[Physical]

If you already practice yoga then the chances are you already know the seemingly endless benefits of doing so!

As well as boosting your strength, enhancing your agility, helping you to maintain your weight and keeping stress and anxiety at bay, it has also been suggested that yoga can help with fertility. In fact, yoga can support you through the process of getting pregnant, during your pregnancy and also post-birth.

The varying health and wellness advantages of yoga vary depending on what type of class you are taking part in. Each of the asanas has their own exciting set of benefits and knowing which poses are best for all aspects of pregnancy can be very helpful for supporting you during this part of you life!

Yoga Poses and Fertility

Certain yoga poses are fantastic for giving both the endocrine system and the reproductive system a helping hand.

The endocrine system is responsible for producing hormones and having a healthy hormonal balance is key to fertility. This system consists of a collection of glands and affects practically every cell in the body in one way or another.

The reproductive system can be supported in several ways by yoga. By helping the flow of energy through the body, lowering stress levels, increasing circulation, and stimulating the reproductive organs, you have the potential to improve your fertility!

The following poses are believed to be great for boosting fertility and you can easily take just ten minutes each day to practice them.

Bee Breath (Bhramari Pranayama)

This stress relieving breathing pose is perfect for tackling the emotional blockages that can contribute to decreased fertility. Regularly practicing this pose can calm the mind, alleviate anxiety and soothe stressful thoughts.

To engage in this pose you must simply sit comfortably with your eyes closed. You can then place each of your index fingers on the tops of your ears. Breathe in deeply as you gently push the cartilage area of your ears with each finger. You must then release your fingers when you breathe out. Continue with this cycle of breathing in and pressing the cartilage, and breathing out and releasing your fingers for a minimum of ten breaths.

Shoulder Stand (Sarvangasana)

This pose is perfect for stimulating the thyroid gland, which is a main component of the endocrine system. Hormones secreted from the thyroid gland regulate many of the essential functions in the body, including the menstrual cycle, body weight, body temperature and more*. This pose is also great for stress relief and promoting a calm mindset.

To engage in this pose you should lie on your back on your mat with your legs stretched away from you. Your arms should rest at either side of your body with your palms facing down. Raise both legs up towards the sky at a 90-degree angle, push your palms into the ground, and bring your waist slightly up off the mat. As you lift your hips, move your legs forwards but ensure that you keep them vertical to the ground. As you continue to support your body with your hands on the floor, move your legs further so that they are at a right angle to the floor.

Hold yourself in this position for between one and two minutes, breathing deeply and mindfully as you do so. When you are ready to exit the pose you can slowly lower your legs back down to the ground until you are once again flat on your mat.

Staying Positive

If you have been trying to conceive for a long time then it can of course be frustrating that it hasn’t happened for you yet. This additional stress can actually further hinder your chances as your hormones are impacted by the knock-on effects of this stress. A regular yoga practice is a natural way to combat this stress whilst also helping with your fertility in other ways.

So, stay positive, stay on the mat and choose clothing for your yoga practice that supports your body and expresses your personality. Click here to check out the range of activewear available from PAMA London!

[Physical]

Eating well is an essential part of living a healthy life, and doing so is not only great for your body but your mind also! Just like your body, your brain needs certain vitamins, minerals and more in order to function as efficiently as it can!

Today we are going to take a look at the role nutrition plays in happiness and mental health, as well as how exercise is also an important factor in both of these things!

Nutrition and Mental Health

The role that nutrition plays in mental health has long been under-appreciated. However, there is increasing evidence to support the connection between a healthy diet and better mental balance.

Studies have shown that eating a diet high in vitamins, minerals and other nutrients can help to prevent the onset of certain mental health conditions*. This includes things such as schizophrenia, depression, and Alzheimer’s disease. This is largely due to the abundance of antioxidants present in these foods, which help to combat the damage caused by free radicals.

Evidence shows that those who regularly consume either fresh fruit or fresh vegetables every day are less at risk of struggling with their mental health than those who don’t*. This is due to a combination of things, and can be attributed both to the increased amount of nutrients being consumed, as well as the act of consciously including these foods in the diet.

Healthy eating is a self-care act in itself, and taking the time each day to nourish your mind in this way is a great way to demonstrate kindness and love to yourself.

Hormones and Healthy Eating

The nutrients that we consume through our food directly impact our hormones, which have a huge influence our mood. When our hormones are out of balance we can experience a wide range of feelings, such as sadness, anxiety, or feelings of being overwhelmed. Our appetite will also likely be affected.

There are certain foods that are known to be great for balancing the hormones. For example, cruciferous vegetables are thought to be useful for tackling excess oestrogen in the body, whereas foods that are high in B vitamins can help to tackle feelings of depression that may have occurred due to a hormonal imbalance.

The Good Stuff

In order to eat for optimum health – both physical and mental – it is key that we consume a combination of complex carbohydrates, healthy fats, vitamins, minerals and amino acids. The importance of hydration should not be overlooked either!

When we talk about ‘the good stuff’ in relation to your diet, we are talking about natural whole foods, whole grain produce, fresh fruit, fresh vegetables – essentially anything that has been grown and not manufactured!

One of the reasons that many healthy foods are great for your mind are that they contain beneficial levels of thiamin. Thiamin, also known as vitamin B1, is known to boost the mood, especially in those who are already experiencing depression.

The Bad Stuff

Research has shown that over the last 60 years the amount of people actually hitting their five a day quota has dropped by more than 30%. As the amount of good stuff being consumed is in decline, unhealthy eating habits will therefore be on the rise!

When we talk about ‘the bad stuff’ in relation to your diet, we are talking about processed and packaged foods, junk foods, foods that are high in sugar, high in calories and high in saturated fat!

Eat Well, Exercise Often

When you eat a diet rich in whole foods and other healthy goodies, then you are giving your body the fuel that it needs to exercise well. As we discussed in our article on Wednesday, feel-good chemicals are released in the brain when we exercise. These feel-good chemicals, known as endorphins, help to balance our mind and enhance our happiness.

So, the best thing that you can do to nourish your mind and fuel your body for optimum health and happiness is to eat well, exercise often and remember to be kind you yourself!