This article has also been published by the author in her website http://www.tearingmyhairout.com

So, you’ve met the girl, got that promotion, done the big fairytale wedding, and bought that house which instead of being near your favourite wine bars and restaurants, has the big garden and is conveniently located close to good schools and other amenities.

Your darling wife has changed her job from that top paying one, to the lower paying one with great maternity pay, and childcare facilities. You both decide that you are finally ready to make babies. But of course things don’t quite go to plan. After two years of diligently reading every pregnancy book, and knowing your wife’s ovulation period better than your own body, there is still no joy on the baby front.

You decide to get reassurance that everything is fine, but of course fail to do so. Your lovely wife is as fertile as an eighteen year old girl, but you are told by the gynaecologist that had insisted on sending you for sperm analysis as well as your wife that there is a male factor issue. Your sperm count, motility and morphology are all sub-standard, that a special type of IVF, ICSI is your only real option of conceiving if there is no improvement in your sperm quality. You are suddenly introduced to a whole new world that you have no desire of becoming a member of, but suddenly find yourself a fully paid up member.

You have spent the last few weeks feeling sorry for yourself, feeling as if your manhood has been challenged, wondering whether your darling wife would dump you for a super sperm machine, and going off sex, after all what is the bloody point.

But now you are ready to snap out of it and at least try and do something to help to improve your sperm analysis results.

The good news is that improving sperm quality and helping your fertility whilst trying to conceive naturally or by IVF, is easier than you think. However, give yourself plenty of time to see any results as it takes about three months for the body to manufacture a new batch of sperm. If you start your health regime today, you should ideally expect to see results in three months time.

20 top tips for improving male fertility

1. Improve your diet

If you can only make one change in diet, then as much as possible eat organic food, especially fruits and vegetables. If you cannot afford organic food, do not worry. Just ensure that you eat a healthy well balanced diet filled with fruits, vegetables, nuts, fibre, protein and complex carbohydrate. This will ensure that you get a good supply of the vitamins, minerals and antioxidants essential for good sperm health.

Include food rich in Vitamin E which is important for sperm motility and ability to penetrate egg and can be found in oily fish such as mackerel and salmon, nuts and seeds, wholegrain, eggs, and dark green vegetables.

Selenium is an important mineral for good sperm health and helps to improve sperm motility and testosterone. It can be found in Brazil nuts, avocado, shell fish, brown rice, oat, garlic, and onions.

Vitamin C is another essential vitamin for good sperm health and stops sperm from clumping. In addition to citrus fruits, you can get your fix of Vitamin C in fruits and vegetables including kiwi fruit, strawberries, red pepper, broccoli, brussel sprouts, melon, and watercress.

Vitamin B12 helps with sperm count and motility and is found naturally in meat, trout, salmon, eggs, and cheese such as edam cheese is essential for sperm health.

Zinc is considered one of the most important elements for sperm production. Its deficiency may lower testosterone. It is naturally found in eggs, meat, fish, chicken, in seeds such as pumpkin seed and sunflower seeds, wholegrain, and in beans and other pulses.

Folic acid has historically been known as essential for female fertility health. This acid is also important for sperm health and can be found naturally in dark green vegetables, asparagus, avocado pear, beans, dried figs and lentils.

Arginine is important for sperm motility and can be found in nuts such as walnuts, almonds, Brazil nuts, and in beans, lentils and fish.

Carnitine helps to stimulate sperm motility and count and can be found in beef, pork, lamb and dairy products.

It is important to increase your antioxidants found naturally in fruits such as blueberries, blackberries and cranberries, in vegetables such as broccoli and artichoke, and even in dark chocolate (70% cocoa or more), and red wine!

2. Cut out junk food and refined carbohydrate

It is important to reiterate that junk food should be a no no when you’re trying to improve sperm health. Eat foods which focus on fresh vegetables, fruits, whole grain, fish, poultry, legumes, nuts, seeds. Cut out refined carbohydrates such as flour, sugar, chocolate, biscuits, sweets, cakes etc. It is also time to avoid saturated fats and hydrogenated fats e.g. margarine.

3. Eat nuts and seeds

I have mentioned in number one the importance of some nuts and seeds, but this is worth repeating. Keep to natural nuts and seeds (not roasted and salted nuts). The nuts and seeds that work wonders for sperm health include Brazil nuts, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, walnuts, almonds and chestnuts.

4. Drink water

This is probably the best time to stick with that resolve to drink at least two litres of water daily. If you’re finding yourself in the embarrassing position of rushing out of meetings to go to the toilet, please persevere as this will get better in a week or so from starting, once your body gets used to being hydrated and has excreted the stagnant water supply it has been holding on to for its essential functioning.

5. Drink green tea

This wonderful drink, full of antioxidants is good for sperm health.

6. Limit your caffeine intake

A recent study of coffee drinking men in Brazil shows that moderate caffeine does not adversely affect sperm health. However, there are plenty of nutritionists who advocate cutting caffeine whilst trying to conceive. Excessive caffeine, even where the woman does not drink coffee, can cause miscarriages, low birth weight etc. In moderation, coffee does not need to go entirely from your diet. Perhaps you can switch to caffeine free coffee to week days, and reward yourself with an indulgent freshly brewed coffee at the weekends!

7. Reduce your alcohol consumption

At TMHO, we are all about keeping it real, so we are not suggesting you banish alcohol. Binge drinking and drinking excessively should be banished but the odd glass of good quality red wine, full of antioxidants is not a bad thing.

8. Quit smoking

Smoking is bad bad bad when you’re trying to conceive. Its effect not only affects getting pregnant, but also the health of the foetus, and your baby once it has been burn. There are also studies which show that the smoking habits of a male partner can increase the chances of miscarriage. If you think about it, it takes sperm and an egg, to make a baby, so it is only logical that the health of the sperm could affect the health of the embryo.

9. Lose weight

It is important to be a healthy weight range when trying to conceive. If you are underweight or overweight, you should consult your GP or a dietician about ways of reaching a more ideal weight.

10. Sleep more!

Sleep is essential for good sperm health and it helps replenish testosterone.

 11. Avoid over-heating up those delicate areas

You should ensure that you do not wear tight pants. Consider changing to the boxer shorts. Make sure that your trousers are not too tight.

As heat adversely affects sperm quality, ensure that you are not heating up your delicate areas by the heat of your mobile phone in your front trouser pockets where it could heat up your testicles. Try putting your mobile in your suit jacket, or safely in a drawer instead of in your trousers.

If you regularly use a lap top, consider using a lap top heat shield or placing the computer on a table instead of on your lap.

Avoid electric blankets, saunas, steam rooms, Jacuzzis and hot baths when trying to conceive. Instead of a hot bath, opt for a quick shower. Some men swear to improved sperm quality by getting into the habit of splashing their testicles with cool water after taking a hot shower.

12. Use it or lose it!

Ejaculate every 2 or 3 days, if not, then old sperm could deteriorate and affect the quality of newer sperm.

13. Reduce exposure to chemicals e.g. deodorant, pesticides

Ensure that you are not exposed to harmful chemicals such as weed killers, pesticides and other readily available household chemicals. Consider reducing your exposure to chemicals to as low as possible. Instead of your “normal” deodorant with its cocktail of chemicals, try a natural crystal rock product, which is completely chemical free and does a great job of keeping odour causing bacteria at bay. These are usually available in normal drugs stores such as Boots.

14. Take a good multi-vitamin

If you are eating a balanced diet full of vitamins, minerals and anti-oxidants, you probably won’t need a multi-vitamin. However, a good multi-vitamin will ensure that you are not missing out on any of the essentials.

15. Other supplements

Infertility unfortunately is big business and there are many supplements out there that claim to work magic on sperm health. You should however ensure that you do not take every supplement going and are directed by your partner’s gynaecologist, an urologist, or a qualified nutritionist or dietician. You may also find that your urologist will frown at combining herbal and traditional medicines.

In addition to a general multi-vitamin, some of the supplements which your doctor may recommend, include 500mg of L-Carnitine for sperm motility and count, 500mg of L-Arginine to help improve motility, 15mg of zinc for sperm production, this is often taken with 1mg of copper, 200mcg of selenium to improve sperm quality and testosterone, 30mg of Coenzyme which increases sperm count and motility, 400iu of vitamin E which helps with sperm motility and ability to penetrate egg, 1000mg of Vitamin C which stops sperm from clumping, 100mg each of Vitamin B complex (especially Vitamin B12) which helps sperm count and motility; folic acid and Omega 3, 6 and 9.

Some men also swear by the efficacy of taking 500mg of the Peruvian herb Maca. In clinical trials, subjects taking a derivative of the Peruvian Andes herb maca called gelatinized maca reported increase sexual desire of 180% and sperm count increase of 200%. Please consult a qualified nutritionist before taking any herbal remedies. Please also ensure that your doctor is happy with your taking any herbal products.

16. Exercise

Exercise regularly, especially, weights helps to boost sperm health by increasing testosterone. However, it is important to avoid excessive exercise and cycling.

17. Try acupuncture

Some men credit acupuncture treatment with improved sperm quality. Acupuncture removes blockages in flow of energy, and is a relaxing calming experience. Make sure you choose a qualified acupuncturist by finding someone who is a member of The British Acupuncture Council, the UK’s main regulatory body for the practice of traditional acupuncture by over 2800 professionally qualified acupuncturists.

18. Make your kitchen microwave free

If you are eating natural, wholesome, healthy diet, you will have little use for a microwave anyway. Instead of defrosting food in the microwave, be more organised and leave it to defrost naturally in a fridge.

19. Get some sun daily!

 Spending some time in the sun helps to boost testosterone and reduces level of melatonin which suppresses fertility.

20. Avoid stress, have fun, and have sex!

 Often people find that they fall pregnant once they stop obsessing about their failure to get pregnant, relax and enjoy other great things in their lives. Whilst infertility is a difficult and sometimes seemingly impossible situation to face, stress does not help with solutions. Enrich your life with happy fun relaxing activities, and more importantly, do not lose the joys of sex by just focussing on making babies.

Good luck!

Ever wish there was an elixir which would just get rid of all your extra fat, no questions asked? Even if there were, the truth is that once you lose the fat you have to tone up your muscles or else you will find your body with unsightly sags and flabbiness. But there is a way to boost your fat loss and increase your energy to make exercising a breeze. As a personal trainer in downtown Toronto, I recommend the Acai Berry as the perfect complement to your weight loss exercise program.

This amazing super food is absolutely PACKED with nutrition and vital antioxidants your body needs to provide your body with the defense against free radicals that destroy your cells. This little purple berry has become famous for its amazing health benefits and it’s ability to help your body burn off excess weight!

Where does the Acai Berry come from? This small, grape-like fruit grows on palm tress deep in the Amazon rain forest. Its beneficial health effects have been known to the people of Brazil for some time, but now the rest of the world is discovering these benefits as well. Luckily, you don’t have to go to the Amazon forest to get it, there are many health food stores and supermarkets in the Toronto area, that offer the Acai Berry in liquid or capsule form.

So what exactly does the magical Acai Berry do? It provides your body with a wealth of phytonutrients, and it has claimed the title for the highest antioxidant value of any known fruit or vegetable. Antioxidants are absolutely essential to defend your body against one of the main causes of disease: cell degeneration caused by free radicals. Free radicals are produced internally by the body and formed in the environment from sources such as air pollution, tobacco smoke, excessive radiation, pesticides, and herbicides.

The Acai Berry also contains other important elements for your health, such as dietary fiber and “healthy” plant-based monounsaturated fats that actually make it easier for you to loss excess weight. Dietary fiber is crucial to keeping your LDL (unhealthy) cholesterol down, and boosting your HDL (healthy) cholesterol levels to keep your heart strong. But that’s not all! Acai Berries also contains a wide range of important amino acids that are difficult to get from other food sources. Your body uses amino acids to maintain help detoxify your body, support your immune system, reduce insomnia, inflammation and pain.

As you can see from all of the scientific research, there are good reasons to be excited about the Acai Berry. As a personal trainer, I know the importance of using a great nutritional supplement for your health. And with all of the health benefits the Acai Berry offers, this is clearly a “super food” that is important to your health whether you are trying to lose weight or not.

How should you take Acai Berries? You can enjoy the great health benefits of this super food as an extract in the form of tablets or as a liquid drink. You can make your own with a powdered drink mix, buy the whole fruit or just the pulp to eat it raw or blend with other fruits into a smoothie. It doesn’t really matter which form you use, the nutritional gains are the same.

Before the popularity of the acai berry gained notoriety we had only vitamins A, C and E consumed by drinking orange juice or taking vitamin supplements. But today, we are not talking about just small preventative measures taken, but a real blow to sickness and disease, which has taken the form of antioxidant rich functional health beverages that many consumers swear by in their quest for health and wellness.
Currently, the antioxidant gaining the most attention the Acai (pronounced ah-SAH-ee) berry which is known as a super antioxidant. The acai berry is a small dark blue fruit, similar in size to a blueberry or small grape but with less pulp, that grows in clusters of berries on acai palm trees. The acai fruit is popular among health food enthusiasts because it is high in many important vitamins and minerals, including B vitamins, Omega-3 fatty acids (such as Omega-3, Omega-6 and Omega-9), and anthocyanin/anthocyanidin phytonutrients which are members of the flavonoid class of antioxidants.
The dark purple berry, which tastes something like a blend of berries and chocolate, supposedly contains 10 to 30 times the flavonoids contained in red wine. Traditionally, Brazilians used the fruit to treat stomach disorders and skin conditions. The fruit is highly unstable when picked and rots easily, so it is rare to find the acai fruit whole when you are not in the region where they are grown. Outside the tropics the fruit is usually found in either juice or pulp form. This wonder food is purported to fight cancer, control cholesterol, increase energy, improve physical intimacy and helps weight loss. Some people even use acai as a facial astringent because the fruit has high anti-bacterial properties.
Cupuacu (coo pwAH soo) is referred to as The Taste of the Amazon. Cupuacu is a member of the chocolate family. The indigenous Indians have used the fruit as a primary food source for years. The Cupuacu fruit grows on the Cupuacu tree, which is a small to medium tree in the Rainforest that belongs to the Cocoa family. This fruit is known for its creamy exotic tasting pulp. The pulp is used throughout Brazil and Peru to make fresh juice, ice cream, jam and tarts. The fruit ripens in the rainy months from January to April and is considered a culinary delicacy in South American cities. The seeds contain a sweet-smelling, white butter, which can also be used to make excellent-quality white chocolate.
This particular fruit, Cupuacu has not gained the national attention as the acia berry or yerbe mate. Its benefits has not been publicized nor is it contained in many health related beverages, supplements or foods. Cupuacu contains unique antioxidant phytonutrients called polyphenols. You may be familiar with polyphenols from other common medicinal plants, notably green tea and grape seeds. Cupuacu also contains at least nine other known antioxidants including Vitamin C and Vitamin A, making it a well-rounded antioxidant cocktail. The top three reasons to make Cupuacu part of your diet include: the increased ability to fight disease and cancer, more youthful and healthier looking skin and hair and it reportedly lowers cholesterol levels.
Indigenous people, as well as local communities along the Amazon, have cultivated Cupuacu as a primary food source for generations. In former times, Cupuacu seeds were traded along the Rio Negro and Upper Orinoco rivers where indigenous people drink Cupuacu juice after it has been blessed by a shaman to facilitate difficult births. The “beans” are utilized by the indigenous Tikuna people for abdominal pains.
Cupuacu also has a unique type of polyphenols called theograndins. Theograndins have potent antioxidant activity and provide cardiovascular protective and immune supportive benefits. Yet, everyday brings new findings of other advantages of theograndins that are unique to cupuacu. For example, in tests on some types of cancers, theograndins were uniquely effective at killing colon cancer cells. Research is underway to determine whether cupuacu or isolated theograndins have a place in modern cancer therapy.
Yerba mate (pronounced yer-bah mah-tay) is also one of the ingredients in this functional health beverage in addition to Aloe Vera Gel Pulp, CoEnzyme Q10, Cat’s Claw Bark and over 100 other nutritional ingredients. Although yerba mate has not enjoyed the same level of media exposure as the acai berry has recently, it certainly commands respect and attention. Yerba mate is a tea like beverage popular in Argentina. The word mate derives from the word Mati that names the gourd that is used to drink the tea.
It is widely held that this tea contains mateine, a chemical cousin of caffeine that has subtly different properties. Though similar to caffeine in its ability to provide energy, it can have a milder and safer delivery to the body. Although, yerba mate is not known to interfere with sleep cycles, it does have a tendency to balance the cycles, inducing more REM sleep. Many people report that they require less sleep when using mate; usually such an experience is accompanied by a deeper, more relaxing sleep experience.
Yerba mate is replete with antioxidants that help the body fight free-radicals. Yerba mate may assist with the following: increased mental awareness and elevated mood, weight loss, increased ability to fight off disease and increased energy and vitality.
Additionally, yerba mate helps relieve allergies. It has been noted that yerba mate is helpful in opening respiratory passages to overcome allergy symptoms. It has been shown to reduce the severity of some allergies and hay fever. Yerba mate works by stimulating the adrenal glands to produce corticosteroids, which help suppress the inflammation and immune response due to allergies.
Does yerba mate exhibit anti-cancer properties like green tea? Aside from its significant antioxidant effects, research from the University of Illinois suggests yerba mate could in fact be a potent ally in cancer protection. Labs around the country are starting to test the Acai to find what possible medical use it has. There is no doubt that this amazing fruit has a promising future in the medical world. While more study needs to be done to prove the effectiveness of some of these claims, there is no doubt that adding any of one of these plants or fruits to your diet will improve your overall and future health!
The health beverage industry is a booming market. It is currently producing over 4 billion dollars in sales and is forecasted to grow to over 10 billion in the next few years. The growth is being fueled by one thing: consumer demand. It should be no surprise why so many companies are jumping on the functional health beverage band wagon.
Medical Disclaimer
“Information on this site is for educational purposes only. It is not intended to act as a substitute for medical advice provided by a qualified health care provider, nor is any information on this intended to diagnose, treat, care or prevent any diseases. Statements have not been evaluated by the food and drug administration.”

The problem with superfruits is you don’t know whether to drink it, shampoo your hair with it, wash your face with it, or apply it on your skin! Manufacturers of superfruit health and personal care products have seen profits in every kind of popular superfruit product. Like Superman, superfruits seem to have super abilities to do everything, effortlessly. But in the ever-widening arena of superfruits, which one is the best or at least better than the other superfruits in the market? Which one would give manufacturers maximum profit margins?Is it the Maqui or the Acai? These are the two top superfruits, both hailing from the exotic land of South America. The Acai comes to us from the dense rainforests of Brazil and the Maqui is found further south, in the Patgonian area that covers Chile and Argentina.Maqui or Acai: The FlavorWhile both berries are rich in anthocyanins and potent in antioxidant value, neither the Acai nor the Maqui pack a punch when it comes to taste. Between the two though, the Acai fares much better in taste especially to the American palate which is not used to these exotic berry flavors. Experts agree though that both berries must be mixed with other fruit juices that are familiar to our taste buds.High premiums that keep consumers interested in these berries are their antioxidant values and health-imparting benefits. The additional boost of scientific support can win customers over and drive home sales. And yet, proving scientific credibility is where most manufacturers fail to have a strong enough promotional game plan.Maqui or Acai: Nutritive Value and Scientific SupportThe Acai is rich in nutrients such as amino acids, a broad spectrum of Vitamin B, Vitamins C and E, minerals, omega 3 fatty acids and dietary fiber. At one point, it was considered to be the superfruit with the highest antioxidant value.Statistics from Mintel show that the Acai may be losing popularity because consumers no longer perceive the Acai as a superfruit worthy of its credentials. Hyped by media, the Acai has already lost some credible ground due to unscrupulous manufacturers who have produced inferior quality products or indulged in bad business practices.On the other hand, there are not enough promotional efforts being made by quality manufacturers to highlight the benefits of the Acai berries that are supported by scientific research. In order to keep quality Acai products in the running race, manufacturers are advised to uphold quality manufacturing and to use every possible means of media to emphasize the scientifically supported benefits of the Acai berries.What about the Maqui berry? These berries have the highest levels of anthocyanins, and therefore can claim to have the highest antioxidant potency. Maqui berries also contain minerals such as iron, calcium and potassium; along with Vitamins A and C, but do not contain the famous omega 3s.As far as the public is concerned, the Maqui is still a rookie in the superfruit arena. It came on the scene in 2008. While the Maqui definitely can show off more muscle with 3 times the antioxidant value of the Acai, the Maqui still lacks convincing scientific support, since not enough research has been done on these berries. The Maqui, however, has a hopeful future if promoted well and formulated well so that its antioxidant and anthocyanin potency is preserved and its taste value enhanced. With 100 times the anthocyanin power of red wine it’s certainly a promising contender in the battle for the number one superfruit position!Maqui or Acai: Credible Health Benefits Driving SalesAmericans, by and large, are all set to try out something new especially if it offers more nutritive value for the money. But the real test is whether they would keep buying a product that doesn’t deliver on taste. In order to sustain marketability of any juice it’s got to taste not just good, but great! In fact, with the American penchant for nutritional supplements, many would happily prefer a capsule supplement that would give them a concentrated form of superfruit nutrition.The factors that will drive home the sale of Acai and Maqui products are scientific research and raising public awareness of their superfruit credibility. Both the Acai and the potentially promising Maqui are touted to benefit weight loss, boost immune support, possess anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, and anti-carcinogenic properties. Research shows that anthocyanins, in both berries, also help to reduce the risk of coronary heart disease.Health supplement manufacturers who want to produce a super-health-fruit product using Maqui or Acai berries may want to consult a contract acai berry manufacturer who can help them make the ideal choice based on market statistics and consumer demand. Substituting hype with scientific credibility is a major task. A good contract manufacturer can provide a promotional strategy with educational literature that will help increase public awareness based on factual information. The range of products is numerous since both the Maqui and Acai are superfruits, and as such, can be manufactured as a juice, nutritional supplements or personal care products. Having superfruit status, both the Acai and Maqui, are poised for SUPER sales potential!