National Nutrition Month March 2018

Go Further With Food – is the theme spearheading 2018’s National Nutrition Month in March. Discover resources from eatright.org. Dr. John Zhang encourages healthy nutrition year-round, especially for his patients who are preparing for pregnancy. Establishing nutritious eating habits prior to getting pregnant will help you achieve and maintain a successful pregnancy. And, the birth of a healthy baby!

National Nutrition Month

Created by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, National Nutrition Month is movement to increase awareness about the importance of:

·         Making informed food choices

·         Developing sound eating habits

·         Establishing good physical activity routines

Nutrition to Boost Fertility

Your level of fertility is greatly increased with healthy diet and body mass index (BMI). Don’t wait until you are pregnant to get serious about a healthy lifestyle. Healthy lifestyle choices will greatly boost your fertility.

A healthy diet and lifestyle before pregnancy will solidify your habits during pregnancy. It is very important to take advantage of the natural resources and tools available to help enhance the fertility treatment and pregnancy experience.

The DASH Diet

The DASH Diet also earned the Best Diet for Healthy Eating category in the comparison study conducted by US News and World Report. The DASH Diet was developed with the goal of lowering blood pressure. More good news: A 12 week study of women on the DASH Diet by Kashan University of Medical Sciences resulted decreased anti-Mullerian hormone. The women studied were suffering from PCOS and high BMI – obesity. The findings of the study show that the DASH Diet improves metabolic profile, BMI in PCOS.

DASH recommends:

• Fruits
• Vegetables
• Low-fat dairy
• Whole grains

DASH is rich in:

• Potassium
• Calcium
• Fiber
• Protein

The DASH Diet emphasizes:

• Portion size
• Eating a variety of foods
• Getting the right amount of nutrients

The DASH Diet contains the same components of a regular low-calorie diet.

• 52% to 55% carbohydrates
• 16% to 18% protein
• 30% total fats

The DASH Diet is:

• Low in Saturated Fats
• Low in Cholesterol
• Low in Refined Grains
• Low in Sweets

Maintain a Healthy Body Mass Index (BMI)

A healthy body weight and diet is essential to increasing your chances of becoming pregnant. Strive to achieve and maintain a healthy body mass index (BMI) to keep your reproductive cycle in balance. A BMI of 19 to 24 indicates a healthy weight. Anything above 24 or below 19 may be hindering your chances of ovulation and conception. Fertility Diet Tips

Women eating diets high in transfats (trans fatty acids), animal proteins, and carbohydrates are more likely to suffer from an ovulatory disorder. Switch your protein sources by replacing the beef, port, or chicken you eat with vegetable protein sources. Vegetable protein sources include beans and nuts. Making this change can reduce a woman’s risk of ovulatory disorders by more than 50 percent.

Include high-fat dairy in high dosages. Avoid eating low-fat dairy products as these may increase your risk of an ovulatory disorder. Replace at least one low-fat dairy serving of dairy with a high-fat serving. For instance, replace low-fat ice cream with one glass of whole milk.

More Helpful Pregnancy Resources

It is important to work with a fertility doctor having the experience required to design a customized fertility treatment plan meeting your personal needs. To schedule your initial consultation with Dr. John Zhang at New Hope Fertility Center, call 917.525.5496.