Ep 356 Acupuncture, Beets, and Blood Flow: Surprising Ways to Boost Fertility
On this episode of The Wholesome Fertility Podcast, Michelle dives into a crucial but often overlooked factor in fertility: blood flow and microcirculation. From a Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) perspective, blood is the carrier of nutrients, energy, and life force, making it essential for healthy egg quality, implantation, and overall reproductive wellness.
Michelle explains how poor circulation can lead to challenges like blood stasis, endometriosis, or thin uterine lining, and shares practical ways to support optimal flow. You’ll learn how acupuncture, abdominal massage, castor oil packs, stress reduction, and nutrient-rich foods like beets, pomegranates, and omega-3s can transform fertility outcomes.
This episode offers both science, backed insights and TCM wisdom to help you nurture your body, balance your energy, and create the ideal conditions for conception.
Key Takeaways:
Adequate blood flow to the uterus and ovaries is essential for egg quality and implantation.
Stress and “liver qi stagnation” can constrict circulation, but acupuncture helps restore balance.
Foods like beets, pomegranate juice, and omega-3s naturally increase nitric oxide and improve blood vessel health.
Simple lifestyle shifts like yoga, breathwork, and warm nourishing meals can enhance circulation and fertility.
Abdominal massage and castor oil packs are powerful, low-cost tools to support reproductive health.
Disclaimer: The information shared on this podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. Please consult with your healthcare provider before making any changes to your health or fertility care.
For more information about Michelle, visit: www.michelleoravitz.com
Check out Michelle’s Latest Book: The Way of Fertility!
https://www.michelleoravitz.com/thewayoffertility
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[00:00:00] Episode number 3 56 of the Wholesome Fertility Podcast. Welcome to the Wholesome Fertility Podcast. I'm your host, Michelle Oravitz. Today I'm going to be talking about a topic that oftentimes is not really the center of focus when it comes to fertility health, and that is blood flow and micro circulation.
We'll explore why uterine and ovarian blood flow is. So important for your fertility and how poor blood flow can impact chances of conception, and most importantly, natural ways like acupuncture, nutrition, and lifestyle to support healthy microcirculation and optimize your fertility.
Welcome to the Wholesome Fertility Podcast. I am Michelle, a fertility acupuncturist here to provide you with resources on how to create a wholesome approach to your fertility [00:01:00] journey.
Michelle: So here's why blood flow matters. Not only is blood flow important for your whole body, it brings in oxygen, and Chinese medicine really sees blood as a carrier of nutrients as well, and it's able to feed all the different parts of our bodies so that our organs and cells are able to function optimally.
Michelle: But specifically the uterus. Sand the ovaries rely on a rich blood supply to deliver oxygen and nutrients. Adequate blood flow ensures a thick and healthy endometrium, which is the lining of the uterus, and this is essential for implantation and ovarian nourishment supports follicle development and egg.
Michelle: Quality. It also supports whatever lifestyle choices you're making. So if you're eating better foods or if you're taking certain supplements that are helping with egg quality, that blood flow is going to ensure that all [00:02:00] those nutrients are being carried and can actually impact the ovaries and egg quality.
Michelle: Ultrasound studies have shown that reduced artery blood flow is associated with lower implantation rates and pregnancy rates. Poor ovarian blood flow can compromise follicular and hormone secretion ultimately affecting equality. So like I mentioned in TCM, we see the blood as being extremely important.
Michelle: Especially for women because it supports their natural reproductive health. For women, they lose blood once a month, so it's even more important that they get more blood and they build blood through food and through nutrients and lifestyle choices, not only is blood flow important. Difficulty in blood flow or blood deficiency can cause a lot of other problems.
Michelle: So blood deficiency is when you don't have enough blood and the body needs to build more, and this can be a result of many different factors. So in Chinese medicine, the spleen in the stomach, paired organs that [00:03:00] support digestion, their main role is transforming and transporting nutrients from the food.
Michelle: Into blood. So if your spleen and stomach are weak, it's going to impact how you're able to produce blood. Another thing we can look at is blood flow or lack thereof can cause something called blood stasis. In TCM, blood stasis eventually, if it's around for too long, can cause buildup. And so a lot of times blood stasis.
Michelle: Can impact conditions like endometriosis or possibly uterine fibroids or tumors, because when something gets stagnant for too long, it starts to harden. So ideally you would have really beautiful blood flow. You would have enough blood to go through, and then also you'd be supporting a woman's cycle because every month.
Michelle: She bleeds. So you'd be supporting the process of her building more blood so that her body is able to support the next monthly cycle. So in TCM, we [00:04:00] talk about something called liver cheese stagnation. And this is actually something that is similar to blood stagnation except it's the first stage of that stagnation.
Michelle: So first the qi, which is the life force vitality gets stagnated, and this can happen from a lot of. Chronic stress, so too much stress can constrict the body. And this is called liver s stagnation. This is a very common pattern that we see, and we're really living at a time that it is a very collective type of pattern, and we see this very often.
Michelle: And it really does respond to emotions. It responds to stress. And it's very logical if you think about it, because whenever you feel stress, you become more constricted. You become more tight, and you can literally feel it. And one of the things that we can feel with liver stagnation is really the tension that we hold above in our shoulders.
Michelle: Literally feeling like we're carrying the weight of the world on our shoulders. And what happens is eventually, if. Chi [00:05:00] stagnation, which is really your life force vitality, which is like more on the energetic aspect of the body. If that gets stagnated for too long, it could turn into blood stasis.
Michelle: Now, it also will constrict not only the muscles here, but the muscles in our veins 'cause. The vessels themselves are a type of muscle, and that can cause more constriction in the blood, circulation in the body. So all of that constriction over time, especially if it's chronic, can impact blood flow overall.
Michelle: Another reason why some people might not have adequate blood flow is from not eating enough nutrients, like I mentioned before. So not really eating enough and not having a good variety in your diet to. Support the blood production. And when people don't exercise enough or move enough, they're not really getting that circulation physically, mechanically that their body needs.
Michelle: So this can reduce circulation, but can also reduce lymphatic flow, which is really the fluids that we have in our [00:06:00] lymphatic system. So unlike our blood vessels that have our heart moving the blood, it's a little more difficult with the lymphatics and this is why it relies on us really moving in order for it to circulate.
Michelle: Another thing to consider is. Inflammation or oxidative stress. And this can cause damage in the endothelial cells, which are aligning the blood vessels, smoking alcohol or excess caffeine, narrow blood vessels, and can reduce microvascular efficiency. And then having too much cold in the womb or too much cold in the system can congeal blood.
Michelle: So if you think about it, a lot of this stuff actually makes logical sense. What happens when something's too cold or if fluid gets too cold, it starts to congeal. It doesn't move as fast. So having too much cold can really cause it to stagnate. And then on the other hand, you don't want too much heat 'cause then it like evaporates.
Michelle: It needs to have an environment that is just right. And this is why we always go back to the yin and the. Balance because that creates the [00:07:00] ultimate harmony that the body likes and thrives in. So of course, I'm very biased on this one thing that helps blood flow tremendously, and this is acupuncture. It's something that I do.
Michelle: I'm an acupuncturist and actually many times IVF doctors will recommend for their patients to go see acupuncturists because they know that the blood flow is so important and that acupuncture really helps with this blood flow. Not only that, when they take the medications. That blood flow can help all those medications through the blood to the ovaries or the uterine lining, depending on if they're preparing for a retrieval or a transfer.
Michelle: Other things that we wanna consider is also nitric oxide because nitric oxide is a molecule that helps the blood vessels to relax. That causes them to dilate and have more blood circulation moving through the body. It can actually also support heart health because we want more circulation going through the blood.
Michelle: So it has a lot of other health benefits, [00:08:00] but one of the biggest ones is really getting that blood circulation and increased blood circulation to the uterus and the ovaries, and then also considering moving through a fight and flight state or a sympathetic state to a more rest and digest parasympathetic state.
Michelle: What happens then is the same thing. The blood vessels will constrict a lot more when you're in a survival or sympathetic state versus a rest and digest state or a parasympathetic state where your blood vessels are more opened and relaxed and that supports more blood flow. One of the ways I can see that the acupuncture sessions work is many of my patients actually come in.
Michelle: With a lot of pain when they have their periods, and one of the things that shows us that there is stagnation is pain. So when something is constricted or there's resistance, you know that something's not moving well, and usually that reflects is pain. So over time, when patients come in and get acupuncture regularly, one of the first [00:09:00] things they'll mention is that their cycles feel more easy.
Michelle: They don't get as much brown blood, which also is a sign of stagnation and lack of blood flow, and they'll also notice that they don't feel as much pain. They also see that their Q moves easier because the liver, which is the organ that ensures free flow of QI and that stagnates, like I mentioned before, when you have stress.
Michelle: Organ is actually a really important organ to support the body and prepare it for menstruation. And so one of the other things that they notice is that their PMS isn't as bad and they feel a little more at ease right before their period. So ultimately, all of those normal symptoms or what we call normal, are actually more common than they are really normal.
Michelle: And when people get that chief flow and that energy flow, they start to feel better. Then they don't feel those symptoms as much. So as far as lifestyle goes, what I often suggest is yoga, not too much exercise. 'cause [00:10:00] that can also impede blood flow by deficiency. But having a really regulated and balanced workout routine.
Michelle: So you could do things like yoga. Qigong, you could do running or walking. You just don't wanna do too much. And weights are fine as long as, again, it's not too much. So you wanna have a balanced lifestyle. And really, depending on your body type, if you have a lot of Earth and your body is really strong, then you're able to handle a little bit more.
Michelle: But if you're really frail and a little more thin on the thin side, your body might need more nurturing and nutrients. And more balanced and easy types of exercise so that you're not overly depleting your body. And so I mentioned how brown blood or pain can signify that there's some kind of stagnation in the uterus.
Michelle: You can also notice if you have scanty menstruation and less blood, then you'll see that you have less blood flow. And so another thing that you can do if you're not able to get acupuncture is [00:11:00] you could do abdomen massage. And that can help a lot as well. Don't underestimate your hands. Just because they're here and they're free doesn't mean that they're not powerful.
Michelle: And massaging yourself is something that's been done in Ayurvedic practices for thousands of years because it has tremendous health benefits. So you can not only massage your whole body, but you might wanna spend a little excess time. On your abdomen. So going around clockwise, around your belly button and supporting the area in your pelvis.
Michelle: And again, this is like very intuitive work. You know your body, once you start to connect and massage yourself, your body will tell you where you need more flow and you might feel a little bit more achy or you might feel a little more. Stuck in certain areas, and you'll notice that as you're feeling it.
Michelle: So start to connect with your body and see where you feel you need a little bit more massage and TLC and where you might be even feeling a little more stuck, and that can [00:12:00] really help a lot. Another thing that can help is working on that mindset, working on lowering that. Because you wanna get yourself into more of a parasympathetic state and not always a sympathetic.
Michelle: And keep in mind, we always have the balance of the two and the balance of the two is a normal thing. You just don't want too much on one side. You wanna be able to balance right back into a more rest and digest calm state. So you could do things like meditation. Breath work, which really circulates a lot of energy through the body and that self massage.
Michelle: Something else that is really beneficial is doing castor oil packs. I have a lot of people asking me, when is the best time to do that? The best time to do castor oil packs? If you're trying to. Conceive actively would be really only a little short window, which is right after your period, and then up to the time that you're ovulating.
Michelle: And that's it. Because if you're actively trying to conceive, you don't wanna move too much after the window of possible [00:13:00] implantation, so as to not disturb that process. However, if you feel that. You really get a lot of PMS and you have a lot of liver type symptoms, which can manifest as fibroids, even endometriosis.
Michelle: You might want to take that castor oil pack and move it to right around the liver, which is under your right ribs and that area. So you're not really going in that. Pelvic area, you're just touching the liver. And that could be another thing that you can do after ovulation that can support that while not moving too much in that pelvic region.
Michelle: And then as far as nitric oxide goes, you could eat foods that can increase nitric oxide, and one of the best foods for that are beets. And it's really amazing how nature will show you the color of blood through beets, which is. Amazing to me because it really gives us a little clues as to what that food can help.
Michelle: So beet [00:14:00] root powder, if you want something a little bit more strong or just really eating beets, and believe it or not, pomegranate juice is also very rich in nitric oxide Again. The blood color, that's a clear giveaway. And then you also wanna focus on omega threes, which lower inflammation and improves endothelial health.
Michelle: Another thing too, combat oxidative stress is go high on the antioxidants like berries and dark, raw chocolate, which is also really high in magnesium. And then lastly, like I mentioned before, too much cold in the system is not great. When it comes to blood circulation, so you want warm, nourishing foods, so bone broth, maybe some herbal teas with ginger cinnamon, and also cook your vegetables so you're not having too much raw, which is also something that has a lot of cold nature and avoid ice cream or ice liquids as well.
Michelle: So if you really love your smoothies, that's fine. I always say 2080 and 80% cooked [00:15:00] vegetables, 20% raw. If you are gonna have smoothies, make sure it's not too icy, or if you're using some frozen vegetables or fruits, just let it sit out for a little bit. Before drinking it, and some supplements that have been shown to help with blood flow, although I always suggest talk to your doctor first before starting any supplements because it really depends on you and what you need.
Michelle: And it's really important to speak to a qualified doctor and practitioner. But what's been shown to help is L-Arginine, which is a precursor to nitric oxide and coq 10, which supports mitochondrial and vascular health. So when it comes to just focusing on the uterine lining. You could definitely take L-arginine, but there's been mixed results on how that impacts egg quality.
Michelle: So when I personally suggest, I usually say do L-arginine, only if you're focusing on the lining, for example, when you're preparing for a uterine trance. For with IVF, but that's my personal thoughts and I would definitely talk to your [00:16:00] doctor because your case might be really unique and different, and the best person to talk to is the person that you're working with.
Michelle: And of course, like I mentioned before, beet root juice and powder is something that you can use as a supplement to naturally boost. Nitric oxide. So as you can see, the flow of the areas and the uterus and the flow in the body really makes a difference. When it comes to reproductive health. We look at sometimes reproductive health is just its own thing, but it's really not.
Michelle: It's part of this big, beautiful hole that is your body, and that hole impacts all of the different parts. So that flow not only through chief flow, but also through blood flow. Really matters when it comes to your body and when it comes to your reproductive health. So if you are on the fertility journey, I've created a lot of different resources that I do share, and you could check it out and see which one would be best for you, depending on your journey.
Michelle: And this is why I've created the Wholesome Fertility journey, and you can find a link down [00:17:00] below. And when you click on the link, you'll find a quiz that can help you figure out where you are on your journey and what it is that you need. Because I created it to be customized for you and meet you where you are at, depending on where you are on your journey.
Michelle: So I definitely encourage you, check it out. So thank you so much for tuning in today, and I hope you have a beautiful day.
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