DIETARY TIPS BEFORE FREEZING HEALTHY EGGS

Optimize weight, reduce internal fat & eat low GI foods.

The rates of egg freezing are skyrocketing now that many of us are leaving it until later in life to have a family. Egg freezing protects the health of our eggs so that they aren’t impacted by pollution and aging, until we are ready for them… hopefully increasing our prospects of having a heathy baby later in life. But, if

you’re going to go to the cost and effort of freezing your eggs, you want them to be as healthy as can be.

Here are three dietary changes to make before you freeze your eggs.

1. Ensure that your diet is rich in good fats and LOW in bad fats.

Good fats include foods like extra virgin olive oil, fish, nuts and avocado, and I’m sure that you know what your bad fats are…chocolate, ice cream, potato chips, biscuits, that is all of those foods that we know we should be avoiding but don’t. Research suggests that good fats not only improve our general health, but also improve the health of our eggs. Bad fats increase oxidative stress which can influence egg maturation.

2. Optimize your weight.

Research indicates that being overweight, means that we carry extra fat around organs like our heart and liver, but being overweight also increases fat in the fluid surrounding the eggs, which in turn, impacts the health of the eggs. Furthermore, the DNA, or genetic code, of women who are overweight, has been found to be more ‘disorganized’. These two factors mean that when we are overweight, our eggs aren’t as healthy, and we’re less likely to conceive when we want to. Vice versa, for women who are underweight. Achieving a healthy weight isn’t easy, but most women can optimize their weight when they put their mind to it, but then struggle to STAY within a healthy weight range. This is usually due to a combination of lifestyle and hormones that cause a return to the earlier higher weight. So, if you’re planning to freeze your eggs, NOW is the time to optimize your weight to the best of your ability, even if it is for the short term – just do it in a healthy way.

3. Focus on foods which have a low GI.

GI stands for glycemic index and describes the rate at which carbohydrate foods are broken down in the gut. A low GI diet has been found to optimize egg health, so swap foods which break down quickly, i.e. a high GI, for those which contain more fiber and/or protein that break down more slowly. Examples include swapping apple juice with a whole apple, which still has the skin on for extra fiber; swapping white bread for a higher fiber, wholegrain bread or adding chickpeas to a risotto to boost the amount of protein in the meal.

To help you put it all into practice, I’ve put together a free fertility meal plan. Ideally, I’d love to see you following all these recommendations for at least three months before your egg collection. For more fertility nutrition tips contact me on social media.

Melanie McGrice is an Advanced Accredited Practicing Dietitian and is the director of Nutrition Plus, a dietetic practice based in Melbourne, Australia. Melanie is a highly respected nutrition blogger, journalist and media personality, and is regularly invited to consult to the media on a range of nutrition & dietary topics. Melanie is the author of ‘The Pregnancy Weight Plan’ and may be contacted via her website.