EPISODE 51 | NATURAL BEAUTY PRODUCTS THAT WON'T WRECK YOUR FERTILITY PT2

Description:

Hillary first opens the show with an amazing keynote from her mentor, the late Ray Rubio from the Integrative Fertility Symposium last year. Ray shares a story about Dr. Shen, and why often times the simplest answer right under our nose is the one that will give us our answers. Then, she welcomes back her friend Katrina to share Part 2 of their top picks for yummy (and effective!) green and clean beauty products.

 Takeaways:

[4:10] Hillary plays a clip of a Keynote from the Integrative Fertility Symposium where her mentor, Ray Rubio, discusses the beauty of using common sense as a practitioner, and a story regarding his mentor Dr. Shen and the fashion icon Chanel.
[14:53] Hillary and Katrina discuss more of Katrina’s top picks!

Dry Shampoo (Katrina recommends putting it in our hair before bed instead of in the morning)

●      Kaia Naturals

●      Captain Blankenship

Shampoo

●      Innersense

●      Avalon Organics

Conditioner

●      Acure Conditioner

Body Wash

●      Aleavia

●      Saje Soap Bars

●      Meow Meow Tweet

Deodorant

●      Agent Nateur

●      Meow Meow Tweet

●      Kaia Naturals

●      Meow Meow Pit Primer

●      Once a week do an armpit detox with bentonite clay and apple cider vinegar mask to pull out all of the old aluminum. Leave it on for about 10 minutes.

Beauty Boxes

●      Beauty Hero

●      Art of Organics

●      The Detox Market

 

References:

Fertile Minds on iTunes

@ladypotions4u

Ep #049: “Part 1 of Natural Beauty Products Worth Your Money That Won’t Wreck Your Fertility” 

Integrative Fertility Symposium

Parents on Demand App

Disclaimer * You must not rely on the information in this podcast as an alternative to medical advice from your doctor or other professional healthcare provider. If you have any specific questions about any medical matter you should consult your doctor or other professional healthcare provider. If you think you may be suffering from any medical condition you should seek immediate medical attention. You should never delay seeking medical advice, disregard medical advice, or discontinue medical treatment because of information on this website or in this podcast.

EPISODE 49 | NATURAL BEAUTY PRODUCTS THAT WON'T WRECK YOUR FERTILITY PT1

Natural Beauty Products that are Worth Your Hard Earned Pennies & Won’t Interfere with your Fertility

Description:

Today, Hillary and her friend Katrina talk about beauty products and how they could be interfering with your fertility. They list the top ten chemical and ingredient offenders (out of 1,300!) to look out for and avoid, give recommendations on natural beauty product and product lines, and share some practical ways to make small shifts away from slathering ourselves daily in a chemical cocktail. More women are becoming savvy as consumers, and aware of how much of an effect what we put on our body has in with what happens inside of it. 

Takeaways:

[1:37] The United States Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (abbreviated as FFDCA, FDCA, or FD&C), has not been changed since 1938. Europe and Canada have higher regulatory standards, and hopefully, the United States will catch up in the close future.

[9:30] Top 10 ingredients we don’t want in our personal care products:

  1. Sunscreen Chemicals. Common Names are Benzophenone, PABA, Avobenzone, Homosalate, and Methoxycinnamate.

  2. Parabens. Parabens are widely used preservatives that prevent the growth of bacteria, mold, and yeast in cosmetic products. Read more on parabens.

  3. Synthetic Colors. FD&C or D&C represent artificial colors. F (food) and D&C (drug and cosmetics).  These letters precede a color and number (e.g., D&C Red 27 or FD&C Blue 1).

  4. Synthetic Fragrance.

  5. Phthalates. The main phthalates in cosmetics and personal care products are dibutyl phthalate in nail polish, diethyl phthalate in perfumes and lotions, and dimethyl phthalate in hairspray.

  6. Triclosan. Triclosan is a widely used antimicrobial chemical found in toothpastes, antibacterial soaps, and deodorants.

  7. Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) / Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES). This surfactant can be found in more than 90 percent of personal care and cleaning products (think foaming products).

  8. Formaldehyde. Formaldehyde and formaldehyde-releasing preservatives are used in many cosmetic products to help prevent bacteria growth.

  9. Toluene. A petrochemical derived from petroleum or coal tar sources and it can be found in nail polish, nail treatments, and hair color /bleaching products.

  10. Aluminum. Used in antiperspirants. Read more on aluminum.

[18:21] Now on to… what to actually use? Hillary’s friend Katrina Hall shares her evolution into natural beauty, and some of the top natural products she finds to be the ones she can trust the most with great results.

[22:55] Katrina’s gateway product was an oil cleanser from the Crude Personal line, and she still uses it to take off her makeup.

 Cleanser

●      Marie Veronique Gel Cleanser

●      Probiotic Skin Cleanser

Sunscreen

●      HYNT

●      Suntegrity

●      Marie Veronique

Foundation

●      Sappho Essentials Foundation

●      Crunchi

  Setting Powder

●      100% Pure Bamboo Blur Powder

Bronzer/ Contour

●      RMS

●      Lily LoLo

Brows

●      Ecobrow

●      Plume

Eyeshadow

●      Lily LoLo

Mascara

●      Tarte Amazonian Clay

●      Harvest

●      Fitglow Lash Serum

Eyeliner

●      ZuZu Luxe

Lip Gloss

●  Sign up for the newsletter & receive 15% off @    Fitglow Lip Serum

Chapstick

●      Zi Zai

Lip Sticks

●      Axiology

Lip Liners

●      Gabriel Cosmetics

●      ZuZu Luxe

References:

Fertile Minds on LibSyn

Fertile Minds on iTunes

@ladypotions4u

Think Dirty

EWG’s Healthy Living App

Parents on Demand App

Crude

thedetoxmarket.com

 

Continue Your Journey:

@ladypotions4u on Twitter

@ladypotions4u on Instagram

 Disclaimer *

You must not rely on the information in this podcast as an alternative to medical advice from your doctor or other professional healthcare provider. If you have any specific questions about any medical matter you should consult your doctor or other professional healthcare provider. If you think you may be suffering from any medical condition you should seek immediate medical attention. You should never delay seeking medical advice, disregard medical advice, or discontinue medical treatment because of information on this website or in this podcast.

EPISODE 47 | BACH FLOWER REMEDIES FOR THE EMOTIONS THAT COME WITH FERTILITY CHALLENGES | Erin Gray, LMT, LMHT

Bach Flower Remedies for the Emotions that Come with Fertility Challenges with Erin Gray.

Description:

Hillary’s esteemed colleague and friend Erin Gray, LCMHC, returns to dive deep into fertility challenges and the emotions that come with them. Erin has used and studied Bach Flower remedies for some time now, and she shares her experience with these super-safe homeopathic beneficial supplements. They also talk about the highlights of the 38 different remedies, the way Bach Remedies bring emotional balance into the situation, specific remedies as they play into detailed emotions, and Erin’s recommendation for bringing them into your life.

 

Takeaways:

[2:10] Bach Flower Remedies work on specific issues, and are unique in the way that they can support emotional balance. This makes them great for most cases of someone going through IVF.

[3:27] Every medical system has its own way of categorizing supplements. In traditional Chinese medicine, we have the Eight Pillars or the Five Elements. Ayurvedic medicine has it’s Dosha’s and the Bach Flowers have their own two categories. One is by the personality type and ongoing characteristics and the other is a certain mood that relates to the moment and the fleeting marker of the experience.

[4:40] There are 38 different tinctured remedies, categorized into 7 different families. They have a subtle taste and usually go in water or under the tongue.

[8:12] Rescue Remedy won’t take away your personality or fix a life situation but it will help to bring a sense of balance and coping into the situation.

[9:21] One of the biggest things Erin sees when working with fertility clients is fear and anxiety. When you have general anxiety or anxiety of an unknown, she suggests using Aspen. If you experiencing a specific fear and are clear about what it’s about, Mimulus is a good one. If you are overly worried about a loved one, Red Chestnut can come to the rescue.

[11:45] Beech can help us open up our minds, and bring in more patience and peace. Rock Water is useful to go easier on yourself and is one of Erin’s most used remedies. The overly controlling personality type could benefit from Vine. When you are having trouble making decisions or confused about your own judgment, go with Cerato. If you are faced with multiple choices and not sure which one you want to choose, Scleranthus can help you figure out which path to go down. Gorse is also a big one for women in the IVF process, as it can help to connect with the true intention, and in turn, restore a sense of hope.

[16:06] Although the remedies are gentle, if not used properly they can neutralize and do nothing or do the complete opposite and cause the emotion to appear even stronger.

[21:03] Of all the Bach Remedies, the one recommended for difficulty in life transition and conceiving is Walnut. Impatiens is a good one to help manage impatience, loneliness, and frustration. This can be very beneficial during the waiting time in IVF and can be cycled in and out to be taken when you are in the throes of the intense emotions.

[26:03] If you find yourself struggling with being present, or in a dissociative state, Clematis is very helpful in getting grounded and back into reality. Honeysuckle is a good one for past regrets, living too much in the past or a sense of nostalgia that interferes with your present moment. White Chestnut can help in getting your mind to settle down and relax, rather than replaying situations over and over and trying to predict every move in the future.

[29:21] Pine is a good one for forgiveness, and letting go of any guilt or shame you may be holding on for yourself. Star of Bethlehem is a beautiful remedy to help with grief, loss, and trauma and Crab Apple can help shift from body shame or a sense of betrayal in your body into a sense of acceptance and peace.

[33:19] If you can’t forgive someone else, and hold resentment and anger towards them, try bringing in some Willow. When you have a burning hatred (think Mean Girl), feel jealousy and mistrust, use Holly.

[35:29] You can look up Bach practitioners in your area that can do assessments and custom blends for you. Oftentimes people need more than one remedy, but just be sure not to mix them all at once.

EPISODE 46 | MINI MINDFUL MOMENT | What Are YOU Grateful For?

What Are YOU Grateful For?

At my house we do the cliche thanksgiving thing of what are we all grateful for. and that what we are going to do today in our meditation, only we are going to explore gratitude in the 5 realms of our life as it relates to our fertility picture, because sometimes those answers are a little contrived, or a little PC, because your parents neighbors who you’ve never met are joining in the celebration and that’s just awkward sauce to say out loud to anyone but your partner. 

According to davidji, The 5 Realms of Our Life are

  1. Spiritual

  2. Physical

  3. Emotional

  4. Relationship

  5. Material

You might want a  pen and piece of paper to jot things down after so you can keep them close or put them in your calendar as a reminder before important appointments.


EPISODE 45 | THE WHAT, WHY, AND HOW TO GO ABOUT DECIDING IF & WHEN YOU NEED A DOULA | Adriana Lozada

Being Born Into Parenthood

This week, we welcome Adriana Lozada, a woman of many accomplishments and talents including the remarkable brand Birthful, and assisting in over 150 births as a doula. Adriana sheds some light on what exactly a doula is, why a couple may want one, the benefits of having a doula, and how to decide which doula is right for your specific needs and desires.

Takeaway:

[1:52] Along with creating and running Birthful, Adriana is a birth doula, a postpartum educator, a sleep consultant, and co-author of Soy de Pura Madre, a half autobiography (written by well-known Venezuela actress and radio host, Ana María Simón), half pregnancy guide (written by Adriana), in Spanish.

[5:14] Adriana has been a doula for 13 years and loves sharing information on what it entails and the possibilities it provides that may help the birth experience.

[5:17] There are many types of doulas (birth, fertility, postpartum — to name a few), and they all have the core value of giving physical, emotional, and informational support. Adriana likes to liven up the definition, and thinks of doulas as “birth fairies that have research to back it up.”

[10:56] Adriana’s goal is to have the woman/couple have the best birth experience depending on their personal vision and foster the feeling of consent and empowerment in their own decisions.

[16:52] Doulas create space for the couple to empower themselves and make their own decisions, as opposed to feeling that things were chosen and done for them.

[19:04] There is a doula out there for everybody, but it’s not a one-size-fits-all approach. The most important thing is how you feel and ‘click’ with the person. In the organization Adriana has her certification under, DONA, speaking and deciding for the woman is out-of-scope.

[23:02] If your medical provider is not recommending you have a doula, dig deeper and find out why they feel that way and what their hesitations are.

[24:46] It’s never too late to get a doula, but the earlier you can do it the more benefits you gain. Adriana prefers contacting your potential doula 12-20 weeks to develop a relationship and discuss fears, hopes, and desires.

[28:36] Adriana describes her philosophy on nonlinear birthing and the physiological stages that come with a safe and protected birthing environment.

[33:36] Adriana assigns “homework” using a four-stage birth model to give women a tangible way to support and trust their body. The four stages of her model are: physical, chemical, mental, and emotional.

[35:46] The skills we value in our professional and everyday life such as being effective, organized, clean, and tidy in our ‘everyday,’ aren’t the top ones that help us for birthing and parenting. Instead, messiness, uncertainty, patience, intuition, and trust in the process are key.

[42:10] Adriana discusses the “pregnancy hangover” in postpartum when we are over-touched, and undervalued. She has created a postpartum vacation plan, where women and couples can focus on getting to know and taking care of their baby.

[55:38] Adriana’s one piece of advice for expecting couples “explore things with curiosity.”

 References:

Fertile Minds on LibSyn

Fertile Minds on iTunes

Adriana Lozada

Birthful Podcast

Birthful Courses

Safe Prevention of the Primary Cesarean Delivery

ACOG

Approaches to Limit Intervention During Labor and Birth

DONA International

Doula Match

Tampa Bay Birth Network

Rethinking the Pushing Stage, with Whapio

Thrive with Your Newborn — use the code FERTILITY for 25% discount. Along with creating and running Birthful, Adriana is a birth doula, a postpartum educator, a sleep consultant, and co-author of Soy de Pura Madre, a half autobiography (written by well-known Venezuela actress and radio host, Ana María Simón), half pregnancy guide (written by Adriana), in Spanish.

Disclaimer * You must not rely on the information in this podcast as an alternative to medical advice from your doctor or other professional healthcare provider. If you have any specific questions about any medical matter you should consult your doctor or other professional healthcare provider. If you think you may be suffering from any medical condition you should seek immediate medical attention. You should never delay seeking medical advice, disregard medical advice, or discontinue medical treatment because of information on this website or in this podcast.

EPISODE 44 | MINI MINDFUL MOMENT | Have You Been "Noceboed" ?

How to Recognize and Reverse a Nocebo

Most of us are familiar with a placebo, however, do you know what a nocebo is? A nocebo is a detrimental effect on health produced by psychological or psychosomatic factors such as negative expectations of treatment or prognosis by a health care provider. It happens in the fertility and birth worlds more than you think. Today we will go into detail of signs that it is happening, how to be more aware in the moment during healthcare appointments, and how to undo it if it has happened to you. Cheers to happy beliefs, less stress, and being one breath closer to that baby you are dreaming of! 

[12:39] Visualization Begins

Links Mentioned

Pregnancy Brain

It’s Conceivable

The Three Keys to Conception

http://www.hypnofertility.com/

Parents On Demand Network

We are super excited to now be a part of the POD network, available in any app store for free. You’ll find Fertile Minds Radio as well as other qualified podcasts guaranteed to help you on the road to parenting success.

EPISODE 43 | HOW TO REVERSE PCOS NATURALLY, GET HEALTHY & GET PREGNANT

Description:

September was PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome) Awareness Month, so it is only fitting to do an episode centered around this condition. One in 10 American women, which is somewhere around five million women, suffer from symptoms on the PCOS spectrum. Today, we talk about what exactly PCOS is and the root causes, how the diagnosis occurs, the five Categories of Treatment, some myths surrounding it, and how you can go about reversing your PCOS in 9-12 months naturally.

To share your own fertility story, please comment below. I look forward to connecting with you, as you are what this podcast is all about.

Takeaways:

[2:12] Hillary shares her acceptance into the Women’s Functional and Integrative Training Program, offered by Dr. Aviva Romm. This is a huge honor, and Dr. Romm has been one of Hillary’s trusted teachers and an inspiration for shaking things up in the medical world and applying wisdom and evidence-based medicine.

[2:42] Just because something has been traditionally used, doesn’t mean it’s a good idea for us. Hillary gives examples of pharmaceutical debacles from the 1950s up until recently.

[6:52] Hillary recounts her experience with Accutane and the severe side effects.

[8:28] It’s important to know what you are taking, the potential side effects, and whether it is traditional or alternative treatment.

[10:46] How we take care of our bodies in the 12 months prior to falling pregnant has a huge impact on the next two generations. For the first time ever in the United States, children are being born with a lower life expectancy than their parents. And if we are sending down copies two generations at a time of our genes and we’re not teaching people how to ensure that these genes don’t trigger or mutate into various health issues, then we’re not actually practicing preventative medicine.

[12:11] In the U.S., one in 10 American women will have a diagnosis of PCOS at some point in their life, which is the equivalent of five million women. There are about 10 different types that can present and are not what a majority of healthcare physicians think of as PCOS. Usually, they consider it to be someone that’s overweight, with high testosterone, and a 2:1 LH: FSH ratio, and having cysts show on an ultrasound around the ovaries. But in reality, there are so many different presentations that it’s more like a spectrum with women being affected to different degrees causing different symptoms and severities.

[13:43] Although 85% of women affected with PCOS can reverse it naturally, a lot of physicians don’t look at it like it’s reversible.

[16:44] Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome was previously considered a gynecological problem, diagnosed on the presence of polycystic ovarian cysts by ultrasound. Now, it’s actually recognized as a complex endocrine disorder with multiple possible causes and clinical manifestations. Only one of those actually yields polycystic ovaries on an ultrasound.

[18:23] When women begin to understand that it was likely a predisposition was from their mother in utero, based on changes in the food supply, they can have a little more grace and compassion with themselves as well as motivation to try and stop it for the next generation.

[19:23] How is it diagnosed and what are the symptoms? PCOS is a clinical diagnosis and it is primarily diagnosed based on having some or all of the classic symptoms and having other medical conditions being ruled out. While testing the blood on day three, looking at the ratio between LH and FSH, estrogen and testosterone, can certainly be one of the ways that we diagnose PCOS.

[20:31] Traditionally, PCOS was thought to cause weight gain and abnormal hair growth from the excess testosterone, which does happen in one phenotype, but not all.

[21:30] Symptoms of Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome can include any of the following: infertility, irregular periods, lapses between periods for months at a time without being pregnant or breastfeeding, acne, weight gain, unwanted facial hair, hair thinning or hair loss, which oftentimes looks like male pattern baldness in PCOS, and then less commonly, you can have darkening of the skin in the armpits, the back of the neck or the groin. The other aspect to consider is that women with PCOS are also more likely to suffer from depression and anxiety, or they have eating disorders, particularly binge eating.

[23:31] You are 20 to 40% more likely to experience a miscarriage due to the insulin resistance and the hormonal problems that it creates. Oftentimes, there is estrogen dominance and there’s not enough progesterone to actually hold a healthy pregnancy. I do see a lot of chemical pregnancies or early stage miscarriages in women that maybe didn't even know that they had PCOS. But then after we do a little bit of deeper digging we find that they have these symptoms, and then it’s really important to control for blood sugar dysregulation as well as the hormones when they’d go to get pregnant again. Diet becomes super important in those women.

[28:00] You have to understand, the key is getting your blood sugar under control first, and the insulin resistance under control, before you start experimenting with the fasting. In terms of the science behind the diet, low inflammatory, low glycemic Mediterranean diet or a modified ancestral diet, meaning Paleo with lots of vegetables in it, not just all meat, has been the one that has been shown in the evidence to have the most dramatic effect on PCOS. And the bottom line is that most patients with PCOS will respond to a diet that is no more than 80 grams of carbohydrates a day and has about 60 to 90 grams of protein, and the rest being good fat.

[29:59] Vitamin D has been associated with insulin resistance in low amounts. Having your vitamin D tested to see where you’re at is super easy and then supplementing depending on how low you are, with 2,000 to 5,000 units a day, and then re-testing again in 30 to 60 days to see if it’s making a difference on the levels themselves can be really helpful. One of the supplements that Hillary uses when encountering a woman with diagnosed or suspected PCOS is inositol. Inositol comes in a couple of different forms and a lot of the studies that have been done actually show that it’s advantageous to have a combination of Myo-inositol with D-chiro-inositol, at a ratio of 40:1 of Myo-inositol to D-chiro-inositol. The reason for that is, it’s naturally occurring in the body in that ratio. With the Myo-inositol you want to take up to 4 grams a day and the D-chiro you can go up to 1,200 milligrams a day.

[33:19] Another herb or supplement that is used in blood sugar regulation is cinnamon and we use this all the time in Chinese medicine. In fact, the main formula by which most others are based on for treating PCOS is derived from is Gui Zhi Fu Ling Wan.

pcos insulin & HPA.png

[34:03] The second category to consider when treating PCOS is HPA Axis Dysregulation. Now, HPA Axis Dysregulation is the hypothalamus, pituitary, and adrenal axis. One of the biggest things that you can do for yourself is getting adequate amounts of sleep. The most restful hours of sleep for fertility are actually between 9:00 PM and 11:00 PM.

[40:43] Adaptogens are one of the greatest weapons we have, as they regulate cortisol and change our perception of stress. Adaptogens are ginseng, and things like ginseng, Rhodiola, Ashwagandha, licorice, Dang Shen or known as Codonopsis from Chinese medicine, milky oats, Schisandra, also known as Wu Wei Zi in Chinese medicine. Oftentimes if you pick up an adrenal axis formula or some are even named HPA Axis Formula, you will find that it’s a combination of these herbs.

[42:22] The only adaptogen that has been studied specifically for PCOS is licorice. Licorice tends to raise the blood pressure, so if you already have high blood pressure, this is one that you would want to avoid. And in terms of ginseng, even though it’s a great adaptogen, it’s very hot energetically. If you have a lot of symptoms of heat, you’re sweating at night, maybe you’re having hot flashes with it during the day as well. You’ve got red itchy skin, loose urgent bowls, ginseng is not the one for you, you would want something more cooling like Dang Shen. Dang Shen is often substituted for ginseng or Ren Shen.

[46:04] Not only do adaptogens regulate the cortisol, but they also help to regulate blood sugar and insulin.

[48:59] If you aren’t properly eliminating those toxins in your bowel, they circulate back around to your liver which only lessens your liver’s ability to get rid of excess hormones. Making sure that you’re having daily bowel movements and detoxifying to the best of your ability is super important. On the flipside, if the bowels are too loose and you’re seeing undigested food, you’re not absorbing everything that you should be from your food.

[52:46] The other aspect of gut health is leaky gut and that is caused by all kinds of pharmaceuticals, over-the-counter medications, antibiotics, improper gut flora, improper diet, and any major abdominal surgeries, including C-sections. You want to find out if there are any inflammatory food triggers — anything that is causing thinning or permeability of the gut. If you’re intolerant to gluten or dairy and you’re eating it every day, this can build so much inflammation that it eventually thins the lining of the gut, causing toxins to leak into the bloodstream.


pcos gut & toxin.png

[56:41] If you do have histamine intolerance, if you think you’re having an immune response to sperm or you suspect that, that’s part of your infertility, you could include strains in your probiotic that actually help degrade histamine and an overactive immune response, which would be Bifidobacterium infantis (this is found in breast milk), Bifidobacterium longum, and Lactobacillus plantarum. These are helpful as well as soil-based organisms, meaning prebiotics that act as a food source for the good strains of probiotics you are using, as these can help to lower the immune system response.

[58:09] The other category that needs to be considered when you’re cleaning up PCOS and trying to reverse it is environmental toxins and detoxification overload. Oftentimes, this is happening through your skin and beauty products, as well as your foods that are genetically modified and cause what are called xenoestrogens — bad estrogens — to dock in your hormonal receptors. These are huge causes of dysregulation, as are things like BPA, which is found in the lining of cans, so all those cans of tuna and LaCroix that you’ve been consuming thinking that you’re eating healthy, the BPA inside can be detrimental to your estrogen/testosterone balance.

[1:00:57] The last category: Energy production and mitochondrial function. If you are someone that has insomnia and or fatigue, this category is for you. There’s been evidence that’s been accumulating for the role of CoQ10 in the treatment of mitochondrial disorders and infertility for some time now.

References:Fertile Minds on LibSynFertile Minds on iTunesAviva Romm MDThalidomideDESAccutaneGaia HPA AxisEpisode 7Additional ResearchContinue Your Journey:@ladypotions4uon Twitter@ladypotions4uon InstagramMy Website: Ladypotions.comDisclaimer * You …

References:

Fertile Minds on LibSyn

Fertile Minds on iTunes

Aviva Romm MD

Thalidomide

DES

Accutane

Gaia HPA Axis

Episode 7

Additional Research

Continue Your Journey:

@ladypotions4uon Twitter

@ladypotions4uon Instagram

My Website: Ladypotions.com

Disclaimer * You must not rely on the information in this podcast as an alternative to medical advice from your doctor or other professional healthcare provider. If you have any specific questions about any medical matter you should consult your doctor or other professional healthcare provider. If you think you may be suffering from any medical condition you should seek immediate medical attention. You should never delay seeking medical advice, disregard medical advice, or discontinue medical treatment because of information on this website or in this podcast.

EPISODE 42 | MINI MINDFUL MOMENT | 16 Seconds to Bliss

Mini Mindful Moments

16 Seconds to Bliss

This relaxation response technique is so easy you might forget how to do it.

This episode is brought to you by the online course- How to thrive with Your Newborn presented by the talented doula Adriana Lozada

Getting pregnant can be difficult, staying pregnant can be day to day for some, and bringing your baby home and getting to know what YOUR baby needs can be super trying, but  it doesn’t have to be. If you want to feel confident about your postpartum experience this course is definitely for you and it is super affordable. With over a decade of experience, Adriana teaches you how to understand the baby you were blessed with in a 5 week self paced online experience. You can find it at birthfulcourses.com or in today’s show notes. 

EPISODE 41 | WHAT TCM HAS TO SAY ABOUT YOUR CYCLE | PT 2 Your Period & Aging

 

Description:

Our periods are signs of how we are interacting with our environment, both internally and externally, and a way for us to use certain signals for fertility. Today, Hillary talks about what to stop and consider about your own period, how to change the quality and quantity of your uterine lining, decreasing inflammation to help clotting and cramping, certain foods to build up the blood, and how to turn back the clock in aging. 

Takeaway:

[1:45] The symptoms of your period are not something to be flushed and forgotten. They are your body’s way of telling you that something is out of balance.

[2:36] The amount that you bleed is important and should be a steady flow with 1 or 2 days that are heavier, for a total of about 4 to 5 days. In order for the embryo to be nourished and grow, the lining has to be thick and well-vascularized. One important thing that often gets missed is the shedding of the lining every single month, so you don’t have old blood sitting on top of the lining. If you are a scanty bleeder, it is a good indication that your uterine lining is insufficient.

[5:26] Foods that help build up the blood include eggs with the yolk, clean sources of red meat, full-fat dairy and healthy fats such as seeds and avocado. It is also advised to not over-exercise during this time and resort to light stretching, walking, and gentle movement.

[6:53] The clot that you see in your menstrual blood has been forming way before you have your period. So what’s the problem? Implantation depends on establishing a healthy, thriving blood supply. But the whole job of a clot is to stop the flow of blood! A clotted uterine lining is one that is stale and stagnant. It doesn't have the fresh surface it needs to allow implantation to succeed at a high rate. It is important to stay away from inflammatory foods, and employ abdominal massage, and possibly employ a vaginal steam bath.

[9:29] When you feel cramping, it really is your uterine wall spasming. Severe cramping — also called dysmenorrhea — isn’t just a drag, it’s counter-productive for conception.

[11:07] It is common to have one day of heavy bleeding, but the other days should be more even with bright red blood rather than just one day of intense bleeding then right to spotting. Heavy bleeding can indicate an issue with spleen chi deficiency, where your body doesn’t have enough energy to open and shut the uterus and control the blood flow, leading to a feeling of strong fatigue.

[12:02] Red raspberry leaf may be used to tone your uterus, and then Cramp Bark when you are having your period. Some traditional Chinese formulas that include herbs from blood building and breaking categories.

[13:33] Many factors including diet, stress, environment, and even things we were exposed to while in utero can affect our eggs. Even more so for the eggs in our 120-day queue, for what’s called a germ cell to become a ripe and fertile egg.

Does age really matter when it comes to conceiving?

[15:13] You can turn back the clock. The Chinese had the idea of two ages which we can scientifically prove now using telomeres or a structure at the end of a chromosome. If you are interested in seeing what age you are according to this science, you can order a telomere test.

[16:28] The Chinese had a different take on the Western idea of the advanced maternal age of 35. They say men and women mature differently, and every 7 years for a female and 8 years for a male was a huge transition. Age 27 is when we see the first decline in FSH and AMH, two hormones that collectively approximate what a woman’s ovarian reserve is. There is an even more steep decline at 35, especially in egg quality increasing the risk for miscarriage or birth defect There is hope if you have waited! Egg quality can be positively affected by things like acupuncture, herbs, meditation, proper nutrition, and other various stress reduction techniques.

[18:31] Paternal age matters as well. You can reference a previous episode with Dr. Zev Williams from Columbia for more information on how much paternal age matters when it comes to single gene mutations that can cause things like autism, bipolar disorder, and other mental/emotional disruptions.

[19:02] There are categories of herbs that are said to have been taken by royalty because they were said to help them live forever. Zinc has been shown to help sperm fragmentation, and alpha lipoic acid has been touted to help egg quality in a woman of advanced maternal age when taken 3-6 months. DHEA is a precursor for the other steroids in our body, and studies have shown it helps the quality of the eggs. It is recommended to get your levels tested before taking this, and talk to your provider to see if it’s something to consider.

  

References:

Fertile Minds on LibSyn

Fertile Minds on iTunes

Ep #37 — Part 1

Ep #27 with Dr. Zev Williams

Art of Acupuncture  

 

Continue Your Journey:

@ladypotions4u on Instagram

 Disclaimer *

You must not rely on the information in this podcast as an alternative to medical advice from your doctor or other professional healthcare provider. If you have any specific questions about any medical matter you should consult your doctor or other professional healthcare provider. If you think you may be suffering from any medical condition you should seek immediate medical attention. You should never delay seeking medical advice, disregard medical advice, or discontinue medical treatment because of information on this website or in this podcast.

EPISODE 40 | HOW TO USE MALAS AND CRYSTALS AS PART OF YOUR FERTILITY MEDITATIONS

How to Use Malas and Crystals as Part of Your Fertility Meditations

 

Today's mini mindful moment answers the questions...

Why would someone use a crystal?

What is a mala?

How to do japa meditation?

How do you infuse an intention into a stone or piece of jewelry? 

How would this possibly help my fertility?

Visit @ Rejuled on IG and use the code FERTILE18 to claim your 20% discount on one of these mala bracelets. 

EPISODE 39 | CAN BLOOD SUGARS AFFECT YOUR FERTILITY & PREGNANCY w/ Lily Nichols RDN, CDE

This week, we are joined again by the very knowledgeable (and one of our most popular Fertile Minds podcast guests) Lily Nichols. Not only is Lily a devoted mom, but she is a stellar author and a registered dietitian/nutritionist with a flair for interpreting scientific data and applying it to the modern-day woman. She speaks with Hillary today on her work helping women learn how to prevent or manage their Gestational Diabetes. She also discusses how we test for it, what makes someone more susceptible to acquiring it, and what the long-term complications are for both mama and baby once they are diagnosed with it.

Lily presents a unique approach in helping women manage their diet and lifestyle in her bestselling books, Real Food for Gestational Diabetesand Real Food for Pregnancy.

Takeaway:

[2:13] Lily describes what Gestational Diabetes is and is not. It is a type of Diabetes that develops or is diagnosed during pregnancy. Typically, your body is having trouble processing carbohydrates, causing high blood sugar.

[4:06] Lily uses a hybrid approach when screening for Gestational Diabetes, mixing traditional glucose tolerance tests with discussing their diet and lifestyle choices.

[7:08] Diet and lifestyle are two factors we can be proactive about in pregnancy, as well as in pre-conception.

[8:26] We are seeing that even mildly elevated is an issue, so it’s important women find out early. 49 to 52 percent have either diabetes or pre-diabetes, and most of them have yet to be diagnosed.

[8:50] We want to use A1C readings in pre-conception and in the first trimester and after that look at blood sugars. If A1C has not gone down later in pregnancy, that is a warning sign that something is going on. We recommend getting an over-the-counter glucometer and monitoring your blood sugar at home first thing in the morning and one to two hours after meals to get an idea of how your body responds to specific foods.

DOWNLOAD BLOOD GLUCOSE TRACKER

[12:58] Lily discusses the acceptable levels of fasting and non-fasting blood sugars in pregnant women. We naturally see lower blood sugar levels in a typical pregnancy, along with changes in the significant thyroid and the burning of more fat to send fatty acids to the baby.

[17:32] During pregnancy, if your blood sugar levels are higher than normal, there is a direct line from you to your baby to via umbilical cord. There’s also a physiological reason that women may not feel like eating during pregnancy, to try and push towards ketosis. This makes sense as to why breastfeeding is the best diet ever, as it pulls all the fat to give to the baby.

[22:19] When we have been on a sugar binge and try to come off of sugar, that is happening to the baby the first couple days, so you can imagine how jarring that is until they re-regulate.

[23:34] Even with a diagnosis of Gestational Diabetes, the recommendation of allowable daily carbs is still very high. Lily observed her clients blood sugar getting worse when they followed the protocol and found that a lower level of carbohydrates is ideal.

[27:34] The second part of Lily’s research was looking at ketones and the different part of ketosis. The benefit of the ketogenic diet becoming popular is now there is more discussion on what it means to be in ketosis and what types of ketosis are safe to be in.

[33:39] Lily observes that most women gain their weight in the second and early third trimester and tend to level out unless there is fluid retention.

[36:06] The pancreas is not accustomed to pumping out a large amount of insulin consistently.

[39:11] While it may be annoying and tedious, testing your blood sugar levels daily is well worth it for acquiring interesting data.

[40:41] We discuss the risk factors of how blood sugar issues may affect our children’s fertility and generations down the line. What we may be seeing now may be the epigenetic effect from our low-fat diet from the 1980’s.

[45:21] As you tend to get beyond the 35 and 40 BMI, you do see more pregnancy complications and macrosomia with an epigenetic carryover effect through generations and beyond.

[48:59] People feel like they have acquired a disease, but really your body is adapting to the environment in which it is currently in.

[49:18] Plan of action:

●     Start monitoring A1C & post-meal blood sugars pre-conception, if possible.

●     Pull an A1C in the first trimester and if it’s suspect get in touch with someone like Lily to get it under control. Check out Lily’s books AND video course, or join her Facebook group.

●     Eat real food throughout your pregnancy and a reasonable amount of carbs that works for you.

●     Continue to eat the same way, maybe even more good fats while you are breastfeeding to enhance your breast milk.

●     Bring up your children on the same diet they were exposed to in utero and educate them about blood sugars and food in general so they can affect the next two generations in a healthy way.

 

References:

Fertile Minds on LibSyn

Fertile Minds on iTunes

Pilatesnutritionist.com

http://pilatesnutritionist.com/why-i-drank-the-glucola/
http://pilatesnutritionist.com/i-failed-the-glucola/

Gestational Diabetes Course

California Diabetes and Pregnancy Program

Real Food for Gestational Diabetes: An Effective Alternative to the Conventional Nutrition Approach,
by Lily Nichols

Does Gestational Diabetes Occur in Pregnant Mares?  

Twitter.com/LilyNicholsRDN

Lily’s Instagram

 

Continue Your Journey:

Link to sign up for free 29-day meditation challenge

@ladypotions4uon Twitter

@ladypotions4uon Instagram

Disclaimer * 

You must not rely on the information in this podcast as an alternative to medical advice from your doctor or other professional healthcare provider. If you have any specific questions about any medical matter you should consult your doctor or other professional healthcare provider. If you think you may be suffering from any medical condition you should seek immediate medical attention. You should never delay seeking medical advice, disregard medical advice, or discontinue medical treatment because of information on this website or in this podcast.

EPISODE 38 | MINI MINDFUL MOMENT | Verbal Suggestions So You Can Calm the Frick Down

Todays relaxation response technique is technically called Autogenic Training. It’s a technique that is credited to Dr. Johannes Schultz and was popularized in the 90’s by Dr. Herbert Benson’s book - The Relaxation Response and has to do with the power of verbal suggestion. Now these verbal suggestions called orientations, can be thought of as a type of self hypnosis. This is different than an affirmation because we are going to take the verbal suggestions into the body to help it relax, not just repeat something in our minds. Once you’ve used this phrase though and effectively calmed your body down, you should be able to pull it out in a pinch and repeat it silently to yourself and have some of the same effect. It's perfect to use when your heart is racing before a doctors appointment or during the two week wait when you find yourself extra anxious. When you use autogenic training, you are essentially bypassing your conscious mind in order to instruct your body to relax via your subconscious mind. Autogenic Training sounds so formal and stuffy though- so I decided to rename it today to verbal suggestions so you can calm the frick down.

Today's episode is brought to you by, Pregnancy Brain, by Parijat Deshpande. You can find it anywhere books are sold or at pregnancybrainbook.com.

EPISODE 37 | WHAT TCM HAS TO SAY ABOUT YOUR CYCLE | PT 1 Timing, Length & Temperatures

I was listening to other podcasts as I often do, and one happened to be about the basics of TCM diagnosis. It dawned on me that I have yet to demystify this system of medicine that I love so much.  Today’s podcast is my attempt to explain some basic diagnostic terms in TCM, especially how they relate to your menstrual cycle and your fertility.

I believe that symptoms are God’s gift when it comes to figuring out what exactly is going on in your body. This reigns especially true when it comes to trying to figure out what exactly is happening internally when it comes to your fertility. If you’ve noticed subtle changes in your menstrual cycle in regards to timing, length or amount of bleeding and have wondered if this effects your fertility or how to rebalance it, this episode is for you. If you’ve ever had acupuncture and wondered what the heck your practitioner was referring to when they mentioned you had Kidney Yin Deficiency or Liver Qi stagnation, this episode is also for you. If you have considered getting acupuncture, but never really understood how it could help your fertility, this episode is for you. If you just want to know what your BBT or AVA charts mean through a lease of TCM and what to do about it, this episode is definitely for you. 

 

The Eight Principles (辩证) are:

1. Yin: Yin, along with Yang, is the most general classification for pattern diagnosis and it describes the relationship between the other three pairs of the Principles. Generally speaking, Yin is Cold and the fluids of the body.

2. Yang: Yang, along with Yin is used to describe the relationship between the other three pairs of the Principles. For example, Heat is Yang or the energy / Qi of the body. 

3. Interior: Interior describes diseases that manifest themselves in the Zang-fu organs or deep inside the body, such as Qi, blood, and bone marrow. In menstrual terms, this may mean scanty menses,  late menarche, or erratic cycles in general. 

4. Exterior: Exterior describes diseases that manifest themselves on surface of the body, such hair, skin, nails, and meridians. In menstrual terms, this may mean the symptoms of external pathogen that has invaded the body, like an STD that presents with a rash.

5. Heat: Heat describes the absence of an aversion to Cold. In menstrual terms, it can mean BBTs above 98.2, high temps above 97.2 in the follicular phase that provoke early ovulation, or cramps that do not respond to a heating pad. 

6. Cold: Cold describes an aversion to Cold. In menstrual terms, we see it as low BBT temps, dark blood with pain, or menstrual cramping that responds to a heating pad.

7. Deficiency: Deficiency is used to describe a vacuity in Qi, blood (Xue) or body fluids (Jinye).  In menstrual health we see it as cramping that gets worse as the period goes on, low temps on a BBT, short luteal cycles meaning Kidney Yang Deficiency or short follicular cycles meaning Kidney Yin Deficiency.

8. Excess: Excess is generally classified as any disease that can't be identified as a Deficiency pattern. Usually, it means that one of the Six Excesses is present. In menstrual health we may see it is as STD, yeast infections, bacterial infections,  growths (like fibroids), certain types of PCOS that involve the concept of phlegm and dampness, or even in certain presentations of endometriosis. 

It’s important to decipher if an imbalance is truly excess or deficiency because it will often mean completely different herbal preparations to balance the body. 

 

After a basic diagnosis of the diseases is given via the Eight Principles, the diagnostic continues and focuses on more specific conditions. After evaluating the present symptoms, a person’s condition is further evaluated as to how the specific entities (Qi, meridians, Zang-fu, etc.) are affected. This where we start to get into concepts like stagnation. You may hear about blood stasis or Liver Qi stagnation, where flow is disrupted. We still have to use the above pillars to decide if it stagnated due to deficiency or excess, but knowing what organ it is affecting by asking questions helps us to target the herbal formula to a greater degree and ensure the system is balanced. 

Causes of Imbalances

Traditional Chinese Medicine does not strongly differentiate between the cause and effect of a disease. However, there are three major categories that are considered to give rise to disease. The three major categories of disease causes are:

1. External: Disease caused by the Six Excesses. These have to do with the environment in which we live,  too much cold, too hot of environment, too damp of an environment, too dry of environment. For example; I reside in South Florida and it’s currently August at the time of this taping. It isn’t just hot out, it’s downright slimy. For a male that has worked outside all day, he might be exposing himself to super high temperatures all day long and  that could drastically affect his quality and count of sperm. 

2. Internal: Disease caused the by Seven Emotions or Seven Affects: Anger, Fear, Anxiety, Fright, Grief, Pensiveness, and Joy. These are said to affect the Zang-fuorgans. Constant high stress without a constant relaxation response have been shown to negatively impact sperm and egg health as well as ovulation.

3. Other Irregularities: Disease caused by something that is neither external nor internal, such as having unbalanced diet, damage done by parasites or in this day & age- toxins. In modern day you could think of this as the quality of the food we eat, and what toxins we are exposed to including those we slather on our skin in our beauty products. This is often the one cause of imbalance that we have the most control over. 

Timing Matters and How Do You Time a Cycle Anyways?

Ideally a menstrual cycle (from the start of one period to the next) is 28 days, the same as a lunar cycle. It's not uncommon for cycles to shift in accordance to new moons, full moons, changing time zones with travel, or with extreme stress or changes in diet, but when it comes to your fertility, the length can have a huge impact, in some cases it can decrease your chances of conceiving by up to 50%. 

Length Matters

Length of your cycle as well as how long you bleed for equally matter but for different reasons.  

Three main consequences of shorter cycles include lower egg quality, inability to sustain a pregnancy, and early ovulation.

Temperature matters

Most couples are shocked when they have a miscarriage. They are often even more shocked when they find out the chances of having one for any healthy couple is 30%. The good news is, that by simply tracking your basal body temperatures and waiting to conceive the following cycle after a "healthy" one is detected you can drop your chances of miscarriage to less than 5%.

* healthy cycle means having an average of 97.2 BBT in the follicular stage of the cycle and an average of 98.2 BBT in the luteal cycle, with a mid-cycle ovulation and a luteal phase lasting at least 10 days.

Did you know that you could get the same custom herbal formulas I use with my acupuncture
clients, shipped right to your door? When you sign up for a 3 Month
Subscription, your evaluation is free, a $100 value, and you receive email access to ask me
any questions you have pertaining to your fertility.

Links to take you further

Episode about Cervical Mucus

LadyPotions.com/episode27

Artofacu-stpete.com

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16357595

Disclaimer :

You must not rely on the information in this podcast as an alternative to medical advice from your doctor or other professional healthcare provider.If you have any specific questions about any medical matter you should consult your doctor or other professional healthcare provider. If you think you may be suffering from any medical condition you should seek immediate medical attention. You should never delay seeking medical advice, disregard medical advice, or discontinue medical treatment because of information on this website or in this podcast.

EPISODE 36 | MINI MINDFUL MOMENT | Progressive Muscle Relaxation

Mini Mindful Moments- Progressive Muscle Relaxation

Have you ever had the experience where you go to get a massage or acupuncture or maybe even a pedicure, and you have no idea that you are holding stress in your body until the practitioner starts working on you, and it hurts sooo good and you are suddenly aware of 

A. how stressed you are

B. that something hurts that you didn’t even realize 

C. how disconnected you are from your body

I have, guilty as charged. It happens, I get caught up in my to do lists or the occasional over extension of myself and I show up at one of my bi- monthly scheduled self care appointments and I’m suddenly aware that I am way more stressed than I thought. I see this happen all the time in my clinic with my fertility patients. I ask them if they have any pain or discomfort and they reply, I’m fine. Often times I will start with a technique of cupping to help relieve tension in the neck and back and as soon as I lay my hands on them, I can feel the knots. Sometimes I can see the tension in their necks, just by how they are holding themselves. So if this sounds like you, today’s exercise is going to help you get out of your head and into your body. It’s call PMR or progressive muscle relaxation. It’s great for people that live in their heads. It distracts them just long enough to reconnect with their precious body. Now if you have an acute or chronic pain you may want to skip that body or go lightly with it when we get there, as this technique involves tensing the muscle first and then relaxation. It’s kind of like tricking your muscles into relaxing, especially when you feel like you no longer know how to. So even if you’ve done this one before, do it with me. Sometimes its super nice to just let someone else guide you and really get you out of your head. 



EPISODE 35 | MASTERING MINDFULNESS DURING A HIGH RISK PREGNANCY | Pregnancy Brain with Parijat Deshpande

Description:

Parijat Deshpande is the leading high-risk pregnancy expert, perinatal mind-body wellness counselor, speaker, and author who guides women to quickly and effectively release their stress during their high-risk pregnancy so they can give their baby a strong start to life. Her bestselling book “Pregnancy Brain: A Mind-Body Approach to Stress Management During a High-Risk Pregnancy” and popular podcast Delivering Miracles® discuss the real, raw side of infertility and pregnancy in an interesting yet expert manner. Tune in for an episode where we discuss the physical impact of hope, how to surround yourself with a team that feels right to you, and making decisions based on clarity and confidence.

 

Takeaway:

[1:45] Parijat’s unique approach has served hundreds of women to manage pregnancy complications and reclaim a safety and trust in their bodies that they thought was eroded forever. Parijat is not afraid to swim in some deep waters and to talk about the tough aspects of infertility and pregnancy.

[3:28] Parijat is both an expert in this field and someone that comes at it from an organic angle. She understands the feelings of fear, isolation, and frustration that are often present in infertility and high-risk pregnancy.

[7:16] It’s very easy to shy away from hope when you have experienced health challenges. Hope is trust and faith in the outcome without the evidence to feel it. Our body (and baby) can feel our hope and faith, and it can also feel our fear and doubt. When we trust and know our body, and are connected with it, that is the building block and shining light of hope.

[10:52] Parijat combines her Clinical Psychology background with her own experiences and stories from the thousands of other women that have all felt and gone through the same thing.

[13:21] We can’t control the outcome of everything that happens in our life, but we can control our hope, the team around us, and the way we take care of and nourish our mind, body, and spirit.

[16:13] When you are going through high-risk pregnancy and infertility, it’s so important to find a doctor and team that conveys information with compassion, hope, and proactive management. Your providers take you much more seriously when you are straightforward and in touch with what’s happening in your body.

[21:28] Knowing the difference between anxiety and fear is crucial to how we manage stress and influence the physiological responses in our body. We isolate things in Western Medicine when they are very much intertwined between our emotions, thoughts, and manifestations within the body.

[27:58] The ego part of your brain would often times rather be familiar with what we know, even if that’s anxiety and worry. Learning how to relax is like working out a muscle, and something you can practice every day.

[31:11] Processing emotions rather than holding on to them while pregnant can seem daunting, but Parijat invites a gentle approach that works towards uprooting grief from the body so it can safely be let go.


[32:47] Parijat is offering a 15% off discount to the Fertile Minds family for her . Use the code fertilemindsat checkout to receive discount.

[36:41] Parijat works with women to recognize their bodies’ anchor points to guide them in making decisions based on clarity, rather than fear.

 

References:

Fertile Minds on LibSyn

Fertile Minds on iTunes

Pregnancy Brain: A Mind-Body Approach to Stress Management During a High-Risk Pregnancy,
by Parijat Deshpande

Delivering Miracles®

Parijat Deshpande

Continue Your Journey:

Link to sign up for free 29-day meditation challenge

@ladypotions4u on Twitter

@ladypotions4u on Instagram

My Website: Ladypotions.com

Disclaimer * 

You must not rely on the information in this podcast as an alternative to medical advice from your doctor or other professional healthcare provider. If you have any specific questions about any medical matter you should consult your doctor or other professional healthcare provider. If you think you may be suffering from any medical condition you should seek immediate medical attention. You should never delay seeking medical advice, disregard medical advice, or discontinue medical treatment because of information on this website or in this podcast.

 

EPISODE 34 | MINI MINDFUL MOMENT | Mindfulness 101

How do you set the tone for mindfulness & actually practice it?

Whether you are doing something prolific like making love, or something mundane like the dishes get in the habit of asking yourself these questions and then observing the answer you come up with, without judgment. 

What do I hear?

What do I feel?

What do I smell?

What do I see?

What do I taste?

Try it with me, wherever you are, whatever you are doing ask yourself these simple questions. Drop into the present moment and quit entertaining your past or your worries about the future. 

By taking the time to ask yourself these questions and thoughtfully responding, you allow yourself to me more fully engaged in the activity and deepen your experience.

Even though it is a practice that is seemingly more mental than following the breath because we are entertaining your mind, it really allows you to drop out of your head and into your body. 

It allows you take a break from what’s going on in your head, which chances are is the same conversation with yourself on repeat, and I’m willing to bet it’s probably not saying anything you would repeat to someone outloud. 

So if you want to change the way you feel, you have to start paying attention to what is really happening in the moment and not what your repetitious thoughts would like you to believe. 

It's so simple. 

You just have to commit to doing it! 

Let's get mindful together. 

Join me in the 29 Day Fertility Meditation Challenge- Begins August 26th


EPISODE 33 | MINDFUL PARENTING IN A MESSY WORLD w/ Michelle Gale

Mindful Parenting in a Messy World with Michelle Gale

Description: Today we are joined by Michelle Gale, bestselling author, speaker, strategic advisor and mother/member of her lovely Family Council. Michelle and I talk about mindfulness as the number one secret to parenting with a clear head and open heart. She shares the intention and inspiration behind her book, Mindful Parenting in a Messy World,her own transformation from anxiety and fear to acceptance and empowerment, how new parents may find time to weave mindfulness and meditation into their jam-packed schedule, and how she herself practices mindfulness in her own family.

To share your own fertility story, please email me at hillary@ladypotions.com. I look forward to connecting with you, as you are what this podcast is all about.

 

Takeaway:

[:42] The Free 29 Day Fertility Challenge is just around the corner, starting August 26! Each day you will get an email from me reminding you to log in and check out the new meditation. Each meditation will guide you through your chakras, helping you to free stuck emotions, release limiting beliefs and to tone your physical body, reading it for conception.

[1:45] Meditation is truly the secret weapon when it comes to parenting with a clear head and open heart. Many parents become so busy that they forget the very practice that is there to help them stay grounded, peaceful and sane during the time right after childbirth when they would need it most.

[2:17] Our guest today is Michelle Gale. Michelle was previously the head of Learning and Leadership Development at Twitter, has a bestselling book titled Mindful Parenting in a Messy World: Living with Presence and Parenting with Purpose, and a podcast, Mindful Parenting in a Messy World. In addition to her board work with Holistic Life Foundation, she is currently a strategic advisor to the Mindful Schools and the Wisdom 2.0 Conference.

[5:45] Michelle makes it a priority for herself to weave mindfulness in throughout the day. She shares the different ways we can practice it, whether it’s taking a moment to make eye contact a few seconds longer with our children, meditating in the morning or evening, or using a meditation app for even 5 minutes a day. You can check out Michelle’s 7 Day Series on the app Simple Habit.

[8:53] In knowing ourselves, we create the conditions for peace in ourselves and our communities. If we want a generation that is awake, we need to awaken ourselves first.

[11:08] Michelle revealed in her book that so much of her anxiety as a parent came from a fear of screwing up. She reached a turning point when she realized she wanted to focus on the magic that was her actual kids, instead of the story about them and about how things should be, that she was seeing through a “should” filter.

[14:44] Moments where we overreact and make mistakes as parents become an opportunity for growth, and serve as a teaching moment for ourselves and our children on the importance of handling stress and taking care of ourselves.

[20:02] Michelle shares the experience of enlisting her son Tyler as her teacher to help notice patterns of reactivity and then remind her to breathe.

[24:14] I read an amazing excerpt from Michelle’s book on her take on teenage behavior, unmet needs, and the evolutionary response to separate in adulthood.

[28:25] Meditation may be the formal practice, and mindfulness can be done everywhere at any time.

[31:18] Michelle teaches Mindful Listening to her family and recommends starting out a Family Council in small bits at a time, so everyone practices getting a chance to both listen and speak. Her own Council has evolved over time and is something that has helped strengthen the family and make each member feel seen and heard.

[35:26] Michelle’s first Online Summit has a star-studded, wonderful cast of people talking about all aspects of parenting. For more information, join her online community.

 

References:

Fertile Minds on LibSyn

Fertile Minds on iTunes

Mindful Parenting in a Messy World: Living with Presence and Parenting with Purpose, by Michelle Gale

Mindful Parenting in a Messy World

Simple Habit 7 Day Series

The Way of Council, by Jack Zimmerman in collaboration with Virginia Coyle

Happily Family 

Michelle Gale

Mindfulness in America 

 

Continue Your Journey:

Link to sign up for free 29-day meditation challenge

@ladypotions4u on Twitter

@ladypotions4u on Instagram

My Website: Ladypotions.com

Disclaimer * 

You must not rely on the information in this podcast as an alternative to medical advice from your doctor or other professional healthcare provider. If you have any specific questions about any medical matter you should consult your doctor or other professional healthcare provider. If you think you may be suffering from any medical condition you should seek immediate medical attention. You should never delay seeking medical advice, disregard medical advice, or discontinue medical treatment because of information on this website or in this podcast.


EPISODE 32 | MINI MINDFUL MOMENT | Ocean Breath

Mini Mindful Moments- Fertility Exercises For Every Day Use

Meditation is great, but what happens when you need to reset your nervous system during the day from Fight & Flight to Breed & Feed? Mini Mindful Moments are techniques for you to try out throughout your day to help you not only be more mindful and present, they will affect your nervous, immune, and endocrine systems biochemically in a positive way when practiced regularly. Enjoy! 

I suggest setting an alarm on your phone during your work day or after what you anticipate to be stressful events to help you get in the habit of creating a calmer you! Try it and see for yourself and remember what calm, cool, and confident you feels like. 



EPISODE 31 | REAL FOOD FOR REAL PREGNANCY w/ Lily Nichols RDN, CDE

How to Feel Good, Build a Healthy Baby and Avoid Gestational Diabetes

Description: Today we welcome Lily Nichols, Registered Dietitian, Nutritionist, Certified Diabetes Educator,  researcher and an author with a passion for evidence-based prenatal nutrition and exercise. Lily draws from the current scientific literature and blends it with the wisdom of traditional culture and nature. We talk about the Western expectation of women managing it all directly after pregnancy and giving birth, and Lily’s prescription for healing and self-care. She shares how she began backing philosophy with results and clinical data to author two of her groundbreaking books, Real Food for Gestational Diabetes and Real Food for Pregnancy. She also gives some of her top picks for pregnancy food, embracing mindfulness, and how she feeds her family for months at a time using only two animals. Let your intuition guide you, and then use Lily’s book to prove these decisions with scientifically proven data.

Get the first chapter of Real Food for Pregnancy Free

To share your own fertility story, please email me at hillary@ladypotions.com. I look forward to connecting with you, as you are what this podcast is all about.

 

Takeaway:

[2:26] Lily wrote Real Food for Pregnancy when her son was 10 months old, and she herself was healing from pregnancy and birth.

[3:48] Lily encourages prioritizing food and self-care at all stages of pregnancy, including the preventative stage prior, and the fourth trimester, the postpartum months.

[7:38] It was almost by accident that Lily got into the nutrition field. She was looking for a part-time role in the nutrition field that did not include a hospital, saw an opening for California Diabetes and Pregnancy Program and starting working clinically in Gestational Diabetes. As she implemented the nutrition element of the protocol in the clinic, she noticed a lack of improvement. The common sense side of her observed the current guidelines didn’t emphasize real foods, and were pretty high-carb.

[8:47] Women with Gestational Diabetes are often not able to tolerate large amounts of carbs without elevated blood sugar. These findings led Lily down the path of researching a low carb and nutrient dense diet from real foods. She started using it clinically and knew she was on to something with excellent results. This led her to author her first book, Real Food for Gestational Diabetes. This changed the course of how many viewed their philosophy in the nutrition and pregnancy field.

[14:38] Lily comes at the information from a proactive and informed outcome, not a fear-based one.

[18:12] Lily shares some sample meal plans compared to the current recommended ones, and the breakdown of the ratio between protein, carb, etc.

[21:20] Carbohydrates are in many vegetables and fruits.

[22:07] There is very little nutrition education for MD’s, and much of what they are learning is outdated. One example is the hesitancy for the low carb diet due to ketones in the urine. A ketogenic diet could be a safe option during pregnancy, as a woman’s body often dips into ketosis naturally during pregnancy.

[24:27] Organ meats and liver are the most nutrient dense parts of an animal. Supplying a high amount of iron, choline and B12, Lily supplies recipe ideas in her books on incorporating it dishes, so you aren’t eating a whole plate of just liver.

[35:07] When choosing animal products, Lily is a proponent of choosing the highest quality and best sourced meat. Nothing goes to waste and she encourages families to purchase from a farmer and utilize the whole animal.

[38:57] Even the most culinary-challenged person can develop basic skills to make a flavorful and nutritious meal.

[45:14] Lily gives us some good news — her opinion is that small amounts of caffeine are okay. A lot of the foods that are mentioned to avoid due to food borne illness are also ones that provide critical nutrients. She suggests eating foods sourced from high quality places, and the risk is extremely low. 

[52:58] Eating well is one of the ways we can be mindful in pregnancy. Mindful moments, spiritual self-care and moving our body are also key elements to keep our body aligned through the process. It’s not about pushing and resisting, it’s about being mindful and going with the flow in a gentle. guided way.

 

Continuing your journey:

Lily Nichols Blog

Real Food for Pregnancy- amazon

Real Food for Pregnancy — Get the First Chapter Free 

Gestational Diabetes info and course by Lily Nichols

Real Food for Gestational Diabetes

California Diabetes and Pregnancy Program

@lilynicholsrdn on Instagram

@ladypotions4u on Twitter

@ladypotions4u on Instagram

American Board of Oriental Reproductive Medicine

Disclaimer * 

You must not rely on the information in this podcast as an alternative to medical advice from your doctor or other professional healthcare provider. If you have any specific questions about any medical matter you should consult your doctor or other professional healthcare provider. If you think you may be suffering from any medical condition you should seek immediate medical attention. You should never delay seeking medical advice, disregard medical advice, or discontinue medical treatment because of information on this website or in this podcast.