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Health and Fitness

Health and Fitness

Women Have Options When it Comes to Increasing Fertility

What are some healthy options for increasing fertility in women?

Ask questions and seek advice from your elders and a licensed professional: Nine times out of ten, someone in your family may have experienced a similar problem with both their anatomy and their hormones. Women have relied on information from their parents and grandparents for centuries. Many mothers are in the profession of nursing and provide a host of support for the entire family. Some professionals specialize in women’s health that is available and accessible online and in your local community. Reproductive endocrinologists, or REs, are fertility/infertility specialists. They are the only doctors trained in providing fertility treatments using assisted reproductive technologies (ART) such as in-vitro fertilization (IVF) and egg freezing. REs are trained in obstetrics and gynecology and then have additional training to provide fertility treatment. REs diagnose and comprehensively treat infertility, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), or abnormalities of the reproductive system, and perform fertility preservation procedures like egg freezing. Women need to be healthy and robust to carry children to term. They will have vital physical and emotional health while they take and supply nutrition to their growing fetuses. Girls’ physical bodies usually mature before their minds do. Women need guidance and have to learn how to regulate their emotions when they enter puberty.

Unfortunately, a woman’s body can be damaged in her youth out of ignorance. The damage that occurs internally may be irreparable. The internal injuries that arise from multiple sexual partners, sterilization, lack of nutrition, and food-borne illnesses often stimulate blockages in the fallopian tubes where fertilization takes place. A parent must explain proactively how a growing young girl needs to eat healthily, plan for future parenting, and think logically about every decision she makes that could damage her internal organs. The process of mental maturity and wisdom is a continuous and linear process for women as she enters and exits cycles of puberty, menstruation, ovulation, pregnancy, menopause, preservation, and continuation.

According to the Office of Women’s Health, “About 10 percent of women (6.1 million) in the United States, ages 15-44 have difficulty getting pregnant or staying pregnant, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Infertility means not getting pregnant after one year of trying (or six months if a woman is 35 or older). Women who can get pregnant but are unable to stay pregnant may also be infertile.” https://www.womenshealth.gov/a-z-topics/infertility Accessed 1/26/2021.

Older women reach success in their careers and practice licensed trades. They achieve professional accolades in social work, acquire more extended physical health and enter stages of wisdom and mental maturity; however, their instincts are to nurture, parent, and extend their bloodline. Women naturally want to nurture or give back to their community. Some women that prioritized their careers over their home and family have begun to realize that their sacrifice of family leaves them empty. This is a deep void they would like to repair with the help of reproductive technology.

Statistically, women who are 35 years and older have been successful at becoming pregnant with the use of IVF, egg freezing, intrauterine fertility insemination (IFI), and gamete intrafallopian transfer (GIFT). The American Pregnancy Association defines “IVF as an assisted reproductive technology (ART) and is the process of fertilization by extracting eggs, retrieving a sperm sample, and then manually combining an egg and sperm in a laboratory dish. The embryo(s) is then transferred to the uterus.” IFI and IVF are both treatments that can help you get pregnant when there is an abnormal semen analysis. Infertility can be caused by either the male, the female, or the combination of both the male and female.  

Young, educated, and informed women can freeze their eggs or oocyte cryopreservation for later use. They can delay carrying children and focus on themselves individually instead of the needs of their immediate family. Women harvest and store their eggs for safekeeping in a lab. In the meantime, they pursue their ambitions in career and wealth.

In general, the benefits of oocyte cryopreservation are the two most essential factors in determining the probability of live birth: a woman’s age at the time of egg freezing and the number of available eggs. When women are younger, their eggs are plenty and consistently reproducing. The older a woman gets, it depends on her usage of her reproductive system to have access to more eggs. Hormones in her body will begin to prepare for menopause if she does not use her reproductive system beyond the reproductive stages. It is best to prioritize having your children young. One should first seek a husband that supports one’s career goals. Next, the husband and wife should plan when to have their children. The children and career goals should help one another and are both of importance. 

UCLA OBGYN reports, “Egg freezing is a process in which a woman’s eggs (oocytes) are extracted, frozen, and stored as a method to preserve reproductive potential in women of reproductive age. The first human birth from a frozen oocyte was reported in 1986. Oocyte cryopreservation has advanced dramatically over the past few years, with the improved overall success of eggs surviving the freezing process. It is no longer considered an experimental procedure by the American Society for Reproductive Medicine. The techniques leading to enhanced gamete survival, potential fertilization, and live birth rates allow women a much greater degree of autonomy than was possible even in the past five years. (UCLA Health) https://www.uclahealth.org Accessed from the website on 01/26/2021

This article reviews cases when women are the cause of infertility. Infertility occurs from sperm being unable to access the fallopian tube where fertilization can take place. Blockage of the fallopian tubes is caused by either a sterilization procedure such as tubal ligation or inflammation in the pelvic area. Inflammation not detected early or before it developed into a disease or cancer are common problems in women. “Because cancer is a complex group of diseases, it can have many possible causes such as lifestyle habits, genetics, carcinogens, and environmental factors. Sometimes there is no obvious cause.” (American Cancer Society) https://www.cancer.org/cancer/cancer-causes.html accessed on 1/26/2021

Professionals state, “problems with ovulation cause most cases of female infertility. Without ovulation, there are no eggs to be fertilized. Some signs that a woman is not ovulating normally include irregular or absent menstrual periods. PCOS often causes ovulation problems. This is a hormone imbalance problem that can interfere with normal ovulation. PCOS is the most common cause of female infertility. Primary ovarian insufficiency (POI) is another cause of ovulation problems. POI occurs when a woman’s ovaries stop working before she is 40. POI is not the same as early menopause.” (Office on Women’s Health)

Less common causes of fertility problems in women include blocked fallopian tubes due to pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). A sexually transmitted infection leads to a clinical syndrome of inflammation from the cervix to the endometrium, fallopian tubes, and adjacent pelvic structure. PID usually occurs in young women with sexual encounters with an infected partner without knowing; They do not recognize any symptoms when they have contracted this sexually transmitted disease (STD). “Some STDs, if they go untreated for a long period, will develop PID. Some common STDs associated with PID are Chlamydia and Gonorrhea.” (The Nemours Foundation) https://kidshealth.org/en/teens/std-pid.html#:~:text=Pelvic%20inflammatory%20disease%20is%20usually,most%20often%20lead%20to%20PID.

Sexually active girls can get PID. It happens more often in girls who have more than one sexual partner. Suppose PID isn’t treated or went on a long time before being treated. In that case, girls can have ongoing pain in the lower belly, trouble getting pregnant (infertility), pregnancy in the fallopian tube instead of the uterus (an ectopic pregnancy). Ectopic pregnancy results in a miscarriage because the fertilized egg implants outside the uterus. The fertilized egg can’t survive outside the uterus. If left to grow, it may damage nearby organs and cause life-threatening loss of blood. The symptoms include pelvic pain and vaginal bleeding. Physicians try to prevent these complications in the early stages. Sometimes medications may be sufficient for treatment. Later stages of an ectopic pregnancy require surgery. Women develop infertility problems sometimes from surgery for an ectopic pregnancy.

Young girls can also experience an infection in the ovary and fallopian tube (a tube-ovarian abscess). These tube-ovarian abscesses are among the late complications of PID and can be life-threatening if the abscess ruptures and results in sepsis. It consists of an encapsulated or confined ‘pocket of pus’ with defined boundaries that forms during an infection of a fallopian tube and ovary. These are commonly called ovarian cysts.

Endometriosis is another block to women carrying full-term pregnancies or becoming pregnant at all. Endometriosis is a disorder in which tissue that usually lines the uterus grows outside the uterus. With endometriosis, the tissue is on the ovaries, fallopian tubes, or intestines. The most common symptoms are pain and menstrual irregularities. Effective treatments, such as hormones and excision surgery, are available. Other physical problems with the woman’s uterus are uterine fibroids, which are non-cancerous clumps of tissue and muscle on the walls of the uterus.” (Office of Women’s Health) Uterine fibroids are very common in women of all backgrounds. They tend to be associated with women with obesity and malnutrition problems.

According to Board Certified fertility expert Dr. Randy Morris of the YouTube channel Infertility TV, IFI is a standard fertility treatment that maximizes your chances. https://youtu.be/OTE8xvditR8 accessed from the web on 1/26/2021. GIFT is a tool of assisted reproductive technology against infertility. Eggs are removed from a woman’s ovaries and placed in one of the fallopian tubes, along with the man’s sperm. A woman is required to have at least one open fallopian tube. She will be required to have an ultrasound and bloodwork done before the procedure. GIFT uses multiple eggs collected from the ovaries. The eggs are placed into a thin, flexible tube (catheter) and the sperm to be used. The gametes (both eggs and sperm) are then injected into the fallopian lines using a laparoscopy surgical procedure. According to Sherman J. Silber, M.D. at the Infertility Center of St. Louis, Missouri, “GIFT is not nearly as popular as IVF today; nonetheless, there is still a 50% pregnancy rate per retrieval cycle for GIFT. In older women, the pregnancy rate is lower. If an older woman is fortunate enough to yield many eggs, her pregnancy rate can be made equivalent to that of a younger patient by putting in more eggs.” GIFT or Zygote intrafallopian transfer ZIFT (a variation of GIFT whereby embryos are first fertilized in vitro and then transferred to the fallopian tubes) gives a considerably higher pregnancy rate in older women with cervical abnormalities. 

There are a few cases in which you would want to see a reproductive endocrinologist. First, there’s the case of fertility preservation, like egg or embryo freezing. Women or couples may wish to undergo fertility preservation to give themselves a better chance of conceiving later, or because they are about to undergo a procedure, like cancer treatment, that could impact their fertility. While this may or may not be done in the context of an infertility diagnosis, it’s still a fertility procedure that requires a reproductive endocrinologist. Secondly, you would want to see an RE if you’ve been trying to get or stay pregnant for a year (or for six months, if you’re over 35). This is the medical definition of infertility. Being diagnosed as infertile doesn’t mean you can’t get pregnant ever—it just means something prevents your body from getting pregnant on its own, which is where a reproductive endocrinologist can help.

“About one-third of infertility cases are caused by women’s problems.” (Extend Fertility) Accessed from the web on 01/26/2021 https://extendfertility.com/what-is-a-reproductive-endocrinologist/ Some possible infertility problems are poor nutrition, pelvic inflammatory disease, blockages in the fallopian tubes, and lack of planning. Women, children, and parents should begin discussing the obligations of family members from the time before development. The woman’s body develops physically long before she mentally matures. She needs to know how to care for her body for future use. Her body will be required for the preservation of the family and extending her bloodline. These ideas become highly important to a woman in the later stages of her development when menopause becomes a reality.

Categories Health and Fitness

A Healthy Womb is Priceless

Women are caring for their families by putting their healthcare first

As a woman ages, she learns how important the health of her womb is to her family. She knows she is responsible for bringing forward healthy children.  The lack of a woman’s health should not limit her from having healthy children. Women live longer, healthier, and fitter lives by actively caring for their health needs as a priority. Women are caring for their families by putting their healthcare first.

Why do doctors suggest removing the uterus as the first option for treating uterine fibroids? Some physicians are unwilling to evolve in their approach to treatment, and others may not be experienced or knowledgeable about other methods. There are different methods professionals use to treat complications with your uterus. 

A woman may choose to have a hormonal uterine internal device (I.U.D.) inserted as a treatment or have a myomectomy procedure done depending on her individual needs. Additional treatment methods cause infertility. These include uterine ablation and hysterectomy. Being unable to give birth to children can make a woman feel inadequate because she needs to parent, educate, and nurture children naturally. 

The womb is essential to women who want to raise a family

The uterus is the woman’s womb, her cavity, that holds her unborn children before birth. The womb is essential to women who want to raise a family. When women are forced to give up their uterus because of health issues, it can be devastating. Women do not want their uterus removed if they have other options.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (C.D.C.), from 2006-2010, 11.7 percent of women between the ages of 40-44 had a hysterectomy. Approximately 600,000 hysterectomies are performed annually in the United States, and about 20 million American women have had a hysterectomy. Https:// nwhn.org/hysterectomy/

Some women’s uterus is removed because of health problems associated with large or multiple benign tumors. Many women have gynecological problems that left them with deep emotional and physical scars. Many of these women have experienced forced entry into their vaginas and learned poor self-care. The internal health system can hide these scars in the woman’s mind, body, and soul. However, these scars are evident in a female’s moods and behavior.

Immature females need guidance from mature mothers or other women in their families. Young girls need to be shown how to perform self-care and emotion regulation. Girls between the ages of 7 and 9 should be prepared by their female parents or guardians about their menstruation and ovulation cycle. Many children have learned about their period from the bleeding in their panties. 

Parents must educate their children about their emotions, bodies, and hygiene alone

Youth will need information about their body even after going through numerous menstruation cycles. Some young girls still have no idea how to track their process or recognize irregular patterns. Education about sexuality and the prevention of promiscuity need to happen before a child’s menstruation. The emotions caused by menstruation may severely damage a child’s mind and body. Parents must educate their children about their emotions, bodies, and hygiene alone. These discussions with children must be planned and initiated by parents. Parents should provide a a safe confidential space.

Suppose a parent does not initiate planned parent education early, the risk of their teen son or daughter suffering from sexually transmitted life-threatening diseases or unplanned pregnancies, in addition to unsafe abortions, sexual abuse, and human trafficking. The mother must teach her daughter about her uterus and the sacredness of her virginity. She needs to know that she is precious, and her body is priceless. The purpose of a daughter’s uterus is for her family’s future, and it should be protected until the right husband is chosen for her by the father and immediate family.

Why does the family value a woman’s uterus as such a sacred space? The sacred space houses the growth and development of a woman’s bloodline. Without a pure and healthy lineage, the family does not continue. If the womb is damaged prematurely, it runs the risk of losing any opportunity to bring forward the next generation of advanced contributors to the family and community. If a woman treats her uterus like it is sacred, she will get the most value out of it. The problem currently in society is females, in record numbers, have damaged their uteruses before they matured mentally.

At birth, the uterus functions optimally without any interference from abnormal growths or blockages in the uterine tract. At sexual maturity and beyond, women can manage self-care through nutrition, exercise, and rest. Women can carry numerous births into full-term until she reaches menopause stage. Menopause comes early, if you have a hysterectomy prematurely.

The uterine tract is made up of layers and organs that aid in generating children. The vaginal opening leads to the uterine lot, where the womb is the focal point. The fallopian tubes and ovary organs are attached and are necessary for the fertilization process of mature eggs with sperm. The cavity that holds the child has an opening called the cervix is the first layer called the Intramural layer; next is the submucosal layer. The endometrium layer, the outer layers are the myometrium (muscle) and subserosal layers, and each organ is covered with a serosal layer. These layers support the embryo’s development by supplying the iron and other nutrients prepared by the menstrual cycle. 

Estrogen is a group of steroid hormones that promote the development and maintenance of female characteristics of the body. Such hormones are also produced artificially for use in oral contraceptives or to treat menopausal and menstrual disorders. Menopause is the period in a woman’s life (typically between 45 and 50 years of age) when menstruation ceases. There is a monthly cycle of estrogens and progesterone. Progesterone is a steroid hormone released by the corpus luteum that stimulates the uterus to prepare for pregnancy.

Some women carry multiple fetuses at a time. It is ideal to be pregnant with one child at a time, though. During pregnancy, a woman’s body requires enough iron in her blood to satisfy both her fetus and her own nutrition needs. Iron is essential in all stages of a woman’s life.

The deficiency of iron is a common cause of anemia

Often, women become anemic during menstrual cycles and pregnancies. Iron is an essential mineral necessary for transporting oxygen (via hemoglobin in red blood cells) and oxidation by cells (via cytochrome). The deficiency of iron is a common cause of anemia.

Puberty begins in the brain and then the body. It is the time in life when a girl becomes sexually (physical changes) mature. It is a process that usually happens between ages 10 and 14 for girls. Young girls begin to menstruate and can quickly become pregnant from sexual intercourse. Their emotions are unregulated during this time. They are not able to make logical decisions without interference from their feelings. Girls require education and guidance from their mother and direction and protection from their father at this crucial time of their life.

A woman’s medical symptoms and issues they experience do not appear transparent regarding their internal health. It seems the professional gynecologist is not able to recognize initial signs. Symptoms may not be evident because women do not recognize the differences in suffering from internal pain and pressure.

Women experience various levels of pain and pressure in their daily lives and monthly cycles. Women often internalize pain and stress to be productive in the home and care for their families. Women experience emotional and physical intensity from menstrual periods. The cramping, bleeding, and length of menstrual cycles are not specific, so a young lady could experience abnormal periods and not know. Women experience emotional changes during a monthly cycle. These changes are reactions to pain and pressure they feel in their mind and body. Both mental and physical changes may occur during the premenstrual, menstrual, postmenstrual, or ovulation stages.

It is essential to prioritize your health by making a schedule that includes sunshine, health education, nutrition, and regular exercise

Women in large families may experience common symptoms and view them as usual signs instead of a reason for concern. Many families have inherited health diseases that are environmental and have mistaken them as genetic ones. Uterine fibroids are common in women who are obese, experience long periods of stress without relief, and do not exercise regularly. Symptoms include the protruding bulk abdomen, depression, fatigue, incontinence, constipation, heavy bleeding, cramping pain, and shortness of breath. One may have uterine fibroids with or without symptoms. A woman must seek a health professional and have an ultrasound done with a pelvic exam to determine if she has any benign or malignant tumors growing on her uterus or uterine tract. Some other problems that could be associated with the above symptoms are uterine polyps and uterine cancer. It is essential to prioritize your health by making a schedule that includes sunshine, health education, nutrition, and regular exercise.

By Michele Ramsey

Health and Fitness

Weight-loss journey & ways to stay motivated

In dedication to Janielle Wright, 100LB weight-loss in 10-mos.

Please watch the link below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3uAOYl37Hds

Getting started on the journey

Starting a weight-loss journey is a decisive decision a person make regarding their willingness to achieve results. The key to a successful weight-loss journey is the person’s motivation factor. However, determination is what will get them started and ready on an intense and invigorating journey. I understand not all people desiring a weight-loss journey is self-motivated and perhaps might need encouragement from others. Depending on the level of pro-activeness will determine the person level of success. For the people who need motivation and an extra push, consulting a fitness coach or workout partner is just as motivating and excellent. It’ll guarantee results and the progress towards achieving concrete weight-loss goals. Nevertheless, for those who are self-motivated and geared up with the willingness to get started on a successful weight-loss journey alone, I applaud you every step of the way. A weight-loss journey may not always be the most comfortable milestone to achieve, but the hard work and efforts are so rewarding.

Understanding the reason for weight-loss 

     The number one reason for your weight loss journey will always be your starting point. It’s a gentle reminder of why you started and how far you’ve progressed in your journey. For instance, before and after photos are evidence of a person’s weight-loss journey uphill, meaning each milestone achieved resulting in apparent changes in weight, in which others will notice the difference. Nevertheless, practicing a healthy diet and exercise routine will guarantee interval results. The process will require sufficient amount of patience, mental strength and action, more importantly its imperative to work at your own paste and speed. Your weight-loss journey isn’t a competition against anyone else. It is about “keeping your eyes on the prize,” the prize being your weight-loss goal.

Healthy Affirmations

    Practicing healthy affirmation to fortify your mental strength is a working charm to keep you in transformation mode. Affirmation help keeps you motivated and encouraged you to eventually manifest high vibration, not just on your weight-loss journey but also with your entire life. If you don’t know what type of affirmation to use, listed below are some positive and uplifting affirmations:

•    I love and care for my body

•    I love the taste of healthy food

•    I am enjoying exercising

•    I love and feel great

Those affirmations are a few of many other statements inspired to get you started and motivated. After all, you deserve the best and you are worthy of the best. I understand as the journey gets tough, you are always one step closer towards accomplishing your goals. Whenever you get wary, think of those affirmations and repeat after me “I can do this, and I will do this” and say it again “I can do this, and I will do this.” Don’t ever doubt what you can do!

Health and Fitness

7-Day Ultimate Cleansing

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7-day Unlimited Cleanse helps aid in detoxing the digestive system and colon by using multi-herbs and fibers to eliminate toxic waste within your body. It has specific steps on how to use the product according to the first three days of use. It is recommended that if you don’t have a heavy diet such as eating meat or other solid foods on a daily base to just stick to the two day procedure throughout the- 7-day Ultimate Cleansing process. This product is less than $30 and most certainly will  get results done  for a 2-part detox.

Health and Fitness

Health Concerns: New Out-look on Soy !

One of the major “healthy” foods which isn’t really healthy at all that’s being pushed to the masses is soy.  In a kind of re-awakening which is simply just a trend of reverting back to healthy foods, so called health experts are penning soy products and its byproducts as a healthy alternative to dairy (still the worst).  Soy can be found in dairy free ice creams–there are even foods such as soy bacon, soy patties as a beef burger replacement, and soy milk.  It is overload.

Soy contains a high level of plant based estrogen, phytoestrogens, which causes excessive estrogen intake.

Phytates prevent the digestive tract from absorbing minerals.  They do this by preventing the enzymes from functioning and doing their job.

Soy is a goitrogenic food, which means that it destroys your thyroid.  When your tyroid is not functioning, weight gain is inevitable.

Trypsin is a digestive enzyme that breaks down protein.  Soy is loaded with trypsin inhibitors.

So it is safe to say that soy should be avoided at all costs.

They’ll get you one way or the other–they won’t put any dairy, but they will use soy.