ACUPUNCTURE FOR FERTILITY AND IVF SUPPORT; MENOPAUSE SUPPORT; LYMPHATIC DRAINAGE; SCAR TISSUE RELEASE FOR SURGICAL SCARS AND INJURIES; STRESS AND ANXIETY MANAGEMENT; GENERAL RELAXATION AND WELLBEING.
The water filtration market can be difficult to navigate. Which one is best? What do I need it to do? What is structured water? What is ionised water? Will a water ioniser filter the water? Will a water filter ionise the water too?
After a lot of research on the internet and discussion with industry experts, I have come to the conclusion that the Energy Plus Undersink Water System from Water For Health is the best system which brings the best of both filtered and ionised water, ensures that the water is structured for the highest bio-availability, is affordable in price, easy to install, and has great personal, knowledgeable customer service.
I have been using this system since 2021 and replace the filter cartridges myself annually.
The water passes through 4 filters before coming through your tap:
Filter 1: An ultrafiltration membrane filter cartridge to remove particulate and act as a barrier to bacteria and cysts. It filters down to 0.1 micron, so removing most particulate including microplastics.
Filter 2: An advanced carbon block filter using minerals and polymers to give extremely efficient removal of heavy metals, chlorine, fluoride, pesticides, hormones and pharmaceutical resides.
Filter 3: This filter uses a combination of several types of bioceramic minerals including tourmaline, to improve water structure and its beneficial mineral content.
Filter 4: This filter uses a combination of bioceramic filter media to increase the alkalinity of the water and give it antioxidant properties through the release of molecular hydrogen. It also uses granular activated carbon for final filtration of the water.
For more information check out my affiliate link or order directly from me here.
Since the advent of ICSI (Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection) problems with male factor in infertility can be addressed and bypassed with this procedure. The ICSI procedure allows particular sperm to be selected for use and manually injected into the egg by the embryologist using a microscopic needle.
But does ICSI always give us the best outcomes?
If the quality of sperm is sub-optimal, the question one has to ask is what impact will this have on the ongoing pregnancy and health of the child going forward?
In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) our Jing is the substance we inherit from our parents at the moment of conception. Our Jing fuels our growth and development not just through conception and prenatal growth, but all through our lives from infancy to puberty, adulthood and beyond. Jing dictates our constitution and vitality as we move and age through life.
So if we completely disregard the quality of the sperm in favour of the ICSI procedure, what impact will have on the health of the life created? If a sperm is unable to penetrate an egg on its own, what does that say about the underlying Qi of that sperm?
So although ISCI is a wonderful and exceptional advancement in fertility medicine and assisted reproductive techniques, I do believe it should be firmly balanced with other perspectives of male health and vitality.
Sperm are continually created within the body, so taking a break for around 3 months before the next round of IVF is an optimal amount of time to put lifestyle changes in place. Dietary, lifestyle and nutritional changes can have a huge impact on sperm quality.[1] Taking this time and making this effort to improve the underlying Qi and Jing that is passed onto the next generation is fundamentally important. Things to consider:
Stop smoking/vaping;
Reduced consumption of refined sugars, processed foods,
Reduced consumption of alcohol;
Increased consumption of a wide variety of vegetables and fruit;
Take regular exercise;
Increased water intake;
Reduce the use of plastics for cooking and water/food storage (switch to glass)
Supplement with a good quality preconception multivitamin to include zinc, selenium, omega 3 fatty acids, antioxidants;
Reduce stress (look at meditation, reflexology, acupuncture, spending time in nature);
Keep mobile phone away from body [2];
Ejaculate frequently [3].
Other options to explore before diving straight into IVF/ICSI:
Having a full examination to rule out varicocele, hydrocele and other physical abnormalities;
Bloods taken for a full hormone profile;
Checking the microbiome to rule out any infection which might be causing levels of damage to the sperm.
“Mounting evidence suggests that the gut microbiome plays a key role in normal spermatogenesis and can be negatively impacted by diet and environmental perturbations.” [3]
Of course, every couple is individual, and factors such as age, for example, will also determine your route to IVF and ICSI.
If you are looking for fertility support in Lancashire please get in touch.
If you would like support through your fertility/IVF/ICSI journey with acupuncture please get in touch.
Did you know that if you live in the Midlands or the North East (UK) you might already be drinking artificially fluoridated water via your household drinking water?
It is believed that the UK government want to extend the fluoridation scheme to cover the whole country, so if you do not want to drink artificially fluoridated water on a daily basis then you will need to put a filtration and purification system in place.
What is Fluoride?
Fluoride comes from Fluorine, which is a naturally occurring mineralthat is found in rocks and soil. As water passed through it will naturally pick up trace minerals and this includes fluoride. Fluoride is artificially added to toothpaste and water, and is found in some foods, and in tea.
Pros
The argument to add fluoride to the water supply is due to studies showing that adding it in areas where fluoride levels in the water are low can reduce the prevalence of tooth decay in the local population.
Cons
According to Medical News Today, some of the potential health risks of long-term over-consumption of fluoridated water are:
Dental fluorosis, an aesthetic issue causing white specks or streaks on the tooth enamel. Especially common in young children under the age of six.
Skeletal fluorosis, causing bones to harden and lose their elasticity, becoming more prone to breaking, pain, and impaired joint mobility.
Neurological problems, including impaired development in children.
Thyroid problems, as a result of damage to the parathyroid gland, resulting in excess calcium levels in the blood.
An increased risk of bone cancer and osteoarthritis.
Acne and other skin issues.
Reproductive and fertility issues.
My opinion
I personally don’t want to drink fluoride on a daily basis. If I want to use it to prevent tooth decay then I would prefer to use a fluoride toothpaste (which I also don’t), rather than consuming the fluoride through my entire body via drinking water.
Although fluoride is a naturally occurring mineral found in water, we don’t all live with access to fresh water springs where we can consume it direct from mother nature! The water we receive via our household taps and faucets has undergone chemical treatment and therefore I would prefer to filter at home.
In addition to fluoride in water, it is also found in our tea. Truth About Fluoride states “some tea has two, three or even six times the amount of fluoride when compared to tap water! Easily putting millions of people around the world over the safe amount of daily fluoride intake.” If we are already consuming fluoride via other sources then why do we need it in our regular tap water also?
What can you do?
As always, we have a choice. It might not seem that way if the government decide to fluoridate the entire water supply. But it is up to us to take personal responsibility, and put measures in place to protect our own health and wellbeing, and that of our family.
This is why I installed an undersink water filtration system back in 2021, and am now promoting this system to help others do the same.
The Energy Plus Undersink Filter System I use gives extremely efficient removal of fluoride, as well as heavy metals, chlorine, pesticides, hormones and pharmaceutical residues. It also filters out debris, bacteria and microplastics, down to 0.1 micron.
It then goes on to restructure the water to make is highly bio-available to the cells, (see the work of Dr. Catherine Clinton and Gerard Pollack for more on structured water), and releases Molecular Hydrogen to give it exceptional antioxidant properties (something that a water ioniser would do). This system is very reasonably priced.
Alternatively there is also a biocera water jug which carries out a similar process but just on a smaller scale.
Elder Cottage Clinic, Warton. 