Prepare to start your family in the best physical and mental health with these tips!
Couples trying to conceive often overlook the importance of their own health and instead focus on the actual conception part. This is completely normal and while there is nothing wrong with wanting to make a healthy baby successfully, it’s more likely to happen if both mom and dad are at their own optimal health. Simple changes before the baby is conceived will ensure a healthy child who is less likely to suffer from childhood development issues like ADHD, autism, learning differences and processing disorders. The following tips will ensure a man is at his peak in terms of ready-to-conceive health and wellness.
- EAT A CLEAN DIET! This means you should avoid inflammatory foods like sugar, eat only gluten-free grains, and put an emphasis on fresh organic green vegetables. Eat only high-quality organic lean meats in limited amounts. Get some protein at every meal and avoid sugar and all artificial sweeteners. Need help getting started? Get a free ebook full of delicious gluten-free, casein-free recipes when you subscribe to my email list!
- GET LOTS OF SUNSHINE! Vitamin D deficiency is a common risk factor for genetic changes that scientists believe occur in men prior to conception. In fact it was identified as ta key risk factor for autism in a major review conducted by researchers from Harvard Medical Schoo, Boston Children’s Hospital and McLean Hospital in Belmont, Massachusetts. If you’re planning to start a family, ensure optimal Vitamin D levels by increasing sun exposure or supplementation (1,000 IUs to 4,000 IUs a day).
- STAY ACTIVE! Another risk factor for having a child with developmental issues like Autism is a sedentary lifestyle. Movement, particularly using the large muscles, is a major stimulant for proper brain development. Start new or resume outdoor activities like taking a walk in the neighborhood, hiking your closest trails, swimming laps at your local YMCA, kayaking at a local lake in the summer, and biking. Check out Chapter 10 of my book, Autism, for more information on why and how to work a productive exercise routine into your life.
- REDUCE YOUR STRESS! Stress can wreak havoc on not only your immune system but your overall brain and body health. If you have a stressful job, take up a stress-reduction technique and take time on the job to practice it. Tai chi and yoga are excellent disciplines well known to bring down the stress response. Learning to be mindful and focusing on your breath can also go a long way towards reducing everyday stress.
- SLEEP WELL! Poor sleep is implicated in increasing the stress response and inflammation. If you sleep fitfully, meaning you do not feel rested in the morning, seek help to eliminate the problem.
Good health is a top-down operation, meaning it starts with the brain. Autism appears to be related to a severe lack of integration in areas of communication between both sides of the brain, where the right side is too weak or immature or the left side is relatively more mature and too dominant. As I explain throughout my book Autism, The Scientific Truth…, you may have traits or imbalances you could pass on to your children that can increase their risks of a disorder. No matter where you are in your brain health, following some of these lifestyle recommendations are important in your quest to improve your health and your brain balance so you can pass it along to your next generation.
About the Book
AUTISM, The Scientific Truth About Preventing, Diagnosing, and Treating Autism Spectrum Disorders – and What Parents Can Do Now: In this candid, research-based, practical book, Dr. Robert Melillo presents the latest scientific explanation for the exploding autism rates we now face, including the role of genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors. He dispels common myths and presents clear advice, including early warning signs, a prevention plan for parents-to-be, and an intervention program for babies and young children.
