It's Earth Month 2011, a good time to think about our connection to things much bigger than ourselves. It's easy to become overwhelmed when thinking about a problem as daunting as infertility, and to narrow your focus down to what you need to do to fix your personal problem. Nothing else can seem to matter except your own hormones.
At inCYST, one of our most important missions is to help our readers understand, that the reason many people these days are struggling with infertility, is because our unsustainable lifestyle has changed the balance on our planet. The more respect with which we treat the earth, the better the earth treats us.
I was thinking about this yesterday while running on the canal trail behind my home. I've been waiting several weeks for the baby ducks to come and they finally arrived! My run is so much more enjoyable when I can watch the little fluffballs swimming behind their mother, learning how to swim, how to dive for food, how to preen. I never cease to be amazed at how these ducks just seem to know how to do what they do.
Something that biologists are learning is that other species are having trouble reproducing as well. We've put chemicals in the water they drink, we've put pesticides in the food chain, we've encroached on their breeding grounds…and they're paying a heavy price. The only difference is, they don't have reproductive doctors and nutritionists to guide them to better fertility. Their populations decline and we lose them.
So when I was admiring the fuzzballs I thought a lot about how inCYST is about more than helping all of you. Though that's important!
It's about rallying all of you to adopt lifestyle choices that benefit EVERYONE on the planet, no matter the genus, no matter the species. I hope that this is a value that gradually blends into your pursuit of personal health.
Speaking of sustainable living as a value, we had a wonderful radio chat yesterday with Julia Bucciero of Maxim Hygiene, makers of organic, all cotton, pesticide-free, chlorine and dioxin-free feminine hygiene and personal care products. If you had not thought about the opportunity for hormone imbalance your current personal care purchases poses, it's time you should.
And consider what unnecessary amount of plastic accumulates in landfills and floats down waterways when we make certain choices! You can make a hormone-friendly, 100% biodegradable choice and with that, make a difference.
Maxim Hygiene has created a product that makes personal sense for women with PCOS, and an opportunity for each of us to live more sustainably.
If you can't find these products in your local store, be sure to contact Maxim Hygiene and let them know. They're happy to work with stores to increase their product availability. I found them on amazon.com if you prefer to purchase them online.
It can help to feel less personally picked on when you take a step back and understand how a bigger imbalance may be affecting your personal imbalance. The best way out of that corner, is to collectively start making choices that promote balance outside, as well as within, ourselves.