Do you really need a special fertility diet? Yes, it is critically important!
Brenda wants to do whatever she can to conceive normally, have an easy pregnancy and birth, and have a healthy baby. She knows she needs to take good care of herself, but what does that mean? She suspects her diet has to make a difference, but wonders what is most important.
Is a special Fertility Diet important?
Yes! What you eat and the nutrition it provides may be the most important factor of all for your health and fertility. Your attitude is the other critically important factor. That part may be easy if you are in love with the partner of your dreams and basking in the joy of starting a family together. But food? That may take more thought.
The most important dietary factors include the following:
- Fat-soluble vitamins
- Minerals
- Avoid refined and processed foods
- Avoid soy products
Fat-soluble vitamins include vitamins A, D, E and K2. They are critically important for your health. You need them to make hormones, for absorption of your minerals, to prevent birth defects, for immune function, for the proper development of your fetus, and much more.
The best sources for these vitamins include raw dairy products, organ meats, shellfish and fish, egg yolks, grass-fed animal products, cod liver oil and insects. Oops, most of us have lost our taste for the last food.
Vitamins A and D are only found in animal products.
Minerals are essential for the growth, repair and proper function of the human body. They are needed for proper reproductive function for both women and men.
The best mineral sources are plant foods grown in, and animal foods from animals grazed on, mineral rich soils. Other sources include bone broths, unrefined salt, and mineral rich water.
Avoid refined and processed foods. These foods do not supply you with the critical nutrients that you need to be healthy and create a healthy child. They contain calories, but lack nutrition. Avoid refined sugar and flour. Avoid added chemicals in the form of flavors, dyes or additives. Avoid all trans fats; they are dangerous to your health.
Avoid soy products. Soy is difficult to digest and has factors that can interfere with the absorption of other nutrients. Soy is known to have unhealthy estrogen-like effects, on both women and men. Soy also interferes with proper thyroid function.
Traditional soy foods in small amounts are usually fine. This includes traditional fermented soy products such as miso, natto and tempeh. Avoid all other soy, and beware as it is often added to processed foods.
To Your Vibrant Health!
Veronica Tilden, DO