The journey to parenthood may be enhanced with a proactive approach to health and lifestyle for both men and women, says Mayo Clinic Healthcare family medicine expert, Dr May Al-Araji. She emphasises the importance of taking a holistic approach to enhancing fertility and conditioning for pregnancy. The initial phase in the quest for improved fertility requires a comprehensive assessment of one's lifestyle.
"In general, we look at lifestyle to start off with," she says. "Are exercise and diet healthy and balanced? Are there any factors that might reduce the ability to conceive, such as smoking and alcohol consumption?"
Dr Al-Araji says individuals can take key steps to create a conducive environment for conception, including:
- Managing stress effectively because stress can negatively affect your overall health.
- Keeping caffeine intake moderate, aiming for less than 200 mg a day, as this level does not seem to affect one's ability to conceive.
- Ensuring you get an adequate amount of sleep, as a lack of sleep can affect hormone production.
- Maintaining a healthy and balanced diet.
- Exercising in moderation because overly strenuous exercise can inhibit ovulation.
- Maintaining a healthy weight because being underweight or overweight also can inhibit ovulation.
- Consuming a variety of healthy foods in appropriate amounts to achieve optimal nutrition.
"Look at the portion size. I think that is the most important," Dr Al-Araji advises." In general, try to avoid processed food and rich, fatty food, and incorporate legumes (e.g. chickpeas, lentils and beans), greens, vegetables and fruit." For individuals with specific health concerns, such as coeliac disease, dietary planning should be tailored accordingly.
Dr Al-Araji emphasizes that a healthy lifestyle is essential for both women and men when planning for a family. The advice is remarkably similar for everyone: "Look after your health."
By adopting a holistic approach that encompasses diet, exercise and stress management, individuals can optimise their chances of achieving a healthy and successful pregnancy.