I am honored to have Sophia on the blog. She is very knowledgable and passionate about helping women who are trying to concieve (TTC). She is here to give tips on things you can start doing if you are looking or currently trying to get pregnant.

Before we get started here is a little bit about Sophia.

Meet Sophia: Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) with the heart of an educator.

Sophia passion is empowering women to embrace their bodies and achieve their highest levels of health. An unapologetic lover of food, Sophia despises restrictive diets and refuses to food-shame. She earned her nutrition degree from Bastyr University, the world’s foremost naturopathic medical school. There, she learned to blend science with real world experience to bring an expert level of care to all women who desire healthy bodies and healthy babies. Specializing in ovulation and general fertility care, Sophia has helped hundreds of women nourish their bodies and build beautiful families at long last. more here www.foodfreedomfertility.com

Top 5 Tips for TTC

By: Sophia

Trying to conceive can be a really exciting, and really hard time. Every month when ovulation comes around there is a thrill of hope and possibility, but when your cycle ends you can begin to feel sad and hopeless. Many of us try to talk to our doctors about this journey and are left with little nutrition guidance besides “take a prenatal”. As a fertility dietitian I cannot roll my eyes hard enough when I hear that kind of dismissive, flippant advice! There is SO MUCH MORE you can do to boost your fertility, balance your hormones, and get your body ready for a healthy pregnancy! So, here you are, ladies.

My top 5 tips for when you’re TTC! Whether you’re just starting out or if you’ve been through many rounds of treatments, this list is for you!

1. Trust your intuition –

   While it’s true that it can take several cycles for even the healthiest of couples to conceive, if your cycles are irregular, you’re unsure whether or not you’re ovulating, or you just “know” that something is off with your body, don’t settle for “try for a year” before you start to dig deeper. If your doctor doesn’t want to run tests or listen to your concerns, FIND A NEW DOCTOR! Trust me; if your doc is dismissive right at the beginning, things will only get worse. There are many fantastic doctors out there who love helping women build healthy families, so don’t stop until you build a team that you trust and love working with. 

2. Pile your plate with colors-

It’s not a sexy new supplement or exciting diet, but filling half your plate with colorful fruit and veggies at every meal is vital to the health of your reproductive system! Purple cabbage, red onion, leafy greens, red tomatoes, blackberries… ALL the colors! Load up your plate with a rainbow of colors as often as possible and get your body ready for baby!

3. Protein at every meal –

women’s bodies are incredibly sensitive to hormonal changes. One of the hormones we often forget about when TTC is insulin. This is not a reproductive hormone per-say but it is a vital hormone to keeping your body ready for a pregnancy. If you are eating carb-rich meals without enough protein or fiber, your body will have wild changes in blood sugar and insulin levels, even if you don’t have any blood sugar “problems” like PCOS or diabetes. You can keep your ovaries (and the rest of your body) happy by eating protein at every meal and snack. “No naked carbs” is the phrase I like to use to help remember the fact that every meal and snack needs a protein source.

4. Healthy fats –

all our reproductive hormones are made of fat. If we aren’t eating enough of the right kinds of fats it can send a signal to our bodies that now is a bad time to get pregnant. Help your body feel safe to conceive and carry to term by eating plenty of healthy fats. This includes foods like grass-fed and pasture-raised meats, dairy, eggs, fatty fish, avocado, nuts, seeds, olives, and coconut.

5. Carbs as a compliment –

I love pizza, pasta, and croissants as much as the next girl; but my ovaries aren’t happy when I eat like that. Instead of cutting your favorite foods out of your life, fit them onto your plate in a more fertility-friendly portion. When ½ your meal is colorful fruits and veggies and you’re prioritizing protein, it becomes much easier to keep carbs in their place; as a compliment to the meal. Think of it this way; instead of having a big pile of fried rice with a handful of veggies and a shred of chicken; flip the ratio! Start with a big bowl of stir-fried veggies, add on a hearty protein portion, and sprinkle your favorite fried rice on top.

Bonus Tip 6. Limit Seed oils –

I don’t like to ban or eliminate any foods, but if you feel you need a drastic change the first place to start is with low quality, highly processed, cheap oils. Soybean, corn, canola, vegetable, peanut, sunflower, safflower, cottonseed, palm, and anything hydrogenated should be the first oils to go. These fats are highly inflammatory with almost no nutrient content, and they’re often found in cheap, processed foods with very little nutrients. Stick to the fats I listed in the previous paragraph. 

Don’t get caught up in the weeds of silver bullet solutions or expensive supplements; focus on these 5 changes and you’ll likely see a huge improvement in your fertility within 3-6 months. If you suspect you need more nutrition help or would like to work with a professional 1-on-1, follow me on IG @ttc.nutritionist or visit my website www.sophiathedietitian.com

Thank you Sophia! Such a great write up and she is so knowledgeable! Go checkout her podcast to learn more valuable insight https://www.foodfreedomfertility.com/