The 3 essential nutritional changes you need to make to improve your fertility
It’s no secret that I believe proper nutrition is one of the key components of a healthy pregnancy, so today I wanted to share my top 3 dietary changes you should make to improve your fertility.
1. Eat Organic
The first change I encourage all my patients to make is to switch to an organic based diet. There is a huge difference in the quality of non-organic vs organic food. Now, I know that there is quite a lot of hype about whether you really need to switch to organic, especially with the associated costs, but let me assure you it makes a real difference.
The aim of eating organic is to reduce the toxic burden on the body so that we can free up energy for it to start functioning normally. We are naturally exposed to various toxins every day. Air Fresheners, paint, new furniture, air quality, cosmetics, plastics and cleaning products are just a few of the things we can be exposed to daily that can increase our toxic load.
Pesticides, toxins and harmful chemicals build up in our bodies and are stored in sneaky places, like fat cells, and place huge amounts of pressure on the liver and other organs to detoxify the body. Not only do they hang around a long time, they also wreak havoc with our hormones as many of these toxins are mistaken for oestrogen by the body.
I tell my patients the following:
Avoid dairy, but if you can’t, make sure it’s organic to avoid ingesting the excess hormones that are given to non-organic cows. Especially if you have endometriosis and PCOS.
Animal protein should be organic, grass fed, pasture raised and fish should be wild not farmed.
Tea also harbours many pesticides if it’s not organic. Look for loose leaf and avoid teabags that are not organic as the paper is high in fluoride.
I’ve included a quick cheat sheet for you to keep handy when visiting the supermarket. It’s called the Clean 15 and Dirty Dozen and explains which foods you should always buy organic and which ones you can buy conventionally. This list is an initiative put together by the EWG and is based on annual research they do on food.
2. Eat Fat- The right fat
The 90’s gave us lots of great things- good music, even better movies, the macarena, but the bad thing it served up (apart from the fashion) was the non-fat diet craze. The birth of the fat-free trend can be attributed to Nathan Pritikin, who claimed that by reducing fat in the standard American diet the incidence of heart disease would also be reduced. What Pritkin didn’t predict is that the absence of fat would give rise to a whole new beast of dietary changes- the overconsumption of processed carbohydrates and sugar resulting in an obesity epidemic and infertility.
Fat is essential for a healthy body.
Let me say that again- fat is essential for a healthy body.
We need to consume fat to produce hormones, without it, the body stops producing essential sex hormones like progesterone.
Not all fat is created equal
This point does not give you permission to head down to the store and pick up block of cheese, tubs of ice-cream and fried chicken, but it does give you permission to start adding oil to your salads, eat a whole avocado and to snack on nuts and seeds. The aim is to increase your Omega 3, 6 and 9 with healthy fats like olive oil, organic coconut oil, grass fed butter and ghee. Try to include fat with every meal and watch your hair, skin, nails and fertility improve.
- Edit: This post was updated to include proper reference to the Environmental Working Group’s Clean 15, Dirty Dozen
[thrive_leads id=’3593′]
3. Step away from the processed foods and sugars
Sometimes reaching for a frozen meal or a packet of crisps is just easier. I understand, I really do, but the ease of eating these foods creates many issues when you decide to start trying for a baby.
Overly processed, packaged foods are laden with sugars, chemicals, preservatives and refined carbohydrates and provide no real nutritional value. Get smart and make your own healthy snacks to have on hand when you are craving something sweet or salty.
Ideas are:
Vegetable sticks with hommus
Dates with almond butter
Banana and berry smoothie
Remember, stick to the isles on the outer edge of the supermarket where the fresh produce is and avoid the inner isles with the tempting snack foods and treats.
If you’re feeling a little overwhelmed with all this information then don’t fret because I have just what you need. I created my Fertility Meal Plan to help you get your nutrition in check to help ramp up your fertility. Download it today and get started on your pregnancy journey!
Are you struggling to get pregnant? If you have been trying to conceive for more than 6 months then it may be time to get checked out. I offer an over the phone coaching call to help you understand your lab result numbers and to create a clear plan to help you move closer to becoming pregnant. Find out more about how we can work together under Work with Me.
Are you ready to start using essential oils in your self-care routine? Head over to the Vibrant Blue Oils website and pick up our custom Fertility Support Kit today and make sure you watch the video to get all of Jodi’s tips for bringing oils into your life.
Are you struggling to get pregnant? If you have been trying to conceive for more than 6 months then it may be time to get checked out. I offer an over the phone coaching call to help you understand your lab result numbers and to create a clear plan to help you move closer to becoming pregnant. Find out more about my Lab Review + Fertility Coaching program.
If you enjoyed the video and information and would like to see more, please subscribe to Fertility TV.
[thrive_leads id=’3408′]
