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Use A Fertility Diet to Get Pregnant Faster

Getting pregnant is a challenge for many people. While the amount of people who are truly infertile is fairly low, there are things that can either help or hinder conception. Eating a healthy fertility diet is one of the things that can help.

It is no secret that having a healthy diet can affect almost all aspects of a person's health. It is the same with fertility. Even though farmers have known how diet affects farm animals for ages, this area of development in humans is relatively new.

Fertility foods are foods that can improve fertility for those who are trying to conceive. Foods for fertility include

• whole grain breads and pastas
• fruits and vegetables that are rich in vitamins and minerals
• dairy for calcium
• and foods that are rich in protein.

Whole grain breads and pastas are rich in fiber and other nutrients that promote health. Refined carbohydrates, such as those found in white bread, pasta and candy should be limited. They are not a fertility food, because they lack nutrients that the fetus will need, such as vitamin B and iron, which are present in whole grains.

The fertility diet naturally includes many fruits and vegetables. Vegetables and fruits are naturally high in many vitamins and minerals. Generally, the brighter the color of the fruit or veggie, the better. Brightly colored foods contain more nutrients than light colored or white ones, such as potatoes. It is important to “eat the rainbow”, that is, to eat as many different colors and types of fruits and vegetables as you can.

Having enough calcium is important for healthy eating and for those who are trying to get pregnant. There are fruits and vegetables that provide calcium, such as broccoli and oranges. Calcium can also be consumed in the form of dairy. Cheese, milk and yogurt are all good sources of calcium. Just be careful that the dairy does not have too much saturated fat.

Poultry, fish and meat are all good sources of protein. Those who are actively trying to eat food for fertility should try to focus on the poultry and fish sources. Too much meat can raise ammonia levels, which can prevent the egg from implanting in the uterine lining.

Some things to be avoided in the fertility diet are caffeine, diet soda, alcohol and smoking.

• Caffeine-constricts blood vessels, which can also prevent a fertilized egg from attaching to the uterus.
• Diet soda-contains aspartame, an artificial sweetener
• Alcohol and smoking have adverse effects on people who are not trying to conceive and hinder those that are. Alcohol can stimulate the release of prolactin, a hormone that can prevent pregnancy.

Surprisingly enough, soybeans should also be avoided on fertility diets. They contain a kind of “false estrogen” which can prevent conception.

Much more information on diet and fertility can be found in books. It is amazing how much what we eat can affect fertility. There are so many dos and don't s that it can be intimidating to try a fertility diet. But with the right information, it really is fairly manageable to eat fertility foods and help conception along.

The previous article is on Using a Fertility Monitor.

Other wiki resources:  improve fertility; ovulation period; infertility causes; preparing for pregnancy; getting pregnant