How To Eat Yourself Pregnant And Boost Your Fertility With Diet?
Author: Iva Keene Date posted: Mar 25, 2009 Article views: 94 Wordcount: 878 Re-Publish
In the first trimester of the pregnancy the developing embryo increases 20 million times. In the first 8 weeks of pregnancy your babys blueprint has been laid down.
To ensure that during this phase all the foundations are laid down properly, you want to make sure that there are plenty of building blocks in a form or nutrients and no toxins and nasty bacteria and moulds which could infect the embryo and cause severe damage which could result with malformations or a miscarriage.
The Bad Guys
1. Salmonella bacterium can cause Salmonellosis which exposes the mother to the high risk of miscarriage or preterm labor due to severe high fever, vomiting, diarrhoea and dehydration.
2. Listeria monocytogenes bacterium can cause Listeriosis which can lead to premature labour, miscarriage, stillbirth or the baby can develop the condition after birth which can be serious.
3. Toxoplasma gondii parasite can cause birth defects if contracted in the first trimester of the pregnancy. It can be found in the feaces of cats, birds and other animals and soil. Wear rubber gloves when handling soil in the garden and wash your hands and shower to remove all traces of it. This is not a complete list but it is a start.
Naturopathic Fertility Diet
Let me ask you a question;
If you were planning to do a marathon, or climb one of the worlds tallest mountains or go trekking in Alaska, would you just get up on the spot and do it, or would you take your time to learn as much about your adventure as possible and prepare your body for the strenuous exertion you are going to put it though?
Pregnancy is no different. Its a very strenuous task for the body, a task it will only attempt when it is fit, healthy, high spirited and rested. And for those of you who would arise to the challenge on the spot, I would like to point out, it is not just about you anymore.
Pregnancy is all about the developing child. What goes on during those 9 months will determine to a large extent the overall health and mental development of your child.
You can feed it right and care for it and give it all your love for the rest of your life, but the most crucial present you can offer to your child, starts in the womb.
Ultimate health prevention starts with preconception health care. Ensuring that your child is conceived form the healthiest egg and healthiest sperm as possible, that it is developing in a toxin free environment and is provided with all the nutrients it needs is the best possible start you can give your baby.
Achieving good results in anything requires preparation. Pregnancy is no different. Preconception health care should be commenced at least 4 months (that is 16 weeks or 120 days) prior to conception. 6-12 months would be even better.
If you are currently infertile or subfertile, naturopathic fertility diet and the guidelines will be your best friends for as long as it takes to get your body in the optimal shape and state to either father a child or become pregnant. This can be as little as 4 months or as long as a couple of years. Once pregnant you can continue on this diet to ensure a healthy pregnancy. There is no reason why you should not continue with the program during breast feeding as a healthy diet and nutrition are equally important then for the both of you.
Get your calendar out and mark todays day. As of today you will be doing everything in your power to change your dietary and lifestyle habits to help you conceive and have a healthy pregnancy.
What is a healthy diet?
I get asked this question a lot by my patients. The answer to this question is no enigma.
A healthy diet is as fresh as possible and organic where possible. For a fertility diet protein sources and good fats are the key.
Good animal protein sources are organic beef, lamb, chicken, duck, game, eggs, cottage cheese and fish from a wild catch - not farmed.
Good vegetarian protein sources are nuts, seeds, whole grain rice, beans, lentils, chickpeas, quinoa, amaranth, tempeh combined with lots of organic vegetables and dark leafy greens.
Good fats are omega 3, 6 and 9 found in deeps sea fish, flax seeds, almonds, and in smaller amounts in meat, vegetables, grains and other nuts and seeds. Good oils to cook with are extra virgin olive oil and coconut oil/butter. Coconut contains saturated fat but it is the medium chain fatty acids which are actually good for you. Coconut oil and olive oil are stable in high heat and therefore ideal for cooking. Flaxseed oil, almond oil and sesame seed oil should not be heated but can be used cold in salads or drizzled over steamed vegetables with some fresh lemon juice.
Studies have shown that women with ovulatory disorders such as PCOS respond very well to vegetarian diet, i.e. vegetarian sources of protein are favored over animal sources. Another proven fertility boosting strategy is inclusion of full fat dairy in your diet. So for the time being switch your skinny milk, diet yoghurt and fat free cheese for full fat organic yoghurt, full fat cottage cheese and raw organic milk.
Prominent Fertility Naturopath Iva Keene publishes the 'Ultimate Fertility' ezine with tips to get you pregnant ASAP. Get your Free Fertility Advice
