If you are trying to get pregnant, one of the many things that improve your chances of conception is insulin sensitivity. Rujuta Diwekar suggests increasing your lean body weight as a way to improve insulin sensitivity and reduce insulin resistance. Since what you eat plays a big role in that, she recommends her top diet tips to improve insulin sensitivity and get pregnant easily:
1. Reduce intake of packaged products. The thumb rule is that if it's selling on the basis of a single nutrient or ingredient on the presence or absence of it then stay away. E.g. gluten-free, low-fat, high-protein, etc if this is why you are buying it, then you have fallen for a ploy that is milking profits off the current villain or hero of the weight loss market, leaving you poorer in both your wallet and health. According to latest reports, gluten-free is now linked to Type 2 Diabetes.
2. Eat according to the season. Remember, you get everything year round because it's frozen in some large cold storage. So make that logistical move from mall to a small market and patronize the stuff that is in season. Other than tasting better, it will also improve your chances of eating a variety of fruits and vegetables throughout the year. Improved diet diversity is good news for the intestinal mucosa, probiotic bacteria and insulin sensitivity.
3. Introduce a pickle or chutney in one of your main meals every day. These may not be taught to us as sources of Vitamin B12, but it is exactly these essential fat-packed side dishes that help us assimilate and even make our own B12. You can choose from peanut, til, coconut chutney to mango, mirchi, mushroom pickle based on your taste buds and the region you live in. Besides making the meal interesting, it lowers the glycemic index of the overall meal, thus allowing insulin to respond optimally.
4. Learn to set curd at home. From the diverse strains of gut-friendly bacteria to the essential amino acids and B vitamins, dahi is the magical food that you can't afford to miss.
Image source: Shutterstock
