According to the very latest research (which sounds too good to be true) eating ice cream a couple of times a week may significantly increase your chances of becoming pregnant. On the other hand, scientists are also saying that eating too much saturated fat can drastically cut your chances of conceiving. It’s hardly surprising then that many women hoping to get pregnant aren’t sure what they should or should not be eating. This is a tragedy because a healthy diet is the single most important thing you can do to get yourself ready for pregnancy and to boost the future health of your baby to be.

To boost your fertility and to give yourself and your baby the best possible chances of health try making the following simple adjustments to your diet:

• Get your five a day: Getting your five portions of fruit and vegetables is crucial because it go someway to ensuring you get sufficient levels of antioxidants like vitamins C, E, zinc and selenium. Antioxidants are known to help to prevent diseases, such as cancer. Studies have shown that vitamin C has a significant impact on both sperm motility and conception and a sufficient intake of all of the antioxidants is of utmost importance to the production of healthy eggs and sperm.
• The low down on fat: Around a quarter of women who have difficulties becoming pregnant have irregular periods. A recent US study found that women who consumed a lot of low-fat dairy products such as skimmed milk were almost twice as likely to suffer period-related fertility problems as those who did not. The advice given was that women trying for a baby should consider changing low-fat dairy foods for high-fat dairy foods; for instance, by swapping skimmed milk for whole milk and eating ice-cream, not low-fat yoghurt. My advice would be to eat organic, live plain yogurt (not low fat i.e. eat it the way nature intended) and add in foods that contain good levels of better quality fats from oily fish, eggs, nuts and seeds and add in a good Omega 3 supplement. I would avoid the ice cream because of the high saturated fat content and also the sugar which has not nutritional value and is just empty calories.
• Folic acid: Folic acid helps to prevent birth defects involving the brain and spinal cord, such as spina bifida. Dietary sources include green leafy vegetables, oranges, lentils, peas, beans, avocado and salmon. But experts recommend that women who are planning to get pregnant should take a 400 microgram (mcg) supplement of folic acid every day from the time they stop using contraception until at least the 12th week of pregnancy. Folic acid is best taken combined in a good multi-vitamin and mineral supplement designed specifically for pregnancy so that there are good levels of other important nutrients such as calcium, magnesium, zinc, selenium, B vitamins etc. The one I use in the clinic is called Ante natal Plus  and my advice would be to take it all the way through the pregnancy and up until at least six weeks after the birth to give you extra nutrients to help recovery.
• Essential fatty acids: These are polyunsaturated fats and there are two groups – omega 3 and omega 6. EFAs are essential and our bodies cannot manufacture them. Omega 6 fatty acids are found in most vegetable oils, while Omega 3 is found in abundance in oily fish such as salmon, mackerel and trout. It is the Omega 3 oils that are the most important during pregnancy as they play a central role in the development of brain and cell membranes and they are important throughout pregnancy to encourage healthy development of the baby’s heart, brain and intellectual development.
• Minerals: Iron and trace minerals, such as selenium, zinc and magnesium, are important for cell division. Low levels of these minerals are linked to a greater risk of miscarriage and low sperm production. Selenium, zinc and magnesium are found in foods such as seeds and nuts. Iron can be found in dried fruits and leafy green vegetables and is important for avoiding anaemia, tiredness and regulating thyroid function, which can play havoc with the menstrual cycle.
• Alcohol: Some studies have shown that even drinking as little as two units of alcohol a week can adversely affect fertility. This is because alcohol increases levels of prolactin which, in turn, can affect the delicate hormonal balance in women. Heavy drinking can lead to the loss of periods altogether, and drinking more than 14 units per week before the developing embryo is embedded in the uterus increases the chance of miscarriage. Not to mention the fact that around 40 per cent of male sub fertility is actually caused by excessive alcohol intake as it lowers sperm count, output and motility. So if you are trying to get pregnant you are strongly advised to cut out alcohol altogether.
• Trans fatty acids – found in fried foods, cakes, biscuits, chips and pastries – interfere with cells involved in ovulation, according to a recent study. The results of research, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, showed the chance of becoming pregnant dropped by 73 per cent for every extra 4g of trans fats – the equivalent of half a portion of takeaway fried chicken – eaten each day. It’s therefore best to avoid junk and processed foods wherever possible because they also contain additives and preservatives which can cause toxic overload and increase the risk of health problems.
• Caffeine: Excessive caffeine intake can reduce the absorption of both iron and calcium into the body and can also increase the risk of anxiety and insomnia. Drinking as little as the equivalent of one cup of coffee a day has been associated with an increased risk of a delay of conception of one year or more and drinking three or more cups of tea or coffee a day is associated with a significantly increased risk of miscarriage. So best to avoid caffeine, where possible if you are trying to get pregnant.

We all know the importance of maintaining a healthy weight for our body size and shape. After all, maintaining a healthy weight can help us to keep our heart pumping, our blood pressure regulated, and our bones and joints pain free. But did you know that weight also plays a significant role in fertility?

If you are overweight or underweight, your body may be having trouble regulating its natural cycle. Your body needs to be of the right weight in order to produce the appropriate amount of hormones to regulate ovulation and menstruation.

If you are overweight or underweight, your body can start to experience problems with these natural fertility cycles, impacting your ability to become pregnant. In fact, more than 12% of all infertility patients suffer from weight-related infertility.

Women who are underweight are at risk of compromising their fertility cycle. If you have less than 22% body fat, your body will not receive enough oestrogen and ovulation could stop.

Many women already know that if they become too thin, their periods stop, which means they are not ovulating and therefore cannot become pregnant. Women with eating disorders, such as anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa, are often extremely underweight, but a huge number of women in the UK are constant dieters and may keep their weight just on the limit of being healthy. Also, many of the diets that they follow are not adequate and can result in low dietary intakes of essential nutrients for a healthy reproductive cycle and therefore fertility and pregnancy.

Evidence has also recently emerged about reduced fertility in overweight women. It appears the risk of infertility increases with the degree of obesity: in other words, the greater the weight, the bigger the problem.

One Australian study showed that when overweight infertile women successfully followed a weight loss and exercise programme for six months, their periods returned and most went on to have healthy babies. This is because women who are overweight tend to have a higher percentage of fat on their bodies and as fat cells produce oestrogen, some overweight women produce levels of oestrogen that are far too high. This can negatively influence menstruation and ovulation, making it difficult to become pregnant.

Studies have also shown that being significantly overweight may also affect how well women respond to certain fertility treatments, such as IVF.

It is not only being the right body weight that is critical for fertility, the amount of body fat you have is just as important. In normal adult women, fat comprises about 28 per cent of body weight and, if it drops below 22 per cent, then ovulation will stop.

Women with an average or above average body weight or who exercise very rigorously may have a lower body fat and a higher muscle content, which may lead to their periods becoming irregular or stopping altogether. Sensible advice for these women would be to reduce their exercise until their body fat returns to the normal range. Many gyms have simple devices that can check your body fat level.

If you are concerned that your weight may be affecting your fertility, don’t be tempted to lose weight quickly. A slow and steady approach, no more than 1 or 2 lbs a week, has more lasting effects. Make sure your diet contains all the nutrients you need but with fewer calories and you can do this by limiting consumption of saturated fat, sugar and refined carbohydrates and including more fruits, vegetables and legumes into your diet.

You should also exercise to boost your metabolism so that you can eat plenty of health boosting nutrients and still lose weight. Getting all the nutrients you need is crucial for you and your baby to be, so as well as additional folic acid, which you should be taking anyway, consider taking a multi-vitamin and mineral designed for fertility (see Resources, page 41).

A healthy body weight is crucial for optimum fertility. But before you step reluctantly on the scales again, here’s something to bear in mind: Your ideal weight for fertility is probably heavier than you think and as far as your fertility is concerned you can be too thin. So if you do need to gain weight eat plenty of whole grains, vegetables, fruits, oily fish and nuts and seeds.

You may be tempted to eat sweets and fatty foods to bump up your calorie intake but try to resist. They are just ’empty calories’. These food choices will fill you up but they won’t give your body the nutrients you and your future baby need to thrive. When it comes to weight and your fertility, as in all things, it is all a question of healthy balance. You shouldn’t be too heavy or too thin but somewhere in between.

Since infertility is as much a man’s issue as a woman’s – up to 30 per cent of fertility problems can be traced to men – if you are trying for a child it is equally important for your partner to eat healthfully. Your partner’s diet should be every bit as balanced, varied, and nutritious as yours, so here is some specific advice for future dads. He should:

• Eat plenty of foods rich in vitamin C and other antioxidants. These nutrients help prevent sperm defects and boost its motility (movement).
• Get enough zinc. Several studies show that even short-term zinc deficiencies can reduce semen volume and testosterone levels.
• Fuel up on folic acid. Studies suggest that men with low levels of this key B vitamin – the same one women need to reduce the baby’s risk for neural tube birth defects like spina bifida – have lower sperm counts.
• Boost calcium and vitamin D. Consuming 1,000 mg of calcium and 400 IU (10 micrograms) of vitamin D each day may improve a man’s fertility, according to research from University of Wisconsin at Madison.
• Cut down on alcohol. While an occasional drink is generally considered safe, studies show that daily wine, beer, or spirit consumption can reduce testosterone levels and sperm counts and raise the number of abnormal sperm. So if you are struggling to conceive it is better for the man to eliminate alcohol altogether. It’s also a good idea to limit caffeine intake to no more than two cups a day. Smoking, of course, is a complete no no, as it can impair fertility in both men and women.