MAKING lifestyle changes can often be a big part of a couple's efforts to get pregnant.
Midwife and fertility expert Zita West, author of new book Eat Yourself Pregnant (Nourish Books, £14.99), says: "When you're trying to conceive, perhaps the saying 'you are what you eat' should read 'you both are what you eat'," she says.
Eggs and sperm are cells like any others, she notes, yet how they're nourished is largely ignored. The maturing egg, sperm, womb lining and foetus depend on nutrients to develop, but if the diet contains too many endocrine-disrupting chemicals -like trans-fats, refined sugars, or excess additives - or is depleted of nutrients, research shows fertility can be affected.
Another dietary problem that can "play havoc" with fertility and hormones is blood-sugar imbalance. Eating slow-release carbohydrates can help, West advises, while eating 'on the run' or eating late into the evening can also leave many women with digestive problems.
According to West, a good fertility diet should include:
l Protein to build hormones, eggs and sperm - from meat, fish, chicken, and plant proteins.
l Essential fatty acids for hormone production, a healthy immune system and cell membranes - from oily fish, nuts and seeds.
l Energising slow-release carbohydrates - from any brown cereals.
l B vitamins and folic acid for cell division - from green vegetables.
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