How can we optimise our diet and lifestyle for fertility success? What is a fertility diet? This blog provides dietary advice to improve gut health, support weight loss and improve your fertility after a reversal of female sterilisation or before any fertility treatment or IVF. The information here is based on recommendations from leading experts in nutrition and personalised medicine.
Key Principles of a Healthy Pro-Fertility Diet
- Diversity is key: Aim to eat 30+ different plant foods each week.
- All the different coloured fruits, vegetables, herbs and spices contain different chemicals, vitamins and nutrients to support all the different bacteria in your gut microbiome.
- Focus on whole foods: Choose minimally processed foods over ultra-processed options.
- Tip: if you can’t create the food item using ingredients you have in your cupboards at home, then its processed.
- Think: Could a cave person have picked, grown or hunted for this food? If not, then it’s processed.
- Prioritise gut health: Feed your beneficial gut bacteria with fibre-rich foods.
- Fibre is in vegetables, fruit, grains, oats, pulses, beans & seeds to name a few! (see below for more information)
- Personalise your approach: Everyone’s ideal diet is different due to allergies, intolerances and their unique gut microbiomes.
- For example: If you have gluten intolerance/ coeliac disease, then you cannot eat gluten containing foods (Wheat, Barley or Rye), so you will need to approach your diet differently.
- If you have IBS symptoms, you may need to avoid certain foods that’s upset you.
Which foods are best?
- Colourful fruits and vegetables: Aim for a wide variety to get different nutrients and plant compounds.
- Whole grains: Such as brown rice, quinoa, oats, and whole wheat.
- These are also known as complex carbohydrates and give you better insulin control than simple or processed ‘carbs’ such as white bread and pasta.
- Legumes: Beans, lentils, chickpeas, and peas.
- Nuts and seeds: In moderation, these provide healthy fats and protein.
- Fermented foods: Yogurt, kefir, kimchi, and sauerkraut to support gut health.
- Lean proteins: Fish, poultry, eggs, and plant-based proteins like tofu.
- Healthy fats: Olive oil, avocados, and fatty fish.
Foods to Limit in a fertility diet
- Ultra-processed foods/ fast food/ fried foods
- Refined sugars and carbohydrates (e.g. chocolate/ white bread)
- Artificial sweeteners (e.g. fizzy drinks, squash, sweets)
- Excessive red meat consumption (ideally no more than once a week)
Eating Habits
- Practice time-restricted eating: Try to eat within a 10 to 12 hour window each day.
- For example, if your last meal is at 6pm, aim to have breakfast after 8am.
- During your ‘fasting period’ you can drink water and black coffee!
- A fast is a great way to let your gut bacteria recover, aiding digestion.
- Mindful eating: Pay attention to hunger and fullness cues.
- Cook at home: This gives you control over ingredients and portion sizes.
- Aim for no more than a quarter of your plate to be carbohydrate (e.g. pasta, rice) with the remaining part of your plate being vegetables and meat/ fish.
- Stay hydrated: Drink plenty of water throughout the day.
Weight Loss Tips
- Focus on sustainable, gradual weight loss (0.5-1 kg per week).
- The aim is to get used to a healthy diet so that once you have lost the weight, you can continue to diet without thinking about it!
- Combine dietary changes with regular physical activity
- This could just be a daily brisk walk!
- Get adequate sleep (7-9 hours per night) to support weight loss efforts.
- When we are tired, we eat more, poorer quality food.
Fertility diets and IVF success
- Maintaining a healthy weight can improve fertility for both men and women.
- Fertility treatment is more successful if your BMI is less than 30.
- A diverse, nutrient-rich diet supports reproductive health.
- Antioxidant-rich foods may improve egg and sperm quality.
- Be careful, too many supplements can have a negative effect.
- Avoid alcohol and limit caffeine intake when trying to conceive.
Remember
Every person’s nutritional needs are unique. This leaflet only provides general guidance. You will benefit from personalised advice from a registered dietitian or your healthcare provider. Always consult with your doctor before making significant changes to your diet, especially if you have any underlying health conditions or are undergoing fertility treatments. Alternatively visit the NHS for further information via this link (click here).
If you have any questions or want to get in touch, please ring or email Mandy Banbury, secretary to Dr Dobson, using the details below.
Mandy Banbury: Tel: 0115 966 2111 (Tues/ Wed/ Thurs)
Good overview optimising diet and a healthy weight can really support fertility, but every body is different so it’s worth tailoring advice with your clinician or dietitian.
https://www.pharmacyuk.com/