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Preconception Nutrition - Vital for Fertility
Your preconception nutrition is vital. It plays a surprisingly large roll in fertility.
Even more surprising is how your body weight factors into your fertility. Almost everyone assumes that being overweight can negatively affect fertility. But did you realize that being underweight can also impact your fertility?
Healthy foods should be the cornerstone of your preconception nutrition plan. You need to eat plenty of good foods, including fats. Even if you are overweight you need healthy fats. Begin a good exercise program and cut out junk foods instead of cutting out fats. Here is what's important, and why:
Vital Ingredients to Your Preconception Diet
Pregnant women need plenty of high quality fats in their diet because they require fat-soluble vitamins. They also need to be able to synthesize the hormones that are needed for conception and many of these (including estrogen) are stored in your fat cells.
The fat found in dairy products is ideal because dairy products are very nutrient-dense foods.
Eggs are also excellent food for pregnant women. Dr. Thomas Brewer, who devoted most of his life to researching pregnancy nutrition, as well as midwives and doctors around the world encourage pregnant women to eat two eggs a day. Eggs provide plenty of iron and will help you build your stores pre-pregnancy.
Fish, and fish eggs if you enjoy caviar or sushi, are also excellent choices (stop sushi at ovulation in case you conceive that cycle - it's not recommended for pregnant women.)
Fish eggs have long been used in traditional cultures to promote fertility. If you can find high-quality cod liver oil to take in the preconception period take a teaspoon a day.
These foods are rich in nutrients and benefit your nervous system, which will help you to keep your spirits up and will benefit your baby when you get pregnant.
The Merits of Dairy
Consuming dairy products gives you an excellent nutritional package, including vitamin B6. B6 is vital to your health and having abundant B6 will prevent morning sickness. Drink fresh milk and enjoy robust cheeses as you try to conceive. You may want to take a fertility supplement rich in B6 starting at least six months before conception (or a high quality prenatal.) Midwife Judy Slome says that she has never seen a case of morning sickness in clients who take a B6 supplement in this manner.
Weston A. Price carried out extensive research on the nutritional habits of traditional cultures throughout the world. He found that the cultures who had strong, healthy babies all had special preconception nutrition programs. They fed women planning to conceive and pregnant women diets rich in seafood and high quality dairy products.
These women also enjoyed butter, which is high in vitamins and is a healthy fat to moderately flavor foods. Butter is rich in some minerals, such as zinc, which is essential to healthy reproduction in both men and women. You can read more about Weston A. Price's research in Nutrition and Physical Degeneration
and at the WAP Foundation's diet for pregnant and nursing mothers.
Fabulous Fats
Speaking of fats, you have probably heard all the talk of DHA and EPA, which are long chain omega-3 fatty acids. Experts are coming to realize how vitally important it is to get plenty of these omega-3's in everyone's diet, but they are especially vital to women who are planning to conceive, pregnant women, and nursing mothers.
Seafoods are one of the best sources of these omega-3's. Enhance your preconception nutrition with foods such as salmon will give you plenty of omega-3's. If you choose tuna limit it to one serving a week as fish high in mercury (as tuna can be) are best limited.
Delightful Digestion
Eating organic organ meats is an excellent way to get plenty of vitamins and minerals through your preconception nutrition. Choose organic liver and other organic organ meats. Also enjoy tasty fermented foods such as sauerkraut and kim chee. These foods enhance digestion and nutrient absorption. Find varieties that are traditionally prepared and are lacto-fermented.
Fermented dairy products such as kefir and yogurt are excellent choices. Also enjoy plenty of fresh, leafy greens for their unsurpassed nutritional value. Choosing sprouted grain breads ensures that your breads will be easy to digest.
If you cannot find sprouted breads or don't care to make your own, choose whole grain breads and cereals. Freshly milled grains are the best choice because they have all the vitmin content in tact.
Research shows that whole grain rapidly deteriorate - in a matter of days. Purchasing freshly ground grains or grinding your own at home ensures the highest preconception nutrition possible. Soak any grains, legumes and hot cereals you eat.
What you drink is also important. Drink plenty of fresh water every day. Limit (or better yet, eliminate) sodas, colas, and caffeinated drinks. Enjoy fresh cold water, and juices with pulp (in moderation). You can also sip warm broths and soups. If you enjoy tea, you may want to try an herbal preconception nutrition tea which contains ingredients to enhance your rate fertility and to enhance your body's overall function.
Your partner should be following the same dietary guidelines and enjoying the same excellent nutritional standards that you are. It will enhance his fertility and his health. Fish and high quality dairy, as well as leafy greens, whole grains, fresh meats, and fermented foods will make him healthier, more robust, and improve his fertility.
If conception is more than seven months away, you can do a cleansing fast. In the six months leading up to conception, however, you need to be eating nutrient dense foods. You can also begin taking a vitamin and mineral supplement.
Choosing a formula blended to enhance fertility is ideal. These special formulas provide vitamins, minerals, and herbs to balance and enhance your fertility naturally. They also ensure that you are getting the folic acid and other vitamins vital to your future baby's health - a safety net in your preconception nutrition plan
Plan your preconception nutrition carefully and be sure that you are getting all the vitamins and minerals you need. Remove processed foods from your diet and enjoy good, natural foods.
Snack on fresh fruits and veggies when you feel hungry between meals. Take your vitamins and encourage your partner to develop healthy habits along with you. You'll know that both of your bodies are in prime condition for conception!
You may also want to read the pages on pregnancy nutrition.