Your diet is very important and it influences all natural processes in the body. Lactation is highly dependent on your diet, which means that during this period, if you want to increase your milk supply, you should eat very healthy. This means eliminating that mid-night snack and that diet coke in the evenings. Doing only a few simple things like that is very useful for increasing milk supply. I can go as far as saying that your diet is the only factor that determines the amount of milk you produce. I learned a lot from Jane's website on increasing milk supply. 

There is a common pattern almost all mothers experience – in the beginning their milk supply is very normal and healthy. Over time though, it decreases. The reason is simple – the nutritional supply has depleted, and your body cannot make the necessary nutrients that fast. It needs them in a ready to consume form. That’s why diet is important. Eating excess sugar takes out various nutrients from your body, because sugar is a nutrient-poor food. It is commonly referred to as “an empty calorie”. In order for your body to be able to process such foods, it needs to slow down milk production. 

Fat intake

Fat intake is the second most important factor. It influences your energy levels and the stability of your blood sugar. If your blood glucose is not stable, your milk supply will vary widely over the day. That’s why the first thing you should do for increasing milk supply is increasing fat intake. We are talking about specific types of fat however. Saturated and mono-saturated fats are both good when it comes to increasing the supply of milk.

On the other hand, carbohydrates will decrease the milk supply. The balance between the two is vital and you should aim to always make the majority of your calories come from fat and not from carbohydrates. This does require some health education, but if you are a new mother you should have that anyway – learning what is good for your body is useful not only for increasing milk supply, but also for remaining fit and healthy.

Grain-free diets

Grain intake does hinder milk production. That is because grains are not easily digestible and irritate the stomach lining. Most grains are also highly-processed which makes them poor in vital nutrients, but rich in calories. This is not a good combination – any good nutritionist will tell you that.

Calcium intake

Calcium intake is also important. The milk you produce contains a lot of that, because calcium is an integral part of the bones of your baby. If you do not get enough calcium in your diet, your body will have to disintegrate some of your bones in order to manufacture the necessary amount. It is best to avoid that, as it is a major cause of osteoporosis and arthritis. Increasing milk supply can be easily done after you increase your calcium levels to an acceptable level. Try to avoid overfeeding, as this also has a bad effect on your nutrients supply.