Podcast appearances and mentions of lisa hendrickson jack

Lily Nichols is a Registered Dietitian and the author three books designed to support healthy conception, birth and postpartum, including how to prevent and manage gestational diabetes.Her books are Real Food for Fertility (co-authored by Lisa Hendrickson-Jack), Real Food For Pregnancy and Real Food for Gestational Diabetes.Lily shares important information all women should know about optimizing their diet for fertility, pregnancy, and postpartum from a scientific perspective. Even for women who aren't currently in the pregnancy state of mind, knowing this information early on helps everyone to make better choices down the road.Connect with Lily Nichols lilynicholsrdn.com | InstagramLearn more The Institute for Prenatal Nutrition | Postpartum Recovery Meals | Fourth Trimester Soups and Stews Collection | Nutrition and Nourishment - The EssentialsResources HelloGaia Parenting Copilot | FREE DOWNLOAD Customizable Birth Plan | FREE DOWNLOAD Customizable Fourth Trimester PlanConnect with Fourth Trimester Facebook | InstagramWant trustworthy parenting data at your fingertips? Download HelloGaia Parenting Copilot for FREE today. The app uses reliable sources like ACOG, AAP, The Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine. FREE app available now on Apple & Google Play

The world of women's health is vast and often misunderstood, especially when it comes to fertility and menstrual cycles. But understanding these essential aspects of health can empower women to take charge of their bodies. Lisa Hendrickson-Jack, creator of Fertility Friday, gives us insights!Show Notes HERE!Where you can find Lisa:WebsiteInstagramPodcastLinks Mentioned:My Essential Birth CourseMy Essential Birth Postpartum CourseMy Essential Birth InstagramReal Food for FertilityGET IN TOUCH!

Delicate does not even begin to describe this week's topic, and we're so thankful for the vulnerable thought spirals listeners submitted for discussion. The concept of fertility is often surrounded by an overwhelming mix of mystery, pressure, shame, fear, and misinformation—and, if you're fortunate to find it, hope and solidarity, too. From decoding hormones to navigating the emotional and societal complexities of "trying" (or choosing not to), there's no shortage of material to overthink about. Host Amanda Montell (@amanda_montell) is joined by Lisa Hendrickson-Jack (@fertilityfriday), certified fertility awareness educator, holistic reproductive health practitioner, and author of three bestselling books on fertility and menstruation. Together, they unpack how fertility awareness can empower us, challenge long-held myths, and shift the way we view reproductive health in the modern world. Further Reading: Lisa Hendrickson-Jack's The Fifth Vital Sign - Join the "Magical Overthinkers Club" by following the pod on Instagram @magicaloverthinkers. - To access early, ad-free episodes and more, subscribe to the Magical Overthinkers Substack. - Pick up a hard copy of Amanda's book The Age of Magical Overthinking: Notes on Modern Irrationality, or listen to the audiobook. Thank you to our sponsors! Indoor cats and indoor humans agree - Pretty Litter helps my house smell fresh and clean. Go to https://PrettyLitter.com/magical to save 20% on your FIRST order and get a free cat toy. Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial period at https://SHOPIFY.COM/magical Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode, we dive deep into the fascinating world of the menstrual cycle with Lisa Hendrickson-Jack, certified fertility awareness educator and author of The Fifth Vital Sign and Real Food for Fertility. Lisa shares essential insights into the phases of the menstrual cycle, how hormones affect physical and mental well-being, and how to use your cycle as a powerful tool for understanding your overall health and improve your fertility. We explore everything including what a healthy menstrual cycle looks like, "seasons" of the cycle, impact of lifestyle factors, managing PMS and period pain naturally, and the effects of hormonal birth control on long-term health and fertility   SHOWNOTES -  00:00:00 - Guest and episode introduction 00:01:30 - Overview of the menstrual cycle as a "fifth vital sign" 00:05:48 - How hormonal fluctuations affect physical, emotional, & mental well-being 00:08:13 - The "seasons" of the cycle and their effects on energy, mood, and focus 00:18:55 - Impact of lifestyle choices and toxins + hormonal disruptors on menstrual health  00:24:50 - Common menstrual issues + What heavy or light bleeding indicates 00:32:20 - Practical tips for regularising hormonal balance + Understanding Endometriosis 00:39:30 - Role of supplementation 00:46:20 - Signs of hormonal imbalance & steps to recovery & rehabilitation 00:52:10 - The impact of long-term birth control on fertility 00:58:50 - More Resources   CONNECT WITH LISA HENDRICKSON-JACK - Website - https://fertilityfriday.com/ Fertility Friday Podcast - https://fertilityfriday.com/category/fertility-friday-podcast/ Fifth Vital Sign - https://thefifthvitalsignbook.com/ Real Food For Fertility (Free First Chapter) - https://realfoodforfertility.com/ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/fertilityfriday/   CONNECT WITH ME - Take the EmoPersona Quiz - https://www.kratimehra.com/emopersonaquiz/ Subscribe to the Newsletter - https://www.kratimehra.com/newsletter/ For more, visit - https://www.kratimehra.com/experible/

Lisa Hendrickson-Jack, certified Fertility Awareness Educator and Holistic Reproductive Health Practitioner, joins the podcast to talk all things menstruation and cycle tracking. Lisa digs deep into what goes on during your cycle and how you can feel empowered when you know your flow.   

Boosting Fertility with Real Food: Essential Nutrients, Ancestral Diets, and Male Fertility with Lisa Hendrickson-Jack Part Two “Fertility isn't something you fix; it's the result of whole-body wellness, a balance of mental, emotional, and physical health.” Topics Discussed:

Send us a textAnnouncement: Between now and year-end, we will be releasing a mixture of brand-new episodes interspersed with old-favorites, due to the sudden loss of Cynthia's husband in November. We will be back to our usual production schedule by New Year's. If you'd like to donate a gift to the GoFundMe that was set up for Cynthia and her family, you may do so here. Thank you to everyone for your beautiful messages, gifts and prayers.Please keep an eye out for new content and an expanded Down to Birth platform on Patreon, including a new Community feature where listeners can post questions for us and each other. To join and gain instant access to our entire library of video content, go to our Patreon and sign up.Onto the show:Lisa Hendrickson-Jack is the author of The Fith Vital Sign, a book detailing normal and abnormal parameters around menstruation and fertility and what your menstrual cycle reveals about your health. She refers to her period as "her secretary", who once per month brings her all the unfinished business in her life and plops it down on her desk to deal with. Most of us think of PMS as an annoying, unavoidable side effect of our monthly flow. Lisa challenges us to see it as a dutiful assistant encouraging us to face the pesky tasks, emotions, people, relationships, jobs, etc. that we tend to brush off or continually avoid during our less open, vulnerable weeks of the month. Additionally, we discuss the abnormal societal normalization of period pain, what your cervical position can tell you about where you are in your cycle, and how your period flow volume can clue you in to your fertility health.Finally, Lisa responds to your most pressing questions on whether or not you need to tailor your exercise routine to your cycle stages and what it might mean if your postpartum period is mysteriously absent. You can learn more about Lisa on Instagram or her website Fertility Friday**********Our sponsors:Silverette Nursing Cups -- Soothe and heal sore nipples with 925 silver nursing cups.Postpartum Soothe -- Herbs and padsicles to heal and comfort.Needed -- Our favorite nutritional products for before, during, and after pregnancy.Use promo code: DOWNTOBIRTH for all sponsors.Support Cynthia's family here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-cynthia-overgards-family-after-tragic-loss Connect with us on Patreon for our exclusive content.Email Contact@DownToBirthShow.comInstagram @downtobirthshowCall us at 802-GET-DOWN Work with Cynthia: 203-952-7299 HypnoBirthingCT.com Work with Trisha: 734-649-6294 Please remember we don't provide medical advice. Speak to your licensed medical provider for all your healthcare matters.

Send us a textThis week on The Less Stressed Life,  I'm thrilled to welcome back Lisa Hendrickson-Jack, host of the Fertility Friday podcast and author of The Fifth Vital Sign and co-author of Real Food for Fertility. Lisa brings her expertise as a fertility awareness educator to discuss a topic on many women's minds: advanced maternal age.In this episode, we unpack what it really means to be 35+ and trying to conceive. Lisa explains how fertility evolves with age, why terms like “geriatric pregnancy” can feel discouraging, and how to take actionable steps to support your body and improve your chances of conception.We also cover practical strategies for optimizing fertility, from tracking your menstrual cycle to improving egg and sperm quality through nourishment and lifestyle changes. Plus, Lisa highlights the critical role your partner plays in the process.Check out Lisa's other episode #203 Fifth Vital Sign: Master Your Cycles & Optimize Your Fertility KEY TAKEAWAYS:Why your menstrual cycle is your fifth vital signHow fertility changes after 35 and what you can do about itEgg quality vs. egg quantity: Why both matterSimple ways to nourish your body for conception and pregnancyThe surprising role your partner's health plays in fertilityHow to balance conventional fertility advice with holistic practicesABOUT GUEST: Lisa Hendrickson-Jack is a Certified Fertility Awareness Educator, author, and host of the Fertility Friday podcast. She teaches women to chart their menstrual cycles for natural birth control, conception, and health monitoring, emphasizing the cycle as a vital sign for overall well-being. With over 4 million podcast downloads, Lisa is a leading voice in fertility awareness and menstrual health.Check out Lisa's FREEBIES here: https://www.fertility-friday.com/freebiesWHERE TO FIND:Website: https://fertilityfriday.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fertilityfriday/WHERE TO FIND CHRISTA:Website: https://www.christabiegler.com/Instagram: @anti.inflammatory.nutritionistPodcast Instagram: @lessstressedlifeYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@lessstressedlifeLeave a review, submit a questions for the podcast or take one of my quizzes here: ****https://www.christabiegler.com/linksNUTRITION PHILOSOPHY:Over restriction is deadWhole food is soul food and fed is bestSustainable, synergistic nutrition is in (the opposite of whack-a-mole supplementation & supplement graveyards)You don't have to figure it out aloneDo your best and leave the restSPONSOR:  Thanks to Jigsaw Health for sponsoring this episode! Try their MagSoothe or MagSRT for better sleep and less stress. From now until Dec 1, use code LESSSTRESSED15 at JigsawHealth.com for 15% off!

Understanding Real Food for Fertility: Nutrient Needs, Food Sensitivities, and Cycle Health with Lisa Hendrickson-Jack Part One "If you're trying to conceive, you need a diet that supports optimal hormone balance and menstrual health." Topics Discussed:

Lisa Hendrickson-Jack is a certified Fertility Awareness Educator and Holistic Reproductive Health Practitioner who teaches women to chart their menstrual cycles.In this episode of the Period Recovery Podcast, Cynthia talks to Lisa Hendrickson-Jack about using the menstrual cycle as an important vital sign of overall health. They explore the misconceptions surrounding Primary Amenorrhea and Hypothalamic Amenorrhea, especially in female athletes, the role of medical professionals, and the empowerment that comes from tracking your cycle. Lisa emphasizes the need for women to take charge of their health by building a supportive healthcare team and advocating for themselves. There's a connection between lifestyle choices and menstrual health, encouraging listeners to trust their bodies and seek knowledge about their cycles. The discussion highlights practical steps for women experiencing cycle irregularities, focusing on the importance of adequate nutrition and the need for open conversations about menstrual health.TakeawaysThe menstrual cycle is a vital sign of overall health.Understanding your cycle can empower you to make informed health decisions.Medical professionals often lack training in nutrition and menstrual health.Women should advocate for themselves and seek a supportive healthcare team.Tracking your cycle can reveal important health information.Lifestyle factors significantly impact menstrual health.It's essential to understand the role of different healthcare providers.The menstrual cycle can indicate underlying health issues.Self-advocacy is crucial in navigating healthcare systems.Knowledge about your body can lead to better health outcomes. We should be asking questions about menstrual health.Elite athletes often experience ovulatory disruptions.The menstrual cycle is a vital sign of health.Cycle disruptions are often normalized in sports culture.Nutrition plays a crucial role in hormonal health.Tracking menstrual cycles can provide valuable insights.Conversations about menstrual health need to be normalized.Adequate protein and fat intake are essential for hormonal balance.It's important to challenge societal norms around body image in sports.Women should advocate for their health and seek nutritional guidance.Apply for coaching w/Cynthia:  https://p.bttr.to/3ybjfOb Discover the truth about HA:  click the link to download Cynthia's fact sheet that debunks common myths and misinformation! Website: https://www.periodnutritionist.com  Instagram: www.instagram.com/period.nutritionistLearn more about Lisa Hendrickson-Jack and her books here!For the full show notes - please visit my website: periodnutritionist.com

TODAY'S SPONSORBEAM Minerals: Head to beamminerals.com and use the code DANIHEALTH to get 20% offMake sure to check out this link to Fullscript.com to get your lifetime 10% discount!TODAY'S GUESTLily Nichols is a Registered Dietitian/Nutritionist, Certified Diabetes Educator, researcher, and author with a passion for evidence-based prenatal nutrition. Her work is known for being research-focused, thorough, and critical of outdated dietary guidelines. She is the founder of the Institute for Prenatal NutritionTM, co-founder of the Women's Health Nutrition Academy, and the author of three books: Real Food for Fertility (co-authored with Lisa Hendrickson-Jack), Real Food for Pregnancy and Real Food for Gestational Diabetes. Lily's bestselling books have helped tens of thousands of mamas (and babies!), are used in university-level maternal nutrition and midwifery courses, and have even influenced prenatal nutrition policy internationally. She writes at https://lilynicholsrdn.comWebsiteInstagramBook websites: realfoodforfertility.com, realfoodforpregnancy.com & realfoodforGD.comON TODAY'S EPISODEWhat are the common misconceptions surrounding gestational diabetes that expectant mothers should be aware of?How do conventional dietary guidelines fall short when it comes to managing blood sugar levels during pregnancy?What personalized nutrition strategies can be implemented to control gestational diabetes effectively?Can you explain the significance of testing methods for gestational diabetes and the alternatives available?How does gestational diabetes impact long-term health for both mothers and their children?What role does protein intake play in managing insulin levels and overall metabolic health during pregnancy?Why is it important for women to start preventative measures for gestational diabetes before pregnancy?How does breastfeeding influence insulin sensitivity and the risk of developing type 2 diabetes later in life?What are some key nutritional needs that mothers should prioritize during breastfeeding?How can maintaining electrolyte balance during breastfeeding prevent nutritional depletion?STAY IN TOUCH WITH ME:You can find me:On Instagram @daniellehamiltonhealth On Facebook at Danielle Hamilton HealthMy website is daniellehamiltonhealth.comOn my YouTube Channel (make sure you subscribe!)Sign up for my Wellness Wednesday Newsletter: https://www.daniellehamiltonhealth.com/newsletter

Most OBGYns and Midwives don't ask you about what you're eating.Yet your nutrition during pregnancy (and before) is obviously such a key factor to growing a healthy and resilient baby.So what's missing here?And what's the deal with Gestational Diabetes? What really is it and how does it develop? Thankfully our guest today has all the answers.Lily Nichols has made it her life's mission to research and educate the world around prenatal nutrition.If you're thinking of having a baby, already pregnant or in the postpartum period, this episode is a must listen!Lily Nichols is a Registered Dietitian/Nutritionist, Certified Diabetes Educator, researcher, and author with a passion for evidence-based prenatal nutrition. Her work is known for being research-focused, thorough, and critical of outdated dietary guidelines. She is the founder of the Institute for Prenatal Nutrition™, co-founder of the Women's Health Nutrition Academy, and the author of three books: Real Food for Fertility (co-authored with Lisa Hendrickson-Jack), Real Food for Pregnancy and Real Food for Gestational Diabetes. Lily's bestselling books have helped tens of thousands of mamas (and babies!), are used in university-level maternal nutrition and midwifery courses, and have even influenced prenatal nutrition policy internationally. ******************Free Gifts from Lily Nichols:Sign up for a free chapter of either Real Food for Pregnancy or Real Food for Fertility on the site:https://realfoodforpregnancy.com/ https://realfoodforfertility.com/ Connect with Lily Nichols:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lilynicholsrdn ******************➠ Discover the unique ROOT CAUSE that is keeping you stuck on the sugar rollercoaster every year. Take the QUIZ HERE NOW.➠ Ready to finally kick your emotional eating habit and build a new healthy relationship with sugar from the inside out? Say goodbye to late night snacking and stress eating for good. Get immediate access to my exclusive and FREE Kick Emotional Eating 3 Part Training here. ******************Come hang out with me and keep the conversation going on social media:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/danielledaemcoachingInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/danielledaem/Join the Facebook Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/simplybalancedhealthYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLCqU7XE_KU1xPmjkpZyGPA******************Medical DisclaimerThe information provided in this podcast is for general purposes only and is not intended to be professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. My personal advice should NOT be taken as professional advice and you are always advised to consult with your own healthcare provider before making any changes to your health and wellness routine. This podcast is intended to inspire and offer alternative views to healing your relationship with food, mind and body. It is up to each listener to take responsibility for their own health and wellness decisions. I hold no liability or responsibility for your results or lack thereof.

Send us a textThis week on The Less Stressed Life Podcast, I'm thrilled to have Lily Nichols, RDN, CDE, back with us! In this episode, Lily gives us the scoop on her latest book, Real Food for Fertility, co-authored with Lisa Hendrickson-Jack, which focuses on preconception nutrition for both women and men. We cover everything from improving sperm quality to the crucial role of nutrient-dense foods for both partners. Lily is all about breaking down myths, especially when it comes to avoiding fats and animal proteins, which are actually key players in healthy pregnancies. I love Lily's no-nonsense, research-backed approach, and I think you will too!Check out Lily's other books Real Food for Gestational Diabetes and Real Food for Pregnancy here: https://lilynicholsrdn.com/books/KEY TAKEAWAYS:Why conventional guidelines for gestational diabetes often fail, and what actually helps with blood sugar controlHow preconception nutrition for both men and women affects fertility and pregnancyThe benefits of nutrient-dense foods like liver, meat, and seafood for hormone health and egg/sperm qualityThe role of environmental toxins in fertility and simple steps to minimize exposureWhy fats and animal proteins are essential for healthy pregnanciesHow myths around prenatal nutrition can hurt rather than helpLily's other episodes on the LSL:#031 Do you really need to eat for 2? 3 myths in prenatal nutrition & how to have a healthy pregnancy and postpartum experience with Real Food for Pregnancy Lily Nichols, RDN, CDE#204 Gestational Diabetes with Lily Nichols, RDNABOUT GUEST: Lily Nichols is a Registered Dietitian/Nutritionist, Certified Diabetes Educator, researcher, and author with a passion for evidence-based prenatal nutrition. Her work is known for being research-focused, thorough, and critical of outdated dietary guidelines. She is the founder of the Institute for Prenatal Nutrition™, co-founder of the Women's Health Nutrition Academy, and the author of three books: Real Food for Fertility (co-authored with Lisa Hendrickson-Jack), Real Food for Pregnancy and Real Food for Gestational Diabetes. Lily's bestselling books have helped tens of thousands of mamas (and babies!), are used in university-level maternal nutrition and midwifery courses, and have even influenced prenatal nutrition policy internationally. She writes at https://lilynicholsrdn.com. WHERE TO FIND:Website: https://lilynicholsrdn.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lilynicholsrdn/WHERE TO FIND CHRISTA:Website: https://www.christabiegler.com/Instagram: @anti.inflammatory.nutritionistPodcast Instagram: @lessstressedlifeYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@lessstressedlifeLeave a review, submit a questions for the podcast or take one of my quizzes here: ****https://www.christabiegler.com/linksNUTRITION PHILOSOPHY:Over restriction is deadWhole food is soul food and fed is bestSustainable, synergistic nutrition is in (the opposite of whack-a-mole supplementation & supplement graveyards)You don't have to figure it out aloneDo your best and leave the rest

In this episode, Dr. Leah interviews Lisa Hendrickson-Jack, author of The Fifth Vital Sign and co-author of Real Food for Fertility. They talk all about our monthly cycles, how they are considered our fifth vital sign, and how we can use them as a form of birth control, before and even after pregnancy. We also discuss how cycle tracking and the fertility awareness method is a great choice to prevent pregnancy and help you conceive when you are ready, without the side effects or transition time of hormonal contraceptives.This episode is sponsored by:Needed >> Click here and use code HEALTHYMOTHER to save 20% off your first order.Resources From This Episode:Lisa's Fertility Awareness Mastery Mentorship ProgramLisa's Free E-Book for practitioners "How to Interpret Virtually Any Chart Your Client Throws at You"Dr. Leah's Master Your Cycle Mini-CourseStay Connected With Lisa:Website: https://www.fertilityfriday.comInstagram - @fertilityfridayStay Connected With Us:Healthy As A Mother: www.healthyasamother.comInstagram: @healthyasamotherpodcastDr. Leah: www.womanhoodwellness.comInstagram: @drleahgordonDr. Morgan: www.milkmedicine.comInstagram: @morganmacdermott

In this episode I had the great pleasure of interviewing Lisa Hendrickson-Jack of Fertility Friday. Lisa is a certified Fertility Awareness Educator and Holistic Reproductive Health Practitioner. She is the author of three bestselling books The Fifth Vital Sign, The Fertility Awareness Mastery Charting Workbook, and her most recent book Real Food For Fertility, which she co-authored with Lily Nichols RDN. Lisa is also the host of the fertility Friday podcast, which covers all things women's health and fertility awareness! Connect with Lisa: https://fertilityfriday.com/ FAMM Practitioner Program with Lisa: https://www.fertilityfriday.com/a/2147664843/AcmPLgEM Connect with Holly: https://www.rosebudwellness.com/ Fertility Planning Session: https://api.leadconnectorhq.com/widget/booking/rCGISOFO5MiA7y6Vakv8

Are you (or your friends or the people you work with) struggling with menstrual health challenges like irregular cycles, spotting or heavy bleeding, menstrual pain, PCOS and intense mood changes in the premenstrual phase? Would you love to understand how you could work with food and dietary shifts to create menstrual health?Our guest today is Lisa Hendrickson-Jack, the author of The Fifth Vital Sign, and teaches women's health professionals to use the menstrual cycle as a vital sign in their practices, so they can empower their clients to optimize their hormones, menstrual cycles. She is the co-author of Real Food for Fertility with Lily Nichols, which contains a wealth of information about how food can support cycle health and in today's conversation Lisa shares her top tips for healing menstrual health challenges. We explore:The dietary changes helped Lisa heal her period pain from fibroids, including a simple switch with her dairy consumption, reducing inflammatory foods and increasing green leafy vegetables.Why balancing our macronutrients (protein, fat and carbohydrates) is key to hormonal health, and how the calorie counting, breakfast-skipping culture hasn't done any of us any favours. The foods to include, eat more of, or go easy on if you're experiencing intense mood changes in the premenstrual phase (hint: a real game changer for PMS is ensuring you're having enough protein). ---Receive our free video training: Love Your Cycle, Discover the Power of Menstrual Cycle Awareness to Revolutionise Your Life - www.redschool.net/love---The Menstruality Podcast is hosted by Red School. We love hearing from you. To contact us, email info@redschool.net---Social media:Red School: @redschool - https://www.instagram.com/red.schoolSophie Jane Hardy: @sophie.jane.hardy - https://www.instagram.com/sophie.jane.hardyLisa Hendrickson Jack: @fertilityfriday - https://www.instagram.com/fertilityfriday

Today midwife Sarah interviews Lily Nichols, RDN, CDE about her new book, “Real Food for Fertility”. Lily and Sarah talk all about the importance of protein for fertility, maximizing pre-conception nutritional intake, and how to avoid some of the common misconceptions and mistakes of the preconception period.  --- Lily Nichols is a Registered Dietitian/Nutritionist, Certified Diabetes Educator, researcher, and author with a passion for evidence-based nutrition. Her work is known for being research-focused, thorough, and sensible. She is the founder of the Institute for Prenatal Nutrition®, co-founder of the Women's Health Nutrition Academy, and the author of three books: Real Food for Fertility (co-authored with Lisa Hendrickson-Jack), Real Food for Pregnancy, and Real Food for Gestational Diabetes. Lily's bestselling books have helped tens of thousands of mamas (and babies!), are used in university-level maternal nutrition and midwifery courses, and have even influenced prenatal nutrition policy internationally. She writes at https://lilynicholsrdn.com and you can find her on Instagram (@lilynicholsrdn). --- The Homebirth Midwife Podcast is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute the practice of midwifery, medicine, or other professional health care services. The use of information on this podcast or materials linked from this podcast are at the user's own risk. The content of this podcast is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. https://hearthandhomemidwifery.com 

In this episode, I discuss how to eat to improve your health and fertility with Lisa Hendrickson-Jack. Topics discussed include:  How big a role does nutrition play in fertility and infertility? Declining sperm counts Importance of a real food based diet The importance of protein on fertility How nutrition impacts ovarian function And more... Lisa Hendrickson-Jack is a certified Fertility Awareness Educator and Holistic Reproductive Health Practitioner who teaches women to chart their menstrual cycles for natural birth control, conception, and monitoring overall health. She is the author of three bestselling books The Fifth Vital Sign, the Fertility Awareness Mastery Charting Workbook, and her most recent book Real Food For Fertility, which she co-authored with Lily Nichols RDN. Lisa works tirelessly to debunk the myth that regular ovulation is only important when you want children by recognizing the menstrual cycle as a vital sign. Drawing heavily from the current scientific literature, Lisa presents an evidence-based approach to help women connect to their fifth vital sign by uncovering the connection between the menstrual cycle, fertility, and overall health. With well over 4 million downloads, her podcast, Fertility Friday, is the #1 source for information about fertility awareness and menstrual cycle health. Email: info@fertilityfriday.com Fertility Friday: fertilityfriday.com Real Food For Fertility: realfoodforfertility.com The Fifth Vital Sign: thefifthvitalsignbook.com Instagram: @FertilityFriday Facebook: Facebook.com/FertilityFridays LinkedIn: Lisa Hendrickson-Jack

The Episode was made possible by Immune Intel AHCC® & WeNatalAre you ready for a power hour? You are likely already familiar with my guests on today's episode, but if not, meet Lily and Lisa. Lily Nichols is the author of two of the most important nutritional books ever written pertaining to pregnancy: “Real Food for Pregnancy” and “Real Food for Gestational Diabetes”. Lisa Hendrickson-Jack is the author of “The Fifth Vital Sign”. Lily's work has been most relevant once you're already pregnant; Lisa's work has been beloved by those trying to conceive. Naturally, Lily and Lisa have combined forces to write the new bible for fertility: “Real Food for Fertility”. Guys, when I say I have found my new favorite reference, I mean it with over 2400 citations, “Real Food for Fertility” combined nutritional and metabolic science with fertility awareness tracking. We could have chatted for 6 hours in this interview, but we had to keep it to 60 min, so we dive deep into lifestyle modification and nutrition to improve egg and sperm quality, and you're going to be wowed!Visit the show notes for more.Connect with Lily Nichols:WebsiteInstagramXConnect with Lisa Hendrickson-Jack:WebsiteInstagramLinkedIn Reference from the show:WHO laboratory manual for the examination and processing of human semenBook “Real Food for Fertility” Read the first chapter for free or download the 2400+ reference listConnect with Nathan:Instagram | YoutubeMidwife in need of collaboration?Want to consult with Nathan?My Online Courses:Born Free Method: Pregnancy and Postpartum SupportClear + Free: Your Holistic Solution to Persistent HPVThis episode was made possible by:Immune Intel AHCC® - code BELOVED10 for 10% offWeNatal - Free bottle of fish oil with purchase of Him + Her prenatalsMedical Disclaimer: The Holistic OBGYN Podcast is an educational program. No information conveyed through this podcast should be construed as medical advice. These...

Lisa Hendrickson-Jack is a certified Fertility Awareness Educator and Holistic Reproductive Health Practitioner who trains women's health practitioners to use their menstrual cycle as a vital sign in their practices. She is the founder of the Fertility Awareness Mastery Mentorship program. She is the author of three bestselling books: Real Food For Fertility (co-authored with Lily Nichols), The Fifth Vital Sign, and the Fertility Awareness Mastery Charting Workbook.In this episode we discuss:Why the non-hormonal IUD really isn't so benign despite some women preferring this birth control method.The science behind how cervical fluid is a powerful indicator of your overall health and cervical cell healthThe mechanics of how ovulation works from estrogen levels, LH and follicle ripenessWhy the feminist movement's programming that men and women should be equal in every respect has backfired specifically as it relates to how we move through life during the different phases in our cycle and throughout the feminine cycles of our lifetime (menstruation, pregnancy, postpartum, and menopause).Why reliance on cycle tracking apps alone as a way to plan or prevent pregnancy is not sufficient and what the best marker of fertility actually is.What is common vs. what is normal in regard to ovulation and our menstrual cyclesWhy sperm counts have been on the decline since the 1940s and by how muchThe specific role men play in the fertility equation and just how much agency both men and women have in regard to ameliorating their fertility outcomes through lifestyle choicesConsiderations to ponder in regard to IVFResources Mentioned: Real Food for Fertility bookThe 5th Vital Sign bookThe Fertility Awareness Mastery Charting WorkbookFertility Friday podcastFertility Friday websiteWild Power bookSupport the Show.DONATE (Thank you!!

This week on The 1 Girl Revolution Podcast, we welcome Lily Nichols, a trailblazer in women's health and co-author of the new book, “Real Food for Fertility.” Lily is a Registered Dietitian/Nutritionist, Certified Diabetes Educator, researcher, and author of three books Real Food for Gestational Diabetes, Real Food for Pregnancy, and Real Food for Fertility (co-author with Lisa Hendrickson-Jack). Lily's work and her research have set new standards in the women's health and wellness field and her work continues to impact nutrition policies and practices worldwide. Lily is also the founder of the Institute for Prenatal Nutrition® and the co-founder of Women's Health Nutrition Academy. Lily is known for her evidence-based approach to nutrition and in this episode she shares her insights into optimizing nutrition during preconception, pregnancy, managing gestational diabetes, improving fertility, how to handle perimenopause, and so much more.  In this episode, you'll hear: Lily's inspiring life story and how she got into women's health and nutrition; About Lily's work to help women with fertility, pregnancy, gestational diabetes, and more; From Lily about her commitment to using the latest scientific research and traditional wisdom to guide her nutritional advice; Preconception and Fertility Recommendations, as well as her recommendations for other health situations women are finding themselves in; Her books: Real Food for Gestational Diabetes: A bestselling book offering a comprehensive approach to managing gestational diabetes. Real Food for Pregnancy: The most comprehensive text on prenatal nutrition, providing evidence-based recommendations to bridge the gap between conventional guidelines and optimal nutrition for mother and baby. Real Food for Fertility: Co-authored with Lisa Hendrickson-Jack of Fertility Friday, this book offers valuable insights into preconception nutrition for both partners. Lily's answers to listeners questions; And so much more! For more from Lily and her work and/or to buy her books, please visit: www.1GirlRevolution.com/LilyNichols  Listen and Subscribe: Don't miss this inspiring episode - and so many others! Listen to The 1 Girl Revolution Podcast on #ApplePodcasts, #Spotify, #YouTube, and please subscribe to stay up-to-date with our latest episodes. Join the movement to empower girls and change the world, one story at a time! For more information on 1 Girl Revolution, please visit: www.1GirlRevolution.com

Have you ever wanted to know what the non negotiable are for preconception? Maybe you've wanted to know why ovulation is so important, well in today's episode we sit down with Lisa Hendrickson-Jack, BA, FAE, HRHP author of the Fifth Vital sign and co author of Real Food for Fertility. We discuss all the details related to preconception nutrition, regular ovulation paired with healthy sperm, egg quality and the makings of it. Today's Sponsor: Period Skool: Join the Community If you enjoyed today's episode, make sure you leave a rating and review! Want to support the show even more? Grab Berri a Coffee! Mentioned in the episode: Book: Real Food for Fertility  Connect with Berri Berri's YouTube Berri's Instagram Berri's TikTok Connect with Lisa Lisa's Instagram Lisa's Podcast Lisa's Website 

Lily Nichols is a Registered Dietitian/Nutritionist, Certified Diabetes Educator, researcher, and author with a passion for evidence-based Nutrition. She is the founder of the Institute for Prenatal Nutrition®, co-founder of the Women's Health Nutrition Academy, and the author of three books: Real Food for Fertility (co-authored with Lisa Hendrickson-Jack), Real Food for Pregnancy, and Real Food for Gestational Diabetes. When she steps away from writing, you can find her spending time with her husband and two children — most likely outside or in the kitchen.Lily Nichols ResourcesInstagramWebsiteCGM Experiment Part 1CGM Experiment Part 2Real Food For Pregnancy - BookReal Food For Fertility - BookReal Food For Gestational Diabetes - BookSimplifying Life With Diabetes - Coaching Resources:Website: www.simplifyingdiabetes.comNewsletter Sign Up"More Than A1C" - My Signature Coaching ProgramThe Diabetes Nutrition Master CourseThe 5-Pillars Of Diabetes Success WorksheetSupport & Donate To The PodcastThe T1D Exchange Registry is a research study, conducted over time, for individuals with type 1 diabetes and their supporters. Participants volunteer to provide their data for Diabetes research. Once enrolled, Registry participants have the opportunity to sign up for other studies on vaSupport the Show.

How much do you know about your mentrual cycle? In this episode, Tasha Blasi talks with Lisa Hendrickson-Jack about fertility awareness and the importance of understanding the menstrual cycle as the fifth vital sign. They discuss the connection between menstrual health and overall well-being, the impact of hormonal contraceptives, and strategies for optimizing fertility. The conversation also introduces Lisa's new book, 'Real Food for Fertility,' co-authored with Lily Nichols, which focuses on dietary approaches to support fertility. This episode is an empowering resource for anyone looking to enhance their fertility and health by connecting more deeply with their menstrual cycle.   About Lisa: Lisa Hendrickson-Jack is a certified Fertility Awareness Educator and Holistic Reproductive Health Practitioner who teaches women to chart their menstrual cycles for natural birth control, conception, and monitoring overall health. In her bestselling book The Fifth Vital Sign, Lisa debunks the myth that regular ovulation is only important when you want children by recognizing the menstrual cycle as a vital sign. Drawing heavily from the current scientific literature, Lisa presents an evidence-based approach to fertility awareness and menstrual cycle optimization. She hosts the Fertility Friday Podcast, a weekly radio show devoted to helping women connect to their fifth vital sign by uncovering the connection between menstrual cycle health, fertility, and overall health.   Connect with Lisa: Facebook: Facebook.com/FertilityFridays Instagram: @FertilityFriday Twitter: @FertileFriday Pinterest: FertilityFriday The Fifth Vital Sign- http://thefifthvitalsignbook.com/   FAM Charting Workbook- http://fertilityfriday.com/workbook FAMM practitioner program- http://fertilityfriday.com/FAMMLIVE     READY FOR HELP? If you want to optimize your IVF treatments and protect your investment of your time, money and egg reserve while doing IVF, click the link below to schedule a time to see if we're a fit to work together inside of IVF Uncovered Workshop here: https://bit.ly/3xywueB   NEED FREE IVF ADVICE FOR YOU NEXT TREATMENT? Take our "IVF Issues Quiz" found on the home page of our website and get customized advice based on your history and next step in your IVF treatment plans here: https://bit.ly/3VY23I0 ________________________________________________ WANT TO HAVE TASHA BLASI AS YOUR PERSONAL IVF CONSULTANT? You might be ready if you... Know/feel there might be something missing in your IVF treatments that could help make them more successful but just don't know what they are Would benefit from a second set of eyes on anything that is being suggested to you for your treatments to know for sure that there is nothing else to consider or to discuss with your doctor before you invest in IVF treatments (or invest again.) Want expert guidance on the few things to do to put your body and mind in the most receptive state for pregnancy.  Want protection from making any wrong and very costly moves You want less pressure on YOU to get this done and correct. APPLY HERE! Tasha Blasi can only work with a small group at a time and is accepting applications now. Serious inquiries that want to hire a private IVF consult only please due to bandwidth. Book a call here: https://bit.ly/3xywueB LINKS & RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS VIDEO Naturally boost your fertility and enhance your chances of conceiving! Click here to discover the best fertility supplements that can support your reproductive health and optimize your fertility journey : https://us.fullscript.com/welcome/fuproject/store-start Check out IVF Uncovered Podcast for advice on IVF Treatment Plans and Strategies   Watch on Youtube ►https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9KOlNDLD83VLaEt98p1EOA For more of Tasha's fertility advice and adventures check out to www.TashaBlasi.com Instagram► https://www.instagram.com/tashablasi Facebook► https://www.facebook.com/thetashablasi For more information, email us at support@tashablasi.com   About the Host: Many women undergoing IVF are devastated when their costly treatments don't work, and they want to make changes but often don't know what to discuss with their doctors or what can truly optimize their fertility and IVF treatments. Meet Tasha Blasi. Tasha is an international IVF consultant and the host of the popular podcast, "IVF Uncovered." After undergoing ten rounds of IVF, she utilized her background in science and partnered with a brilliant IVF specialist to create the formula for tailored IVF protocols and practices. She believes that when IVF protocols and fertility optimization is customized to the patient, which it often is not, success rates can skyrocket. Tasha offers both group and private IVF consulting services, and her content on social media and in her podcast brings a welcomed educational, empowering, and humorous tone to this often-heartbreaking subject❤️  

We're digging into period health and how to regulate your menstrual cycle. A healthy menstrual cycle is essential for optimal fertility. Many of us are dealing with heavy cycles, light cycles, irregular cycles, anovulation, or amenorrhea. What are our periods telling us about our fertility? And how do we regulate our cycles to improve pregnancy success? Lisa Hendrickson-Jack is a certified Fertility Awareness Educator and Holistic Reproductive Health Practitioner who teaches women to chart their menstrual cycles for natural birth control, conception, and monitoring overall health. She is co-author of the new book Real Food for Fertility: Prepare your body for pregnancy with preconception nutrition and fertility awareness.   In this episode, you'll learn: 1) What your cycle is telling you about your fertility 2) Steps to address your period health 3) How to ensure you're not missing your fertile window   --- Remember, AMH is NOT a predictor of natural pregnancy. It can't tell you about the health of your eggs or predict if you can get pregnant. The AMH level does not need to define your chances. So, how do we fast-track pregnancy success? What you place on your fork every day matters. And no, you don't need to try the latest dietary fads such as: ❌ Carnivore ❌ Keto ❌ Vegan It's not about following generalized dietary guidelines. Because that only wastes precious time. The most important factor is consuming the diet that is right for YOU. I'm excited to announce that our Summer Fertility Recipe Guide is ready! Go to FertilityDietFreebie.com to grab your copy. I worked with a chef/nutritionist to prepare these summer recipes. This is a five-day challenge where you'll learn how food impacts your body while enjoying delicious and nutrient-dense recipes all designed to enhance fertility (especially if you have low AMH and/or high FSH). The guide includes a meal plan and grocery shopping list. Start this challenge with your partner.   --- RESOURCES: Fab Fertile Method https://www.fabfertile.com/what-we-do/   Connect with Lisa Hendrickson-Jack Website: https://fertilityfriday.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fertilityfriday/   Ultimate Guide to Getting Pregnant This Year If You Have Low AMH/High FSH - https://fabfertile.clickfunnels.com/optinvbzjfsii   --- Fab Prenatal includes all the essential nutrients to help support a healthy mom and growing baby throughout her pregnancy journey. Our blend was created to assist the gap you may be lacking in your diet for extra nutrient needs in pregnancy, like Folate, other B vitamins, Choline, and more. Use code “GPN15” for 15% off your order at FFLNaturals.com   --- Join my FREE Facebook group and get my training on HOW to improve pregnancy success with your own eggs. https://www.facebook.com/groups/451444518397946   --- Check out https://www.fabfertile.com/blogs/podcasts/hat-your-menstrual-cycle-is-telling-you-about-your-fertility-and-how-to-regulate-your-cycle-with-lisa-hendrickson-jack/   ---   Please note when promoting a product, we only select products that either Sarah Clark or her team has tried and believe are beneficial for someone who is TTC. We may receive a small commission.

What should we be eating to boost our fertility? Today we unpack all things food and fertility with Registered Dietitian, Nutritionist, and popular author of the book: Real Food for Pregnancy, Lily Nichols. Lily and Lisa Hendrickson-Jack, the author of the Fifth Vital Sign, teamed up to write the brand new book, Real Food for Fertility and we talk about what to eat for female and male fertility, what's wrong with the Mediterranean diet diet, some of the things that surprised her during her research, and so much more! Let's dive right in! This episode is sponsored by: Active Skin Repair and Needed >>Active Skin Repair: Click here and use code HEALTHYMOTHER to save 20%.Needed Supplements: Click here and use code HEALTHYMOTHER to save 20% off your first order.Stay Connected With Our Guest:Lily Nichols is a Registered Dietitian/Nutritionist, Certified Diabetes Educator, researcher, and author with a passion for evidence-based nutrition. Her work is known for being research-focused, thorough, and sensible. She is the founder of the Institute for Prenatal NutritionⓇ, co-founder of the Women's Health Nutrition Academy, and the author of three books: Real Food for Fertility (co-authored with Lisa Hendrickson-Jack), Real Food for Pregnancy, and Real Food for Gestational Diabetes. Lily's bestselling books have helped tens of thousands of mamas (and babies!), are used in university-level maternal nutrition and midwifery courses, and have even influenced prenatal nutrition policy internationally. https://lilynicholsrdn.comhttps://realfoodforfertility.com/ Instagram: @lilynicholsrdnStay Connected With Us:Healthy As A Mother: www.healthyasamother.comInstagram: @healthy.as.a.motherDr. Leah: www.womanhoodwellness.comInstagram: @drleahgordonDr. Morgan: www.milkmedicine.comInstagram: @morganmacdermott

Show notes: (1:09) What got Lily into the work she does today (2:29) Maternal health and its impact on the baby's long-term health (5:18) Addressing fertility challenges with nutrition (13:56) Role of supplements in preconception and pregnancy (17:29) Recommended foods for fertility and pregnancy (23:52) Managing stress and its impact on fertility (29:41) Toxin exposure and fertility (39:15) Gestational diabetes and how to prevent getting the diagnosis (45:06) Where to find Lily (46:54) Outro Who is Lily Nichols?   Lily Nichols is a Registered Dietitian/Nutritionist, Certified Diabetes Educator, researcher, and author with a passion for evidence-based nutrition. Drawing from the current scientific literature and the wisdom of traditional cultures, her work is known for being research-focused, thorough, and sensible. Lily's clinical expertise and extensive background in prenatal nutrition have made her a highly sought-after consultant and speaker in the field.   Her work in the field of gestational diabetes, which presents a revolutionary nutrient-dense, lower-carb approach, has not only helped tens of thousands of women manage their gestational diabetes (most without the need for blood sugar-lowering medication), but has also influenced nutrition policies internationally.  You can learn more about her approach in her bestselling book, Real Food for Gestational Diabetes (and online course of the same name).   Lily is also the author of Real Food for Pregnancy, which provides an evidence-based look at the gap between conventional prenatal nutrition guidelines and what's optimal for mother and baby. With over 930 citations, this is the most comprehensive text on prenatal nutrition to date. Since its publication, it remains the #1 bestselling book on prenatal nutrition.   Lily's third book, Real Food for Fertility (co-authored with Lisa Hendrickson-Jack), is a comprehensive resource on optimizing preconception nutrition — for both partners — to improve outcomes in fertility, pregnancy, and beyond.    In addition to her books, Lily is the Founder of the Institute for Prenatal Nutrition®, where she mentors other practitioners on perinatal nutrition, and is the co-founder of Women's Health Nutrition Academy, which offers individual webinars on a variety of women's health topics.    You can learn from Lily's extensive library of articles on LilyNicholsRDN.com and her research briefs on Instagram. Connect with Lily: Website: https://lilynicholsrdn.com/ IG: https://www.instagram.com/lilynicholsrdn FB: https://www.facebook.com/PilatesNutritionist Twitter: https://twitter.com/LilyNicholsRDN   Links and Resources: Peak Performance Life Peak Performance on Facebook Peak Performance on Instagram  

It's part 2 of the Transitioning off Hormonal Birth Control with Lisa Hendrickson-Jack! Catch up on the conversation between Dr. Kelsey and Lisa in E119. Dr. Kelsey and Lisa Hendrickson-Jack, author of the Fifth Vital Sign and co-author or Real Food For Fertility, finish their conversation about transitioning off of hormonal birth control with fertility and conception in mind. Lisa is a wealth of knowledge when it comes to women's cycles and cycle charting and she's the podcast host of Fertility Friday.    They cover: More information on nutrient depletions in women and how that can impact fertility. Lisa's book, Real Food for Fertility How to use fertility awareness method on your fertility journey (even before you're ready to start trying)   You can find more about Lisa over on her instagram @fertilityfriday, check out her top-rated podcast, Fertility Friday Radio, and more info over on her website fertilityfriday.com   This episode is sponsered by TempDrop - your BBT tracking device that takes all the stress off your plate. Grab a TempDrop for 12% off with the code KELSEYTD.

Why is it, that the one time you would really appreciate luscious, thick hair - when you're feeling sleep deprived, covered in milk and baby spit up, and likely haven't showered for a few days - your hair starts falling out! And more importantly, is there anything that can be done? We let today's expert fill us in.Lily Nichols is a Registered Dietitian/Nutritionist, Certified Diabetes Educator, researcher, and author with a passion for evidence-based nutrition. Her work is known for being research-focused, thorough, and sensible. She is the founder of the Institute for Prenatal Nutrition®, co-founder of the Women's Health Nutrition Academy, and the author of three books: Real Food for Fertility (co-authored with Lisa Hendrickson-Jack), Real Food for Pregnancy, and Real Food for Gestational Diabetes. Lily's bestselling books have helped tens of thousands of mamas (and babies!) and we are so lucky to pick her incredibly clever brain on all things postpartum hairloss.In this podcast we discusswhy some postpartum women lose their hair, when it starts and more importantly when it should stop!whether there is anything we can do to prevent postpartum hair lossfoods or supplements that can help lessen hair loss or help it grow backwhether breastfeeding makes hair loss worsesigns that the amount of hair loss is outside of normalwhether it is important to get blood tests postpartum and what is recommended... and so much more!You can connect with Lily and on instagram as well as her website.Today's episode was brought to you by Cell Squared. Cell Squared are a Melbourne based business on a mission to connect people with more traditional ways of eating. If you have been around here for a while, you will know that we are huge fans of liver, and particularly LOVE the Cell Squared liver powder, capsules, as well as their liver and spleen capsules as a great way to introduce this iron rich superfood to your whole family. They have also just launched an Australian sourced, grass fed and finished collagen powder and gelatin powder, as well as having an incredible range of other pantry staples.Cell Squared rarely offer discounts, but they have generously given our listeners 10% off with the code BOOBTOFOOD including already discounted 3month capsule bundles which also have free express shipping. Discount excludes already 15-20% off bundles & our double up ghee bundles. Visit www.cellsquared.com.auFollow us on instagram @boobtofood to stay up to date with all the podcast news, recipes and other content that we bring to help make meal times and family life easier.Visit www.boobtofood.com for blogs and resources, to book an appointment with one of our amazing practitioners and more.Presented by Luka McCabe and Kate HolmTo get in touch please email podcast@boobtofood.com

In this 2-part series, Dr. Kelsey chats with Lisa Hendrickson-Jack, author of the Fifth Vital Sign and co-author or Real Food For Fertility, about transitioning off of hormonal birth control with fertility and conception in mind. Lisa is a wealth of knowledge when it comes to women's cycles and cycle charting and she's the podcast host of Fertility Friday.    They cover: The impact of hormonal birth control on fertility and a women's reproductive cycle Transitioning off and the importance of setting realistic expectations The role of nutrient depeletions from hormonal birth control and where we want to focus our attention when fertility is our top priority Why we can't be afraid of Vitamin A   You can find more about Lisa over on her instagram @fertilityfriday, check out her top-rated podcast, Fertility Friday Radio, and more info over on her website fertilityfriday.com   This episode is sponsered by TempDrop - your BBT tracking device that takes all the stress off your plate. Grab a TempDrop for 12% off with the code KELSEYTD.

Lisa Hendrickson-Jack (@fertilityfriday) is a certified Fertility Awareness Educator and Holistic Reproductive Health Practitioner who trains women's health practitioners to use their menstrual cycle as a vital sign in their practices. She is the founder of the Fertility Awareness Mastery MentorshipTM program. She is the author of three bestselling books The Fifth Vital Sign, the Fertility Awareness Mastery Charting Workbook, and her most recent book Real Food For Fertility, which she co-authored with Lily Nichols RDN. Lisa works tirelessly to debunk the myth that regular ovulation is only important when you want children by recognizing the menstrual cycle as a vital sign. Drawing heavily from the current scientific literature, Lisa presents an evidence-based approach to help women connect to their fifth vital sign by uncovering the connection between the menstrual cycle, fertility, and overall health. With well over 4 million downloads, her podcast, Fertility Friday, is the #1 source for information about fertility awareness and menstrual cycle health.We dive deep into all things fertility, nutrition, cycle tracking, stress, cervical mucus and much more! Join the 7 day group cleanse in June!Buy the Zencleanz Detox Here code EVAHOOFTLisa's website Real Food For Fertility - book 

In today's episode, my colleague Haley Smith and I interview two very important practitioners in the fertility space, Lily Nichols and Lisa Hendrickson-Jack to discuss their newly released book 'Real Food for Fertility.' Our conversation delves into the importance of understanding the menstrual cycle, the impact of emotional stress on fertility, some misconceptions about intermittent fasting, caffeine intake, folic acid vs folate and much more. We also touch on the impact of hormonal contraceptives on fertility and the importance of nutrient optimization before conception. Episode Highlights: Understanding fertility: ovulation and pregnancy in any menstrual cycle The impact of emotional stress on menstrual cycles and hormonal imbalance The impact of under eating on ovulation Debunking myths and realities of intermittent fasting for fertility and weight loss How caffeine affects appetite, health habits and fertility The difference between folic acid and folate for women's health and pregnancy preparation Diving into birth control and how it it influences time to conception Expert tips for preparing your body for pregnancy Related Links: Download your FREE Guide on The Top 3 Things To Do When You're Not Getting Pregnant For full show notes and related links: https://www.naturallynora.ca/blog/103   Please Note: The contents of this podcast are for educational and informational purposes only. The information is not to be interpreted as, or mistaken for, clinical advice. Please consult a medical professional or healthcare provider for medical advice, diagnoses, or treatment.  

Start your journey to parenthood with our special series, "Fertile Insights: Navigating Your Fertility Journey with Expert Guidance," featuring fertility expert Lisa Hendrickson-Jack. This week, Lisa kicks off the series by discussing how to optimize timing pre-conception with fertility awareness, addressing what to do if you've been told you have low ovarian reserve, and offering strategies for improving sperm quality. Each episode is meticulously designed to provide deep insights and practical advice, empowering you to confidently take charge of your fertility. Tune in daily for a dose of valuable fertility tips and start paving your way to successful parenthood. Lisa Hendrickson-Jack is a certified Fertility Awareness Educator and Holistic Reproductive Health Practitioner who trains women's health practitioners to use their menstrual cycle as a vital sign in their practices. She is the founder of the Fertility Awareness Mastery MentorshipTM program. She is the author of three bestselling books The Fifth Vital Sign, the Fertility Awareness Mastery Charting Workbook, and her most recent book Real Food For Fertility, which she co-authored with Lily Nichols RDN. Lisa works tirelessly to debunk the myth that regular ovulation is only important when you want children by recognizing the menstrual cycle as a vital sign. Drawing heavily from the current scientific literature, Lisa presents an evidence-based approach to help women connect to their fifth vital sign by uncovering the connection between the menstrual cycle, fertility, and overall health. With well over 4 million downloads, her podcast, Fertility Friday, is the #1 source for information about fertility awareness and menstrual cycle health.   Gift to listeners: https://realfoodforfertility.com   Follow Lisa on:  Instagram: @FertilityFriday Facebook: Facebook.com/FertilityFridays LinkedIn: Lisa Hendrickson-Jack   Follow me on: Instagram: @holisticfertilitydoctor TikTok:  @holisticfertilitydoctor Youtube:  @Holistic Fertility Expert Facebook: Join our private Fertile AF tribe!  

Start your journey to parenthood with our special series, "Fertile Insights: Navigating Your Fertility Journey with Expert Guidance," featuring fertility expert Lisa Hendrickson-Jack. This week, Lisa kicks off the series by discussing how to optimize timing pre-conception with fertility awareness, addressing what to do if you've been told you have low ovarian reserve, and offering strategies for improving sperm quality. Each episode is meticulously designed to provide deep insights and practical advice, empowering you to confidently take charge of your fertility. Tune in daily for a dose of valuable fertility tips and start paving your way to successful parenthood. Lisa Hendrickson-Jack is a certified Fertility Awareness Educator and Holistic Reproductive Health Practitioner who trains women's health practitioners to use their menstrual cycle as a vital sign in their practices. She is the founder of the Fertility Awareness Mastery MentorshipTM program. She is the author of three bestselling books The Fifth Vital Sign, the Fertility Awareness Mastery Charting Workbook, and her most recent book Real Food For Fertility, which she co-authored with Lily Nichols RDN. Lisa works tirelessly to debunk the myth that regular ovulation is only important when you want children by recognizing the menstrual cycle as a vital sign. Drawing heavily from the current scientific literature, Lisa presents an evidence-based approach to help women connect to their fifth vital sign by uncovering the connection between the menstrual cycle, fertility, and overall health. With well over 4 million downloads, her podcast, Fertility Friday, is the #1 source for information about fertility awareness and menstrual cycle health.   Gift to listeners: https://realfoodforfertility.com   Follow Lisa on:  Instagram: @FertilityFriday Facebook: Facebook.com/FertilityFridays LinkedIn: Lisa Hendrickson-Jack   Follow me on: Instagram: @holisticfertilitydoctor TikTok:  @holisticfertilitydoctor Youtube:  @Holistic Fertility Expert Facebook: Join our private Fertile AF tribe!  

Start your journey to parenthood with our special series, "Fertile Insights: Navigating Your Fertility Journey with Expert Guidance," featuring fertility expert Lisa Hendrickson-Jack. This week, Lisa kicks off the series by discussing how to optimize timing pre-conception with fertility awareness, addressing what to do if you've been told you have low ovarian reserve, and offering strategies for improving sperm quality. Each episode is meticulously designed to provide deep insights and practical advice, empowering you to confidently take charge of your fertility. Tune in daily for a dose of valuable fertility tips and start paving your way to successful parenthood. Lisa Hendrickson-Jack is a certified Fertility Awareness Educator and Holistic Reproductive Health Practitioner who trains women's health practitioners to use their menstrual cycle as a vital sign in their practices. She is the founder of the Fertility Awareness Mastery MentorshipTM program. She is the author of three bestselling books The Fifth Vital Sign, the Fertility Awareness Mastery Charting Workbook, and her most recent book Real Food For Fertility, which she co-authored with Lily Nichols RDN. Lisa works tirelessly to debunk the myth that regular ovulation is only important when you want children by recognizing the menstrual cycle as a vital sign. Drawing heavily from the current scientific literature, Lisa presents an evidence-based approach to help women connect to their fifth vital sign by uncovering the connection between the menstrual cycle, fertility, and overall health. With well over 4 million downloads, her podcast, Fertility Friday, is the #1 source for information about fertility awareness and menstrual cycle health.   Gift to listeners: https://realfoodforfertility.com   Follow Lisa on:  Instagram: @FertilityFriday Facebook: Facebook.com/FertilityFridays LinkedIn: Lisa Hendrickson-Jack   Follow me on: Instagram: @holisticfertilitydoctor TikTok:  @holisticfertilitydoctor Youtube:  @Holistic Fertility Expert Facebook: Join our private Fertile AF tribe!  

Join us for a compelling new episode featuring the distinguished Lisa Hendrickson-Jack in "Fertile Insights: Navigating Your Fertility Journey with Expert Guidance." Lisa dives deep into essential topics such as why the menstrual cycle should be considered a vital sign, what a healthy menstrual cycle looks like, and the impact of hormonal birth control on fertility. She also explores the benefits of non-hormonal birth control methods, the concept of fertility awareness, and the effectiveness of tracking cervical mucus versus ovulation strips. Additionally, Lisa discusses male fertility, the development of sperm quality guidelines, and common factors affecting sperm and egg quality. She addresses concerns about ovarian reserve, the use of fertility awareness for women with irregular cycles, and the distinctions between PCOS and HA. Finally, Lisa highlights how nutritional approaches can help restore normal menstrual cycles and improve fertility. This episode is packed with expert insights designed to empower you to enhance your reproductive health and navigate your path to parenthood with confidence. Don't miss out on this vital conversation. Tune in and be inspired! Lisa Hendrickson-Jack is a certified Fertility Awareness Educator and Holistic Reproductive Health Practitioner who trains women's health practitioners to use their menstrual cycle as a vital sign in their practices. She is the founder of the Fertility Awareness Mastery MentorshipTM program. She is the author of three bestselling books The Fifth Vital Sign, the Fertility Awareness Mastery Charting Workbook, and her most recent book Real Food For Fertility, which she co-authored with Lily Nichols RDN. Lisa works tirelessly to debunk the myth that regular ovulation is only important when you want children by recognizing the menstrual cycle as a vital sign. Drawing heavily from the current scientific literature, Lisa presents an evidence-based approach to help women connect to their fifth vital sign by uncovering the connection between the menstrual cycle, fertility, and overall health. With well over 4 million downloads, her podcast, Fertility Friday, is the #1 source for information about fertility awareness and menstrual cycle health.   Gift to listeners: https://realfoodforfertility.com   Follow Lisa on:  Instagram: @FertilityFriday Facebook: Facebook.com/FertilityFridays LinkedIn: Lisa Hendrickson-Jack   Follow me on: Instagram: @holisticfertilitydoctor TikTok:  @holisticfertilitydoctor Youtube:  @Holistic Fertility Expert Facebook: Join our private Fertile AF tribe!  

On this week's episode of The 1 Girl Revolution Podcast, we welcome back to the show Lisa Hendrickson-Jack, founder of Fertility Friday, certified Fertility Awareness Educator and Holistic Reproductive Health Practitioner, and co-author of the new book “Real Food for Fertility.”  Lisa appeared on episode #73 of The 1 Girl Revolution Podcast to share her life story, how she got into women's health and fertility, and how she founded Fertility Friday and more! Go back and listen to her last appearance to hear more inspiration and insight from this incredible woman!  Lisa is back on The 1 Girl Revolution Podcast to discuss her new book, “Real Food for Fertility”, to share even more insight about women's bodies and their health, and to update us on all of the incredible work she's doing to empower women through fertility awareness and monitoring their cycles.  Lisa empowers women and their health practitioners by using women's menstrual cycle as the fifth vital sign.  Lisa is also the author of the bestselling books “The Fifth Vital Sign” and “Fertility Awareness Mastery Charting Workbook”, she is the founder of the Fertility Awareness Mastery MentorshipTM program, and she is the founder of Fertility Friday. Lisa is also the host of the podcast Fertility Friday, which is the #1 source for information about fertility awareness and menstrual cycle health. Lisa works tirelessly to debunk the myth that regular ovulation is only important when you want children by recognizing the menstrual cycle as a vital sign. Drawing heavily from the current scientific literature, Lisa presents an evidence-based approach to help women connect to their fifth vital sign by uncovering the connection between the menstrual cycle, fertility, and overall health — something our education systems have consistently failed to do.  In this episode, you'll hear:  Lisa's inspiring story; How Lisa became interested in charting and women's health and their cycles; All about Lisa's inspiring work to empower women through learning about their cycles and treating menstruation as the fifth vital sign; How Lisa and Lily first connected and how they decided to join forces and write “Real Food for Fertility” together; Incredible wisdom and insight about women's health, their bodies, food and fertility, and so much more! Listen and Subscribe: Don't miss this inspiring episode - and so many others! Listen to The 1 Girl Revolution Podcast on #ApplePodcasts, #Spotify, #YouTube, and subscribe to stay up-to-date with our latest episodes. Join the movement to empower girls and change the world, one story at a time! For more information on Lisa, her work, Food for Fertility, and more, please visit: www.1GirlRevolution.com/lisahjack  For more information on 1 Girl Revolution, to listen to all of our podcast episodes, watch our Emmy-nominated documentaries, and more, please visit: www.1GirlRevolution.com

This interview episode with Lisa Hendrickson Jack is PACKED with information you're going to LOVE! Get ready to listen to this & save it & come back to it! We get into detail on Cervical Mucus- how to best track it, why we need to track it & what irregular CM patterns can mean. We talk about confirming BBT & what guidelines to follow in order to confirm ovulation as well as how to support irregular BBT patterns. And we talk about Sperm quality! The optimal numbers to look for on a semen analysis, what negatively impacts sperm, what positively supports it & how sperm quality is low globally. Get ready for this one!Join the Mind Your Hormones Method, HERE! (Use code PODCAST for 10% off!!)FREE TRAINING! How to build a hormone-healthy, blood-sugar-balancing meal! (this is pulled directly from the 1st module of the Mind Your Hormones Method!) Access this free training, HERE!NEEDED | What to look for in a Prenatal vitaminDiscount Codes: Shop Here! Use Code CORINNE for 20% off your first order or 20% off your first 3 months of one month subscribe & save!CORINNE100- $100 off 1st 3 months of the complete plan.CORINNESAMPLE- $10 off sample packs.Join the Mind Your Hormones Community to connect more with me & other members of this community!Come hang out with me on Instagram: @corinneangealicaOr on TikTok: @corinneangelicaFree Facebook group: Mind Your Hormones Podcast CommunityEmail Fam: Click here to get weekly emails from meMind Your Hormones Instagram: @mindyourhormones.podcast 

In this episode of Matcha Mornings, host Amanda Kingsmith catches up with Lisa Hendrickson-Jack, a certified fertility awareness educator and author, to discuss optimizing fertility through diet, lifestyle, and understanding menstrual cycles. After a brief hiatus, Amanda reintroduces the podcast and discusses the importance of holistic health in conception. Lisa shares insights from her new book co-authored with Lily Nichols, 'Real Food for Fertility', emphasizing the impact of nutrition on menstrual cycle health, sperm and egg quality, and overall fertility. They delve into fertility awareness methods as a natural alternative to hormonal birth control, providing a comprehensive overview of preconception nutrition for both men and women to enhance fertility. The conversation highlights the importance of a balanced diet, the role of specific nutrients, lifestyle modifications for improving hormonal health and fertility, and much more! Enjoy! 

Lisa Hendrickson-Jack is a certified Fertility Awareness Educator and Holistic Reproductive Health Practitioner who teaches women to chart their menstrual cycles for natural birth control, conception, and monitoring overall health. She is the author of three bestselling books The Fifth Vital Sign, the Fertility Awareness Mastery Charting Workbook, and her most recent book Real Food For Fertility, which she co-authored with Lily Nichols RDN. Lisa works tirelessly to debunk the myth that regular ovulation is only important when you want children by recognizing the menstrual cycle as a vital sign. Drawing heavily from the current scientific literature, Lisa presents an evidence-based approach to help women connect to their fifth vital sign by uncovering the connection between the menstrual cycle, fertility, and overall health. With well over 4 million downloads, her podcast, Fertility Friday, is the #1 source for information about fertility awareness and menstrual cycle health.   Fertility Friday: fertilityfriday.com Real Food For Fertility: realfoodforfertility.com The Fifth Vital Sign: thefifthvitalsignbook.com Instagram: @FertilityFriday Facebook: Facebook.com/FertilityFridays LinkedIn: Lisa Hendrickson-Jack     For more information about Michelle, visit www.michelleoravitz.com   The Wholesome FertilityFacebook group is where you can find free resources and support: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2149554308396504/   Instagram: @thewholesomelotusfertility   Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thewholesomelotus/         Transcript:   Michelle (00:00) So welcome to the podcast, Lisa.   Lisa Jack (00:03) Thanks so much for having me back.   Michelle (00:05) Yes. So having you back again, we had a little mishap, issue with the recording for some reason, but we are on a new recording software. So hopefully this is going to be great and I'm excited to pick your brain again.   Lisa Jack (00:21) Well, I'm happy to be here. I mean we can never anticipate the tax nafus. It's part of online business, I suppose.   Michelle (00:28) Oh, totally. 100%. So we had so many good things too. That's what's really frustrating. We had such a great conversation about so many things. But for people who are first hearing about this, I know that a lot of people think that there's certain textbooks like menstrual cycles, or they have like sort of an idea in their mind of what a perfect menstrual cycle looks like. And since this is...   your absolute specialty and you understand it from like A to Z, can you describe what a healthy menstrual cycle should look like?   Lisa Jack (01:06) Yeah, I mean, that's a great place to start. And just to put it out there when I'm working with clients and practitioners, I always say there's no such thing as a perfect menstrual cycle because you're a human, not a robot. And so when we look at what a healthy menstrual cycle looks like, we should be looking at a range. And basically, what I can lay out is the different parameters that we're looking at. Often when I talk about the menstrual cycle, people's minds will go straight to the period.   Michelle (01:17) Right?   Lisa Jack (01:34) and they'll kind of think, okay, well, what is a healthy period? But then they don't necessarily think about all the other parameters. So when we're looking at what makes a healthy menstrual cycle, we can look at the overall cycle length, which ideally would be somewhere between about 24 and 35 days. We can look at the pre -ovulatory phase in particular. So we can look at the period. So the period is its own category. We want to have a menstrual period that overall is somewhere between three to seven days with an average of about five days.   And I always say the period should be like a sentence. It should have a beginning, a middle, and an end, and then it should be over. So if it's like trailing on for days and days of bleeding, if you're getting bleeding throughout your whole cycle, as opposed to just when you have your period, these are things we should be looking at. And although it's really common to have several days of spotting before you start your actual bleed, it's not optimal. So it's helpful to understand that piece of it. And then in terms of pain,   Michelle (02:08) I love that, that's so good.   Lisa Jack (02:32) It's also extremely common for women to experience menstrual pain. And so there's always this question of like, is it normal or not? And there is debate. So there are definitely people who are more on the like, it's normal kind of, you know, because so many people have it. So it has to be normal. But, you know, outside of your period, pain is thought of as a problem. And so if you thought of any man in your life, anyone, your father, brother, cousin, whoever, friend, boyfriend, if he had pain in his period, in his penis for.   Michelle (03:01) in this period you imagine.   Lisa Jack (03:02) Right? But if he had pain in his penis for two to three days every month, such that he needed to take medication and possibly couldn't go to work if the medication didn't kick in, no one would think that that's okay. So that's also just a bit of an aside where when we look at what's happening during a menstrual bleed, it is a natural inflammatory process by which you shed that lining. And so in order for your uterus to shed that lining, there does have to be some inflammation. And we do have...   prostaglandins that we produce that help to induce those smooth muscle contractions to make this all happen. So what's interesting is that when we look at what the research says, women who have pain, they have a higher level of these prostaglandins. So they have a higher outside of normal inflammatory response. So at very least, pain with menstruation that's moderate to severe is a sign of increased inflammation, something we should be aware of. And at worst, it could be a sign of a more serious condition like endometriosis.   So as an aside, although common, we want to consider moderate to severe pain to be not optimal. And we want to be looking a little bit deeper into that. And for many women, they often need that nudge to do so, especially if they've had pain very consistently from their first period, for example. So outside of the period then, when we move into the actual, like the rest of the pre -ovulatory phase, we want to look at when ovulation is happening.   So in order to have a cycle that falls within that 24 to 35 day range, we do need ovulation to happen typically somewhere between days 10 and days 22 or days 23. So approximately. So we want to be looking at when ovulation is taking place. And as you approach ovulation, you're supposed to be making some healthy cervical fluid. And typically we would expect to see that for about two to seven days leading up to ovulation. So we want to look at the quality of that, how many days you're seeing. Like if you're not seeing any at all, that can be a sign of.   low hormones or an issue with your cervix. If you see it all the time, that can be a sign of something as simple as a yeast infection or something more serious potentially. So it's helpful to even know that that's a thing. And then after ovulation, that period of time, the post -ovulatory phase or luteal phase, as we call it, should be about 12 to 14 days. And so if it's, you know, seven days, that's a problem that could impede your chances of conception. It's a sign of extremely low progesterone. If you have...   moderate to severe PMS symptoms, if you have spotting, as I had mentioned previously before your period. So like interesting, right? Because you asked a pretty simple question, what does a healthy cycle look like? So I think what's good about this, just to kind of pull it back then, is that we're not looking for any one factor to be perfect. Within each of those factors I listed, there's a bit of a range. And so you could potentially have one of those aspects that's a little bit off, but overall, the rest of it is pretty strong.   And so that can help you to understand that you don't need to have a perfect cycle for it to be healthy. We just need to have it for the most part fall into those parameters.   Michelle (05:58) For sure. And I also look at like, you know, as a practitioner, I look at like what's normal for you, because some people have always had a short cycle, but they're normal. Or, you know, it's usually when things become out of whack for you, or it's kind of like not like you're, they almost have like personalities, menstrual cycles, right?   Lisa Jack (06:17) Yes. Well, and I agree with you to a point because I used to be one of those people that was like, my cycles are long and that's normal because my cycles are always long. Right. So when I first started training, so I think there's a balance between understanding what the normal parameters are to make sure you're within them and then understanding what your normal is. And absolutely, when you're used to experiencing ovulation, you know, in a certain range and all of a sudden it's like 20 days later, yes, we need to be looking at that. But.   Michelle (06:27) Mm -hmm.   Right.   Lisa Jack (06:46) because of my own experience and what I've seen with many clients, there's a lot of things that we can experience a lot, like period pain is a good example, or even that pre -evaluatory spotting where we can just tell ourselves, well, I always experience that, that's totally normal, but it might not be. Yes. Yeah.   Michelle (06:58) I'm not talking about abnormal though. I'm talking about within like 26, like say you have a 26 day cycle and that just tends to be your thing. As long as it's not abnormal or within like sort of a more like red alarm position.   Lisa Jack (07:11) Yes. Yes. No, I tend to be I tend to be like, because I because this is what I do, right? Like I'm like lazery. So I'm like, well, the 20 days, 26 day cycle is within the normal range. But you could have a 29 day cycle or a 28 day cycle. That is actually problematic. Like you could let me give you an example. You could have a 28 day cycle where you're ovulating on day 20 with an eight day luteal. Right. So so this is why it's helpful to look at the whole picture.   Michelle (07:29) Right.   Bye.   100%. I think that what you do is very important. And, you know, looking at like the temperature, looking at the cervical mucus, looking at, well, possibly position, but like really understanding it in a way that has a different lens. Because for me, at least, I know that I really appreciate when patients come in and they do their BBT charting. Why? Because I look at the yin and the yang. And if it's too low, that tells me a lot. Usually when,   Lisa Jack (07:55) Yeah.   Michelle (08:09) The luteal phase, which is more of the yang part of the cycle, yang mean more heating. Yin is more cooling and moist. So that's kind of like more of the estrogen aspect of it. And it's pretty wild when you can actually see that. What we learned in textbooks actually being reflected in the menstrual cycle. But when we see that as practitioners and we can really look at it, I really appreciate being able to see that chart because it helps us.   see much more and a lot of other practitioners in the same boat, like they see what I'm talking about. It just helps you to understand it at a different And unfortunately, some people are very resistant to doing it because they say when I do my BBT, and I want to actually address it because I want to see what your thoughts on this. Sometimes people say that if they start to look and like kind of chart their cycle,   that it throws their cycle off and that they get really stressed out. Yeah. So then I'm like, okay, well, you know, what's the balance, you know, of trying it? And I say, just try it out. It's not forever. Like just see what it shows you. And then maybe it'll regulate as you're doing it. And I think that there's this resistance to it. Like they're almost overly focused on it and it stresses them out.   Lisa Jack (09:10) Interesting.   Mm -hmm.   Michelle (09:32) So I wanted to get your thoughts on that.   Lisa Jack (09:35) Yeah, well, I think the couple of things came to mind. So the first thing that came to mind when you said that, like, when I do it, it throws my cycle off. I think that that was interesting. That's interesting because that could be something a bit different. That could be that you thought your cycles were so, you know, perfect. And because people do like people think like my cycles are totally regular. Right. When you're not charting, you're like, yeah, it's always like 20 days. Like, yeah, because this is like how we think. But then as soon as you look at it, it's not it's not no one cycle is 20 days for a year.   I will put money on that. It's just not, if you're actually tracking.   Michelle (10:06) No, no, they still used like an app to track the numbers. So they knew what their numbers were, but they didn't do like the BBT and like a little bit more in depth.   Lisa Jack (10:15) Yep. Well, I guess what I'm, so I guess the thought that I had around that was that when you actually start to look, you see not necessarily that things are wrong, but you just see more of the nuance that you weren't looking for before. And so you may not have been aware of certain nuances that were happening because if you're not tracking it, you wouldn't be aware of those nuances. That was the first thing that came to mind. The second question I think is interesting.   For a couple of reasons. So now that I work with practitioners when you have your own modality as a practitioner, you know Then the people that are coming to you are coming to you for that particular modality and This whole charting thing is very niche. It's very specialized and not everybody wants to do it and that's totally okay I think that that's something that's important to remember So when you're as a practitioner seeing the value of charting and if there's a lot of value there   And it's really helpful. I mean, for me, that's all I do. So it's hard for me to imagine how I would support someone without seeing it, because it really is an integral part of everything that I do. But when you get all jazzed about something, it doesn't mean that everyone else is jazzed about it too. So when it comes to then encouraging your clients to chart, coming from all different walks of life and varying levels of interest in this topic, I think that it's important to kind of put that all into perspective. So.   Michelle (11:25) Mm -hmm.   Lisa Jack (11:40) You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make them drink. I think you can think about your messaging. One of the things that I learned, just because I've been in the field so long, I went through my initial, everybody needs to do this face, you know, 20 years ago, and, you know, trying to ram it down. And I'm not saying that's what anyone's doing. I'm just saying, like, when you first learn about this stuff, it's like you want to, like, literally, like, all your girlfriends, you have to, right? Like, you get into this energy, and some of your girlfriends are like, you need to leave me alone.   Michelle (12:03) Hahaha.   Lisa Jack (12:06) right? Because like, I've got this, like, I'm good with the birth control pill, and you need to stop. And that's okay. So the way that I have approached that in my life is that, I mean, now I have my own podcast, right? Like, I talk to people who want to hear about it. And in my personal life, I don't necessarily talk about it. And I have not, I typically don't have the experience where a person is not necessarily at all coming to me for charting, because usually people are coming to me for charting.   Michelle (12:21) Yeah.   Lisa Jack (12:34) but I have had varying levels of interest within that. So I've had a lot of clients who are coming to me for conception and they really do want to know what's going on in their cycle. But sometimes the charting does cause a lot of stress, especially depending on what a person is going through. So I've had clients who are super motivated, like dotting all the, you know, eyes, crossing all the T's, writing every little notation and notes and like really, really detailed. And I've also had clients who resist that a bit and they...   They don't necessarily get into the notations a whole lot. And so a lot of what I do in those situations is we have a conversation and talk through it. It's the same stuff. They're just not writing it down. And I try to help them achieve their goals, meeting them where they're at. Like I can think of several clients who weren't necessarily super into those notations, but through our conversations, like they were still checking. They were still observing their cervical fluid. They were still able to time sex accordingly.   And they got a lot out of it. And I really tailored what I was presenting to them to what they needed. And I was always having those check -in conversations. And this is something I talk about with my practitioners, like the whole coaching aspect of it, where you can have your goals. You want to have this person chart, but they can have their own goals. And so sometimes it's like, well, what would success look like for you? You know, I see that you're not really that into the charting or I see that the charting is causing a lot of stress. We don't want more stress. We definitely don't want that. What would make you happy?   Like what would success look like after, you know, our several weeks of working together? And maybe she says, I just wanted to understand how to pick up when like which days I'm fertile. Like I don't want to like write it all down or anything. I just want to be more confident in identifying that. And so, you know, my comment on that is there are lots of ways that we can improve our clients' education and confidence without necessarily going all the way down the charting rabbit hole. So we have to be flexible as practitioners with where our clients are at with these things.   Michelle (14:30) No, I'm with you and I actually tell them There's a lot of other ways to figure out if you're ovulating. However, I always really enjoy being able to look at the charts because it on a different level.   Lisa Jack (14:44) as a practitioner, when you have that knowledge, you can still, like it still comes through and they're still getting so much from you.   And I think sometimes it's interesting hearing the charting instructor saying, you know what, if this is stressing you out, then just stop. I've had that conversation with a number of clients over the years where it's like, if this is too much for you, then just stop. Just stop charting for a month or two and see how you feel. And the interesting thing is you stop writing it down. But after you've learned all the stuff about how to identify the fertile, it's not like you're going to stop going pee. So you're going to see your mucus.   and you're still going to have that knowledge and information. You're just finding a way to dance with that information that does not cause more stress.   Michelle (15:28) Absolutely. So as far as birth control pills,   I know this is another topic you talk about a lot and also just like how that impacts the body. So I'd love for you to talk about like how it impacts the body. And then if somebody's been taking it for a really long and wants to get pregnant after stopping, what are some of the things they should be thinking about?   Lisa Jack (15:52) Mm -hmm. Love that question because not a lot of We're just not told how the birth control pill works. I was actually listening to someone Kind of a prominent person talk about the birth control pill Yesterday and it was really great because a lot of what she said was on point but she did say, you know, well, you know the pill tricks your body into thinking that you're pregnant and and so these are some of the myths that we still have Today about how the birth control pill works in the body. I   So it's interesting because if we were to compare the state of a woman on birth control, so the state of her natural hormones, the most compatible or comparable state would actually be to a woman in menopause. That makes terrible PR and marketing, so they're not gonna tell you that. And so essentially, the pill, the main mode of action for the most common pill, which is the combined oral contraceptives, so it has a combination of synthetic progestin and synthetic estrogens,   is to suppress ovulation. So that's the main mode of action. And that's really helpful when you're trying to avoid pregnancy, because if you're not ovulating, you can't get pregnant. So in order for it to suppress ovulation, then, it interferes with the conversation that is typically happening between your hypothalamus, pituitary gland, and ovaries. And as a result, the ovaries then become kind of dormant. And so that's why we can think of the menopause as a similar comparison, not pregnancy. Because in pregnancy, we're actually making ridiculous amounts of   progesterone. So compared to the progesterone you make in your menstrual cycle, by the time you're 40 weeks pregnant, you're making 11 times the amount of progesterone. So it's not the same when you're on the pill. It's not a comparable state. And so when women are on the pill, if we were to measure their natural estrogen and progesterone, they would be very low and flat, very consistent. So the first main mode of action is to suppress ovulation.   And then there are other modes of action that work in conjunction. One is to maintain a very thin, flat endometrial lining. And so they measure it with ultrasound and, you in my books, I kind of share some of those numbers because it's quite, quite thin. So even if something were to happen, then there's less of a chance of conception because the endometrium is so thin. And then it also prevents the production of fertile quality cervical fluid. So the sperm then theoretically, like they can't go anywhere because the, the cervix is blocked with this mucus plug all the time.   And those are the modes of action that work together. So when a woman is then on contraceptives for a long time, and, excuse me, interestingly in the research, they define long -term as two years or more. And when you think about most of the women in your life or yourself, many women have used birth control for two years, five years, eight years, 10 years, 15 years, 20 years. So this whole concept of long -term is pretty.   mainstream if they're defining it as two years. So there's a couple different ways that the pill affects the body then. One is that it does have an effect on the menstrual cycle. So when women are coming off the pill, research has shown that it takes anywhere from nine to 12 cycles for all cycles, not months, for all of those menstrual cycle parameters to normalize post -pill. So that includes everything we just talked about, like the overall cycle length, the cervical mucous production,   you know, the luteal phase length. And so it's really common to come off the pill and to have a short luteal phase for it to take several months before the cycle either returns or normalizes. So some women do get their, they start ovulating and having their periods pretty, pretty quick. Others might take a couple of months and then on the, you know, a smaller percentage might take quite a while, but generally speaking, a lot of women get their cycles back within the first few months. But then those first few cycles, often ovulation is delayed. And so some of those cycles,   are quite a bit longer. And then it's also quite common to have a short luteal phase for those first few cycles and to have abnormal cervical amicus patterns. So that's one way that the pill affects the body. Another thing to be aware of is it's well known that when women are on contraceptives, so if you were currently on contraceptives and you did an ovarian reserve test, for example, it suppresses ovarian function. I just said it makes the ovaries dormant. So then it's logical that those...   ovarian reserve parameters are going to be suppressed. And that's what we find in the research. So I think one of the scary stats when women engage with my books is that stat on how when women are on the pill, ovarian volume shrinks by 50%. So it's saying that the pill shrinks your ovaries while you're on them. That sounds awful, right? And then the AMH is low and antral follicle count is low. And what the research tells us...   is that when a woman comes off the pill, it takes about a minimum of six to seven months before those parameters start to normalize again. And interestingly then, why are we not told to come off the pill? Six to a minimum of six months or so before we start trying, we're not, but that's something important to know as well. So I don't see these things to scare you because obviously some women do come off the pill and get pregnant right off the bat. So it's not even to say that you can't.   Michelle (20:46) Right.   Lisa Jack (21:01) but we want to acknowledge that there's a temporary period of subfertility post -pill. And so the other way, so I talked about kind of these three ways that the pill affects the body. So I mentioned the menstrual cycle effects on the menstrual cycle. I mentioned the effects on the ovaries and then there's the effect on fertility itself. And so those are the time to pregnancy studies where they look at how long it takes a person to conceive.   And so there was this interesting study that compared women who were using condoms, so non -hormonal methods, to a variety of hormonal methods, including the birth control pill, the shot, the hormonal IUD, and a few others. And in that study, the women who came off the pill, it took them an average of eight months to conceive. The ones who were using the pill, quote, long term, so two years or more, compared to the women who were using condoms, who took an average of four months to conceive. And the shot...   users were the worst offenders and they took an average of about 18 months to conceive after coming off of the shot. And the IUD was about eight months as well, eight to 10 months. So that is interesting information because we're not told that. So it doesn't mean that we need to be afraid that the pill is going to impair our fertility forever, but it does mean that we need to be aware that there's a temporary period of subfertility. So then the recommendation out of that,   Michelle (21:52) Mm -hmm. Wow.   Right.   Lisa Jack (22:19) that Lily and I make in real food for fertility is that you should consider coming off of birth control a minimum, I would say a minimum of six to 12 months before you start trying to conceive. And I would add in a caveat that if you did go on the pill because you had menstrual cycle problems, like because you actually knew that there was something wrong, you had long irregular cycles, you never knew when your next period was coming, you had extreme pain with menstruation.   you had extreme mood swings or like, right, like there was some sort of kind of medical reason why you were put on birth control, then you'd want to extend that period. And I would go as far to say 18 months to two years because not because we think you won't be able to get pregnant, but because if there's an underlying issue, the pill doesn't solve it. It masks it. So when you come off of it, you still have to figure out what's going on there if you wanted to conceive naturally. So if you come off well before you're ready, so you're still.   Michelle (23:06) Mm -hmm.   Lisa Jack (23:16) Actively avoiding like you have to figure out your birth control and I would recommend a non hormonal birth control option So you still have to be on top of your birth control game? But during that time if your cycle is kind of wonky if things are going awry You actually have time to fix it. You have time to make your appointments You have time to normalize your hormones without the added pressure of also trying to conceive at the exact same time   Michelle (23:40) Yeah. I mean, it's crazy to me because I have, I can't tell you how many people I've had come in and say, oh, my doctor said the second you get off your birth control pill, even if they've been on it for like 15 to sometimes 20 years, the second you get off, you can get pregnant. You don't have to do anything. And you're telling me the science, you know, it's crazy because they say that they're very based in science and the evidence, but.   Nobody seems to be looking at that   Lisa Jack (24:09) Well, and there's a couple things I can mention about the science that I think are really interesting. So, I mean, one of the ways, one of the reasons that I am digging into the weeds about this is because often when I'm working with women in real time, I'm seeing this stuff. I'm seeing the menstrual cycle regularities and it's consistent. I've worked with hundreds of women at this point who've come off of birth control in my various programs and you see it. You see these abnormal mucous patterns. You see that it takes time for the cycle to normalize.   Michelle (24:26) Yeah.   Lisa Jack (24:38) And so then when you see that stuff, you want to know why. And so that's part of my motivation to look at the research to kind of get that explanation. Because sometimes you see things in clinical practice before you understand why you're seeing them. And then when you actually dig into the research, you're like, OK, this is why. Because the pills, you know, suppressing ovarian function and it takes seven months minimum for that ovarian function to normalize. You know, I had this woman reach out to me. She's like a listener of the podcast.   Michelle (24:49) Right.   Lisa Jack (25:06) And she kind of independently had this experience. She came off the pill, she was in her late thirties, and then she got her AMH and her ovarian reserve parameters tested right off the bat because her and her husband wanted to conceive. And they came back so low that they told her, and this is a whole other topic if you want to go into it, because we can, but they told her, okay, your AMH is so low, you won't be able to conceive and all that kind of stuff. And so then she was devastated. It was like a whole thing. She was like, what's going on? And she was trying to do her research. And again, she was listening to the podcast.   And then she ended up independently requesting her ovarian reserve parameters tested several times during the first year after the pill. So I don't have the data in front of me because she actually sent it to me and I invited her on the podcast and we talked about it was a really interesting episode. But so she tested it independently, like whatever it was, four months, six months, like in 12 months, whatever, right? So you get my point. And interestingly, by the 12 month mark, you know, the AMH was...   like rebounded quite well to the doctor's astoundment, if that's a word. And I, it aligns with the research study that I cited in that book. Now in that study, they only went to the six to seven month mark. You know, in her case, she just independently chose to demand these tests and saw the results for herself. And so again, this is, it's really interesting information. So what I wanted to say about the research and what's interesting about it is that,   It's harder to find studies that actually break down the data like month to month, or even just not just at the year mark. Most of the studies, if you look, because I did, and a lot of the newer studies that are coming out, they just tell you at the year mark. And so when you have a study that's saying X percentage of women conceived at the year mark, the pill is a reversible contraceptive method, it's all good. Goodbye, get out of my office. Then that's...   If that's all you're looking at, you're not asking these questions, but it's when you look at the studies that actually break this stuff down, like how things are at the beginning, after two months, three months, five months, six months, eight months, 12 months, that you actually see that, yeah, sure, if we just skip to 12 months, it looks great and it sounds great in a study, it's very succinct. But the emotional damage, my kids always, they have all their slang, emotional damage. So if anyone has like 10 year olds, they're gonna be laughing with me. And everyone who doesn't is like, what is she talking about?   But like the emotional issues that like the very real challenges for a woman in her, you know, let's say late 20s, early 30s, mid 30s, whatever, who has been avoiding pregnancy like the plague her whole life, who's told that she can get pregnant on every day of her cycle, terrified all the time is so scared to come off the pill that she probably delayed it as long as humanly possible because she thought she was going to get pregnant immediately. The amount of stress it causes her.   two months later to still not be pregnant, three months later to still not be pregnant. That is the reason that I look at this research and talk about it in this way. And that is one of the reasons why maybe the medical professionals are not talking about it this way because most of the research just looks at the year mark and says X percent of women conceived, end of story, you're good to go, come off the pill, you'll get pregnant, it's fine.   Michelle (28:19) really is crazy if you think about it. And because people are really not getting the full picture and they're not getting enough information to really go on. And another thing is also just the nutrient deficiencies, which I know that you guys address in the book. So I want to talk about that as well and why that's so important. What are some of the things that you guys see and like how to address it?   Lisa Jack (28:43) Mm -hmm. I mean, I think that's such a good question as well because I had thought of it when you were talking before You know just come off the pill and you'll get pregnant, right? That's what your practitioner says and Interestingly, I mean, yes, the goal is to get pregnant but like for me I have three children by this point So it's not just to get pregnant because you could get pregnant and miscarry you can get pregnant have an awful pregnancy It could be a very difficult time where you're feeling really ill and sick and therefore you you're not even able to eat the best   Michelle (29:02) Right.   Lisa Jack (29:11) You know, have these plans to eat all this good food during pregnancy. And then for many of us, including myself, I had a lot of nausea. I didn't have a lot of vomiting, but I had a lot of nausea in the like, especially my last pregnancy in the first several months. And so you don't always have the opportunity to eat all the good food you were planning to eat. So when it comes to what the goals are, I would say on my client's behalf that, yes, the goal is to conceive, but it is to have a healthy child. It is to be a healthy parent.   It is hard to parent even if you are nourished. If you are, like most women, deficient in iron going into pregnancy, studies show as few as 20 % of women go into pregnancy with sufficient iron stores. I mean, it's even harder to parent when you're nutrient deficient at the end of this process and you're low in iron and every other nutrient known to human beings and your thyroid is acting up and whatever. So...   I would go further and say, okay, it's not just about getting pregnant. It's about having a healthy child. And if we have the opportunity to optimize, it's not just going to help the child, it's going to help us as well. So some of the nutrients that are depleted by hormonal contraceptives, it's like the exact ones we need to make healthy babies. It depletes our B vitamins, particularly folate, and B12, and B6 is particularly bad.   It depletes our coenzyme Q10, which anybody who's in the fertility space knows is essential for optimal egg and sperm quality and overall health. And it does this by disrupting nutrient metabolism. When I was talking about the B6 depletion in the fifth vital sign, I gave the analogy of like a hole in a bucket. Because in order to get enough B6, for example,   to offset the deficiency, it's like you had to take 38 times the recommended RDA, right? So it's showing you that it's changing the way you're metabolizing these nutrients. So just by coming off of it, your body would then start metabolizing those things normally. And so maybe like the hole stops, like you stop up the hole in the bucket, but you would still want a period of time of focused nutrition so that you can actually build back.   up those stores and there's other nutrients including zinc and magnesium, selenium, phosphorus, it increases your requirements for vitamin A and vitamin C. Like it's interesting and this is well known and you know even I had an interesting pharmacist on my podcast years ago and like pharmacists are super interesting because like they study all the drug interactions and I mean he wrote a whole book on how   you know, the pill depletes all these nutrients and he's kind of arguing like, why aren't we telling them to take a vitamin or something like we know that this is happening and the vitamin doesn't make everything better either. It just like puts a little like it's like damage control until we get off of it. So so then the recommendation out of that is not only do we want to take the time.   Michelle (32:02) Right. Yeah.   Right.   Lisa Jack (32:17) for our menstrual cycles to normalize, right? And our ovaries to just get, and again, it's not to say that you can't get pregnant. Like if your body is ready, then plenty of women come off the pill and get pregnant, but we're saying, let's take it a step further and optimize this. So during that, let's say minimum period of six to 12 months, we are also encouraging you to really focus on incorporating the foods that contain those nutrients that are depleted on the pill, the same ones we need to optimize our chances of conception so that when we're ready to conceive, ideally,   Our bodies are ready, ideally we're able to conceive quicker, more easily, and our pregnancies, the pregnancy outcome, the health of our babies and our own health is better. I mean, why not?   Michelle (33:00) Totally. And then also the gut health, like the gut microbiome gets impacted, which can impact also how we're absorbing those it's important to also get that back so that you're able to like reabsorb nutrients.   Lisa Jack (33:16) Yeah, I mean, I think that it's just, this is the information that we need. It's a piece of it. And it's crazy to think that it's just not a standard practice. So I've spoken to so many women who they had it in their mind, you know, I've been on the pill for 10 years and my husband and I are planning to start trying to conceive in the fall, you know? And so she calls her doctor, makes her appointment, takes a shower, gets in her car, drives across town.   to ask this doctor if she should come off the pill, you know, even a few months before. And the doctor says, no, you're good. But I always say like your intuition got you to like get out of bed, like do all this stuff. Like something's up. Listen to it. You know what I mean? It's just we just live in an upside down, ridiculous place where, you know, after we hear this stuff, it feels like common sense. But before, you know, you're questioning yourself. And that's how the medical system is. It's very paternalistic. Not to like.   Michelle (33:56) Yeah, yep, totally.   Lisa Jack (34:13) totally rag on it. But we can't always depend on these so -called professionals for all of these answers because at the end of the day, doctors are busy and they don't necessarily have time to read all of this research. So they don't know everything.   Michelle (34:27) 100%. I think that that is the key phrase is nobody knows everything. That's why you need a team. And it's important to ask a lot of people. And also you are part of that team. Your own internal intelligence is a thing. Yes. And you got to listen to your gut. Like your intuition is a real thing. So, um,   Lisa Jack (34:39) You're the head of the team.   Michelle (34:48) And I think there have been studies on that too. So yeah, people have like intuitive intuition and they can feel their body from within because if you think about survival, you even look at animals, they'll know what to eat. They just are guided by what is good for their body. That is a real instinct that we have and I think very, very important that you touched upon that. as one of the questions,   Lisa Jack (34:51) Hahaha!   Michelle (35:16) about or is it true that we are born with all the eggs we'll ever have?   Lisa Jack (35:21) Yeah, for sure. I mean, I think it's so interesting because we live in just such an interesting time. So there are these like talks about stem cell research and, you know, people are starting to say like, it's a myth and all this kind of stuff. But when we're looking at natural conception, like birds and the bee stuff, we are for all intents and purposes born with all the eggs that we'll ever have. So it's really interesting numbers. When we're in utero, you know, we have several million eggs in there.   And by the time we're born, we have an estimated number of 500 ,000 to a million eggs, which is wild if you think about it. And to go a step further too, so I mentioned like my, I have three children and so I have a, my youngest is 19 months old as we're recording this and it's a she. So I had a girl after 10 years of being a boy mom, which is fun. But fun fact, you know, when I was pregnant with her, you know, she then had all her eggs in there.   And so theoretically, I was carrying the egg that could turn into a grandchild in the future. So all that fun information, fun facts. And so as we then go through the process of aging, as we go through our reproductive years, and we then at the time of menopause, when we have our last period, they say we have about 1 ,000 eggs left.   So from that perspective then, we can't really control the natural kind of, because there is this natural over time, they call it follicular atresia. They say we ovulate, the research says if you're ovulating normally throughout your reproductive life, you're going to release anywhere from 400 to 500 eggs. So assuming you're not on the pill for 20 years, you're not necessarily releasing all those eggs. During ovulation, that's how much you're releasing, which is interesting.   But it's not to say that you have a million eggs and then you're releasing one at a time. And so it's like going down like that. What happens is every time you go through a menstrual cycle, you have a cohort of follicles that develop and they prepare for ovulation. And then one is chosen to ovulate, but the majority of them, they just, you know, again, they call it follicular atresia. Like the majority of them just kind of like go away.   And interestingly, the question comes like, well, if I'm on the pill and I'm not ovulating, does that mean that I get all these extra eggs? And it's like, have you ever known anyone who was on the pill for 20 years to then go through menopause at 70? No, you haven't. That's not a thing. So even though you're not ovulating, cycle to cycle in the same way, that process of follicular atresia is still taking place. So I think that what's scary about that is that we have this finite number and there's an end date.   Michelle (37:52) laughs   Lisa Jack (38:10) Whereas men don't have a firm end date. They do go through aging. So their sperm quality changes over time. Like, listen, they make no mistake. But they still continue to produce sperm all their lives. Whereas we have this end date. So then when we're looking at supporting egg quality, when we're looking at optimizing our chances of fertility, then what we're looking at is to support egg quality. You know, we're looking to understand the different ways that we can test for   are over in reserve and understand those interactions, but we really want to focus on that quality. Because even though there's this cool research that talks about the stem cells, and I don't know if your listeners have heard this, maybe you've heard it, Michelle, but it's like people are talking about this now, like, oh, it's a myth. But that all requires artificial reproductive technology. Like there's no scenario where whatever they're talking about happens naturally. So if we're looking at natural conception, then that's really where our focus has to be, which is on supporting egg.   quality and one fun fact I want to share about egg quality that I think is kind of mind -blowing. Okay, so Michelle, do you remember high school, you know, high, junior high or high school bio class like biology class where they used to tell us about the cells or whatever and like in my textbook they would have a picture of the cell and it had all the like organelles and stuff and there would be like a couple like maybe one or two mitochondria in the picture, right?   Michelle (39:34) Yes.   Lisa Jack (39:35) So how many, I don't know if we've had this conversation specifically, so how many mitochondria do you think are in an egg cell?   Michelle (39:43) I know there are hundreds of thousands.   Lisa Jack (39:45) Yeah, so when I asked this question to someone who's not heard this before, you know, it's kind of like, I don't know, right? Because in the picture, yeah. Yeah. So you were in the know. But like, when you think about it, so the range of mitochondria in your average cell could be from like a few, a handful to a few hundred, like liver cells, heart cells have a few thousand mitochondria, which is even mind blowing in and of itself. Because like in the picture, in the textbook, there was like one.   Michelle (39:49) I heard it on your podcast years ago. Yeah.   I know. It's like one lonely mitochondria just floating in the cytoplasm.   Lisa Jack (40:13) Right? There was not a thousand. You're just like, how does what do you mean there's a thousand? What does the cell look like? Exactly. But in the human egg cell. So the human egg cell is the largest cell of all the cells in the body. It is a cell that is visible to the naked eye. It is the size of a period in a piece on a piece of paper. So you can actually see it with the naked eye. And there are anywhere from 100 ,000 to 600 ,000 mitochondria in one egg cell.   Oh my gosh. And mitochondria are what determine there are energy producers. And then if you think about it logically, it's like, well, yeah, we're building a whole human. So yes, that makes sense. Right. But until you break it down, you don't think about it. So then how do we support egg quality? Well, we do everything we can to support our mitochondrial health. So to really support those mitochondrial cells, we also do what we can do to reduce what they term.   Michelle (40:43) Yup.   Right?   Lisa Jack (41:07) oxidative stress, which is damaged to oxygen. So I was thinking the example of like, if you peel a banana and it turns brown, but if you dip the banana in, you know, lemon juice or vitamin C water, then it doesn't turn brown. So it's that those two things are play a big role in supporting mitochondrial and overall egg quality.   Michelle (41:28) Yes, yeah, 100%. I also talk about plugging the energy leaks in your life because man, even emotions can drain your energy. So they're just like everything, all the aspects, all the things. And I want to talk really quickly because I know we're kind of running out of time about sperm health because we had a really good conversation on the recording that didn't work out. And I want to talk about that, about the parameters of sperm health today.   what they used to be and how they've changed and what we're seeing just overall, like now versus before.   Lisa Jack (42:02) Yeah, I mean, I always get excited to talk about all of these topics, really, like the egg quality piece is super interesting and then the sperm quality. But particularly with sperm, when it comes to fertility, we're still somehow in this place where we think of fertility as a woman's health issue and we don't really think about the contribution of the male. And so the statistics tell us that 20 to 30 percent of all cases of infertility are solely related to male factor.   and 50 % of the time male factor plays a role. So that means half of the time when you're dealing with a fertility issue, his contribution is playing a role, it's a factor. So the odds are pretty good then that if you're dealing with infertility or struggling to conceive that there's something going on with his sperm. And then there's a few other studies that I found really interesting just collectively where...   when they look at different populations. So if they're doing a study, they might have a group of people who's trying to conceive and some of them conceive within the first six months or the first year and then others conceive within year one or year two. And statistically speaking, if you're taking more than a year or two to conceive, his sperm is not optimal. So on average, when they separate it out,   the sperm quality of the groups of men who are part of that cohort that it took a year or two years to conceive or more, the overall average is a lot lower. Statistically, hello, this is something we should be aware of. Getting back to what you were alluding to, when we look at older studies, the average man in the 40s had a sperm concentration of something like 113 million sperm per milliliter, which sounds like a lot.   The average man today has an average of about 50, 50 million sperm per milliliter. So there's a lot of different studies. It's widely known. It's been talked about quite a bit. It's a topic that comes up every now and then because there is this trend, this downward trend when we look at sperm counts where it's declining and it's declined anywhere up to 70%.   you know, within the last few generations. And it's a concern because what happens in 40 years, like if we continue on this downward spiral, what literally will happen? Because how much further down can we go? Right? So this highlights that it's not just an issue with your partner. It's not just these people. This is an overall trend that's affecting men on a large scale. And arguably, it's affecting us too. We just don't have the ability to test eggs like they do sperm. Like we can't just provide an egg sample.   So it's a little bit more difficult for us to kind of provide that type of information. But arguably there's something going on. And I mean, naturally the question is, well, why is this happening? And I think there's a variety of factors. So I think overall diet quality has declined. There's a huge influx in the consumption of ultra processed foods. So an ultra processed or processed food is something where you look at it and you literally can't even tell what it came from. So if you look at white, that too.   Michelle (45:01) Mm -hmm.   You can't even pronounce it.   Lisa Jack (45:10) But if you look at like white sugar or white flour, like you don't know if it came from a beet. You don't know what it came from, right? And then when you take those materials that have already been processed, lots of the nutrients, a huge portion of the nutrients that were in whatever the original food was are lost in that processing. And then you make foods with it. I mean, their solution is to fortify it back with some nutrients. But what you have is a far inferior product that is far less.   nutrient dense. And so that's a part of it. When you're consuming ultra processed foods, you're also often consuming a higher portion of carbohydrates as opposed to getting a good healthy balance of protein and fat. I mean, the 80s and 90s were all about not eating the fat, right? The fat phobia, cholesterol is bad, all the things. And what do you need for optimal fertility? Well, you need sufficient protein as the backbone that we require to make enough hormones. We need sufficient cholesterol specifically.   Michelle (45:56) All right. Yeah.   Lisa Jack (46:09) because cholesterol is a precursor for our steroid hormones. And when we consume this off balance, really high carbohydrate diet, we end up with metabolic issues and what's on the rise, right? Obesity, metabolic issues, diabetes. There's all these issues that contribute to poor sperm parameters and poor egg quality, poor fertility and reproductive outcomes. So there's a lot of different factors. And then we did even talk about the toxins, you know, every year thousands and thousands of new chemicals are created.   Michelle (46:09) Yeah.   Lisa Jack (46:38) A lot of them are similar in structure to estrogen. And in order for men to make sperm, they need testosterone. So anything that's pouring estrogen into all of their skin and all of the scented things and all the stuff we put on our body and all the chemicals and in the environment, all that stuff, none of that helps the sperm. So there's a lot of different factors we can look at that are contributing. So, I mean, this is a big topic. And one thing I just wanna make sure to mention is that...   The most common thing that I've experienced as a practitioner is that when I'm working with a client who's been trying to conceive or working on the charting and everything, I'm asking, has your partner been tested? And if he has, then it's like, yeah, but he's fine. I always say that. My favorite way, right? He's fine. We were told he was fine. He's good. But no one ever went through his analysis with you. So in the book, we actually put a table in there. We have some drawings of what sperm looks like and all this stuff. We're equipping you with all this information.   because what happens is the guidelines that they use are based off of this 2010 World Health Organization document. And in that document, they're telling you that normal parameters are a sperm concentration of 15 .15 million sperm per milliliter. I just finished telling you that the average amount of the 40s had like 10 times that amount of sperm. And so they're telling you that if his sperm is 15 .15 million,   sperm per milliliter or higher that he's fine. The motility 40%. So motility means the sperm that are moving. So does that mean 60 % aren't moving? And then the morphology being 4 % or higher. So again, morphology means if you look at it, if you think of sperm, it looks like a little circle oval head and tail. So when it doesn't have normal morphology,   Michelle (48:05) Mm -hmm.   Lisa Jack (48:29) It means that the head could be squashed. There could be no head. There could be two heads. There could be no tail, like all that kind of stuff. And so they're saying four out of every hundred look like a normal sperm and 96 don't. And you're good to go. So what those what's important to realize about those numbers is that those normal numbers do not represent what would be optimal for conception naturally. Those numbers represent a point that below which.   Michelle (48:44) Yeah. Yeah.   Lisa Jack (48:57) there's a problem and we need to look at it. So it's a very different way of looking at it. So what we talk about in the book, there's a different study that looked at, at what point do the numbers start to have a negative impact on fertility to try to define an optimal level. And those research defined optimal as sperm concentration of 48 million sperm per milliliter or higher.   they defined a normal motility of 63 % and a normal morphology of 12%. So that's a lot higher than the World Health Organization. So what I'm saying is for couples who have been struggling to conceive, you know, if your partner hasn't been tested yet, you know, we're saying get them tested as soon as you can. Because even if you want to, if you identify an issue, it takes anywhere from a minimum of three to four months.   Michelle (49:36) Mm -hmm.   Lisa Jack (49:55) to start to see an improvement because when your partner ejaculates today, count back three months. So we're recording this in like end of February, so let's say March. So count back three months, February, January, December. So whatever he was doing in December, that determines his printout today. So whatever he does today, we're not gonna see the printout until April, May, June, right? So just to put it out there. And that's only the beginning of it, because it's not like everything's just amazing in three months. Like it can take several months for all of those changes to kick in. So.   Michelle (50:11) Right.   Lisa Jack (50:25) You know, what we're talking about then is that there's a range, a sub -fertile range that is not being looked at. Men are just being told that they're either good to go or they're not, and they're not being told that, you know, you might have, you know, beat the WHO criteria, but that doesn't make you optimal, and you still have a whole ways to go. And as long as you're not in that optimal range, it's going to mean, statistically, that it's going to take you longer to conceive.   Michelle (50:55) Oh my God, it's crazy because this information, especially if you're really actively trying to conceive, you could be wasting a lot of time not really getting the right information. Lisa, as always, you're a wealth of information, super, super smart. I really admire your brain. I'm very excited. Well, it's good to read.   Lisa Jack (51:15) I read a lot.   Michelle (51:22) And I'm very excited. I actually haven't seen your book yet. I read the first chapter. I did opt in for that. So I'm very excited because it is so rich with the information. I feel like it's really going to benefit the community in such an empowering way. So I think it's amazing that you guys did this. Really, it's such a contribution. Because a lot of people don't really know all those details. And I know that you really went into deep.   studies and presenting people with information that is not something that they're going to get presented with by mainstream. Let's just say mainstream. I feel mainstream is just not as, you're not going to get the quality from mainstream. You almost have to dig deeper to get the quality of the true real information that's going to help. So I know we're running out of time and I know that you have to go. So I just want to thank you so much for coming on. Before we,   I want you to share with the listeners how they can find the book, how they could find you, work with you, all the stuff.   Lisa Jack (52:29) Well, thank you again. Thank you so much. This is a great conversation. You had great questions. So the newest book is Real Food for Fertility and it's available on Amazon. It's currently available in our paperback and ebook formats. And Lily and I are planning to record the audiobook later this year. So we're really excited about that. So for all of the podcast listeners, it's like, when's the audiobook coming out? Like soon, soon. We're doing it as soon as we can.   Michelle (52:50) The audio people.   Lisa Jack (52:53) Yes, but we wanted to do it ourselves. I always think it's fun when the authors are able to do it themselves. So we're really looking forward to that. You can also go over to realfoodforfertility .com. You mentioned the, you know, you opted in for the first chapter. So for anyone who wants to dive into the first chapter, you can grab that over there and also find more information about Lily and myself.   And you can find me if you like podcasts, if this topic interests you, you can type Fertility Friday into your favorite podcast player and you'll find my podcast. I'm in my 10th year of podcasting. We've released over 500 episodes, which is totally wild. And so lots of lots of fun and info to be had over there. And you can find me on Instagram at Fertility Friday. That's my favorite place on the socials to hang out. And I'll just make one more note for any practitioners who are listening.   You know, this whole topic of charting, we talked about it a little bit, incorporating charting into what you're doing and using it as a vital sign for your clients. I created this resource, How to Interpret Virtually Any Chart Your Client Throws at You, that I made specifically for practitioners, and you can get that over at fertilityfriday .com slash chart.   Michelle (54:01) Fabulous. Lisa, it's always a pleasure talking to you. I really admire your   thank you so much for coming on today.   Lisa Jack (54:09) Thank you so much for having me.  

What non-hormonal options are available to prevent pregnancy OR increase fertility/support getting pregnant? What are some of the most common issues or health risks from using hormonal birth control? What is missing in the common fertility nutrition advice out there today, and why can it be problematic? What do both ancestral practices and modern research suggest to be optimal for female and male fertility when it comes to macronutrients, micronutrients, meal timing/spacing, and so on? And what are some of the specific recommendations for nutrient-dense foods to emphasize as well as ingredients to avoid to support fertility? Are there any specific diets that are more supportive than others? About our guest: Lisa Hendrickson-Jack is a certified Fertility Awareness Educator and Holistic Reproductive Health Practitioner who teaches women to chart their menstrual cycles for natural birth control, conception, and monitoring overall health. She is the author of three bestselling books: Real Food For Fertility (co-authored with Lily Nichols), The Fifth Vital Sign, and the Fertility Awareness Mastery Charting Workbook. Lisa works tirelessly to debunk the myth that regular ovulation is only important when you want children by recognizing the menstrual cycle as a vital sign. Drawing heavily from the current scientific literature, Lisa presents an evidence-based approach to help women connect to their fifth vital sign by uncovering the connection between the menstrual cycle, fertility, and overall health — something our education systems have consistently failed to do. With well over 4 million downloads, her podcast, Fertility Friday, is the #1 source for information about fertility awareness and menstrual cycle health. When she's not researching, writing, and mentoring women's health professionals, you'll find her spending time with her husband, her two sons, and her baby girl. To learn more, visit https://fertilityfriday.com Join us April 24th-29th, 2024 for The Shameless Sex Retreat: Unleash Your Shameless Self - in Tulum! Spaces are limited to reserve your spot ASAP here. And save $500 on your dream vacation in your own king suite with code KINGSUITE500 now until March 24th, 2024. To apply for our scholarship spot click here: https://forms.gle/x8FrMAZFg1xWhByQ8 Come see us for a FREE LIVE sex ed workshop in Los Angeles Saturday, March 23rd 6-8pm at Hustler's Hollywood Blvd store. Learn all about sex toys and how to up your pleasure game. Sign up ASAP here because the first 20 people get free sexy gifts! Do you love us? Do you REALLY love us? Then order our book now! Go to shamelesssex.com to snag your copy Support Shameless Sex by sending us gifts via our Amazon Wish List Other links: Get 50% off our favorite delicious, healthy pre-made meals with code chipndip50 at http://factormeals.com/chipndip50 Get 10% your first Bathmate pump when you go to https://www.bathmatedirect.com/ShamelesSex Get 10% off + free shipping with code SHAMELESS10 on Uberlube AKA our favorite lubricant at http://uberlube.com Get 10% off while mastering the art of pleasure at  http://OMGyes.com/shameless Get 20% off Shameless Sex Fav's with code SHAMELESSLOVE24 or 15% off all other sex toys with code SHAMELESSSEX at http://purepleasureshop.com

In this episode, Boonie is in conversation with Lisa Hendrickson-Jack, a certified fertility awareness educator and holistic reproductive health practitioner. The discussion covers topics like PCOS, endometriosis, and the impact of diet on fertility, emphasizing the importance of understanding one's menstrual cycle for reproductive health advocacy. Personal anecdotes and expert insights shed light on issues such as fibroids, iron deficiency risks, and the necessity of proper medical screenings. Boonie shares her own experiences with women's health struggles, advocating for awareness and empowerment in seeking medical attention.  Lisa helps us explore the interconnected nature of beauty, wellness, and health, advocating for informed decisions, regular monitoring, and safer product choices. The discussion touches on hormonal birth control's effects on fertility, the role of men in the fertility journey, and the importance of comprehensive fertility discussions encompassing both male and female health aspects. Follow Lisa Hendrickson-Jack here: Instagram: @FertilityFriday Website: https://fertilityfriday.com/ A transcript of the full episode is available here. Support for today's episode comes from Dame Products, a brand whose mission is to help close the pleasure gap for people with vulvas. Receive 10% off your purchase by using the code BOONIE10, Shop here: https://bit.ly/DAMEBoonie Join Boonie over on Patreon for exclusive content and events here: Patreon.com/TheBoonieBreakdown  The hashtag for the podcast is #TheBoonieBreakdown. Share with others using the hashtag #PodIn. Shop The Boonie Breakdown Store: www.thebooniebreakdown.com/shop  The hashtag for the podcast is #TheBoonieBreakdown. Share with others using the hashtag #PodIn. Follow The Boonie Breakdown on Social Media: IG: @TheBoonieBreakdown Twitter: @BoonieBreakdown  Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheBoonieBreakdown Have something to say? You can ask your questions, send comments via email to thebooniebreakdown@gmail.com or submit them here: www.thebooniebreakdown.com/contact/.   Chapters 0:00:00 Introduction and Sponsor Message 0:00:47 Lisa Hendrickson Jack's Return 0:02:03 Pick of the Week: Longer Days Ahead 0:02:39 Housekeeping and Season 13 Update 0:03:58 Bonus Episode Announcement on Patreon 0:06:24 Lisa Hendrickson Jack on Fertility Awareness 0:12:30 Advocating for Your Health and Understanding Cycles 0:21:17 Impact of Fibroids on Fertility 0:24:39 Vitamin D and Fibroid Connection 0:26:59 Real Food for Fertility Approach 0:28:42 Black Women and Product Safety 0:39:21 The Impact of Hormonal Birth Control 0:44:43 Preparing for Pregnancy: Coming Off Birth Control 0:51:36 Men's Role in Fertility 0:53:15 Fertility Burden and Responsibility 0:54:58 Real Food for Fertility: Comprehensive Insights

Episode 27: Understanding Your Fertility with Lisa Hendrickson-Jack @fertilityfriday Knowledge is power, especially when it comes to your body, your period, and your fertility. This week, Rachael and Lisa Hendrickson-Jack, fertility educator and author of a new book,  Real Food For Fertility, chat all about fertility awareness, birth control, using your cycle as your fifth “vital sign”, and how to know if your period is “normal.”  In this empowering episode, you'll find out what a normal, healthy menstrual cycle looks like, if hormonal contraceptives impact fertility, and what is the pill actually doing in the body. They also discuss fertility awareness, how it can help improve a woman's chances of conceiving for the first time or after already giving birth, plus lots more valuable information! Lisa Hendrickson-Jack is a certified Fertility Awareness Educator and Holistic Reproductive Health Practitioner who teaches women to chart their menstrual cycles for natural birth control, conception, and monitoring overall health. She is the author of three bestselling books The Fifth Vital Sign, the Fertility Awareness Mastery Charting Workbook, and her most recent book Real Food For Fertility, which she co-authored with Lily Nichols RDN. Lisa works tirelessly to debunk the myth that regular ovulation is only important when you want children by recognizing the menstrual cycle as a vital sign. Drawing heavily from the current scientific literature, Lisa presents an evidence-based approach to help women connect to their fifth vital sign by uncovering the connection between the menstrual cycle, fertility, and overall health. With well over 4 million downloads, her podcast, Fertility Friday, is the #1 source for information about fertility awareness and menstrual cycle health. Mentioned in this episode: Lisa's website, Fertility Friday: fertilityfriday.com NEW BOOK! Real Food For Fertility: realfoodforfertility.com Lisa's book, The Fifth Vital Sign: thefifthvitalsignbook.com Lisa's Instagram: @FertilityFriday Fertility Friday Podcast Rachael is a mom of 3, founder of Hey, Sleepy Baby, and the host of this podcast. Instagram (Show page) Tiktok (Rachael's tiktok account) Show Website (transcripts are available here!)

Lisa Hendrickson-Jack is a certified Fertility Awareness Educator and Holistic Reproductive Health Practitioner who teaches women to chart their menstrual cycles for natural birth control,conception, and monitoring overall health. Lily Nichols is a Registered Dietitian/Nutritionist, Certified Diabetes Educator, researcher, and author with a passion for evidence-based nutrition. In their new phenomenal book Real Food for Fertility, Lisa and Lily unravel the complexities of preconception nutrition and fertility optimization. I was an early reviewer of this book and can't recommend it enough.In this episode, Lisa, Lily, and I talk about the importance of pre-conception nutrition, the effects of hormonal birth control on fertility, strategies for optimizing fertility through diet, the significance of tracking ovulation, the role of diet in improving egg and sperm quality, challenges of nutrition research, the nuances of sperm health parameters, considerations for plant-based diets concerning fertility, and so much more. Enjoy the episode!To learn more, visit https://nicolejardim.com/podcasts/real-food-for-fertility-lisa-hendrickson-jack-lily-nichols/.Podcast Production Support: Amazing Gains | https://listenerstoclients.com

#442: Lisa Hendrickson-Jack co-wrote the NEW book Real Food for Fertility with Lily Nichols, RDN. She's a certified Fertility Awareness Educator, Holistic Reproductive Health Practitioner, author of The Fifth Vital Sign, and host of the Fertility Friday Podcast. Lisa helps women uncover the connection between menstrual cycle health, fertility, and overall health. Real Food for Fertility: https://amzn.to/3SGsEqa Website: fertilityfriday.com Facebook: Facebook.com/FertilityFridays  Instagram: @FertilityFriday Twitter: @FertileFriday   Find Liz on Instagram: @realfoodliz Real Food Liz Eat The Yolks Baby Making and Beyond Athletic Mom Thanks for listening!

Exciting news to share! My newest book drops today! I co-authored Real Food For Fertility  with Lily Nichols, and she joins me today for a special tell-all episode! We share the behind the scenes of how this book came about. You definitely won't want to miss it. Follow this link to view the full show notes page! This episode is sponsored by FAMM, the Fertility Awareness Mastery Mentorship program!  Use this link to apply now! We start on February 27th!    Have you grabbed your copy of the Fertility Awareness Mastery Charting Workbook?  It is the first fully customizable paper charting workbook of its kind, available in both Fahrenheit and Celsius editions. Click here to grab your copy today!   Today's episode is also sponsored by Lisa's books!    The Fifth Vital Sign. Grab your copy here.    Real Food for Fertility. Grab your copy here.   

Are those late-night snacks whispering secrets about your swimmers? In this episode, the fellas dive deep into the world of baby-making, but not in the way you might think. They sit down with Lisa Hendrickson-Jack and Lily Nichols, the brilliant minds behind "Real Food for Fertility," a book on how preconception nutrition and lifestyle choices support your health and vitality and lay the essential groundwork for your baby's development. The gang chew over everything from the mysteries of menstrual cycles to the nitty-gritty of nutrition for your swimmers. Ever wondered if that pea protein shake is messing with your mojo or why the quality of sperm is becoming a hot topic? We're talking the good, the bad, and the fertile, breaking down myths and munching on facts about what really goes into making a baby. Whether you're actively on the baby train or just curious about how your diet affects your fertility, this chat is packed with insights that'll have you looking at your dinner plate and lifestyle choices a little differently. Key Takeaways: - Understanding menstrual cycles and fertility awareness can help individuals and couples make informed decisions about contraception and conception. - Optimizing nutrition, particularly protein intake and quality fats, can improve fertility outcomes for both men and women. - Pea protein has been studied for its potential contraceptive effects, but more research is needed to understand its impact on fertility. - Sperm quality is a crucial factor in fertility, and guidelines for what is considered 'normal' may not reflect optimal fertility. - Reevaluating sperm quality guidelines and addressing male fertility issues are important steps in improving overall fertility outcomes. Detailed sperm analysis is important to assess sperm count, motility, and morphology. - Improving diet quality and taking targeted supplements can enhance sperm morphology and motility. - Certain nutrients, such as vitamin A, selenium, zinc, and folate, play a vital role in sperm quality. - Pregnancy cravings can be influenced by nutrient deficiencies or emotional factors, and finding healthier alternatives is encouraged. - Factors like diet quality, exposure to chemicals, sedentary lifestyles, and metabolic conditions may contribute to the decline in sperm count. Relevant Links: - Lisas Podcast: Fertility Friday Radio: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/fertility-friday-radio-fertility-awareness-for-pregnancy/id953371091 - Real Food For Fertility Book: https://realfoodforfertility.com/ - Lilly Nichols Website: www.lillynicholsrdn.com - Lisa Hendrickson-Jack's Website: www.fertilityfriday.com - For more of Lisa on tracking mensuration listen to Turn Me On Episode 200: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/turn-me-on/id1200938612?i=1000530319630 Join the post-episode conversation over on Discord! https://discord.gg/expeUDN

Tune in this week as Laura sits down Lisa Hendrickson-Jack, certified Fertility Awareness Educator and Holistic Reproductive Health Practitioner who teaches women to chart their menstrual cycles for natural birth control, conception, and monitoring overall health. Lisa is back on the podcast to share more of her wisdom around the importance of recognizing the menstrual cycle as a vital sign, why regular ovulation is NOT only important when you want children, and considerations for preconception, fertility, and so much more. Check out her newest book Real Food For Fertility, which she co-authored with Lily Nichols RDN. More from Lisa: www.instagram.com/fertilityfriday Website: fertilityfriday.com/ Chart interpreting free resource: fertilityfriday.com/chart Join us on Patreon! Thank you to our Sponsors! Paleovalley - Head to paleovalley.com/modernmamas for 15% off Needed - Use code MODERNMAMAS for 20% off your first month Wellnesse - Check out Wellnesse HERE for 15% off your order Foria Intimacy Products - Get 20% off your first order of CBD based intimacy products by visiting foriawellness.com/MODERNMAMAS OR use code MODERNMAMAS at checkout. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/the-modern-mamas-podcast/support

In today's episode, I welcome back Lily Nichols and Lisa Hendrickson-Jack. This time, they're here to talk about their new book, Real Food for Fertility, and to dive into the new research around nutrition and fertility. As an important topic for this community, I am so excited for you all to learn about how to prepare your body for pregnancy with preconception nutrition and fertility awareness from two women who are experts in the field.Lily Nichols is an RDN Certified Diabetes Educator, researcher and author with a passion for evidence-based nutrition. Lisa Hendrickson-Jack is a certified fertility awareness educator and holistic reproductive health practitioner who teaches women to chart their menstrual cycles for natural birth control, conception, and monitoring overall health. Today you'll learn how to best prepare your body for conception, what effect birth control has on fertility, when to transition to other contraceptive options if you're thinking of getting pregnant, what foods are most important to increase your nutrient reserve, recommendations about meal timing if you're hoping to conceive, and so much more! We also cover:(00:02:38) Preparing Your Body for Conception(00:06:01) The Impact of Hormonal Birth Control on Fertility(00:18:49) Explaining the AMH Hormone & Its Role in Conceiving(00:24:32) Important Nutrients Needed for Conception(00:41:07) How Meal Timing & Intermittent Fasting Impact Fertility(00:52:27) Remember These Fertility Enhancing Foods Resources:Click here for full show notesRead: Real Food For Fertility by Lily Nichols and Lisa Hendrickson-JackInstagram: @lilynicholsrdnWebsite: lilynicholsrdn.comRead: Real Food for Pregnancy by Lily Nichols Read: Real Food for Gestational Diabetes by Lily Nichols Managing Your Diet During Pregnancy with Lily Nichols, RDN #43Website: fertilityfriday.comRead: The Fifth Vital SignListen: Fertility Friday PodcastInstagram:

We have an incredibly special episode for you today with the one and only Lily Nichols! She is a registered dietitian nutritionist and the author of two books (soon to be three!)-- Real Food for Pregnancy and Real Food for Gestational Diabetes. Lily is truly a pregnancy nutrition expert providing women with access to the most current evidence-based information regarding food. Lily specializes in helping women with gestational diabetes feel empowered with options to help their blood sugar stay diet-controlled. This important work is helping women with gestational diabetes have healthier pregnancies and more birthing options when so much of the conversation around it becomes limiting and fear-based. Whether you have gestational diabetes in your pregnancy, are pregnant, preparing to be pregnant, or just want more nutrition education, this episode is for you!!Additional LinksLily's WebsiteReal Food for Gestational DiabetesReal Food for PregnancyHow to VBAC: The Ultimate Prep Course for ParentsFull Transcript under Episode Details Timestamp Topics09:28 What is gestational diabetes? 11:15 Are there preexisting signs and ways to prevent it?13:59 What can we do? 17:00 How much protein you should get in pregnancy19:11 Best sources of protein22:04 Getting enough protein on a meatless diet26:17 Fats & Gestational Diabetes31:14 Do we have to have a baby at 38 weeks with gestational diabetes?32:28 The problem with the standard gestational diabetes guidelines40:20 PCOS and gestational diabetesMeagan: Hello, hello everybody. This is The VBAC Link and we have a very special episode for you today. This is a topic that if I were to show you in the inbox, you would be like, “Whoa. I didn't realize so many people have this question.” The question is– I mean, there are lots of questions– but the topic is gestational diabetes. So if you have any questions about gestational diabetes, this is your episode for sure. And then actually, right before we started recording, I learned there are even other things that make us at high risk or are a known risk for gestational diabetes. Even if you haven't ever had gestational diabetes, you're going to want to listen because there are things that we can do preventatively before pregnancy or during pregnancy to avoid it. But you guys, we have the one and only Lily Nichols on today with us talking about this extraordinarily common topic. Lily Nichols is a registered dietitian nutritionist and certified in diabetes education. She is a researcher and an author with a passion for evidence-based prenatal nutrition. Drawing from the current scientific literature with the wisdom of traditional cultures,  her work is known for being research-focused, thorough, and sensible. Her best-selling book is Real Food for Gestational Diabetes. I absolutely love that the start of this is “Real Food”. Real food is something that I don't feel like we focus on enough in our every day– not even during pregnancy– lives. We live busy lives, so it's hard to focus on real food. But Real Food for Gestational Diabetes and you guys, she has an online course with the same name so Real Food for Gestational Diabetes Online Course. She is absolutely amazing and has even written two books and now what I learned today is going on the third, so Real Food for Pregnancy and Lily, what is the title of your new book?Lily: The forthcoming book is Real Food for Fertility. Meagan: For fertility. Oh my gosh, you guys. She is evidence-based. It's amazing and you know here how much we respect evidence-based information and getting this to you guys so you can know the true facts and go on and make decisions that are best for you. So Lily, thank you so much for being here with us today and talking about this topic because like I said, it is one of the most common questions we get in our inbox. Lily: Yeah, absolutely. I've spent a lot of work working on gestational diabetes so I'm happy to speak about it with you today. Meagan: Yes. Can you tell us a little bit more about your course? I'm going to start there because you have an online course. I think this is a great thing for anyone who has either had gestational diabetes or has it to really learn more about it. Lily: Yeah, absolutely. The course is really designed for women with gestational diabetes not necessarily healthcare professionals and it kind of expands upon the information that is in the Real Food for Gestational Diabetes book so additional, practical resources that support the same principles that you learned in the course but takes it to another level so there are additional meal plans. There are three weeks worth of meal plans and several different carbohydrate levels so you can customize them. There is more information on lowering your fasting blood sugar naturally with the hopes that we can reduce or minimize your risk for medication or insulin which, depending on where you are and who your provider is can limit your birthing options. Also, I generally disagree with it, that is often a policy. We really often try to use food and lifestyle as much as possible to enhance our ability to keep our blood sugar under control. Probably some of the biggest benefits, though, of the course is that we do have a private Facebook community just for course participants and I do host weekly office hours. People will share what's going on with their blood sugar. “Hey, I'm struggling with this with my fasting blood sugar. I've tried x, y, and z and it still hasn't worked. Do you have any tips for me?” We have a really active community in there. Once you are a member, you are always a member. We have some moms who are on their third pregnancies and still in the course that can offer feedback but I also answer questions every single week. I've been told that arguably the biggest benefit is you can get my eyes on it and get a second opinion. Since I don't have a whole lot of availability for one-on-one clients, it's really the main way you can get my feedback on what's going on. That's helpful, I think because there really isn't a one-size-fits-all intervention for gestational diabetes. Obviously, there are some general truths that work food and lifestyle-wise, but individual tinkering is something where you really need individualized attention versus, “Here is this snack that works for every single woman.” There really is no such thing. I wish there was. It would make my life way easier. It would make everybody's lives easier. It would make the diagnosis less frustrating. But oftentimes, it's like, “Okay. I need to get my blood sugar under control in two weeks otherwise they're going to put me on medication.” People really need that kind of information right away at a really important time point in their pregnancy. Meagan: I love that you say that. We have private groups too and I feel like these groups are just money. Lily: Oh yeah. Meagan: Even just seeing things that other people are asking and you're like, “Oh, actually I have that same question,” then maybe you reply to them and it just filters down. Those groups are so awesome. I love that you have created that and created a space for people because I don't feel like in the medical world– and this is not to shame the medical world– they just don't have time to do exactly what you were saying. “Okay, you've got this diagnosis. Let's break it down for you as an individual.” It's, “Here's a sheet of paper,” that you can pull off of Google. It doesn't mean that it applies to you. You have the diagnosis so it could help you but it doesn't mean that it's going to be the best thing for you as an individual. Lily: And moreso than that, sometimes you don't have a provider that is well-informed on the updated research so I get a lot of women in the course who are like, “Okay, I don't know if I really need this course, but I figured it would be a good idea,” then they jump in and they are like, “I have my meeting with the dietitian this week,” then they come back in the group and they are like, “What the dietitian said that what I'm doing is wrong and that I need to eat this way, so I'm going to try it,” then they come back three days later and they are like, “My blood sugar was terrible. This advice didn't work. I feel awful. I need to go back to the original.” It's just the ongoing thread of community members who have been through the same thing. Ultimately, that's why I do the work that I do and write the books that I do because the standard of care just doesn't often work or it's 20 years outdated. Meagan: Oh, I can so relate to that one when it comes to VBAC. It's the same thing when we've got one provider saying this and then another provider is saying this. It's a very similar situation. You're like, “Well, what is it? What does the evidence really say?” 9:28 What is Gestational Diabetes? Lily: Right. Meagan: Oh, well okay, so I think I would like to just even start off with what is gestational diabetes. What does that mean? If you get this diagnosis, what does that mean? Lily: Yeah. So at its simplest definition, it is blood sugar that is elevated during pregnancy beyond a certain threshold. The whole diabetes during pregnancy, I think, confuses people a little bit because it is like, “How can I develop diabetes during pregnancy but only during pregnancy?” Really, it's that your blood sugar is elevated beyond a certain threshold. There are other definitions like insulin resistance during pregnancy or carbohydrate intolerance during pregnancy. They are all speaking to the same thing. Your body has a more limited ability to bring your blood sugar down within the normal range for whatever reason. There can be a number of different reasons. Sometimes there are pre-existing issues before pregnancy that we didn't know about and during pregnancy, we test for things so there are a whole lot of the population that is walking around essentially with pre-diabetes and has no idea. Then during pregnancy, we screen blood sugar levels to rule out gestational diabetes and then it gets caught on that test. You think that it's something that developed during pregnancy, but it may have been an underlying blood sugar issue that you had for a while. We are simply identifying it at this point. It can be newly developed or it can be pre-existing and we have identified it at this time point. They are technically both called gestational diabetes regardless of the underlying reason. 11:15 Are There Preexisting Signs and Ways to Prevent it? Meagan: Okay. I did not know that. I didn't know that we could be– it doesn't just appear. Sometimes it could be preexisting. Are there preexisting signs where we could know that we did have that or are there things that we could do pre-pregnancy to try? Say I have high sugar or whatever right now, but I didn't know and I get pregnant and I get gestational diabetes, but are there things we can do during pre-pregnancy to– I don't know the exact way to say it– almost nix it? To try and help reduce it or not have it at all? Lily: There are. There's kind of a mix when we talk about risk factors because some of the risk factors are things within our control and some of the risk factors are things that aren't within our control. We can't control whether our mom had gestational diabetes during her pregnancy or whether we have a lot of Type 2 diabetes or insulin resistance in our family. We can't control our age. We can't necessarily immediately change our weight at the time of conception. Over the long term, we can have some influence over our weight, but if we are talking retroactively, we can't go back four months and be like, “Oh, I wish I weighed 20 pounds less before I conceived.” You can control, of course, the food you are eating. You can control the micronutrients that you are taking in. There are a lot of nutrients that can reduce our baseline levels of insulin resistance like magnesium and vitamin D and inositol and several other things. Eating sufficient amounts of protein seems to be protective. Our sleep habits can impact our insulin resistance and our stress levels can play a role. Gosh, there was one more. Meagan: Does high cortisol impact our sugars and their ability to come down? Lily: Mhmm. High cortisol raises your blood sugar. Physical activity levels both before conception and during pregnancy– the more exercise we get generally speaking, the lower our risk of gestational diabetes. There are things and sometimes we have so many risk factors that are outside of our control like family history stuff and age at conception where perhaps we have a preexisting elevated risk which makes all of those lifestyle factors that are in your control arguably that much more important because those are the areas where we can make a difference. 13:59 What Can We Do? Meagan: Make a difference. So what can we do? We can lower our stress. We can increase our sleep. We can be physically active. We can eat real food, but can we talk more about that real food? What can we really eat during that? Lily: Yeah. The biggest thing to keep in mind, I would say, is your macronutrient balance like your balance of carbohydrates, fat, and protein as well as the quality of the food that you are eating. Specifically looking at eating a sufficient amount of protein, protein tends to be the most stabilizing for our blood sugar levels whereas carbohydrates are the macronutrient that raises our blood sugar levels the most. When we eat enough protein, it also has a regulating effect on our appetites since it stabilizes our blood sugar. We don't get a huge spike and crash like we do with carbs. We don't get the cravings and that same intensity of hunger leading up to meal time or snack time. So hitting our protein goals is absolutely essential. Then second to that, the next most important thing is thinking about the quality of the carbohydrates you consume. It's kind of wild but in the US, 60% of calories consumed in the average American diet are from ultra-processed foods. These are things made where the primary ingredient usually is a refined carbohydrate of some kind. It's refined starch or white flour, corn starch, something like that, maltodextrin, or refined sugar like white sugar, corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, and then all of the random additives and junk added to it. Basically, a lot of things that are in the snack and dessert aisle and prepackaged food aisles in our grocery store, breakfast cereals, and that sort of thing. If we simply displace even a portion, even 25% of this majority of our diet that's coming from ultra-processed foods, we will have better blood sugar levels. Even if they are being replaced by carbohydrate foods but they are not highly, highly processed, you'll have better blood sugar levels especially if we are replacing some of that with protein-rich foods. So I'd say it's two-fold. It's like the macronutrients and then it's the quality of the food reading, trying to eat as many whole foods as possible to displace the processed food items. When you hit your protein food goals, you're not going to have intense cravings for as much of the processed stuff. I like to hit it from the front end instead of being reactive like, “Cut out the processed foods.” That's easier said than done. What are you going to eat instead? Try getting enough protein and you'll find that you are drawn less to those foods in the first place. 17:00 How Much Protein You Should Get in PregnancyMeagan: And with protein, do you know on average– I mean, it's hard because we are all different ages and weights and heights and all of the things. But on average, during pregnancy, how much protein should a pregnant person consume? Lily: Yeah, there are ballpark metrics that we can use and there are some that are more specifically based on an amount of protein based on how much you weigh because protein needs are individualized by a person's body size. If we just use a standard 150-pound woman, in early pregnancy, you need about 80 grams of protein and then in late pregnancy, you need a minimum of about 100 grams per day. Meagan: Okay.This is actually higher than was previously thought. Our first-ever study that directly measured protein needs in pregnancy was done in 2015 and they found that our recommendations are way too low. Meagan: Yeah, 80-100 to me seems really low. I'm not pregnant and typically try to get more protein than that. Lily: Well, 80-100 is a lot more than what the current recommendations are. Meagan: Which is crazy, yeah. Lily: The current recommendations for late pregnancy on average are about 71 grams of protein per day. Meagan: Whoa. Lily: Yeah. Meagan: Wow. So we need to beef it up. We need to get some protein in. Lily: Yep. It depends on the person too. We have some individuals who are highly physically active or maybe if your blood sugar is really, really sensitive to carbohydrates, you might do better having a higher proportion of protein in your diet than another person. So while 80-100 is a good minimum ballpark metric, you might do better aiming for 100 or 110 grams per day in early pregnancy and later on aiming for 120-150 grams. It really depends on the person. Meagan: It all depends, yeah. Lily: Yeah. Meagan: That is pretty crazy. 19:11 Best Sources of ProteinMeagan: Okay, now we know we've got to get our protein. What are the best sources of protein? That is something that I do find that sometimes is hard. It's really hard to get whole protein and sometimes I do have to supplement with a shake or add some protein collagen to my oatmeal or something. So what types of proteins or what sources of proteins or what ideas could we give to our listeners?Lily: Yeah. When you think of protein, there are a lot of different foods that contain protein, but they have proteins in different concentrations or there's a different balance of amino acids within those proteins. Our highest quality, the best balance of amino acids, and the highest concentration of protein per the amount of food you are eating is from our animal foods. So meat, fish, eggs, dairy, seafood– those have your highest concentrations of protein relative to any of the other macronutrients. As you go into your plant source proteins, you'll have a lower proportion of protein and just a different or more incomplete amino acid balance. You'll get a lot more carbohydrates along with that protein, but they, of course, have other positive things in them. Plant proteins come with fiber, for example. Our beans and legumes of plant proteins would be the highest quality ones that you can get. We have significantly smaller proportions of protein in our grains, for example. Nuts and seeds are a decent source. You can also get, of course, all sorts of protein supplements. They can extract protein from anything that is protein-rich and market it as a supplement. We have our grass-fed whey protein and our beef protein isolate and we have rice protein concentrate and all sorts of things. You have your pick. If you are not getting enough from food, you can always supplement with additional on the side, but my recommendation really is to try to get a balance of different protein sources since there are pros and cons of all of our different proteins. Just try to get a mix. That amount and forms might be different from person to person based on their preferences. 22:04 Getting Enough Protein on a Meatless DietMeagan: Yeah. That makes total sense. Kind of talking about how some things have less, for any listeners that maybe are not eating meat or don't eat meat, how? I mean, just eating a lot of legumes and beans and nuts and stuff like that? Or how? I don't know. Is there a higher risk there if we don't eat meat? Does that make sense? Is it harder to get it in and how can they focus more on getting that? Lily: It is. It is a bigger challenge. Vegeterians and vegans do consume on average significantly less protein than omnivores. You can kind of plan around it by having a higher proportion of beans and legumes versus grains and considering some specific high protein options like tempe, and fermented soy products. I'm not a huge fan of a lot of soy, but fermented soy as long as it is organic can be okay and tempe is quite high in protein and relatively low in carbohydrates. Your nuts and seeds can contribute more and you can consider supplemental protein options. It does definitely get tricky particularly as we talk about gestational diabetes with blood sugar management on a vegetarian and vegan diet simply because most of our plant sources of protein if you are consuming them as a whole food, they have a significant amount of carbohydrates. So sure, you can get protein from beans, but beans also have carbohydrates. Meagan: I'm sure. Lily: There's some protein in quinoa, but it's 8 grams of protein per 40-something grams of carbohydrates in that serving whereas if you were going to consume 8 grams of protein from meat, that's literally a little more than 1 ounce of meat and it has 0 carbohydrates. When you are looking at macronutrient balance, it gets a little bit trickier. So for vegetarians and vegans– I mean, with vegetarians, you have eggs and dairy so you can do more eggs. You can do more low-carbohydrate dairy products like cheeses, cottage cheese, greek yogurt, dairy protein powders, and egg protein powders and that makes the macronutrient balance much easier. With vegans, we generally do need to rely on some supplemental protein powders just so we are not overdoing the carbohydrates. It does get significantly trickier. It's not that it's not doable, but there are of course, always different trade-offs with different dietary approaches. Meagan: For sure. 26:17 Fats & Gestational DiabetesMeagan: So we've talked a little bit about the carbs and the proteins and the fats. A lot of, say salmon or even eggs. We've got egg whites but then we've got yolks which consume a lot of fat. How does fat play into or does it play into gestational diabetes?Lily: Similar to protein, fat does not raise your blood sugar levels so generally speaking, fat is not something you need to be overly worried about necessarily. That definitely flies in the face of conventional guidelines that tell you to limit your fat production significantly. We have to be really cautious when we talk about limiting fat in pregnancy. First of all, we are in a situation where your hormone production is higher than ever. Our sex hormones like estrogen and progesterone are built on a backbone of cholesterol which you get in fatty foods, specifically your fatty animal foods. Whatever you don't consume, your body produces. So if we are cutting out all of the fat out of everything, you actually run into problems with hormone production. They have shown this in studies where they limit fat in women. Estrogen and progesterone production can be 20-50% lower. Even though your body has the ability to create cholesterol from other precursors, it still negatively impacts hormone production to not be consuming it. I do get concerned about that. I do also get concerned that when you start limiting fat from food, you're also limiting your intake of a lot of micronutrients. Egg yolks– you gave the example of egg yolks. Egg yolks are high in cholesterol, yes. They are also the richest dietary source of choline which is a nutrient we need for optimal placental function and optimal fetal brain development, and when we are not getting enough, it's linked to many significant problems. I mean, we now have very high-quality studies like randomized controlled trials showing that taking in actually more than double– the current recommended intake for choline improves child brain development through their toddler years all the way– the study has now been extended through age 7. They have followed these kids through age 7 and they have better brain function essentially at those later ages. If you are cutting out egg yolks for the goal of reducing your fat or cholesterol intake, you are essentially setting yourself up for a choline deficiency. Half of the choline an average American takes in is from eggs. It is such a concentrated source. You can extend that to many other examples for many other nutrients in foods that naturally contain fat. It's a significant concern of mine actually. People get so laser-focused on fat that they lose the big picture on what are you missing out on. Meagan: What it's actually giving you. Lily: Yes, exactly. I'm not a big fan of limiting the fat intake. Particularly, when you are talking about blood sugar control, if you are reducing your carbohydrate levels, then you are reducing the calories taken in from carbs. You have to eat something else, right? We can only eat so much protein so it always ends up being a dance between– are you eating more carbohydrates or are you eating more fat? That's always how the balance is made up in terms of our macronutrient ratios. Certainly, I love the protein. I'm all about eating protein, but our protein-rich foods do naturally come with fat, so what I am personally not a fan of is people obsessively taking out the fat of all of their protein-rich foods. Just eat the fat that is in there. You don't need to add massive quantities of fat to everything you are eating, just don't take out what is naturally there. Meagan: Yeah. Yeah. I love that you talk about that because one of the things– so I'm a doula and I've seen this in all the years of being a doula, but then I've also seen this trend of messages coming in like, “I'm scared to eat too much. I'm scared to eat fat. I'm scared to eat these things because I'm scared of a ‘big baby'” or “I'm scared of having to have a C-section because my baby is measuring big,” or they are so scared of shoulder dystocia so they are now having to induce me at 38 weeks which we already know with gestational diabetes, a lot of the times, providers encourage induction early anyway. Ladies, do not cut out your fats. Eat your good proteins. Get the right kind of carbs. 31:14 Do we have to have a baby at 38 weeks with Gestational Diabetes?Meagan: What does it look like with gestational diabetes? Do we have to have a baby at 38 weeks like many providers suggest? Do we always have a big baby if we have gestational diabetes? Lily: Absolutely not. Meagan: Right? Lily: Absolutely not. Meagan: Can we talk about that and cross out those myths? Lily: Yep. We have very strong data actually that when we are able to keep blood sugar within range as much as possible– it's not going to be perfect, but as much as possible, keeping your blood sugar within a healthy level and your provider should give you some healthy guidelines. If you don't, go read “Real Food for Gestational Diabetes”. Meagan: Seriously. Go get your book and the link is in the show notes, everybody. Lily: Yeah. We see a 50% lower risk of macrosomia. That's the baby being born larger than expected. Meagan: Too large, yeah. Lily: We see a 60% lower risk of shoulder dystocia. Meagan: Wow. 32:28 The Problem with the Standard Gestational Diabetes GuidelinesLily: These risks absolutely can be lessened with dietary and lifestyle intervention. What frustrates me the most and it's why I wrote “Real Food for Gestational Diabetes” in the first place, is that the standard guidelines for dietary management of gestational diabetes fail to improve outcomes because they often fail to control blood sugar levels because they are arbitrarily way too high in carbohydrates. So what ends up happening is you get these women who get a meal plan that says, “Eat 45-60 grams of carbohydrates at a meal, a super minimal amount of protein, barely any fat” because this is all just an off-shoot of the standard dietary guidelines, and their blood sugar goes way too high after their meals. They are like, “What is going on? I'm eating per the guideline.” Meagan: I'm following. Lily: Yeah, exactly. Unfortunately, they are simply consuming way too many carbohydrates for what their body can tolerate. I mean, it makes no sense. If you failed a glucose tolerance test meaning your blood sugar was not able to come down within range when you had anywhere from 50, 75-100 grams of glucose in one sitting? Why are we then giving you 45, 60, 75 grams of carbohydrates which turn into glucose in a sitting at a meal, and saying that this is treatment? It is not treatment and anybody with a toddler-level logic can see that it makes no sense whatsoever. Meagan: No sense. Lily: Ironically, it's very controversial advice to recommend a lower than that carbohydrate intake and that's precisely what I present in my book with the evidence to back it up, but that still remains the standard of care. So then what ends up happening, you get these women who end up afraid to eat because they are worried about their blood sugar going too high. Meagan: Exactly, yes. Lily: So they eat the same type of meal but a really, really, really tiny portion and they are starving. Meagan: Yes. And they are malnourished. Lily: Exactly. They are malnourished. Meagan: They are not getting the macro or micronutrients in their bodies. Lily: It is tragic and it is unethical in my opinion, so if you do find yourself in that scenario where you feel like you are having to starve yourself to keep your blood sugar within range, after you check your blood sugar after that meal, you are clamoring for a snack because you are so hungry, there is another way. Meagan: Yes. Lily: It does involve nourishing yourself enough. You have to get enough calories in. Meagan: Yes. Lily: You can get enough calories and micronutrients in without the blood sugar spike just with a different macronutrient balance. You need to be eating a lot more protein. You need to ditch the fear of fat. You need to eat a quantity of carbohydrates that your body can manage in one sitting. Oftentimes, that isn't 45-60 grams or 75 grams of carbohydrates per meal. That might be 10 or 15 or 20 or 30 grams of carbs in a meal. Meagan: Right. Lily: It might mean eating your protein-rich foods first before you have your carbs at the end of the meal. That can significantly change how your blood sugar responds. Meagan: Okay. Lily: But the standard approach is very ineffective and I can tell you when they have actually done studies where they switch people to a lower glycemic index diet, so better quality carbohydrates, more protein, and the chances that a woman will require insulin to manage her blood sugar drops by 50%. Meagan: Whoa. Lily: That can make the difference between your birth being sabotaged, overly intervened, you being denied a VBAC, them trying to scare you into the “your baby is too big” and that whole conversation. That can make a difference of it. So we really need to get better information out because it's not fair. Gestational diabetes is poorly managed and it's overly medicalized when it is diagnosed. Meagan: I feel the same. I feel it is. Some people have described it as, “Oh, it checked off a box saying you are in this category automatically because you tested positive.” Then they do. They go down rabbit holes. Women of Strength, if you are listening and you are someone who feels that they can't eat a lot or you are in that space and you are the person that we are describing, you are not alone. You are not alone in this world. But, you have more options. That is why I wanted to do this episode because it makes me want to cry because I hate and I feel their frustration. It also makes me want to punch someone, not our listener, but it makes me just want to punch somebody and be like, wake up. give different information and stop putting this pressure of, “You can't have a VBAC. you're going to have shoulder dystocia. You have to have a baby by 38 or 39 weeks.” All of these things or “Your baby is too big.” It's just, why? Instead of just diving in learning how to better manage and to eat better. Eat more real foods. Lily: I mean, if your blood sugar is maintained in a healthy range for the majority of your pregnancy, you are not at any higher risk than anybody who didn't get a diagnosis. All of these things are potential risk factors, I mean, in the macrosomia conversation, you can have women who passed a gestational diabetes test, but maybe they gained quite a bit more weight than is expected over the course of their pregnancy. They are actually oftentimes at a higher risk for macrosomia than the woman who was diagnosed with gestational diabetes and had excellent blood sugar control. Nobody talks about that, right? To me, the difference is really in how you manage it. I think we have to try to lose the fear over the diagnosis. It is an unfortunate reality that for a lot of providers, you can be treated differently because of the diagnosis even though I disagree with that, but you can maintain actually quite a low-risk pregnancy, sometimes an even lower risk than if you hadn't been diagnosed because if you see this as a blessing in disguise and take it upon yourself to improve your diet and lifestyle and really buckle down on this and get your blood sugar in a healthy range, you now are having a healthier pregnancy than if you didn't have the diagnosis because you are taking a moment to be like, “Hmm, yes I'm pregnant and I'd like to eat for two, but you know what? I'm actually full. I don't think I'm going to have that extra cupcake.” It's all of those consistent blood sugar elevations without a gestational diabetes diagnosis that is contributing to the baby growing larger than expected. When you bring the blood sugar within range, we see a significantly reduced risk of macrosomia. Meagan: Yeah. This episode, I feel like, has so many really great tips on just how to eat better in general during pregnancy even if you don't have gestational diabetes. Lily: Yes. Absolutely. 40:20 PCOS and Gestational DiabetesMeagan: Before we were recording, we were talking about your new book. You said something that caught my ear and I was like, “Wait, what?” because PCOS which is polycystic ovarian syndrome– is that correct? Lily: Mhmm, correct. Meagan: It runs in my family. You were talking about how PCOS could be a sign. Lily: It's a risk factor for gestational diabetes, yeah. Absolutely. Meagan: Yeah, so can we talk a little bit more about some of those risk factors and how if we maybe have these things we may need to be extra aware and intentional? Lily: Intentional, yep. That's a good word for it. With that, PCOS is a bit of a complicated diagnosis. There are different subtypes. There are actually four phenotypes and they are all just a little bit different. They share some overlap, but they are all a little bit different. That said, the majority of PCOS cases do have some degree of insulin resistance going on in their body. Your body doesn't respond normally to insulin and brings your blood sugar down within range with a normal level of insulin. Your body has to release a lot of insulin to bring your blood sugar within range. Meagan: Wow. Lily: This is a risk factor for gestational diabetes because, during pregnancy, your body naturally becomes a little more insulin resistant. So if you are already coming into pregnancy with that baseline challenge with your body responding to insulin, when your body starts pumping out more insulin, your insulin resistance is going up and up and up, it can just compound and be too much for your body to handle. Your blood sugar will surpass that threshold of so-called gestational diabetes. That is a significant risk factor. It also tends to be– PCOS is the most common ovulatory issue in women, so it can make conception a little more challenging. It can make timing sex accurately for conception more challenging because oftentimes, there are really long cycles or delays in ovulation so it's harder to time it right although women with PCOS can conceive successfully naturally. It can just be a little more tricky. And then when there already is a blood sugar issue going on ahead of time, there is a higher rate of early miscarriage as well. Now, things that you do for managing PCOS, there is a lot of overlap with the same concepts for managing gestational diabetes. If you do have that diagnosis and you are thinking about becoming pregnant, you can implement some of the same tips that we talked about today or blood sugar management. Higher protein, fewer carbohydrates, better quality carbohydrates, eating your protein-rich foods first at mealtimes, and considering supplementing with certain nutrients to reduce your level of insulin resistance. There is some really excellent data on inositol which is a B vitamin compound for reducing insulin resistance and improving ovulation and ovulatory function in these women and that is a supplement that honestly, they've done studies where they have put it head to head with metformin which is the most common medication prescribed for women with PCOS. It is also prescribed for gestational diabetes management and it often performs the same or better than metformin so inositol is a really viable option that women can look into and consider supplementing with. We talk about it pretty extensively in Real Food for Fertility as an option along with many other nutrients. There are a lot of other micronutrients that play a role in keeping our level of insulin resistance down as much as possible. So just improving overall the quality of your diet where naturally, you are just displacing more and more of these processed foods from your life because these also are so rich in micronutrients, you're naturally improving the function of your pancreas and how responsive your body is to insulin and your blood sugar doesn't spike as much because you aren't getting as much refined carbohydrates in. There's a lot of these things that all work in tandem and they work together. They continue to be important during pregnancy as well, so wherever you are, start now. Start thinking about this now. Meagan: Start now. Yes. Start now. It's never too late to start. Like I was saying in the beginning, we live a busy life so that quick granola protein bar that is easily unpackaged in the car that you can take a bite of might be an okay snack but might not be the best. Maybe carrots. Maybe you can have carrots. Lily: Or maybe having a bag of nuts or some beef jerky. The nuts would be similar to a granola bar, but they are much lower in carbohydrates. They have more protein, fat, and fiber in them so they won't spike your blood sugar, but they may fill you up better than a granola bar and with a significantly lower blood sugar spike for sure. Meagan: And I guess carrots are a lot of carbs so it turns into sugar. Lily: I mean, carrots do have carbohydrates, but they have quite a bit of fiber in them, so they are a fine option as well. They are just pretty low in protein and have no fat and they are so low in calories that solely as a snack–Meagan: It's not going to help you feel full. Lily: Yeah. It's not going to keep you full. I've got nothing against carrots. Carrots are excellent, but maybe having them with a cottage cheese dip or something like that would at least provide you with a little more sustenance. Meagan: Yes. Going back to the protein. See? We forget about the protein. Lily: Yep. Meagan: Focusing on the protein. Wow, I just adore you. I think this is such a great episode. I need to just go get your books now. I mean, I'm not even pregnant. I'm done with having babies, but I want to dive in more. I want to learn more because like I said, it's such a hot topic for our VBAC community especially because we have so many naysayers like, “Oh, you can't do this if you have this.” So okay, tell us more. You've got your website, lilynicholdsrdn.com and I know you've got the blog, your shop, your books, and all of the things. Tell us more about where we can find you and what resources we can use. We're going to make sure to put everything in the show notes, you guys. Lily: Yeah, so up on my website, definitely click the Freebies tab. You can download a free chapter of Real Food for Pregnancy if you want to dive more into what is real food. What are you talking about? That is available for free. There is a free video series on gestational diabetes that is really helpful to help you if you have just been diagnosed or are worried about being diagnosed. That will narrow down the starting point. The biggest thing I hear is that people are really afraid and overwhelmed by what to do. It just feels very dire. You are given the diagnosis. You are told that it comes with these risks and you are not told any good news, so I try to be the bearer of good news and empowering information so you can actually take action on that. Meagan: I love that. Lily: Probably those two resources would be of most interest to this audience. I'm also on Instagram. My handle is @lilynicholsrdn so pretty much the same as my website. And yeah, keep an eye out for the new book, Real Food for Fertility in February 2024. Meagan: It's coming out this month. This episode is being aired in 2024. That is so exciting. That one is on infertility, correct? On fertility. Lily: Yeah. It's on fertility. That one I actually coauthored this book with my colleague Lisa Hendrickson Jack. She is the host of The Fertility Friday Podcast and author of The Fifth Vital Sign. We joined forces to talk about the food and nutrition part, the fertility hormone/menstrual cycle part and it really is the best of both worlds from our respective specialties. Meagan: I love that so much. Well, we will have the links for both of your books and then like she said, give her a follow so you can know when this new book is coming out. ClosingWould you like to be a guest on the podcast? Tell us about your experience at thevbaclink.com/share. For more information on all things VBAC including online and in-person VBAC classes, The VBAC Link blog, and Meagan's bio, head over to thevbaclink.com. Congratulations on starting your journey of learning and discovery with The VBAC Link.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-vbac-link/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands