A Message on Fertility & Food
In order to create a fertile environment in the body, one can support wellness through healthy food choices. According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, food is used as medicine. Food has the incredible capability to heal physical imbalances or cause life threatening consequences like diabetes or cardiovascular disease. The food we choose to ingest ultimately results in the overall make up of our cellular health. By choosing foods that are whole and organic, we can nourish our body thereby creating a fertile environment. At Family Tree Acupuncture, we support a balanced diet that nurtures each individual, depending upon their diagnosis. Each person is unique, therefore requires individual recommendations. However, there are general recommendations to improve overall health, wellness, and fertility. We encourage a healthy diet and increased fertility through nutritional education. Bon appetit!
Basics:
1. Whole Foods
Organic fruits & vegetables
Legumes
Nuts/Seeds
Oats
Quinoa
2. Slow Carbs
Beans
Peas
Spinach
Kale
Broccoli
Sweet Potatoes
Quinoa
3. Plant Based Foods
Rainbow of high fiber
Root vegetables
Kale
spinach
4. High Antioxidant Foods
Foods with Vitamin C & E
Berries
Beans (Small Red & Red Kidney)
Artichoke
Prunes
Cherry
Plum
Granny Smith Apple
Herbs, Spices
5. Healthy Fats
Polyunsaturated oils, essential fatty acids
Functions of EFAs - promote healthy, youthful skin & hair, support thyroid & adrenal activity, bolster immunity, and promote blood and nerves.
Avocados
Coconut Oil
Nuts & Seeds (almond, flax, pumpkin)
Salmon
Olives/EVOO
Nut butter
6. High Quality - Full Fat Dairy
Full fat hard cheeses
Goat & sheep cheese
9 Fertility Wonder Foods:
1. Beans
2. Berries
3. Cinnamon
4. Brazil Nuts
5. Iron (beans, nuts, greens)
6. Millet
7. Omega 3 Oils
8. Pineapple
9. Yams
Harvard Health Recommendations:
Avoid trans fats. These artery-clogging fats threaten fertility as well harm the heart and blood vessels. Go trans free.
Use more unsaturated vegetable oils. Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats help improve the body's sensitivity to insulin and cool inflammation, two trends that are good for fertility. Add in more vegetable oils, nuts, seeds, and cold water fish such as salmon and sardines. Cut back on saturated fat.
Turn to vegetable protein. Replacing a serving of meat each day with beans, peas, or nuts can improve fertility.
Choose slow carbs, not no carbs. Choosing slowly digested carbohydrates that are rich in fiber, like whole grains, vegetables, whole fruits, and beans, instead of rapidly digested carbs can improve fertility by controlling blood sugar and insulin levels.
Take a multi-vitamin. Getting extra folic acid (400 micrograms a day) before you get pregnant could actually help you start eating for two.
Get plenty of iron from plants. Extra iron from plants, including whole-grain cereals, spinach, beans, pumpkin, tomatoes, and beets, appears to promote fertility.
Drink to your health. The best beverage for keeping your body hydrated is water. (Coffee and alcohol should be avoided.) Skip sugared sodas—they appear to promote ovulatory infertility.
Head toward the fertility zone for weight. Weighing too much or too little can interrupt normal menstrual cycles, throw off ovulation or stop it altogether. The best range for fertility is a body-mass index (BMI) of 20 to 24. Working to move your BMI in that direction by gaining or losing some weight is almost as good.
Move to the fertility zone for activity. If you don't get much physical activity and are above the fertility zone for weight, daily exercise can help improve fertility. But don't overdo it: too much exercise, especially if you are quite lean, can interfere with ovulation.
Other Recommendations:
Eliminate plastics from lifestyle - research has shown that plastics increase xeno estrogens which can disturb hormone levels. Use ceramic, glass, or cast iron to prepare foods.
Prenatal Vitamin - Whole Foods Based - Brands we recommend: Mega Foods: Baby & Me, New Chapter.
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