Why is nutrition important to my fertility?
You’ve undoubtedly heard someone say, “You are what you eat.” There is a lot of truth in this old adage. Your body is a fine tuned machine that relies on many nutrients for optimal health and fitness. When you are trying to become pregnant and deliver a healthy baby, it’s vital your body gets proper nutrition.
Many of the foods we frequently consume – like fast food – are high in calories and deficient in nutrients. Even foods that seem nutritious, like cereals, protein and energy bars and Vitamin water, include added vitamins and minerals but offer little benefit to our bodies. So, our bodies frequently don’t get the nutrition they need to encourage pregnancy.
There are other ways nutrition can negatively impact your fertility. If you are overweight or underweight you will have a more difficult time conceiving. Additionally, patients with ovulation disorders like Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) may have challenges with diet, exercise and nutrition. By simply eating appropriate foods, losing weight and exercising, the course of this syndrome can oftentimes be reversed.
How Can I Improve My Nutrition?
Good nutrition doesn’t have to be complicated or restrictive. Just a few simple guidelines can make a huge difference in your fertility, your energy levels, and your general health. Eat whole foods, rather than processed and prepackaged foods. Be sure to consume foods, particularly fruits and vegetables, in a variety of colors. Vibrantly colored foods such as spinach, blueberries, radishes, beets, broccoli, carrots, and squash give you vitamins and minerals essential to the development of healthy eggs and sperm.
How Can I Learn More?
At Reproductive Health Center of Tucson, we have developed a set of dietary guidelines over our years of practice. When followed, our guidelines give patients improved fertility and encourage the growth of healthy oocytes (human eggs) and sperm. Patients who follow our nutrition guide are more likely to conceive and carry a baby to term. Our guidelines will help you and your partner and current and future children to become and stay healthy. We provide a copy of our nutrition and fertility guidelines to every patient in our fertility clinic in Arizona.
We hold regular nutrition classes focused on fertility. Nutritionist Hana Feeney, RD, has free classes for our patients monthly, at our office in Tucson. She is also available for private consultations in her office, which is conveniently located just down the street from our clinic. This is an excellent opportunity to create an eating plan that works for your life and your preferences, so you can enjoy your food while getting healthier!
This is part of our holistic focus on your long-term health. Our unique approach is a big part of why patients come to our fertility clinic from all over Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas, and even farther afield.
