.
Not being able to have your own child naturally can be very frustrating and even devastating for many couples. There are many causes of infertility – genetic implications, physical or psychological problems, illnesses, nutritional deficiencies, medications, lifestyle factors, reproductive system function failures and hormonal imbalances. (more…)

By |April 23rd, 2013|Fertility, Men's Health, Preconception & Pregnancy|0 Comments
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Winter Snuggles Result in Higher Pregnancy Rates!

I always thought the increased winter pregnancy rates I see in clinic were the results of cold weather causing couples to snuggle up more but research just released in the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology reveals that sperm quality really does increase in winter.
Researchers studied over 6,470 sperm samples from men who had been referred to a fertility clinic and found that men with normal sperm counts averaged 71 million sperm per ml in spring and 64 million per ml in autumn. Interestingly, the percentage of fast moving sperm, the ones that increase chance of fertilisation, was highest in winter. The highest percentage of normal sperm morphology was also seen in winter. This certainly correlates the slightly higher birth rate in Autumn! (more…)

By |April 14th, 2013|Fertility, Men's Health|0 Comments
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Watching TV Can Lower Sperm Count by Almost 50%!

New research published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine has revealed shocking results – for young men, watching 20 hours of TV per week can reduce sperm count by 44%. Conversely, men who do 15 or more hours of moderate to vigorous exercise every week have sperm counts that are 73% higher than those who exercise little, the findings show.
Semen quality seems to have deteriorated over the past few decades, although it’s not clear why, say the authors. To find out if an increasingly sedentary lifestyle might be a contributory factor, they analysed the semen quality of 189 men between the ages of 18 to 22 in 2009-10, all of whom were from Rochester in New York State, USA.
The men were asked about the quantity and intensity of weekly exercise they had had over the preceding three months, and how much time they spent watching television, DVDs, or videos over the same period. And they were asked about factors that might affect sperm quality, including medical or reproductive health problems, diet, stress levels, and smoking.
Over half the men were within the normal range for weight for their height, and three out of four were non-smokers. The prevalence of reproductive health problems was low. The amount of moderate to vigorous physical activity taken every week ranged from 5 to 14 hours, while weekly TV screen time varied from 4 to 20 hours. Men who were more physically active tended to have a healthier diet than those who watched a lot of TV every week.
The analysis showed that those who were the most physically active — 15+ hours a week — had a 73% higher sperm count than the least physically active. Exercise did not affect sperm motility, shape, […]

By |February 6th, 2013|Fertility, Men's Health, Preconception & Pregnancy|0 Comments
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The Boys Have It!

It was long believed that conception does not involve a meeting of equals. The egg is a relatively large, impressive biological factory compared with the tiny sperm, which delivers to the egg one copy of the father’s genes. However, a new study from Huntsman Cancer Institute (HCI) at the University of Utah reveals that the father’s sperm delivers much more complex genetic material than previously thought. The findings could lead to a diagnostic test to help couples deal with infertility.
Researchers discovered particular genes packaged in a special way within the sperm, and that may promote the development of the fetus.
“Our findings show that the father plays an active role in packaging his genome to help ensure a healthy baby,” says study co-leader Brad Cairns, Ph.D., investigator with HCI and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, and professor of oncological sciences at the University of Utah. “However, they also raise the possibility that a man’s aging, health and lifestyle may alter this packaging and negatively affect fertility and embryo development.”
During fetal development, certain genes make decisions about organ and tissue development. The new research shows that in sperm, these genes are wrapped in special packaging materials called ‘modified histones.’ These modified histones appear to be key factors in ensuring genes are activated or repressed at the right level, place and time, which helps the fertilized egg develop properly.
Chromosomes are long strands of DNA containing thousands of genes, and their packaging helps determine which genes turn on and off. Understanding how these genes are activated or repressed leads to a better understanding of how disorders like birth defects and cancer develop.
“Genes have on-and-off switches, and understanding them allows us to target them, leading to possible treatments, cures […]

By |February 4th, 2013|Fertility, Men's Health, Preconception & Pregnancy|0 Comments
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How to Heal Your Adrenals Naturally

How to Heal Your Adrenals Naturally

Adrenal fatigue is one of the most under diagnosed illnesses in western society. Download a copy of my free ebook to learn about the symptoms and how to heal your Adrenals naturally.

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