Diet for dads-to-be is of paramount important as is to the diet of moms-to-be.
Eat healthy for at least 3 months before planning for a baby as sperm takes 2.5 – 3 months to fully mature to gain the ability to swim forward in fertilizing an egg.
A healthy diet and a stress-free mind will boost up the quality and quantity of sperm ..
Check out the below list of selections to include and to avoid. I have repeated some valuable sources like almonds, not only to show the various nutrients contained in it but also to emphasize its importance to include in your daily diet.
The importance of drumstick for dads-to-be is repeatedly referred in many Tamil health books and is comically emphasized in Tamil films.
Drumsticks grow naturally that they don’t need any pesticides. I clicked this pic of drumstick tree with its leaves and flowers in my backyard 🙂
Food for dads-to-be:
- Drink more water – 1.2+ litres or 8+ glasses per day
- 3 Almonds(Badam) a day. Soaked over-night and blanched(skin-out)
- Fruits especially Pomegranate, Banana, Strawberry.
- Millets especially zinc-rich Foxtail(thinai) and Peal Millet(kambu).
- Greens especially drumstick leaves(Murungai keerai), Purple fruit pea plant(Thoodhuvalai), Creeping Spinach Vine(Pasalai), Tropical Amaranth(Siru keerai)
- DHA-rich foods – Walnuts , Flaxseeds and Fish
- Vitamin B – Almonds, Cereals, Oats, Yogurt, Eggs, Spinach, Broccoli, Avocado, Potato, Sweet potato, Crab, Banana, Soya beans & Kidney beans
- Vitamin C – Orange, Lemon, Strawberry, Papaya, Pine apple, Kiwi, Mango, Guava, Tomato, Broccoli, Peas, Red & Green Bell Bepper(Capsicum), Cauliflower, Brussels sprouts and Cabbage
- Vitamin D – Almonds, Mushrooms, Egg yolks, Orange and Dairy products. In addition, expose yourself to sun atleast 20 mins a day as sun spurs the body to secrete Vit D.
- Vitamin E – Nuts especially Almonds, Pista and Hazelnuts, Spinach, Red Bell Pepper, Olives, Avocado, Broccoli, Pumpkin, Olive oil/Canola oil, Mango, Tomato, Kiwi, Dried Apricots, Dried Oregano, Sunflower seeds and Pumpkin seeds
- Zinc – Seafoods especially crab, Meat, Egg, Cashewnuts, Dairy, Beans, Peas, Chicken, Mushrooms, Spinach, Garlic, Peanuts, Egg yolks, Brown rice, Chickpeas, Green peas, Kidney beans, Sesame seeds, Pumpkin seeds, Watermelon seeds, Sunflower seeds and Flaxseeds
- Folic acid – Spinach, Broccoli, Asparagus, Papaya, Orange, Avocado, Berries, Beetroot, Carrot, Corn, Cauliflower, Whole-wheat Pasta, Almonds, Peanuts, Sunflower seeds, Flax seeds, all kinds of beans,peas and lentils.
- Selenium – Mushroom, Garlic, Onion, Brazil nuts, Walnuts, Cashew nuts, Seafood, Brown rice, Seeds(Sunflower ,Sesame,Flax), Fish, Meat, Chicken, Barley, Oats, Broccoli, Cabbage, Spinach
- Green leafy veggies
- Calcium – Milk, Yogurt(Curd), Buttermilk, Ragi(Finger Millet), Oats, Broccoli, Green beans, Ladies finger, Almonds , Oranges, Dried figs, Sesame seeds
- Carbohydrates – Oats, Potato, Rice, Cereals, Whole grains, Egg white, Apple, Sweet Potato, Watermelon, Berries, Citrus fruits, Dry fuits and Nuts
- Others: Red meat, Country Chicken, Whole-wheat bread, Chironji(Saara paruppu), Drumstick vegetable, flower and its leaves
Food to be avoided by dads-to-be:
- Raw or half-boiled eggs
- Fatty diet and junk foods
- Coffee
- Broiler chicken in India (as it is said to be injected with artificial growth hormones). Opt for country-side chicken(Naattu kozhi).
- Sundaikkaai/Turkey berry as it is considered as a male contraceptive.
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