Why fertility is the ultimate health marker

Many people only seem to focus attention on their fertility when they want to have children but fertility is the ultimate marker of our health. If we aren’t fertile or the strength of our fertility is waning, this is all to do with our hormone health. The modern world is set up to harm our fertility, from ultra processed foods, to birth control and endocrine disruptors, these all impact fertility and can leave both men and women suffering as a consequence of decades of exposure to them. 

Improving your fertility is about healing your body, from the nutrients you eat to the environment in which you place your body. So how did fertility levels decline and what can you do about it regardless of if you want children or not?

A healthy body equals strong fertility 

As mentioned above fertility isn’t something to only be concerned about only when the topic of children comes up with your husband or wife. If we aren’t fertile then it's something we need to address well before we think about having children. 

A healthy body is a fertile one. When people begin to improve their health through eating whole foods, getting sunlight, moving outdoors and avoiding hormone disruptors, the body responds in terms of better sperm health for men and better menstrual cycle health for women. Both these two are key for conception. 

Hormones such as testosterone for men and progesterone for women are the key drivers in fertility. A simple fact is that men aren’t getting enough nutrients and lifestyle factors to account for healthy sperm levels and women aren’t getting the nutrients and space from endocrine disruptors that their bodies need for menstrual health to thrive. When we truly focus on improving our health, fertility comes along with it.

Hormone disruptors 

The modern world is filled wth endocrine disruptors, perfumes, detergents, microplastics, non-stick coatings, the list goes on, but many are surrounding themselves with these every day while questioning their reproductive health. 

From make-up to period products, women are by far the most affected. Avoiding as much hormone disruptors as possible means living a more natural lifestyle. It’s never been easier to avoid harmful perfumes, detergents, candles, skincare and instead opt for the natural alternative that doesn’t come at the cost of your hormones.

Our endocrine system is very sensitive to outside stimulus and endocrine disruptors do exactly that, disrupting the system that is naturally taking place within our bodies. This can range from mood swings to menstrual cycle irregularity and eventually lead to uneven fat accumulation and infertility. 

Fat demonisation and nutrient deficiencies 

When cholesterol became demonised that is when fertility initially began to decline. Cholesterol is the building block of all hormones, when we don’t get enough of it, hormone production is severely impacted.

The best sources of cholesterol are animals fats, raw dairy and eggs. All of which have gotten a bad reputation and we were sold on polyunsaturated fats (seed oils) as the “healthier” alternative. The promise was a healthier heart and lower cholesterol levels but the result was an unhealthy heart from oxidation and a diet lacking in the very nutrients we need for hormone health and strong fertility. 

Saturated fat from high quality sources such as grass fed meat, pasture raised organic eggs, and grass fed raw dairy, all provide the nutrients our hormones need to heal. Given enough time with enough carbohydrates the body can heal sufficiently.

Looking at the modern diet we also see how nutrient intake has declined, this time not through demonisation but through ultra processed foods dominating the average persons diet. Returning to an organic whole foods diet that has beneficial saturated fat in plentiful amounts is the way to repair our hormones.

Menstrual cycle health 

Missing periods, heavy bleeds and debilitating periods are all signs that women's menstrual health is in serious need of support and healing. The average modern woman is on some sort of birth control, often even pushed on them to help with their menstrual cycle, but this is often doing more harm than good with exogenous estrogen coming in.

Living aligned with your cycle, avoiding hormone disruptors and giving your body what it needs to produce healthy, balanced hormones especially progesterone, is how you can heal your menstrual health and in turn regain fertility. 

Tracking your period and taking your temperature daily can both help you understand how your cycle is changing. When your cycle is regular, ovulation is on time, periods are somewhat symptom free then you have gotten your menstrual health into a healthy place.

Healthy testosterone levels 

And for men prioritising lowering inflammation and raising testosterone levels can significantly improve sperm health and count. The average man eats mainly ultra processed foods, wears polyester underwear, vapes and never works out. Compare this to a man with healthy testosterone levels and the lifestyles are completely different.

Weight lifting, sprinting, competitive sports, challenge, are all things that help raise a mans testosterone levels. Combined with a diet that supports testosterone levels and an environment that doesn’t disrupt hormones and you get a man with healthy sperm and sperm count.

Summary 

As mentioned above, healthy fertility stems from a healthy body, when we try to chase fertility with artificial supplements, biohacking or injecting peptides we aren’t fully focused on healing our bodies, therefore fertility can become illusive. Having a healthy hormonal profile, low inflammation levels and a lifestyle that is conducive to good health is the recipe for healthy fertility, the more we live aligned with nature the better our health and fertility will be.