🌸 Planning Childbirth - I

My lovely angels,

🌟Welcome to the first part of the series of Planning Childbirth! This post is not just for women; read to the end to learn why men bear equal responsibility. 🌸

Every year, like clockwork, trends change in the modern world, forcing people to identify with them.

Trendsetters are the puppeteers who need us to reinforce their beliefs, for which they will employ all sorts of marketing techniques. Remember when Nestle arrived in India and sold their baby formula using false claims like “It’s better than mother’s milk”?🍼

And yet to date, new mothers choose formula milk. It’s a classic case of people following trends to feel good about themselves and continue being a part of society rather than forming their own beliefs based on research, trial, and error.

Would you still stand by your beliefs if you weren’t a part of the social media echo chamber?

I hope not. This is why we need to use our logic, ancient wisdom, and understanding of the nature of things to navigate life decisions like bringing a child into this world.🌱

Let’s begin with Oxidative Stress 🌿

Oxidative stress occurs when the body produces more harmful molecules, known as reactive oxygen species (ROS), than it can neutralize.

It increases with age in our bodies and depletes the energy source in our body’s powerhouse - Mitochondria. When mitochondria are damaged, they release more harmful oxidation molecules, adding to the ongoing damage.

In a female’s body, eggs have nearly 10 times more mitochondria than any other cell, requiring more protection from oxidative stress for better egg development and chances of embryo survival.

Age-related elevated oxidative stress has been identified as a cause of female infertility. It’s a no-brainer that we need to consume foods high in antioxidants to prevent the free radicals causing this stress, but to save eggs from deterioration we must consume foods high in Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10).

- 🧬 CoQ10 is a naturally occurring enzyme produced by the body, found in the mitochondria of our cells.

- 🌟 It’s an antioxidant that helps in energy production.

- 🍃 It increases the follicle number and egg quality in females.

- 💗 It’s mostly found in the heart, liver, pancreas, and kidneys.

- 💉 It improves blood circulation and provides a thickened lining in the uterus walls for better egg implantation.

- ⚡ CoQ10 is needed to support mitochondria, which further supports all our bodily functions by converting fat and nutrients to usable energy.

- 🥑 CoQ10 enhances the absorptionof other nutrients by recycling them. For example, it recycles Vitamin C and Vitamin E, maximizing their effectiveness in the body.

Aging reduces our CoQ10 production, making our eggs vulnerable to oxidative damage. That’s why, before planning a child, learning your CoQ10 stats is important! 📊

Other Benefits of CoQ10 🌈

- 🔋 It maintains the body’s natural energy, eliminating fatigue from physical work.

- ❤️ Enhances heart health.

- ⏳ Slows down aging symptoms of the body (like skin damage, muscle density).

- ⚖️ Keeps pH levels in check.

- 💧Lowers blood pressure.

CoQ10 is sold as a dietary supplement under the name Ubiquinone, Ubidecarenone, or simply Q10, but here are the natural sources I prefer:

✅Organ Meats (preferably grass-fed) - heart, liver, kidney

✅Free-range chicken eggs and meat

✅Fatty fish - Salmon, Herring, Rainbow trout, Mackerel, Sardines

✅Oranges

✅Strawberries

CoQ10 absorbs better with fat sources while maintaining a non-restrictive nutritive diet.

While in this post, I focused on improving the quality of eggs in women, men also have a 50% contribution in the fertilization of an egg.

CoQ10 administration in men also reduces testicular oxidative stress and increases sperm count, motility, and testosterone. ⚧️

Fertilization through a quality sperm and egg, in a properly thickened womb = the perfect implantation and an energetic, healthy pregnancy - all through reducing oxidative stress. 🌟👶

Disclaimer: I’m an experimenter, a researcher, and a careful observer of my health. Please consult your healthcare professional before making significant dietary changes.

Love,

Zitni Zun 💖