With Thanksgiving around the corner, we know our patients are looking forward to the great food and fellowship with family. However, if you’re trying to conceive, it’s best you learn the relationship between nutrition and fertility. Find out the best and worst foods for your reproductive health.
Learning about Your Nutrition and Fertility
Foods that Decrease Fertility
Certain foods you eat may influence possible fertility issues. When you eat bad carbs, your body digests them quickly and turns them into blood sugar. To slow down your blood sugar level, your pancreas will pump insulin to your bloodstream. And when your insulin levels are too high, they could hinder the process of ovulation.
According to a recent study, women who consumed foods with a high glycemic load were “92 percent more likely to have ovulatory infertility than women” with a lower glycemic load. It is best to limit your intake of these foods that are a possible danger to your fertility:
- Sugary sodas and fruit drinks
- Starches
- Red meat
- Trans fats
- Cookies and cakes
- White bread and white rice
Trans fats include processed baked and snack foods, animal products, french fries, and margarine. They can increase your insulin resistance, which could be detrimental to your health. Insulin moves glucose from the bloodstream to the cells. If there’s resistance, it’s harder to move those glucose cells. Your pancreas will keep pouring insulin into your blood, and this high insulin level can cause metabolism issues that affect ovulation.
Best Foods to Increase Fertility
This Thanksgiving, pay attention to what you eat. To protect and maintain your nutrition and fertility, you only want to put the best things in your system. Try incorporating complex carbohydrates into your diet. Eat foods with fiber like fruits, vegetables, beans and whole grains. Plant proteins are also great because they are full of healthy fats, and they’re low in calories. They’re especially helpful for weight loss. Plant proteins come from beans, nuts, seeds and tofu.
In addition to creating a fertility diet plan, you should also be mindful of your weight. Stay active and exercise while you eat right.
Stay up to Date with Fertility Info
This holiday season, don’t lose track of your goals. Keep up with the latest news and information about fertility by checking in with our blog every week. We post everything you need to know about your fertility treatments journey.
