Bringing a life into the world is a particularly complicated process. Nutrition can help as part of an assisted conception program.

In fact, many experts believe that to improve the chances of successful assisted reproduction, it should ideally be accompanied by a healthy diet and lifestyle program. Don’t worry though, as diet and lifestyle changes don’t have to be scary.

Small changes can have a big impact. Following are simple tips and guidelines that the infertile couple can follow together aiming to enhance the fertility of both partners.

• Drink at least 1-1.5L of water a day to flush out toxins and help nutrients move into your body.

• Include vegetables and fruits in your diet – at least 5 servings a day. Vegetables and fruits are rich in vitamins, minerals and antioxidants that help protect cells from free radicals and improve fertility.

• Eat whole grains and legumes. Whole grains include oats, whole-wheat bread, brown rice, and whole-wheat pasta. Legumes include chickpeas, beans and lentils. These two food categories are rich in B vitamins and other fertility-boosting nutrients like zinc and magnesium.

• Increase the amount of omega-3 fats in your diet. These are found in oily fish, nuts, seeds and eggs and help prevent blood clotting, regulate hormones and are important for sperm production.

• Both men and women should avoid drinking alcohol. Alcohol causes a decrease in sperm count and motility, and an increase in abnormal sperm levels.

• Smoking is known to contribute to both male and female infertility. Women who don’t smoke are twice as likely to get pregnant, since smoking increases the risk of miscarriage, reduces sperm quality, and increases the chance of DNA damage.

• Caffeine reduces fertility and increases the risk of miscarriage. This harmful effect is indeed dose-dependent.