FERTILITY FOODS: WHAT TO AVOID IF YOU'RE TRYING TO GET PREGNANT
PART ONE
Nutrition plays an integral part in our health especially when it comes to our reproductive health. I like to recommend waiting three months before starting to try to conceive so that you can get working on being the healthiest version of yourself. Foods and the nutrients they provide are the building blocks of hormones. What I am suggesting will help detox the body and boost fertility. In part one we will be addressing what to AVOID in the diet. Just as some foods are beneficial to the body others can do the opposite. Below is a list of how you can clean up your diet.
What to AVOID…
Processed foods – This means avoiding all fast foods and anything packaged.
GMO | Genetically Modified Organisms – Look for goods that say GMO-Free! Wondering which foods to stay away from? The most common foods are corn, potatoes, and soy.
Sugar – Everyone loves sweets but it is best to stay away from all refined sugars…don’t worry I promise I will give you what you CAN have in part 2.
Preservatives – Some common ones found in foods are: BHT/BHA, Sodium Nitrate, Sulfites, and Sodium Benzoates. Packaged foods are where you are going to find these like cereals, chips, prepackaged foods and even preserved meats.
Alcohol – many studies have found that alcohol may reduce fertility for both men and women. Also, we are reducing sugar, remember.
Caffeine – the Medical News Today reported a study suggesting that consuming 300 mg of caffeine a day during pregnancy may increase the risk of low birth weight in babies. Caffeine can be found in soda, chocolate, coffee, and teas.
Soda aka Pop – did you know that in the USA alone they drink approximately 56 gallons of soda a year. Shocking, right? If not, it should be! Soda is one of the worst things you can consume. Here are the reasons why…let’s start with sugar. Some sodas can have as much as 10 tsps in one can. Artificial sugars are a big no no and a big reason to stay away from it. Caffeine, which we just found out is not good for the baby.
Hydrogenated Oils & Trans Fats – the problem with partially hydrogenated oils is that they contain trans fat, which raises LDL (“bad”) cholesterol, lowers HDL (“good”) cholesterol and has other harmful effects. Some of the worst culprits that have these in them are fried foods, processed & packaged foods (can you sense a theme with these?), cookies, chips, crackers, candies, coffee creamers, cakes, pastries, margarine, frozen foods, and microwave popcorn.
Pesticides – I am a huge advocator of eating organic foods. In fact, I try to grow some of my own foods in the summer. Not only does organic foods taste better but they are way healthier for you. David Suzuki has a list called the Dirty Dozen and on it are: Apples, Celery, Sweet bell peppers, Peaches, Strawberries, Nectarines, Grapes, Spinach, Lettuce, Cucumbers, Blueberries, Potatoes. He recommends that these foods only be consumed if organic.
Now that we are clear what you need to avoid next we need to start incorporating the foods that help you conceive naturally. Check out my blog called Fertility Foods: Want to Boost Your Fertility? Here’s How Part 2. Here I give you the best fertility foods to eat based on Traditional Chinese Medicine Food Cures and the 5 Elements. You will learn which foods best support your organ systems in order to give you the best desired results.
If you are looking for additional help on your fertility journey please feel free to reach out to me. I do one on one consultations in person and via TeleHealth (online). Just email me at kelli@elementswellnesscentre.com to book an appointment.