THE FERTILITY DIET

WHAT IS THE FERTILITY DIET?

This consists of a So, in summary, note that to achieve a fertility diet, your plate should consist of the following;

Half your plate should be fruits and vegetables, a quarter should be complex carbohydrates, and the remaining quarter should be proteins, and part of the protein should be plant proteins. If you try to keep this rule for every meal, you are well on your way to improving your fertility through diet💯.

This takes willingness and practise. Before you know it, it becomes a habit.

You may think it’s more expensive, but relatively, it is not. If you can get it right with foods, you may reduce funds spent in other treatments.

With a strong will and consistency, this is achievable. of foods derived from the various nutritional classes that aims in boosting a person’s fertility index, thereby improving their chances of conception.

If you’re trying to conceive, changing your diet to the Fertility diet can prepare your body for pregnancy by increasing your nutrition and, by extension, the quality of your cells through the foods you’re eating. Research has shown that diets high in things like whole grains, vegetables, fruit, and fish are associated with improved fertility (especially in females). These foods can also help you get off to a healthy start in pregnancy. Eating as if you’re already pregnant can actually help prime your body for conception.

While there aren’t any magic foods for getting pregnant, one simple way to support your fertility is ensuring your diet includes healthy choices from the various food groups.

Below are foods that increase fertility for optimal chances of conception.

FRUITS AND VEGETABLES

Research has shown that those who consumed more iron, fibre, and protein from vegetables had a higher fertility score. What does this mean for people trying to conceive? Make sure half your plate *at every meal* is composed of fresh fruits and vegetables.

Watermelon, asparagus, in addition to other raw fruits and vegetables, give the body a rich supply of glutathione, which is important for egg quality. Kale helps with estrogen metabolism, etc. The minerals and vitamins from these fruits and vegetables work towards improving the function of the entire reproductive system.

Eating fresh fruits and vegetables is great, but what is better is juicing them. Blending a combination of fruits and vegetables helps you get the most of their nutritional content.

Believe it when I say these fruits and vegetables are available right here in Nigeria. You just have to look for them.

FATS

Healthy, plant-based fats in moderation are an important part of any balanced diet. Nuts like cashew, almond, and wall nuts, avocados, and olive oil can reduce the inflammation in the body, and studies have shown that anti-inflammatory diets can lead to improved fertility.

Some fats may even assist people who truly struggle with infertility. Studies show that consuming a certain quantity of monounsaturated fats during the IVF cycle increased the success rate by three and a half times, as opposed to women who don’t eat good plant-based fats during their IVF process. Foods high in monounsaturated fat include avocados, nuts, and some oils like olive oil and groundnut oil.

While incorporating these in your meals, it is important to avoid transfat i.e, the kind of oils found in processed and packaged foods like pastries, fried foods and packed snacks like chips.

Trans fats increase insulin resistance. Insulin helps move glucose from the bloodstream to the cells; resistance means it’s harder to move glucose into the cells. As a result, the body keeps producing more insulin, resulting in more insulin in your bloodstream. High insulin levels can negatively affect ovulation, so it’s best to focus on foods that guard against insulin resistance when creating a fertility diet.

CARBOHYDRATES

To increase fertility, try to incorporate more complex carbohydrates and limit highly processed ones.

Your body digests refined carbohydrates like pastries, biscuits, cakes, white bread, processed cassava(garri and fufu), and white rice, quickly, and turns them into blood sugar. To drive down the blood-sugar spike, the pancreas releases insulin into the bloodstream, and studies have found that high insulin levels appear to inhibit ovulation.

For some people, particularly those with hormonal disorders, e.g, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), or hormonal imbalance in general, cutting back on gluten is advised.

Gluten creates an inflammatory response in the body, which heightens C-reactive protein and sends signals that it’s not an ideal time for the body to conceive, so it will discourage fertilization. It can also make implantation more difficult. However, talk to your fertility doctor or go through our Fertility Counselling Program

before making any major diet changes to help you have a plan for what your meals will consist of without gluten.

A general rule however, is to compose a quarter of your plate with complex carbohydrates, like brown rice and other diverse whole grains like oats, millet, and guinea corn, and tubers like yam and potatoes. Take note that millet and guinea corn can be prepared and eaten like rice. They’ll help keep you full longer and maintain healthy blood sugar levels, which is also important for fertility health.

PROTEINS

Poultry (chicken, turkey), pork, and beef trimmed of fat are great sources of protein, iron, and zinc, which are important for fertility health. However, the saturated fats in animal protein can be linked with ovulation disorders.

Protein sources from the sea can also be nutritious options. For example, fish like salmon, tuna, and sardines, aside being great sources of proteins, are excellent sources of DHA and omega-3 fatty acids; they also help develop the baby’s nervous system and cut your risk of premature birth so you can start consuming them even before conception.

However, it’s best to avoid some deep sea fish like king mackerel, sword fish and tile fish, or shark, which are known for having higher levels of mercury.

Eggs, too, in moderation, are another potent protein source in a fertility diet. The yolk has excellent stores of protein and choline, a vitamin that helps develop brain function in babies.

Plant protein from beans, nuts, seeds, and unprocessed soyabeans, are also good options. They come with healthy fats and are relatively low in calories, which can be helpful for pregnancy if weight loss has been recommended.

Research has found that the risk of ovulatory disorders is cut in half when 5% of your total calorie intake is derived from plant proteins. Other sources of plant-based protein are legumes, such as lentils and chickpeas.

Even though milk is a protein, limiting dairy in your fertility diet plan helps improve fertility. This is because we’re being exposed to dairy in mass quantities that’s more hormonally-driven, meaning the production of cow dairy has become very chemically manipulated. These excess hormones may disrupt the conversation that the brain is trying to have with the endocrine system, particularly the ovaries.

Probiotic-rich yogurt may be a great replacement for dairy. They have benefits for pregnancy, such as improving metabolism and reducing premature birth.

SUPPLEMENTS

This constitutes our vitamins and minerals.

Start a prenatal vitamin as soon as you begin trying to conceive and continue *until you achieve conception*.

Essential vitamins and minerals to be included are zinc, vit E, Folate, and fish oils(cod liver or omega 3 fatty acids) for women, and zinc, B vitamins and selenium for men.

Supplements come in handy, especially when one can not guarantee that they would comply strictly with the fertility diet.

FOOD CYCLING

In addition to picking the right food items for your Fertility diet, it is also important to know which foods to eat at certain points in the woman’s cycle. These foods will help enhance the activities in that particular phase of the cycle by improving the hormones at work then.

Foods to eat during the various phases in the cycle include:

Nutrition for the menstrual phase (Days 1-7)

Iron-rich foods that can replace iron lost from bleeding. Examples include green leafy vegetables, lean red meat, lentils, and beans.

Vitamin C increases iron absorption. Citrus fruits, berries, broccoli, and red peppers are good sources of vitamin C.

Vitamin K can reduce heavy bleeding. Choose leafy greens, blueberries, cheese, and eggs.

Omega-3 fatty acids reduce inflammation and cramping. Foods that contain omega-3 fatty acids include salmon, flaxseed, and chia seeds.

Nutrition during the follicular phase (DAYS 8-13):

In this phase, you have higher energy levels. Choose foods to support your increased energy levels. Lean proteins and complex carbohydrates, such as whole grains, brown rice and guinea corn, will fuel the increased metabolism.

As estrogen levels rise, eat foods to help your body balance estrogen, including:

Cruciferous vegetables, such as broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, and kale.

Healthy fats, such as avocados, flaxseeds and pumpkin seeds as well as

Leafy greens are perfect for this time.

Nutrition during the ovulation phase (Day 14-15):

With estrogen surging, your liver is working hard to break down the excess estrogen. Continue eating estrogen-balancing foods as ovulation brings the follicular phase to an end.

Eating an overall healthy diet can also help give you the strength and stamina you need during this high-energy phase.

Nutrition during the luteal phase (Days 16-28):

The luteal phase can bring on PMS, hunger and cravings. Complex carbohydrates and high-fiber foods, such as cruciferous vegetables, leafy greens and tubers like sweet potatoes, will help curb hunger.

Pumpkin seeds, which contain high amounts of magnesium, can also help reduce fluid retention. Sunflower seeds and sesame seeds also help in this phase.

Remember to stay hydrated all through the cycle. Drinking plenty of water can reduce bloating, brain fog, and Pre Menstrual syndrome (PMS).

If you do not have a 28-day cycle, you may need guidance on how to classify the phases in your cycle. Our Fertility Counselling Program can help you achieve this.

FERTILITY DIET FOR MEN

Don’t forget that a male partner brings a full 50% to the pregnancy process. Dear ladies, If you cook and eat at home together, help make veggies a focus on your partner’s plate. Male partners should eat asparagus, sunflower seeds, and other foods rich in zinc mentioned above to prevent testosterone from being converted to estrogen, which happens commonly after age 40. This can reduce sperm health and quality.

High dairy intake has been linked to poor sperm motility and concentration so reducing milk and other dairy products like cheese and butter helps improve male Fertility by improving sperm count and motility. So yes, milk can be contributing to low sperm count and low motility.

Men are also encouraged them to take daily vitamins. Prenatal vitamins on the market come in packs with the vitamins for male fertility, including vitamin C, vitamin E, selenium, zinc, and lycopene.

Also, selenium is fantastic for sperm motility, and the number-one source is Brazil nuts. Another superfood is oysters. On top of their supposed aphrodisiac properties, they are rich in zinc, vitamin B12, and protein.

FOODS TO LIMIT OR AVOID IN THE FERTILITY DIET

Today we are focusing on the right foods to eat, but we will briefly mention what to avoid and why.

1. CAFFEINE: Seen in coffee, black teas, energy drinks or energy bars, and chocolates. These cause dehydration, which reduces the slipperiness of cervical mucus and prevent sperm cells from attaching to them properly and inhibits them from getting to the egg. Take green tea instead.

2. ALCOHOL: Also causes dehydration. Is linked with a low fertility index for male and female and causes fetal malformation.

3. PROCESSED SUGARS: as seen in sodas, processed juices, etc. They are associated with ovulation disorders.

Artificial sweeteners are stressors on your system; they create a cortisol response, which inhibits ovulation. Use honey, maple syrup, or date syrup to sweeten your foods.

4. PROCESSED SOY: These contain processed soy proteins, which inhibit estrogen metabolism and disrupt hormonal balance.

In summary, note that to achieve a fertility diet, your plate should consist of the following;

Half your plate should be fruits and vegetables, a quarter should be complex carbohydrates, and the remaining quarter should be proteins, and part of the protein should be plant protein. If you try to keep this rule for every meal, you are well on your way to improving your fertility through diet.

This takes willingness and practise. Before you know it, it becomes a habit. You may think it’s more expensive, but relatively, it is not. If you can get it right with foods, you may reduce funds spent in other treatments. With a strong will and consistency, this is achievable.