Eat to Conceive

If you have been trying to get pregnant and can't, you may want to consider this important fertility killer before undergoing a lot of expensive and tiring tests: your diet. A healthy body and a balanced hormonal system that is ready to conceive a baby requires fuel. And the types of food you give your body will have a direct impact on the quality of fuel has to use to nourish your entire reproductive system. Fail to give your body the right mix of nutrients and your fertility will suffer.

Eating to conceive requires knowing what your body needs to grow a baby. Here is a basic plan for giving your body the vitamins and minerals it needs to work the way you need it to for conception.

Most of us fill up on refined grains, rarely opting for whole grain options. The sad thing is that your body needs whole grains in order to boost your fertility efforts. Think of it this way: whole grains contain fertilized germ cells of plants that hold all of the nutrition that baby plant needs to survive and thrive. When you eat unrefined grains, your body is getting all of that baby-growing nutrition. Plus whole grains are complex carbohydrates that can stabilize insulin in your body, which in turn can keep your hormones in check. Refined grains just don’t compare.

Folic Acid (or folate) is an essential mineral needed for a growing fetus.  Recent research indicates that fathers who take in at least 700 mg of folate a day prior to conception had a 30% less chance of fathering a baby with a chromosomal defect than fathers who did not. Make sure both of your daily multivitamins contain folic acid.

Anti-oxidants are cell-repairing minerals that can boost fertility, especially in men. Just a small handful of Brazilian nuts eaten several times a week have been shown to boost sperm levels significantly. Another study showed that men who ate just a single organic a day had healthier, stronger sperm than men who did not.

Men aren't the only ones who need antioxidants when it comes to boosting fertility. Women do too.  Here are just some of the anti-oxidants couples should try to include in their fertility diet:

• Lycopene: essential to fertility, lycopene helps rid the boy of free radicals that could thwart pregnancy.  Found sin tomatoes, Lycopene is best absorbed from form cooked foods.
• Selenium:  shown to prevent the oxidation of male sperm cells, selenium helps the body produce healthier and stronger sperm.  Selenium can be found in red meats, liver and seafood.
• CoQ10: an antioxidant shown to help with sperm motility and help improve egg health. CoQ10 is generally found in organ meats as well as dark leafy vegetables.

Without certain phytonutrients, like beta carotene, lycopene and cruciferous greens, a woman’s hormonal release can get out of balance and that can prevent a pregnancy.

Fats

Fat has gotten a bad reputation in recent years, but the human body needs a certain amount of good fats in order to work at peak capacity – especially when it comes to fertility. When you take in the right amount of healthy fats your body is better able to regulate its hormone production (and release); ovulate and fight inflammation that could impede egg fertilization.

Saturated fats taken in small amounts are actually good for fertility since they help to produce fertility hormones including progesterone and testosterone. But trans fats should be avoided at all costs.

Essential Fatty Acids are vital to the maintenance of the body’s cells, especially embryonic cells. Without the right amount of Essential Fatty Acids in your system, your body will be unable to keep fertility hormones level; and give the follicle that supports eggs release the fluid it needs to make sure this important job goes off without a hitch; as well as nourish a fertilized egg.

Some of the most important essential fatty acids to get when trying to get pregnant include Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acids. They help to increase blood flow and circulation in the reproductive tract and well as offer important anti-inflammatory properties to increase the chance of conception. The best sources of Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acids are fish oil; flaxseed, seed and nuts and olive oil.

Protein too is essential to fertility in both sexes. Without it egg maturation and sperm production can not take place.

If you are trying to get pregnant and can’t, take a look at your diet and make sure that it includes a wide variety of these important fertility foods. Without the right diet, your chances of getting pregnant may be hampered.

I hope you found this article helpful. If you end up having any questions I would suggest for you to join the Natural Fertility Community and post them there. Not only will you have access to natural fertility speciallists, but you can also get feedback and support from women who are going through the same experience as you.

I wish you the best on your journey and look forward to hearing about your BFP!

All the best,
Hethir Rodriguez