Written By: Longjam Dineshwori | Updated : February 27, 2020 9:10 AM IST
Not just a well-balanced eating plan can boost your fertility but lead to a healthy pregnancy.
Pre-pregnancy diet? Yes, if you're trying for a baby, you need to maintain a healthy, well-balanced diet. This is to provide your body with the essential nutrients it needs for a healthy pregnancy. Not just a well-balanced eating plan can boost your fertility but lower the risk of birth defects.
As a mom-to-be, your diet should include a mix of healthy foods that are packed with nutrients, including folic acid/folate, calcium, iodine, iron, fatty acids, etc. Here are some foods you can include to get these nutrients.
This B vitamin (B9) is a key nutrient while trying to conceive and during your pregnancy. Experts recommend that women should take 400 micrograms (mcg) of folic acid at least one month before getting pregnant. Folic acid is crucial for forming healthy cells and helps prevent birth defects like spina bifida and anencephaly.
You can also find it in foods like leafy green vegetables, fortified cereals, oranges and strawberries, beans and nuts.
Calcium is required to your reproductive system to function smoothly; it may even help you conceive faster. If you're low in calcium during pregnancy, your body will take it from your bones and give it to the developing foetus. This might raise your risk of osteoporosis (brittle bones) in the future. Health experts recommend about 1,000 mg of calcium each day. Sources of calcium include milk, yogurt, cheese, kale and broccoli.
Iron deficiency may cause trouble getting pregnant. This mineral helps supply oxygen throughout the body and it is very important during pregnancy. Too little iron could increase your baby's risk of being underweight or premature. Recommended amount - women need about 18 mg per day. Foods rich in iron include fortified breakfast cereals, spinach, and spinach.
Why you need this nutrient? Omega-3 fatty acids may help regulate key ovulation-inducing hormones and increase blood flow to the reproductive organs. Omega 3s are found in seafood, grass-fed beef, nuts and seeds. Fish such as salmon, anchovies, sardines and herring, are good sources of omega 3s.
