How to Increase Your Sperm Count

Are you ready to start having kids, but worried your sperm count is too low? Semen is most likely to be fertile when it contains more than 15 million sperm per milliliter. That count can go down when your testicles get too hot, when you're stressed out, and when you have an STI that's interfering with sperm production. Luckily, there are many steps you can take to boost your count. Here are some helpful tips on how to boost the production of your sperm.

EditPart 1 of 3: Changing Your Habits

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   Avoid overheating your testicles. There's a reason our testicles rest outside our bodies: they need to stay a bit cooler than the rest of our internal organs. When testicles get too warm, they aren't able to produce as much sperm.^[1] There are a number of ways to make sure your testicles don't get overheated:
   • Don't wear tight pants and jeans.
   • Wear loose, cotton boxer shorts instead of briefs.
   • Sleep without underwear so that your testicles stay cooler.
   • Avoid hot baths and saunas.
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   Wear a jockstrap when you play sports. It goes without saying, because most men know this from experience, but a blow to the balls will hurt you and kill your sperm.
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   Massage your body with herbal oils. This, along with regular exercise, improves overall blood flow and circulation. Increased circulation means healthier sperm.
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   Reduce stress levels. Stress can decrease your sexual function, leading to reduced sperm production.^[2] If you work 12 plus hour days and never give yourself a chance to rest, your count might be down as a result. Try practicing relaxation techniques throughout the day to keep yourself feeling calm. Keep your mind and body healthy by regularly practicing yoga and meditation, or take up running or swimming.
   • Stress hormones block Leydig cells, which are tasked with regulating testosterone production. When your body experiences too much stress, it can actually stop producing sperm altogether.
   • Make sure you're getting enough sleep every night. Exhaustion can also lead to increased stress and cause decreased sperm production.
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   Stop smoking. Smoking cigarettes causes sperm counts to be lower, makes them move more slowly, and causes the sperm themselves to be misshapen. According to one study, men who smoke have 22% fewer sperm than men who don't. Marijuana seems to have a similar effect on sperm.^[3] Cutting back on both of these substances is a good idea if you want to boost your count.
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   Drink alcohol moderately. Alcohol affects your liver function, which, in turn, causes a dramatic spike in estrogen levels. (Yes, men have estrogen.) Since testosterone is directly linked to sperm health and sperm production, this isn't a good state of affairs. Even two drinks a day will have long-term effects on sperm production.
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   Ejaculate less frequently. Frequent ejaculations can lower sperm count. Your body produces millions of sperm each day, but if you already have low sperm count, consider storing them up longer between ejaculations. If you have sex or masturbate daily, cut down on the frequency for increased sperm production.
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   Be careful around toxins. Exposure to chemicals can affect the size, movement and count of your sperm. It's more and more difficult to avoid exposure to toxins, but it's absolutely necessary for your overall health and the health of your sperm. Do the following to decrease your exposure:
   • If you work around chemicals all day long, protect your skin with long sleeves and gloves, and make sure you wear a mask and goggles to protect your face.^[4]
   • Use natural cleaning supplies instead of cleaning with chemicals.
   • Don't use pesticides or herbicides in your house or yard.
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   Be wary of medications. Certain medications can lead to decreased sperm count and even permanent infertility. If sperm production is a big concern for you, make sure you ask your doctor whether any medication prescribed might affect your sperm count.^[5]Look at the labels on over-the-counter medicines, too.

EditPart 2 of 3: Improving Your Diet and Exercise Regimen

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   Exercise regularly. Finding out a workable exercise regimen is a tough task in the modern world, but rest assured that exercise will help you produce more sperm. Exercise releases testosterone into your body, helping with sperm production. Use compound exercises and lift heavy weights, but refrain from working the same set of muscles the day after. Giving your muscles time to rest and rebuild should help you produce testosterone.
   • Do not exercise too much! Excessive exercise causes the release of adrenal steroid hormones that actually cause a testosterone deficiency. So whether you want to put on that extra muscle or help out your sperm, remember not to stress your body too much.
   • Do not use anabolic steroids. Anabolic steroids may help you pack on the pounds, but they shrink your testicles and may cause infertility. If you're trying to conceive, stay far, far away.
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   Eat healthy foods. A diet that's low in fat, and high in protein, vegetables, and whole grains is good for your health and for your sperm.
   • Eat plenty of fish, meat, eggs, fruits and vegetables.
   • Peanuts, walnuts, cashews, sunflower and pumpkin seeds are also considered to increase sperm count.
   • Avoid soy-based foods and high-fructose corn syrup. Soy foods have a mild estrogenic effect on the body. While that may be good for women, it's not great for grooming sperm. High-fructose corn syrup causes insulin resistance, which lowers fertility. Men who drink a quart of Coke regularly have 30% less sperm than men who don't drink Coke.
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   Lose weight. Losing weight will help you counteract low sperm count. Scientists don't know why obesity correlates to low sperm count, but a recent French study found that obese men were 42 percent more likely to have low sperm count than their non-obese counterparts. In the same study, scientists found that obese men were 81 percent more likely to have no sperm at all in their ejaculate.^[6]
   • There are a number of different theories for why this is. Some speculate that fatty tissue converts testosterone into estrogen; others speculate that more mass in the thighs could make the testicles too hot.
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   Try supplements.^[7] Try supplements that are made from natural herbal ingredients to specifically help the body make more semen. Researches found that men who consumed 5 mg of folic acid and 66 mg of zinc sulfate a day for 26 weeks experienced an almost 75 percent increase in sperm count. Folic acid and zinc sulfate are critical in the formation of DNA.
   • Vitamin C and selenium may also be good supplements to take in order to increase sperm production.

EditPart 3 of 3: Getting Medical Treatment

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   Get tested and treated for STIs. Certain sexually transmitted infections, such as chlamydia and gonorrhea, can cause scarring that interferes with the passage of sperm.^[8] Get regularly tested for STIs; if you have one, be sure to get the proper treatment. In most cases you'll be prescribed a course of antibiotics to clear up the infection.
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   Determine if you have a varicocele. This is a swelling of the veins that drain the testicle. It can lead to increased temperature of the testicle and decreased sperm count. See your doctor to determine if this might be affecting your fertility. If so, a surgical procedure can take care of the problem.^[9]
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   Try hormone treatments and medications. It's possible that your sperm count is low because your hormones are out of balance. Hormone replacement treatments and medications can change your hormone levels and help you produce more sperm. Talk with your doctor about whether this option is right for you.
   • Hormone replacement treatments and medications usually take at least 3 months to work before you start seeing results.

Makeup Tips For The Indian Groom

Everything about Indians is a little extravagant. So, how can we make exception for our weddings. In a Western scenario, the groom can easily go without makeup. But our Indian weddings are too grand and jazzy for a plain look. That is why the groom needs makeup to match up to his shimmering bride on the wedding day.

Our makeup expert Gauri Kapur says, "Makeup for men has to be done very carefully. It should not take away their masculinity. An Indian groom must do makeup to cover flaws and bring out the best features of their face but very subtly. Whether it is for a normal guy or a celebrity, these rules apply."

Makeup looks best when nobody knows that you have put on makeup. That is the ultimate mantra to define a man's take on makeup.

Let us give Indian grooms a few basic makeup tips for their wedding day.

Use a good concealer: The main purpose of any kind of wedding makeup is to hide the flaws on your face. So, use a good shade of concealer that is nearest to your complexion to smoothen your skin. Cover under-eye dark circles, dark spots, uneven complexion etc.

Contouring your face: Our beauty expert Gauri Kapur lays special emphasis on this aspect of a groom's makeup. Contouring is actually highlighting the cheekbones and nose of your face. This makes you look more photogenic than you are. Isn't that absolutely essential for your wedding day! However, highlighting does not mean applying blush. Men must never apply blush because it looks very feminine.

Hightlight your best features: Everyone has a special feature on their face. It could be a sharp nose or high cheekbones or pout lips. Men's wedding makeup must be concentrated on the special feature. If you have pout lips then you are not expected to apply lipstick. You can pucker up your lips with a subtly tinted lip balm.

Golden Dust: The Indian groom is usually dressed in brightly coloured sherwanis or kurtas. So, the face seems to look pale in comparison to the brightness of the clothes. So, a thin film of gold dust on the face can add that glamour element to the groom's makeup. But always remember that makeup must be minimal. Do not over-do this last step of your 'grooming'.

If you are soon to be a groom, you can send your personal queries to our makeup expert.

Top 5 mistakes to avoid when applying for immigration to Canada

If you ask an immigration consultant why should one pay thousands of dirhams in return for their advice during the application process, the reply you’re likely to receive is that the application process is not as simple as it may seem.

A lot of mistakes are made when applying for a permanent, temporary or even visit visa to Canada, a very popular immigration destination.

According to the Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC), thousands of application forms are sent back every year due to these mistakes.

Sometimes, a correction can be made, but at other times, the mistake leads to the rejection of the application, upon which the applicant must start all over. Because popular programmes apply intake caps, time is a critical factor and should not be wasted.

With more than 60 different immigration programs and different criteria for each programme, the process of selecting the right programme, collecting the required documentation, filling out the application form, and submitting everything on time is not an easy task.

Fortunately, the CIC is aware of the challenge. In order to mimimise the risk of avoidable mistakes leading to the rejection of an application, it has cautioned aspirant immigrants of the top 5 mistakes that applicants make – and how to avoid them.

#1 Mind your language

Insufficient language test scores: Language proficiency remains one of the most important criteria for almost every immigration program in Canada. The applicant must be proficient in English or French in speaking, listening, reading, and writing.

In order to demonstrate this proficiency, test scores must be submitted. These test scores must be derived from certain language testing systems, and meet the standards set by the CIC, failing which the application will not be accepted.

For each programme, proficiency is measured according to the Canadian Level Benchmark (CLB) system, explains CIC. However, different standardised tests may be accepted for proof of language ability depending on the immigration program one is applying under.

“For instance, the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) is one of the tests accepted as proof of English proficiency for the Federal Skilled Worker Program. Applicants submitting IELTS scores must meet at least CLB level 7 in all four language abilities. This amounts to a score of 6.0 in each language ability. If even one ability is scored less than a 6.0, the applicant will be deemed ineligible for immigration through this program,” said the CIC.

#2 While you were away

Inconsistencies in history: When applying for a permanent residency, and in some cases for a temporary residency too, the applicant is required to fill out a detailed personal, travel and educational history.

‘Detailed’ here means that no timeframe should be left unexplained. Every period of time, even as short as a week, must be accounted for, or the application becomes invalid. The CIC explains:

“Even short vacations should be noted on a travel history. For personal history, periods of time when you were unemployed should still be accounted for. You should double- and triple-check this part of your application to make sure that dates align properly. These dates should also correspond with supporting documents such as letters of reference.

#3 Don’t blame the messenger

Non-compliant employment letters: Most programs require that work experience be proven by providing an employment letter from previous and current employers. These letters ought to be formulated following a certain format, and become invalid of information is missing.

The letter must be printed on company letterhead and contain company information such as address and contact information. The following details must be included:

Position held

Hours

Salary and working conditions

Description of job duties

Employer’s signature

#4 Dependence day test

Listing Ineligible Dependents: Canada adopts a lenient family sponsorship programme with an uncapped intake of dependent spouse. However, there is a lot of confusion over the definition of spouse.

“For Canadian permanent residency applications, only spouses, common-law partners, and/or eligible biological or legally adopted children may be listed as dependents by the principal applicant. However, some applicants misunderstand this limitation and list other family members such as parents or siblings as dependents. These individuals may not be included on an application, and doing so may slow down and application’s processing time,” said the CIC.

Parents and grandparents can be sponsored through the Parent and Grandparent Programme (PGP), which will re-open on January 2, 2014.

There is an intake cap of 5,000 applicants for the year to come.

#5 Grouse of representatives

Using an unauthorized representative: Although an immigration consultant may offer guarantee of a flawless application process, there are also cases where the immigration consultant turns out to be the primary obstacle to a successful application.

“Unfortunately for applicants, there are many fraudsters claiming to be immigration representatives, when in fact they are not authorised to represent individuals. These phony representatives are not accountable to the government or a professional order, and will often request large sums of money for a ‘guaranteed’ visa,” said the CIC.

“Representatives may be paid or unpaid, but if paid they must be a lawyer or immigration consultant authorised by the government to assist Canadian immigration applicants. An immigration lawyer must be registered with the law society in their province of residence and an immigration consultant by the ICCRC (Immigration Consultants of Canada Regulation Council),” it added.