Acupuncture Has Been Shown To Improve Ovulation By Regulating The Nervous System And Hormones (The Neuroendocrine System) As Well As Improving Blood Flow To Ovaries. (Stefan, 2011) Weekly Acupuncture Helps Synchronize The Menstrual Cycle (Often In Combination With Herbs) And Is Very Beneficial For Ovarian Health!
ACUPRESSURE POINTS
● Activate Yin Tang located between the eyebrows: place your thumbs together and rub untoward the scalp, or place your index finger there lightly and rub in a clockwise circle. This point will help calm your mind and quell anxiety.
● Zi Cong + Ren 3 at the center of the torso about one inch above the public bone, gently press into Ren 3 and then press at two points level with Ren 3 about 3 inches away from the center of the body (above the ovaries). These points help regulate the ovaries.
● Sp 6 (Three Yin Crossing) is the primary point used for most gynecological conditions: Do self-acupressure at Sp 6 by placing a pinky finger on the inside tip of the ankle bone (malleolus), the width of your hand from pinky to index finger is the distance to Sp 6 just off the edge of the tibia.
Yoga Pose and Meditation
Apanasana: The Pose of Letting Go.
- Lay on your back and hug the knees into your chest.
- Keep your arms and shoulders relaxed.
- Keep your feet parallel (uncrossed).
- On the inhale, feel your thighs float up. On the exhale, press your knees into your belly. Take 12 deep breathes.
- Release and either keep the knees bent, with feet on the floor or stretch the legs out, resting legs with a bolster under the knees or flat on the floor. Take three breaths in this neutral position and then repeat Apanasana for a total of three times (holding each time for 12 deep breathes or working up to holding the last pose this long).
Chakra Therapy: the sacral chakra associated with reproductive organs and is called Svadisthana which translates as sweetness.
If you have ovarian health concerns a useful mind-body connection to contemplate is: what’s blocking your experience of sweetness in life?
- Practice letting go of bitterness and resentment.
- The primary lesson of the sacral chakra is that to be procreative (have healthy ovaries) one should be creative in other areas of life.
- Open the sacral chakra by: painting a wall in your house a new color, making up your own recipes, planting a garden or writing a poem. Do something daily outside your normal realm of creativity (if you’re a painter – sing a song.)
Chinese Medicine Nutrition Diet Tips: Build your Qi & Blood and balance Yin & Yang.
* Avoid eating fast food: not only is the nutrition content not helpful for fertility, but food packaging has been linked to higher levels of phthalates, chemicals used to make plastics more flexible. Phthalates are well known to disrupt hormones.
* Eat eggs, seeds and healthy fats to nourish your ovaries and eggs. Essential fatty acids are needed to form cholesterol and all hormones are built with cholesterol in their cell membrane. Try rebalancing your hormones by eating olive oil and flaxseed oil, fish oil, avocados, sunflower seeds, eggs, butter, whole milk yogurt, peanuts … foods high in Omega 3s are good examples of food to eat. Many women have spent years avoiding eating fat for fear of gaining weight. Fat is essential (hence the term ….essential fatty aids.)
*Avoid dampness: TCM nutrition recommends avoiding damp-creating foods to prevent accumulating weight or fluid. For 2,000 years Chinese Medical nutrition advice has been to avoid excessive dairy, wheat and sugar, including things like orange juice. Dampness becomes phlegm, which translates into conditions such as chronic candida and ovarian cysts. Dampness also obstructs Qi which leads to fatigue. Balance the damp-creating foods with fiber. Fiber helps to balance out blood sugar which is essential for reproductive health. Plan on eating fiber with each meal and consider adding some insoluble fiber to your wellness routine, such as psyllium husk. This is especially true for those with chronic loose stools and/or constipation.
*Nourish your blood! Focus on building healthy blood to protect your ovaries! Eating complete proteins is essential for health. Women with insufficient levels of iron can suffer from anovulation (lack of ovulation) as well as poor egg health (Sasikumar, 2014). Enjoy this herbal bone broth soup recipe recommended for women to build blood after their periods:
- Ova-Elixir Soup
- 3-5 pieces of dang shui root slices
- 2 large red dates (if you include the seeds: crack before cooking.)
- 3-9 goji berries
- 1 organic chicken thigh or breast (bone in)
- 1-2 cups water
- Miso 1 tsp (stir in after broth is off heat)
- Salt, Himalayan to taste
- Place all ingredients in a crock pot for about 4 hours: this tonic must be eaten warm Avoid all teas for 12 hours afterward. Also avoid iced and very cold drinks.
- Resources
- http://www.cbsnews.com/news/fast-food-may-come-with-a-side-of-phthalate-chemicals/
- Stefan, D., Andreas, N., & Robert, G. (2011). Acupuncture for infertility: Is it an effective therapy?. Chinese journal of integrative medicine, 17(5), 386-395.
- S.Sasikumar, J.Shyam, Sundar, D.Dakshayani, R.Prabavathy, and M.KarthikaInt. J. Curr. Res. Aca. Rev. (2014); 2(2): 96-115. A study on significant biochemical changes in the serum of infertile women. Retrieved from: http://www.ijcrar.com/vol-2-2/S.Sasikumar,%20et%20al.pdf
