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19 Foods that Increase Fertility When You're Trying to Get Pregnant


If you make a Greek yogurt parfait, include berries, a tablespoon of unsweetened nut butter, and a few walnuts on top for the full effect.

10. Pomegranates

As an extra-flavorful topper, Becker reaches for pomegranates. “Antioxidant-rich pomegranates are also rich in many nutrients, including vitamin C, vitamin K, folate, and several other vitamins and minerals that aid in fertility,” she says.

It’s really easy to enjoy them too. Simply sprinkle them onto your oatmeal or Greek yogurt in the morning, or enjoy them plain, she says. You can also enjoy them on top of that salmon and spinach salad.

11. Eggs

Eggs are a great source of protein, and they can also help boost your fertility. “Eggs are rich in choline, which studies have shown can have significant positive effects on fetal development,” says Becker.

The easiest way to have them is first thing in the morning. “Supercharge your breakfast with a veggie-packed omelet or an egg baked inside of half an avocado,” Becker recommends. Just make sure you avoid the egg-white omelet option and never skip the yolk, she says, since that’s “where all of the good nutrients are.”

12. Bee Pollen

Bee pollen is another fertility food that’s great for reproductive health in both men and women. “Bee pollen has shown promise to promote sperm quantity and help boost fertility in women,” says Williams. “But make sure you get your bee pollen from a reputable source to ensure efficiency.”

While you can take it on its own, Williams says, it can also be added to smoothies “and used as a topping to your favorite parfait and breakfast bowl.” So get out your Greek yogurt and add the bee pollen.

13. Maca

Another food to add to your fertility diet is maca. “Superfoods like Peruvian maca may even boost sperm count,” says Williams.

This one might be best for your partner for that reason, but it certainly can’t help to incorporate some into both of your diets. A great way to do it is by adding it to your healthy smoothie for breakfast, along with avocado, spinach and maybe even a bit of Greek yogurt and bee pollen. Since it has a slightly bitter nature, Williams says, this is a great way to have your maca and eat it too.

14. Eggs

Eggs are one of the most nutrient dense foods that exist, especially eggs from pastured hens. They are abundant in fertility-enhancing omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin A, vitamin E, and choline—a nutrient that helps fetal brain development. Eat 8-12 eggs per week to get enough choline in your diet, and if you can, get organic eggs from pastured hens.

15. Asparagus

Folic acid is critical for women who are trying to get pregnant and asparagus is full of it: One cup of asparagus gets you more than half of your daily recommended dose of folic acid, plus all your daily vitamin K. Asparagus also contains glutathione, an antioxidant which improves egg quality. So stock up on asparagus—and opt for fresh or frozen, if possible, since canned asparagus has a lot of sodium.

16. Watermelon

Watermelon is another solid source of glutathione. It’s also known to help alleviate morning sickness, heartburn, swelling, and even third-trimester cramps, so it’s a good thing to keep on your plate even after you get pregnant. Watermelon also helps male fertility, since it contains lycopen—an antioxidant that helps sperm motility.

17. Liver

Contrary to popular belief, liver is not the “toxic organ,” rather it is the “detoxifier.” The liver helps remove impurities from one’s system, but it does not hold onto those impurities. It can help women get pregnant because it’s an amazing source of folate (the active form of folic acid), all your B vitamins, choline and loads of antioxidants like inositol (which has been shown to improve egg quality in women undergoing In Vitro Fertilization procedures). Add three ounces of liver to your diet per week, or if you can’t imagine eating liver, you can take it as a supplement in a pill form.

18. Cod Liver Oil

Cod liver oil is technically an oil from fish, but it’s different from regular old fish oil. Both fish oil and cod liver oil are great sources of omega-3 fatty acids, however cod liver oil also contains vitamins A and D, which are fat soluble vitamins important to fertility and conception. If you’re suffering from a vitamin D deficiency (and many people are), reach for cod liver oil instead of fish oil. You can take cod liver oil in capsule or liquid form daily—and be sure to take an amount that delivers 2,000 IUs of vitamin D.

19. Sunflower Seeds

Male fertility can get a boost from sunflower seeds, which are great for improving sperm motility and sperm count. It’s easy to get more in your diet—sprinkle sunflower seeds on salads or try a sunflower seed butter slathered on toast.

Now that you know the foods that increase your fertility, check out the foods you should avoid if you’re trying to get pregnant.



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How to Increase Your Sex Drive, According to a Neuroscientist


The remedy? Unplug from your devices and turn them off for some portion of the day. I recommend three device-free periods each day. That means the phone or computer is turned off or in another room. Not only will this give you a break from the drain of continuous partial attention, it can also help boost your mood—and your sex drive.

## 5. Try breathing exercises.

When you unplug from your devices, use that time to plug into your body. Scientists call this the relaxation response: how we can use our bodies to calm our minds. There are various ways to do this including focusing on the breath or a soothing sound or image. Any strategy that allows you to break the chain of everyday thought can help ramp up the calming ability of the autonomic nervous system, known as the parasympathetic response. This state is key to all sorts of bodily functions including digestion, healing, and most relevantly, sexual arousal.

A simple practice that can reduce our stress reactivity: Breathe in for a count of four, breathe out for a count of six. Repeat six times.

## 6. Use your words.

Getting what you want sexually can help increase both your active and responsive desire. If you’re really into nipple orgasms, but your partner has no idea they’re a thing, speak up. Taking a risk to ask for what we want can be scary, but it’s also the way to boost the ongoing sexual potential of our partnerships. And remember, it’s important to prioritize our own pleasure.

## 7. Understand your cycle.

For women, active desire tends to vary across the menstrual cycle, usually peaking at the time of ovulation. This is the time of the month when women are most likely to initiate sex. In fact, women tend to have 24% more sex during the days when they are fertile, even if they aren’t trying to get pregnant.

Understanding the natural fluctuations in your sex drive can help you boost it. If you were all over your partner last week but this week feel as though you’re in a desire desert, don’t panic. Instead, make time for activities that can help boost your responsive desire like tapping into what turns you on in life in general. Tuning into what makes us feel fully alive, engaged, excited, and enthusiastic about our lives beyond the bedroom can translate into a kind of erotic energy we can bring back to our sex lives.

## 8. Check your birth control.

Some women taking birth control pills experience a decrease in libido. If this is happening to you, consider speaking to your doctor about finding a non-hormonal method of birth control that doesn’t dampen your desire.

## 9. Masturbate.

We know that masturbating strengthens the neural connections between our genitals and the places in the brain that register sexual sensation and pleasure. (I should know since my lab mapped them). This practice will literally strengthen these pleasure pathways, making orgasms easier to access and even more potent.

There also appears to be a hormonal explanation for why self-pleasure can increase your sex drive with your partner. Masturbation can provide a short-term boost to our testosterone levels. And since testosterone is what drives the sex drive in both sexes, we can end up feeling more desire as a result.

## 10. Have more sex.

And the more sex we have, the more sex we usually want. Once we’ve had an experience, like having sex, it’s more likely to stay on our minds. This can prime us to be more attuned to our sexual selves.

##11. Don’t stress if you’re not feeling it.

Everyone’s desire curve is different. Some people have a high baseline level of active sexual desire, others don’t.

So, don’t worry if you don’t feel actively like having sex. Take advantage of when you do. And as the course of desire flows over the month, or the course of relationship, learn what works for you to jumpstart the engine of your responsive desire.

Nan Wise, Ph.D., is AASECT-certified sex therapist, neuroscientist, certified relationship expert, and author of Why Good Sex Matters: Understanding the Neuroscience of Pleasure for a Smarter, Happier, and More Purpose-Filled Life. Follow her @AskDoctorNan.





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How a Grey's Anatomy Episode Led to an Increase in Sexual Assault Awareness


We may be living in the age of too much content (because really, who can get to it all?!?), but a new study shows that one single episode of popular television can still make a big impact on the world. Grey’s Anatomy has been in our lives since it premiered on ABC in 2005, and over the past 15 seasons fans have seen many powerful and emotional episodes. But one, in particular, from last March is proving to have a lasting effect on awareness around sexual assault.

“Silent All These Years” first aired on March 28, 2019 and featured a storyline with a patient named Abby, who Dr. Jo Karev and Dr. Teddy Altman learn has been sexually assaulted. At the time, I wrote about how sensitively the show handled the issue of consent on many levels, but particularly how the doctors treated Abby as they examined her. The episode culminated in an emotional moment where female doctors, nurses, and other hospital staff line the hallway as Abby was taken into surgery because every male face she sees reminds her of her attacker.

At the end of the show, Ellen Pompeo did a PSA for viewers about reaching out for help if they had been affected by sexual violence, and gave information about contacting the National Sexual Assault Hotline operated by the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network, or RAINN (800-856-HOPE or via online chat hotline.rainn.org/online/). And now a new study is showing the real-life impact of the show.

Researchers at the Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences studied search trends on Google and Twitter for two weeks before and one week after the episode aired. They monitored terms like “Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network,” “RAINN,” “sexual assault,” “rape,” “sexual assault hotline,” and tweets mentioning @RAINN. They also collected data from RAINN on call volumes in the 48 hours after the episode aired.

“Engagements with the @RAINN Twitter account and tweets mentioning ‘sexual assault hotline’ increased by 1,097% the day after the episode,” researcher Trevor Torgerson told Reuters Health. They also found the National Sexual Assault Hotline call volume increased by 43% in the 48 hours after the episode, and the volume of searches for the term “RAINN” was 41% larger than expected, and search volumes for “rape” and “sexual assault” were 8% and 9% higher, respectively. In addition, the number of tweets mentioning “sexual assault hotline” and “RAINN” were 1,995% and 292% higher than usual.

“An adored actress, such as Ellen Pompeo, may be able to convince someone to seek help in a way that ‘only’ flashing the hotline number may not be able to. That being said, if flashing the hotline number is all that can be done, we would agree there is a benefit to it,” Torgerson said.

Whatever the factors, it’s incredible to see the impact that one episode of television (in this case, Grey’s Anatomy) can have on the world.



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