Food Freedom and Fertility Podcast

In this episode of Food, Freedom, and Fertility, Caitlin continues solo to bring us special guest, Lindsay O’Reilly while Sophia is on maternity leave.  Lindsay is an integrative and function dietician in the Kansas City area and specializes in thyroid disorders.  While navigating her own diagnosis of hypothyroidism, Lindsay set a course with her virtual practice in hopes of assisting others dealing with thyroid issues, in an effort to bridge the gaps of understanding when it comes to a healthy system.      The main focus today is to discuss thyroid and its relation to fertility.   By doing so, Lindsay and Caitlin address the different forms of thyroid trouble, both men and women can withstand, as well as what tests one should request from their health care practitioner when assessing the root cause of their thyroid conditions. Since some forms of thyroid malfunction can stem from autoimmune diseases, Lindsay and Caitlin spend some time discussing the ways in which testing your thyroid antibodies can be helpful in an effort to get a full scope of what is happening inside your system.  With Lindsay’s own experience and knowledge drawn from her practice, she and Caitlin hope to aim the discussion at points where some western medicine overlooks, in an effort to help listeners gain more knowledge of what they can look for when clearing a path to better health.   The importance of thorough testing comes even more into play when discussing fertility as so many factors derived from a healthy thyroid can affect fertility.  For instance, Vitamin D is an imperative vitamin to the fertility process, which may be left untested in the usual ways of fertility studies for women struggling to conceive.  Along with explaining the ideal testing processes, Lindsay & Caitlin share their observations on factors that may contribute to the stress withstood by your body and thyroid, both before and after conception.  Since the body may alter based on many different contributions, Caitlin & Lindsay take the time to explain common circumstances for women trying to conceive, withstanding a pregnancy, and post-partum.  By outlining examples like the one above, Caitlin & Lindsay hope to give listeners strong talking points and knowledge so with the help of their doctor, more women feel empowered to reach their healthiest self.   Head to Lindsay's website: https://www.lindsayoreillyrd.com for the guide mentioned in the episode. 

In this episode of Food, Freedom, and Fertility, Caitlin interviews special guest, Lindsey Lusson, a registered dietitian who works in the fertility sphere of women’s health.  After experiencing her own journey of Hypothalamic Amenorrhea, Lindsey aimed to assist women whose physical & mental habits interrupt the natural fertility process based on their eating and exercise habits.  While Sophia is on maternity leave, Caitlin & Lindsey take the time to explain Hypothalamic Amenorrhea (HA) by diving into the signs, approaches to recovery, while discussing the researches that connects HA to infertility-related diagnosis’.   HA is a result of your brain halting communications with your reproductive organs.  The affect being your body doesn’t think it has enough energy to create a monthly cycle and ovulate properly, leaving women with no monthly period cycle.  Since the body has to account for important vital practices such as blood to your heart and air to your lungs, it enters reserve mode to cover those basic functions. Research shows the cause as a result of psychological and physiological stress from exercise along with mismanaged eating or under eating.  While both overweight and underweight women may have HA, it is important to zoom out and examine the full picture of what your body is going through when evaluating your likelihood of HA.   As seen in Lindsey’s experience, it may be hard to retrieve an official diagnosis from a certified Doctor, as HA is a relatively new term in fertility studies within the medical industry.  For this reason, Lindsey offers some advice to listeners who want to or have tried to navigate these waters but have not been able to retrieve accurate results when it comes to missed periods and fertility trouble.  Her advice includes what tests to request from your doctor, along with the ideal team to consider building around yourself when faced with HA.  One request being lap tests, even if not properly timed in your cycle.  As a baseline to see what is going on with your body, lab tests provide a starting point on your roadmap when navigating HA.   Both Caitlin and Lindsey aim to motivate listeners tuning in to evaluate their relationship to their health by means of eating and exercise during this honest, open dialogue about HA and its underlying causes as they relate to the “diet culture” and what we consider as healthy in 2021.  By bring honestly and vulnerability from their own stories, Caitlin & Lindsey hope to relate the content shared in this special episode to anyone hoping to step into a better approach to diet and exercise.  

In this episode of Food, Freedom, and Fertility, Sophia rejoins Caitlin to discuss the important test procedures women should seek when first discovering they are with child.  Caitlin and Sophia aim to provide reasons for listeners to catalog and tools to contribute when discussing next steps with a healthcare provider.  The ideal tests women should inquire about revolve around Progesterone, Vitamin D, and TSH.  Progesterone is a hormone your body produces right after ovulation and varies depending on if there has been successful egg fertilization. So if there’s no pregnancy, the production of progesterone will quickly diminish when a women gets her period. A reason to test progesterone levels in the early stages of pregnancy contributes to its way of sustaining pregnancy, as it is responsible for holding the uterine lining in place. During this segment, Sophia & Caitlin take the time to explain the ideal amount of this hormone as well as strong conversation points to discuss with your health care professional.   The other big test to consider asking for early on in pregnancy is Vitamin D. Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin and is the only vitamin one can get from another means besides food consumption. Vitamin D comes into play in many phases of fertility as it is involved with many different processes our body needs to build new tissues. It is measured in a range of nanograms per milliliter. A different range is considered for sufficient human growth, apart from what is truly ideal for pregnancy, which is a contributing factor and point of conversation when requesting the test from a heath care provider.  The final test Sophia & Caitlin recommend requesting once you confirm a pregnancy is TSH, which stands for Thyroid Stimulating Hormone. Studies show a correlation between a higher window of TSH and miscarriages which is why Sophia & Caitlin recommend this test to their clients 100% of the time.   Since the number can change very quickly, it’s important to get this tested as soon as your pregnancy is known.  In this episode, Sophia & Caitlin lay out the facts research shows when testing THS and the ways in which your diet and other forms of medication can contribute to healthier thyroid numbers going forward.  In this episode, Sophia & Caitlin aim to prep listeners with the knowledge of what healthcare professionals first evaluate when you become pregnant, along with the truths of additional important factors to discuss in order to be proactive in a successful pregnancy. 

This week while Sophia is still on maternity leave Caitlin Johnson interviews Dr. Jordan. Dr. Jordan Robertson is a Naturopathic Doctor, the host of the Women’s Health Unplugged Podcast and a women’s health author. She published a book on miscarriage and recurrent pregnancy loss titled Carrying to Term: How to get pregnant, stay pregnant and carry a healthy baby to term (Amazon 2020). Her passion for women’s health began when she experienced three consecutive miscarriages in her final year of schooling. She turned her personal experience and her background in medical research into a springboard to support women in their own health journeys. She’s known for her relentless search for the best quality evidence in integrative medicine and her willingness to stand up for women as they pursue their health goals. Her passion is to educate and empower women to understand their health and how to care for themselves.    During this episode Dr. Jordan Robertson and Caitlin will discuss Jordan’s personal experience with carrying a baby to term and what she did to make that happen. In addition to her personal journey they dive into information that is beneficial to someone trying to carry to term. Information that could help couples ask the right questions when visiting with their Doctors. This episode will hopefully provide women and couples with additional knowledge around miscarriages to help them advocate for themselves.     https://www.instagram.com/drjordannd/?hl=en https://linktr.ee/drjordannd https://www.drjordannd.com/author/admin/

*Trigger Warning*  - Birth Story In this special episode of Food, Freedom, and Fertility our very own, Sophia, shares the story of her recent home birth. For listeners triggered by birth stories, we look forward to sharing more episodes with you in the future.  For all others, we hope you enjoy this sacred experience shared and discussed while sparing no details.  Sophia decided to have a home birth, as her Mother had done with her, after observing the healthy optics shown in at-home births.  In making this decision, Sophia chose to pursue a midwife accompanied by a team of both professionals and up & coming members. While reflecting on the final days of pregnancy, Sophia explains how a relationship with a midwife can be successful and how expectations can be established to produce a successful, well-versed birthing process.  This to which, was best for her from the start and may not be for some families, depending on their immediate medical history and expectations. When discussing the details of her transition period we would again, advise listeners that these details aren’t censored and dive into the realities of a home birth.  Through conversation with Caitlin, tactics and coping methods are shared in attempts to ensure listeners that the experience can be totally individual to your own body and its environment. Through this conversation, Sophia and Caitlin emphasize how it is totally okay to experience something unseen in the fertility community. In a truthful testament to the conversation of postpartum depression, Sophia shares the chemical reactions her body experienced, leaving her with very little sleep. In navigating those waters, Sophia aimed to take an organic approach to wellness by delegating tasks to her husband in order to gain some quiet time to center her body.  This can also be extremely specific to every family and through this conversation, Sophia & Caitlin hope to guide listeners with a roadmap of contingency plans that families may adhere to based on their own unique journey.  We hope you enjoy this sincere and honest episode as we gather ourselves to continue making content the fertility community, and hopefully beyond, may appreciate.     

In this episode of Food, Freedom, and Fertility, Caitlin & Sophia take a different approach and independently choose two different topics in the world of fertility and PCOS along with their associated studies to dissect important topics in the world of women’s health so listeners can gather the data presented and understand the theories within their own frame of reference. The studies chosen by Caitlin and Sophia focus on Vitex, Letrozole, and Clomind.    Sophia started the conversation discussing a study involving Vitex, otherwise known as Chasteberry. Vitex is a supplement recommended for luteal phase to help with hyper prolactin anemia, which happens when your body’s body's makes too much prolactin. Most women notice this as a common reason for the luteal phase to be shorter than average with a menstrual cycle including heavy periods with intense pain and cramping. The study chosen aimed to prove whether or not Vitex could reduce elevated prolactin resulting in the luteal phase lengthening and progesterone levels normalizing.  As Sophia continues to dissect the study, both weigh in on their known benefits and drawbacks of Vitex through their own experiences and exposure to the herbal supplement.    Caitlin’s chosen study involved the debate on Letrozole versus Clomid. Clomid is a fertility drug which blocks your brain’s estrogen receptors and makes your body think its estrogen levels are low which results in the making of more follicle stimulating the FH hormone, the hormone responsible for triggering your body to grow follicles to size. Letrozole is a newer drug that also changes how your body makes estrogen but instead of using brain receptors, it triggers the enzyme responsible for turning testosterone into estrogen to stop. This causes your body to produce more estrogen in other ways to compensate for the lower levels in the body. Both are known to induce ovulating, which proves to be helpful for the population living with PCOS.  The Clomid study chosen focused on that group of women within the United States. In the study a somewhat shocking statistic rate is shared from Caitlin to make listeners aware of the drug’s success rate while also detailing the processes and side effects the body can withstand when taking Clomid.  The study related to Letrozole, identifies some advantages over Clomid while sounding similar processes within the body. Both studies show staggering statistics including strong differences of each drug, which Caitlin aims to share openly and critically with listeners who hold stake in the wellness of their fertility process.   When discussing these studies, Caitlin and Sophia aim to quantify the scientific descriptions into relatable context for listen to digest within their own world of fertility.  While focusing on discussion rather than hard persuasion, Caitlin and Sophia hope to give listeners helpful information so steps can be taken alongside a medical care professional in an effort to reach a healthy fertility process.

In this episode of Food, Freedom, and Fertility, Caitlin & Sophia discuss chemicals found to disrupt hormones within the body and outline ways to avoid them in an effort to support your liver health and in turn, fertility. By explaining the use our liver plays in our body’s ecosystem, Caitlin & Sophia hope to identify the ways in which we can help our system from constant cleaning overload with substances we consume on a regular basis.  The main chemicals, or toxins, discussed involve analyzing our relationships with Plastic, Pesticides, and Phthalates. These elements can be classified as endocrine disruptors which means they are known chemicals that impact our hormones and how our body communicates, which can ultimately affect our hormone levels and fertility in an unexpected, unintended way.   There’s no doubt we could be doing better when it comes to the way we use plastics in an ongoing disposable manner.  But aside from that, Caitlin & Sophia lay down the dangers in using plastic by outlining its characteristics and changes in every day use. Reason being, BPA mimics estrogen in the body and can cause a lot of damage by disrupting hormones resulting in harming the reproductive system and also brain development for expecting mothers.  This spans from water bottles and food storage containers we use to reheat leftovers at work, to canned products we shop for in the grocery store.     In addition to discussing plastic, Caitlin & Sophia provide resources for listeners to utilize when locating foods with little to no pesticide residue while also speaking about which foods endanger our bodies to more harmful chemicals and which foods are lower risk.  This involves looking at the phrase “organic” in, perhaps, a new light.  By reaching for certain foods research shows to include more pesticides, going organic is more important to consider when aiming to consume as little pesticides as possible. We don’t always have to spend the extra dollars checking out with organic products so Caitlin & Sophia help listeners create a road map of importance when considering different food products.  Additionally, they lead listeners to resources when avoiding phthalates which also count as unwanted harmful chemicals known to affect our hormone system.  This includes substances like soft plastic shower curtains but also more invasive items like feminine products and condoms.     Lastly, Caitlin & Sophia spend some time in this episode discussing the importance of air quality around us and our families.  By looking at healthy air through a practical lens of cost efficiency, Caitlin & Sophia aim to help listeners evaluate what they can do to make their immediate environment a little safer for their liver and in turn, their reproductive system.   All of these efforts combined can seem like an overwhelming, unattainable goal but bit by bit overtime, small changes can ripple into a more healthy, sustainable lifestyle for not only women focused on fertility but family members considering how they can assist their liver with frequently consumed products.     Environmental Working Group Think Dirty App Air Doctor Humidifier

In this episode of Food, Freedom, and Fertility, Caitlin Johnson & Sophia Pavia discuss the food group of fats and the role fats play in fertility, identifying fats with healthy nutrient contents which inherently support ovulation and pregnancy.  Not all fats are the same and in this episode, Caitlin & Sophia make an effort to explain how and why it’s important to consider the right fats when aiming for a healthy fertility journey.    Turns out, in order to achieve fertility, you need fats.  Fats hold the responsibility of sustaining many different types of tissues in the body necessary for fertility, all of which need reassurance that your body has a sustainable food source from ovulation until delivery. When approaching fats, it’s important to remember a term called fat-soluble vitamins, which include a number of vitamins, all of which are discussed in this episode with specific examples in real, adaptable context. The term, fat-soluble, comes into play, as these distinct vitamins need fat in order to absorb into your system. An example of one vitamin discussed that isn’t always a top priority for medical professionals to check levels of is Vitamin D.  In this episode, Sophia & Caitlin discuss the natural forms of Vitamin D, which may come to some as a surprise, does not include Milk. Aside from fat-soluble vitamins, fat is also important in the way it supplies the body with essential fatty acids.  These fatty acids are what your body uses to make tissues so, along with the fat-soluble vitamins, these acids are important in fertility as they reassure your body that it is ready and safe to make and feed a baby for 9 months.               While identifying foods that consist of the right type of fat, Caitlin & Sophia also dive into the uses of certain cooking tools like olive oil, coconut oil, and butter.  Debunking common misconceptions between those natural oils and artificial oils like canola oil. Caitlin and Sophia also discuss fat in terms of its connection to protein and fiber so listeners can route the most efficient path when consuming the right food groups. They continue to explain the relationship between healthy fats and high fiber vegetables, illustrating how these two food groups can collaborate in a helpful and perhaps surprisingly healthy way.  Caitlin and Sophia focus on rectifying the facts about fat, outlining a path to successfully link listeners to healthy fats in order to achieve fertility and meet their family goals. 

Last week on Food, Freedom, and Fertility, you heard the first half of Jess' fertility journey. This week we hear how her story concludes. This is Jess' sacred story to fertility by way of perseverance and the process of IVF. In an effort to encourage women to feel comfortable sharing their stories and their struggles, we invite those who want to explain their experience with hopes of empowering women in the discussion surrounding infertility.  In this story, we hear how the process of IVF proved successful after much hope was lost along with the positive and unexpected experiences in the birthing process, hospital visits and everything in between.  Our guest also shares how her experience brought twins into this world and recommends tips on what you need and what you don’t when it comes to double the love.    Breastfeeding Pillow: https://www.mybrestfriend.com White Noise Machines: https://www.verywellfamily.com/best-white-noise-machines-for-babies-4165217  

In this episode we hold space for a dear friend to share her fertility journey. Too many times women push other women into silence while in the middle of a fertility struggle. Everyone wants hope, and everyone wants a happy ending. Here, we discuss what life is like in the middle of the struggle when a healthy pregnancy has yet to be achieved. 40% of couples struggling to get pregnant have something called “unexplained infertility”. WHile not a diagnosis in itself, it’s basically the category people fall into when there really is no identifiable reason why a spontaneous pregnancy has not occurred. This can be especially challenging because when nothing is “wrong”, there is nothing that can be done to “fix” the problem. When nobody knows what’s wrong, yet there is still a problem, it can be beyond frustrating.    This episode is a lesson in empathy, community, and triumph. Jess talks about the boundaries she has built to stay sane during the madness of IVF, and she shares what it’s like to sit in the middle of the story, yet to have a happy ending… or an ending at all.    Also here is a link to Caitlin’s Protein Waffles: http://www.caitlinjohnsonrd.com/blog/high-protein-gluten-free-waffle-recipe   And to our favorite prenatal vitamin, Garden of Life! https://www.gardenoflife.com/content/product/mykind-organics-prenatal-multi-2/