Diet & Fertility

One thing I really enjoy is researching and learning, especially when it comes to fertility because there are so many unknowns in this field.

First off, I will say that I am a big believer in the integration of eastern and western medicine to treat. Along those same lines, I believe that how we care for our bodies and what we put into them goes a long way. I love reading and studying nutrition and how it effects fertility, especially as it relates to food additives, chemicals, GMO's and other harmful things that are added to foods. I truly believe that infertility is becoming an epidemic and its no coincidence given the changes to our food supplies over the last 50-75 years. This article is a great starting point for learning more about GMO's and infertility: http://natural-fertility-info.com/gmo-infertility.html and if you're interested in learning more, just google "GMO infertility"... the results will scare you.

I think you could probably research yourself in circles when it comes to fertility and diet (I know that I have... and then I usually end up throwing in the towel on it all because I'm so overwhelmed!). But, there are a few small changes that will make a huge difference:

1. Remove processed foods from your diet and replace with real, whole foods - I think that doing this one thing will improve your health and fertility by leaps and bounds. I've always heard not to eat anything that your great-grandmother wouldn't recognize and its a good rule to live by.

2. If you do eat foods in boxes, cans, or packaging make sure you can pronounce all of the ingredients. Be aware of what you are buying by doing your research. I like shopping at Trader Joe's because they are very upfront about what they do NOT put in their foods (info can be found here: http://www.traderjoes.com/faqs/product-information) and by shopping here I don't have to put as much thought into what I'm buying since I know what their standards are. I know there are many other stores with similar philosophies... or better yet, find your local farmer's market and shop there!

3. Minimize your intake of sugar and caffeine. It seems that high fructose corn syrup is in EVERYTHING. And, this sweetener is most certainly made of genetically modified corn. Just stay away. If you do indulge in something sweet, try to use a natural sweetener, such as organic honey.

These are just a few basic tips that seem to be a common thread no matter who you ask about fertility and diet. For me personally, I also stay away from dairy and gluten as I've read a lot about their role in inflammation and infertility in the body. I'm certainly not perfect with my diet, and in fact this is one area that I feel needs improvement in my own life, but the first step is to educate yourself.

Thanks for stopping by! Feel free to share any good articles or tips on diet and fertility that you've found helpful!