Kiddipedia
Did you know that what you eat before you even conceive can impact not only your fertility but the health of your pregnancy and future little one too? Research has shown that spending 3-6 months to improve your diet and lifestyle can make a significant difference to your fertility, with just 5 simple dietary changes boosting fertility by 69% and reducing the risk of developing gestational diabetes in pregnancy, and the risks of your future bundle of joy developing asthma, eczema, heart disease, type 2 diabetes & more.
So, you may know why it is important, but what does an ideal pre-conception diet really look like?
You may be pleased to hear that it doesn’t mean being gluten-free, dairy-free, sugar-free and fun-free (unless otherwise medically advised by a doctor or Accredited Practising Dietitian), it actually involves many of the healthy eating principles most of us are familiar with!
Expert fertility dietitian & nutritionist and founder of The Dietologist, Stefanie Valakas APD, shares with us how you can build a nutritious diet before baby to boost your fertility & support the health of your future baby.
Eat colourful
When I say eat the rainbow, I don’t mean the skittles variety (although delicious), try to embrace eating a wide range of colourful fruits and vegetables each day!
Shop seasonal, and whilst green veggies will provide folate, important to help support the neural tube development in very early pregnancy (yes, even before you know that you’re pregnant in some situations), the other colours like red (tomato, capsicum, apples), orange (pumpkin, carrot, mandarins), yellow (corn, squash, golden kiwifruit), white (potato, onion, cauliflower) and purple (blueberries, beetroot, eggplant) each have their own antioxidants on offer to help enhance both sperm and egg health!
Whilst, age is the biggest predictor of ability to conceive & carry a healthy baby, we are yet to invent time machines, so protect your eggs with plenty of dietary antioxidants from colourful fruit and veggies by loading up your trolley with colours and aiming for at least 3 or more different colours at each of your main meals for veggies, prioritise green veggies like spinach, kale, broccoli, asparagus and leafy greens plus 2 other colours.
Then try snacking on 2 fist-sized serves of fruit each day – studies shown 2-3 serves of fresh fruit each day is associated with a reduced risk of miscarriage.
Optimise Omegas
Omega-3 fatty acids, are really important when it comes to fertility & pre-conception health for males and females, much like antioxidants, they help protect egg and sperm cells from damage and inflammation from our lifestyles and environment in general.
Incorporating 2 serves of oily fish like salmon (tinned, smoked or fresh), ocean trout, mackerel, sardines and anchovies can help support fertility for both males and females, plus, it’s a great habit to continue into pregnancy as the omega-3s help to support your baby’s brain and eye development too!
Be sure to avoid high mercury fish species like swordfish, flake (shark), orange roughy, catfish, broadbill, marlin, king mackerel, tilefish before & during pregnancy, especially, as this can interfere with optimal reproductive health and baby’s development.
Find out more about mercury & fish in pregnancy here: https://www.foodauthority.nsw.gov.au/consumer/life-events-and-food/pregnancy/mercury-and-fish
Go with the Grain
Don’t overlook wholegrains when trying to conceive. Wholegrains means it is the least refined version of a grain, for example, choosing brown rice over white rice varieties, choosing wholemeal pasta instead of regular pasta, and choosing wholemeal bread with grains and seeds rather than white bread (that includes sourdough)!
This will not only help keep your bowels regular, but wholegrains have been associated with better fertility outcomes and improved thickness of the uterine lining to support implantation, which is the last step before you are officially pregnant, where an embryo needs to nestle into the uterine lining!
Try snacking on popcorn, switching out your rice cakes for a grainy cracker instead and work on adding some wholegrains to your lunch and/or dinner!
Fabulous fats
Don’t fear fat! Healthy fats found in avocado, extra virgin olive oil, whole olives, nuts & seeds and 100% nut and seed butters are fabulous additions to your pre-conception diet.
Fats actually are the foundation of all reproductive hormones like estrogen and progesterone. So be sure to include at least a thumb-sized portion of healthy fats at each main meal, you may need more depending on your health history, which is where a fertility & pre-conception dietitian, like me, can help you!
Think Mediterranean
A lot of fertility and pre-conception nutrition is studied in IVF clinics because it is easier to capture information about pregnancy outcomes. However, it can be just as applicable for those trying to conceive unassisted!
Research from Greek IVF clinics has shown that a Mediterranean diet in both females and males undergoing fertility treatments saw improved success!
What does a Mediterranean diet & lifestyle look like?
Focusing mostly on:
- Fruits
- Vegetables
- Herbs & Spices
- Extra virgin olive oil, olives, nuts & seeds
- Legumes & beans
- Seafood & fish
- Wholegrains
- Daily movement
- Eating with loved ones around the table
Enjoying a few times per week:
- Eggs
- Dairy like yoghurt & cheese
- Poultry like chicken & turkey
Enjoying occasionally:
- Red meat
- Sweets and desserts
Learn more about the benefits of a Mediterranean diet for fertility here: https://thedietologist.com.au/mediterranean-diet-fertility/
What to avoid in your pre-conception diet?
As much as I don’t like to talk about what is on the “no-no” list, there are a few foods and drinks we should be mindful of and aim to reduce or avoid when trying to conceive.
- Caffeine: avoid more than 200 mg of caffeine per day, as per pregnancy recommendations, this about 2 single shots of espresso per day or 4 cups of black tea per day. Using decaf products like decaf coffee & tea is a perfectly safe alternative.
- Alcohol: it is recommended to completely avoid alcohol for both males and females when actively trying to conceive. This is because there is no safe amount of alcohol in pregnancy, and we may not know exactly when you conceive. Plus, high amounts of alcohol in males can significantly reduce sperm function and numbers too!
- Soft drinks: whether regular or “diet” varieties, just 1 glass or equivalent can increase the time to conception, so it is best to keep it to special occasions!
- Mercury: avoid high mercury fish species like swordfish, flake (shark), orange roughy, catfish, broadbill, marlin, king mackerel, tilefish before & during pregnancy, especially, as this can interfere with optimal reproductive health and baby’s development.
- Minimise exposure to endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) like BPA and phthalates by ensuring you store and reheat your food in glass or ceramic instead of plastic. Just because it is “microwave safe” that just tells us it is safe for the microwave, these chemicals can interfere with our hormones and fertility health outcomes. Learn more about EDCs and fertility on this podcast episode.
Want to learn more about fertility and pre-conception nutrition? Follow The Dietologist on Instagram @the_dietologist, tune into the chart-topping podcast, Fertility Friendly Food, on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, find out more and work with The Dietologist team at: https://thedietologist.com.au
Stefanie Valakas APD is an expert fertility dietitian & nutritionist and founder of The Dietologist. Stefanie and her team of fertility & pregnancy dietitians are dedicated to excellence in nutrition for reproductive health concerns, fertility & pregnancy. Her passion for nutrition in this space has truly grown from her experience helping her clients online from around the world. Stefanie has been recognised for her contributions in the fertility nutrition arena as a finalist for the Dietitian of the Year Awards for 2020-21, The Dietologist has been awarded multiple awards for their excellence in nutrition care and Best Pregnancy & Fertility Nutrition Clinic in 2022.
