Diet and Infertility

The Diet News You Need To Know
Eating just 4 grams of trans fat a day--the amount you might find in a half of a medium serving of french fries or one Krispy Kreme glazed donut--can more than double your risk of infertility, according to a new study. "Trans fats increase insulin resistance, which has been show to negatively affect ovulation in some otherwise healthy woman, says study author Jorge Chavarro, M.D., a researcher at the Harvard School of Public Health. To reduce your intake of these artery clogging fats, look beyond the nutrition label. "A product can claim it has zero trans fats if it has anything less than half a gram," he say. To make sure a snack is really trans-fat free, double check that the ingredients list is clear of anything "partially hydrogenated" or "hydrogenated".

Hormones and Your Weight

You can't blame hormones for pounds you might pack on as a result of eating more and moving less, but you could retain one to five pounds of water during the two weeks before your period. Some unlucky women may gain 10 pounds of water weight, says Steven J. Ory, M.D., president of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine. "But it's temporary," he adds. "Normal fluctuations in the menstrual cycle aren't responsible for permanent pounds." To minimize water-weight gain, eat less salt and take 1,000 milligrams of calcium the week before your period, both of which reduce bloating, says Marcelle Cedars, M.D., an endocrinologist at the University of California, San Francisco. For severe cases of bloat a doctor might prescribe a mild diuretic to flush it out.

Another hormone-weight connection: When estrogen and progesterone fall before your period, you may experience food cravings--and gain weight if you indulge. "If a woman consistently gives in and binges on high-fat, high-salt, high-sugar foods, she may in fact, gain actual fat pounds that won't go away once her period starts," says Dr. Ory. "Anything you can do to lower stress levels and boost mood during that time, whether that's yoga, marathon running or stock-car racing, can help cut cravings," he notes. ...Numerous studies have shown that we reach for less-healthy choices and eat more calories when we're sleep deprived.

Walking for your Health

Walking Cure from Women's Health, December 2006

Eating a meal high in saturated fat could do immediate harm to your blood vessels. But if you just polished off a pint of Edy's Chocolate Fudge Chunk, don't panic: A study in the European Journal of Applied Physiology suggests that going for a walk after a high-fat meal may reduce the food's effect on your arteries. Researchers compared the heart health of eight 25-year olds after three scenarios: eating a low-fat breakfast; eating a high-fat breakfast; and eating a high-fat breakfast and then going for a 45-minute walk. While the arteries narrowed in the nonexercisers who ate the fatty meal, the arteries in the exercisers dilated (even more than in the low-fat eaters). So take a walk after a holiday pig-out, but avoid regular binge-and-walk sessions.