Fertility Enhancement via Nutrition
If you are ready to get pregnant or trying to get pregnant, you want to ensure that your body is ready for fertilization. Nutrition contributes to healthy eggs and a fertile uterine terrain.
Here are some recommended effective and delicious foods to boost your fertility.
Think you have “old eggs?” Not necessarily!
Women are born with a limited amount of eggs which can get “old” or lower in quality, but there is an opportune time period to positively influence the quality of your eggs.
90-20 days before you ovulate is the time period to make the nutritional changes required for healthy eggs. How?
Eat: nutrient dense superfoods and foods that are antioxidants. Consider a CoQ10 supplement, which has been shown to improve ovarian response.
Avoid: anti-nutrients such as processed foods and empty calories, and toxins such as pesticide-laden food and foods wrapped in plastic.
Ensure: your hormones are balanced.
Eating with your menstrual cycle
If you are trying to get pregnant, you are probably becoming very familiar with the stages of your cycle. Apply this knowledge to your food choices.
During your follicular stage, when your body is ripening the egg for ovulation, eat foods with retinoids such as oily fish, liver, cheese and butter, and alpha-tocopherol such as nuts, seeds, vegetable oils and green leafy vegetables.
During your luteal phase, at which time your potential embryo will be implanting into your uterus, eat high amounts of Vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid, in foods such as red peppers, citrus, berries, tropical fruit, and dark leafy vegetables, and bromelain which is found in pineapple core.
Eating to balance your hormones
To balance your hormones, you can introduce the Seed Rotation Diet. This diet provides the essential fatty acids and lignans required by female hormones to stay balanced.
From days 1-14 of your menstrual cycle, eat 1 Tbsp/day mix of ground flax and pumpkin seeds.
From days 15-28 of your menstrual cycle, eat 1 Tbsp/day mix of ground sesame and sunflower seeds.
What to Eat for Fertile Terrain
Nutrient Dense Superfoods: Wild caught salmon, organic kale, seaweed (such as dulse flakes and nori strips), garlic, potatoes, sweet potato, quinoa, liver, sardines, berries and egg yolks.
Suggestion: Make a grain bowl. On a base of quinoa add 5-7 toppings (veggies, fish, eggs, avocado, fruit) on top.
Anti-oxidants: Eat the rainbow each day! Low antioxidant status can cause infertility. Choose from dark chocolate, pecans, artichokes, goji berries, pomegranate, kale, red cabbage, and foods high in vitamin A (retinoids), vitamin C, vitamin E (tocopherols) and selenium (brazil nuts, sunflower seeds, eggs, fish, beef, turkey, chicken, eggs), and flavonoids (green tea, citrus fruit, berries, apples and legumes).
Healthy Fats: Olive oil (that comes in dark glass bottles), avocados, olives, a wide variety of nuts, coconut oil, and fatty fish. Be sure to eat full fat!
Supplements: At least 6 months before getting pregnant, be sure to take a high quality pre-natal vitamin with methylated folate and methylated B12, vitamin D, zinc, copper and magnesium.
Water: Drink 8-12 8 oz. glasses of good quality, filtered water each day.
Teas: Raspberry leaf tea with nettles, red clover and dandelion leaf are all good choices. They are nutritive, blood building, mineral rich and can balance hormones.
Avoid:
1. Excess toxins from plastic packaging and from air pollution.
2. Avoid little sleep. In other words, get a good night sleep every night!
3. Foods to avoid include trans-fats and hydrogenated oils - if it says partially hydrogenated, avoid it!
4. Avoid simple carbs like sugar, corn syrup, white flour, soda, and donuts.
5. Finally, try to avoid processed and fried foods, caffeine and alcohol.
Lifestyle: Self-love! No matter what your past experience with being pregnant or trying to get pregnant, love yourself up. Be gentle with yourself and do something special just for you each day.
If you are struggling with hormone imbalances, consider working with a naturopathic doctor. If you are in Connecticut, feel free to contact me and see how I can help you.
Sources: 1. www.spectracell.com 2. Henmi H, Endo T, Kitajima Y, Manase K, Hata H, Kudo R. Effects of ascorbic acid supplementation on serum progesterone levels in patients with a luteal phase defect. Fertil Steril. 2003;80(2):459-461. 3. Xu Y, Nisenblat V, Lu C et al. Pretreatment with coenzyme Q10 improves ovarian response and embryo quality in low-prognosis young women with decreased ovarian reserve: a randomized controlled trial. Reproductive Biology and Endocrinology. 2018;16(1). 4. Gaby A. Nutritional Medicine, Second Edition. Concord: Fritz Perlberg Publishing; 2017. p. 1337-1343.
Medical Disclaimer: The information on DrTaraTranguch.com, and related blogs and emails, is provided for informational purposes only and is not intended to replace consultation with a qualified health care professional. It is not intended as medical advice and does not create a doctor-patient relationship between you and Dr. Tranguch. It is not intended for use in diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease, or prescribing treatment. Please consult your physician or healthcare professional before taking any medication or nutritional, herbal or homeopathic supplement, or beginning any treatment for any health problem. Information and statements regarding dietary supplements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.