Fun Things to Do Around Sarasota with Your Kids this Summer

Are you headed to the Gulf coast of Florida with your family this summer? Don’t miss out on all that Sarasota has to offer. Here, we offer some suggestions of fun things to do.

• Check out some marine life. The Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium is both fun and educational, with all sorts of exhibits from coral reefs to sea jellies to river otter and alligators. You’ll enjoy seeing manatees and sea turtles, but the really exciting event happens Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays at 11am, when the trainers feed the 135,000 gallon tankful of sharks.
• Have a jungle adventure. Sarasota Jungle Gardens, a family-owned local zoo, has 200 species, including parrots, snakes, lemurs, and alligators. Big Cat Habitat is an animal sanctuary that focuses on housing big cats like tigers and lions but also has non-cat species like bears, monkeys, sloths, foxes, wallabies, and more.
• Do some science. The Suncoast Science Center has a state-of-the-art lab with classes that allow school-aged kids to do experiments they wouldn’t otherwise be able to do. The state-of-the-art equipment in the lab can help them with experiments that they wouldn’t be able to do at home.
• Stroll through a garden. The Marie Selby Botanical Gardens cover 15 acres in the former home of Marie and William Selby. Added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1998, it’s got beautiful displays of vibrant flowers in exhibits like the Orchid Show, the Tropical Conservatory, or the Children’s Rainforest Garden.
• Visit a park. There are plenty of parks from which to choose in Sarasota, so pick one and have a ball with your family! Urfer Park has a playground, fitness equipment, hiking and biking trails and, if you go far enough in, wetlands and cows. Oscar Scherer State Park features hiking, camping, picnicking, rollerblading, snorkeling, paddling, and more. Myakka River State Park is one of the largest parks in Florida, and offers camping, bird watching, horseback riding, and wildlife viewing.
• Visit a circus museum. Sarasota used to be the winter home of the Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey Circus. Today, The Ringling is the official state art museum of Florida, with extensive grounds and a vast collection of artworks. There’s also the Circus Museum, where your kids will love exploring a collection that includes performer wardrobes, props wagons, and more.
• Walk through the trees. Have a fun adventure with your kids at TreeUmph, an elevated outdoor park nearby, in Bradenton. Swinging around in the park’s aerial courses, you’ll cross suspended bridges and do zip line courses with crazy obstacles.

At the Center for Vasectomy Reversal, we love families, and we love helping people build their families! We pride ourselves on providing optimal surgical results and uncompromising, concierge-level patient care. Under the direction of Dr. Joshua Green, our team provides state-of-the-art treatment for men who need a reversal of their vasectomy or have other fertility concerns. To learn more, call 941-894-6428 or contact us through our website.

How to Increase Male Fertility

If you and your partner are struggling to conceive a child, you’re not alone. About one in six couples struggles with infertility, and one in three cases is due to a problem with male fertility. There are some natural remedies you can try, though, that may boost your chances of conception.

• Load up your diet with healthy foods. Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables, focus on getting antioxidants and healthy fats. Limit your intake of saturated fats and red or processed meat. And be careful about eating soy, because it contains plant estrogen, which can reduce testosterone bonding and sperm production.

• Take your vitamins and minerals. Though the mechanism behind it is not completely understood, research indicates that vitamin D and calcium can impact sperm health. Vitamin C improves fertility by relieving oxidative stress in the body. Additionally, limited studies suggest folate and zinc can improve sperm concentration, count, and overall health.

• Quit smoking. Smoking is bad for every part of the body, so it should come as no surprise that it’s bad for your fertility. In fact, recent research indicates that smoking consistently reduces sperm count and people who smoked moderate or heavy amounts of tobacco had lower sperm quality than non-smokers or even light smokers.

• Watch the alcohol and drugs. Don’t drink to excess, don’t do any illegal drugs, and be mindful of your prescriptions. Some antibiotics, anti-androgens, anti-inflammatories, antipsychotics, opiates, antidepressants, anabolic steroids, supplementary testosterone, and methadone can all negatively affect your fertility. If you’re concerned about a medication you’re taking, talk to your doctor.

• Keep your cool. High temperatures can damage sperm, so if you’re trying to conceive don’t hold your laptop in your lap, wear tight underwear, or soak in hot tubs. Prolonged sitting and using car seat heaters can also cause overheating.

• Consider a supplement. Certain herbal supplements may be beneficial to fertility, including fenugreek, maca root, tribulus terrestris, and Indian ginseng. D-aspartic acid, a type of amino acid, may also be helpful.

• Reduce your exposure to environmental contaminants. Poor air quality and environmental toxins have been shown to decrease male fertility. Additionally, men in jobs with exposure to chemicals and overheating, like farmers, painters, varnishers, metalworkers, and welders, had higher incidences of infertility than other groups.

• Manage your stress. Stress raises cortisol levels, and cortisol lowers testosterone.

• Get some exercise and some sleep. For each, the key is to get just the right amount- not too little and not too much. Getting enough exercise and enough rest can improve your sperm count. It can also help you lose weight, which can improve your fertility.

If you’re struggling with infertility, call the Center for Vasectomy Reversal, where we love helping people build their families! We pride ourselves on providing optimal surgical results and uncompromising, concierge-level patient care. Under the direction of Dr. Joshua Green, our team provides state-of-the-art treatment for men who need a reversal of their vasectomy or have other fertility concerns. To learn more, call 941-894-6428 or contact us through our website.

The Most Popular Baby Names of 2021

When you’re expecting a baby, it can be very exciting to think about names! Making lists of names, debating them with your partner, and noticing every name you hear a mom call in the grocery store are all part of the fun. How should you go about choosing a name? We’ve got some tips.

• First, remember that you’re naming an actual person. Don’t go with a trendy or difficult spelling or choose a name that’s a pop culture reference. Save the joke names and too-cute names for your pets and pick a name that your child is not likely to resent and you’re not likely to regret.
• Walk the line between popular and strange. Consider this: children with popular names are likely to be one of many in their class. If you don’t want your child to be called by his or her first name and last initial throughout elementary school, you might want to pick a more unique name. On the other hand, it’s good to choose a name the child will one day be able to find on a key chain.
• Classics are classic for a reason. Sure, some traditional names are boring and overused, but there are many that are perfectly lovely. Look to classic literature for inspiration or read an old baby name book.
• Climb through your family tree. You may find a name you love, or you may find the perfect middle name. Either way, it’s a great way to honor a family member.
• Research the meanings of the names you like. Before you let yourself fall in love with a name, make sure it doesn’t mean something horrible.
• Carefully consider nicknames and initials. No one wants a name that will cause them to have a meanspirited playground nickname, or initials that spell something unpleasant.
• Say the name out loud to make sure it isn’t weird. Names should have a good rhythmic flow, so say the first, middle and last name together to make sure it’s what you intended.
• Determine if any famous people have that name. You don’t want to accidentally name your infant after a serial killer, a war criminal, or an adult film star.

Need some inspiration? Here are the top ten names from 2021 so far, according to BabyCenter. Will you embrace the trendy names, or do you want to know them so that you can avoid them?

At the Center for Vasectomy Reversal, we love helping people build their families! We pride ourselves on providing optimal surgical results and uncompromising, concierge-level patient care. Under the direction of Dr. Joshua Green, our team provides state-of-the-art treatment for men who need a reversal of their vasectomy or have other fertility concerns. To learn more, contact us or call 941-894-6428.

Creative Ways to Celebrate Father’s Day

Father’s Day is almost here! How will you celebrate? If there’s a father in your life celebrating his very first Father’s Day, you’ll want to make it extra special. Even for seasoned dads, though, you’ll want to find a way to make it fun. We’ve got some creative ideas for you!

• Give Dad the day off. He might want to sleep in, or he might want some me time, to just do whatever he wants, and you can facilitate that by taking the kids away from the house. A day out with his friends might be just the thing, or a game of golf, or if you think he needs some pampering, plan him a spa day!
• Go on a family adventure. Let Dad pick the destination. It could be a museum, or the zoo, or a baseball game, or a road trip, or it could just be a family walk or a bike ride. As long as you’re doing something he likes and you’re doing it together, it counts.
• Take some time for just the two of you. On the other hand, especially if this is his very first Father’s Day, he might cherish some time alone with his partner, the way it was before the little bundle of joy turned life on its head.
• Do something outdoorsy. In June, there’s no shortage of outdoor activities! Go for a swim, take a hike, go camping, or boating. Have outdoor movie night or play lawn games together.
• Do something indoorsy. If Dad isn’t really an outdoorsman, an indoor family day might be the right fit. Binge superhero movies, play board games, sing karaoke, or do puzzles. It might even be fun to do a craft together, especially your kids will be into it.
• Make something for him. Speaking of crafts, a dad’s first Father’s Day is a great time to make him something “from the baby.” Create some art with little hand or footprints, or find something more elaborate on Pinterest. You could also make him a photo gift with your little one’s face on it.
• Plan a special meal. It could be a fabulous brunch, or a cookout, or a picnic in the park. You can let the kids help make it or take the family out on the town. If you really want to make it memorable, take an online cooking class together!
• Use your words. Dads like to feel appreciated, too, so take the time to write him a sweet note or take him aside and tell him how much he means to your family and what a great job he’s doing.

At the Center for Vasectomy Reversal, we love helping people build their families! We pride ourselves on providing optimal surgical results and uncompromising, concierge-level patient care. Under the direction of Dr. Joshua Green, our team provides state-of-the-art treatment for men who need a reversal of their vasectomy or have other fertility concerns. To learn more, call 941-894-6428 or contact us through our website.