Is there such a thing as a fertility diet? Are there things that you should be eating or avoiding that will help you get pregnant or stay pregnant?
According to researchers at Harvard University and the long-term Nurses’ Health Study, which deals with all aspects of women’s health issues, it seems that there is a diet which can help your fertility.
So What Do I Eat?
The changes in your diet don’t have to be huge, but they can make a great difference in your chances of getting pregnant, especially if you suffer from ovulatory disorders.
· Fats – cut out trans fats and switch to monounsaturated ones, i.e. stop using margarine and switch to oils like olive oil, and cut out processed products like cakes and pastries which are full of trans fats.
· Switch to whole grains like brown flour and rice instead of white.
· Eat more fresh vegetables and fruits.
· Eat more vegetable protein like nuts, seeds, beans and lentils instead of animal proteins like red meat.
· Eat complex carbohydrates and high fiber foods that are low on the glyceymic index and avoid or cut down on simple carbs like potatoes and white rice and pasta which can interfere with your blood sugar levels.
· Switch to high-fat dairy foods instead of low-fat! It seems that one glass of full-fat milk a day, or its equivalent, can help reduce anovulatory infertility
· Eat lots of iron rich foods like legumes and leafy green vegetables and get your iron levels checked, especially if you are a vegetarian or vegan. Take an iron supplement if your iron levels are low
· Take a folic acid supplement which is essential to prevent birth defects such as spina bifida. The recommended dose is 400 micrograms a day but many doctors recommend taking as much as 800mcg a day when trying to get pregnant
· Take a good pro-natal multi-vitamin. Most people lead very stressful lives and many foods today are nutritionally poor. Get your doctor to give you a complete blood work out to make sure you are getting enough zinc, B, C, D & E vitamins to get pregnant. And even see a qualified nutritionist for more specialized advice.
Other Dietary Improvements
Other research has shown that too much estrogen can also cause women’s cycles to go haywire and it also affects men’s fertility.
· Buy organic where possible and avoid GM (genetically modified) and other processed foods as much as you can, especially ones with soya protein in it. Soya has a lot of estrogen so you and your partner should avoid that too when you have fertility problems
· Avoid colas and other soft drinks and switch to water instead
· Switch to filtered water or bottled water from aquifers as tap water in your area may have too much estrogen or fluoride for you to get pregnant
· Give up caffeine as even one cup of coffee a day can impact on your fertility
· Check your medications with your doctor. Even some painkillers can affect your fertility, so imagine what other more powerful medications can do!
· Smoking and street drugs are both no-no’s for both of you when it comes to trying to get pregnant and of course alcohol doesn’t’ help much either
So eat healthy as it might help that ‘unexplained infertility problem’ to disappear.