Keeping Nutrition in Check During the Holidays

Tis the season for good tidings and all things festive, and unfortunately, it’s also a time for serious overindulgence – alcohol, sweet treats, and all those delicious, irresistible small party bites where portion control goes completely out the window.  This holiday season, try your hardest to keep your nutrition in check, especially if you are trying to conceive (this goes for the guys too!).  Here’s why….

Why You Need to Maintain a Healthy Weight

Being overweight puts the cardiovascular system in overdrive, promotes pre-diabetic and diabetic states, increases cholesterol, and causes abnormalities in hormone levels in both men and women that can have a negative effect on eggs and sperm.

What You Can Do to Stay Healthy

• Do not skip meals but rather eat smaller meals more frequently throughout the day.
• Include a balanced diet of lean proteins, low glycemic index (GI) carbohydrates, and healthy fats.
• Eat protein at every meal (i.e. lean cuts of meat, fish, nuts, beans, dairy products, etc.)
• Stick to a low glycemic diet that will have a limited effect on raising blood sugar. This includes foods such as vegetables, most fruits (watermelon, bananas, and grapes have a higher GI range), oatmeal, peas, carrots, skim milk, and beans. Avoid high GI foods such as white bread, white potatoes, and sugared sodas.  (Keeping a low glycemic diet is especially important for women effected with PCOS who are already prone to making high levels of insulin.  This is because high level glycemic foods allow large swings in blood sugar, which in turn allow sustained elevations in insulin.  Insulin acts as a growth factor in the ovary and releases male hormones, thus lowering chances to conceive.) 
• Stop the bad habits!  This means giving up smoking and minimizing alcohol intake. 
• Exercise more frequently.  This is especially true for men as it can help sperm production. 
• Men should stop taking male hormone enhancing drugs which routinely decreases sperm production. 

While it’s certainly a challenge during the holidays, maintaining a healthy lifestyle can have a positive impact on fertility in both men and women, especially those effected with PCOS.  For more information on fertility treatment options or to schedule a consultation at IVF FLORIDA, please give us a call at (866) 770-2168.