One message that I tried to get across to readers of my book is that no single organ or part of the body functions in isolation – everything is linked. When we think of reproductive health there are many other aspects of our body that are often overlooked or not thought of in connection with fertility.
Some of these are gut health, microbiome, liver, mental health, stress levels, environmental toxins, EMF exposure and oral health. My book explains these links in more detail, so get your copy today on Amazon.
However, for the purpose of today’s blog, I would like to share a recent clinical experience – names changed to protect identities.
Jack and Jill came to see me for support and advice as they wanted to have a baby. After trying to conceive for over a year, they decided to seek my help.
While Jack needs to be on special medication, Jill was not taking any meds. We discussed lifestyle, diet, stress and the best supplements. Both were extremely motivated and went away to implement my recommendations.
Jill has made huge progress achieving some concurrent goals which included weight reduction, increased energy and less stress. Jack, however, was seeing little change. While chatting he happened to mention that his teeth ached when he ate sugar. Well, this raised alarm bells in me. I asked about his oral health and when he had last seen a dentist – the answer was about 17 years ago! I then proceeded to explain the link between oral health and gut microbiome – which is also in my book.
While Jill was doing all she could to get her body ready to have a baby, Jack didn’t realise how important his oral health was to both of them. Being intimate with a partner means you share microbiome – the good and the bad. In addition to this, he obviously needed a gentle reminder that a healthy whole food diet did not include processed sugar.
As part of pre-conception preparation, oral health is a vital area that needs to be addressed.
Jack now understands and has made an appointment with his dentist.
It’s all connected but we don’t always connect the dots. Sometimes we think we are doing what is required but then realise we actually missed a few crucial factors. That’s why it’s important to speak to your qualified naturopath who is there to help you along the way and gently nudge you back on track.
