This is a classic take on a childhood favourite lunch, jacket potato but with a healthier potato and topping. Switching from a regular white potato to a sweet potato has so many nutritional benefits making it a good option for a fertility friendly lunch. Sweet potatoes are richer in vitamins A, B6, C, fiber, magnesium and antioxidants to white potatoes. The biggest difference between white and sweet potatoes are the affect they each have on our blood sugar levels. Sweet potatoes differ on their glycemic index (GI), this is a measure of how certain foods affect your blood sugar ranking. A boiled sweet potato ranks a low GI of 44, whilst a boiled white potato has a medium GI of 58. A low GI food is better for you as it is more slowly digested, absorbed and metabolised in the body. This causes a slower and steadier rise in blood glucose and therefore insulin levels.
How exactly does this affect your fertility?
In women, elevated blood sugar levels and insulin resistance can complicate ovulation and make your menstrual cycles irregular. Poor blood sugar levels can affect your overall energy and can even lead to excess of the 'stress' hormone, cortisol. The more your body releases this stress hormone, the greater the impact on progesterone levels which support your menstrual cycle and prevent miscarriage in early pregnancy. Switching to eating sweet potato is an easy way to regulate those blood sugar levels and it will have a positive effect on your fertility, when your trying for a baby and in pregnancy. Sweet potatoes are also rich in beta-carotene to help regulate your menstrual cycle and protect against cell damage to protect and improve egg health.
I have topped the jacket potato with homemade guacamole. Avocados are literally one of my favourite fertility food's! Why? They are packed in monounsaturated AND polyunsaturated fatty acids, an avocado is made up of 'good' fats. Eating healthy, plant based fats, in moderation, are shown to benefit our fertility as our body NEEDS fat, not trans fats from processed foods, but good healthy fats from avocados, nuts, seeds, olive oil. These fertile fats help regulate hormone balance and lower rates of ovulatory infertility. Studies even link eating a diet rich in monounsaturated fatty acids to 3.5x greater success when undertaking IVF. In addition to healthy fats, avocados really are worth including in your diet as they contain folate, potassium and vitamin A, which are all important for reproductive health and supporting a healthy pregnancy. I like to spice my guacamole up with a little chilli, you can add fresh or chilli flakes will do. Chilli's are packed in vitamin C, helping support a healthy immune system as well as this chilli's increase blood flow around the body, ensuring the reproductive system gets a healthy supply.
Nutrients
This is rich in the following nutrients to support and benefit fertility and pregnancy;
Vitamins A, B6, C, E and K.
Beta-carotene. Folate. Niacin. Manganese. Potassium. Omega 3 Fatty Acids. Zinc.
Ingredients / Serves 2 ppl
2 sweet potatoes
1 large avocado
2 spring onions
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 red chilli or chilli flakes
Juice of 1 lime
Salt and pepper for seasoning
Optional - side salad (greens, tomatoes).
Method
1. Heat your oven to 220c,
2. Rub a little olive oil on the sweet potatoes and cut a criss cross in the middle of each potato.
3. Bake in the oven for 30mins, after 30mins check your potatoes and turn, put back in the oven to bake for a further 15mins (total cooking time 45mins).
4. In the meantime, mash the avocado with a fork and mix in the lime juice (half at first) and the olive oil, then stir in the desired amount of chilli, spring onions, season with salt and pepper and add more lime juice once you have tasted.
5. Serve the sweet potatoes with guacamole and optional side salad. Enjoy!
