oneinsix.com - Diet and Fertility

What you eat and how much you eat in the months and weeks prior to getting pregnant are important. You can improve or even overcome certain types of infertility simply by changing your eating habits. Eating nutritiously can help you counter some of the fertility-robbing effects of many toxic influences like cigarette smoke, alcohol, drugs, birth control pills and air pollution. Since you may be pregnant six, eight or even ten weeks before knowing it, building adequate prepregnancy nutritional reserves can ensure that your body will always be ready regardless of when your conception occurs.

By increasing the overall caloric intake and eating 10% more protein (especially lean red meat) some have found conception fast and easy. What this protein does is to promote ovulation. Conversely, diets deficient in protein will have the opposite effect and sometimes a more longer lasting bout with infertility.

In a Complex

By eating more complex carbohydrates like whole grain breads, fruits, vegetables and pasta as opposed to simple carbohydrates like white bread, cake and sugary snacks can improve fertility as well. Complex carbohydrates promote the functioning of your body's neurotransmitters, the biochemical messengers that carry hormonal signals from the brain to the body. Most important, remember that nutrition is interdependent. Each food you eat needs components of other foods in order to be of maximun value. Balance your diet well.

Bad New Foods

In addition to the good foods which encourage your fertility there are some bad-news foods which because of harmful ingredients or their ability to rob key nutrients from your body can work against you.

• Artificial sweetners
• High sugar fruit drinks and sweets
• Peanut butter
• Rare red meat
• Salami and lunch meats
• Soft Cheese and pate

While it is important to include some fat in your diet, meals high in saturated fats should be avoided. Excessive dietary fat also has been linked to estrogen overload which exacerbate conditons like endometrosis. Rich omega-3 fatty acids in fish such as mackerel, herrings and sardines are helpful as they may suppress prostaglandin productions. This is a hormone in the uterine lining that causes cramping. Also cut out caffeine and smoking.

Caffeine Fix

Caffeine is believed to interfere with the functioning of the hypothalamus and ultimately cause ovulation problem. The less you consume the better the chances of you getting pregnant. Avoid the following:

• Tea                 one cup contains about 40-60 mg of caffeine
• Coffee            one cup contains about 105-115 mg
• Cola                one glass contains 30-40 mg
• Chocolate       each ounce has about 5-10 mg
• Cocoa             each cup has about 4 mg

Vegetarian Diets and Fertility

If you are currently on a vegetarian diet careful planning is necessary if you are to conceive. Often vegetarian diets are low in calories and proteins. Strict vegetarian diets can sometimes lack four important fertility nutrients normally found in meat, fish and poultry - Zinc, Vitamin B12, Iron and Folic Acid.

To make your vegetarian diet work for you and not against, take nutritional supplements. Be on the look out for any signs of anemia or other symptons of vitamin shortages. Be certain that your percentage of body fat does not drop too low.

Make special efforts to raise the protein levels of the food you eat by eating the following - pulses, grains, nuts and diary foods.

Finally, you should simply eat more food more often. By increasing your intake of complex carbohydrates and grains you can add substantial calories to your daily diet. Eating six or seven smallers meals a day can help you take in more calories than if you try to eat three large meals.