Prenatal / Fertility Nutrition

  1. Omega 3 fatty acids: best source: fish. Due to mercury content of a lot of seafood, it is best to be cautious. Eat 12 ounces/week of low-mercury fish such as:
    • Canned light tuna, salmon, trout (fresh water), anchovies, calamari, caviar, crab (king), whitefish, scallops, herring, sole, salmon, shrimp, clams, oysters, sardines.
    • Supplement with an omega 3, 6, 9 plant based product such as Udo’s oil. 1-2 tablespoons/ day
  2. Iron: Check levels and if low supplement. Source suggestion: Floradix liquid or hemoplex. Foods: dark, leafy greens, beets, red meat, grains, beans, legumes etc. 10 mg iron: ¼ cup of pumpkin seeds/ 1/2 cup tofu. 5 mg iron: 1 cup spinach/ chickpeas/ kidney beans/soya beans/ whole wheat flour/ 100mg mussels/ 1 tablespoon blackstrap molasses/1 tablespoon kelp granules/ 100 g fried apricots. To assimilate properly iron absorption needs folic acid, Vit C, B6, B12, calcium & copper.
  3. Whole grains: 6 ounces per day. Especially at breakfast (7-8 grain porridge) and lunch. Kamut, brown rice, wild rice, quinoa, bulgur, barley…
  4. Fruit & veggies: 2 cups fruit & 3 cups veggies per day. Choose lots of variety in colour. Seasonal and local is best. Choose organic where possible.
  5. Pre-natal vitamin: best 6-12 months prior. You need Vitamin A, B Complex, Folic acid (B9), Vit C, Vit D, Vit E, Vit F (Essential fatty acid), Vit K, calcium, iron, zinc.

Caution: Salmonella poisoning (raw meat, eggs, chicken); Listeria (raw milk, soft-ripened cheese, ice cream, raw vegetables, fermented raw-meat sausages, raw and cooked poultry, raw meat), deli meats, re-heated meat or poultry, BBQ meat or poultry if undercooked, foods that come into contact with raw meat, pate, marinated meat, uncooked eggs, prepared deli salads, unpasteurized cheese or dairy.

Posted in Pregnancy.