How to boost fertility

I often get asked how to boost fertility. Sadly, there’s no straightforward answer, as it’s so individual. Fertility is complex, but if you have been trying for a baby and are struggling, then assessing your nutritional status is really important. There are some nutrients that are vital for fertility and producing healthy babies, and we’ll look at three of those here today.

Vitamin D

I LOVE vitamin D (summer baby here) and you can read my full post on Vitamin D and Fertility here.

The reasons why it’s so important is that:

1. It improves egg quality (especially when undergoing IVF)
2. It increases the chances of conceiving by helping the body to create sex hormones, which in turn affects ovulation and hormonal balance.

Good sources:

Oily fish, fortified eggs, cod liver oil and sunlight.

Iron

So many women complain of low energy, and a lot of this has to do with poor iron levels. Remember that we lose iron when we have our periods!

We need good iron levels so that our bodies can carry all of the important nutrients around our body. This is so important for the uterus as we need to ensure it has a good, thick lining to enable a fertilised egg to grow.

We also need iron for good egg health and to help with ovulation, so if you’re struggling with either, it’s worth getting your levels checked.

Good sources:

Lean red meat, spinach, lentils, pumpkin and sesame seeds.

Folate

Not to be mistaken with the synthetic form, folic acid. You need folate (or the natural, active form, 5MHTF) to help prevent birth defects. It is especially important to take a natural form of folate if you have the MTHFR gene, where your body can’t convert folic acid into its usable form.

Good sources:

Leafy greens and legumes

If you have any questions, as always, please ask. X

The post How to Boost Fertility appeared first on Neema Savvides | Fertility Nutrition.

One way of balancing your hormones is through seed cycling. Yep, you heard me correctly. Seeds. Salad topper, smoothie thickener, bird food. Hormone balancer? PMS reliever? Cycle regulator?⠀

Yes, seed cycling for healthy hormones is an actual thing, and I use it in clinics with my clients as it’s a great way of supporting the female body.⠀

How seed cycling works:

Our menstrual cycles are regulated by two key hormones: oestrogen and progesterone. Oestrogen levels rise during the first half the cycle and progesterone levels rise during the second half of our cycle (whilst oestrogen falls).

Any imbalance between these two hormones is thought to contribute to irregular cycles, the emotional and physical symptoms of PMS, cramps, spotty skin, lack of ovulation and short luteal cycles, to name a few. A short luteal phase (the second half), can affect conception.

Seed cycling helps to balance these hormones by consuming different seeds (flax, pumpkin, sesame and sunflower) during the two different stages of your cycle.

How do seeds help? They contain chemicals called lignans, which help to bind up excess hormones (which then get eliminated from the body). They also contain essential fatty acids which are the building blocks of healthy hormones.

Essentially, the different seeds will help to support the body’s natural oestrogen and progesterone requirements at different points in your cycle.

How to seed cycle:

Menstrual Cycle Day 1 (first day of bleed) to Day 14: Flaxseed and pumpkin seeds

During the follicular phase (first 2 weeks of your cycle) we need more oestrogen in order to build up the uterine lining. This is called the follicular phase.

Eating 2 tablespoons of freshly ground flaxseed and pumpkin seeds can naturally increase your oestrogen levels.

Flax seeds help to bind up excess oestrogen and the zinc in pumpkin seeds helps to support progesterone production and release for the second half of your cycle

Menstrual Cycle Day 15 to Day 28: Sunflower and sesame seeds

During the luteal phase (last two weeks) the corpus luteum (what is left behind from the egg rupturing) begins to release progesterone. This sex hormone helps to thicken the uterus lining.

Eating 2 tablespoons of freshly ground sesame seeds or sunflower seeds daily gives your body a nutrient boost that favours progesterone production. This is due to their high zinc content.

Sesame seeds also help to bind the excess oestrogen, and sunflower seeds contain selenium which helps the liver to process excess hormones.

What if I don’t have regular cycles:

Start day 1 on the first day of the new moon—the moon cycle is a great marker since it’s actually 28 days long (just like the female reproductive cycle).

Alternatively, consume flax/pumpkin seeds for 2 weeks, then rotate onto sesame/sunflower and repeat.⠀

3 easy ways to add seeds to your diet:

1. Add to smoothies
2. Use as a topper on porridge, yoghurt, and salads
3. Add to soups

Have you tried seed cycling? Has it helped? I would love to know!

The post How to Balance Hormones for Irregular Cycles appeared first on Neema Savvides | Fertility Nutrition.

Following on in this miscarriage series for #infantlossawarenes month (I totally appreciate we are now in November!), we now look at how to prevent a miscarriage.

If you missed Parts 1 and 2 you can find them here:

How to Recover Post Miscarriage

Miscarriage Causes

I’m all about positivity, taking control and making POSITIVE changes. Want to know more? Read on.

1. Gentle fertility cleanse

I would start with a fertility cleanse. This doesn’t need to be complicated or stressful. Whilst I genuinely believe that our bodies have fully capable detoxification systems, sometimes we need a helping hand, especially when you’ve had a miscarriage. Your hormones are likely to be out of sync and you may have a build up of toxins in the body. A cleanse is also a great way of taking back some control. I do this with all of my fertility clients as a first port of call to reset the body.

How to do a gentle cleanse:

1. Day 1: Just vegetables (Mondays are always are a good day to start post-weekend). Think green vegetable juice for breakfast, hot vegetable soup for lunch and steamed vegetables for dinner.
2. Day 2. As above.
3. Day 3: Add vegetable protein like beans and pulses.
4. Days 4-7: Add white fish.

Essentially, we want to avoid foods that are difficult to digest like caffeine, alcohol, sugar, soy, wheat, gluten and dairy.

Ensure you are taking a daily probiotic and include flax seeds to support the gut, increase your intake of cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, kale, watercress and cauliflower, and consume onions, leeks, and garlic. Water is essential – at least 2L of filtered water (preferably still and from a glass bottle). Avoid snacking and aim for 3 meals per day.

2. Address your nutritional status

I could write a book on this (and I’m actually working on something REALLY exciting, so keep your eyes pealed), so let’s stick to the basics.  To prevent a miscarriage, you need to ensure you are meeting your daily macronutrient needs – think complex carbohydrates (brown rice, sweet potato, quinoa), protein (poultry, meat, fish), healthy fats (avocado, oils, nuts, seeds) and fibre (green leafy vegetables). Aside from those, some of the best fertility foods can be found below.

Top Fertility Foods:

• Eggs – organic – Protein, Vitamin D, choline, B12
• Nuts and seeds – Omega 3, Zinc, Vitamin E, Protein: Walnuts, Flax seeds, Chia, pumpkin, sesame, sunflower, almonds, Brazil nuts
• Fruit – Vitamin C, Flavonoids, Antioxidants: berries, strawberries, pomegranate, oranges
• Bright coloured vegetables: B6, Vitamin C
• Green leafy vegetables: Vitamin K, nitrates, chlorophyll, Fibre: spinach, kale, broccoli, watercress
• Fish – Protein, Vitamin D, Omega3, Zinc, Selenium, B12, CoQ10: Salmon, mackerel, sardines, cod
• Grass-fed, organic meat – Omega 3, Iron, B12, Protein: Beef, Lamb
• Liver: Vitamin D, Zinc, Selenium, Iron, Folic Acid, B12, CoQ10: Chicken pâté
• Beans and pulses: Iron, Folic Acid: Lentils, chickpeas

3. Address any gut issues

Poor gut function leads to imbalanced hormones, inflammation, toxic build-up and poor nutritional status. I can’t stress enough how important it is to look after you gut. If you have PCOS it’s especially important as you tend to suffer from leaky gut syndrome. Eat gut-friendly foods like green leafy vegetables, oats, flaxseeds and avoid sugar. Taking a daily probiotic can really help too.

4. Adopt an anti-inflammatory diet

As mentioned in Part 2, causes of miscarriage here, miscarriages can be caused by inflammation in the body. Inflammation can be a result of poor gut health as described above, poor oral health (make sure you see a dentist!), poor nutrition, stress and exposure to toxins. If left, it can lead to infertility, poor ovulation, implantation failure and once pregnant, can result in recurrent miscarriages, poor foetal growth and pre-eclampsia. That’s a pretty extensive list so, if you want to prevent a miscarriage, it’s not one to ignore!

What to do?

Avoid:

• Caffeine
• Alcohol
• Smoking
• Refined sugar
• Processed and packaged foods
• Non-organic meat and dairy

Enjoy:

• Organic foods (meat, poultry and green leafy vegetables and fruits)
• Oily (wild caught) fish
• Tomatoes
• Nuts
• Oats
• Spices such as garlic, ginger and turmeric

5. Limit toxin exposure

This is a really big one. The level of plastic, chemicals and BPA use in our everyday lives is just astounding. Studies have shown links to infertility (especially with sperm counts and quality).

The plan:

• Reduce plastic use  – use glass bottles/containers, paper straws
• Avoid non-organic meat and dairy
• Avoid using tinned foods
• Limit contact with receipts
• Assess your cleaning products (I like the Ecover brand)
• Watch what you put on your skin and hair (think sulphate and paraben free – Neal’s Yard and Pai are both great brands)
• Don’t smoke!

6. Address stress

Stress is another big one. High levels of cortisol (our stress hormone) has been shown to increase the risk of miscarriage in the first trimester by 3 times! Now bear in mind this is severe stress, however, managing stress is so important for you and the development of your baby.

What to do:

• Avoiding the foods as described above will really help
• Sleep! Poor sleep (difficulty falling or staying asleep) is a key indicator of stress. I’m a big believer in good sleep for balanced hormones too, so it’s really important you find ways of managing your stress levels. Creating some downtime can really help too. I love the headspace app to help me really switch off. Magnesium can really help too (magnesium flakes in a bath is an ideal bedtime routine).

7. Address hormonal imbalances

This is a big topic, and probably too big to go into too much detail here, but balancing hormones is crucial. As discussed in Part 2: Low progesterone levels in the second half of your cycle (luteal phase) is needed for the embryo to implant properly into the uterine lining. Any deficiency can stop this from happening. This is especially important to check if you have PCOS, as you naturally have lower progesterone levels.

All of the above essentially helps, but some other important factors to consider are:

• Support liver and digestive health
• Avoid non-organic foods
• Address hormonal conditions such as PCOS
• Eat protein at every meal
• Increase intake of healthy fats
• Try seed cycling – consume flax and pumpkin seeds the first two weeks of your cycle, and sesame and sunflower seeds for the last two weeks of your cycle.

8. Address weight – both over and under

If you’re underweight you could be undernourished and your hormones can be affected. Some studies have shown that being overweight can double the risk of miscarriage (with IVF patients), so it’s really important to manage your weight. In addition, once pregnant, being overweight can affect implantation, and once pregnant it can also increase blood pressure, pre-eclampsia, diabetes and premature delivery. Weight loss (and gain) is so individual, so you’re best speaking to a professional.

9: Tests to consider

• Thyroid
• Progesterone and full hormonal panel
• Vitamin D
• Iron

10. Medications/supplements

I REALLY don’t like to give general supplement advice but there a few worth mentioning that you could look into. PLEASE ensure that you speak to a professional before embarking on a supplement regime.

• Probiotic
• Fish oil
• Vitamin D
• Progesterone (ONLY if you have low progesterone in your luteal phase – second half of your cycle – GET TESTED)
• Blood thinners – baby aspirin (75 mg – again, PLEASE don’t self-diagnose. Speak to your GP beforehand)

Medications to avoid:

• Painkillers and anti-inflammatories

Quick plan

Phew! That is A LOT of information. It can feel overwhelming so try breaking it down into baby steps, such as:

• Do a fertility cleanse
• Go organic
• Consume oily fish 3 x per week
• Have green, leafy vegetables at every meal
• Go to bed early
• Swap plastic containers for glass
• Assess your chemical exposure – cleaning products, hair and skincare
• Speak to a professional who can help devise a plan that works for you, taking into account your specific needs

If you’d like any help or have any questions, please do ask. Fertility is so personal that giving general advice can be challenging. However, if you have experienced loss then addressing some of these is a good place to start.

The post Miscarriage Recovery Part 3: 10 Tips to Prevent a Miscarriage appeared first on Neema Savvides | Fertility Nutrition.

Factors out of your control

Recurring miscarriages (side note)

It’s worth noting that if you have had recurring miscarriages please see a specialist in genetic testing. A good reproductive endocrinologist should be able to diagnose any potential issues in your eggs or in your partner’s sperm.

It wasn’t your fault

I want to stress that THIS IS NOT A BLAME GAME. I don’t want you to sit here reading this thinking ‘was this my fault?’. It wasn’t. I simply want to empower you with information so that if you have had a miscarriage and want to start trying again, or are simply afraid of miscarrying (who isn’t?), then you have a plan of action to move forward and put your body in the best possible place to conceive and sustain a healthy pregnancy.

Things to consider that may have an impact:

• Poor maternal health pre-conception. This leads to poor egg quality, poor embryo, foetal and placental development
• Poor paternal health pre-conception. This leads to poor sperm quality (this is especially important if your partner is older).

These are two really important points to note and the ones I talk to my fertility clients about ALL THE TIME. Pre-conception nutrition is not just about getting you pregnant, it’s about making sure you and your partner are producing the best quality eggs and sperm to make healthy, strong embryos.

It’s also ensuring that your uterus is in the best possible health in order for the embryos to attach and embed, and create a healthy, sustained pregnancy.

• Poor gut health. This is common in women with PCOS. Poor digestive function (and a condition known as leaky gut) allows toxins to pass through that interfere with hormone production in the ovaries.
• Hormonal imbalance. Low progesterone levels in the second half of your cycle (luteal phase) is needed for the embryo to implant properly into the uterine lining. Any deficiency can stop this from happening. This is especially important to check if you have PCOS as you naturally have lower progesterone levels.
• Being overweight or underweight.
• Lifestyle factors such as excessive alcohol intake, smoking, recreational drugs, and exposure to toxic chemicals.

Other risk factors are harder to avoid, such as:

Please also have faith that most women who have miscarriages go on to have healthy and successful pregnancies.

The post Miscarriage Recovery Part 2: Causes of Miscarriage appeared first on Neema Savvides | Fertility Nutrition.

I started writing this 3 part series as a guide to those who have had a miscarriage. There’s so much you can do nutritionally to help you heal and move forward, and there are many factors that are often overlooked. Initially, my post started with words of encouragement about how to be strong and how to heal and recover from a miscarriage, however, once I began it quickly became clear that it was so much more than that.

“The loss of hopes and dreams for you and me.”

I’ve been reading through so many of your stories on social media and my overwhelming feeling was that it’s ok not to be strong. We’re often told as women that we can do and be anything, however during something like this it’s just as important to let your emotions out. Be ‘weak’ so to speak – share your stories and your pain, as I often find this to be more healing then ‘being strong’. Cry and grieve and scream and shout – do whatever you need to do to heal. The loss of a baby is often so much more than that, it’s the loss of plans made and hopes and dreams for the future. Today may be the day your baby was due or the day or anniversary that you experienced loss. Honour and share your feelings. You may never forget, but hopefully, in time, you will be able to move on.

Remember that you are not alone. If you want to share your stories with me, I want to hear them. I want to help. I can’t promise that food will take away your pain nor can it make you feel better. What it can do however is help you to recover nutritionally and get your body ready for another pregnancy, if that’s what you want. What I’m trying to say is that when you’re ready, whenever that may be, I’m here to help. In the meantime, rest, heal and look after yourself.

The post How to Recover from a Miscarriage – Part 1 appeared first on Neema Savvides | Fertility Nutrition.

If you’re struggling with a hormonal imbalance (signs include weight gain, hair loss, mood swings, poor sleep and fatigue) then increasing your cruciferous vegetable intake (like cauliflower and broccoli) can help. This is because they help the body to better metabolise hormones like oestrogen and bind to it in the bowel so it can be eliminated properly.

I am very sensitive to my hormones and make a real point of having lots of cruciferous vegetables – hence the creamy cauliflower soup (topped with a spinach and walnut pesto, pumpkin seeds and flaked almonds for a little something extra). Good for the body and the soul on a wintery day!

Side note: It’s obviously not winter – this post has been sitting in my drafts and I had totally forgotten it was there! Oops – sorry!

Creamy Cauliflower Soup

Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 25 minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients:

• 1 clove roasted garlic
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 large white onion, peeled and roughly chopped
• 1 medium cauliflower, cut into florets
• 3 medium potatoes, peeled and roughly diced (parsnips also work well)
• 2 cups of milk (I used Oatly’s oat milk – Barista edition, but any will do)
• 2 cups chicken/vegetable stock
• Salt and pepper to taste

To garnish (optional)

• Olive oil to drizzle
• Fresh pesto
• Flaked almonds

Instructions:

1. In a large pot, soften the onions in a little olive oil. Add the cauliflower, potatoes, garlic, milk and stock and bring to a boil, then gently simmer for 15 minutes or until the cauliflower is tender.
2. Using a hand blender, blend the mixture until smooth.  Taste and season accordingly, add more water/stock to thin if needed.
3. Serve, top with pesto and almonds if using, and a drizzle of olive oil.

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I’ve been pretty slack on the breakfast front lately, and have been alternating between a protein smoothie and yoghurt and granola. Both are delicious and high in protein but well, it was all getting a bit samey. Overnight oats are such a favourite of mine as I can chuck it all together the night before and breakfast is there and waiting for me in the morning. This vanilla protein overnight oats is a new addition to my repertoire but it’s definitely one I’ll be adding to the breakfast rota.

Serves 2:

Ingredients:

• 1 cup oats
• 2 scoops vanilla protein powder (I use OMG! NO WHEY by Kin – a great tasting vegan protein powder)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
• 3 cups oat milk
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions:

1. Mix all the ingredients together (I use a big Tupperware container or Kilner jar), cover and refrigerate overnight.
2. In the morning, add milk/water to loosen. Top with berries/almonds/granola/whatever you fancy. That’s the beauty of overnight oats. They are just so versatile and you can mix and match depending on what you fancy!

For more overnight oat ideas see here and here!

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Enter, KIN. KIN add probiotics (good gut bacteria) and fibre to their WHEY-LESS protein powder range which makes it much gentler on the stomach, and thus easier to digest. It’s rare that I am truly taken by a product but I have been genuinely impressed by their product range.

Taste and Texture

I have been through my fair share of powdery and gritty protein powders that were full of artificial sweeteners and tasted nothing like they said they would. It is therefore SO refreshing to find a product that delivers on both taste and texture. When it comes to mixing protein powders with just water, texture is right up there on my importance list and I doubt you will find a smoother blend than this one (I’ve mixed with water in a shaker bottle, and with my nutribullet).

My personal favourite is the WHEY-LESS Choc Mint because it actually tastes like mint choc chip ice cream, which is pure heaven. Not only that, it contains 125 calories, 23g of protein and only 4.7g of carbohydrates (of which 0.2 g are sugars). This is perfect to hit your protein requirements without adding excessive carbohydrates.

If you’re on the hunt for a new protein powder, especially if you have struggled to digest one before, I couldn’t recommend KIN enough.

The post Product Review – KIN WHEY-LESS Protein Powder appeared first on Neema Savvides | Fertility Nutrition.

Serves 1:

• 1/2 cup oats
• 1.5 cups oat milk
• Pinch of salt
• 1 scoop protein powder ( I use the OMG! NO WHEY Vanilla protein powder by Kin)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 heaped teaspoon peanut butter
• 1 tablespoon macca
• Toppings of your choice – I used pomegranate and bee pollen

Directions:

1. Cook oats with oat milk according to packet instructions and add a pinch of salt
2. Stir in the rest of the ingredients and mix well (you may need to add more milk to loosen)
3. Serve in a bowl and top with whatever you fancy!

This works really well as overnight oats too!

The post Peanut Butter Protein Porridge appeared first on Neema Savvides | Fertility Nutrition.

Vitamin D specifically plays a huge role in fertility, and women who have sufficient vitamin D levels are more likely to become pregnant and produce better quality embryos if undergoing IVF than in those who were deficient. This is because the main fertility function of Vitamin D is to help the body create sex hormones. If you are Vitamin D deficient and these hormones become out of balance it is likely you will suffer from PMS, PCOS and sadly, infertility. Given that Vitamin D is essential for the healthy functioning of the body, playing vital roles in everything from the immune system, bone density, dementia and cancer prevention and is necessary for cell division (and therefore important to every single cell in the body), it is no surprise that it plays such a major role in fertility.

Vitamin D Supplementation

We are right in the thick of winter which means dark, shorter days and less sunshine. We typically get our Vitamin D intake from the sun, which is why it is so important to think about your Vitamin D levels right now, especially as so many people are deficient (did you know that 1 in 5 people in the UK are deficient in vitamin D? Last year a government-commissioned report recommended that everybody in the UK should take a Vitamin D supplement in the Autumn and Winter months.)

Dietary wise we can also obtain small amounts of Vitamin D from milk products and fortified orange juice, however, more significant amounts are found in wild salmon and beef liver (although few of us are eating these in the quantities required). This is where supplements play a vital role. I personally take Vitamin D3 drops from autumn onwards, and if you are trying to conceive I would highly recommend a D3 supplement program. Look for supplements containing at least 5000 IUI of D3 as it is the same form that the body naturally produces in response to sunlight. I prefer drops which are convenient, easily absorbed and more bioavailable.

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