Managing your fertility health in winter can be a struggle with the colder weather and many celebrations towards the end of the year, all of which can take their toll on your body and mind.
But keeping on track doesn’t have to be hard if you follow some simple steps. Over the past two thousand years the Chinese have been making seasonal changes to their diet, lifestyle and mindset, and have created guidelines to follow to optimise your fertility throughout the seasons.
Harnessing the changes of winter will leave you fully recharged with optimised fertility for the months and year ahead. You will enter the next year with better health and increased vitality making your body more efficient and able to support conception and pregnancy.
9 easy things to do in winter:
1. Keep extra warm and protect yourself from the cold wind and draughts.
Keep your feet, legs and lower back wrapped up well and if any of these areas feel cold, add more clothes or massage the area to get the blood flowing more efficiently. When your body gets cold, it requires more energy to heat itself up and it therefore uses more nutrients, which often depletes reserves. This is why animals fatten up for winter and then sleep, allowing their bodies to stay warm and use little energy.
2. Hibernate and sleep as much as you can.
All life slows down in winter and rests. Go to bed earlier, sleep longer hours and try to get up after the sun rises wherever possible. You might feel sluggish in winter but you’ll feel totally rejuvenated in spring! Winter is a time for reserving energy and a time to snuggle up and enjoy the long restful nights over the coming months.
3. Eat warmer foods and avoid lighter summer foods.
such as salad and cold food and drinks from the fridge. Increase your protein intake to generate more energy and keep warm, and specifically eat more protein in the luteal phase of your cycle (second half – after ovulation).
4. Eat lots of winter fertility foods.
Non-starchy vegetables: beetroot, Jerusalem artichokes, leeks, sweet potatoes, carrots and lots of dark green vegetables such as kale. Winter fruits: apples, pears, rhubarb and pomegranate Stews and broths: beef and lamb homemade stews and broths. For vegetarians eat vegetable stews and broths and add eggs as a source of protein Herbs and spices: garlic, ginger, chilli, pepper, cardamom, cloves, anise, and cinnamon (try to use Saigon cinnamon if possible) – but all in small warming quantities
5. Avoid alcohol.
As much as it’s nice to have a drink during celebrations, try to keep it to an absolute minimum and ideally no alcohol at all. Alcohol will deplete your nutrient base and compromise your immune system. It’s a stimulant and in winter your body is trying to rest.
6. Reduce false lighting as much as possible.
Use candles if you don’t need the light on and if you have the luxury of a real fire, then use that too. Firelight is relaxing and calms the mind and reduces stimulation allowing you to stay in a deep relaxed state.
7. Reflect on the past year and dream of plans for the year ahead.
But do it in a relaxed way that doesn’t over-stimulate your mind.
8. Decrease stress.
Relax, sleep lots, read books and watch lots of calm and happy movies and feel as if you’re indulging yourself by relaxing.
9. Enjoy time with your friends and family.
Stay at home or find nice calm environments where you can talk, relax and enjoy your time together. Winter is a time when the forces of nature decline and everything goes to sleep until spring. Reserving energy is the key in this season, and if followed will help to support and transform your fertility health for the following year.
Article: 12th Decemeber 2013 www.naturalfertilityexpert.com
Read more about boosting your fertility at www.prideangel.com