Time to relax

Relaxation. It’s something most of us realise we need to do more of, yet while we’re well aware of this, it’s amazing how few of us are actually succeeding in taking real time for ourselves to properly unwind.

Relaxation is extremely beneficial for rebalancing your immune system, and clearing and strengthening your mind and body. And, for those of us who are struggling with conception, relaxation is even more important.

Most would admit that taking the time to rest properly really isn’t something that we tend make the time for (we’re too busy to fit it in!). And, when questions surrounding fertility are thrown in with the already chaotic manner in which life tends to move these days, things can get a little crazy…

A common reaction is to continue to feed off of and buy into that busyness. We bury ourselves in a whirlwind of madness, and become consumed by activities because we’re not sure what to do with our spare time, or what thoughts might pop up as a result.

If you’re nodding your head right now, or can admit to yourself that it’s probably time for you or your partner to slow down, or that this is something you’ve been trying to avoid, read on…

As we mentioned, relaxation is actually quite valuable to those of us trying to conceive. We’ve written a blog previously on the effects that stress can have on fertility (click here for full article), but since then, we’ve realised something…

We think we’ve worked out why it is that so many people don’t, or won’t relax!

You see, although people know they should relax, few of us actually no how to. And so, here are some useful exercises you can do to unwind, and let yourself go a little…

Breathe…

Focusing on your breath is one of the simplest, yet most effective techniques for relaxation, and is something that can be practiced anywhere.    

•   Close your eyes
• Take slow, deep breaths through your nose, counting in your mind1-2-3-4, as you do     
• Pause, before exhaling through your mouth, counting mentally 4-3-2-1, pause and repeat
• After a few minutes you may wish to move your focus from counting to breathing in peace and calm, and breathing out tension and anxiety

Body Scan

This is something you can do in conjunction with the above breathing exercise if you wish to reach a deeper level of relaxation.

• After focusing on your breathing for several minutes, turn your attention to breathing out tension from particular areas of your body.
• Starting with your forehead, concentrate on the area, recognising that there may be tension or negative energy built up in this area. Release this tension with five deep, slow breaths.
• Move gradually down your body to your eyes, cheeks, throat, shoulders, and so on, repeating the process at each stage until you reach the soles of your feet, feeling your belly expand and retract with each stage of breath.
• A good tip is to imagine your breath as a wave in a rising tide, with each exhale reaching a little further down your body as you let it out.

Mindfulness and Positive Accomplishment

One of the best ways to relax is to do something nice for yourself. It might be taking yourself for a gentle walk, eating one piece of your favourite chocolate, or even getting someone else to do the pampering for you, like when you take yourself off for a massage – the options really are endless – the only trick is that it can’t be something you’ll feel guilty about later! We’re trying to promote positivity here!

The key really is two things: mindfulness, and positive accomplishment.

• The first part, mindfulness, is the practice of focusing fully on what it is you are doing or experiencing. So, for example, if you’re going for that piece of chocolate, pay attention to every piece of detail – the colour of the outer packaging, the sound that’s made when you open the wrapping, how it smells, how it feels between your fingers; its texture, the different swirls of flavour, its creaminess, the way it melts.

You see, this practice, whether it’s focusing on that delicious chocolate, taking in the beauty and sounds surrounding you as you stroll down the road, or experiencing sensations like touch and warmth, and smell from a massage or spa treatment enables you to focus completely on the present and appreciate every aspect of what you are doing or experiencing, without allowing space for other thoughts to creep in.  (If they do, acknowledge them, and let them pass).

• The second part of this technique is easy, as it comes automatically after the first! Once you have taken the time to focus on your chosen activity, spend a moment recognising how good you now feel. Recognise that you’ve taken the time out to do something that has made you feel good, inside and out. You’ll feel a huge sense of achievement which is great for your head and heart! (And your body has benefited too!)

We hope that this has been beneficial, and that it inspires you to treat yourself to something that feels good! (After all, you deserve it!)

We really do encourage you to try the above techniques, or to book in for a Spa Treatment or find another pampering activity. 

Until next time, live well everyone! And remember to breathe…

Skin Care that REALLY Cares

We have previously mentioned the harmful effects that chemicals known as xenoestrogens found in pesticides, plastics, and even shampoos, soaps and creams can potentially have on fertility success; and have discussed ways that you can prevent contact with these synthetic creations through opting organic, or switching for natural personal care products (For full article click here).

Sometimes however, once pregnant or caring for a newborn, though we are conscious that harsh chemicals are best avoided, we are sometimes less aware of the abundance of products in which these unfriendly so-and-sos hide. Unintentionally, we sometimes expose bub or ourselves to exactly what we’ve been trying to avoid…

Like any other time in your life, during pregnancy or after childbirth it is important to try to take the time to make yourself feel good. It is important that you take a moment to relax, and pamper yourself and bub just a little (or get somebody else to!)

But, as mentioned, many products you might usually use to relax with such as massage oils and body creams are often full of synthetic chemicals, and even some leading baby care products contain compounds which may be harmful. 

Thankfully some businesses are beginning to adopt the approach of utilizing natural, organic and methods and chemical-free ingredients, allowing for peace of mind amongst mums to be, or mums with bubs.

Baby Bear Shop Organic is just one example of a company choosing to “formulate products that are clean and safe, not only for our skin but for the earth we live on, the air we breathe and the water we drink.”

Offering a range of pampering and nourishing products for mum & bub, from ‘mama belly oil’ through to ‘cheeky baby butter’, Baby Bear Shop’s philosophy is in direct opposition to the chemically-laden products that are currently widely available.

Containing no parabens, phenoxyethanol, lactoperoxidase, citrus seed extract and no other synthetic preservatives or additives; no dairy, nuts, gluten, soy, egg, oat, colors, or artificial anything, the company was founded for babies with allergies, resulting in nourishing, natural and gentle products.

If you’d like to find out more about this gorgeous range of natural products for mum & bub, please feel free to pop in to our Live well shop and fall in love with the beautiful packaging and soothing oils and creams just like we did. 

:)

Toast your teacups to a fertile future!

Ahhh, a soothing cup of tea. If you’re anything like me, you’ll find that tea is quite often the centre of our existence. It’s what we use to start the day with, to wind-down, to catch up over, to relax, and to get motivated.

Many of us actually don’t quite seem to function to an adequate level of satisfaction without the support of a nice hot cuppa. In its absence, simple, day-to-day tasks such as composing an email, getting ready for work, or tackling the horrendous, infinite mountain of doom that is the odd-socks pile (we’ve all got one!) feels like an unattainable, unrealistic, and at times frightening objective.

Yes, it is true, for many of us tea really is a necessary component to reaching the “normality” described as acceptable and expected adult human behaviour.

We know that tea is generally quite good for us, with its oh-so-impressive antioxidants (that ad springs to mind- “Auntie-who?!”) which makes us tea drinkers feel a little smug, placing ourselves on a bit of a higher horse than the buzzing coffee-consumers who walk among us.

And now there’s new justification to nurture that tall-poppy tea-drinkers’ syndrome; recent research in Oakland, Northern California followed 210 hopeful mums on a tea-drinking voyage, to study the potential increase in fertility created by the humble cup of tea.

This golden piece of research found that women who drank even a measly half a cup of tea a day were twice as likely to conceive than those who preferred other caffeinated drinks such as energy-enhancing soft-drinks, or the grainy deep coffee that drops you like a brick and lingers on your breath, or who drank no tea at all! (Can you imagine?!)

Why is this?!

Well! It’s not the caffeine (or even the antioxidants) that are at work here. What researchers found was that it is the polyphenolic compounds in tea that are potentially boosting your fertility levels -this occurs through the ability of the polyphenois to decrease the number of chromosomal abnormalities in your body, in turn eliminating nonviable embryos. For those of you who have not yet had enough cups of tea to cope with such scientific jargon: the little compounds found in your calming cuppa actually decrease the chance of mishaps in your DNA threads meaning that the likelihood of your body producing embryos that are not quite up to the job is reduced– hoorah!

Furthermore, hypoxanthine, another chemical found in your beloved cup of tea is quite possibly the primary component of follicular fluid, which is the main solution responsible for the success of the maturing process of unborn babies.

Which tea is best?

Whilst the research at hand didn’t specify a particular type of tea (true tea-lovers don’t like to play favorites) it is thought that a refreshing green tea holds superiority over a black blend like the majestic English breakfast, or rich Russian Caravan in this particular situation.

Green tea, they say, has up to 10 times the levels of polyphenoses than black tea blends, meaning super-boosted baby-building benefits! –just three cups a day will help boost your fertility levels, whilst keeping you well within the recommended daily caffeine intake levels (less for black tea drinkers). Blends containing Acai are even more advantageous, with their cleansing and hormone-balancing qualities said to help the process further. 

So, toast your teacups, ladies, and enjoy your cuppa with confidence, knowing that you’re potentially drinking your way to a more fertile future!

Until next time, live well!

Jemima Daly 

Guys, say YES to fruit & veg!

Have you noticed that the men in your life (or that you as an individual if you are a male) tend to ignore the “2 fruit and 5 veg” message that’s been (perhaps rather unsuccessfully) sewn into our daily meal plan?

Researchers at both the University of Western Australia and Monash University may have found a new reason for men to get their daily fix of mother earth’s goodies, with a recent breakthrough suggesting that dietary antioxidants can help maintain male fertility.

Studies recently conducted have found that a combination of antioxidants is the best method for improving health for male reproduction, which neutralises highly reactive molecules known as free radicals.

The free radicals are actually waste-products of the cellular process which fuels the body’s activities. Without proper nourishment from antioxidants, these free radicals actually damage the body’s cells, which slow down the male’s reproductive workers.

Long story short, the study confirmed that those men that walk amongst us who obtain sufficient levels of antioxidents through their diet are much more likely to have successful swimmers than those who turn their nose up at their broccoli, peas and carrots.

So! When your male counterpart (or you, sir) next go for a snack, side-dish, or dessert, bear in mind its fruit and vegie content! Your little swimmers will be in Olympic-gold-medallist condition in no time!  

How Yoga Supports Fertility

Our brain is the reason our body works. It tells everything in the body what to do, and how to do it. When we are stressed, there are a million things that we are thinking of, and trying to take care of. This can have a negative affect upon the body, because the brain  For some people, stress can be a contributing factor of infertility.

The practice of yoga and meditation relaxes the mind and body. When the mind and body are relaxed, hormones are able to rebalance themselves. This, in turn, has been known to increase fertility. Studies have shown that meditation can be a powerful healing modality; It slows sympathetic nervous system activity (the part of the nervous system which mobilizes the body under stress) and instead stimulates parasympathetic nervous system activity (the part of the nervous system which is responsible for rest and recuperation). When the body is in a relaxed state of being, the immune system and general wellbeing is improved, which helps to increase chances of conception.

Yoga postures promote and increase the flow of blood throughout the whole body, to all organs. Particular poses will amplify blood flow specifically to reproductive organs, which will also increase fertility.

Most of all, yoga and meditation enables us to have a positive attitude and state of mind – and, when faced with fertility issues, maintaining a positive attitude is an important weapon in order to keep stress levels low!