Diet and Pregnancy

 

The “EZ Diet” is a dietary modification plan that has been gaining momentum over the last few years.  Many people are completely unaware that dietary modification can lead to weight loss and improved fertility.  Weight loss has many other benefits including prevention of cardiac diseases, reducing the risk of diabetes, and improving a person’s mood and energy levels.  Dr. Zeringue has been working with infertility patients struggling to lose weight for many years.  After gaining a detailed understanding of how the body regulates weight and other diseases, the diet modification plan has evolved into its current form.  Nicknamed the “EZ diet”, many people have very successfully lost weight and maintained this weight loss.

There is no magical formula for weight loss, but there is real science.  By gaining a better understanding of what foods do to a person’s body, Dr. Zeringue has found that most people are more committed to sticking to the diet.  Doctors already know that most any diet plan will work if people stick to the diet.  Most people want to lose weight or eat better, but finding reliable information can be difficult.  Dr. Zeringue has performed community service lectures to help educate the public about a healthy diet plan and long term compliance.

The diet modification plan is simple to follow.  The diet is summarized on a single sheet of paper which lists foods to be avoided, foods to be eaten in moderation, and foods which may be eaten regularly.  There are two basic phases to the diet modification plan.  The restrictive phase and maintenance phase differ by the foods a person will be allowed to eat.  The diet is very easy to understand and there is no need to count calories, carbohydrates, or restrict food portions.  The diet is not a true “low-carb” diet in that people are able to consume most fruits and vegetables which are considered to be bad carbohydrates by many popular diets.

Sticking to a diet plan can be the biggest hurdle.  Dr. Zeringue prefers to educate people about the biology behind weight loss so that people understand why the diet can be so effective for healthier living.  With a better understanding of the diet modification, people are more likely to make a life long change as opposed to a short term fad.  Diseases such as diabetes and heart disease are long term problems.  Short term dieting will generally not be enough to reduce our risk of developing these diseases.  Fortunately, many women trying to have a baby are willing to eat right and make diet changes if it will improve their chances.

 

Click here to learn more about polycystic ovarian syndrome, or PCOS, insulin resistance, and hyperinsulinemia. Dr. Zeringue specializes in helping women with this disorder.

 

Exercise

Exercise leads to many health benefits including cardiovascular fitness, weight loss, and increased energy.  Combining a healthy exercise program with a good dietary program can lead to improved fertility and a healthier life.  Often people are discouraged from exercising during fertility treatments.  There is no evidence to support this recommendation.  Combining an exercise regimen with a good dietary plan will often change your body’s chemistry and metabolism in your favor.  There are many hormone pathways that regulate weight and diseases.  By altering these hormones with diet and exercise, most people will get the results they desire.  While it will take hard work, a healthy exercise program does not need to be excessive.  Participating in 20-30 minutes of activities 3 times per week can be effective for many people.  There are many types of exercise that may be effective.  Fast walking, biking, swimming, aerobics, and dancing are several common examples.  Resistance exercises such as weights, elastic exercise bands, and calisthenics (push ups, sit ups, knee bends, etc) can also be very effective.  You can choose to mix up your routine on a regular basis.  Before long you will find yourself looking forward to exercising and it will no longer seem like a chore.

 

Who Should Use the Diet?

The diet plan has often been called a ” fertility diet ” or the ” infertility diet “, but this does not take into account the many different benefits from the diet plan.  Hormone regulation and weight loss lead to improved fertility as one of the many benefits of the diet.  Weight loss, improved cholesterol and lipids, and increased energy are also some of the potential benefits.  Anyone interested in eating a healthy diet and potentially decreasing their risk of disease can benefit.  The diet encourages eating a balanced selection of foods and can be used by almost anyone.  Many patients with pre-diabetes or elevated cholesterol will also benefit from the diet.

 

Results

Many patients have experience excellent results using diet and exercise modification.  This treatment can be used alone or in combination with other fertility treatments.  A fertility diet may not be the answer to everyone’s problems but will be beneficial to most people.   If you are someone with ovulation problems and PCOS, the results are often impressive.  In many cases, additional fertility medications may not be required.