Fertile Foods?
Can you eat your way to better fertility?
Yes and no. Mostly the answer is no. Diet changes can’t change your partner’s sperm count, the patency and function of your tubes (i.e. are they open and picking up eggs) or improve the quality of your eggs (since you were born with them).
This means that giving up alcohol, caffeine and other indulgences won’t necessarily improve your fertility!
But of course, too much of anything can be harmful, so limit the amount that you consume daily.
Speaking of too much: too much food WILL hamper your fertility. If you are very overweight (over a Body Mass Index of 30) or are GAINING weight while trying to get pregnant, you most likely ARE compromising your fertility.
In one study, fertility declined by 4% for every BMI point over 28! Weight can also cause some birth defects and lead to more problems with the birth that can harm the baby.
So if you are OVER WEIGHT, losing weight BEFORE conceiving is a really good idea. You will be more likely to get pregnant AND have a healthier pregnancy and baby. All Good!
How do you do that? Well the real truth is that exercise only helps a little. In women, limiting what you eat has a much bigger effect on weight loss. The best way to do this for fertility is a low carbohydrate diet such as the South Beach Diet or the Paleo Diet. Even small amounts of weight loss can have positive effects, so start today!
