Since I've gabbed on about our party, I'll just get right to the point on our topic of the week... How you eat on a fertility diet is almost as important as what you eat. Here are a few tips:
- Eat slowly and chew food well, allowing for better, fuller digestion.
- Drink plenty of purified water all day, but drink 1 or 2 full glasses of water about an hour or so before you plan to eat a meal. First, it’s better for digestion to eat separately from drinking, and second, it ensures you’re staying hydrated throughout the day.
- When you snack, choose healthy ones, and eat meals in smaller portions. I’m all for responding to hunger cravings with food, just keep it bite sized and healthy.
- Don’t eat late at night, preferably nothing after 6 p.m. aside from hot tea and water. Digestion at night is sluggish at best, making it harder on your body. You want to keep everything easier for your body/digestion.
- Eat more foods closer to your body temperature, or at room temperature. It takes more energy to digest cold foods (your body has to heat it up), and we want to ease the burden on our digestion when we can. I feel that periodic salads are OK though because they provide healthy fiber along with other nutrients and are so good at “cleaning your system.”
- Similarly, no cold or iced beverages. Drink everything at least at room temperature. If you like veggie juices, have them made from veggies that have been sitting out of the fridge a little, or let your juice sit out at room temperature for a few minutes. Fruit juices are not allowed unless watered down because of the concentration of sugar,
- To maximize nutrition and benefit, get as much variety as possible, especially of vegetables and fruits. Focus on different colors and textures.
- Balance foods, and eat them in healthy combinations: a protein with grains and vegetables. (Eat plenty of vegetables, by the way. Shoot for five servings/day.)
