QUESTION:
Dear Livitician,
My husband and I are 32 years old, and we have been trying to conceive for about 6 months. I have recently started to take a hard look at my diet, as problems with diet could be leading to our lack of conception.
I have read some studies citing the importance of including whole milk in the diet, and how low-fat and skim milks reduce fertility and can even be detrimental to conception. In contrast, I have also read that skim milk is important to include in a pre-conception diet. Which is accurate?
If the whole milk thing is true, how much is recommended (one serving per day, or 2 per week?), and how do I not gain weight after switching from skim to whole milk products? I would expect to gain weight after becoming pregnant, but I don't really want to gain before conception.
I'm 4"11, weigh 100 lbs, and am very athletic. I exercise 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes 6 days a week (I run races and do triathlons), and I have a very active job. I know that seems like a lot, but I have done it for years, so it's not something that is shocking my system. I have been a vegetarian (I do eat seafood) for 14 years, and for years I have been on a low-fat diet. I usually avoid sugar, and I tend to purchase things with artificial sweeteners. In my diet exploration, I have discovered that artificial sweeteners are also not recommended, so I am cutting those out as much as possible.
Thank you so much for any tips you can give me online.
I really appreciate it.
Elizabeth
ANSWER:
Hi Elizabeth,
Drinking low fat milk, organic 1% milk in a paper carton rather than plastic is fine.
I definitely don't recommend drinking too much soy milk as that can influence fertility, especially for your husband. I do not recommend him drinking soy milk or having any soy products, soy has been shown to decrease sperm production.
I definitely do not recommend artificial sweeteners at any stage of life. Please refer to Artificial Sweeteners May Make Weight Gain Easier . The optimal sweetener that I recommend is raw agave nectar.
Enjoy Liviting! Health and happiness to you.
--Deborah A. Klein, MS, RD
From Pregnancy.Org
