Physical Wellness

Nutrition Tips for Getting Pregnant

By Christine Hsu | Update Date: Oct 18, 2013 03:32 PM EDT

Watching your weight and following the Mediterranean-style diet may increase your chances of getting pregnant, according to nutritional experts.

"Establishing a healthy eating pattern and weight is a good first step for women who are looking to conceive," Brooke Schantz of Loyola University Health System said in a news release. "Not only will a healthy diet and lifestyle potentially help with fertility, but it also may influence fetal well-being and reduce the risk of complications during pregnancy."

The study revealed that 30 percent of infertility is caused by either being overweight or underweight. Experts explain that being overweight or underweight can cause shifts in hormones, which can affect ovulation. However, reducing weight by even 5 percent can enhance fertility.

Schantz recommends that women who want to conceive adhere to the following nutritional tips:

- Don't eat a lot of foods with trans and saturated fats, and eat more foods with monosaturated fats like avocados and olive oil

- Don't eat so much animal protein and add more vegetable protein to your diet

- Eat more foods rich in fiber like whole grains, vegetables and fruit

- Eat more vegetarian sources of iron like legumes, tofu, nuts, seeds and whole grains

- Eat high-fat fairy instead of low-fat diary

- Take multivitamins for women

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