Eating Habits to Take-up if you Plan to Have a Baby!

Clean Eating is one of the terms we have been hearing everywhere, or we can also put as being bombarded day in day out on social media and other platforms where we end up spending much of our waking hours. Looking more into clean eating, if delved upon deeply its nothing but just healthy eating, maintaining a balanced diet and by a balanced diet, it means food that nourishes our bodies, makes us feel healthy and fit rather than making feeling heavy or nauseated and bloated.

Since the inception of mankind by which it means from the time when history has been recorded or kept track of the human development and acquiring skills, hunting has been the first art the homosapiens learned to be the survival is related to our consumption of food.

So eating is important and our lives are dependent on food and it carries a lot of importance in our lives. The healthier and better we eat the well and longer we live without any health impairments getting the most out of our lives. Like before anything we prepare ourselves the same before we embark on the most cherished and hauling journey of our life we must buckle up and prepare our body to face the challenging at the same time the most rewarding task of pregnancy leading to a beautiful journey of motherhood.

The idea of pre-conception nutrition is very important at the time you are preparing yourself for pregnancy. If you are planning to start your family or you want to add another member to your pre-existing family. If that’s the case, then it’s the time to focus on your health and food intake. Another important reason why women should be cautious while preparing for conception diet-wise is to remember that whatever the mother to be has it affects the baby’s health. The best time to start making a change to your food and your lifestyle is three months or one year before your conception.

This can be done by following the right dietary and nutritional guidelines, these things ensure that your body is ready to take the responsibility to bear the child and the pre-conception precautions you have taken will help the fetus develop it optimally.

There are so many factors, health factors that affect a women’s fertility and make it imperative that you are in good health to conceive easily and complications free.

Sometimes the issues like hormonal imbalance, excessive weight conditions such as PCOS and disease like endometriosis can play an important in your factors responsible for conceiving.

Limit your caffeine intake

Caffeine is an adenosine receptor antagonist that may influence fertility by affecting ovulation, menstrual characteristics, and sperm quality. Research has shown that greater than 250 milligrams of caffeine per day may significantly reduce fertility. Caffeine also hinders the body’s ability to absorb iron and calcium.

One thing that should be remembered when you want to conceive would be to reduce or eliminate caffeine intake. One thing recommended is the consumption should no more than 250mgs that makes up to roughly 2 cups of coffee/tea per day. Does a question arise that is which things contains caffeine?

Caffeine is in tea, coffee, soft drinks, chocolates, some basic medicines.

Keeping on average, one cup of tea or coffee it contains 100-140mg and varies from drink to drink and foodstuff to foodstuff. Herbal teas, decaf tea, and decaf coffees contain negligible amounts of caffeine.

Adopt an overall healthy, balanced diet

According to a 2007 study at Harvard, women who closely followed the ‘fertility diet’ had a 66% reduced risk of ovulatory infertility (when a woman doesn’t ovulate at all or ovulates irregularly or infrequently) and a 27% lower risk of infertility from other causes when compared to women who did not follow the diet as closely.

Women following the ‘fertility diet’ chose to consume less trans-fat and more monounsaturated fat (from foods such as avocados, nuts, seeds, and olive oil), less animal protein sources of protein and more vegetable protein sources, more high-fiber, low-glycemic index carbohydrate-rich foods, more vegetarian iron sources and fewer meat sources of iron, multivitamins, high-fat dairy instead of low-fat dairy. Overall, the fertility diet is similar to general recommendations for a healthy, balanced diet.

So when in practice it means adopting a nutritional plan, which is based on a whole lot of variety and is based on whole grains, plenty of vegetables and fruits. Balance amount of beef and mutton, chicken, fish, and other protein-rich sources. (such as lentils, eggs, and beans).  A strong recommendation is to cut down on sugary foods and beverages, if consumed it should be done in small amounts. Include foods like leafy vegetables

Lentils

Oyster

Quinoa

Salmon

Spinach

Walnut

Sunflower Seed

Eggs

Berry

Pumpkin Seeds

These foods keep your body cleanse and act as a catalyst to achieve your goal to conceive without any medical help and any sort of intensive or extensive surgery.  Good carbs (those containing fiber, such as fruits, vegetables, beans, and whole grains) are digested slowly and have a more gradual effect on blood sugar and insulin. Barely refined grains are superb sources of fertility-friendly B vitamins, vitamin E, and fiber.

Complex Carbs

Compose a quarter of your plate with more complex carbs, like brown rice. For some women, particularly those with hormonal disorders like polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), cutting back on gluten may be advised. “Gluten has been shown to create an inflammatory response in the body, which heightens C-reactive protein and sends signals that it’s not an ideal time to conceive.” It may also pay to break out of your rice and pasta rut and sample more diverse grains like amaranth, millet, and quinoa. They’ll help keep you fuller longer and maintain healthy blood sugar levels.

Protein

Get less protein from red meat and more fish. Chicken and beef trimmed of fat are great sources of protein, zinc, iron, and all-important building blocks for a healthy pregnancy. Steering clear of blubbery bits helps ensure you don’t pack on excess weight, which disrupts estrogen levels and may also help you avoid organochlorine pollutants.

These are chemicals that lurk in animal fats and are linked to conception delays, according to researchers at the National Institute of Health. Coldwater fish like salmon, canned light tuna, and sardines. They’re an excellent source of DHA and omega-3 fatty acids; they also help develop the baby’s nervous system and cut your risk of premature birth.

You can eat them a couple of times a week in a fertility diet without worrying about mercury levels. At the same time, it’s best to avoid other varieties, such as king mackerel. Eggs, too, are another potent protein source. “They get a bad reputation from cholesterol, but the yolk has excellent stores of protein and choline, a vitamin that helps develop brain function in babies,”.

When picking foods that increase fertility, always opt for plant protein. What’s more, plant protein (from beans, nuts, seeds, and tofu) comes with healthy fats and is relatively low in calories and can be helpful for weight loss. One study has shown that the risk of ovulatory disorders is cut in half when 5 percent of your total calorie intake is derived from plant proteins.

The Harvard Public Health study also found that infertility was 39 percent more likely in women with the highest intake of animal protein. Beans are super sources, as are nuts, seeds, and other legumes, such as lentils and chickpeas.

Dairy

Consume one or two servings a day of whole milk or other full-fat dairy foods, such as yogurt, less non-and low-fat dairy. It is found that the more low-fat dairy products in a woman’s diet, the more trouble she had getting pregnant,” says Walter Willett, M.D., a professor of nutrition and epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health and one of the study’s authors.

That’s because a high intake of low-fat dairy has been shown to raise the risk of ovulatory infertility, compared to high-fat dairy. Before you bust out the Chunky Monkey, however, look at ways you can swap one serving per day sensibly, perhaps by adding whole milk instead of skim to your tea.

If you’re having continued trouble conceiving, you may want to consider limiting dairy from your fertility diet plan altogether. We’re being exposed to dairy in mass quantities that are more hormonally driven, meaning the production of cow/buffalo dairy has become very chemically manipulated. These excess hormones may disrupt the conversation that the brain is trying to have with the endocrine system, particularly your ovaries. Just make sure you consult your doctor about the best ways to supplement your calcium intake if you temporarily ditch dairy in your life.

It’s also a good idea to boost your intake of yogurt, ideally homemade or Greek-style, which is one of the top fertility foods for getting pregnant. Why? The probiotic microbes may be instrumental in boosting your future kid’s health. A study conducted on mice at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology showed that females who ate yogurt versus junk food diets gave birth to larger litters. It also boosted semen quality in their male counterparts.

Sugar

Cut down sugar levels, and stick to less-processed sweeteners. Concentrated doses of the sweet stuff can throw your blood sugar totally out of whack, creating issues with insulin and your general hormonal balance. Lay off the candies and desserts for your fertility diet plan, and don’t forget about sneakier sugar bombs like fruit juice, energy drinks, and sweet teas. Sugared sodas, in particular, have been associated with ovulatory infertility.

That doesn’t mean you should use artificially sweetened products in their place. Artificial sweeteners are stressors on your system; they create a cortisol response, which inhibits ovulation. If you’re craving sugary stuff and it’s something that our body craves and who can blame you?), choose less-processed sweeteners with lower glycemic loads, such as agave syrup, honey, maple syrup a natural zero-calorie sweetener.

Whole Foods

Choose whole foods over processed options. To witness the power of whole foods in action, look to our sisters in the Mediterranean. Their diet, which is rich in whole grains and vegetables, and has less processed meat, may protect against ovulatory dysfunction. A Spanish study of more than 2,000 women showed that only 17 percent of women who follow a strict Mediterranean diet had fertility issues, compared with 26 percent of women who ate fattier meats and more processed foods.

In this fast-paced world, with increasing pressure to perform and to be at the top in the competitive world, men often face the stress that may harm their health, causing low sperm count and other related problems in men. It may not be a direct cause and effect relationship but it does play a major role in causing issues that disturb the marital life of an individual. It’s not that every individual is affected but it’s better to adapt foods that will increase fertility and be a health booster.

Fertility Foods for Men

Know the best fertility foods for men. It’s easy to forget that your man brings a full 50 percent to the baby-making table. So if his diet would shame even Ham burglar, it’s time for a revamp. You both (husband and wife) need to cook and eat at home with each other together, make veggies together, and focus on his plate.

Foods that are rich in zinc will help to prevent testosterone and stops it from turning into estrogen. Eat asparagus and sunflower seeds which are rich in nutrition.  Push your man to abandon cheese that would increase his fertility, high dairy intake has also been linked to sperm mortality and lack of concentration. A healthy lifestyle along with daily vitamins will help in increasing the chance for conception.

“Have a nice big bowl that your guy can crack open—you just don’t need to tell him that’s what it’s for!” Krieger says. Another superfood is oysters. On top of their aphrodisiac properties, the bivalves are rich in zinc, vitamin B12, and protein.

If and when you plan to have a baby, you and your spouse should be very much practical in understanding that planning a baby also results in cash-outflow for instance before the baby is born ist the doctor fee, check-ups and when the baby is being born there you have to bear hospital charges that may vary depending on the mode of delivery.

Some of the cost can be shared and divided with your insurance provider insurance companies like TPL insurance, Pak-Qatar Takaful, etc. can cover your hospitalization cost, if planned well ahead of time as per the terms and conditions of the provider you choose to get insured from through Smartchoice.pk, your one-stop-shop for all your insurance needs, just log in to www.smartchoice.pk and search-compare- save!