It’s all relative! My thoughts on wellness, Healthcare and International Essential Oil Day 2022
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Clues to Infertility – Sperm
The Southern Side of the Endocrine System: “Tell Tail” Sperm
I spent twelve years of my pharmacist career behind the scenes within the infertility industry. Looking back, I realize now that that timeframe (2000-2012) was the “canary in the coalmine” years for our country’s fertility decline. The infertility industry accelerated at rocket speed to keep up with the need. Interestingly, the trajectory of infertility and autoimmune disorders share a remarkably similar path and timeline.
behind the scenes within the infertility industry. Looking back, I realize now that that timeframe (2000-2012) was the “canary in the coalmine” years for our country’s fertility decline. The infertility industry accelerated at rocket speed
to keep up with the need. Interestingly, the trajectory of infertility and autoimmune disorders share a remarkably similar path and timeline.
As I was accumulating research for this particular topic, I couldn’t help but dig deeply into current information and statistics. When I left the industry in 2012, 10% of women (ages 18 to 44) struggled with fertility and a growing number of men were also being diagnosed with fertility disorders. Sadly, these numbers have only continued to escalate.
Male factor infertility (MFI) currently accounts for 50+% of infertility issues for a couple. Biomechanically, studies have analyzed and found that the most common causes include:
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An absence or low levels of sperm (and estimated 10-15% lack sperm entirely)
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Abnormal shape of sperm
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Abnormal movement of sperm (these swimmers should be swimming fast in one direction!)
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Abnormal release of sperm
While this is important information, it does not expose the root of the problem….. Why are sperm count and “swimability” continuing to decline? After all, men are still men all these thousands of years later, determined by the presence of their XY chromosome.
For all of eternity there has been the occasional physical trauma or genetic anomaly affecting the family jewels (or to the pituitary or hypothalamus which participate in the sperm production process). This trauma or anomaly may have long term implications on sperm production, and while damage may be a plausible reason for infertility, this factor has not changed over the years, and therefore has a very small role in the more than 50-60% decline in sperm production since 1973.
Infertility (both male and female) is a massive clue pointing directly towards the presence of toxins in a personal environment. Recall that the endocrine system is an incredibly precise chemical cascade. When that cascade is interrupted by a daily barrage of toxins, the “machinery” ceases to function as it should. Imagine water in a gasoline tank. If that happens, a vehicle simply ceases to work. Water seems innocent enough, until it has polluted that which makes the vehicle go.
What are some of the “water in the gas tank” possibilities when it comes negatively affecting sperm production? Glad you asked! Seemingly innocent lifestyle choices and habits are often overlooked and are generally the predominant culprits.
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Processed Foods – Studies have connected eating processed foods (especially those with fats found in margarines and hydrogenated cooking oils) with decreased sperm count and altered sperm motility.
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Alcohol – Heavy drinking is connected with reduced sperm quality and decreased testosterone production.
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Caffeine – Excessive amounts of caffeine may lower sperm count.
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Smoking- Tobacco negatively affects sperm count and quality.
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Marijuana and THC
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Exposure to mainstream household/ work chemicals or solvents. While some of these product ingredients are outright carcinogenic poison to the body, others are a slow daily drip of kryptonite to our mighty men. This slow drip of “kryptonite” ( aka: BPA and phthalates found in plastic water bottles, bodycare products and epoxy resins, dioxins, herbicides, organophosphate pesticides, flame retardants, lead, arsenic, mercury, and glycol ethers found in household and industrial cleaners, adhesives, and degreasers) erodes masculinity at its very core by raising estrogen levels and simultaneously lowering testosterone levels. Estrogen dominance does not discriminate. Men are prone to this hormonal imbalance too. ED is easily identifiable with lab work (testing testosterone and estrogen levels both), the visual presence of “man boobs”, and the specter of infertility or erectile dysfunction.
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Cell phone in the front pocket of pants – Semen quality and quantity has been found to be adversely affected when a cell phone in “talk mode” is carried in the pocket of pants.
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Choice of underwear – Tight fitting underwear (or pants) increases testicular temperature which reduces both sperm count and motility.
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Chronic stress – The body does not lie, and it will work to protect itself (and its potential offspring) when in chronic fight/flight/ or freeze mode.
Many common medications are often thefts of male fertility too:
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SSRI’s – used for mood disorders. An estimated 11% of infertility is caused by this class of medication. These medications affect DNA sperm quality and erectile function. Common culprits include sertraline, fluoxetine, citalopram, lexapro, and paroxetine.
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Testosterone replacement therapy (especially when used incorrectly) drastically reduces the level of testosterone in testicles, which in turn lowers sperm production.
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Antihistamines (eg: loratadine and cetirizine) and antacids (eg: ranitidine and cimetidine) appear to have long term negative effects on male fertility
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Calcium Channel Blockers – This is a class of medications commonly used in the management of high blood pressure, angina, migraines, heart disease, and some heart arrhythmias. (eg: amlodipine, nifedipine, verapamil, diltiazem)
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Tamsulosin – (used to treat benign prostatic hyperplasia)
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Cipro and Levaquin – (antibiotics)
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Some vaccinations, especially when combined with an existing toxin load in the body, are being studied as possible contributors to infertility
Unlike eggs, sperm are constantly created when conditions are healthy. An entirely new sperm health profile is possible within 2-3 months of consistent positive changes being made:
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The Scottish kilted men knew what they were doing, but if wearing a kilt doesn’t appeal to you, consider boxers instead of briefs.
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Get an EMF blocker for cell phones, AND remove an active phone from the front pocket of pants.
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Watch for endocrine disruptors in your daily life. Reading labels is HARD, even for me. There are hundreds of common chemicals in household and daily use personal care products that fall under the “Endocrine Disruptor” category, and we can’t possibly memorize them all. Keep it simple and worry free by purchasing from Young Living. No label reading required because everything is safe, toxin free and fertility friendly. Clean inside and out with Thieves Household Cleaner and Thieves Kitchen and Bath Scrub. Cologne is another common endocrine disruptor source. Thankfully, Young Living’s essential oil blend Shutran is healthy, hormone supportive, and smells incredible! The Shutran Men’s Care line has body wash, aftershave lotion, bar soap, beard oil and shaving cream. These, in addition to the YL shampoos and conditioners, ensure you’ve cleaned up well, with no endocrine disrupting along the way.
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Support healthy male hormones and a more balanced stress response with Young Living’s PowerGize capsules, or consider applying YL’s Idaho Blue Spruce essential oil to inner and outer ankles morning and night.
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Work towards correcting lifestyle habits and choices which may be diluting sperm production. Eat, sleep, and manage stress as though a generation is depending on you, because they are! This includes protecting boundaries in all areas of life.
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In most instances, pharmaceutical use can also be minimized or avoided entirely with lifestyle changes and the help of your favorite holistically focused healthcare professional. Get to know your Young Living supplements and oils. They are extraordinarily valuable tools that can help you in ways you might not yet imagine. Do some digging and/or ask a savvy friend!
Health is the most valuable possession any of us have, and it’s the one thing we do have full control over unless we abdicate that right by giving it over to someone else to manage. Nobody will care for or know you better than you.
Swim upstream. Future generations will thank you for providing them with a strong foundation of health!
xoxo~ liz
Farm-Fresh Prepping!
Farm fresh prepping season going on now!
!Tomato sauce and Tomato soup getting put up for the fall and winter.
.Homegrown ingredients:
tomatoes garlic onions peppers basil, and a couple drops of YL Oregano to finish it off.
.Next up…. Peach butter!
The Ovarian Adrenal Thyroid Symphony
Putting the Pieces Together: The Ovarian – Adrenal – Thyroid (OAT) Symphony
Before we reach the nether regions of the endocrine system, I wanted to talk to you a little bit about a very important concept called the Ovarian-Adrenal-Thyroid (OAT) axis. The goal is to live in hormonal harmony within our own body, and that can get tricky pretty quickly when you have a bad conductor directing a personal symphony orchestra.
orchestra.A typical symphony orchestra has more than forty musicians and is an ensemble composed of wind, string, brass and percussion instruments. There are very few great conductors in the world simply because such a job requires charisma, deep knowledge of both music and musical instruments, and major people skills. A stellar conductor must also know the style and history of music and excel in anticipating and then cueing each musician at exactly the right moment. Some of the more extraordinary conductors I’ve seen also appear to have a playfulness within them to balance the exacting attention to detail that must be required to execute a flawless concert.
has more than forty musicians and is an ensemble composed of wind, string, brass and percussion instruments. There are very few great conductors in the world simply because such a job requires charisma, deep knowledge of both music and musical instruments, and major people skills. A stellar conductor must also know the style and history of music and excel in anticipating and then cueing each musician at exactly the right moment. Some of the more extraordinary conductors I’ve seen also appear to have a playfulness within them to balance the exacting attention to detail that must be required to execute a flawless concert.The endocrine system is much like a symphony, often with “the conductor” being the level of stress we unwittingly allow ourselves to live with. Remember, stress on the body isn’t only caused by meeting deadlines or trying to achieve a long “to do” list. Stress on the body will look different for each person, and may be emotional or physiological… It doesn’t matter the type or combination thereof!
, often with “the conductor” being the level of stress we unwittingly allow ourselves to live with. Remember, stress on the body isn’t only caused by meeting deadlines or trying to achieve a long “to do” list. Stress on the body will look different for each person, and may be emotional or physiological… It doesn’t matter the type or combination thereof!-
Chronic busyness to the point of exhaustion
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Chronic physical pain
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Chronic infection or illness
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Toxin load
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Heavy metal load
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Emotional stress
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Chronic sleep deprivation
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Too much exercise
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Nutrient deficiencies due to poor eating habits, medications causing depletions, a physiological inability to absorb certain nutrients properly, or even relying on poorly made supplements for nutrition
Stress always affects the adrenal glands first, and then thyroid and ovaries will begin to suffer.
Conductor: “A little less cowbell please!”
By the time a woman reaches her mid 30’s/ early 40’s (unless she has incorporated solid stress mediation tools into daily life ), there is a high probability that the excessive “cowbell” coming from the adrenal glands has begun to successfully drown out the harmonizing ovaries and thyroid. Because we’ve already fairly thoroughly discussed the adrenal glands and thyroid (reread those sections for a refresher!) I want to focus on how ovarian function is impacted by chronic stress.
In a state of chronic stress, the adrenals cannot keep up with the demand for cortisol production, and in doing so, they begin “stealing” from progesterone production to have the building blocks to make more cortisol.
Conductor: “Add in a little more saxophone.”
As progesterone production drops, estrogen dominance makes its debut.
Conductor: “Decrescendo piccolos!”
Estrogen dominance (which can occur even when ovaries have been removed, thanks to estrogen production elsewhere in the body and xenoestrogen exposure) then begins impeding the conversion of (inactive) T4 into (active) T3 which translates to less active thyroid hormone for the body to have access to. This leads to feelings of sluggishness, fatigue, and all the symptoms related to hypothyroidism. Too much estrogen also interferes with the communication between the brain and the adrenal glands. As time goes on in a state of estrogen dominance, fat begins accumulating around the abdomen. Have you heard the term “muffin top”? It’s a clue, my sleuthing friend! Muffin tops, excessive PMS, infertility or miscarriages, low libido, bloating or water retention, fibrocystic breasts, premenstrual headaches, thyroid dysfunction, irritability or depression, hair loss, thyroid dysfunction, foggy thinking, memory loss, and insomnia are all major clues with the conductor’s baton pointing towards estrogen dominance.
Conductor: “Crescendo violins!”
Estrogen dominance has also been linked to worsening allergies, autoimmune disorders, ovarian cysts, breast and uterine cancers, and is associated with an accelerated aging process. I’ll talk more about estrogen dominance later…. The goal here is to show the snowballing impact of stress on the endocrine system and ultimately the entire body.
Unfortunately, Westernized medicine is usually quick to add to the toxic soup already existing within a body by applying chemical bandaids. Ironically, antidepressants, thyroid replacement medications, and hormone replacement therapies often worsen the OAT imbalance IF addressing adrenal gland health is not part of the health and wellness recovery plan. Understanding the importance of and utilizing stress management tools daily will be a game changer, if you have been identifying with these clues!
Let’s not leave the men out of this discussion. There is a male version of the OAT axis. Abnormal cortisol levels in men cause testosterone levels to drop. Treating low testosterone with a synthetic testosterone replacement while ignoring the adrenal connection does come with risks. Side effects of synthetic testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) may include polycythemia, peripheral edema, aggression, diminished testicular size and fertility, exacerbation of sleep apnea, and cardiovascular and liver dysfunction. TRT is another chemical bandaid which fails to address the root cause (another “to be covered later” topic).
Without question, life has the potential to be stress filled, and we must use the tools easily available to us to mediate its harmful effects.
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Belonging to a supportive like minded community
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Prayer and meditation
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Exercise, especially yoga
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Spending time outdoors or with a pet daily
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Practicing self care daily
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Laughter
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Minimize phone use and screen time
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Healthy diet
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Practicing deep purposeful breathing
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B Vitamins (have you tried YL’s Super B?)
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Elimination of toxins especially xenoestrogens commonly found in mainstream skincare lines. Utilize Young Living’s safe ART, Bloom, or Balance skin care lines for safe xenoestrogen free products!). Xenoestrogens are also found in plastics (ie water bottles), red dye #3, BHA (a food preservative, many insecticides, and birth control pills that contain ethinylestradiol.
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Young Living’s Cortistop
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Utilize scents that you find relaxing. Many studies suggest that aromatherapy is beneficial for relaxing and decreasing stressful moments. Scents known to promote stress reduction include lavender, rose, vetiver, bergamot, Roman chamomile, neroli, frankincense, sandalwood, ylang-ylang, orange, and geranium. Young Living oil blends designed for just such a purpose include StressAway, Peace & Calming, Valor, RutaVala, or Tranquil.
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Setting healthy boundaries in all areas of life
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Using adaptogens to help mediate stress response. An adaptogen is any substance that increases the body’s resistance to a negative stress response. These have been around (and studied) since World War II… so it’s not a new concept! Known adaptogens include:
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American and Asian ginseng (found in FemiGen)
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Ashwagandha (found in EndoGize and PowerGize)
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Reishi mushroom (found in NingXia Greens and Immupro)
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Turmeric (found in Golden Turmeric)
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Reduce caffeine intake. Consider daily NingXia Red, NingXia Nitro, NingXia Zyng, and/or our new NingXia Greens or an adaptogenic “coffee” substitute instead. You may also consider diffusing essential oil blends En-R-Gee or Longevity or Peppermint, Rosemary, or Lemon for an aromatic pick-me-up!
Every body’s symphony will sound and feel slightly different. We each have the responsibility of constantly “tuning the instruments”, harmonizing within ourselves and among ourselves, and ensuring that “the conductor” (ie: your individual stress load) is neither a taskmaster or curmudgeon!
will sound and feel slightly different. We each have the responsibility of constantly “tuning the instruments”, harmonizing within ourselves and among ourselves, and ensuring that “the conductor” (ie: your individual stress load) is neither a taskmaster or curmudgeon!After all, the goal is an endocrine system which feels like a well played Beethoven’s 5th!
xoxo~ liz
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Young Living AromaShare event
If you are at the Young Living Roots & Wings Convention 2022, come see me at AromaShare!
(Booth 17)
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