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5 Ways to Boost Fertility Naturally, According to a Fertility Dietitian

Special thanks to Becca, a fertility dietitian at Little Life Nutrition, for today's post! Becca is passionate about helping moms and dads-to-be uncover the root cause of fertility challenges, using nutrition, lifestyle, and functional lab testing to optimize her clients' chance of getting pregnant — a true "no-stone-left-unturned" approach.

If you're looking for help with preconception planning or experiencing difficulty conceiving, we highly recommend connecting with Becca. She offers virtual fertility counseling and free 30 minute consultations to chat about your fertility goals and discuss how she can help you throughout your fertility journey. 

It truly takes two. As a fertility dietician, I recommend that both partners focus on optimizing their diet and lifestyle for the best shot at conceiving. It is a common misconception that only the health of the mother matters and this couldn't be further from the truth. Focusing on diet and lifestyle in the preconception period not only boosts fertility but also has a positive effect on the development and health of your future child. Here are some tips for both partners to optimize fertility.

1. Include a colorful fruit and/or veggie at every meal 

Colorful fruits and vegetables contain a compound called antioxidants. Think about the beautiful vibrant color of fruits like blackberries and strawberries and vegetables like beets and spinach. That color is a good indicator of a high antioxidant content. These powerful compounds have been found to aid in both male and female fertility (1). I recommend aiming to get at least two different colors at each meal. Think spinach in your eggs and blueberries on the side at breakfast. Red peppers and carrots to dip in hummus as part of lunch. Roasted broccoli and sweet potatoes as side dishes at dinner. You got this! 

2. Eat organic whenever possible 

Let’s continue the conversation about produce. While actually including adequate amounts of fruits and veggies into your diet is very important, we also need to consider how that produce was produced. The pesticide residue on non-organic produce has been shown in studies to have a negative effect on both female and male fertility (2). Pesticide residues have specifically been shown to reduce sperm quality in men (2). I realize that it can be difficult (and expensive) to buy all organic produce and food products. I recommend checking out the EWG’s Clean 15 and Dirty Dozen list. This list can give you an idea of which specific fruits and vegetables are most important to buy organic and which tend to be cleaner. 

3. Reduce or eliminate alcohol intake 

I know, this one is tough. Let’s be honest with ourselves, alcohol just is not good for you. It is best avoided especially when you are trying to conceive. Alcohol creates something called oxidative stress, which can have a negative effect on both sperm and egg quality and ability to achieve pregnancy (3). As we discussed above, antioxidants are good for fertility so it makes sense that “oxidants” or oxidative stress in the body is something we want to avoid. 

4. Don't skip breakfast 

Intermittent fasting has become an extremely popular diet trend. However, intermittent fasting is not for everyone. Eating breakfast is an opportunity to get in quality nutrients. For women especially, skipping breakfast can have a negative impact on hormones (4). When trying to conceive, having an adequate calorie intake is also very important and skipping breakfast may make it hard for you to achieve adequate energy needs for the day. So go ahead and enjoy a delicious and colorful breakfast! 

5. Take a prenatal vitamin! 

Last but certainly not least, take a prenatal! Yes, both you and your partner should be taking a prenatal. I recommend men take a prenatal at least four months prior to conceiving and women start taking one twelve months prior to conceiving. Not all prenatals are created equal. The Beli formulation has the most absorbable form of all nutrients and contains ingredients such as choline, which is not found in all prenatal vitamins. The men’s formulation is a perfect all-in-one-formula so you don’t have to worry about which individual nutrients to include to optimize male fertility. A prenatal is necessary for both men and women because unfortunately our food isn't as nutrient dense as it once was due to depleted soil (6). 

Following these five steps can help to boost both male and female fertility. Including nutrient dense food along with prenatal vitamins are the best things you can be doing to have a positive impact on your fertility and to set yourself up for a healthy pregnancy.

 

References:

  1. http://clevelandclinic.org/reproductiveresearchcenter/docs/agradoc162A.pdf 
  2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7275874/ 
  3. http://www.oxfordjournals.org/eshre/press-release/freepdf/prpaper.pdf 
  4. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23382817/ 
  5. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9712595/ 
  6. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8349637/ 

Additional Resources

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Read More

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Read More

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Read More

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Read More

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Read More

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Read More

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Read More

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Read More

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Read More

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Read More

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Read More

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Read More

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Read More

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Read More

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Read More

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Read More

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Read More

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Read More

Forbes Health recently reviewed our men's prenatal vitamins and we love author Leigh Weingus' take: "Beli Men Vitality Multivitamins first caught my eye because while I often see supplements that claim to improve fertility outcomes for women, I rarely see the same thing for men." We hear you, Leigh! Check out the full review here and read on for some highlights.

Read More

Everyone responds to supplementation (not to mention pregnancy!) differently, which is one reason that how you feel isn’t a clue into whether or not your prenatal vitamin is actually working. Instead, you need to be confident about the prenatal vitamin itself, and there are a few things you’ll want to look for.

Read More

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Read More

In this three-part mini series, we’re covering all the ways sperm seals the deal for a healthy conception, pregnancy and baby, with a deep dive into three key functions. First up is how a man’s sperm affects placental development. Spoiler: sperm carries what amounts to the architect’s rendering of the placenta, so it’s no small thing!

Read More

The role of a prenatal vitamin is to support the healthy growth and development of growing babies, and minimizing the risk of birth defects is front and center. But can your prenatal vitamins really reduce the risk of birth defects? Absolutely!

Read More

There’s a certain magic to the holiday season, whether you’re all-in on the decorations and the family time or a self-proclaimed Scrooge from mid-November to the New Year. But when you’re trying to conceive, it can be a challenging time.  We’re sharing five tips for managing the holidays when you’re trying to conceive.

Read More

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Read More

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Read More

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Read More

You have big plans for parenthood in 2024, which means this is the time to start laying the groundwork for everything to come. While so much of conception is beyond our control, there are actionable steps you and your partner can take right now to support and nourish your fertility.

Read More

Welcome to our little corner of common fertility and pregnancy terms! We know that jargon can be overwhelming, so consider this your very own baby-making dictionary. Here, confusing medical terms transform into easy-to-understand facts that help you confidently navigate your family planning journey. 

Read More

Is there anything worse than the two-week wait? All the listicles out there sensibly advise keeping busy and journaling and talking it out, but we’re sharing more specific recommendations collected from the Beli community. Read on for seven tips for surviving the two-week wait without losing your mind.

Read More

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Read More

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Read More

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Read More

Perimenopause is a transitional time that’s pretty wild in its own right, with hormonal changes similar to a roller coaster and major changes to your cycle. Balanced hormones are, of course, key to successfully becoming pregnant and it’s certainly reasonable to wonder whether it’s possible to get pregnant during perimenopause. The short answer is oh yes. 

Read More

A few years ago, the keto diet was all the rage—a high-fat, low-carb way to shed pounds quickly. While it’s lost a bit of its luster, as all diet trends do, interest in the keto diet remains. Specifically, those hoping to become parents wonder whether following this way of eating could support fertility. Is a diet high in fat and low in carbs the answer? It’s possible. Here’s what to know about the keto diet and whether it might help support fertility.

Read More

When you’re pregnant, of course, you’re told to limit your caffeine consumption. But what about when you’re trying to conceive? Can too much caffeine affect your chances of conception as a couple? It's a good idea to cut back—which means you need to be really clear about sneaky sources of caffeine in your diet.

Read More

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