Eating for Health & Fertility
It’s Complicated…
I have a complicated relationship with food. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE food. I adore it. Probably too much. I love shopping for the freshest produce. I love curating the perfect menu. I love cooking a simple or fancy meal to share with friends and family. Food brings me joy. Food comforts me. I eat when I’m happy. When I’m celebrating. When I’m sad. When I’m connecting with friends. When I’m trying to destress. As a reward. In boredom. I love food. Period.
The complication is that I’ve always struggled with my weight. From late childhood to present day, my weight has always been an issue. It’s something that nags at me in the back of my mind. I carry some serious baggage around on this topic; comments from family members at a very young age, that my body was too big, and that I needed to “watch what I eat”. So when I am experiencing pleasure in food, it is most often accompanied with feelings of guilt. I shouldn’t indulge. I should “watch what I eat”.
My Ongoing Health Journey
Like many women, I’ve tried various ways of losing weight and managing it over the years. Nearly ten years ago, I got really serious about my health. I focused on eating clean, hired a personal trainer, went to the gym 3 – 4 times a week, saw a Naturopath and Acupuncturist, and limited my calories and alcohol intake. The results were amazing and I lost 100 pounds over the course of a year and a half.
I felt fantastic! I had more energy and more confidence. I felt good in my skin. Finally.
And then life happened. I’ll save those details for another post, but life happened. And slowly the weight crept back. Not immediately, but gradually over the years. And here I am nearly a decade later, having gained back a significant amount of the weight I’d lost. It’s upsetting, yes. But I don’t beat myself up over it (too much). Life has been complicated the past few years. And that’s an understatement!
Renewed Weight Loss Goals
But last year, I was ready to invest in my health once again, as I’d done all those years ago.
I spoke to my doctor about weight loss medications. I had some success on a medication called Saxenda; a liraglutide that is injected subcutaneously on a daily basis. Combined with exercise and healthier eating, I lost 40 pounds in 4 months.
Bolstered by my success, I joined a medical weight loss program at Humber River Hospital. The program kicked-off with three months on a very low calorie (VLC) diet of just 900 calories a day. We had weekly classes with instruction rotating between a dietician, a registered nurse, and a kinesiologist. I found the program really helpful, and I lost another 40 pounds.
I Can Do Hard Things!
I share all of this, because these “wins” made me feel more confident in considering carrying a pregnancy myself. Previously, I’d never considered it an option for me. But I was starting to realize that I’ve done lots of hard things in my life, and I knew that I could do this too!
Sometimes I still hear that critical voice in the back of my head. Saying all the judgmental things I imagine other people might be thinking. She’s too big to carry a baby. She just lost weight. She’s crazy. Is she healthy enough to keep up with a baby? A toddler? I spent a lot of time considering these judgements and assumptions. And one by one I knocked each doubt down in my mind. I can do this! I AM healthy enough!
Diet and Nutrition in Pregnancy
As I am preparing for my embryo transfer, and for a potential pregnancy, the topic of diet and nutrition is really important to me. Firstly - because I want my body to be healthy and feel good, and secondly – because I want my body and womb to be as hospitable as can be for my little embryo. I want to maximize the likelihood of implantation!
So what’s a girl to eat as she prepares for an embryo transfer? Here’s what I found:
Foods to eat:
Fresh fruits (especially pineapple, citrus fruits and berries)
Fresh vegetables (especially dark leafy greens)
Legumes (chickpeas, lentils, black and cannellini beans are my faves!)
Good quality proteins (salmon and chicken breasts are on regular rotation)
Nuts and seeds
Whole grains
Healthy fats (hello avocados!)
Probiotic foods
Prenatal vitamins!
Foods to avoid:
Processed meats (like hotdogs, deli meat, bacon)
High-glycemic foods (sugars, white grains and flours)
Alcohol
And so it seems, your best bet for preparing your uterine lining for an embryo transfer is to just eat healthfully! There’s no trick. No magic. No complicated diet list. Eat a balanced diet. Avoid the junk.
Have Fun with it!
With these guidelines in mind, I found eating at this stage to be easy and fun. And with the added motivation of preparing for a baby, I found it easy to avoid the junk. I gave up alcohol a month before my transfer and haven’t missed it yet. Well maybe there’ve been one or two tough workdays where I wished I could go home and have a glass of wine. But I resist and it isn’t hard! Having fresh berries in my fridge is a nice alternative, and something I plan to keep in stock.
So as you’re planning your shopping lists and curating your menus, don’t focus on what you should be avoiding. There’s endless delicious and healthy possibilities you can create to satisfy your cravings and simultaneously prepare your uterine lining for transfer day. You’ve got this my friend!
