Eating the Right Way to Fertility

Women Face More Infertility Issues Because of their Unhealthy Lifestyle

Infertility has become a serious issue worldwide. Though couples cannot curb all the causes of infertility, they can control their eating habits. Moreover, balanced nutrition and a healthy body weight for both partners are significant factors that have a lasting impact on the ability to conceive.

Women and Fertility
To adapt yourself for pregnancy and enhance fertility, it is recommended to maintain a healthy weight and consume foods that will nurture you and your baby in a healthful way for your baby’s nine-month stay in the womb.

Men and Fertility
Even male obesity levels can alter testosterone and other hormone levels which again boils down to the fact that men should also take care of their health and follow a nutrient-rich diet with regular exercise. Overweight and obese men have low sperm count and poor sperm motility. Consume a diet rich in fruits and vegetables that contain vitamins, minerals and antioxidants that help create strong sperm.

Stay Balanced on a Healthy Weight
Reducing and maintaining a healthy weight is the simple, yet best way to increase your chances of getting pregnant. Authentic report suggests that 30% of infertility cases are because of weight extremes, which tend to alter hormone levels and throw ovulation off schedule. In overweight women, even a 5% weight loss may improve fertility. On the contrary, underweight women with a body mass index below 18.5 (18.5 to 24.9 is normal) may have irregular menstrual cycles or may stop ovulating altogether. Also individuals participating in high-intensity exercises such as dancing or gymnastics and people having an eating disorder or following restricted diets are often at an increased risk.

Never choose crash diets that can completely deplete your body of nutrients it needs for pregnancy. It is best advised to stick to a healthy eating plan that works in your favor after consulting a registered dietitian nutritionist at www.firsteatright.com.
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Reduce Ovulatory Infertility with Iron
Acclaimed studies suggest to choose a diet rich in iron content as in vegetables and supplements that may lower the risk of ovulatory infertility as followed up in the case of 18,500 female nurses trying to get pregnant. Ovulatory infertility is one of the causes of infertility that affects around 25 percent of infertile couples.

Iron-rich vegetarian food includes all types of beans, eggs, lentils, spinach, fortified cereals, long-grain enriched rice and whole grains. Consume citrus fruits, bell peppers or berries along with your meals to enhance vitamin C content for increased iron absorption.

The "Fertility Diet"
A research study in 2007 found that women with ovulatory infertility who followed the “fertility diet” had 66 percent reduced risk of ovulatory infertility and a 27 percent reduced risk of infertility from other factors compared to women who did not follow the diet accurately.

Women following the "fertility diet" chose:

• Less trans fat and more monounsaturated fat (from foods such as avocados and olive oil)
• Less animal protein and more vegetable protein
• 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

 
In a nutshell, consuming healthy monounsaturated fats instead of saturated and trans fats, making at least half your grain intake as whole grains and eating calcium-rich foods like dairy will help you to fulfill your nutrient needs and promote a healthy weight.

Even before you conceive, it is vital that you obtain 400 micrograms of folic acid per day from supplements (consult an RDN before you start on any supplements) or foods such as dark leafy green vegetables and fortified grains. Folic acid is essential to prevent neural tube defects. The neural tube develops into the brain and spine three to four weeks after conception, even before most women realize that they are pregnant.

Consult a nutritionist/dietitian for any further information on foods for fertility and eating plans.

Folic Acid Can be Procured from Foods