The Fertility Diet
Simply put the fertility diet is an approach to eating well, with a diet proven to be effective at improving fertility, while a couple is trying to get pregnant.
It is overall important to be fit: exercise, do not smoke, do not have a BMI over 25 or under 19, do not have a waist measurement over 77 cm, and try to minimize stress. If yo are obese, and have that obesity be in your midline, even the fertility diet may not be enough to overcome these road blocks to rapid conception.
Essentially a Mediterranean Diet is the core principal of the fertility diet.
High vegetable intake, a diet that is rich in dairy fats, and a diet that avoids much simple sugar intake has been shown to increase time to conception.
Having more monunsaturated fat, and less processed trans-fat in your diet helps fertility as well. Small amounts of natural trans-fat, such as the types found in meat, in small amounts is healthy.
It is thought that this type of diet improves ovulation, because it improves insulin control which is related to hormone levels.
High folic acid intake is good, but using iron and folic acid supplements is part of both increasing fertility and decreasing miscarriages and birth defects.
For the male partner, avoiding excessive alcohol intake is important when trying to become pregnant.
Like all medical advice you should consult your personal physician to discuss these guidelines and whether they should be modified based on your personal medical history. For a pregnancy planning visit, vist us at Women’s Health Practice.
