Written by Fertility Dietitians: Lora Attia and Ronell Schoeman, guest dietitian from Bloom Dietetics

Ovulation

Ovulation involves the release of an egg from one of the ovaries once every month in preparation for a pregnancy. However, some women experience irregular ovulation or no ovulation at all making the process to having a baby more difficult.

Ovulatory dysfunction is one of the leading causes of infertility accounting for approximately 30% of cases and is commonly experienced by women who have PCOS.

Diet

The good news is diet can help! Seeing a fertility dietitian to optimise your diet for PCOS can help you to apply specific dietary patterns that are evidenced based and have been shown to improve fertility by up to 69%!

Here are our favorite diet tips that you can apply today! If you missed our Live interview with Ronell and myself please head to my Instagram: @dietitianformums to view it on IGTV link here:

Dietitian & Fitness For Mums on Instagram: “Want to restore ovulation naturally? We have you covered! Ronell from @bloom.dietetics bloomdietetics and myself have shared our top 5…”

 

 

Our Top 5 Nutrition Tips

 

1. Folic Acid

Emerging research suggests that folic acid might play an important role in ovulation.

Most of us already know how important it is for its role in reducing the risk of Neural Tube Defects, but studies suggest that folate intake is also related to a lower risk of ovulation dysfunction and hormonal imbalances. Folic acid supplementation and folate intake is really important to discuss with your fertility dietitian as the amount and type of supplementation that you will require, will depend on many factors including medical history and therefore should be tailored to you.

Sources of folate rich foods in your diet:

· Spinach

· Asparagus

· Wholegrain bread

· Kidney beans

· Fortified cereals

 

2. Full Fait Dairy

Aim for 2-3 serves of full fat dairy a day! Consuming full fat dairy was linked to lower risk of ovulatory infertility but if you can’t tolerate dairy, choose a fortified with calcium-plant based milk or if you are lactose intolerant try swapping white cheeses for a yellow cheese to help you gain the benefits linked to improved fertility. To read more about the benefit of dairy for fertility and ovulation read my blog article here for more details on this topic: I have PCOS, do I need to go Gluten Free and Dairy Free? Published by Lora Attia – Lora Attia (dietitianformums.com.au)

 

3. Substitute Animal-Based Proteins with Plant-Based Proteins

A diet rich in vegetable protein showed a decreased risk of ovulatory infertility. One additional serving of meat (red meats, chicken, turkey, processed meats) per day was associated with a 32% increase in the risk of ovulatory infertility. However consuming 5% of your diet with a vegetable protein instead of an animal protein was associated with a more than 50% lower risk of ovulatory infertility.

Plant proteins are:

· Nuts and seeds

· Legumes: chickpeas, lentils, beans, green peas and soya bean

· Tofu and T empeh

· Wholegrain: Quinoa, rice, pasta

For some people, vegetarian cooking is a bit daunting here are some easy ways to include plant proteins in a meal:

Try:

1. Minestrone soup with kidney beans and pasta

2. Vegetarian burgers with lentils

3. A chili tofu stir-fry with rice

4. Chickpea and quinoa salad

 

4. Low GI Carbohydrates

Glycemic Index (GI) refers to how quickly food is broken down during digestion, and hence how rapidly they raise our blood glucose levels. Food that is broken down slowly and has a more gradual release of glucose into the bloodstream can be classified as low GI, and on the other hand, food that is digested quickly and has a rapid release of glucose into the bloodstream can be classified as high GI.

For example:

White bread contains very little fibre and will be broken down quickly in digestion, therefore has a high GI. Wholegrain bread contains a lot of fibre and will take much longer to digest and have a much more gradual impact on blood glucose levels.

Benefits to eating low GI carbohydrates:

· helps to keep you feeling fuller for longer, so can be very beneficial for weight management

· helps to keep blood glucose levels more stable throughout the day

Both healthy weight management and stable blood glucose levels are important for optimizing fertility, and research even suggests that it is more beneficial for ovulatory health.

Try these easy swops to your diet:

Instead of this: Try this:

– Sugary cereal – Rolled oats

– Cous cous – Quinoa

– White or wholemeal bread – Wholegrain or sourdough

– Fruit juice – Whole fruit

 

5. Replacing Saturated Fats with Unsaturated Fats

Research suggests that trans fatty acids (often found in fried foods and baked goods), may worsen insulin resistance, which can have a negative impact on ovulation. When we replace the saturated fats in our diet (fast foods, baked goods, animal fat etc.) with unsaturated fats (nuts & seeds, avocado, extra virgin olive oil, fish etc.) this can help to improve insulin resistance and optimise fertility hormones – which are both key for optimizing ovulation.

Start by making some easy swaps to your diet:

Instead of this: Try this:

– Coconut oil – Extra virgin olive oil

– Processed meats – Oily fish

– Butter on bread – Avocado on bread

If you missed our live please head to Instagram: @dietitianformums to view it on IGTV link here:

Dietitian & Fitness For Mums on Instagram: “Want to restore ovulation naturally? We have you covered! Ronell from @bloom.dietetics bloomdietetics and myself have shared our top 5…”

To connect with Ronell visit www.bloomdietetics.com.au and follow her on Instagram @bloom.dietetics To apply to work with me, email lora@dietitianformums.com.au and stay connected @dietitianformums on Instagram for the latest nutrition tips to improve your fertility with PCOS