Eat Healthy & Stay Fertile!

According to a recent study of fertility and diet conducted by the Harvard Medical School, it has been revealed that consuming certain foods and abstaining from some can be easily opted for without any external intervention in order to aid in improving the ovulatory system, even though there are factors that you are unable to control, such as genetics and age. It is important to be aware of the small dietary changes that can potentially make you much more fertile than those who do not go for a healthy diet.

1. Go for complex carbohydrates: Experts suggest eating more of slow and complex carbohydrates and restricting the consumption of processed ones. Your body is able to digest bad carbohydrates in order to turn them into blood sugar, which is harmful to the body. So you must stay away from cakes and cookies, white breads, white rice, junk food and all such items that appear unsurpassable. It is because the pancreas are compelled to release an additional amount of insulin into the blood for controlling the blood-sugar spike. On the other hand, you can go for good carbohydrates, such as whole grains, fruits and vegetables, which take time to digest and have a much slower effect on the insulin and blood sugar. It is evident that high levels of insulin can inhibit the process of ovulation.

2. Choose Iron-Rich Foods:  A diet rich in iron that comes from vegetables and supplements may lower the risk of ovulatory infertility. Ovulatory infertility is only one cause of infertility and affects 25 percent of infertile couples. Vegetarian foods with iron include all types of beans, eggs, lentils, spinach, fortified cereals, long-grain enriched rice and whole grains. Add vitamin C from citrus fruits, bell peppers or berries to your meals to enhance iron absorption.

3. The "Fertility Diet":  Women should choose the following "fertility diet" -

   • Less animal protein and more vegetable protein
   • Less trans fat and more monounsaturated fat (from foods such as avocados and olive oil)
   • More high-fiber, low-glycemic carbohydrate-rich foods (including whole grains)
   • More vegetarian sources of iron and fewer meat sources
   • Multivitamins
   • High-fat dairy instead of low-fat dairy
4. Get enough folic acid: Folic acid has been proven to reduce a baby's risk of neural-tube birth defects such as spina bifida, and it is linked to a lower incidence of heart attacks, strokes, cancer, and diabetes. A good over-the-counter prenatal vitamin should contain more than the minimum recommendation of folic acid, between 600 and 800 mcg – what you'll need during pregnancy. In addition, you can eat folate-rich foods, such as dark green leafy vegetables like spinach or kale, citrus fruits, nuts, legumes, whole grains, and fortified breads and cereals.
5. Dairy: It pays to bone up on dairy (milk, yogurt, and cheese) when you’re trying to conceive. Adding dairy to your preconception diet is good not only for bone health but also — potentially — for your reproductive health. So drink that milk, spoon up that yogurt, sip that smoothie, nibble on that cheese. If you wish to discuss about any specific problem, you can consult a gynaecologist.