MORE HOME OUR TEAM ABOUT US SERVICES PATIENTS BLOG Eating to Optimize Fertility NOVA IVF Contents Patients Getting Started Eating to Optimize Fertility Eating right is the cornerstone for optimizing your fertility health. The typical North America diet produces an excess amount of acid in the body. Humans are naturally more basic and when food intake leads to continuous acidity this can lead to more sickness and chronic illness. In addition to the more acidic environment; the North American diet has more food that promotes inflammation. The combination of foods that promote this acidic and inflammatory state is a real detriment to your fertility health. It is important to balance the foods you eat. It is not to say that we should only eat basic and anti-inflammatory foods, but to be sure that we are mindful about getting enough of these “good” foods every day so our bodies stay balanced. Balance and moderation is essential. Extremism with any particular way of eating is potentially unbalanced for your body and unhealthy for your mind. Moderation is a very important word when discussing a healthy way of eating. Severe restrictions like only eating one type of nut, using one type of oil, or completely eliminating things like chocolate or occasional caffeine consumption can have a negative effect on one’s mood. It could also increase the intake of other “comfort” foods unnecessarily. Below are several tables – one has the list of anti-inflammatory foods and the other has a list of alkaline/basic foods. One list gives good protein and oil sources. Selecting 60% to 80% of your daily intake from these two tables will promote a healthier body and optimize your fertility potential. This is not a complete list by any means, it is a guide and you will see that some foods are on both lists. Important Foods to Avoid As Much As Possible or Eliminate Soda Processed meats Fried foods Diet soda French fries Doughnuts Sweet sport drinks Candies Beef Fast foods Cakes Margarine Foods to Eat Regularly Whole fruits While some fruits are very acidic like the citrus varieties, when digested they have a very basic effect. If possible try to eat a variety of organically grown fruits. Think about “eating the rainbow” when it comes to the fruits. The color variety gives you diversity in your healthy polyphenolics. Pure blended fruit and vegetable juices either homemade or commercial such as Odwalla or Naked brands, but also try to have whole fruits and vegetables. Challenge yourself to get at least 5 servings per day. Fresh Vegetables This is really the basis to healthy eating. Strive for as many servings per day as possible. Again, variety plays a key role in balanced nutrition. If at all possible have several servings in the raw form. Meals should be built around this group rather than it being an afterthought for a side dish. Put variety into salads (add fruit and nuts), munch on celery, carrots or broccoli. Put some spicy peppers into your dishes and reap the benefits of their ant-inflammatory powers. Make vegetables the base of your pyramid. Their importance can not be overstated. Protein Sources Some of the best protein sources are plant-based including beans, nuts and seeds. Seafood use to be a good option, but with rising levels of mercury and PCBs it should be minimized in the diet. Avoiding cured and processed meats is extremely important, they are recognized as carcinogenic by the World Health Organization. Plant-based proteins are hands down the healthiest choice for your body in general, and your fertility. Seafood The real push behind eating seafood is consuming the essential fatty acids. The problem with seafood is the potential for high mercury levels or that it is not sustainable. There are plant-based options for obtaining the essential fatty acids, some of which are listed below. Good oils (Olive/Flaxseed/Pumpkin/Canola) Foods high in Omega-3′s Whole grains breads/pastas (Consider Gluten free grains) Water (at least 64 ounces throughout the day) Anti-Inflammatory Foods Acai/blueberry juice Cinnamon Pineapple Red peppers Almonds Cranberries Pomegranate juice Rhubarb Apple juice Eggplant Pumpkin seeds Rosemary Basil Garlic Purple cabbage Shitake mushrooms Blood oranges Ginger Purple grapes Soybeans Blueberries Hot Peppers Purple peppers Strawberries Broccoli Kale Purple plums Sunflower seeds Broccoli florets Kelp Purple potatoes Sweet potato Brussels sprout Nutmeg Radicchio Thyme Chamomile Papaya Radishes Turmeric Cherries Parsley Red pears Wheat germ Oil Protein Flaxseed oil Lentils Green Peas All beans Grape seed oil Wild Rice Tofu Seitan Linseed oil Hempseed Nutritional yeast Hummus Olive oil Amaranth Quinoa All Nuts Walnut oil Chia seeds Chickpeas Oats and Oatmeal Alkaline / Basic Foods Alfalfa Cherries Lettuce Pumpkin Alkaline water Chestnuts Lima beans Radish Almonds Chili pepper Lime Raisins Apple cider vinegar Cinnamon Mango Raspberries Apples Coconut Melons (all) Rhubarb Apricots (dried) Collard greens Mineral water Rutabaga Apricots (fresh) Cucumber Miso Salad mix Artichoke Currants (dried) Molasses Sauerkraut Asparagus Curry Mushrooms Sea Salt Baked potato Dates Mustard Soured dairy products Bananas Dulce Mustard greens Soybeans Barley grass Edible flowers Nectarine Spinach Beans, baked Eggplant Nightshade veggies Spirulina Bee pollen Endives Olives (green or ripe) Sprouts Beet greens Fermented veggies Onions Squash Beets Figs Oranges Strawberries Bell peppers Fresh fruit juice Papaya String beans Blackberries Garlic Parsley Sweet potatoes Blueberries Ginger Parsnips Swiss chard Bok choy Grapefruit Passionfruit Tamari Brazil nuts Grapes Peaches Tangerine Broccoli Green beans Pear Tomatoes Brussels sprout Green juices Peas Turnip greens Buckwheat Green peas Peppers Umeboshi plums Cabbage Herbs (all) Persimmon Veggie juices Cantaloupe Honeydew melon Pineapple Watercress Carrots Kale Pomegranate Watermelon Cauliflower Kiwi Potatoes Wheat grass Celery Kohlrabi Potatoes, white Wild greens Chard Lemon Probiotic cultures Zucchini Most alkaline/basic foods WHAT WE OFFER Services Egg Freezing more info In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) more info Male Infertility more info Egg Donation more info Aggressive IVF Protocols more info Surrogacy more info PGD more info Fertility Preservation more info Unexplained Infertility more info LGBTQ Fertility Treatments more info Endometriosis Infertility more info Tubal Infertility more info LOCATION NOVA IVF 2500 Hospital Dr, Building 7 Mountain View, CA 94040 Phone: 650-325-6682 Fax: 650-968-6682 OFFICE HOURS Monday 6:30 am - 4:00 pm Tuesday 6:30 am - 4:00 pm Wednesday 6:30 am - 4:00 pm Thursday 6:30 am - 4:00 pm Friday 6:30 am - 4:00 pm Saturday current patients and by appointment only Sunday current patients and by appointment only GET IN TOUCH 650-325-6682 REQUEST APPOINTMENT Privacy Policy Terms & Conditions Accessibility Notice Contact Us NOVA IVF, Mountain View, CA Phone (appointments): 650-325-6682 Phone (general inquiries): 650-325-6682 Address: 2500 Hospital Dr, Building 7, Mountain View, CA 94040