Foods you should cut out
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Scientists believe that levels of insulin (blood sugar) can affect ovulation, and your insulin levels can be greatly affected by what you eat.
The sort of foods that make your insulin levels fluctuate are refined foods, such as white bread, cakes, biscuits, pies and soft drinks.
These types of foods also contain trans-fats, which should be avoided if you want to get pregnant as trans-fats can reduce fertility.
Caffeine
The things that we may rely on to pick us up such as coffee, chocolate and alcohol are often the things that we need to give up, especially if you're trying to get pregnant. Several studies have found that caffeine can disrupt the fertility of some women and alcohol has also been linked to an increased risk of infertility.
Your partner
And don't think that your man can sit back and eat and drink what he likes. His fertility can be affected by foods too. A sensible, balanced diet for men is essential. He needs to cut back on alcohol and fast food and eat plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables because too little can make a man's sperm sluggish. They say the way to a man's heart is through his stomach so it might be time to tempt him into the kitchen with some sperm-boosting aphrodisiac foods.
Vitamin A and oily fish
Even though vitamin A and oily fish are part of a good diet, if you're trying to get pregnant it's best to cut down on supplements containing vitamin A and fish oil. This is because vitamin A and too much oily fish can harm a developing baby's nervous system. Only have two portions of oily fish a week, avoid taking a fish liver oil supplement or vitamin A supplement and liver pate.
But you don't need to give up all your favourite foods, here's a cut-out-and-keep reminder of what to swap and what to ditch on the Fertility diet:
Swap
White bread for brown or wholemeal bread
Regular pies for pies made with wholemeal pastry
Fast food for healthier versions
Coffee for de-caffeinated coffee
White pasta for wholemeal pasta
White rice for brown rice
Ditch
Cakes
Sweets
Soft drinks
Pastries
Biscuits
Chocolate
Alcohol
Stop taking
Have no more than 2 portions of oily fish a week
Liver pate
Stop taking supplements with fish oils or vitamin A
Fill up on fresh fruit and vegetables and if you're feeling peckish see our snack swapper for inspiration. And why not make the most of your baby-making efforts with a few romantic recipes? And we've got loads of great sex positions to try!
If you're wondering what else you can eat to perk up his sperm and engage your eggs, read on to find out which Fertility diet foods you can stock up on.
By Louise O'Connell
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