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Diet Plans for Infertility

Apr 28, 2011 | By Tracy Morris
Diet Plans for Infertility
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You've been trying to get pregnant with no positive results so far. You may have even consulted a fertility specialist. You're willing to do what it takes to optimize your lifestyle and health to have a baby. One of the things frequently mentioned is diet and its impact on fertility. Though no single diet plan can guarantee a positive pregnancy test, there are many sound, fact-based nutritional tips that can guide you down the path to parenthood.

Practice Healthy Eating

Learn from reliable sources what is considered a healthy diet and incorporate it into your daily diet. Unlike dieting to lose weight, eating to optimize your fertility is a long-term project, not a quick fix. You generally will not see results in only a few days. Your level of fertility is perhaps very dependent on a series of events in your body, with what, when, and how you eat affecting developments.

Basic Nutrition

Your nutritional needs are not much different from other women, unless you have specific health conditions that warrant special dietary choices. If so, consult a registered dietitian to find out what's best for you. The most important thing you can do is eat foods known to be part of a healthy diet and stay the course. Since nutritional research news can be confusing, stay updated through reputable and unbiased professional sources online, starting with the United States Department of Agriculture's, or USDA, "Dietary Guidelines for Americans." The USDA's report includes 23 key recommendations for everyone plus six additional recommendations for special groups like pregnant women. The American Dietetic Association, or ADA, calls the USDA's guidelines an "Urgent Prescription for an Unhealthy Public" and the ADA applauds the guidelines' focus on recommending nutrient-dense foods with an emphasis on fruits, vegetables, whole grains and low-fat or fat-free dairy.

Correcting Infertility

Once you have the basic healthy diet down, you can make choices that zero in on your specific goals. Infertility results from numerous situations and health conditions, not just one thing. So if you're seeing a specialist and been given a diagnosis, chances are good you've been given dietary specifics. If not, infertility patient organizations like RESOLVE and the American Fertility Association can help you find a nutrition specialist who can guide you.

Weight and Fertility

Numerous studies now point to a connection between body weight, specifically body mass index or BMI, and fertility for both women and men. Research is showing that body fat impacts hormonal balance. The functioning of your reproductive organs is completely dependent on this balance. So some infertility patients, --- women and obese men --- are advised to lose weight, even before commencing any treatment. That's because weight loss achieved through healthy dieting and additional physical activity can generally result in increased fertility levels. Keep in mind that you can also be too thin for fertility's sake. Too much or too little body fat can disrupt that important hormonal balance. Make achieving a healthy, moderate weight your goal, if getting pregnant is your objective.

Optimizing Fertility

If you haven't gone through any diagnostic testing or if you've been told your cause of infertility is "unexplained," it's still a good idea to try boosting your chances of pregnancy through diet. Again, start with basic healthy nutrition guidance from reputable sources. Then, consider consulting a nutritionist specializing in fertility, a professional practitioner of either naturopathy or traditional Chinese medicine or check any of the growing number of books for food lists, recipes and menu ideas.

Infertility Diet Books

Books and programs specifically directed at infertile women are abundant. Aside from the slightly surprising finding published in "The Fertility Diet" that whole-fat dairy may be beneficial for ovulatory function, most instructions on how to eat when you're trying to conceive contain basic steps to good nutrition common for everyone. Still, you may find it helpful to have a batch of fertility-friendly recipes at the ready to keep your diet on track. Whole foods are emphasized so stick with unprocessed and unrefined ingredients and increase your fruits and veggie intake while reducing meat and saturated fats. Think "moderation" in terms of your weight, exercise and diet and your fertility should benefit.

References

Article reviewed by Chuck Goldberg Last updated on: Apr 28, 2011

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