Organic and Toxin-Free Food for Fertility: What to Buy and Why
August 2, 2021
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When we’re in the process of trying to get pregnant, many women will go to every length to make sure that we’re ready for this next big step. We’ll prep our homes with a new nursery. We’ll read every book. We’ll eat healthy and work out. We’ll check our calendars, take all the nutritional supplements, try every relevant superstition out there… you get the idea!
But, while we’re busy analyzing everything we do, see, or eat, there is a hidden danger that can profoundly affect our fertility health that many of us are completely unaware of. Underlying toxins in our environment affect how well our hormones function, the quality of the sperm and egg, and so much more. And because they’re mostly hidden to the naked eye, they can easily be overlooked or ignored. It is entirely possible that these toxins are impacting your ability to get or stay pregnant, and you may not even know it.
This matters whether you’ve been told everything looks “normal” or you’re managing a diagnosis like PCOS or endometriosis. Toxic load is one of the hidden drivers preventing pregnancy that standard fertility testing almost never looks at. It’s rarely unexplained. It’s uninvestigated.
Key Takeaways:
There are three very significant facts that you should be aware of going into this conversation:
This especially matters when we’re trying to get pregnant because most toxins in our environment are estrogen-based, or at least mimic estrogen in our bodies (aka xenoestrogens). This means that they directly impact your ability to conceive.
Your body’s production of estrogen is responsible for stimulating cell division in hormone responsive tissue like your uterus, breast tissue, and ovaries. When you’re exposed to estrogen-based toxins, these xenoestrogens can create an overload of estrogen, over-stimulating tissue growth and causing ovarian cysts, endometriosis, fibrocystic breast disease, and even cancer. In addition, in men, these toxins are believed to contribute to decreased sperm count, as well as prostate and testicular cancers.
Realistically, you can’t avoid ALL the toxins in your environment. But you can absolutely minimize your exposure by paying attention to what you eat, how you live, and the products you bring into your home.
The most common endocrine-disrupting substances to be aware of include:
Even if you try to avoid these products all together, human-made chemical toxins impact us all. They pass through our water, air, soil, and food system, making them extremely difficult to avoid.
As I mentioned, it’s pretty much impossible to completely rid your environment of dangerous human-made toxins. However, here are my favorite tips that will help you significantly decrease your exposure.
Pesticides, insecticides, and fungicides are wizards when it comes to mimicking estrogen. They also impair thyroid function and increase fat cell growth, which is rarely something we want no matter our phase of life.
Whenever possible, eat organic foods that have not been treated with chemicals. This includes always choosing organic, grass-fed and pasture-raised when buying your meats. Animal products are hands down the most important food to purchase organic, because animals accumulate toxicity much more readily than plants do.
Speaking of plants – I highlight recommend purchasing the ‘Dirty Dozen’ fruits and vegetables organic whenever available. This will help to decrease 90% of your pesticide exposure. (If you’re not familiar with the ‘Dirty Dozen’ – the twelve most heavily sprayed fruits and vegetables, you can learn more here.)
Everything that goes on your skin enters your body through your pores. By choosing personal care products that have 100% natural ingredients, you can ensure you’re not being exposed to potent endocrine disruptors like parabens, sodium lauryl sulfates, phthalates, propylene glycol, and triclosan (found in antibacterial products).
There are two simple rules of thumb that I choose to abide by when purchasing my beauty products:
To help you out, I’ve created a list of all of my favorite beauty care products, cleaning supplies, and more. This is the stuff I use personally on my body and in my home. Check out the Shop My Home section of my website to learn more.
There are several studies that link exposure to air pollution with autism-spectrum disorders. One study even found that autism risk DOUBLED for children born to women exposed to high levels of pollution.
There is still quite a bit of research that needs to be completed regarding which chemicals in air pollution negatively impact us, but one thing is for certain—we should do everything we can to limit our exposure to air pollution, especially when we’re pregnant or trying to get pregnant.
The American Lung Association has provided us with several ways that we can limit our exposure to air pollution here. Some methods that I highly recommend include:
This is a tough one for several of my clients to make the switch but I promise it’s worth it!
The non-stick coating material—PFOA—is a powerful hormone disruptor that can leach into foods when heated. Helen Sanders over at Health Ambition wrote a great article highlighting the recent studies showing significant evidence that PFOA contains carcinogenic properties—aka causes cancer!
While more studies are still being conducted, I definitely recommend opting for ceramic, stainless steel, glass or cast-iron cookware. Never cook in non-stick or aluminum pans.
As more and more chemicals are being used by humans, our water supply is becoming increasingly contaminated with hormone-disrupting elements.
Be sure to use a high quality water filter to remove toxins, heavy metals, fluoride, herbicides, disinfectants, and other municipal “additives” from your drinking water. Alternatively, you can choose spring or mineral water that is bottled at the source in glass bottles. These options will go a long way in reducing your exposure to unnecessary chemicals.
Similar to the reasons why I recommend natural beauty-care products, I also recommend installing a shower filter. Think about how much of our lives are spent submerged in water from our showers and baths. Installing a shower filter is one of the easiest things you can do!
Reducing your toxic load matters. But I want to be honest with you about something: toxins are rarely the only thing going on.
In my practice, toxic load almost always shows up alongside other hidden drivers. Low progesterone. Thyroid dysfunction. Blood sugar dysregulation. Nutrient deficiencies. Chronic inflammation. Toxins make those problems worse, and those problems make it harder for your body to clear toxins. It becomes a loop.
That’s why I don’t hand a client a detox protocol and call it done. We test. We look at the full picture. We find out what’s actually driving the problem for her specifically.
Whether you’ve been told everything looks “normal” or you have a diagnosis like PCOS or endometriosis, your toxic load is one piece of a much larger investigation. It’s rarely unexplained. It’s uninvestigated.
If you’re wondering what’s preventing pregnancy, and looking for a solution-based, comprehensive approach – start here: What’s Actually Preventing Pregnancy — and How to Fix It.
Reducing your toxic load is one piece of the puzzle. Finding out which pieces are actually affecting you is the whole point.
The Fertility Code is my 12-week, high-touch fertility program designed to identify the hidden drivers preventing pregnancy and correct them with a strategic, personalized plan, so you can get pregnant naturally or through IVF.
More than 90% of the women who complete The Fertility Code go on to conceive.
Stop guessing. Start getting answers.
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