Unlocking the Secrets of Natural Fertility: How to Extend Your Reproductive Longevity
Isn't it ironic that despite humans living longer than ever before, we're currently experiencing our worst state of health (and fertility)?
Due to the advent of modern medicine, people can age even into their 80s without ever addressing their diet or lifestyle (my paternal grandmother included, who lived- a full life- with Type 2 Diabetes and ended up passing with Chronic Kidney Disease in her 80s).
This overall decline in long-term health is concurrently happening with the decline in fertility; people are losing their fertility far earlier than we used to. I discuss many of the reasons behind this trend (and what it means for individuals and society as a whole) extensively in my course Resilient Motherhood but today I wanted to show you how you have the power to reverse your reproductive aging at a cellular level.
The Perfect Example of Putting Good Genes to Good use: My husband’s Grandpa David
Last weekend we visited my husband’s Grandmother on the San Juan Islands here off the coast of Washington. It was our first visit as a family since his Grandfather passed away last year at 99 1/2 years old (!) which I think was a balm for Grandma’s heart. Little children have a way of bringing ease and joy to even the most difficult times.
San Juan Island is such a beautiful place! We saw tons of deer, seagulls, blue herons, bald eagles, foxes, raccoons, Canadian geese, and tiny crabs all over the beach.
I hope my husband looks like him in his 90s!
Having the opportunity to witness wildlife brings you a sense of peace you didn’t know you needed until you have it. I honestly think it’s one of the reasons Mark’s Grandfather, David, lived as long as he did. That and his pristine diet and lifestyle.
This man hunted his last moose at age 89 (and tore his rotator cuffs pulling it in all by himself! 😬)
He lived part-time in Alaska and fished for salmon and halibut for many years.
Along with being immersed in nature, wild meats and wild caught seafood paired with regular daily activity kept him healthy and vital much longer than his peers.
He’s who I think of when I think of the word “healthspan”: the maintenance of high vitality and quality of life within your lifespan.
Our culture seems obsessed with trying to get everyone to live longer using surgeries and medications, even if it means they’re bound to a couch all day, even if they have lost their cognitive capacity.
If you're anything like me, you could probably care less about your lifespan and are way more interested in extending your healthspan.
It wasn’t until he stopped hunting, fishing and exercising (because of his shoulder injuries) that his health and cognition began to quickly decline. Not only was he eating store-bought (and processed) foods that he didn’t have much of before, but he was also way less active.
I was shocked to see how quickly he declined; it was both really sad to witness but also very encouraging. Thankfully, my husband has his genes and his grandfather is proof of what is possible if he expresses the very best parts of those genes.
Genes matter, but epigenetic factors (like diet, exercise, sleep, stress, toxin exposure, and more) are what allow your genes to show their best side.
And just like you can extend your healthspan, you can also extend your “fertile span” or reproductive longevity.
The SAME mechanisms that age a person at the cellular level also age your fertility, in both men and women.
What is reproductive longevity?
As you age and/or experience oxidative damage, your future eggs are negatively impacted, resulting in a shorter reproductive window. Taking steps to reduce oxidative damage (more on that in a minute) in your ovaries can improve egg health and extend your fertile years. Reproductive Longevity is maintaining healthy hormones and cycles and maintaining the ability to conceive and carry a healthy baby to term for as long as is naturally and physically possible.
When it comes to fertility, oxidative stress is kind of a “catch all” phrase for factors that damage mitochondrial DNA. So, working from a functional medicine mentality and approach, I like to support my clients to optimize their mitochondrial production (learn how you can work with me here)
Your body (and that includes your ovaries) runs on the power of ATP generated by your mitochondria.
When you feel tired, sluggish and slow, it’s a sign that your mitochondria are not effectively producing enough energy.
Most human cells have around ~2000 mitochondria, but human egg cells have as many as 600,000!
So if your mitochondrial energy production is suffering, guess what else is suffering?
Ding ding ding!
You guessed it, your fertility!
ATP production is extremely important for highly metabolically active cells such as sperm and egg cells. When mitochondrial function declines, so does sperm and egg quality.
Because your mitochondria are responsible for carrying out all the essential tasks for the body, especially fertility, when their performance is suboptimal, well, so will your fertility be.
Without adequate mitochondrial function, egg cells are not able to generate enough ATP for their many many processes, and they are rendered unable to grow, divide or implant properly.
Oxidative damage in your ovaries increases (naturally) with age…BUT You can reverse your aging fertility!
Antioxidants counteract the high levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) resulting from mitochondrial energy production, reducing damage to the cell and DNA in the developing egg.
However, when there are insufficient antioxidants in comparison to the ROS produced, this can lead to oxidative stress and DNA damage, resulting in poor egg quality and poor sperm quality.
You may have LESS eggs at 40 than someone at 35 but with intentional, strategic changes you could still have MORE high quality eggs than the 35 year old woman with more eggs.
This is why I place such an important emphasis with my clients, whether they are preparing to conceive within the next 2 years or they are planning to freeze their eggs, to focus on arriving at PEAK egg health BEFORE trying to conceive!
If you’re concerned about your aging fertility, you’ve been told that you have low AMH or low ovarian reserve and are considering freezing your eggs go listen to my new episode on The Resilient Fertility Podcast “What to consider before freezing your eggs”.
Quality over Quantity is a KEY mindset focus when you’re TTC in your later reproductive years
Some of the reasons women who are older tend to have lower egg quality is because the natural process of aging results in:
Increased oxidative damage occuring in the ovaries
Reduced antioxidant production in the ovaries (including but not limited to CoQ10 and Glutathione)
Reduced blood flow to the reproductive organs
To reverse your ovarian aging, improve fertility, and extend your reproductive longevity, it’s ciritical to reduce your sources of oxidative stress and increase antioxidant intake and production
Such as:
Endocrine disrupting chemicals like parabens and phthalates (found in common household cleaners and skincare/cosmetics)
Perfluorinated chemicals (PFOAs) (found in non-stick/Teflon-coated cookware and most dental floss)
Easily oxidized oils (such as vegetable and seed oils)
Smoking (marijuana and cigarettes)
Alcohol
Pollution
Heavy metals
and more!
Which means your need for detox nutrients goes up with age!
If your detox nutrients are getting depleted through detoxifying all of the environmental toxins entering your body, then it can definitely take a toll on ovarian health and egg quality.
Note: this is the case for many women in general, but especially critical to consider if you are over age 35 as your body may have a higher level of oxidative stress (and reduced antioxidant capacity, by nature of aging).
How do I get more antioxidants to improve my egg health and extend my fertility?
Some of the most critical antioxidants that play essential roles in protecting egg and sperm quality are CoQ10 and Glutathione (among many other nutrients like B vitamins, Vitamin C, and animal-based Vitamin A!) and like I mentioned above, CoQ10 (or rather it’s biological form Ubiquinol) production declines with age.
This is one of the reasons I love the new Fertility Booster product by FullWell Fertility, more on that below.
In my Resilient Motherhood Coaching Program I teach you exactly how you can get these foods and nutrients in a delicious way and I give you a comprehensive list of fertility herbs and supplements (with indications for when they could be useful and recipes for how to use them) that you can use to support your fertility journey.
My goal is to help you provide your body with the tools to regenerate your fertility NATURALLY.
Want to get pregnant as soon as you're ready?
Learn how to optimize your egg quality sooner than later, my Resilient Motherhood Coaching program is for you. Don’t wait until you struggle to conceive. Build it and baby will come.
Speaking of antioxidant support…
One of my favorite prenatal supplement companies, FullWell Fertility JUST launched their brand new Fertility Booster , and with my affiliate discount code ANISAW10, you can get it (along with their men's and women's prenatal vitamins) now at a special presale price!
Here's what I love about it:
Advanced antioxidant support for optimal egg & sperm quality
Supports the body’s free radical defenses in every cell (something that decreases with age)
Maintains DNA integrity (remember like I said above? oxidative damage and reduced antioxidants leads to DNA damage)
Supports liver health and detoxification (essential for those of you with symptoms of estrogen dominance like PMS, heavy bleeding, painful periods and more).
Promotes relaxation and a healthy stress response with the highest concentration of ashwagandha root extract on the market! (an herb I include in multiple recipes in Resilient Motherhood )
Quality confirmed: Every batch is 3rd party tested
For my clients above 35, antioxidant support is a must-have!
Using my code ANISAW10, you'll get an additional 10% off the presale price (but hurry, the presale ends June 5th!)
Interested in boosting your CoQ10 directly from food?
There's ONE food where CoQ10 is found in significant concentrations... animal hearts! With grilling season among us, give my Perisan Grilled Lamb Hearts recipe a try, one of the many nutrient-dense recipes I feature in my Resilient Motherhood Course!
