Categories > Men’s Health

We are typically exposed to many chemicals and toxins on a daily basis.  However, please don’t fret because there are simple things you can do to reduce your exposure, starting today! 

Why is it important to reduce our exposure to environmental toxin exposure? Well, because chemicals and toxins are endocrine disruptors.  

Basically, this means that they negatively impact our hormones, which are not only responsible for reproduction, but also for mood, brain function and metabolism. 

While toxins and chemicals disrupt hormones, making a mess of the menstrual cycle and impacting a woman’s ability to achieve and maintain a pregnancy, they can also reduce sperm production and quality. So this isn’t just a female reproductive hormone issue, it’s a male reproductive issue too. As we all know, it takes two to make a baby. 

So what can we do? 

We can make minor and simple changes to the water we drink, the food we eat, and the products we use regularly. 

Water consumption:

We all know that water is important to our body’s wellbeing, so it’s important to drink 1.5-2L/day to stay properly hydrated. For fertility purposes, this is especially important because proper hydration helps with liver and kidney function, which helps the body metabolize hormones and rid the body of toxins. 

Because heavy metals can be found in many water sources, I can’t stress enough how important it is to ensure yours is clean, reliable and/or filtered.

If you are unsure about your water source, please look into ways that you can have your water tested and explore different filtration systems.  

How you store your water is also important and it is best if your drinking water is stored in a glass, metal, or BPA free bottle. These bottles won’t break down and leach harmful chemicals or microplastics into your water, like commercially bought water bottles do.  

However, if you are drinking commercially produced water that is sold in plastic bottles, please please refrain from storing these in your vehicles or warm areas. As plastic heats up, it breaks down and leaches into your drinking water. 

Foods 

I recommend a well balanced diet, especially including leafy greens, vegetables and a small amount of fruit/berries. 

Certain nutrients, like B vitamins can actually bind to toxins to pull them out of our system. Foods high in B vitamins include: whole grains, fruits, legumes, seeds, nuts, and meat products.

If you are trying to conceive it is also very important to take your prenatal supplements, which also have B vitamins in them.  

Another nutrient that helps to detoxify is glutathione. The liver needs glutathione to assist in hormone metabolism and foods high in glutathione include: avocados, spinach and walnuts. 

Unfortunately, there can be a downside to eating these nutritionally dense foods. Despite containing essential nutrients, they can also be exposed to pesticides and herbicides, which are terrible for the reproductive hormones. 

Therefore I advocate eating organic foods when possible and especially those that are classified by the Environmental Working Group  as the dirty dozen. These are foods that carry a heavier toxic load from exposure to pesticides and herbicides:

1. strawberries
2. spinach
3. kale   
4. nectarines
5. apples
6. grapes
7. peaches
8. cherries
9. pear
10. tomatoes
11. celery
12. potatoes 

However, if it’s difficult for you to access organic produce from the ‘dirty dozen’ list, you can do a simple wash. Although this wash doesn’t reduce all of the chemicals, according to a 2017 study published in the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry (2), it does effectively remove a fair amount of the pesticides. 

Produce Detox Wash

What you need

Kitchen sink/wash basin 
3L water
1 Ounce Baking Soda

How

Fill up the sink/basin with 3 litres of water, dissolve 1 ounce of baking soda in the water and then place your produce into this bath for 12-15min. 

Time saving hack

This might seem like one extra thing that you have to do but here’s what works for me:

I make the produce bath as soon as I get home from the store and let my produce soak as I’m putting the rest of my groceries away. By the time I’m finished putting everything away, my produce is good to go!

It feels like minimal effort and making the most of multitasking!

Personal products

A lot of the products we use daily can contain high amounts of endocrine disruptors such as parabens and phthalates. Typically these are in our lotions, makeup, shampoo, and personal care products. 

I’m not expecting you to empty your cupboards and closets and throw everything out, that’s definitely not feasible or economical! However, I do encourage you to replace them with healthier versions as you run out.

I’m not here to promote one brand over another, but you can reference the environmental working group’s website.

Another handy tool is the Think Dirty App. This is an app that you can download onto your smartphone to scan products for their toxic rating.

Household Cleaners and Products 

Household cleaners carry a lot of chemicals in them. In fact, products that smell especially “good or clean” typically contain phthalates. 

One way to decrease the use of these types of products is by switching over to a vinegar and water solution.

How to make your own cleaning solution: 

• 4 tablespoons of vinegar mixed with
• 3 cups of water 
• 5-6 drops of your favourite essential oil ( if you want some delicious air freshening properties )

**Please Note: Vinegar and water cleaning solution hasn’t been shown to disinfect against the COVID19 virus. Please continue to use disinfectants such as hydrogen peroxide or bleach cleaners for high traffic/ touch areas.

This vinegar and water solution is for dusting and cleaning areas that don’t get a lot of traffic or hands-on use. 

Air freshening spray

To make a clean and easy room spray, all you need is:

• A spray bottle
• Water 
• 1 tablespoon of baking soda
• 5-10 drops of your favourite essential oil 

Fill the bottle mostly with water (not fully, leave some room) add the baking soda and essential oil and you are done! 

Air freshener vacuum (canister vacuums only) 

If you want to freshen the air in your home as you vacuum, you can try putting 10 drops of your favourite essential oil onto two cotton balls each and placing them into the canister portion of your vacuum cleaner. This will then disperse the essential oil while you vacuum. 

My favourite essential oil is lavender, because it has a calming effect. 

I hope that the transition into cleaner living is a smooth and burden free process for you.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us !

We all know what a negative toll stress can take on our bodies. But what about when we add a little more stress to the scenario?

For all my TTCvers, that fertility window isn’t always the ‘Let’s jump each other’s bones’ time. It sometimes feels scheduled and can be a stressful time period for both partners. Here’s where Acupuncture comes in.

This is a great time for not only women to come in for acupuncture, but it’s also a great time for men to have treatments as well!

Not only does acupuncture make you feel like putty, it stimulates that all-important parasympathetic nervous system. It helps to reduce cortisol, and improves overall blood flow to the reproductive organs in both men and women. In men, acupuncture helps give sperm an extra boost too.

A 2005 study tested men’s sperm after receiving acupuncture 2x a week for 5 weeks, and guess what?! They found an improvement in sperm quality (1)! Great news for all those men who are not only feeling stressed during that window, but who may also need some extra sperm boost.

If there is an underlying male factor issue or your man is facing high stress levels, acupuncture can help him out!

For more information on how we can support your fertility, contact us for a free 15-minute phone consult or schedule an initial consult today.

References:
1. Pei J et al 2005. Quantitative evaluation of spermatozoa ultrastructure after acupuncture treatment for idiopathic male infertility. Fertility and Sterility 141-7.

We are floored by Edmonton’s response to the Mindful Eating for Men Cooking Class that we will be co-hosting on Dec. 1st with Chef Blair Lebsack from Edmonton’s popular farm-to-table restaurant RGE RD.

Check out yesterday’s conversation with Kent Morrison from Global:

https://globalnews.ca/video/6215189/mindful-eating-for-mens-health

First of all, men’s health is a topic dear to us. Because we specialize in reproductive health, we come across a lot of interesting data. Canadian men die on average 6 years earlier than women, and research shows that sperm counts have decreased by 50-60% in the last 40 years. This rate of decline is steady and research also tells us that sperm are a biomarker of overall health.

So because none of us women at Whole Family Health can grow a moustache, we wanted to create our own ‘Mo’ment’ in honour of Movember. We also know the way to any person’s heart is through their belly – so we teamed up with RGE RD and our Mindful Eating for Men Cooking Class was born!

It has been a delight teaming up with RGE RD to talk about and to plan this event. Together, we have sparked so many delicious conversations about bringing awareness into our relationship with food and cultivating connection with our food.

We’ve been exploring the benefits of knowing and appreciating where our food comes from, what has gone into bringing it onto our plates, how to intentionally prepare it and then how to really really savour it.

So although we love looking at the research to inform us WHAT foods to incorporate and eliminate for disease prevention, we also want to empower everyone to think about WHY we’re eating, HOW we’re eating, WHEN we’re eating and WHERE we’re eating.

Basically this all translates into enjoying our food, rather then restricting our food.

Eating mindfully also involves savouring our food and being present with it through all of our senses – textures, flavours, smells, visual beauty and even sounds! Research shows that avoiding distraction increases the body’s absorptive capacity.

We have had the delight and honour of engaging with numerous media outlets on the topic this month.

Check out yesterday’s conversation with Kent Morrison from Global:

https://globalnews.ca/video/6215189/mindful-eating-for-mens-health

There’s been a huge controversy about fats over the years. Do you remember the 20th century low-fat boom, which was later debunked?

With all the polarized ideas about health out there, it’s hard to know exactly what is best and it’s increasingly difficult to navigate what “healthy” means.

When it comes right down to it, on a scientific level we can deduce that there are certain vitamins and minerals that are essential for healthy living.

Among these nutrients are indeed fats and oils. Fats are needed for the assimilation of fat soluble vitamins A, D, E and K. 

In colder climates fats can be beneficial for supplying deep, internal heat. Fats help to insulate and protect the internal organs while holding them in place.

From a Chinese Medicine standpoint, fats support our yin energy- providing comfort, security, and a slowing and grounding influence.  Much like our winter energies that drive us to seek inner warmth, to look inwards, and to store our physical energy.

Fats not only build tissues, they also enhance fluid metabolism, and send nutrients into the nervous system.  The predominantly yin aspect of fat is then converted into substantive yang, by providing the body with physical energy and warmth. This is why fats are highly valued in the human diet, we all need to feel secure & comforted. We also like to have ample amounts of energy and warmth while slowing down. 

Fats: the Good, the Bad and the Ugly

There are many different kinds of fat out there and not all fats are the same. In fact not all fats are good for us. Fats can be broken down into two categories: Saturated and Unsaturated.

What Are Saturated Fats

Saturated fats primarily come from animal products such as cheese, butter, eggs, and meat products. These fats are solid at room temperature and generally have a high smoke point. They have the fewest rancidity problems of all the oils, making them beneficial for cooking.

What Are Unsaturated Fats

Unsaturated Fats come from plants, animals, nuts and seeds. These oils are liquid at room temperature and can be further broken down into Monounsaturated fats, and Polyunsaturated fats.

What are Trans-Fats

Trans Fatty Acids are found in margarine, shortening, and vegetable oils. The process of hydrogenation to create these substances is particularly harmful as it creates an immune-damaging synthetic fat that elevates blood cholesterol. The FDA actually banned trans-fats in 2018, but they can still be found in some products manufactured before this date.

Fats and Fertility

The most important fats to focus on for fertility are polyunsaturated fats.  These fats contain “essential” fatty acids (EFA’s) that the body is unable to make on its own and so must obtain from our diet.

These essential fatty acids include Omega-3 fatty acids: EPA and DHA. EPA and DHA work to mutually support each other and play a vital role in our health and well being. 

EPA helps to reduce blood viscosity & clotting, lowers blood pressure, reduces inflammation and prevents ischemia (ie. strokes and heart attacks).

DHA plays other vital roles in the body like supporting brain development and growth.

Omega 3’s have also been known to improve the health of our skin, nails and hair. It is also found in sperm.

EFA’s are also converted into prostaglandins, which play a key role in the function and regulation of every organ and cell in the body.

EFA/DHA and Sperm

Dietary effects on fertility are continually being researched and studied. Many studies in recent years have tested the theory of EFA’s and its effect on male fertility.

Studies show a strong correlation between low DHA concentration and low sperm quality.

Healthy sperm is dependent on the amount of EFA’s present in the diet. Fatty acid consumption has actually been found to change the fatty acid composition of sperm and semen quality. An increase in sperm membrane DHA in humans has been recorded and has been associated with higher sperm motility, normal morphology, as well as increased concentration of sperm.

Sources of Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Fish with the highest amount of EPA/DHA are  salmon, mackerel and sardine. Other great sources are herring, anchovy, rainbow trout, and tuna. Capsule forms of fish oils can also be found at most supplement stores and here at Whole Family Health.

Recommended dosages of fish products: Seven to ten ounces of fish per week is sufficient or 500-1000mg of omega-3 fish oil in supplement form.

Flaxseed oil is another great plant source of omega-3 fatty acids. It is important to find sources that have not been processed with exposure to light or oxygen.

Recommended dosages of flax products: four tablespoons of ground flaxseed (flaxmeal) freshly ground or bought in a tightly sealed container and refrigerated, with meals once daily; or one tablespoon of fresh flax oil taken with meals once daily.

Want to learn more about healthy eating for men’s health? Join us December 1st for a Mindful Eating for Men Cooking Class at Rge Rd. All proceeds go to Movember.

Check out our Events page or call 587-200-5589 to register, space is limited!

References:

Diet and men’s fertility: does diet affect sperm quality?Nassan, Feiby L. et al.
Fertility and Sterility, Volume 110, Issue 4, 570 – 577

Dietary Fatty Acids Affect Semen Quality: a Review V. Esmaeili-A. Shahverdi-M. Moghadasian-A. Alizadeh – Andrology – 2015

Harvard Health Publishing, Harvard Medical School: The truth about fats: the good, the bad and the in-between.Feb 2015

Pitchford, Paul.  Healing with Whole Foods: Asian Traditions and Modern Nutrition. 3rd ed., North Atlantic Books, 2002.

Men! Let’s have a real conversation about your diet. This should not induce stress, and if it does… Then good! This means you know you can do better! Let’s talk about antioxidants in relation to your diet.  

What Exactly Are Antioxidants? 

We hear this buzz word used constantly, but do we actually understand the science of it?

An antioxidant is a molecule that inhibits the oxidation of other molecules. Oxidation is a chemical reaction that can produce free radicals, which leads to chain reactions that damage cells. In short, antioxidants prevent cellular damage.

When our bodies can’t keep up with the number of free radicals that are accumulating, it enters a state of oxidative stress. Over time, this can cause a lot of harm and eventually lead to things like cancer, heart disease, cataracts and even autoimmune disorders.(1) Some Factors that can contribute to oxidation include, stress, smoking, alcohol, pollution and poor diet.

What Can We Do To Combat Oxidative Stress?

Well for starters we can eat more antioxidant foods that will kick butt against free radicals. They say to eat the rainbow, because the phytochemicals that are responsible for the pigmentation in colourful plants are also highly antioxidant. Some examples of foods high in antioxidants include: (2)

1. Tomatoes
2. Green Tea
3. Blueberries
4. Dark Chocolate
5. Artichokes
6. Raspberries
7. Kale
8. Beans
9. Beets
10. Goji Berries

The Tomato & Its Super-Antioxidant Powers

I love Italian Cuisine and want to touch more on tomatoes. They are versatile, they have amazing flavour and they have the potential to help prevent cancer.

Tomatoes are part of the carotenoid family and contain lycopene, which is what gives the tomato its red pigmentation. Research shows that this colour molecule is what also gives the tomato its cancer fighting properties.

Tomatoes are specifically beneficial for addressing prostate cancer (3) and recent reviews correlate 9-21mg/day of lycopene to a 9% increase in prostate cancer prevention.(5) Another recent study links high levels of beta carotene in tomatoes with tumor supressing effects in prostate cancer.(4)

What more incentive to include these juicy red balls of joy into your life?

It’s empowering to think that we can have a direct affect on our bodies and boost our bodies’ abilities to fight diseases like cancer. Although more and more research is always needed, it’s definitely exciting that current studies are finding positive results with this red fruit. Tomatoes are very accessible and easy to incorporate into salads and sauces.

Empower Yourself with Colourful Veggies

The take home here is that we want to include antioxidant rich foods. I have outlined the tomato, but variety is the spice of life to your health. Remember to eat the rainbow, as all colourful vegetables are highly antioxidant.

November is Men’s health awareness month. The more we continue to talk about cancer, diabetes, infertility, depression and other common men’s health diseases, the more awareness we bring to these issues and the more we can advocate for their prevention.

We can positively lower our risk of disease through increasing our intake of antioxidant foods. So eat your tomats and talk to your peeps. Keep eating all those healthy colourful antioxidants!

Join us for our Mindful Eating for Men Cooking Class on Dec 1st with Chef Blair Lebsack from RGE RD. All proceeds go to Movember!

Check out our Events Page for more info or Call to Register today.

1. Pham-Huy LA¹, He H, Pham-Huy C, 2008 Jun;4(2):89-96, Int J Biomed Sci. Free Radicals, antioxidants in disease and health. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23675073
2. Monica H Carlsen, et al. 2010; 9: 3. Published online 2010 Jan 22. doi: 10.1186/1475-2891-9-3.The total antioxidant content of more than 3100 foods, beverages, spices, herbs and supplements used worldwide. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2841576/
3. Graff RE et al. 2016 Mar;103(3):851-60. doi: 10.3945/ajcn.115.118703. Epub 2016 Jan 27.Dietary lycopene intake and risk of prostate cancer defined by ERG protein expression. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26817504
4. Gong X¹ et al. 2016 Oct;14(10):966-975. Epub 2016 Jul 12.Mitochondrial β-Carotene 9′,10′ Oxygenase Modulates Prostate Cancer Growth via NF-κB Inhibition: A Lycopene-Independent Function. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27406826
5. Chen P, et al. 2015, Medicine Baltimore. Lycopene and risk of Prostate Cancer: A Systemic Review and Meta- Analysis. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26287411

Perhaps you have heard some of the buzz surrounding grass-fed beef.  Among the plethora of reasons why grass-fed beef is an incredible nutrient resource, there are some real gems in this superfood that can benefit everyone’s health. In honour of Movember we want to highlight the different nutritional aspects that benefit our wonderful men.

2 reasons Omega-3 fatty acids are good for us:

Grass-fed beef contains between 2 & 5 times more omega-3 fatty acids than grain-fed beef. (1)

• Omega-3 fatty acids can protect the body from various inflammatory disorders.
• Omega-3 fatty acids can improve sperm parameters, including motility and concentration.
  

Chronic inflammation is something that we all want to minimize. However, some inflammatory diseases are more prevalent among men, such as heart disease and cancer.  Depression, another prevalent men’s health issue, is also associated with high amounts of inflammation.

2 reasons antioxidants support men’s health:

Grass-fed beef contains significantly higher amounts of beta-carotenoids, vitamin E, CLA, glutathione, superoxide dismutase and catalase – all potent antioxidants! (1)

• Antioxidants protect the body’s cells against damage from free radicals by enhancing immune function. 
• Antioxidants improve sperm concentration, morphology, motility and DNA integrity.

The protection against free radicals prevents the development of cancer and also helps to prevent or delay coronary heart disease. (1)

Sperm is a biomarker for overall health and longevity as well.  A study between 1963 and 2001 performed on 51,543 men showed that higher sperm counts were correlated with significantly lower mortality rates. (2)

Why zinc is an essential trace element for men:

All beef contains a high amount of zinc, however, grass-fed cattle contains a higher level of zinc than grain-fed cattle, especially if raised with organic methods. (3) 

• Zinc balances testosterone, improving prostate and sexual health.
• Zinc functions as an antibacterial agent in men’s urea system.
• Zinc has a positive effect on spermatogenesis and improves the physiology of sperm.

A deficiency of zinc has been shown to impede spermatogenesis and is a direct reason for sperm abnormalities and poor sperm testosterone concentration.  While zinc improves men’s fertility parameters, it also helps to improve overall reproductive health, prostate health, sexual health and the hormonal balance of men. (3) 

Grass-fed beef has better nutrient retention

Due to its high concentration of beta-carotenoids, vitamin E and antioxidants, grass fed beef has a slower rate of degradation.  This means that it browns much slower than grain-fed beef!  

It is even protected against the nutrient degradation that occurs when beef is cooked at high temperatures such as grilling or frying!  (4)

Want to Learn More?

On December 1st, we are teaming up with Chef Blair Lebsack at Edmonton’s popular restaurant RGE RD, to co-host a Mindful Eating for Men Cooking Class. Come and learn how easy it is to eat healthily and mindfully. Chef Blair will demonstrate how to transform beautiful raw ingredients into a delectably healthy meal while we enlighten you on the health benefits of it all. Then you get to taste it, and take a Range Road recipe home. All proceeds will go to Movember.

Check our events page for more info or to register call 587-200-5590.

Space is limited!

1. Daley, Cynthia al. “A review of fatty acid profiles and antioxidant content in grass-fed and grain-fed beef.” Nutrition journal vol. 9 10. 10 Mar. 2010, doi: 10.1186/1475-2891-9-10 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2846864/ 
2. Harvard Health Publishing. “Sperm Count May Be Good Predictor of Men’s Overall Health, from Harvard Men’s Health Watch.” Harvard Health  https://www.health.harvard.edu/press_releases/sperm-count-may-be-good-predictor-of-mens-overall-health 
3. Fallah, Ali et al. “Zinc is and Essential Element for Male Fertility: A Review of Zn Roles in Men’s Health, zgermination, Sperm Quality and Fertilization.” Journal of reproduction & infertility vol. 19,2 (2019): 69-81 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6010824/
4. Domaradzki, Poitr et al. “Evaluation of the Mineral Concentration in Beef from Polish Native Cattle.” Biological trace element research vol. 171,2 (2016): 328-332. doi:10.1007/s12011-015-0549-3 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4856721/ 

Mindful eating is not just about choosing healthy foods and understanding why some foods are healthier than others. It’s also about having a connection with our food, knowing and appreciating where our food comes from, what has gone into bringing it onto our plates, preparing it with intention and then of course savouring it!

It’s not just about what we are eating, it’s also about how we are eating, why we are eating, when we are eating, where we are eating and how much we are eating.

From a Chinese Medicine perspective, there is no point in eating healthy food if the body is unable to absorb the nutrients properly. Being present with our food as opposed to multi-tasking while we’re eating allows the body to focus its attention on digesting and transforming the food into energy.

Eating slowly and chewing thoroughly not only facilitates this process, it also allows us to truly savour our food. Researchers have found that being present with the flavour and texture of food and reflecting on the purpose of each bite as we relish it can improve assimilation and help address obesity.

When we really savour our food, we bring awareness to the taste and texture of our food, increasing satisfaction and satiation. This ultimately translates into eating less and enjoying more, which contributes to overall health and wellbeing.

Stress Negatively Impacts Digestion

Studies conclude that stress negatively impacts the GI tract by disrupting GI movement, increasing visceral irritability, altering the rate and extent of various GI secretions, modifying permeability of the intestinal barrier, disrupting blood flow and increasing intestinal bacterial counts.

We live such fast paced lives, eating becomes an auto-pilot activity. We tend to unconsciously take one bite after another without much attention. Often, we are multi-tasking as we eat, dining in lunch meetings, while surfing the Internet, or checking our social media and text messages. When we do this, our body is unable to invest as much energy into the digestive process, which becomes less efficient.

Mindful Eating Supports Digestion

But when we slow down, we are more in touch with what foods feel healthy to eat vs. what foods we think are healthy to eat. We’re also in touch with how much food our body really needs, and/or why we are eating it.  

Mindfulness stimulates the relaxation response, allowing our bodies to shift into the parasympathetic nervous system and the ‘rest and digest’ mode. Here, our bodies can focus on absorption and more effective assimilation of nutrients.

Want to Learn More?

On Dec. 1st, we are teaming up with Chef Blair Lebsack at Edmonton’s popular restaurant Rge Rd to co-host a Mindful Eating for Men Cooking Class. Come and learn how easy it is to eat healthily and mindfully. Chef Blair will demonstrate how to transform beautiful raw ingredients into a delectably healthy meal while we enlighten you on the health benefits of it all. Then you get to taste it, and take a Rge Rd recipe home. All proceeds will go Movember.

Check our events page for more info or to register call 780-756-7736.
Space is limited!

GUYS!

Pay attention. Fertility acupuncture seems like a girl thing right? Well it’s true that a lot of our patients are women, because let’s face it, things with us girls are a bit more complicated. BUT! GUYS, pay attention!

I know your wife might be dragging you to this Initial Consultation and you’d probably rather be anywhere else instead of talking to me about your sperm health but the statistics aren’t wrong.

Did you know that 40% of all infertility diagnosis is due to male factor and 20% is due to combined female and male factor? So basically male and female factors play an equal role. That’s a heck of a lot more than you expected right?

If you suffer from male factor infertility you are NOT ALONE!

But it’s okay, there are things you can do to optimize your sperm health.  Aside from regular acupuncture treatments and diet, there are many supplements we recommend to increase sperm parameters including motility, concentration and health.

Here are a few supplements to consider when optimizing sperm health:

Coenzyme Q10

Studies show that COQ10 improves sperm motility and fertilization rates. COQ10 is actually found in the mitochondria of the midpiece of the sperm. All sperm cell activity, processes and movement depend on CoQ10 and its availability within the cell. So the more CoQ10 you have, the better your sperm cells can function. In fact, the more CoQ10 there is, the better the sperm cell can travel to the egg for fertilization.

Ubiquinol- the active form of CoQ10 is also a well known antioxidant which plays a huge part in maintaining the health of your cells. Antioxidants neutralize free-radicals which actually steal electrons from the lipids (or fat) in your cell membrane, which results in cell damage. We need healthy sperm to make healthy babies!

Studies show that increasing our antioxidant intake with supplementation and diet can have a profound effect on the health of your sperm cells.

Omega-3

You’ve probably heard a lot about Omega-3 fatty acids and its overall health benefits from decreasing inflammation in the body, increasing brain and nerve development in infants, and lowering the risk of heart disease. In fact- I bet you are already taking it. But did you know that studies show this incredible supplement is also being used to increase sperm concentration and motility? There are different types of Essential Fatty Acids but EPA and DHA are the ones you should be consuming.

Vitamin D

Over the years Vitamin D has been well known for maintaining calcium homeostasis within the body and promoting bone health and mineralization. There is also evidence that Vitamin D helps balance reproductive processes in both men and women. In fact, vitamin D receptors have actually been found inside the reproductive tissues of men and women. This vitamin is known to help increase testosterone levels and increase sperm quality and motility by promoting the synthesis of ATP, or energy supply within the sperm cell.

And it’s simple. In fact it’s never been easier to get these over-the-counter supplements from you fertility acupuncturist.  Although we do recommend to book in for an Initial Consultation with one of our Registered Acupuncturists before starting any supplement regime just to make sure these are right for you.

But you’re in luck! In honour of all those men out there suffering with infertility Whole Family Health will be offering 50% off all Initial Consultations booked from June 10-16th! Book in today!

Hope to see you all in the clinic soon!

Author: Christina Pistotnik

Guys, do you really just want to be ‘normal’? Seriously though wouldn’t you rather be outstanding, virile, and fertile!?! RUUR!!!!

We are constantly talking about the women and the woman’s side of fertility but let’s get real, we all know that it takes two to make a baby. So let’s talk sperm quality!

There is a bit of a crises going on that not many are talking about and that is sperm are on the decline folks! A more recent study involving semen count was published in the journal of Human Reproduction Update and it provides evidence that men’s sperm counts have taken a huge hit over the years.  How huge of a drop do you ask? Well, it showed that semen have dropped by 53% since 1973 (1). These findings were not only close to home either they were of global proportions!

The decline is so bad that WHO (world health organization) has decreased the parameters of what is considered a ‘normal’ semen analysis (2) . Here is a look at what is considered healthy parameters have declined over the years.

Well, Crap! What can I do to improve my virility then?

The answer is having a healthy diet full of anti oxidant rich foods, getting regular exercise, and of course going for acupuncture treatments! All three of these have the ability to positively change your epigenetics (DNA expression). I’m not going to go deep into the role of epigenetics but it basically determines weather the inside of your cells (ie sperm) is healthy or not.  It makes sense that good food and exercise = healthy cells but did you know that acupuncture does too? A 2005 study showed that men receiving regular acupuncture treatments had improved sperm quality especially in the form of sperm cell structure (3).  Things that you should stay away from that negatively affect epigenetics include environmental toxins (chemical and pollution), excess alcohol, and drug exposure.  

In honour of Men’s Health week this week practitioners at Whole Family Health are offering 50% off men’s initial fertility consultations. Make your appointment for virile sperm with one of our expert fertility acupuncturists for treatment and advice today!

The internationally known urologist Dr. Paul Turek is a male fertility specialists and is also a strong believer in the role of epigenetics. He recommends that all men trying to conceive change more than just their underwear but do a complete overhaul of their lifestyle. His website is one of my favourite male fertility resource that I regularly refer my male patients to visit because it offers a plethora of knowledge to help men trying to conceive and it is hilariously and appropriately named Don’t Cook Your Balls (DCYB). There is also a very helpful test you can take and receive a brief fertility assessment with tips on improvements you can make.

Having access to information and tools like the ones on DCYB, making healthy lifestyle choices, limiting exposure to environmental toxins and having regular acupuncture treatments can put more than that extra pep in your step but give your little swimmers the virility they need to become a father.

References

1. Levine et al 2017. Temporal trends in sperm count: a systematic review and meta-regression analysis.  Human Reproduction Update 1-14.
2. Menkveld, R. 2009. The new 5^th WHO manual semen parameter reference values-do they help or hinder? Andrology Laboratory, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Tygerberg Academic Hospital and University of Stellenbosch.
3. Pei J et al 2005. Quantitative evaluation of spermatozoa ultrastructure after acupuncture treatment for idiopathic male infertility. Fertility and Sterility 141-7.

We are all so happy at Whole Family Health, to have been mentioned in this Edmonton Journal Article on the challenges of dealing with Male Factor Infertility!

We love to help and support couples going through this process, and we recognize that it is hard for everyone, regardless of what the diagnosis is.

40% of infertility cases are due to male factor, and about 20% of cases are due to combined male and female factor. So infertility affects men and women relatively equally.

June 10-16^th is also Canadian Men’s Health Week!

We would like to honour and support men, by offering 50% off Initial Men’s Reproductive Health Consults that are booked during this week until June 16^th.  Contact us for more information.

Stay tuned for more blog information this week on how you can improve Male Fertility with supplements and acupuncture.

Happy Men’s Health Week!
Dr. Alda Ngo

If you would like more information or to book in for a discounted Initial Men’s Reproductive Health Consult this week, contact us:
by Email: info@wholefamilyhealth.ca or
by Phone: 780.756.7736

Success Story

“I think when us guys hear the words “fertility issue,” we tend to look for ways to fix what’s broken. My wife and I have been through the grinder and every test conceivable (<-yeah it’s a pun) for Western medicine. There was no easy fix for what was quickly starting to look like an “infertile couple.” Our last option was surrogacy but we still needed healthy eggs from my wife and good sperm from me to proceed. We asked around about what we could do to increase our chances of having success with creating healthy embryos.

“We went for a few months of treatment & in tandem with a fertility clinic, created several healthy embryos as a result.”

Acupuncture was mentioned a few times so we gave it a whirl. It really was the best advice anyone gave us. We went for a few months of treatment and, in tandem with a fertility clinic, created several healthy embryos as a result. We now have a little girl that has just turned one. We can’t thank Alda and the rest of the team enough for helping us. They can truly make a difference.

Lastly, I encourage all couples to BOTH go for acupuncture.  So often I see women at the fertility clinic on their own. I think it’s important for both partners to be there and go through the experience together. “

-Clint H

Mat’s Story

Here is also another dear patient’s video, sharing his experience as he and his partner went through fertility treatments: