Maximize Fertility & Prepare for Pregnancy, Part 2

Eating a healthy diet is all important for a woman wishing to become pregnant. Preparing your body ahead of time by eating the right things helps insure that you are in the best health possible. It is much easier to conceive and to produce a healthy baby when you are at the peak of health yourself.

Food choices are as important for the months leading up to pregnancy as they are during pregnancy. If you are a gardener you understand the importance of preparing the soil in order to germinate and grow the healthiest and strongest plants. Farmers prepare their soils for planting well in advance of planting the seeds. It is the same for our bodies. By making sure we have the right nutrients and eliminate what might be harmful we create the best environment for fertilization to take place and for a fetus to thrive.

What are some of those good food choices?

• Eat fresh, unprocessed, organic foods whenever possible. Buy fresh from a farmers market if you can and cook it yourself. This is the best way to get the nutrients that your body needs and to eliminate chemicals and preservatives that are harmful to your body. Buying from a farmers market ensures that the food is as fresh as possible and that more vitamins and minerals are still intact. Organic and pesticide free fruits and vegetables also are shown to have more nutrients present than those grown in fields sprayed with pesticides.

• Eat hormone free meats. We absolutely don't want to add synthetically produced hormones to our bodies by eating them in our food. This can disrupt the naturally produced hormones we make within our own bodies.
  

• Add foods containing omega 3 essential fatty acids like wild salmon, sardines and other oily fresh cold water fish that are low in mercury content. Other sources are flaxseeds (ground daily), walnuts, brussel sprouts, cabbage, soybeans and many others. Omega fats are important in maintaining reproductive capability and in fact, a deficiency can lead to infertility. Fatty acids are important components of cell structures, are necessary for skin and hair grow and are important in visual and neurological development. It is most important to have the omega fats present in your body for the developing fetus.
  

We've talked about good things to eat, but there are also important thing to eliminate or reduce.

• Eliminate coffee and caffeinated drinks. Coffee and caffeine can constrict blood vessels in the body, which include those leading to the uterus. To maximize fertility we want to increase the blood flow to the uterus at this time. A small amount of green tea is acceptable (1 small cup) if you must have caffeine.

• Eliminate alcohol which elevates blood sugar levels and leads to damp heat in the body. Damp heat in Chinese Medicine is considered a pathogen and can interfere with conception. Of course alcohol is contraindicated during pregnancy as it can be toxic to the fetus.
  

• Eliminate or reduce sugar. Sugar includes: honey, maple syrup, agave, corn syrup and others. I know this is one of the hardest things for my patients to give up, often even more difficult to stop than caffeine. However, sugar, especially in excess leads to inflammation and this is one of the enemies of fertility. So if you can at least greatly reduce sugar it will be to your benefit. Artificial sweeteners are also not the answer, they are chemically produced and may be injurious to your health.

These are just a few dietary suggestions that can greatly enhance your ability to become pregnant. Try these suggestions and see if you don't feel more energized, feel happier, sleep better and know you are increasing your fertility potential.

If you would like further information on the fertility diet or fertility acupuncture visit my website; http://www.bethanymuhl.com/ or call (310)367-1564.