Healthy lifestyle snack on table

6 fertility favourites – available in your supermarket

Broccoli
This household favourite has compounds that can help the body to get rid of excess oestrogen, which is important for fertility. We need the correct ratio of progesterone to oestrogen for a healthy cycle.
Broccoli is part of the cruciferous vegetable family. The whole family have this super power. It’s other family members include Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, bok choi, cabbage and kale.
Broccoli can be eaten raw in salads, steamed or gently stir fried. Adding a drizzle of extra virgin olive and some black pepper can further enhance its nourishing benefits.

Berries
My favourite of all the fertility foods, has a to be berries. High in antioxidants, used in the body to protect cells from damage. Antioxidants help to defend the eggs and sperm from DNA damage and helping to keep tissues of the reproductive system healthy.
I love a warm berry smoothie with oats, mixed seeds and almond milk, on a cool morning.
They are so versatile, you can have them as a dessert, breakfast, lunch, snack or whatever way you fancy, such as with organic natural yogurt, with granola, porridge, on top of salads, in a smoothie and as a quick snack. Think fresh strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, cranberries or blackberries.
Please try to buy berries organic if you can, as they are heavily sprayed with pesticides when grown conventionally.
In the winter, you can buy them frozen, but please heat them up before consumption.

Spinach
Popeye was no fool. Spinach is a nutrient dense favourite green, packed with folate, iron, zinc and antioxidants, spinach is a must in everyone’s food intake, especially for anyone trying to conceive or currently pregnant.
Whatever way you like it, steamed gently, raw as a salad base, added into soups, curries, pies, smoothies.
Choose organic when possible, and frozen spinach is widely available in supermarkets.

Seeds (Pumpkin, Sesame & Sunflower)
Zinc: sperm health, create genetic material, chromosomal protection, testosterone levels & DNA health. The richest source of zinc is oysters, but easier to find sources are raw pumpkin seeds and sesame seeds. Can be sprinkled on cereals, salads, add to soups, tahini, sesame seed butter, etc.

Magnesium: A deficiency in magnesium can increase the stress hormone, cortisol, which disrupts the ratio of our non-essential, reproductive hormones or sex hormones. A deficiency in this mineral has been shown to increase the risk of miscarriages, sudden infant death syndrome, foetal growth retardation, gestational hypertension, preeclampsia and premature labour. Found in pumpkin seeds, chard, spinach, almonds, avocado, figs, almonds.

Walnuts
Omega 3 is needed for healthy hormone and brain function of your baby.
Fish is a great source, as are chia seeds, but an easy to snack on source of omega 3 is raw walnuts. Buy and eat raw walnuts, as heat damages the essential fatty acids.

Lentils
Use as a base for a soup, casserole, pie, curries or sprout them for salads. Lentils are also rich in iron, fibre and protein. One cup of cooked lentils provides 90% of your daily folate needs.

In general, eating a well-balanced diet, means eating whole-foods, organic whenever you can, cooking and preparing meals at home with love and positive intentions, avoiding processed and packaged foods.

Adding herbs, spices, garlic, onions, olive oil and coconut oil, will increase the flavour and will supply your body with even more nourishing nutrients.

The foods I have listed above are easy to source, prepare and incorporate into your daily life. In addition to the nutrients mentioned here, these foods are packed with many other nutrients and their co-factors which are necessary for assimilation in the body.
Recipes containing the above foods, coming soon!