Fertility nutrition guidelines apply both when trying to conceive naturally, and when using assisted reproductive technologies like IUI, IVF, and ICSI. It’s common to see guidelines get into the nitty gritty of what can be done to optimize fertility.
However, for many people, these changes are not sustainable and can add stress. In order to avoid an all-or-nothing approach to fertility nutrition, follow these base level guidelines. They will help you address the most important changes you can make to help you try to conceive.
Additionally, fertility nutrition is a good way to make sure that you get more out of your fertility acupuncture treatments. These guidelines apply whether you’re providing the egg, the sperm, or are a gestational carrier.
Fertility nutrition guidelines to prioritize
Eat protein with every meal
Start by building your plate with enough protein at every meal. If you’re just starting on the fertility nutrition journey, don’t overthink the types of protein too much. If you’re choosing animal proteins, it’s always encouraged to opt for products sourced from animals grown in healthy conditions in order to ensure maximum nutrient content and limited toxins. Plant proteins are also a great option.
You should aim for about 30 grams of protein per meal. Protein is important for blood sugar management, hormonal health, immune function, and tissue and cell integrity. These are all aspects that can affect the ability to conceive.
Include healthy fats on your plate
Healthy fats sourced from nuts, seeds, eggs, olives, and avocados are also an important component of fertility nutrition. You don’t need large portions at each meal. Fats are an important building block for hormones, they help regulate inflammation, and help improve the quality of eggs and sperm. Additionally, they help balance blood sugar levels and absorb fat-solluble vitamins and antioxidants.
Add loads of vegetables
Vegetables in every colour of the rainbow will help ensure you get a good variety of antioxidants which are essential for egg and sperm health. Additionally, vegetables provide many other nutrients and fibre to help balance blood sugar levels and hormones.
You can also include fruits such as berries as part of your fertility nutrition plan, but aim for more vegetables than fruits.
Focus on cooked and warm foods
There’s a concept in Traditional Chinese Medicine called “cold womb”. This happens most when people eat lots of cold and raw foods or spend time in cold environments without warm clothing. It’s the fertility equivalent of trying to bake bread in a cold oven.
In more biomedical terms, it can be described as limiting the blood flow to the reproductive organs.
Final note on fertility nutrition guidelines
There’s a lot of discussion about completely avoiding things like sugar, dairy, and sometimes gluten for fertility. While these are valid considerations, you should first focus on implementing the basics mentioned in this post. It’s important to make sure that all the necessary nutrients are in place first. Then, it becomes much easier to work on eliminations when you’ve replaced them with balanced nutrients.
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