Nourishing your body for fertility

Eating well and taking care of your body is important for everybody, but it really is essential

when you’re preparing your body for a baby. When you get healthy by changing the way you

eat, your body gets healthier, creating healthier eggs, healthier sperm and an altogether better environment in which to start growing another human being.

Whether you’ve just started thinking about having a baby or you’ve been trying to conceive for a while, it’s never too late to overhaul your diet and lifestyle – and today is the best time to start.

Eat to balance your hormones

Start by looking at your nutrition strategically and focusing on naturally rebalancing your hormones as what you eat has a huge impact on your body. 

Too much sugar and starchy carbohydrates like bread, pasta and rice can really zap your energy levels and set your blood sugar levels soaring and crashing. Instead focus on building meals around organic meat and fish, fruit and vegetables, and nuts and seeds.  

Incorporate organic foods

The chemicals sprayed on fruit and vegetables as they grow can wreak havoc in your body these are known as xeno-oestrogens and can mimic the effect of oestrogen in the body placing an extra burden on the liver and affecting the overall balance of your hormones. 

It may be that you already have too much oestrogen circulating in your body. Perhaps you have been diagnosed with a condition linked to oestrogen dominance, like endometriosis and

fibroids, in which case adding more is like pouring fuel on the fire.

Not all fruit and vegetables need to be organic. For more information on this take a look at https://www.ewg.org/foodnews/clean-fifteen.php 

Cut down on caffeine

Caffeine, such as what’s found in tea, coffee and energy drinks, strips your body of vital fertility nutrients and so makes it harder to conceive. Studies show that drinking more than 2 cups of coffee or 4 cups of tea a day can affect the chances of fertility by up to 25%. Instead switch to herbal teas or caffeine-free alternatives. 

Keep an eye on alcohol consumption

Alcohol negatively affects fertility in both men and women, as well as depleting essential vitamins and minerals, so it’s best to steer clear when trying for a baby. If you must drink then limit to no more than 2 units of alcohol (one pint of beer, one 175ml glass of wine or one double measure of spirits) a maximum of twice a week.

Nourish your body with functional foods

Functional foods are great for supporting your fertility journey. Here’s my top 5:

1. Pumpkin seeds - full of zinc which is essential for both male and female fertility. Try to have a small handful a day as a snack, or in soups or salads.

2. Asparagus - one of the best sources of folate, the naturally occurring form of folic acid which is important for development in babies, but can also help you get pregnant. You can find folate in leafy greens like cabbage, kale, spring greens, spinach, broccoli, chickpeas and kidney beans

3. Variety of fruit and vegetables - helping you to get anti-oxidants which can help neutralise free radicals that cause DNA damage to eggs and sperm.

4. Oily fish - contains omega-3 which the body needs but can’t make itself, and are anti-inflammatory (inflammation can over-stimulate the immune response) and can reduce blood clotting, both of which can help prevent miscarriage. Good sources include salmon, trout, herring, sardines, tuna etc. Aim for 3 servings a week.

5. Pomegranates - eaten for centuries to boost fertility as the juice increases the flow of blood to the uterus and in men improves the quality and mobility of sperm. Aim for 1 fresh pomegranate or 230ml of juice each day

Aim for a healthy weight

Being underweight or overweight can seriously reduce the likelihood of getting pregnant because it affects the delicate balance of hormones in your body. In particular, being overweight can mean it takes much longer to get pregnant.

Take time to relax

Stress is a big issue with fertility issues so working on strategies to relax is worth its weight in gold when trying to conceive. When the body/mind is stressed it is not a safe place to host a pregnancy. Adopt some simple mindfulness or meditation techniques for 10 minutes a day, practising gratitude for everything good in your life. Exercise releases endorphins which promote happiness and relaxation, so 30 minutes of gentle to moderate exercise can reduce stress levels and support the fertility journey. 

In summary, making changes to nutrition and lifestyle choices can have a big impact on the success of your fertility journey. There is a lot of confusing information out there about what to eat or not eat to fall pregnant. Even then, knowing what to do isn’t always enough. You’ll never regret eating well and taking good care of your body, whatever the outcome. I’d love to help you on that journey.

Book a free mini consultation to discover how you can get started today to prepare your body for pregnancy. https://calendly.com/eatwell22/discovery-call