Can diet improve fertility? A Bay Area couple says yes.

Photo/C. Bailey

Cindy Bailey was 40 years old and wanted a baby. After trying to conceive with her husband, Pierre Giauque, for over a year she received the devastating news from her infertility specialist – her chance of getting pregnant without infertility treatment was 2%. Eschewing medical interventions, Cindy and Pierre opted for a lifestyle overhaul; including researching their food choices and then revamping their diet. Four months later Cindy and Pierre were delighted to learn they had conceived naturally. Their son is now a rambunctious 4-year-old.

Cindy and Pierre have turned their journey, research, and recipes into a book, The Fertile Kitchen: Simple Recipes for Optimizing Your Fertility. Many of the book’s recommendations are grounded in good medical science, such as:

• Eliminate processed foods. Heavily processed foods contain man made chemicals that may impact the delicate reproductive cycle. These foods are also often packaged in plastics raising the possibility of toxin exposure. Environmental toxins increase the risk of infertility by 40%.
• Eat organic produce. Pesticide and herbicide exposure may increase the risk of infertility for both women and men, so chemical-free organic produce is the best option.
• Eat organic meat and poultry. Non-organic beef, pork, and poultry from feedlots contain traces of hormones, which may affect fertility for both women and men.
• Limit soy. Soy contains phytoestrogens, which can potentially impact the menstrual cycle and ovulation for women and sperm production for men.
• Eliminate caffeine. Many studies link caffeine to miscarriage and sub-fertility. More than 250 g of caffeine a day decreases your chance of conceiving by 45% (FYI, a Starbucks Grande coffee has 330 mg of caffeine).
• Cut out alcohol. Two or more drinks a day increase your risk of infertility by 60%.

While the recommendation to eliminate dairy products is not supported by human studies, one animal study suggests a higher risk of miscarriage in rats fed a diet of cow’s milk. In addition, traces of hormones may be present in the milk from commercial dairy cows that have received hormones. Avoiding raw milk is definitely recommended due to the risk of listeria.

Western Medicine does not support a couple of the recommendations in the book, for example avoiding wheat and drinking purified water, but overall the advice is solid. However, it is important to remember when it comes to infertility Western Medicine doesn’t always have the answers.

The book is filled with amazing recipes, such as Lamb Curry in Coconut Milk, Spicy Garbanzo Beans, and Chicken with Bell Peppers and Mushrooms.  The food prep is simple and laid out in clear, easy steps and the book is sprinkled with equipment essentials and cooking basics. Some of the recipes even have a Crock Pot conversions to further simplify your day.

Any cook, from novice to seasoned, will enjoy the good, clean food found in The Fertile Kitchen. Couples trying to conceive will find a host of easy-to-follow recipes that are grounded in good medical principals and designed to support their journey to parenthood.

Buy a copy of The Fertile Kitchen at The Fertile Kitchen: Simple Recipes for Optimizing Your Fertility or on Amazon.com.

Remember, this column does not represent individual medical advice