Sperm Benefits During Pregnancy

Sperm Benefits During Pregnancy

Benefits of Sperm During Pregnancy

 

1. Actual Nourishment

 

There are numerous vitamins, minerals, and even a dose of protein in every ejaculation. While this won’t take the place of your prenatal vitamins, anything helps. If anything, the nourishment in sperm will keep your vaginal tissues healthy and get the cells ready for repair after delivery.

2. Good Sleep

 

Semen has some melatonin in it that may be absorbed through your vagina and enter your bloodstream. This may help with those sleepless nights, a common side-effect of pregnancy. If your doctor gives the okay, sex every night before bed may be the best sleep remedy you’ve ever had. No pun intended.

 

3. Getting Your Cervix Ready

 

One of the benefits of sperm during pregnancy is that it helps get your cervix ready for the big day. Semen or sperm contains high levels of prostaglandins. Prostaglandins soften the cervix to help it open up easier when labor begins. The prostaglandins may also help trigger contractions, so ask your doctor if sex is okay at the end of pregnancy.

 

4. Feeling Better About Yourself

 

Some women may not find pregnancy a very sexy time of their lives. Weight gain, fatigue, and changing looks may cause a lowered self-esteem. Semen may contain chemicals that when absorbed through the vaginal walls, may decrease depression. Levels of these “feel good” chemicals have been found in women’s blood at increased levels for a few days after sexual intercourse.

 

5. Immune System Protection

 

Another one of the benefits of sperm during pregnancy is immune system protection. Sperm contains proteins that may help strengthen your immune system. It may help prevent interactions between mom and baby, reduce the risk of pre-eclampsia in pregnancy, and keep you healthy. One reason being studied is that pre-eclampsia may be a DNA incompatibility between mom and dad. Sexual intercourse with baby daddy may help desensitize the immune system to dad’s DNA.

 

Safe Tips for Better Sex During Pregnancy

 

Don’t force things. Your desire for intimacy may wax and wane over the months. Let your partner know how you are feeling. Your body knows just when the right time is, listen closely. Be gentle and take things slow.

You may need to use a safe water based lubricant for comfort. Sex drive may be less in the end of pregnancy. While sperm is helpful then, you may need some help to get things started.

Make time for intimacy. Sperm is healthy for your pregnancy, but you need to have sexual intercourse to reap the benefits. Busy schedules, morning sickness (makes mornings a bad time), work, and other kids can all get in the way. Try going off to bed soon after dinner before you get too tired.

You may have to adjust positions. If you are making love for the benefits of sperm at the end of pregnancy, you may need to try different positions for the most comfort.

If you have oral sex, never let your partner blow air into your vagina. This is very seriously dangerous and can be life threatening. The air can form an embolism in your bloodstream and block a blood vessel.

Refrain from sexual intercourse if your water has broken already. This may mean your contractions have already started and you won’t need the benefit of semen to get things going, they already are. Intercourse could put you and your baby at risk for infection.

If the benefits of sperm during pregnancy are contraindicated due to a high risk pregnancy, you can ask your doctor about sex with a condom. Just keep in mind that even orgasms can be detrimental if you are at risk for miscarriage.

If you cannot have sex during your pregnancy, find other ways to be intimate. You can cuddle and watch movies, spend time reading together, or go for a walk every evening after dinner (as long as you aren’t on bedrest).

Last but not least, communicate with your partner. He may be feeling like “sex may hurt the baby,” or that “his sperm may get into your uterus,” all of which are old wives tales. Your baby will never know or be hurt by your lovemaking. The uterus is sealed off by the mucous plug and nothing gets past it until it dislodges at the end of your pregnancy. The baby is also cushioned by amniotic fluid, protecting him or her from any “bumps.” Explaining these things will help make your partner feel better about sex while you’re pregnant.

Health and Wellness Associates

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Patricia Carrothers

Dir of Personalized Healthcare and Preventative Medicine

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Dairy Crack!

Dairy Crack

 

Cheese really is crack. Study reveals cheese is as addictive as drugs

 

For years you have been telling people how much you love cheese.  Cheese on everything at every meal if you could.  Now, will you listen that you’re addicted to cheese. It’s a part of every meal or snack, and you think about it constantly.  A new study suggests food addiction is a real thing.

The study, published in the U.S. National Library of Medicine, examines why certain foods are more addictive than others. Researchers identified addictive foods from about 500 people who completed the Yale Food Addiction Scale, designed to measure if someone has a food addiction.

Pizza, unsurprisingly, came out on top of the most addictive food list. Besides being a basic food group for kids, college students and adults, there’s a scientific reason we all love pizza, and it has to do with the cheese.

The study found certain foods are addictive because of the way they are processed. The more processed and fatty the food, the more it was associated with addictive eating behaviors.

Cheese happens to be especially addictive because of an ingredient called casein, a protein found in all milk products. During digestion, casein releases opiates called casomorphins. Casomorphins are created from chemicals that are in the milk, and work with the processing of cheeses.

“[Casomorphins] really play with the dopamine receptors and trigger that addictive element,” registered dietitian Cameron Wells told Mic.

There are new studies ahead of how eating cheese as a child will have an effect on their ability to resist addictions in adulthood.  In a quick study in Los Angeles CA., college students went to people on the street and in shelters and asked the residents “If you could have any food right now, what would you ask for?”   Almost 100% said cheese.

So there you have it. Your cheese addiction has been validated by science.

 

Health and Wellness Associates

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Dr G Carney

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Benefits of Eating Avacados

Avocados have become America’s “new favorite fruit.” Whether eaten in raw slices with salt and pepper or mashed up in guacamole, its myriad benefits fill every bite. The fruit, however, does more than just satisfy America’s appetite; eating avocados can lead to living a longer, healthier life.

America’s love affair with avocados is here to stay as it pervades the kitchens and restaurant menus all across the country. According to the Hass Avocado Board, avocados have risen in popularity for the past 15 years, with the sales of Hass avocados making up more than 95 percent of all avocados consumed in the U.S. Fast food chains, including Burger King, Au Bon Pain, Panera Bread Co., have tried to capitalize on the ingredient’s popularity, offering more options with avocado, but consumers should be wary of “healthy” avocado dishes that are anything but.

Franci Cohen, board certified personal trainer and nutritionist in New York, warns of the dangers of thinking all avocado used as an ingredient is healthy. “When eaten right, avocado has great nutritional value for your diet,” she told Medical Daily in an email. “But the problem is that many people see the ingredient ‘avocado’ and immediately think the dish is healthy, when it’s actually full of fattening ingredients as well.”

Although avocados have a high-fat content, it’s a nutrient all-star and a great source of potassium, omega-3 fatty acids, and lutein. It also contains good amounts of soluble and insoluble fiber. If you’re looking to increase your avocado consumption, here are several health reasons to eat an avocado a day and every day.

1. Absorbs Other Nutrients

Avocado has a rich fat content that makes it easier to absorb fat solubles such as vitamins A, K, D, and E, which means that adding this creamy fruit to any vegetable-dense meals will help you get all of the vitamins of your food. Without fat in your diet, the body would not be able to absorb the fat-soluble vitamins in that meal.

Marci Clow, an MS, RDN at Rainbow Light told Medical Daily in an email: “Because of the fat content in avocados, they will facilitate absorption of fat-soluble nutrients (vitamins A, D, E & K) when combined with foods containing those nutrients.”

2. Eases Arthritis Symptoms

Avocados contain phytosterols, carotenoid antioxidants, omega 3 fatty acids, and polyhydroxolated fatty alcohols, which make the fruit an anti-inflammatory agent. Dr. Matthew Brennecke, a board certified naturopathic doctor practicing at the Rocky Mountain Wellness Clinic in Fort Collins, Colo., believes avocados can help with arthritis and osteoarthritis-related pain via avocado soybean unsaponifiables (ASU), an extract that increases collagen synthesis that is an anti-inflammatory agent.

“We’ve seen that a natural vegetable extract made with soybean and avocado oil will slow down the advancement of osteoarthritis,” Brennecke told Medical Daily in an email.

3. Reduces Risk of Certain Cancers

Avocados possess a mix of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory characteristics, which makes it able to combat certain cancers, including mouth, skin, and prostate. A 2007 study published in the journal Seminars in Cancer Biology found the phytochemicals in avocados can selectively induce cell cycle arrest, inhibit growth, and induce apoptosis in precancerous and cancer cell lines. In other words, it is the phytochemicals in this fruit that encourage cancer cells to stop growing and die out.

The consumption of avocado can also be beneficial during chemotherapy. These sessions often drain the body out of gluthathione — a powerful antioxidant source — but avocado can help. “Avocados contain rich sources of both vitamin E and glutathione, and if chemotherapy is reducing your glutathione storage supply, avocados are a great way to get that antioxidant back into your system,” Brennecke said. “A low supply of gluthathione can make the healthy cells vulnerable to chemotherapy damage.”

4. Lowers Cholesterol

The super fruit is filled with fats that are good for you, specifically monounsaturated fat, which helps to lower bad cholesterol. This is because avocados are high in beta-sitosterol, according to Cohen, which is a compound that lowers blood cholesterol levels. “If you worry about your body’s cholesterol levels, avocados are a great solution because they will actually lower your LDL and increase your HDL levels,” she said.

A 1996 study published in the journal Archives of Medical Research found patients with high cholesterol who added avocados to their diet for one week had a 22 percent decrease in bad cholesterol and triglycerides and an 11 percent increase in good cholesterol. It also improved cholesterol for people who already had good lipid levels but was shown to be more effective in people with mild cholesterol problems.

5. Boosts Eye Health

An ounce of avocado contains 81 micrograms of lutein, along with zeaxanthin, two phytonutrients which are essential to eye health. Lutein and zeaxanthin are carotenoids, according to Clow, which act as antioxidants in the eye, lowering risk of developing age-related eye conditions. Adding avocados to your daily diet can protect the tissues of the eye from sun damage and the formation of cataracts and macular degeneration. It is the fat content in avocado that helps the body absorb the carotenoid.

6. Boosts Heart Health

The mono- and polyunsaturated fats in avocados not only help reduce blood cholesterol levels, but they help decrease the overall risk for heart disease. Avocado’s high vitamin B6 and folic acid content helps to regulate homocysteine levels, according to Cohen, which is what reduces the risk. A 2013 study published Nutrition Journal found avocados were associated with a reduced risk of metabolic syndrome, a group of symptoms shown to increase the risk of stroke, coronary artery disease, and diabetes. Overall, avocado consumption is associated with improved diet quality, nutrient intake, and good heart health.

7. Promotes Weight Loss

Avocado’s smooth and creamy texture actually contains 6 to 7 grams of fiber for half of a medium sized fruit. Its rich fiber content can help you feel full faster and longer, making it a go-to weight loss aid.

“Additionally, 75 percent of the fat in an avocado is unsaturated, which makes it a great substitute for foods high in saturated fat plus the oleic acid, one of the unsaturated fatty acids, may help to activate the satiety center in your brain that makes you feel full,” Clow said.

The benefits of this naturally nutrient-dense fruit will help you stay healthy and live longer

Health and Wellness Associates

312-972-WELL

Skillet Sweet Potatoes

Skillet Sweet Potatoes

Serves: 4
Prep time: 15 minutes, Cook time: 26 minutes
Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red-pepper flakes
• 2 medium sweet potatoes (1-1/2 pounds), peeled and cut into 1/4-inch slices
• 1/2 cup vegetable broth
• pinch of salt

Directions:
1. In a large, deep nonstick skillet over medium heat, warm the oil. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring often, about 6 minutes, or until tender. Stir in the rosemary and crushed red pepper.
2. Add the sweet potato slices and toss gently to coat with the onion mixture. Add the broth and salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes, or until the sweet potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork.

Nutrition facts for Skillet Sweet Potatoes:
CALORIES – 168.6,FAT – 3.6 G,SATURATED FAT – 0.5 G,
CHOLESTEROL – 0 MG,SODIUM – 233.7 MG,CARBOHYDRATES – 32.4 G,TOTAL SUGARS – 7.8 G,DIETARY FIBER – 5 G,PROTEIN – 2.8 G

Beets!

Beets….For a long time I was completely turned off of beets as I only thought of them at Christmas and Thanksgiving dinners and their sour, pickly taste that I despised so much as a kid. Now that I have finally given them another go, but this time in roasted, shredded or juiced format, I think that they are absolutely amazing and I am disappointed that I didn’t give them another chance sooner! Beets have a mildly sweet, extremely earthy taste to them and they are LOADED with antioxidants and many other nutrients that can be extremely beneficial to your health.

Beets come in many different varieties including the most popular: the red beet. This is the one that you would most often see at family dinners in their sour pickly form. Beets also come in other varieties such as: Golden, Yellow, Chioggia, Cylindra and the very popular beet, the sugar beet. You can find beets in practically any grocery store in their whole form (edible leaves included) or sliced and canned, or pickled and jarred. Beets may not be something you really think about eating very often, or-never, but once you have read about all of the amazing benefits these little vegetables contain, I’m sure you will consider finding ways to incorporate them into your diet more often.

1.Beets have no trans fats and no saturated fats, and are quite filling.

2.Beets contain a high source of folic acid, which is a b vitamin that helps the body to regenerate new cells.

3.Beets are very rich in carbohydrates, which can provide a lot of energy.

4.Studies have shown that consuming beets can protect against certain cancers, especially colon cancer.

5.Beets contain high sources of magnesium, sodium, potassium and vitamin C.

6.The leaves from beets are edible as well and contain many of the same benefits. Beet leaves also are known to combat ‘garlic breath.’

7.Studies have shown that beets are also capable of protecting against heart disease, the number one cause of death in the United States.

8.Beets contain high amounts of boron. Boron is related to the production of human sex hormones, which is why the ancient Romans consumed beets for the purpose of their aphrodisiac effect.

9.Beets cleanse the body and purify blood.

10.Beets contain the same chemical that is used to combat depression Trimethylglycine. If you’re feeling down why not treat yourself to a beet salad? It might just make you feel better.

How can you start to incorporate beets into your diet?

There are many ways that beets can be eaten: raw, shredded, sliced, pickled, roasted, boiled, steamed and juiced. Be careful when preparing them though, well at least the red ones, because their color is so strong that it will stain your hands, clothes and potentially your cutting board! To remove beet juice from your skin, just rub your hands with a little bit of lemon juice. Keep in mind that it is important to be purchasing organic beets, as beets along with all other root vegetables readily absorb the pesticides from the soil from which they are grown. Beets definitely deserve to get some more attention! Be sure to share some of these amazing benefits of beets with your friends and family!

Health and Wellness Associates

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Health Benefits of Rosemary

Rosemary has had the reputation for miracles for thousands of years. It has been used as an antiseptic, antidepressant, analgesic, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, disinfectant, aphrodisiac, and expectorant. Rosemary has earned praise for alleviating nerve-related conditions, boosting the immune system, fighting off bacterial and viral infections, aiding respiratory ailments, strengthening digestion and improving circulation. Rosemary contains both caffeic acid and rosmarinic acid which act as a powerful anti-inflammatory making it ideal for those who suffer with auto-immune disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis, chronic fatigue syndrome, and fibromyalgia. It also contains properties and volatile oils that work similarly to anti-histamines and make it very useful to treat conditions such as asthma and chronic migraines. Rosemary’s diuretic properties have been known to help relieve gout, edema, and kidney stones. Rosemary has the ability to stimulate memory, improve concentration, and help overcome mental fatigue by increasing the blood flow to the head and brain. It is also known to alleviate depression and sadness and can decrease anxiety brought on by stress. Rosemary oil is often added to hair and skin care products due to its ability to cleanse and nourish the scalp and heal and repair the skin. Essential oil of rosemary can also be used through a steam vaporizer to disinfect the air in your home &/or office which is especially beneficial during cold and flu season. Rosemary can be taken as a tea, supplement, or simply added to fresh guacamole, salads, soups, or any of your home cooked meals. It is a potent and effective herb that can provide a myriad of health benefits.

Health and Wellness Associates

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