Food and Fertility

If you're trying to conceive, you've probably already considered your lifestyle. Hopefully, you've cut out alcohol, stopped smoking, and are taking good care of yourself. Smart move! Because everything you can do to take care of yourself—exercise, reduce stress—is one step closer to pregnancy.

Your diet also plays a major role in pregnancy. There's no magic food that will make you conceive naturally, but there are some easy guidelines to help you prepare your body for a healthy pregnancy.

In this blog post, we'll tell you all about the fertility diet: what to eat, what to avoid, and which vitamins and minerals are recommended. Read on to find out.

Getting pregnant? This is what you should put on the menu.

Fruits and vegetables

You can never go wrong with plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables. Just make sure you get plenty of variety: if you eat every color of the rainbow, you're doing well. And don't skip the dark leafy greens. Dark leafy greens like kale, spinach, and Swiss chard contain essential nutrients like calcium, iron, and folate—important before and during pregnancy.

Do you find it difficult to eat enough fruits and vegetables? Eat a piece of fruit or vegetable with every meal, and you'll get your daily dose. Not a fan of fruit or salads? Add them to your smoothies to ensure you still get them. Research shows that women who eat enough fruits and vegetables have fewer problems with ovulation and fertility.

Folic acid

One of the most important B vitamins for your fertility and healthy development of your fetus is folate (folic acid), also called B9 or B11.

Folic acid is important for both women and men. A low folic acid intake is linked to an increased risk of neural tube birth defects, such as spina bifida.

Fortunately, it's easy to get these nutrients. Partly through food—you can find folic acid in foods like turkey, peanuts, milk, and potatoes—and partly by taking supplements. This is even recommended before and during pregnancy.

Healthy fats

Fats get a bad rap, but they're incredibly important when you're trying to conceive. This bad reputation comes from the fact that not all fats are healthy. Trans fats, found in fried or packaged foods, have a counterproductive effect. They increase insulin resistance, which can lead to ovulation problems.

Healthy, plant-based fats are very important. You can find them in nuts, oily fish, avocados, olive oil, and grapeseed oil. A healthy portion of fats helps combat inflammation, which in turn promotes regular ovulation and thus supports your fertility. If you're worried you're not getting enough healthy fats, supplement your diet with supplements.

Antioxidants

Try to eat foods rich in antioxidants, such as raspberries, blueberries, and strawberries. They contain natural antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds (phytonutrients). These can improve fertility in both men and women. Thisstudy found that women with a high fruit intake were less likely to experience fertility problems.

Complex carbohydrates

If you're trying to conceive, say yes to complex carbohydrates! Many standard diets avoid them, but if you're trying to conceive, you have carte blanche. You need them to ovulate . You'll find complex carbohydrates in foods like quinoa, whole grains, brown rice, and oats. Add them to your dinner with foods like sweet potatoes, rice, or regular potatoes. Avoid processed (refined) carbohydrates like white flour and cookies. These can actually disrupt your hormones.

Zinc

Zinc is an important nutrient for your pregnancy. Studies have shown that zinc supports fertility and pregnancy. You can find zinc in many foods, such as chickpeas, lentils, beans, nuts, and seeds like hemp, flax, and pumpkin. Add these nuts and seeds to your salad or yogurt.

Eggs and whole grains are also good sources of zinc. And if you want to be sure you're getting enough zinc, take a supplement.

Good to know: Zinc can also support sperm quality.

Vitamin D and iodine

Vitamin D and iodine are important for overall health, but if you're trying to conceive, they're real game changers! Vitamin D is both a vitamin and a hormone. It's made from the same building blocks needed to make estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, and steroid hormones.

Luckily, you don't have to work too hard to get these vital nutrients. You can find them in eggs, liver, or oily fish, or let your body produce them naturally from the sun! The sun is our main source of vitamin D, so make sure you spend some time outside every day.

Iron

Many sources show the importance of consuming enough iron. Women with sufficient iron often conceive more quickly. You can get iron from animal sources such as meat, poultry, and fish, but also from vegetables like spinach, pumpkin, tomatoes, cabbage, and mushrooms.

Read more about nutrition and fertility here .

Supplements

When you're trying to conceive, you often have a lot on your mind. If you're worried your diet isn't balanced enough, you can add additional daily supplements. Prenatal multivitamins with at least 400 milligrams of active folic acid, such as Guud Flow , will help you get all the essential vitamins and minerals. Start taking these at least three months in advance.

Foods to avoid…

Take good care of your body with healthy eating. It's perfectly okay to treat yourself to something less nutritious every now and then, but be careful not to overdo it.

Sugar, processed foods, and fried foods aren't nutritious. They fill you up, but don't give your body what it needs. Don't worry, you don't have to be too strict, but enjoy them in moderation. So avoid eating or drinking the following every day:

• Sugary drinks such as soda
• Carbohydrate-rich foods such as pasta and bread
• Processed meat
• Processed or packaged foods
• Too much alcohol
• Too much caffeine

Want more information about how to prepare your body for pregnancy? Contact us, we're here to help.