Ayla Barmmer, MS, RDN, LDN, a registered dietitian nutritionist and functional medicine practitioner says despite men accounting for nearly half of all fertility problems, infertility is still commonly regarded as a “woman’s issue” leaving men feeling helpless and without purpose, but there are actions they can take to make a positive impact on conception, pregnancy health and a baby’s long-term health. An extensive amount of research shows that if men take certain steps with their nutrition and lifestyle choices, there is a clear connection to improvement in male fertility, resulting in healthier babies. Barmmer will share with your audience four do’s and three don’ts to increase paternal health and fertility (do’s include: eating a diet high in antioxidants and omega-3 fatty acids, exercising routinely, 7-8 hours of sleep daily and daily supplementation; don’ts include: smoking, excessive alcohol, and chemical exposure).
Barmmer puts a spotlight on male fertility and helps men find positive ways to be engaged in the future health of babies. Infertility not only causes stress it can put a financial strain on a relationship. The average couple goes through two in vitro fertilization cycles, costing between $40,000 and $60,000 (Single Care, 2020) if they don’t have success conceiving in the first 3-6 months of trying to have a baby. Barmmer says by doing this, couples are skipping over a cost-effective and less-stressful option that could be an easier fix: improving lifestyle choices and using targeted nutritional support.
Barmmer is the founder of FullWell, a fertility wellness and education brand and has successfully led an integrative and functional nutrition practice, which specializes in health and infertility and has helped thousands of individuals seeking supportive, individualized care for their wellness and nutritional concerns.
Some questions answered during this program include:
• Is infertility primarily a male or female problem?
• Does age matter for men, as it does for women?
• What can men do to improve fertility and the baby’s health?
• What type of nutrients should men be supplementing with to improve their diet and the overall health of the baby?
• Do you think RDAs are enough for couples trying to conceive?
• What should men avoid doing to increase fertility?
• How long do couples usually try to conceive naturally before seeking outside help?
• Where do couples typically turn to get help if conception is not happening naturally? • How much does IVF cost? How successful is IVF?
• What’s the alternative to IVF?
Ayla Barmmer, MS, RDN, LDN, is a registered dietitian nutritionist, functional medicine practitioner and the founder, and CEO, of FullWell, a fertility wellness and education brand. Her entire career focus has been to advance the health and empowerment of practitioners, patients and families through nutritional science, functional medicine and evidence-based holistic solutions.
Barmmer has successfully led an integrative and functional nutrition practice, called Boston Functional Nutrition, which specializes in women’s health and infertility and has helped thousands of individuals seeking supportive, individualized care for their wellness and nutritional concerns. She also co-founded the Women’s Health Nutrition Academy, which offers in-depth and evidence-based continuing education courses to dietitians/nutritionists, midwives, doulas and any other healthcare practitioners who offer services for women’s health. After two decades of providing in-depth education to fellow practitioners on one of the most common, yet perplexing, family health issues and working on thousands of complex fertility cases through her clinical practice, Barmmer launched FullWell to provide all families access to the same evidence-based, effective, high-quality prenatal and fertility supplements that she successfully uses with her own patients.
Barmmer earned her undergraduate degree in dietetics and completed her dietetic internship at the University of Connecticut. She earned a Master of Science in Health Communications from Boston University and has additional training in clinical nutrition, functional medicine, women’s health, herbal medicine, and holistic and integrative therapies. She is both a mother, clinician, and a highly sought-after speaker, educator and expert on nutrition for fertility, pregnancy, immune health and digestive health. She has been featured in multiple publications, including Tufts Medical Center, Time, Shape and Women’s Health magazine, and has been a regular and co-host of popular nutrition podcasts.
Listen to Ayla and Mark here:
