There is no question that fertility can be positively effected by diet and lifestyle. At Yin and Tonic Acupuncture we start with recommending an “everything in moderation” approach. We know that the stress of adhering to a super strict diet can have much more adverse effects on the body than the occasional piece of chocolate cake. That said we do have some general guidelines we would like to share with those who are interested.
First: moderation to elimination of the ‘usual suspects’
wheat, dairy, sugar, coffee/caffeine, alcohol, artificial sweeteners.
A diet rich in leafy green veggies, lean (organic if possible) meats and fruit is always a healthy way to go.
We discourage ‘raw’ food diets during the time of conception and gestation.
As far as exercise, again: moderation. Low impact aerobics, yoga, weights, swimming are all wonderfully healthy activities as long as they are done in moderation. Women who are athletes and/or have very low body fat tend to run into problems with fertility. We recommend that these patients increase their calorie intake and decrease the frequency of their workouts while trying to conceive. Many times runners find that by gaining a little weight and running a little less they are able to conceive naturally (even when they were being encouraged by their doctors to move on to IUI and even IVF).
