Low GI foods for fertility

The GI is a measure of how quickly or slowly the carbohydrates in foods are broken down and converted into glucose. A low GI recommends foods that release sugars slowly.

People sometimes confuse a low GI with a low carbohydrate diet. Low GI it’s not about avoiding carbs, it’s about using so-called ‘slow’ carbs. It is about the quality of the foods instead of avoiding one whole group of nutrients (carbohydrates).

Not all foods with a low GI are healthy. For example, watermelon and parsnips are high GI foods, while chocolate cake has a lower GI value. Therefore, making decisions on GI value alone is not a 100% fail-proof way to judge whether a particular food is right for you. Watermelon is unprocessed. Chocolate cake is highly processed. Which one is a better choice?

A better way is to choose foods that are both unprocessed and low GI. When you need to decide what whole foods to eat like fruit, vegetables or grains, a GI index can still be handy because you can choose the healthier option.

Glycemic load

Another handy measure when using low GI foods is the glycemic load. It gives you a more accurate picture of how specific foods will impact your blood sugars.

If we take watermelon as an example again. It has a high glycemic index of 80. But it contains so little carbohydrate that its glycemic load is only 5.

A practical strategy for a low GI diet is to substitute high-GI foods (refined grains, potatoes, sugars) with high-fat foods (nuts, seeds, avocado, olive oil) getting carbohydrates from whole grains, fruits, and legumes and non-starchy vegetables.

Subtle changes – a big difference

To understand what it takes to follow a Low GI diet here is a sample menu from the study for Low GI vs healthy eating plans for PCOS.

As you can see, the difference between low GI and usual diet is nothing too crazy. There are subtle changes, like swapping, higher GI foods to lower ones: whole-meal bread with whole grain bread or having an apple instead of banana.

Low GI Plan Conventional Healthy Plan
Breakfast 1 cup Kellogg’s Guardian cereal 1 cup  Kellogg’s Bran Flakes
200 mL low-fat milk 200 mL low-fat milk
1 medium orange 1 cup diced rockmelon
Snack 1 medium apple 1 medium banana
Lunch 2 slices Tip Top 9-Grain Multigrain bread 2 slices wholemeal bread
50 g tuna in spring water 50 g tuna in spring water
1 cup salad vegetables 1 cup salad vegetables
50 g avocado 50 g avocado
Snack 2 Ryvita Multigrain Rye Crispbread 2 whole-meal crispbreads
2 Tbsp hummus 2 Tbsp hummus
4 slices tomato 4 slices tomato
Dinner 100 g lean pork 100 g lean pork
2 cups mixed vegetables 2 cups mixed vegetables
3/4 cup Asian noodles 3/4 cup Sunbrown Quick rice
1 tsp olive oil 1 tsp olive oil
1 tsp soy sauce 1 tsp soy sauce
Snack 150 g low-fat fruit yogurt 150 g low-fat fruit yogurt
1 small pear 1 cup diced watermelon
Energy (kJ) 6620 6590
CHO (%) 50 50
Protein (%) 23 23
Fat (%) 27 27
Dietary fiber (g) 34 32
GI (%) 40 59
GL (g) 74 109

1 LGI, low glycemic index; GI, glycemic index; CHO, carbohydrate; GL, glycemic load.

The above meal plan has some issues. Namely the use of low-fat dairy and breakfast cereal. Studies have shown that full-fat dairy is actually better for ovulation and breakfast cereals should be avoided.

The above graph shows the scale of improvements women recorded themselves eating low GI (LGI) vs conventional healthy diet (CHD). A higher column reflects a greater change in each domain.

In this study, better blood sugar control helped more women to ovulate regularly. Furthermore, this way of eating reduces inflammation.

We should not forget that in this study authors compared two rather healthy food plans. I assume the difference would be even more dramatic if women were allowed to have what they usually eat.

How low GI diet helps fertility

A recent systematic review and meta-analysis compared how low GI weigh up to High GI diets for overweight women with PCOS. Low GI won in all key areas:

  • better blood sugar regulation and improved fasting insulin levels;
  •  improved blood lipids;
  •  lost weight, especially around the waist and,
  •  decreased Testosterone levels.

Low GI is the best fertility diet for most people, but especially for women with PCOS

Low GI foods improve fertility for all women, not only PCOS.

Low GI was equally beneficial for women with and without PCOS. 80% of women with erratic menstrual cycles resumed regular menstruation after a 24-week calorie-restricted low GI eating plan. Study participants lost weight and their bodies controlled sugar better.

The benefits of a low GI diet for fertility

  1. Optimises ovulation and cycle regularity
  2. Reduces insulin sensitivity
  3. Helps to lose weight
  4. Reduces inflammation
  5. Reduces testosterone levels

Low GI diet resources

If you are ready to give low GI foods a go, a good place to start is the website of the University of Sydney. Here you will find low GI food recipes, ingredient swaps and get plenty of inspiration.

A searchable database for low GI and GL fertility foods is here.

Mediterranean shopping list – food quality matters

When shopping for a Mediterranean diet, it’s not only about the list of ingredients to buy. The quality of food products is important because it directly affects your health and fertility.

Therefore, we’ll look at Mediterranean food groups and what to be mindful of when shopping.

Fresh vegetables

Choose conventionally grown seasonal vegetables with the lowest pesticide residues, such as avocados, sweet corn, pineapples, onions. For non-organic vegetables rinse them with tap water and dry with a towel to remove residual chemicals.

Frozen vegetables are fine. Sometimes frozen will contain more vitamins than “supermarket fresh”.

Some veggies are more likely to have harmful chemicals. As a result, eating produce high in pesticides may do more harm than good. When possible either avoid or buy the organic versions of produce on EWG’s Dirty Dozen list:

  1. Strawberries
  2. Spinach
  3. Kale, collard and mustard greens
  4. Nectarines
  5. Apples
  6. Grapes
  7. Cherries
  8. Peaches
  9. Pears
  10. Bell and hot Peppers
  11. Celery
  12. Tomatoes

Fruits

Fresh seasonal fruit is the best. Frozen or dried fruit without added sugars is also ok. Make sure you thoroughly wash and dry fresh fruit to limit pesticide exposure. Fruits are great as a dessert or a snack.

Canned vegetables

Aim to use them as little as possible or choose vegetables preserved in glass containers. Metal food cans are often lined with plastic, leaching hormone-disrupting chemicals. It may be difficult to completely avoid canned foods. So if occasionally you end up using a couple of cans don’t beat yourself up for it.

Read and understand the labels. Some of the preserved foods are loaded with sugar, preservatives and salt.

Dairy

Go for a full-fat variety. Greek yoghurt – make sure it is unsweetened and has no added thickeners. You want healthy bacteria to thicken your yoghurt, not gelatine.

Eggs

Go Free-range or organic when possible

Nuts and seeds

Buy tons of them.

Use in cooking and also as snacks.

Watch out for ‘roasted’ nuts, because most varieties are actually deep-fried. If you like them super crunchy toast a batch yourself. It takes only a few minutes. Throw them in a pan, or in an oven on high temperature till ready.

Grains and Bread

As much as possible, use whole-grain products. The least processed the better. Choose wholegrain bread over wholemeal; get steel-cut oats vs quick oats.

Avoid instant oatmeal in the sachets. You know, the ones you put in the microwave for 3 min. Additionally, they are often loaded with added sugars and flavourings. You say it takes a long time to cook steel-cut oats? Actually, if you soak them overnight it takes no time in the morning. Alternatively, if you have an electric multi-cooker set timer at night and have a healthy breakfast ready when you wake up.

Oils

*Extra virgin* olive oil is the main fat used in our Mediterranean cooking. Use generously especially on salads and in dressings.

Beans and legumes

Life gets busy and canned beans and legumes are more convenient. However, the same as with canned veggies, plastic from tin liners can leak hormone disruptors into your food. Aim to buy dry beans and legumes, soak them, cook them in big batches and freeze them.

Seafood

Oily fish provides a great deal of Omega 3s. Choose wild fish over farmed. Frozen unprocessed fish is fine. You don’t need to buy prime fish cuts to get the benefit from fish oils. If you are a fan of fish heads, wings or fish bellies these bits usually are the oiliest bits, and therefore healthiest.

Herbs and Spices

To reduce toxin exposure try to grow fresh herbs yourself. Use organic spices when possible. Some studies found pesticide, phthalate and toxic metal residues in black pepper, basil, oregano, nutmeg, paprika, and thyme. Because you need only a tiny amount of spices, the impact of this could be low, but every little bit ads up.

Dressings, Sauces, Dips

If buying pre-made dressings, sauces, or dips first think if you can make them yourself.  This is an easier way to control the ingredients, cheaper and more delicious.

If the food you buy has a label, read it. If there is an endless list of ingredients and you don’t understand what half of those words mean, as a rule, it is super processed food and better to leave it.

Easy guide on how to adapt Mediterranean recipes to all tastes

If you find Mediterranean recipes not up to your taste here is how to modify them according to the different cuisines:

Cuisine Greek (Cretan) Middle Eastern Indian Chinese Western
Meal Fasolatha Mujadara Dhal Mapo Tofu Homemade Baked beans
Key ingredients Legumes, onions, garlic, tomato, herbs, olive oil Lentils, rice, onions, spices, olive oil Lentils onion, garlic, tomatoes, ghee Tofu, garlic, scallions, peppers, ginger, soy sauce +/− pork, peanut +/− sesame oils Legumes, onion, garlic, tomato, vegetable oil
Fat Modifications – – Replace part or all added fat with olive oil

Create your own fertility recipes by mixing and matching 12 main Mediterranean diet components

study

 

 

Recommendation Practical Applications
Use extra virgin olive oil as the main added fat. Minimum 3–4 tablespoons (60–80 mL) per day
Eat vegetables with every meal. Include 100 g leafy greens, and 200 g all other vegetables daily (cauliflower, zucchini, eggplant, capsicum etc..).

Use onion and garlic daily;

include 100 g tomatoes daily; fresh or tomato-based sauce.
Include at least two legume meals per week. Canned or dry legumes are acceptable; this may include tofu (1 serve = 250 g).

This should replace meat on days when meat is not consumed.

 Legumes are high in fiber, protein, B vitamins, iron, zinc, calcium, magnesium, selenium, phosphorus, copper and potassium. They provide a nutritious, nourishing meat alternative.
Eat at least three servings of fish or shellfish per week. Fish (1 serve = 100–150 g);

Shellfish (1 serve = 200 g).

Include oily fish at least 1–2 times per week.
Eat red meat less often and choose smaller portions. Choose white meat. 150–200 g weekly of beef, lamb, or pork.

200–250 g per week of poultry.

Choose lean varieties, wild, free-range and grass-fed varieties are encouraged.
Eat fresh fruit daily. 300g or 2 serves. The fruit provides fiber, potassium, vitamins A and C, B vitamins, folate, flavonoids and terpenes providing protection against oxidative processes.
Eat a serve of nuts every day and dried fruit as a snack or dessert. Nuts-1 serve = ~30 g or 1/4 cup or a small handful daily.

Dried fruit—2 tablespoons or 30 g.

 Nuts are a good source of monounsaturated fats, fibre, vitamin C and E, selenium, magnesium, providing an abundance of antioxidants including flavonoids, Resveratrol, polyphenols and tocopherols.
Eat dairy every day. 2 serves per day, including milk-1 serve = 250 ml or 1 cup.

Yoghurt preferably Greek style yoghurt 1 serve = 150 g or ¾ cup.

 Dairy is a good source of calcium, vitamin D, phosphorus, magnesium, zinc, potassium, vitamins A and B12, and lactic acid bacteria confer probiotic effects.

Choose mostly fermented dairy, which is higher in potent beneficial bioactive compounds from milk, such as lactic acid bacteria.

Women who ate dairy had higher AMH levels.
Eat cheese in moderation, about 3 times per week and preferably feta. 1 serve = 30 g or the size of a matchbox.
Include wholegrain breads and cereals with meals, such as wholegrain bread, rice, pasta and potatoes. 1 serve = 1 slice of bread or; ½ cup or; 50–60 g cooked pasta/rice or; 1 small 100 g potatoes.
Have sweets or sweet drinks in moderate amounts and on special occasions only. Preferably homemade. Homemade varieties have key ingredients that are encouraged in the MD, such as nuts, EVOO and milk and are less refined and lower in SFA.
Consume up to 3 eggs per week. Free-range or omega-3 varieties. Eggs are a good source of protein, choline, selenium, vitamin B12, riboflavin, phosphorus and fat-soluble vitamins A, D and E. They are a bioavailable source of carotenoids; lutein and zeaxanthin. Free-range and omega-3 enriched varieties have higher amounts of omega-3 fatty acids