One of the simplest and easiest ways to improve your chances of falling pregnant is by changing the way you eat and what to eat. Food plays an integral part in maintaining hormonal balance, in addition to regular exercise, adequate sleep, lifestyle choices, stress levels and genetics.  If we don’t feed our body with the nutrients it needs, our body cannot produce hormones correctly. The foods you eat provide your body with the building blocks needed to produce healthy eggs, sperm and ultimately a healthy baby.  Food plays such an important role in our day-to-day lives that we forget it’s a natural medicine for our health and wellbeing.   Hippocrates once famously said: “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.”  To start eating your way to a fertility we share our top 4 food groups and our favourite Bone Broth Recipe.

1. FATS

Fat is a major source of energy and helps our body to absorb nutrients from the food we consume. Good fats help maintain health hormone functions and help regulate the products of sex hormones. Fats also help fight inflammation and facilitate ovulation. The three fats that are crucial for fertility are Essential Fatty Acids – Omega 3, 6 and 9. For fertility we want to choose:

• Omega 3: which are found in fish oil, flaxseed oil, flax seeds, hemp seeds, salmon, sardines, walnuts, egg yolk, pumpkin seeds and avocados.
• Omega 6: found in evening primrose oil, grapeseed oil, peanut oil, safflower oil, sesame oil, poultry and meat.

2. PROTEIN

Protein is a major building block when it comes to fertility. Protein is vital for egg production growth of our endometrial lining, sperm production and for making follicle-stimulating hormone and lutenising hormone. You need an everage-szed serving of protein two-three times per day. Complete protein foods include:

• Fish: You should aim to eat fish twice per week. Be mindful that some fish contain high amounts of mercury. Angea suggests fish that are less polluted such as mackerel, trevally, sardines and salmon and avoiding larger varieties such as tuna, barramundi, orange roughy and flake.
• Chicken, use only free-range and certified organic where possible.
• Eggs: are an excellent source of protein. We recommend purchasing free range and certified organic where possible. If you have an allergy or gastrointestinal upset please limit your intake.
• Red Meat: Eat in moderation 1-2 per week. Avoid organ meats, offal and poor quality sausage meat. Avoid deli-meats which are high in nasty fats. Avoid Offal and sausages that contain preservatives. Choose free range and certified organic.
• Dairy: minimise intake of dairy such as cow’s milk and cheese, as it can contribute to mucus and malabsorption problems. Replace with coconut, almond, rice milk. Avoid soy all together as it has oestrogen mimicking properties.
• Quinoa: The only grain that’s completely protein is quinoa, as it’s full of fibre, magnesium, folate, zinc and manganese.

3. CARBOHYDRATES 

There are both good and bad carbohydrates. You should be eating plenty of ‘good’ complex carbohydrates, such as non-starchy vegetables and whole grains, while reducing your intake of ‘bad’ refined carbohydrates, such as sugar and white flour products (white bread and pasta). ‘Good carbs’ are complex in nature and are crucial to keeping our bodies and brains regulated. ‘Bad carbs’ can disrupt your hormone balance causing your blood sugar and insulin levels to spike. This can leach nutrients from your body stores and lead you to crave more of those foods.

• Starchy vegetables: low starch vegetables and low in sugar and high in fibre include broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, oatmeal, rye, wild rice, black beans, chickpeas, kidney beans, lentils, sweet potato and pumpkin. Vegetables should be steamed and or stir fried in good fats or dry-baked in tin foil. Do not microwave any foods.
• Fruit: Fruits such as grapefruit, apples, pears, strawberries, blueberries and blackberries. If having fresh juice consume with a shot of ginger. Avoid dried fruits as they’re high in sugar.
• Grains: Eat only whole grains. Whole grains are high in fiber and have immune boosting properties and vitamins. Fiber is important for eliminating excess hormones in the body and keeping blood sugar regulated. Choose brown rice over white, and quinoa, sprouted bread or whole wheat gluten free pasta. Avoid refined flour products and bakery products.
• Sugar: Minimise or completely eliminate all sweet things, including sugar substitutes, undiluted fruit juices, cakes, biscuits, soft drinks and chocolate.
• Alcohol: Avoid alcohol.

4. FERMENTED FOODS

Naturally fermented foods are super nourishing and are great to improve gut function. Fermented vegetables such as:

• Sauerkraut and Kimchi which are packed with billions of good bacteria and are easy to absorb and not to mention a great source of probiotics whilst boosting your immune system.
• Kefir: Fermented milk drink cleans the intestines and has smooch good bacteria it helps to create a healthy digestive system.
• Kombucha Tea: Kombucha helps bring the body back into balance by healing the gut and detoxifying the body.

5. BONE BROTH

Bone Broth has been around for centuries and is used in many cultures as a natural medicine for the body. It heals deeply and its nutrients and benefits are extensive. When it comes to fertility,  broth is an elixir of life. It’s loaded with  amino acids, minerals, alongside collagen, fat and protein. It has all the building blocks to create healthy embryos and babies. Broth supports you during every stage of your fertility journey- conception, pregnancy and post partum. In the clinic, it’s one of our foundational protocols. Click on the link to download our Recipe  Bone Broth recipe here. For those who are time poor, we also stock Broth Bliss.

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Amanda shares her wealth of knowledge and clinical experience in the field of fertility. Practising for over 10 + years, Amanda takes you on a journey, preparing your body, mind and spirit for conception in her book “Get Your Body Baby Ready”  for only $19.95.