Your diet can have a direct effect on your ability to conceive. When you are lacking the proper vitamins, you could be inhibiting your ovulation, which prevents you from conceiving. It’s smart to get your diet on track before you conceive, so that you’re better able to support your baby when you actually are pregnant.
Function
When you are trying to conceive, you want to make your body as hospitable to an embryo as possible. If you were to drink too much caffeine or alcohol, your body may recognize these toxins and prevent you from conceiving. Paying close attention to the foods that you eat and focusing your diet on healthy foods will keep your menstrual cycle on track and prepare your body for hosting a baby.
Features
Harvard researchers have determined that a well-balanced diet improves your chances of conceiving. They’ve shown that those who eat complex carbohydrates, such as whole grains, rather than refined carbohydrates, such as white bread, are more likely to conceive. Additionally, the studies showed that high consumption of animal protein led to problems conceiving. It was better to eat only moderate levels of animal protein, making up the difference with vegetable protein, such as beans. You should also aim to eat some healthy, natural fats every day, but avoid trans fats.
Types
Some people have an easier time eating healthy foods if they have a specific diet plan to follow. The Eat Clean Diet focuses on eating foods in their natural state and is a great diet to follow to boost your fertility. The South Beach Diet allows you to eat a moderate number of whole grains, along with healthy doses of fruits and vegetables and lean proteins. Weight Watchers can also be a good option, though the points system can technically allow you to eat nothing but junk food. Avoid diets that severely limit any one type of food.
Benefits
A fertility diet not only prepares you to conceive, it can help you to establish healthy habits that will last throughout your life. You will be able to pass these healthy habits down to your children as well. Additionally, being underweight or overweight can lead to fertility problems due to lack of ovulation. Following a diet for fertility can help you to get to a healthier body weight, which can help you get pregnant.
Considerations
A fertility diet cannot help you if your fertility issues are related to physical problems like blocked or scarred fallopian tubes. Diet helps to regulate your cycle, which addresses the issues in women who don’t ovulate on a regular cycle.
Photo Credit
- brown rice image by Steve Lovegrove from Fotolia.com
