Tell Me What to Eat If I Am Trying to Conceive: Nutrition You Can Live With

Tell Me What to Eat If I Am Trying to Conceive: Nutrition You Can Live With

Tell Me What to Eat If I Am Trying to Conceive: Nutrition You Can Live With

Tell Me What to Eat If I Am Trying to Conceive: Nutrition You Can Live With

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Overview

According to the CDC, in the United States alone, more than 7 million women of child bearing age have an impaired ability to conceive. Every year millions of couples are trying to conceive at any given time. If you have decided it is time to start your family, you probably have many questions: What can I do to get pregnant? Are there certain foods or a specific diet that will help?

Tell Me What to Eat If I Am Trying to Conceive answers your questions and guides you through the process of trying to conceive. Beginning with an overview of the general stages of conception and some of the causes of fertility problems, the many ways in which diet and lifestyle can impact your chances of conceiving.

Tell Me What to Eat If I Am Trying to Conceive will discuss:
  • How to reach a healthy weight that will better prepare your body for conception
  • What vitamin and mineral supplements you should include in your daily routine
  • Specific foods that may or may not help you conceive

  • Product Details

    ISBN-13: 9781601631718
    Publisher: Red Wheel/Weiser
    Publication date: 07/15/2011
    Series: Tell Me What to Eat Series
    Pages: 208
    Product dimensions: 5.25(w) x 8.25(h) x 0.50(d)

    About the Author

    Kimberly Tessmer is a registered dietitian nutritionist, published author, wife and mother. She has been a dietitian since 1992 and has worked in various fields related to nutrition and food. Kim currently owns and operates a consulting practice called Nutrition Focus (www.Nutrifocus.net) where she specializes in authoring, weight management, menu development and other nutrition-related consulting services.

    Elaine Magee, MPH, RD, is fondly known through her national column and on WebMD.com as "The Recipe Doctor." She is the author of 25 books on nutrition and healthy cooking, including the revolutionary Food Synergy, as well as other best-selling titles in the 'Tell Me What to Eat' series, covering type-2 diabetes, acid reflux, irritable bowel syndrome, and other important health issues. She frequently appears on television and radio shows across the country and resides in Northern California with her husband and two teenage daughters.

    Read an Excerpt

    CHAPTER 1

    What You Should Know About Your Fertility and What May Cause Challenges

    The best way to tackle any issue is to start at the beginning. Whether you are just beginning your journey to trying to conceive or are already a seasoned veteran, it is a good idea to get back to the basics. This first chapter will aim to answer some general questions concerning fertility and briefly discuss possible challenges to fertility before jumping into the main concept of this book, which is the food and diet aspect of trying to conceive.

    What are the general phases of conception?

    Chances are you already know all about the birds and the bees, but do you really know the medical science behind creating a baby? Before you begin your journey of conception, take a moment to understand the incredible process of conception. You will begin to understand just what a miracle babies truly are.

    There are three steps your body needs to follow to make a baby: ovulation, fertilization, and implantation. Seems so simple, right? Well, when you realize the timing that goes into each step and the problems that can happen with each step you can understand why every woman in her early 20s to mid-30s has only a 15- to 25-percent chance of becoming pregnant each month. Unfortunately that percentage dips as a woman ages.

    In the first phase, which is ovulation, an immature egg, or follicle, develops into a mature egg and is released from one of your ovaries. This egg is available for fertilization for only 12 to 24 hours after it is released. Sperm, on the other hand, can survive for up to 72 hours. If a released egg has not met its sperm within that 12- to 24-hour window of opportunity, the conception window is closed for the month. Ovulation can occur at different times, depending on the individual woman, but typically it happens around two weeks prior to the start of the menstrual cycle. Being able to pinpoint when you will ovulate is the key to planning conception. In the second phase of conception, which is the fertilization phase, there is no time for dinner and a movie! With any luck, a male sperm is quickly introduced and enters the egg. It is at that very moment that the genetic makeup of the baby is already being determined, including the gender of the baby. Within about 24 hours after fertilization, the third and final phase of conception, implantation, takes place. Once an egg is fertilized it will begin dividing and travel through the fallopian tubes into the uterus. At this point your body will begin to produce certain hormones that will help the egg attach to your uterus. One of these hormones is HCG, commonly called the pregnancy hormone, which will turn your home pregnancy test positive. Some women will experience light spotting or bleeding as the egg attaches to the uterus, which is known as implantation bleeding.

    What are the most prevalent reasons for infertility?

    Now we know what needs to happen to make a baby. So what are some of the reasons, besides bad timing, that it does not always happen as planned. First things first. Let's understand what is meant by "fertility" and "infertility" and why they are important to talk about. Your fertility is your natural ability to conceive or become pregnant. Infertility is defined as the inability to become pregnant under the age of 35 after a year of trying to conceive. It can be a problem with the female, the male, or both. Keep in mind that infertility hardly means you will never become pregnant; it only means there might be an underlying reason that needs to be addressed and treated. There is also "unexplained fertility," which means no definitive reason for infertility has been found after all medical tests are performed. Again, this doesn't mean pregnancy cannot occur. The reason it is important to talk about infertility in this book is because this book will focus mainly on diet and nutrition for conception, and for some couples, poor nutrition can be a large part of the problem when it comes to infertility, or not being able to become pregnant. In addition, for some women who deal with infertility due to a specific health-related concern such as PCOS or celiac disease, diet can be a large part of the treatment that will result in finally becoming pregnant.

    There are many barriers that can make having a baby challenging. They range from medical issues to lifestyle to everything in between. These problems are associated with the female, the male, or both. Many times there is more then one barrier that may be causing problems, including:

    • Not ovulating or poor egg quality

    • Absent or irregular periods

    • Hormonal imbalances

    • Fallopian tube issues

    • Pre-existing health issues

    • Cancer treatments such as chemotherapy and radiation

    • Age (for both female and male)

    • Over- or underweight

    • Sedentary lifestyle/lack of exercise

    • The use of alcohol, drugs, and tobacco.

    • Poor diet and nutrition

    • Excessive caffeine intake

    • Chronic stress

    • Lack of proper sleep

    • History of STDs (sexually transmitted diseases).

    • Male factor issues such as low sperm count or poor quality sperm

    When should I seek medical advice?

    Keeping the definition of infertility in mind, if you are younger then age 35 and have been unable to conceive after a year of trying, or if you are older than age of 35 and have not been successful at conceiving after six months, it is time to make a visit to your healthcare provider. There could be underlying reasons, some mentioned previously, that are hindering your efforts. Your healthcare provider can perform necessary tests to help better pinpoint the problem(s).

    Aside from this rule of thumb, if you have irregular or absent menstrual cycles, known problems with your menstrual cycles and/or ovulation, have experienced multiple miscarriages, have prior use of birth control pills or devices, known health issues, or anything that seems out of the ordinary to you and your body, you may be wise to see your healthcare provider before that time frame. Before you begin your journey of trying to conceive, it is always a good idea to have a complete health check-up with both your primary care physician and your OB/GYN to ensure that everything is in good working order and that you have any health issues and/or medications that can effect both fertility and pregnancy under control.

    What health issues can affect my fertility?

    There are many health issues as well as both over-the-counter and prescription medications that can affect your fertility and make it more difficult to conceive. This is why it is vital to visit your healthcare provider before trying to conceive. Some health issues for women include, but are not limited to: uterine fibroids, ovarian cysts, PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome), and endometriosis. Other health problems that can affect both men and women might include celiac disease, uncontrolled thyroid disorders, and diabetes just to name a few.

    What is PCOS and how can it affect my fertility?

    PCOS stands for polycystic ovary (or ovarian) syndrome. It may be a shock to learn that PCOS is one of the most common causes of female infertility. In fact, many women don't even realize they have PCOS until they seek medical help after not being able to become pregnant. PCOS is a condition in which small cysts grow on the ovaries which, in turn, leads to hormone imbalances. It is not the cysts per se that cause the majority of the problems, but the imbalance of hormones. Hormones are what help drive the conception cycle, including the normal development of eggs inside the ovaries. In women with PCOS, eggs do not mature and instead form into ovarian cysts. Ovulation does not occur, and a hormone called progesterone is not produced. Without progesterone, the menstrual cycle can be irregular or absent altogether. With PCOS the immature eggs and inability to ovulate is usually caused by low levels of FSH, or follicle stimulating hormone, along with higher-than-normal levels of the male hormone (which females also produce) called androgen, which is produced in the ovaries. Without mature eggs in the ovaries, conception cannot occur and infertility is the result.

    Still another hormone greatly affected by PCOS is insulin. Insulin is a hormone that helps to regulate blood sugar levels in the body. Many women with PCOS experience high blood sugar levels because their bodies are ineffective at utilizing insulin and, therefore, regulating glucose or blood sugar. This is called insulin resistance. Over time, insulin resistance can increase the risk for diabetes. In addition, excess insulin also appears to increase the production of androgen, again causing hormonal inbalance. Besides infertility and insulin resistance, hormonal imbalances can also lead to:

    • Heavy, irregular, or absent menstrual cycles

    • Worsening acne and other skin problems

    • Increased body and facial hair

    • Thinning hair on the scalp

    • Weight gain and/or obesity, with trouble losing weight

    • Depression and/or anxiety

    FYI: The cause of PCOS is yet unknown; however, it is believed that genetics can play a role. It is estimated that as many as 5 million women of childbearing age in the United States are afflicted with PCOS.

    At present, there is no cure for PCOS. It is important to diagnose it early and to manage it in order to minimize symptoms as well as health problems later in life such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, hypertension (high blood pressure), and uterine cancer. Treatment goals are based on the woman's individual symptoms, future health, and whether or not she trying to conceive. Manywomen need a combination of treatments to reach their goals. Although PCOS is not curable, the good news is that there are treatments that can help to manage and alleviate symptoms such as lifestyle modification (including a healthy diet, exercise, and weight loss), birth control pills to help control hormone levels and regulate menstrual cycles, insulin lowering medications, and androgen lowering medications.

    Dietary management is an essential part of the treatment and care of PCOS.

    Research has suggested that some of the following dietary recommendations can be beneficial for most women with PCOS:

    • Choose foods that are lower in saturated fats, such as lean meats, fish, and low-fat or fat-free dairy products, and increase your intake of healthy unsaturated fats (monounsaturated and polyunsaturated) such as olive oil, fish, nuts, and avocados.

    • Choose a diet high in fiber including fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, and seeds.

    • Limit refined carbohydrates such as processed foods that include added sugars and white flours and choose complex carbohydrates more often, such as whole-grain breads, brown rice, whole-grain pasta, whole-grain cereals, oatmeal, nuts, fruits, and vegetables.

    • Pay attention to all serving sizes but especially carbohydrate serving sizes. They should usually be much smaller then you think.

    • Choose foods with a lower glycemic index or, better yet, a lower glycemic load.

    • Eat often, at least every 3 to 4 hours.

    • Include a lean protein along with a low glycemic or whole-grain carbohydrate or healthy fat with all meals and snacks to help manage blood sugar levels.

    FYI: In general, glycemic index and glycemic load provide information on how a specific food affects blood sugar and insulin levels. In other words, they can help us figure out which foods are good and bad for helping to better control blood sugar levels. Glycemic index (GI) is a numerical system that measures how much the carbohydrate in a particular food increases blood sugar after it is consumed. The higher the number or GI, the greater the spike in blood sugar. A food with a low GI will cause a smaller rise in blood sugar. However there can be some shortfalls to this system. Glycemic load (GL) can be a better indicator because it also takes into account how much of that carbohydrate is in a standard serving of a particular food. For example, the carbohydrate in watermelon has a high GI, but there isn't much of it in a standard serving so it has a relatively low GL. Foods that have a low GL usually have a low GI. Foods with a moderate to high GL can range from very low to very high GI.

    Regular moderate physical activity is also encouraged to help manage blood sugar levels, body weight, and stress levels. Women with PCOS who are overweight should be encouraged to reach a healthy weight in a smart way by losing weight slowly and steadily with a healthy diet approach, appropriate portion sizes, and plenty of regular moderate physical activity. In addition, your healthcare provider and/or dietitian may recommend a multivitamin/mineral supplement, additional vitamin D, calcium, fish oil, and other supplements. Always speak with your healthcare provider first before beginning any supplemental intake or embarking on any weight loss and/or exercise program.

    If you are having fertility problems and notice some of the symptoms mentioned previously, you should see your healthcare provider to be properly diagnosed. If you have already been diagnosed with PCOS, it is vital that you get your symptoms undercontrol so that conception is possible and so that you reduce your risk of other related health problems in the future. Talk to your healthcare provider about treating all of your symptoms, not just the ones that deal with trying to conceive. Speak to a registered dietitian that specializes in PCOS who can properly guide you with the key dietary treatments of PCOS including diet, exercise, and weight loss. At the end of this book you will find valuable resources that can provide you with more information on PCOS.

    What is endometriosis and how can it affect my fertility?

    Endometriosis is commonly diagnosed in women of childbearing age. It is a condition that causes the tissue that normally lines the inside of the uterus (called endometrium) to grow in areas outside the uterus, usually in the pelvic region. Each month, the body releases hormones whose job it is to thicken the endometrium and get ready to nest a possible fertilized egg. If there is no fertilized egg, the endometrium breaks down and the body eliminates it as blood, which is the menstrual cycle. With endometriosis, the tissue that finds its way outside of the uterus acts just like the tissue that lines the inside of the uterus by thickening, breaking down, and bleeding. However, unlike the tissue inside the uterus, the tissue outside of the uterus has no way of being eliminated by the body so it becomes trapped. Surrounding tissue usually becomes irritated and eventually forms scar tissue and cysts. This whole process can cause pelvic pain, sometimes severe, along with heavy periods, bleeding between periods, pain with bowel movements or urination, and infertility. Other symptoms that may present themselves can include fatigue, diarrhea, constipation, nausea, and bloating. Endometriosis can be classified as mild, moderate, or severe. Some women can experience severe symptoms, whereas others may not even know they have the condition until they realize they are having problems becoming pregnant and go in to see their healthcare provider. Usually, women with moderate to severe endometriosis tend to have more difficulty becoming pregnant than those women with milder cases.

    A balanced diet is important for all of us because it can help improve our overall health. For women with endometriosis, a healthy and well-balanced diet can also be a benefit by increasing their ability to tolerate medical treatments and better deal with potential side effects. A registered dietitian who specializes in women's health issues can help put together an appropriate dietary plan for women affected by endometriosis.

    At present there is no known cause or cure for endometriosis, but there are successful treatments. The key is early diagnosis, which can help to reduce unnecessary complications and pain. A woman's treatment plan depends on her own individual needs, symptoms, age, and conception plans. She should work closely with her physician so that together they can determine the plan that will benefit her most. If you have experienced any of the symptoms mentioned previously, speak with your healthcare provider. The Resources section at the back of this book contains valuable resources that can provide you with more information on endometriosis.

    (Continues…)


    Excerpted from "Tell Me What to Eat If I Am Trying to Conceive"
    by .
    Copyright © 2011 Kimberly A. Tessmer.
    Excerpted by permission of Red Wheel/Weiser, LLC.
    All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
    Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.

    Table of Contents

    Disclaimer,
    Foreword by Elaine Magee,
    Introduction,
    Chapter 1: What You Should Know About Your Fertility and What May Cause Challenges,
    Chapter 2: Weighing in on Your Fertility,
    Chapter 3: Diet Rules to Eat By,
    Chapter 4: Everything You Always Wanted to Ask a Dietitian About Trying to Conceive,
    Chapter 5: Conception-Welcoming Nutrients for Her and Him,
    Chapter 6: Fertility-Friendly Alternative Therapies,
    Chapter 7: Navigating Unproven Diet Remedies,
    Chapter 8: Help Boost Your Chances With Delicious Recipes and Meal Plans,
    Resources,
    Bibliography,
    Index,
    About the Author,

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