Promoting circulation to the uterus is crucial for improving uterine health and for pregnancy preparation. The best ways to get nutrient and oxygen-rich blood to your uterus can be done through these 3 easy steps.
1. Drink Beet Juice
No, I am not kidding, drinking the juice of earthy red beet roots has been shown to increase circulation. This is because beets are rich in nitrate. Enhanced circulation, and a reduction in blood pressure happens through the conversion of dietary nitrate (NO3) to biologically active nitrate (NO2) and then into nitric oxide (NO). The nitrate in beet juice is rapidly absorbed in the stomach and small intestine, allowing for quick conversion of nitric oxide. Nitric Oxide is an important vasodilator, which increases circulation throughout the body, including the uterus.
Ellen Coleman, registered dietitian and exercise physiologist shared of two studies in Today’s Dietician, the magazine for nutrition professionals:
- One study showed that just 12 days of beet juice supplementation increased blood plasma levels of nitrate.
- Another study suggests that dietary nitrate may protect and maintain normal cardiovascular function. Healthy circulation is essential to get blood to the uterus.
Beets are also high in iron. Iron is a key component in preventing anemia by sustaining healthy red blood cell counts. Red blood cells are responsible for delivering oxygen to all parts of the body in order to sustain cell integrity.
Why beet juice? Juicing beet roots is the easiest way to ensure all nutrients are fresh and intact. Juicing allows for optimal absorption of nutrients like nitrate, because the body doesn’t have to work to digest the fibrous part of the root.
My Favorite Juice Recipe
Ingredients:
2 beets, peeled, stem removed
1 cup spinach, washed well
6 carrots, peeled, stem removed
1 large Granny smith apple, stem removed, washed well
1 small lemon, washed well
1 1/2” piece of ginger root, peeled
Makes approximately 1 small pitcher full, or 2 large glassfuls.
Place 1 beet in juicer first, then roll up ginger root inside of the spinach (like a ball), add in carrots, apple, lemon and the final beet. Super YUMMY!
Drinking a fresh juice daily is an excellent way to increase your nutritional intake.
2. L-Arginine
Another way to increase circulation to the uterus is through L-Arginine supplementation. L-Arginine also boosts nitric oxide levels. L-Arginine promotes synthesis of Nitric Oxide (NO). You now know beets are high in nitrate and that nitrate must be converted in the body to nitric oxide. L-Arginine is a catalyst for this conversion. Supplementation with L-Arginine may promote a healthy environment for implantation by increasing NO levels.
The increase of NO levels through L-Arginine supplementation has also been shown to support healthy inflammation levels. This is vital to preventing inflammatory uterine fertility issues, such as endometriosis, PCOS, and fibroids.
L-Arginine along with vitamin E were found to improve blood flow to the uterus, in turn benefiting endometrial-lining thickness in one 2010 study published in Fertility and Sterility.
3. Move that Body!
In 2017, according to the United Health Foundation, 23.1% of American adults reported that they were sedentary, meaning they did not exercise outside of their job. This is a large number of the population. How can any woman expect to have a healthy uterus if she is not up and about, moving her hips regularly?
Sitting at a desk all day, or on the couch is not ideal for creating a healthy uterus. Sitting cuts off important blood flow to the uterus and other reproductive organs. Fortunately, it is easy to increase circulation to the uterus by getting up to move your body through exercise and external manipulation. Plus, you only need 30-45 minutes a day to do so.
The Best Exercise for Increasing Circulation to the Uterus
Brisk Walking
Walking is the easiest and cheapest form of movement. It is excellent for uterine health because it gets the pelvic floor moving. Walk every day if you can. Be sure you walking quickly, so that your heart rate goes up. The increase in heart rate increases circulation to all areas of the body, including the uterus.
Yoga
Yoga poses that promote circulation to the uterus are slanted plane, cat/cow pose, pigeon, the squat and butterfly. Also, circling your hips to the right and then left in the hands and knees position really gets the blood flowing down there. Yoga could be part of your daily stretching and warm-up prior to other activity, or as a cool down after exercise.
Dancing
This is probably the most fun of all! Try out Zumba or just dance around your house. Shake your hips, circle your hips, jump around, get moving in whatever way feels good to your body. The movement of your hips is going to stretch, strengthen, and align the pelvic floor, creating an ideal space for healthy reproductive organs.
External Manipulation of the Uterus With Self Fertility Massage™ and Castor Oil Packs
I absolutely love the direct connection to uterine health that takes place with Self Fertility Massage and Castor Oil Packs. There is really no other weekly practice that is so effective at increasing circulation to the uterus as these two natural therapies are.
Self Fertility Massage is a series of massage techniques that are used to help support reproductive health. This practice promotes healthy circulation to the uterus and surrounding organs and tissues. Self Fertility Massage’s complementary therapy is the castor oil pack. A Castor Oil Pack is a cloth soaked in castor oil which is placed on the skin to increase circulation and promote healing of the tissues and organs underneath the skin.
Begin your Self Fertility Massage session with castor oil therapy first. This will enhance circulation, soften the tissues, and promote lymphatic flow prior to performing the massage. Combining these ensures the benefits will be twofold.
Learn more about Self Fertility Massage™ here and Castor Oil Therapy here…
Too learn more about related subjects covered in this article, please visit the following links:
Low Iron Levels May Affect Your Fertility
Is Exercise Good Or Bad For Fertility?
- Coleman, E. (February 2012). Reap the Benefits of Beetroot Juice. Retrieved from http://www.todaysdietitian.com/newarchives/020612p48.shtml
- Takasaki, A., Tamura, H., Miwa,I., Taketani, T., Shimamura, K., et al. (2010 Apr.). Endometrial growth and uterine blood flow: a pilot study for improving endometrial thickness in the patients with a thin endometrium.
Fertil Steril. 93(6): 1851–1858. Published online 2009 Feb 6. doi: 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2008.12.062. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/pmid/19200982/citedby/?tool=pubmed - Explore Physical Inactivity in the United States… (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.americashealthrankings.org/explore/2015-annual-report/measure/sedentary/state/ALL
Practicing natural health and herbalism for over 18 years, Dalene received her training and herbal certification under the guidance of Lynn Albers at Yarmony Mt. Herbal College in Colorado in 2000. She went on to become a Certified Birth Doula at Birthingway College of Midwifery in Portland, Oregon in 2007. As a Birth Doula, Dalene has helped to bring many new lives in to this world. Dalene has written 280+ fertility articles and with her vast array of herbal and holistic healing knowledge has helped 1000’s of women on their journey to Motherhood.
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Acupuncture can certainly help blood flow to the uterus as well! Acupuncture dilates blood vessels and increases circulation in the entire body!