Following an overall healthy diet containing foods with positive health benefits may increase your chances of getting pregnant, according to Harvard Health Publications. Avoiding certain substances known to increase the risk of miscarriage once you get pregnant can also impact your fertility. Keeping your weight within normal levels helps you ovulate normally, an essential part of getting pregnant. Both overweight and underweight women may have ovulatory dysfunction, which causes 25 percent of all infertility, Harvard Health adds. A body-mass index between 20 and 24 is optimal for fertility.
Polyunsaturated Fats
Many processed foods including donuts, cakes, cookies and chips, contain trans fats, sold synthetic fats known to increase bad cholesterol levels. According to Harvard Health Publications, trans fats also have harmful fertility effects. Switching to polyunsaturated fats, which supply essential fatty acids, may improve your chances of getting pregnant. Omega-3 fatty acids, found in fish and fish oil as well as flaxseed, add important nutrients to your diet when trying to conceive.
Complex Carbohydrates
All carbohydrates aren't equal. Whole grains and foods supply vital B and E vitamins, which are stripped away during the refining process, Gynob explains. Women with polycystic ovary syndrome, in particular, should eat complex rather than simple carbohydrates, because complex carbohydrates don't raise blood sugars as much, and many women with PCOS produce too much insulin, which can interfere with ovulation, BabyCenter states.
Full Fat Diary
Sometimes fat is what you need. Whole milk has more benefits when you're trying to get pregnant than skim milk, which may decrease fertility, Harvard Health reports. A small dish of ice cream of a full-fat yogurt could substitute for whole milk, if milk doesn't appeal to you, according to Harvard Health Publications. Dairy products also supply calcium necessary for strong bones. Calcium also benefits the nervous system and blood, Gynob adds.
Vegetables
Spinach and other vegetables such as pumpkin, tomatoes and beets supply iron, which may benefit fertility, Harvard states. In addition, spinach supplies folic acid, which should be taken before trying to get pregnant to prevent neural tube defects. Neural tube defects occur very early in pregnancy, often before you know you're pregnant. Women trying to get pregnant need at least 400 mcg of folic acid supplementation, in addition to dietary intake, BabyCenter states.
