One of the more discouraging results of “nutritionists” misguided emphasis on eating low-fat and cholesterol free foods is infertility…now happening in younger and younger women.
Cara Bergman is the founder and owner of Stillwater Fertility Clinic , Maryland’s Natural Fertility and Women’s Care Clinic in Severna Park, Maryland. Cara has given numerous talks about the importance of nutrient dense foods especially for pre-conception and for growing children.
Here are Cara’s top ten foods to eat to enhance fertility and the top foods to avoid.
Top 10 Foods to Enhance Fertility
1. Bone Broth – old fashioned chicken soup made with the bones. Add a splash of vinegar to the water so that the nutrients come out of the bones and into the broth. Read more on Bone Broth
2. Liver - especially from grass-fed animals. Eating liver once a month provides nearly the same nutrients as eating red meat every day of the month.
3. Lacto-fermented Vegetables - if you haven’t tried these, read more about my favorite brand Fab Ferments
4. Fermented Cod liver Oil – If you only take ONE supplement ever, it should be fermented cod liver oil in my opinion. It is an excellent source of Vitamin D among other things.
5. Wild-caught Salmon high in Omega 3′s.
6. Red Raspberry Leaf Tea – Great uterine tonic. Good to drink throughout pregnancy.
7. Greens - especially wild greens like dandelion. Read 20 Ways to Cook Leafy Greens
8. Kefir - both yogurt and kefir have beneficial bacteria. The difference is that the bacteria in yogurt is transient – it will do good things and then leave your system where as the bacteria in kefir colonizes and continues to fight off pathogens in the gut.
9. Nettles tea – look for this in health food stores. It supports the adrenals and helps your body build blood.
10. Grass-fed meat – Animals need to be outside eating a natural diet to be healthy. More about the differences of Grass Fed vs Regular Beef
Top 10 Foods to Avoid when trying to get Pregnant
1. Trans-fat - it will say “partially hydrogenated oil” on the label. More on Healthy vs Un-Healthy Oils
2. Margarine - is usually made from rancid oils and is full of chemicals. Butter (especially from grass-fed animals) is a much better choice.
3. Soy – the only soy I recommend is fermented soy and only in small amounts. However, if you have any thyroid problems or if you are trying to conceive, it is best to avoid all soy. Most is genetically modified and the estrogen-like compounds may disrupt the endocrine system.
4. Fat free or low fat dairy – most low fat milk has powdered milk added to it which has oxidized cholesterol.
5. Enriched Flour = White flour + synthetic vitamins. Whole grains that are soaked or sprouted are better.
6. Sugar - one of the most harmful (and addictive) substances in our diets Read our 14 Steps to Cut Processed Foods
7. Sodas - especially diet sodas – some fertility clinics will not even work with people until they go off of artificial sweeteners.
8. Coffee - depleting to the adrenals. In Chinese medicine, the kidneys are responsible for reproduction.
9. Vegetable oils – including canola oil – most are genetically modified and rancid. They are also usually too high in Omega 6′s which creates an Omega 3 / Omega 6 imbalance. More on Healthy vs Un-Healthy Oils
10. MSG - it is given to rats to induce obesity. Will show up as “hydrolyzed yeast extract” or “autolyzed yeast extract” or many other pseudo names.
