Getting pregnant, or thinking about getting pregnant can be stressful to say the least. This blog is geared to everyone with pregnancy on the mind, whether that is starting to try for the first time, or for those who have been trying for months or even years. Below are suggestions for a healthy fertility diet, a diet that will help increases your chances of getting pregnant and having a healthy pregnancy.
Daily Fertility and Pregnancy Super Stars:
Royal Jelly (1 tsp daily)
Dark leafy greens
Colorful veggies
Fresh vegetable Juice
Omega-3 rich foods such as walnuts, salmon, hemp seeds
2 eggs daily (pasture raised, happy eggs)
Nuts (raw is always best)
Fruit (up to 3 servings a day)
1-2 T Coconut oil daily (or grass-fed butter or ghee)
Water, lots of water!
Grass-fed red meat/organic chicken (three times a week)
Grass-fed beef liver ( I know, it sounds strange! If you aren’t up for this, try Radiant Life’s desiccated beef liver capsules.)
Lentils and beans (try soaking them and cooking with Kombu- see below.)
Now let’s break it down. Why these recommendations? And how much is a serving?
Royal Jelly:
Royal Jelly is a magical superfood that the queen bee eats her entire life triggering the full development of her ovaries, which are needed to create the millions of eggs she will lay in her lifetime. Royal Jelly is rich in amino acids (29 to be exact), lipids, sugars, some vitamins, fatty acids and most importantly, proteins. It is also high in iron and calcium and acetylcholine, which is needed to transmit nerve messages from cell to cell. Regular consumption of high-quality Royal Jelly has been shown to help balance hormones, and promote egg and sperm health. Both partners should take up to 1 tsp daily.
Leafy Greens:
You can’t have too many leafy greens, but try for at least 1 cup raw or 2 cups cooked every day. Think collard, chard, spinach, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and kale. There are many health benefits that come with eating leafy greens, one being that they contain folic acid, which aids in cell division and ovulation – very beneficial for fetal growth.
Brightly Colored Veggies:
Each colored vegetable offers something different. Red or green vegetables, like peppers, are high in vitamin C. Orange vegetables, like carrots, are high in vitamin A. Pick and choose from your favorites!
Omega 3’s:
These are a healthy fat and an essential part of your diet. Dr. Weston A. Price states that “children need high levels of fat throughout growth and development.” Essential fatty acids (EFAs) include omega-6s and omega-3s, but most people often have too many omega-6s and not enough omega-3s! EFAs are essential for fetal growth, but our body cannot produce them on its own. Omega-3s aid in your baby’s brain and eye development, and lower your risk of a premature birth. Seafood is your best bet for omega-3s because it contains long chain fatty acids, as opposed to omega-3s found in plants. We recommend only eating wild-caught, cold water fish because farmed fish will contain antibiotics. Go for salmon, cod, halibut, sardines, or herring. These fish are also lower in mercury levels, so worry not! Another great way to get your omega-3s is by taking fish oil supplements. The highest quality cod liver oil on the market today is Green Pasture Products: Blue Ice High-Vitamin Fermented Cod Liver Oil.
More on healthy fats: They aid in nursing, your baby’s brain development, as well as organ and tissue growth. Some sources of healthy fats to add / increase in your diet are nuts, avocados, grass-fed butter and meat, ghee, coconut products, such as coconut oil, and eggs.
Eggs (happy):
go for free range, organic eggs for vitamin D (which most Americans are sufficient in), B12, and protein! Free range eggs have more high quality nutrients than generic eggs. Generic eggs also often contain hormones and antibiotics, which can alter your estrogen levels.
Fruits:
Fruits (as well as vegetables) will nourish your body with micronutrients, such as antioxidants, which help protect healthy cells from free radicals. Go for berries, like blueberries and strawberries, or pomegranates and prunes. I like to always eat a piece of fruit with a handful of nuts to support blood sugar stabalization.
Lentils:
These are the second highest source of folic acid and iron. One cup of cooked lentils is just 10% short of your daily folic acid intake! Once pregnant, your baby will draw from your own minerals which causes your body to struggle to maintain enough iron. This is why lentils are so beneficial to your fertility and healthy pregnancy!
Aside from being a source of omega-3s, grass-fed meat is also a great source of iron, protein, and B12. And like free range eggs, it is free of hormones and antibiotics.
Liver:
Think nutrient density. Consuming high quality liver is one of the best things you can do for your own liver. This is an all star source of iron, as well as many nutrients and vitamins beneficial to fertility, including vitamin D, zinc, selenium, folic acid, and B12! May not be the most appealing on the list, but the health benefits are worth it.
Remember, stress is often associated with ‘trying’ to get pregnant so remember to take care of yourself. Make time in your schedule for things that you love doing. Remember it’s okay to rest, take a break, a nap or a hot bath. I have my clients write out 10 stress reduction techniques that they know work for them to keep posted on their fridge. Good luck!
Sources:
http://wellnessmama.com/1326/get-pregnant-naturally/
http://www.babycenter.com/0_fertility-diet-the-nutrients-you-need-to-conceive_1460692.bc
