Here’s our simple guide to the best fertility foods for conception and things you can do to get your life baby fit and your body ready for pregnancy.
Have a balanced, healthy diet is absolutely essential for a successful preconception care program. I have often come across women who think they have a very healthy diet, while I find that what they actually eat, only do them more harm.
For example, some women eat muesli bars and cereals (which have a lot of hidden salts) and have fat-free products (which hide artificial sweeteners that are like poisons for the body), thinking they are healthy food as they are low in calories; other women have lots of salad and consume not organic fruit and vegetable, which contain high levels of pesticides and phosphate. These affect the nervous system, therefore the endocrine system too, often causing hormonal imbalance in women.
I believe that only through understanding better our dietary needs, what are the best healthy food for a successful preconception care program and the quality of the food we eat, we can make a real progression and improve women's health.
I usually recommend my clients to see a dietician for a proper customised plan.
(Please get in touch if you would like some referrals).
Nevertheless, I decided to include some general guidelines and info about what is considered to be a healthy diet focused on preconception care so you can start to figure out if you can improve any of your eating habits and add more healthy food to your plate.
WHEN IS A GOOD TIME TO START INCORPORATING FERTILITY FOODS FOR CONCEPTION?
Best time to start including the type of foods that we will list below, would be at least 3 months before trying to conceive. This is just a general advice, as the followings fertility tips are always good to be adopted, whenever you are in your fertility journey.
WHAT ARE THE BEST FERTILITY FOODS FOR CONCEPTION?
Filtered water (tap water could contain a high level of oestrogen from the contraceptive pill as the water has been recycled)
Focus on folate. Research shows how folic acid is important to prevent several health conditions in unborn babies, such as neural tube birth defects like spina bifida and perhaps autism. You can find folate in Green leafy vegetables such as spinach and broccoli, legumes and fruit like strawberries and bananas. It is also advised to get a folic acid supplement targeted at women who are planning to conceive or for pregnant women.
Fibres (organic fresh fruit and veg, unrefined carbs, nuts & seeds) as they clear out old hormones preventing oestrogen from being reabsorbed, thus balancing hormonal levels. They help to get rid of chemicals, pesticides, toxic metals preventing their reabsorption. It is important to not overcook food rich in fibres, otherwise, the fibres get destroyed.
Adequate proteins - necessary for egg production
Get a good Multivitamins supplement
WHAT FOOD SHOULD YOU REDUCE TO BOOST YOUR CHANCES OF CONCEPTION?
Red meat. Never cook it at high temperature as this could damage the genetic material of your eggs.
Caffeine products/ tea
Artificial additives/ processed food
White flour, bread.
Sugar
Canned food
Salt
No organic food is usually high in phosphate and pesticides. They affect the nervous system, therefore the endocrine system too, causing hormonal imbalances in women.
Be aware that not organic:
MILK - contain a high level of oestrogen
MEAT - contain a high level of steroids (as steroids make the animals growing quicker) and antibiotics. Antibiotics given to animals are affecting us more and more. How? They affect our intestine and people are getting more resistant to antibiotics. They may cause Dysbiosis, an imbalance of the bacteria of the gut, as they wipe out the good bacteria which produce important vitamins for conception.
This leads to:
Poor absorption of vitamins and minerals necessary for healthy eggs and sperm
Aggravating syndromes such as IBS/IBD/Chrone’s disease
constipation or diarrhoea
Mood swing (as the gut is part of our enteric nervous system)
Arthritis type symptoms because they increase inflammation
Cognitive issues (i.e. autism)
...in a nutshell: eat plenty of ORGANIC & NATURAL Healthy FOOD as possible!
WHAT ARE THE BEST FERTILITY FOODS FOR CONCEPTION TO ENHANCE YOUR GUT HEALTH?
Fermented food,
Bio live yoghurt;
limit/avoid no organic, fat-free and fructose-rich food;
Probiotics supplements. They contain the so-called "friendly bacteria" that can supposedly restore the natural balance of your gut bacteria, therefore enhancing the correct amounts of nutrients, vitamins and minerals necessary for the body to function properly.
WHAT ARE THE BEST HERBS TO BOOST YOUR CHANCES OF CONCEPTION?
NETTLE - is rich in nutrients, minerals and high in iron. It is deeply nourishing, especially for the womb. It may also support kidney health, may clear urinary tract infections and is incredibly effective at reducing seasonal allergies. You can enjoy nettle as a tea, as a food as a tincture or as an extract powder and make all sorts of delicious dishes, tea’s, broths and beyond with it.
SHATAVARI is considered an adaptogenic super tonic for the womb according to Ayurveda, the Indian natural health medicine. It can immensely help with physical and psychological stress often associated associated to hormonal imbalances and reproductive disorders and help balancing sluggish menstruation or a heavy flow. Research has shown how this powerful herb may assist conditions such as PCOS, follicular growth and development, infertility thus improving general reproductive health. You can enjoy it as as a tea, capsule, tincture or in food.
BLACK COHOSH is an herb for women used fro century by Native Americans. It is often used for symptoms of menopause, premenstrual syndrome (PMS), PCOS, painful menstruation, even tough it can be used for a wide array of purposes such as colds, rheumatism, kidney disorders, menstrual disorders, to induce labor, lactation and more. You can enjoy it as a tea, tincture or capsule.
RED RASPBERRY LEAF are high in several powerful antioxidant compounds, including vitamin C, quercetin, ellagic acid, containing a variety of other nutrients, such as magnesium, potassium, vitamin K, calcium, and iron ( R ). It is a unique medicinal food that was one of the primary food amongst many cultures around the world. Although it’s not technically a pain-reliever, it has been used widely from women dealing with PMS, premenstrual bloating, heavy period flows, and endometriosis (R). For best results use fresh or dried leaves, otherwise enjoy it as a tea or tincture.
VITEX (Chasteberry) directly enhances the function of the pituitary gland, which is a primary gland that regulates hormone secretion. Vitex can help bring back menstruation for women suffering from amenorrhea, and may help with PMS, PCOS, fertility challenges, irregular menstrual cycles. You can find it in tincture or capsule form.
DONG QUAI - is an herb widely used in Traditional Chinese Medicine. It seems to have the ability to regulate oestrogen levels, thus strengthening the uterus, improving uterine tone and regulating the menstrual cycle. You can find it in a tincture or root decoction.
MORINGA LEAF is an excellent source of many vitamins and minerals, such as vitamin B6, B2, Vitamin C, Iron, Vitamin A, Magnesium, B2, and it is super high in vitamin C. You can enjoy it fresh or as a powder and add it to food, beverages, and beyond.
WHAT ELSE CAN YOU DO TO TO BOOST YOUR CHANCES OF CONCEPTION?
1. CUT YOUR ALCHOL INTAKE
There are few studies about the effect of alcohol on fertility and why both women and men shall avoid it in order to get pregnant fast! Two alcoholic beverages a day may decrease a woman’s fertility by nearly 60 percent. Likewise, high amounts of alcohol can affect sperm counts, quality sperm, and may cause erectile dysfunction.
2. QUIT SMOKING
Tobacco is associated with an increased risk of infertility. It seems to affect the success of IVF cycles and increase the risk for ectopic pregnancy and miscarriage.”
In men it contributes to lower sperm counts and motility and increases abnormalities in sperm shape and function.
3. BE A HEALTHY WEIGHT
The best start for baby? Experts say trim down BEFORE you conceive
It may sound as a cliche but being at a healthy weight and having a healthy diet are two of the most important things for a successful pregnancy. Being extremely underweight or overweight both cause hormone imbalances. Women who are underweight may stop ovulating as the body needs at least 18% of body fat to ovulate. Heavily restricted diets combined with excess amounts of exercise have been found to be more injurious than beneficial. Weight should be a balance between energy intake, storage and expenditure of energy.
On the other side, being overweight is linked to lots of fertility issues both affecting women and men. Overweighted women may experience irregular ovulation and they have an increased risk of miscarriage. Obese Men can suffer from erectile dysfunction and low quality sperm.
4. TRY OUR ACUPUNCTURE FOR FERTILITY LONDON
Research has shown how acupuncture for fertility is one of the best natural treatment to help women resume ovulation, especially those suffering from PCOS and so her chances of conceiving. Acupuncture for fertility aims to naturally regulate ovulation and menstruation by stimulating the organs, improving blood flow, normalising hormone levels and promoting the proper functioning of the reproductive system.
If you’d like to learn more how we can help you, please read our article “how to boost your fertility with acupuncture”
OUR ACUPUNCTURE FOR FERTILITY LONDON AT A TO ZEN THERAPIES
If you are thinking to try acupuncture for fertility, speak to your gynaecologist so she can help you weigh your options and establish a timeline that you can follow to feel more in control. Before receiving an acupuncture for fertility treatment is sometimes useful to have blood work done so that you can identify any possible underlying problems and we can be even more specific when treating you.
Book today your first appointment, and increase your chances of getting pregnant fast with our truly holistic approach!
We look forward to hearing your thoughts about this article! We hope you now have a better idea of how to do boost your fertility & combat menstrual cycle symptoms & hormonal imbalance in women in a natural way!
