Coronavirus have you cooped up at home? Dr. Lowell Ku shares whole-body wellness tips to help boost fertility.

Dallas IVF understands patients may feel overwhelmed with the looming threat of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has forced people inside their homes and outside their comfort zones. This blog from Dr. Lowell Ku offers patients hope by focusing on ways to stay healthy and boost fertility through mindful breathing, supplements and proper nutrition.

We hope these helpful tips bring you health and wellness in the changing times.

Deep breathing (pranayama) prompts relaxation and mental health

Deep breathing techniques can help lower stress and induce calm, increasing positive mental health and wellness. Taking a nice, deep breath sends the brain a message to relax. This message then passes to the rest of your body, suppressing the stress response many are experiencing during the COVID-19 pandemic, which can help boost fertility.

These are some strange and stressful times that we are facing, and while all of us are stuck at home, you know it’s so important to practice healthy eating and regular exercise.

But in addition to that, don’t forget about your mental wellness. I know that a lot of us are anxious about our future, our jobs, our families and our health. But take a moment to focus on yourself, on your mental well-being.

Deep breathing as an alternative to meditation

Today I would like to discuss an ancient Indian technique called pranayama. This is a technique of deep breathing. It’s an excellent alternative to meditation. A lot of us have difficulty practicing meditation. It’s hard to slow down your mind, so this is a wonderful alternative.

This technique has many benefits. It will help you feel instantly relaxed. It expands your lung capacity, which is so important in the times of this coronavirus. It will help you relieve some stress, and if you’re gradually going into it, I guarantee once you finish this practice you will feel a lot more calm and relieved, which can help boost fertility.

Start with your thumb and your middle finger and your ring finger. This is a technique of breathing deeply through alternate nostrils and repeating each of the exercises six times in each nostril.

Take your thumb, occlude (close up) one nostril and breathe in deeply. Hold for a count of 4, then occlude the opposite nostril and breathe out to a count of 8. Repeat that six times and then switch sides. Again, repeat this six times on each side and feel the effect of calmness come over you.

This is just one of the techniques of mindfulness and relaxation, and going forward I hope to share other techniques with you.

Healthy food makes for healthy bodies & boosts fertility

Bodies work hard to create babies. Feeding your body healthy food helps boost fertility by fueling it for this function. Being proactive and having some favorite healthy recipes on hand can help you find success in your search for proper nutrition.

Today I’d like to continue on with our wellness series and share an easy recipe with you. Many of my patients have always heard me say that healthy nutrition is one of the most important things that you can do for yourself while you’re going through infertility treatments.

Things that are good for your body are also good for your egg quality and for sperm quality. One of the things that we are exposed to these days are a lot of environmental toxins – lots of pesticides, a lot of chemicals in the prepackaged processed foods – and I always recommend nutrition as wholesome, organic and as natural as possible.

I also recommend patients eat a low carb diet, especially if they are trying to lose weight. There is really no reason to try any fancy, crazy diets that are not sustainable. Eat wholesome, eat whole grain. Not only does that fill you up but it is also healthy for your heart and for your fertility.

One of the things I’ve discovered is a healthy bread called Ezekiel. It does take a little while to get used to it. It’s made out of sprouted grains. This bread is full of fiber and protein and it’s an excellent alternative to just using white, processed bread.

Our go-to avocado toast recipe

Today, I’d like to share an avocado toast recipe with you. This is one of my go-to recipes for my morning breakfast along with my steaming cup of tea. I love this Trader Joe’s Everything Bagel Seasoning to put on it, and I use some Himalayan salt.

For the simple recipe, I toast a slice of the bread. I scoop out half an avocado. If the avocado is quite large, just take about 1/4 of it. Avocados are full of nutrients, vitamins and heart-healthy monounsaturated fats that are very good for you. Avocados are also full of fiber and contain more potassium than bananas. They keep you full for a long time and no processing is involved. Nature did the processing for you.

I put a little sprinkle of the everything bagel seasoning on, I love this stuff on anything, and a tiny sprinkle of Himalayan salt. If you don’t have Himalayan salt, just sea salt or table salt will be fine, or you can skip salt altogether.

So, there you have it. A quick and easy breakfast recipe, avocado toast. Hope you guys have a great day and continue on with your healthy nutrition.

Fertility supplements aid in health and can boost fertility

Fertility supplements can help boost the proper vitamins and minerals that you are already receiving through a healthy diet and fill in the gaps with what may be left out. It is important to choose these supplements carefully to ensure you are avoiding any that are harmful during fertility treatments. And remember, not all supplements are created equal. Take time to research the brands before buying to ensure you are getting what you pay for.

Today I would like to continue on with our wellness series and talk about some supplements. Patients are always asking about what sorts of supplements they should take and, in addition to following a healthy diet and eating a well-balanced meal and minimally processed foods, there are always a few supplements that I recommend.

Most of us are deficient in certain micronutrients. One of the things that we are very frequently deficient in is vitamin D. The vitamin D deficiency can vary based on your ethnicity, how much time you spend in the sun and your diet. But vitamin D is very, very important. It helps boost your immune system and it has some antiviral properties. So especially in this coronavirus time, some data has suggested that if you’re very low in vitamin D you might be more susceptible. But from a fertility standpoint, vitamin D does help with egg quality. People who have low vitamin D may have reduced fertility.

Coenzyme Q10 & omega-3 supplements for a fertility boost

Two other supplements that I recommend are Coenzyme Q10 and omega-3 supplement. These are both very powerful antioxidants. These are supplements that both the husband and the wife can take.

Omega-3 is not only good for your heart but also good for egg health and sperm health. And then Coenzyme Q10 is excellent for the mitochondria in your cells and this has been shown in some studies to improve egg quality, especially in women who have reduced egg quantity and those who are older.

Whenever you choose supplements, make sure you do your research and pick some good-quality supplements. You don’t want to save money on fertility supplements and buy something where the bottle doesn’t list what you’re actually getting. Do your research and make sure you invest in good-quality supplements. Hope this helps, and you guys have a good day.