Can what you eat truly help your chances of becoming pregnant? Researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health say yes. And that’s welcome news to those one in six American women who suffer from infertility.

According to the Harvard study, women who follow a healthy diet and get regular exercise could be almost 70 percent less likely to have ovulation problems – a primary cause of infertility.

The study involved 17,544 married women who were all trying to conceive. The team assigned a “fertility diet” score of one to five points for each of several diet and lifestyle factors. The risk of infertility decreased with every added strategy.

If you are struggling to get pregnant and have ruled out physical problems (such as blocked fallopian tubes), consider the following nutrition tips. At the very least, you will improve your eating and exercise habits, which will only benefit you in the long run.

1. Eat more whole-food carbs

Carbs affect your blood sugar and insulin levels. Abnormal levels of blood sugar or insulin can cause an imbalance in hormones related to pregnancy.

Increase:

• Whole-food, high-fiber carbs that are low on the glycemic index
• Brown rice, whole-grain breads and cereals, whole-wheat pasta, sweet potatoes, barley, vegetables

Decrease:

• Processed carbs: white flour (white breads, cold breakfast cereals), white rice, white potatoes
• Doughnuts, cookies, soda, sweets

2. Eat fewer trans fats

Different types of fats have an effect on your weight, hormones and overall health.

Increase:

• Heart-healthy fats, such as olives, avocado, olive oil, trans-fat-free margarine, fatty fish, nuts and seeds

Decrease:

• Trans fats, which are found in vegetable shortenings, some margarines, crackers, chips, cookies, snack foods, fries, doughnuts or any food made with or fried in partially hydrogenated oils.

3. Eat more plant versus animal protein

Increase:

• Beans, peas, tofu or soybeans, nuts, seeds

Decrease:

• Red meat, chicken, turkey

Neutral:

• Fish and eggs. Use to substitute for meat and poultry.

4. Increase dairy fat

Removing fat from milk changes the balance of sex hormones in a way that could tip the scales against fertility.

Increase: (one to two servings a day)

• Whole milk
• Ice cream (keep to 1/2 cup serving one to two times a week)
• Full fat yogurt and 4 percent cottage cheese

Decrease:

• Low-fat and nonfat yogurt, skim and low-fat milk, low-fat cottage cheese, sherbet

If you include more fat from dairy, cut back on other sources of saturated fats, like red meats and butter. After the pregnancy, go back to low-fat dairy. It’s clearly more beneficial for weight, heart disease and cancer.

5. Take a multivitamin and increase iron

• Take a prenatal multi-vitamin and iron supplement.
• Choose foods rich in non-heme (plant sources) of iron, such as green leafy vegetables and beans/legumes.

6. Maintain a healthy body mass index (BMI)

Women who are underweight or overweight will have more trouble with fertility than those in the mid-range. Ideally, aim for a BMI of 20 to 24.

Women who are very lean may have too little body fat, which often halts their menstrual cycles. Just a 5- or 10-pound gain can often bring back ovulation.

Overweight women may have fertility success by losing 5 percent to 10 percent of their current weight.

7. Get regular exercise

For most women, this means getting at least 30 to 60 minutes of exercise every day. Aim for a mix of flexibility and strength training, plus aerobic exercise. Increased physical activity will also help:

• Control weight
• Control insulin levels and blood sugar
• Relieve stress
• Improve flexibility and strength

Check with your doctor before you increase your activity.

(MyOptumHealth March 2010)

Content in short

This book guides you on when and how to begin feeding your baby solid foods. It describes the different stages of feeding your baby between 5 months and 3 years of age. Each stage is different and is accompanied by different recipes. The book is split in 3 parts. It starts with the seven important nutritional building blocks for your child. The second part provides you with menu suggestions and recipes. The last section in the book focuses on tea-time snacks and desserts. Mrs Gill, the author, was inspired to write this book because she wanted he very best for her baby. She has had the assistance of a dietrician, a nutritionist and an pediatrician.

Highlights

• A bilingual book, English and Bahasa Malaysia.
• It’s simple to understand everyday English.
• What sources provide which nutrients.
• Every recipe is illustrated with a picture.
• Fast-’n-easy recipes.

BaiBoo’s comment

‘When and What To Feed My Baby’ is a practical recipe book for moms in Malaysia. It’s best feature is the language, since it’s bilingual and the English is easy to understand. The book provides you with the knowledge of which nutrients your child needs, and what sources you can get them from.
The recipes are easy to prepare; the average preparation time is 10-15 minutes. All recipes in the book have been tested, so there’s a great chance your child will love them too. Most recipes provide an indication on when your baby may be willing to try it. We expect that especially first time mothers will find the recipes useful.

Reader’s Opinion

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Read more: Breast Feeding

• Food consisting of raw fish, half-boiled eggs and undercooked meat or poultry
• Salad vegetables and ulam that may not have been properly washed prior to serving
• Food prepared outside the home, especially uncooked hawker food, like rojak buah
• Foods that contain a lot of additives, such as colourings, flavourings and preservatives
• Preserved foods and cured meats
• Peanuts, especially if you or your spouse has a history of allergies
• Beverages containing caffeine, such as coffee, tea and soft drinks, as they compete with the absorption of iron and certain vitamins
• Artificial sweeteners, such as aspartame or saccharin, found in sugar-free products.

Read more: Nutrition over time

Your supplement should contain more of certain nutrients (such as folic acid and iron) that you may not be able to get enough of from your diet. Just as important is to find one that includes no more than the recommended amounts of other nutrients, particularly vitamin A, that can be harmful to your baby if you take too much.

2. Iron needs increase dramatically: Many women have depleted iron reserves in their body, and the demands of a developing baby and expanding blood volume will further drain any reserved iron they might have had stored. You can stay ahead of the problem by going into pregnancy with optimum iron reserves, and hopefully, avoid complications like anemia and fatigue.

1. In the first weeks after conception your baby is going through very rapid development and forming of vital organs. Many of these changes occur before you even know that you’re pregnant so it is best to be nutritionally prepared.

2. Eating well prior to pregnancy helps prepare your body for the nutritional demands of building a baby over the next nine months.

3. Pregnancy has plenty of ups and downs so it’s better to make diet changes beforehand. If you already have good eating habits in place, that’s one less thing you have to think about. Two nutrients you must have: folic acid and iron.