At the beginning of a new year, most of us think about what we’ve accomplished in the last 365 days and where we’d like to be by next January 1st. Making resolutions is an important part of this goal-setting process. If one of your resolutions is to get pregnant within the next year, optimizing your fertility and health overall can be a key focus.
Nutrition can play a pivotal role in infertility. Use the sample resolutions below to jumpstart fertility-friendly eating habits and set yourself up for a healthy pregnancy.
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Prioritize Whole Foods:
Choose nutrient-dense whole foods like brightly-colored fruits and veggies, whole grains like brown rice and 100% whole wheat bread, lean proteins, nuts, seeds, and fatty fish. These foods are chock full of the vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and fiber that support reproductive health.
Balance Your Plate:
Balanced meals should include all of the macronutrients: protein, carbohydrates, and fats. Fill half of your plate with non-starchy veggies, a quarter of your plate with lean proteins, and a quarter of your plate with complex carbs in the form of whole grains. Incorporate healthy fats like olive oil, nuts, seeds, fish, or avocado.
Practice Mindful Eating:
Embrace mindful eating by paying attention to hunger and fullness cues. Slow down, savor each bite, and be aware of portion sizes. Mindful eating fosters a better connection with your body and helps prevent overeating. Studies have found it to also be useful for weight management and even blood sugar control (1, 2)!
Master Staying Hydrated:
Water is a critical component for overall health and fertility. You’ll know you’re drinking enough if your urine is light yellow or mostly clear. Don’t like plain water? Try water infused with fruit and fresh herbs, like sliced lemon and mint!Want to save this article?
Decrease Consumption of Ultra-Processed Foods:
Some processed foods are healthy, like natural peanut butter and whole wheat flour. Others are less so. Minimize processed snack foods that are high in salt, sugar, and unhealthy fat. These nutrients can be inflammatory and negatively impact fertility (3, 4, 5). Swap out ultra-processed snacks for healthier alternatives like fresh fruit, unsalted nuts, or plain yogurt.
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Include Fertility-Boosting Foods:
Add specific foods known to support fertility to your daily menu. Examples include leafy greens rich in folate, omega-3 fatty acid sources like salmon, antioxidant-packed berries, and whole milk products (6, 7, 8).
Seek Professional Guidance:
Consider consulting a fertility dietitian to get personalized advice to support your journey to parenthood.
Don’t Focus on Perfection:
The goal here is progress, not perfection. Small changes made over time are more likely to be sustainable. You don’t have to eat “perfectly” all of the time to make significant improvements to your overall health and fertility.
Incorporate Self-Care:
Self-care is an important yet often overlooked part of our busy lives. Chronic stress has been shown to have negative health consequences (9, 10). Try journaling, yoga, meditation, or any other activity that brings you joy and helps you relax.
Wishing all Nourishing Conception readers a healthy and happy New Year!
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Sources
- Demirbas, N., Kutlu, R., & Kurnaz, A. (2021). The Relationship between Mindful Eating and Body Mass Index and Body Compositions in Adults. Annals of nutrition & metabolism, 77(5), 262–270.https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34518446/
- Sanogo, F., Xu, K., Cortessis, V. K., Weigensberg, M. J., & Watanabe, R. M. (2023). Mind- and Body-Based Interventions Improve Glycemic Control in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Journal of integrative and complementary medicine, 29(2), 69–79. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36070591/
- Chiu, Y. H., Afeiche, M. C., Gaskins, A. J., Williams, P. L., Mendiola, J., Jørgensen, N., Swan, S. H., & Chavarro, J. E. (2014). Sugar-sweetened beverage intake in relation to semen quality and reproductive hormone levels in young men. Human reproduction (Oxford, England), 29(7), 1575–1584. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24812311/
- Whittaker J. (2023). Dietary trends and the decline in male reproductive health. Hormones (Athens, Greece), 22(2), 165–197. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36725796/
- Nansel, T. R., Cummings, J. R., Burger, K., Siega-Riz, A. M., & Lipsky, L. M. (2022). Greater Ultra-Processed Food Intake during Pregnancy and Postpartum Is Associated with Multiple Aspects of Lower Diet Quality. Nutrients, 14(19), 3933. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36235585/
- Chavarro, J. E., Rich-Edwards, J. W., Rosner, B., & Willett, W. C. (2007). A prospective study of dairy foods intake and anovulatory infertility. Human reproduction (Oxford, England), 22(5), 1340–1347. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17329264/
- Finer, L. B., & Zolna, M. R. (2014). Shifts in intended and unintended pregnancies in the United States, 2001-2008. American journal of public health, 104 Suppl 1(Suppl 1), S43–S48. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24354819/
- Abodi, M., De Cosmi, V., Parazzini, F., & Agostoni, C. (2022). Omega-3 fatty acids dietary intake for oocyte quality in women undergoing assisted reproductive techniques: A systematic review. European journal of obstetrics, gynecology, and reproductive biology, 275, 97–105. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35779332/
- Ruder, E. H., Hartman, T. J., & Goldman, M. B. (2009). Impact of oxidative stress on female fertility. Current opinion in obstetrics & gynecology, 21(3), 219–222. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19469044/
- Tvrdá, E., Kňažická, Z., Bárdos, L., Massányi, P., & Lukáč, N. (2011). Impact of oxidative stress on male fertility – a review. Acta veterinaria Hungarica, 59(4), 465–484. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22079708/
Meredith Mishan is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist with over 12 years of experience working with nutrition clients from around the world. She has a Master of Science degree in Dietetics and Nutrition from Florida International University and is credentialed as a dietitian in both the United States and Israel.