tinselcat
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Hi there 
I wish I had known this years ago, so I'm posting it in the hope that it will help someone who's earlier in their TTC journey. Apologies if it sounds patronising in any way, that's not the intention - it's the letter I'd write to my younger self if I could! Here we go...
Both your diet & your OH's diet affects your chances. Like, really, really affect. In fact it's worth noting that your OH should be making the same effort you're making too, which not all seem to do.
You should both be on multi-vitamins. In a man, these can actually improve sperm count, motility and morphology. It may be worth taking a mix of 2 different types of pro-conception vitamins to make sure you're getting all the trace elements. Vitamin D is a big thing. We're all deficient in the UK during the winter, because the sun's rays are not at the right wavelength to trigger vitamin D production in us. So you may want to supplement vit D on top of that (ask dr for a blood test if you think it's a thing).
Insulin damages your egg quality. So if you're stocking up regularly on sugary foods and getting a bit of a sugar crash quite often, be aware that this may be harming your fertility chances too. Beware of fruit juices, cold-pressed fruit juices etc.... read how much sugar is in them (and then be afraid!!) Although tomato juice is ok. The Glycemic Load (GL) and Glycemic Index (GI) are helpful ways of identifying which foods are going to deliver lots of sugar & how quickly they do that. But simply put, refined/white bread & carbs = bad, brown bread & carbs = good (e.g. brown rice).
There is stuff you can take to improve your insulin sensitivity. Exercising also helps with improving insulin sensitivity (as your larger muscles have more insulin receptors on, or summat).
Hydrogenated and trans fats (like can be found in margerine & junk food) can hinder the production of the right essential fats for fertility. You want to have the right ratio of Omega 3 to Omega 6. (I think it's about 3:1). Many people over-consume on the Omega 6 because with our diets it's so easy to do. Evening primrose oil, which is sometimes called out as a fertility aid, is a good source of Omega 6, but if you're already having too much then be wary.
Protein is really good at growing eggs. If you go for IVF stimulation, then you need giant amounts of protein to grow loads of eggs that your body wouldn't usually try to do. Protein is also helpful with dealing with blood sugar levels. Protein, protein, protein!!
CoQ10 seems to help with egg quantity. PQQ is another supplement that is thought to assist.
Watch out for products with high levels of hormones in. Soya, milk - don't (either of you) over-consume on these. (Particularly a man drinking too much cow's milk which has lots of oestrogen in it).
Watch out for too much fish that might contain high levels of mercury. Avoid other toxins where you can (including in & around the home), and go for organic food if that's an option. Switch deoderants from spray/ones that contain aluminium to aluminium-free/crystal deoderants. Get BPA-free stuff where possible... BPA is even in tinned food cans and till receipts.
Then there is all the obvious stuff about minimising caffeine, alcohol, smoking etc. "Eat the rainbow" (with vegetables, fruit etc).
Acupuncture may be worth a punt if you can find a good practitioner, but it's not so cheap.
Lastly, aim for at least 7 hours sleep a night. If you're in any doubt whether that is remotely necessary - as I was for about the last 38 years - please read the amazing "Why We Sleep" book by Matthew Walker. Our health is compromised after only about 3-4 days of 6 or less hours of sleep a night, in many ways (and also you're more likely to be reaching for the biscuits etc on less sleep).
Eating 'healthily' and exercise don't seem like rocket science but had I realised that it was impacting my fertility then I would love to wind the clock back several years and put all these in practice. Sadly I'm 39 now and without a partner (going the donor route about 2-3 times a year) and nobody fricking told me it made a difference... not even the highly-praised IVF consultants I was speaking with only a few months ago.
My daily diet consists of trying to achieve consuming the following: (I don't manage everything every day but I am checking quite a lot now)
If you think this post might be useful then please bump it so that others notice! xx
Good luck all!! xxx
I wish I had known this years ago, so I'm posting it in the hope that it will help someone who's earlier in their TTC journey. Apologies if it sounds patronising in any way, that's not the intention - it's the letter I'd write to my younger self if I could! Here we go...
Both your diet & your OH's diet affects your chances. Like, really, really affect. In fact it's worth noting that your OH should be making the same effort you're making too, which not all seem to do.
You should both be on multi-vitamins. In a man, these can actually improve sperm count, motility and morphology. It may be worth taking a mix of 2 different types of pro-conception vitamins to make sure you're getting all the trace elements. Vitamin D is a big thing. We're all deficient in the UK during the winter, because the sun's rays are not at the right wavelength to trigger vitamin D production in us. So you may want to supplement vit D on top of that (ask dr for a blood test if you think it's a thing).
Insulin damages your egg quality. So if you're stocking up regularly on sugary foods and getting a bit of a sugar crash quite often, be aware that this may be harming your fertility chances too. Beware of fruit juices, cold-pressed fruit juices etc.... read how much sugar is in them (and then be afraid!!) Although tomato juice is ok. The Glycemic Load (GL) and Glycemic Index (GI) are helpful ways of identifying which foods are going to deliver lots of sugar & how quickly they do that. But simply put, refined/white bread & carbs = bad, brown bread & carbs = good (e.g. brown rice).
There is stuff you can take to improve your insulin sensitivity. Exercising also helps with improving insulin sensitivity (as your larger muscles have more insulin receptors on, or summat).
Hydrogenated and trans fats (like can be found in margerine & junk food) can hinder the production of the right essential fats for fertility. You want to have the right ratio of Omega 3 to Omega 6. (I think it's about 3:1). Many people over-consume on the Omega 6 because with our diets it's so easy to do. Evening primrose oil, which is sometimes called out as a fertility aid, is a good source of Omega 6, but if you're already having too much then be wary.
Protein is really good at growing eggs. If you go for IVF stimulation, then you need giant amounts of protein to grow loads of eggs that your body wouldn't usually try to do. Protein is also helpful with dealing with blood sugar levels. Protein, protein, protein!!
CoQ10 seems to help with egg quantity. PQQ is another supplement that is thought to assist.
Watch out for products with high levels of hormones in. Soya, milk - don't (either of you) over-consume on these. (Particularly a man drinking too much cow's milk which has lots of oestrogen in it).
Watch out for too much fish that might contain high levels of mercury. Avoid other toxins where you can (including in & around the home), and go for organic food if that's an option. Switch deoderants from spray/ones that contain aluminium to aluminium-free/crystal deoderants. Get BPA-free stuff where possible... BPA is even in tinned food cans and till receipts.
Then there is all the obvious stuff about minimising caffeine, alcohol, smoking etc. "Eat the rainbow" (with vegetables, fruit etc).
Acupuncture may be worth a punt if you can find a good practitioner, but it's not so cheap.
Lastly, aim for at least 7 hours sleep a night. If you're in any doubt whether that is remotely necessary - as I was for about the last 38 years - please read the amazing "Why We Sleep" book by Matthew Walker. Our health is compromised after only about 3-4 days of 6 or less hours of sleep a night, in many ways (and also you're more likely to be reaching for the biscuits etc on less sleep).
Eating 'healthily' and exercise don't seem like rocket science but had I realised that it was impacting my fertility then I would love to wind the clock back several years and put all these in practice. Sadly I'm 39 now and without a partner (going the donor route about 2-3 times a year) and nobody fricking told me it made a difference... not even the highly-praised IVF consultants I was speaking with only a few months ago.
My daily diet consists of trying to achieve consuming the following: (I don't manage everything every day but I am checking quite a lot now)
- Lots of filtered water.
- 3-4 brazil nuts (for the selenium)
- Multi-vitamins (Floradix epresat)
- Iron supplement (as I am on the low side of healthy - am taking Floradix liquid iron)
- Floradix Magnesium - this tastes yummy. Magnesium helps reduce stress.
- Omega 3 - ALA
- Omega 3 - other (all the Omega 3 goes into my breakfast cereal)
- Mixture of nuts and seeds - almonds, pumpkin seeds, walnuts, chia seeds (and other nuts)
- Egg
- Inisotol
- Nettle Tea - 3 cups a day (this tastes much better than it sounds btw) - go and google the health benefits of this gem!!
- 5 helpings vegetables/fruit
- Protein supplement (I can't have whey myself so going for brown rice powder, chocolate flavour, which is really nice)
- Sometimes a creatine supplement
- CoQ10 - at least 300 mg but upto 500 mg a day
- Lots more filtered water!
- I also take melatonin which was prescribed by the fertility dr as it can apparently improve egg quality (my challenge at 39).
If you think this post might be useful then please bump it so that others notice! xx
Good luck all!! xxx
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- which I know needs to be reduced, the binging is not good!
