09 Aug Does my Diet Affect my Fertility?

Does my Diet Affect my Fertility?

I am often asked this question by my clients and the answer is always a big resounding “Yes”.

What you eat and drink has a huge impact on not only your fertility, but also your partner’s. In cases where couples are struggling to conceive, the cause in about 50% of cases is due to male fertility problems. So, what I am sharing here is just as important for your male partner as it is for you.

Preparing for Conception

Preconception care isn’t a routine part of medical care in the UK yet, but growing research shows just how important it is. To me it is essential to prepare for conception for 3 very important reasons:

1. It will increase your chances of success
2. It will increase the chance of having a healthy baby
3. You want to go into parenthood as healthy individuals, so that you are able to fully support your child through to adulthood. Your child deserves that.

You can read more about the reasons why it is important to prepare for conception in this blog article https://www.sue-ritchie.com/preparing-for-conception-a-necessity-in-the-21st-century/

Factors that have an impact on your fertility

There are a number of things that impact on our ability to conceive including stress, our mindset, a poor relationship with ourselves leading to lack of self care, toxins in the environment and in products we use on our bodies and in the home and then there are number of lifestyle factors. DIET – what you are feeding yourself on a daily basis is top of the list.

By eating the right foods and getting the right nutrients in your body you help all the organs and cells in your body to function efficiently. You will be so much healthier not only physically, but mentally. This will mean having greater energy and being more resilient to disease.

Why is the average typical diet not serving us?

Firstly, it is an unfortunate situation that over the past 20 years, our diets have changed significantly and for the worse. Our increasingly busy lives means that more and more people are consuming ready meals, take aways and a lot of processed foods. Less food is being prepared from fresh ingredients. Processed foods now make up 60% of the average diet in the UK. The problem is that these foods are high in sugar, bad fats and also contain a cocktail of chemical food additives.

Eating a lot of processed foods, even those that are vegan, leads to inflammation in the body and causes serious health issues.  Including, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, dementia and cancer and also causes issues with weight gain.

If you are looking to conceive, inflammation in the body, plus carrying additional weight can hinder the reproductive process and conception.

Studies have shown that making diet and lifestyle changes can help boost your fertility by up to 69%.

Unfortunately, diet and nutrition isn’t something that your doctor is likely to talk to you about, simply because it is not part of their expertise. Yet eating the right foods and getting the correct nutrition can make all the difference to your fertility. It is vital to make sure you have adequate levels of key nutrients needed for fertility and embryonic development.

The Benefits of Eating a Healthy Diet for Fertility

Eating a healthy, well balanced, natural and nutritious diet can make all the difference when you are looking to conceive.  Keeping your body well hydrated with filtered water is also important when it comes to your healthy and your fertility.

When you have a healthy body and all the organs and cells are functioning well, not only are you more likely to conceive, but you will increase the chances of having a healthy baby. That to me is very important. This is because your health affects the quality of your eggs and your partner’s health affects the quality of his sperm. This in turn impacts the health of your baby.

It also has an impact on many other factors involved in the journey of conception.

 

These include:

• The health of your gut microbiome which in turn affects the regulation and balance of your hormones
• Improved mucous production which allows the sperm to survive longer
• Boosting your energy and vitality and the health of your immune system
• Encouraging the development of a healthy womb lining creating the optimum environment for the embryo to attach to

PCOS is something that has an impact on fertility. It is linked to high insulin levels and this is very much linked to diet. It is possible to reduce the affects of PCOS on conception by making changes to your diet and by managing when you eat.

So what does a healthy diet look like?

A healthy diet consists of a good balance of all natural foods.

Good quality protein from meat, fish, eggs, beans and lentils. Lots of fresh vegetables and some fruit, nuts and seeds and wholegrains. Also ensuring that you eat some full fat dairy and are consuming good fats such as avocado, and extra virgin olive oil as part of your diet.

Often it is just a few simple changes that can make a big difference to your fertility.

These are my favourite foods for boosting fertility:

Avocado – good source of good fats that help to balance your hormones

Walnuts – They are rich in Omega 3 and magnesium and help to promote regular ovulation

Asparagus –  excellent source of various nutrients like vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, phytonutrients, polyphenols, and dietary fibre.  Full of vital nutrients for fertility including folate.

Beetroot – help to increase blood flow to the uterus

Broccoli – high in Vitamin C, folate, good fibre and good for reproductive health

Legume beans – these proteins are high in fibre and Vitamin B, folate and iron.

Making your health your priority

If you are looking to conceive making your health a top priority is highly recommended.

Life is so much better when you are healthy and energised and you have a strong immune system. Healthy eating has positive benefits for your mental health too, so you will feel happier too. Plus, you will be increasing the chances of conceiving and having a healthy baby.

If you are healthy, you will be more able to enjoy your pregnancy and avoid getting ill.  That’s a big benefit for you and your baby.

You will step into parenthood knowing that you are going to be able to be there to support your child in the best possible shape.

If you feel that you just don’t know where to start and you need some help, or you just can’t see how you can possibly fit healthy eating and cooking from scratch into your already busy life, but you really want to. I’m here to help you.

Book a 30 minute Complimentary Fertility Focus call with me.