If you’re a man, or have a male partner, and are trying to create a baby - this blog is for you. Often overlooked in light of a “normal” semen analysis is the possible role that sperm quality could be playing in a couple struggling with infertility. In fact, in 40% of couples having trouble conceiving, it’s a strictly male factor problem. In 20% of cases it’s a mixed male/female problem. Which means that at least half of the time, the quality of the sperm is impacting your

I met with a new patient last week who asked an awesome question. We were discussing she and her partners’ diet, and talking about the general dietary principles I encourage all of my patients to follow, very basically: 1. whole foods only; nothing processed 2. no refined flours 3. no added sugar 4. tons of veggies (at least 50% of every meal) 5. the highest quality protein you can afford (25% of every meal) 6. high quality fats with every meal (avocado, nuts/seeds, olive oi

Whether you’re trying to conceive naturally or with IVF, egg quality should be on your mind. Women are born with all the egg cells they’ll ever have – and we carry them with us throughout our entire reproductive lives! That’s a long time to be housed in a body, and a long time being exposed to every environmental toxin, nutrient, and hormone in the cellular environment. The quality of the egg cell and sperm cell prior to conception are of paramount importance when you are t

I’ve shared a few articles in the past on the use of nutritional IV therapy for fertility and overall health – see here for one on the overall effects, this article about micronutrient deficiencies and your fertility, this on IVs for migraines, here for glutathione and fertility… You get the point, I’m a pretty big fan! With patients who are new to micronutrient IVs, especially those who are trying to conceive, I am often asked how frequently, and when is the best time to re

In parts 1 and 2 of this thyroid series, we’ve seen that the thyroid gland is often touted as the most important hormonal gland because thyroid hormone affects literally every cell in the human body. It can either make you feel healthy, vital, and fertile, or it can make you feel like your body is falling apart. We’ve learned that there is more to thyroid hormone testing than getting a TSH and calling it a day, and now it’s time to shift focus onto how you can support proper

This is the first of a series of blog posts about one of my most frequently discussed hormonal health topics with patients – the thyroid. It’s a complicated topic, and I find that it is commonly misunderstood by many patients. Given the thyroid’s important role in every single cell in the human body, it can affect every aspect of our health. Today’s discussion is meant to familiarize you with the thyroid gland and what it does. We’ll pick up next time with a nuanced dive

Gluta-what? If you're reading the title of this post and have no idea what I’m talking about, you’re not alone. In fact, many of my patients who I regularly inject with glutathione have trouble pronouncing the name - but most know at least one of the benefits of glutathione, it’s the body’s master antioxidant. Sounds cool, right? Master antioxidant – one of the most effective means of fighting free radical damage, similar to how vitamin C and vitamin E work. If it’s the ma

At Acubalance, we practice proactive health care to assist you in achieving optimal health. We’re always striving to be on the cutting-edge of the latest in natural medicine, and one of these therapies that we use is nutritional IV therapy. You may have heard of nutritional IV therapy before (the classic Myer’s cocktail for example), where a doctor infuses vitamins, minerals, amino acids and antioxidants directly into the bloodstream. At Acubalance, we tailor our nutrient c

The environment in which egg cells are growing during the process of recruitment and development has a major impact on the quality of the egg cell that is ovulated every cycle. Whether you’re trying to conceive naturally, or with the help of an embryologist, optimizing the quality of eggs (oocytes) that are being produced is of paramount importance in increasing the likelihood of each cycle resulting in a healthy pregnancy. Oocytes require good blood supply, proper nutrition,

Most of the patients I see in a day at Acubalance are pretty healthy individuals. They eat fairly healthy diets, watch how much alcohol they consume, exercise regularly, most don’t smoke. They’re not particularly hard on their bodies, and in general they do their best to practice healthy lifestyle habits. Despite all their efforts, many of these patients still struggle to conceive. And it can feel incredibly frustrating (!), especially as the rational mind tries to understand