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Community Corner

Part 2: Four Small Changes to Improve Fertility

While nutrition alone may not solve fertility challenges, smart choices can increase your odds.

Last week, we discussed to adopt if you have decided to start trying for a baby. This week, we look at four more nutrition-related tips that may help in your quest to conceive.

1.) Drink a glass of whole milk or eat full-fat yogurt every day.

Interestingly, the type of dairy included in a woman’s diet greatly influenced her chances of getting pregnant: The more low-fat dairy products, the more likely she was to have had trouble getting pregnant. The more full-fat dairy products in a woman’s diet, the less likely she was to have had problems getting pregnant. So, temporarily take a break from skim! Although a diet low in saturated fat offers many health benefits throughout life, a daily serving or two of whole milk or other full-fat dairy products may improve your chances of getting pregnant. Why? It appears that removing fat from milk may change its balance of sex hormones in a way that could tip the scales against ovulation and conception.

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Bottom line: Aim for no more than 1-2 servings of full-fat dairy per day and make sure to do the necessary dietary readjusting to keep your calorie count in check.

2.) Take a multivitamin.

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Take a multivitamin that contains folic acid and the other B vitamins in addition to eating a healthy diet. Findings from the Nurses’ Health Study indicate that 700mcg of folic acid are needed to improve ovulation and conception (folic acid-containing foods: fortified breakfast cereals, lentils, garbanzo beans, spinach, asparagus, orange juice, lima beans, whole-wheat bread). For iron, the source mattered most—women who got most of their iron from meat weren’t protected at all against infertility. In contrast, iron from fruits, vegetables, beans, and supplements improved the chances of getting pregnant (iron-containing foods: pumpkin seeds, spinach, kidney beans, cashews, raisins, prunes, whole-wheat bread, egg yolk, peanut butter).

Bottom line: Get plenty of iron from fruits, vegetables, beans, and supplements as opposed to red meat.

3.) Aim for a healthy weight.

Losing between 5-10 percent of your weight can greatly increase your chances of conceiving. A Body Mass Index (BMI) in the range of 20-24 is considered to be in the “fertility zone.” Fertility in overweight men may also improve from a modest 5-10 percent weight loss.

Bottom line: Consult with a registered dietitian if you need expert assistance dropping a few pounds in a healthy and safe manner.

4.) You have to move it!

If you aren’t physically active, start a daily exercise plan. If you already exercise, pick up the pace of your workouts. Inactivity deprives muscles of the constant push and pull they need to stay healthy. It also decreases their ability to respond effectively to insulin and efficiently absorb blood sugar. Just don’t overdo it—especially if you are quite lean, since too much exercise can work against conception.

Bottom line: 30-60 minutes of physical activity per day is recommended. If you are just starting out, remember that slow and steady wins the race every time. Try doing 10-15 minutes of brisk walking three or four times per day. It all adds up!  

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