For women, an integral part of our nature is to conceive and become a mother. Although it comes naturally at a certain point in our lives, not all women are immediately able to conceive a child. Fortunately, along with several options for treatment, there is a weight loss diet for fertility.
Even if the main point of the diet is to be healthy enough to conceive, other aspects of our lives may also be resolved through this specific type of diet. A weight-loss diet for fertility is not impossible since eating right allows you to have proper metabolism of the food that you consume. This sounds promising and is worth trying out even if you are not trying to get pregnant.
Let’s dig in further to know the different types of diet and how it can help lose weight while boosting fertility. First, we must understand that there are certain foods that can help improve our ovulatory function. With this diet, we can feel guilt-free as we deliciously enjoy dining our way to a fulfilling, and healthy pregnancy through a conception diet.
According to a nutritionist in St. Petersburg, Florida, eating as if you are already pregnant is the key to preparing your body for conception.
So if you are ready to know the tips and tricks towards a healthy lifestyle with weight loss and promotion of fertility, then, by all means, do read further.
- Eating the right fruits and veggies – if you want to have a better egg quality, you must load your plate with lots of fruits and vegetables. For your diet, you must ensure that half of your plate is composed of fresh fruits and veggies. Watermelon, asparagus, and kale are great in helping metabolize estrogen. Juicing kale and other greens, plus goji berries contain phytochemicals that are essential for fertility. Eating a bigger but healthier breakfast is proven to help women with their fertility problems.
- Taking in good fats – include in your diet healthy and plant-based fats in moderation. Some good fats such as nuts, avocados, olive oil, and grapeseed oil are known to aid women in combating infertility. Avoid all trans fat and eat more healthy, unsaturated fats. Trans fats are highly associated with higher risks for ovulatory infertility because of the negative effects on insulin sensitivity.
- Adding in complex carbs to your diet – you have to eat more complex or slow carbs while limiting highly processed ones. If you take in bad carbs, your body digests them very quickly and turns them into blood sugar. In order to manage the spike in blood sugar, the pancreas immediately releases insulin into the bloodstream. According to studies, those women with high insulin levels appear to inhibit ovulation. About a quarter of your plate must be filled with complex carbs such as brown rice since less gluten can reduce inflammatory responses in the body. Women with PCOS or polycystic ovarian syndrome are recommended to cut down carbs.
- Having a good amount of protein – Eating fish, chicken, turkey, pork, and beef trimmed of fat are amazing sources of protein, zinc, and iron. These are all important building blocks for a healthy pregnancy. Get less protein from red meat and eat more fish to shed on that excess weight. If you want the better option to increase fertility, you may opt for plant-based protein such as beans, nuts, seeds, lentils, and chickpeas which are super protein sources.
- Adding in dairy products – For dairy products, it is best to consume one or two servings of whole milk or other full-fat dairy foods such as yogurt and less non- and low-fat dairy. Studies show that a high intake of low-fat dairy has been shown to raise the risk of ovulatory infertility, compared to the intake of high-fat dairy. Greek-style yogurt is one of the top fertility foods for getting pregnant.
- Sugar – In order to come up with the best results for this fertility diet, you need to cut down your sugar intake. If you think that you are pregnant, it might be good to avoid alcohol entirely. Artificial sweeteners give your body stress in your systems that they create a cortisol response that inhibits ovulation.
- Benefits of Whole Foods – Choose whole foods over processed options. Take advantage of the iron in plants. Extra iron that comes from plants such as whole-grain cereals, spinach, beans, pumpkins, tomatoes, and beets often promotes fertility. Learn to reduce flour-based products such as bread, white rice, and pasta. You also need to eat more fiber to get rid of excess hormones and keep your blood sugar levels to a balance.
- Caffeine – You may drink coffee, tea, and alcohol in moderation and avoid sugary drinks to boost your ovulation. Keep your body hydrated by drinking lots and lots of water. Coffee, tea, and alcohol are okay in moderation. But skip sugared sodas since they appear to promote ovulatory infertility. Eliminate alcohol because they are mostly high in sugar.
- What soy can do – You need to avoid processed soy especially powders and energy bars. Men must avoid them as it can affect their testosterone levels.
- Vitamins that help boost fertility – Aside from eating healthy foods, you must also take in supplements or vitamins that contain at least 400 micrograms of folic acid and 40 to 80 milligrams of iron.
All these necessary food and steps above are for nothing if you weigh too much or too little. You also need to do your part to do some exercises just to stay fit and shed off those extra calories. Normal menstrual cycles get interrupted if you are not able to maintain a healthy and sound body and mind. In order to complete the package, you need to eat foods rich in antioxidants.
And now that you have an idea on a weight loss diet for fertility, you are well on your way towards achieving your goals for conceiving a healthy baby. And when you finally achieve your goals for conception, remember to maintain a healthy diet since that will both be good for you and your developing baby in your tummy.
