Food Freedom and Fertility Podcast

How to cook a spaghetti squash, and here is a link to the buffalo spaghetti squash recipe. We love celebrating with all of our listeners and patients! Our favorite moments are when we get pics of hard-won positive pregnancy tests and/or pics of newborns! Send us your success pics at hello@foodfreedomferitility.com or tag us on instagram @foodfreedomfertility and we will do a happy dance for you. Seeds can bind up the leftover bits of old, used hormones and help your body keep new, fresh hormones in circulation. Organic, raw seeds. Link: Life Planner; girl, get organized! Link: Phases of the moon Link: Caitlin's white bean hummus dip The day you start menstruating is day 1 of your cycle. This is the first day of the follicular phase. The follicular phase continues on until the day you ovulate. Once ovulation occurs it is called the luteal phase. The luteal phase continues until the first day of bleeding, and then the whole cycle starts again! Most women do not have 28 day cycles. Let ovulation and bleeding be your guides of when to switch from one seed combo to the next. If you have low progesterone, heavy periods, painful periods, endometriosis, menstrual migraines, or hormonal acne; Seed cycling may help! Phase 1: Follicular phase Day 1 of your cycle until ovulation (or when the moon is FULL) Flax seed and pumpkin seeds, 1 tbsp of each freshly ground and mixed into yogurt, oatmeal, or on a smoothie. Phase2: Luteal Phase Day 1 of bleeding (or when the moon GONE) Sunflower and Sesame seeds, 1tbsp of each freshly ground and put on salads, top your warm bowl of soup, or mixed into hummus.

Watch out, listeners! Today we are talking about digestion, intestines, poop, and gas! Yes friends, that's right! This episode focuses on the gut. To be more specific, we are talking about healing your gut after using oral contraceptives aka "The Pill". In reality, all forms of birth control that involve hormones can cause a whole bunch of problems in your digestive system. But, for the sake of conversation we talk a lot about "birth control", meaning hormonal contraceptives. Birth control increases your risk for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), small intestine bacterial overgrowth (SIBO), other bacterial dysbiosis, and more! Sophia shares her story about her fling with hormonal birth control alongside the diagnosis of IBS. Women often experience yeast infections and bacterial vaginosis while using hormonal contraceptives. Your vagina isn't the same as your gut, but both have their own delicate microbial balances. If your digestives system is out of whack, your vaginal health is often greatly impacted. Having cyclical changes in your bowel movements is normal. During your luteal phase, your smooth muscle relaxes. This can cause more acid reflux symptoms and can cause digestion to slow… aka constipation. Then, the pendulum swings when your period comes. You feel the urge to poop and pee way more, and maybe even have diarrhea! We built this episode to help you deal with these symptoms if they're bothering your from month to month. Your digestive tract is lined with hormone receptors. Hormones affect the actual cells of your gut, but they also affect the kinds of healthy bacteria that grow and flourish. This can be why you experience gas and bloating when using birth control, or during different times in your cycle. We want to teach you, practically, how to manage these symptoms with your diet. So perk up, friends! Relief is on the way! First thing: Plants and fiber! Our bodies are made to eat a lot of plant material by means of veggies, fruits, nuts, seeds, beans, and grains. Fiber is just a simple way to say "indigestible carbohydrates". Even though we don't get any calories or nutrients when we eat fiber, it's vital to keeping our gut flora happy and healthy. We focus on fiber FOODS, not fiber supplements like metamucil or fiber gummies. Our favorite high fiber foods to heal your gut are: Veggies - these are the BEST fiber sources in all the WORLD! Stick with broccoli, leafy greens, sweet potato, artichoke hearts, avocado Fruits - peaches, pears, plums, and berries are high fiber Lentils and beans - only if you're not prone to painful gas Quinoa - if you're able to tolerate the carbohydrate load without spiking insulin Caitlin's Fiber blend - mix equal parts chia seeds, flax seeds, and psyllium all mixed together! Mix a teaspoon into water before meals to really boost your fiber intake. Healthy fats help promote the right kinds of bacteria in your digestive tract. Foods like meat from factory farmed animals, processed animal products, and seed oils (canola, cottonseed, corn, soy, hydrogenated, safflower, and vegetable oils) promote overgrowth of some unhealthy bacteria colonies. To balance that out, replace those lower-quality fats with foods like: Avocado Olive Oil Coconut Oil Grass-fed butter and dairy Meat from healthy, sustainably raised animals Sophia then pontificates about healthy meats and where they come. Eat a lot of fermented foods! This used to be the only way to preserve food past its fresh point. Here's what we mean when we talk about fermented foods: Naturally pickled veggies and sauerkraut Preserve spreads made with natural fruit juices Yogurt and kefir (fermented dairy) Natto and tempeh (fermented soy) If you're someone who struggles with sugar cravings, these fermented foods will help you kick cravings and get your belly in line! Now, let's talk about what NOT to eat! Sweetness - The ups and downs of blood sugar drastically affect your intestinal system. Here are the foods to avoid Baked goods, sweetened drinks, syrupy coffee drinks, candy, jams, jellies, condiments, and sugary treats Artificial sweeteners - these blow you up more than anything. Sugar free flavored syrups, energy drinks, pre-workout, protein powder, and diet-anything are the worst culprits. Probiotic Supplements: Caitlin and I usually recommend FemDophilis from Jarrow Formulas. FemEcology by Vitanica is also one of our favorites. What we DO NOT suggest is going to Costco or Sam's Club and buying a barrel of whatever bargain brand you can find. Here's what else to look for: Research done on that particular brand Refrigeration - make sure what you are buying is still alive Specifics - make sure the package tells you exactly which strains are present, and in what amounts. Remember to be gentle on yourself as you make these changes! Also, be realistic about bowel movements. If you don't poop everyday, something is up! Contact us and let us help you get it out.

Lisa is an expert in the fertility awareness method (hereby referred to as FAM) and she authored a book called "The Fifth Vital Sign". Lisa discovered FAM right after highschool when she struggled with her own menstrual irregularities. She quickly discovered that the pill wasn't solving her problem, it was simply deferring it. Then she discovered FAM! Ladies, she was also one of us who believed the lie that you can get pregnant every day of the month, and that you can get pregnant every time you have sex. That's when she was 19, and now she's 36! Not only that, she's never had a pregnancy she didn't plan. How amazing is that?? Now, I know here we are more concerned with getting pregnant than not. So next, Caitlin and Lisa go into the truth about sex timing and conception. The truth is, ovulation is subject to delay. Different things in our lives (stresses, food, illness, etc.) can delay the timing in our ovaries! This means simply counting days on the calendar won't give you the answers you are looking for when you are TTC. That is why Lisa and Caitlin spend time talking about Cervical Mucus, Cervical Position and tracking your Basal Body Temperature to start understanding your cycle and if you are ovulating, when, and what to pay attention to if something is wrong. You can check out Lisa and her work at: Facebook: Facebook.com/FertilityFridays Instagram: @FertilityFriday Twitter: @FertileFriday

Link to the C4 Foundation to donate and help special operation families reconnect. Here we talk about how to support your hormone systems as they come back online after being altered by hormonal birth control methods. Both Caitlin and Sophia took hormonal birth control pills in their early teen years in an attempt to try and treat period cramps and acne. Neither of us were ever told any of the side effects or possible nutrient deficiencies that can occur when these medications are taken. Neither of us judge our patients for how they choose to prevent pregnancy or plan their families. We also never judge anyone who takes hormonal birth control to manage symptoms from hormone-related illnesses. However, we both believe in informed consent. Meaning, before a medication or treatment is prescribed, a medical professional needs to communicate ALL the side effects and potential complications. We also believe that patients should be given more than one option for any course of treatment. Coming off "the pill" often requires recovery. The pill suppresses your natural fertility, sometimes for decades. Most women who take the pill stay on it for 12-16 years of their reproductive life. It takes time, extra nutrients, and extra care to get your hormones to come back on line and get your body to adjust when you come off of such a powerful drug for so many years. What can be done about this? In this episode we discuss the specific nutrients you need while taking hormonal contraceptives and especially when discontinuing their use to begin trying for a baby. The "recommended daily intake" or RDI, is bologna when it comes to women who are taking hormones, pregnant, or trying to get pregnant. You need more of EVERYTHING that what the "RDIs" recommend. As we mention all these foods, we want you to start incorporating these foods more and more into your daily diet. You will notice there is a lot of repetition here too! Lots of the foods listed are great foods to base your meals off of and incorporate as much as you can to boost your nutrient intake and help your body get back on line hormonally. B vitamins: B2 - Riboflavin This is a key nutrient for keeping your energy up. Also makes your pee bright! The best foods to eat to get this vitamin are: Beef Liver Yogurt Milk Eggs Feta Cheese Salmon Lamb If you don't want to eat a lot of animal products you can also eat Lentils Quinoa Sundried Tomatoes Mushrooms Kidney Beans Almonds B6 - Pyridoxine This helps your body make serotonin! Serotonin is a brain chemical that helps balance our mood and feel happy. It also converts to melatonin and helps us sleep. A deficiency in B6 can significantly impact your body's serotonin production. Depression is a common symptom for women who use hormonal contraception so listen up to these food sources: Poultry Chicken Turkey Tuna Salmon Shrimp Beef liver Lentils (and most other beans) Seeds Nuts Avocado Banana Carrot Brown rice Bran B9 - Folate This is incredibly depleted in a woman who has been using hormonal birth control. Here are the best food sources of quality folate Leafy green veggies Black eyed peas Peas Lentils Garbanzo beans Broccoli Beef liver B12 - Cobolomin This effects healthy nerves and the building of new cells. The ONLY places to find high levels of B12 are Beef Fish Shellfish Poultry Milk Eggs (especially the yolk) Minerals! The few that are of the greatest concern and get especially depleted are Magnesium, Selenium, and Zinc. Each has a very important job with the immune system, muscle function, and FERTILITY! Magnesium Dark leafy greens Nuts Seeds Yogurt Dark chocolate/cocoa powder Beans Peas Selenium Selenium is particularly important for immune and thyroid function Brazil nuts (<-- fertility powerhouse!) Fish Pasture-raised beef and poultry Liver Butter Zinc Seeds Beans Pasture-raised beef and poultry Shellfish (especially oysters!) Vitamins! The 3 most noteworthy are Vitamin C, Vitamin E, and CoQ10. Vitamin C - note that this vitamin is heat sensitive, so you'll get the most of it when you eat these foods raw Dark leafy greens Tomatoes Strawberries Bell Peppers Broccoli Parsley CoQ10 This one usually needs a supplement. Though you can find it in: Organ meats (liver!) Shellfish Oysters Trace amounts in spinach Vitamin E Fat soluble vitamin! This one can harm you if you over supplement it. You can't get too much just from food. Thanks for listening!

We start this episode off by talking about how pain isn't normal. If you have painful periods, pain during sex, or pelvic pain of any kind, go find a specialist! Because girl, you're worth it :) The specialist I saw in San Diego works for SheFit, and she is the best. If you've got some issues and you're in the San Diego area, check out www.shefitpt.com Here Caitlin shares her struggles with PCOS, IUD's, timed intercourse, delayed ovulation, and the joy of finally conceiving. Caitlin was told to pee on a lot of ovulation strips. A LOT. Because most women ovulate about 14 days before the bleed. So, if your cycles are 90 days long like Caitlin's were, you roll through a LOT of strips. Here is the pack she bought. P.S. she found out she was ovulating around day 46. Some of the tools Caitlin used were: working with a naturopath on adrenal health, thyroid health, uterine blood flow, exercise, and of course lots of fertility friendly foods. Part of her supplement regimen involved Adrenal Support, herbal blood sugar support, myo-inositol, liver support, CoQ10, fish oil, and a probiotic. Plus a musty concoction of chinese herbs. Wow. Even her husband was taking an antioxidant and maca to help his swimmers pick it up. Special note: Caitlin and Sophia are not advocates of popping pills or supplements for everything. We believe in food first, always. However, even if you eat all the perfect things there are still times in life when you need some extra support. This was one of those times for Caitlin. In addition to all the things she did to support her and her husband's bodies, Caitlin shares a bit about protecting and supporting her and her husband's marriage and sex life during this delicate time. When Caitlin was first diagnosed with PCOS, she was told her fertility journey would be really challenging. She went into her conception journey ready for BIG problems, but instead she found hope and joy in the process.

Egg Quality In this episode we talk about ovulation and ejaculation… a lot. Blush if you must, but this episode will teach you all about eating right to protect and preserve the precious eggs that can someday become healthy babies! We want to encourage and empower you to make the right choices for your life and your fertility. Egg quality is the answer to the question: "Do the eggs you have contain the right kind of genetic material to make a happy healthy baby?" It takes at 90-120 days to start developing an egg that ends up being ovulated. It's true that women What is in our control? Environmental Exposure Limiting exposure to toxic chemicals and compounds that disrupt hormone function Supporting your elimination organs (skin, liver, intestines, etc.) so your body can process the toxins you are exposed to Stress Stress inhibits fertility as a protective mechanism. The higher your stress levels are, the harder it will be to improve egg quality Stress can be emotional and psychological, but it also includes things like injury, illness, and extreme temperatures. Combat stress with extra sleep, limiting exposure to toxic relationships, and changing our mindset regarding the challenges in life. Hydration 10 pees with 2 C's. The 2 C's are Clear and Copious. Drink enough to feel the urge to pee 10 times a day, and when you go your urine is light yellow and plentiful. Water needs vary from day to day. Temperature, humidity, exercise, and diet all impact your hydration Sip water throughout the day versus chugging it all at once Aim to get the large majority of your hydration from plain water If soda is a regular part of your daily or weekly routine, give us a call and we will help you improve your weekly beverage menu Blood flow This is something that may need to be measured and visualized by your doc to see if there is something physically obstructing your ovaries from getting optimum blood flow Fertility massage is a great tool! The best time for a massage is after your period ends, but before your next anticipated ovulation Get regular exercise that gets your blood pumping Acupuncture has helped both Caitlin and Sophia with pelvic blood flow issues Sleep 8-9 hours a night is optimal for pre-conception. Rome wasn't built in a day! If your sleep is currently disrupted, short, or generally hard-to-come-by, look for small ways to improve your sleep quantity and quality Melatonin is a hormone that helps you sleep, as well as preserves egg quality as a powerful antioxidant Hormone Imbalances Get with a hormone specialist dietitian or other medical practitioner who can work with you on accurately testing for and treating hormone imbalances Weight Being overweight or underweight affects fertility. Work with a professional on this because losing too much weight too quickly can harm fertility as well. Restrictive diets, cleanses, and crash diets can negatively impact fertility as well. FOODS!! (Finally) Foods high in antioxidants Bright veggies Nuts and seeds Beans Berries and bright colored fruits Citrus fruits Eggs need FATS! Eggs and hormones are made primarily out of fat and cholesterol Where to get your healthy fats? Cold water fish (salmon, oysters, cod) 100% grass-fed beef and milk products Poultry from healthy animals that live outside Nuts and seeds (refer to the seed cycling episode) High-sulfur foods Cabbage, brussels sprouts, broccoli Onion, garlic, leeks, scallions Eggs (WITH yolks!) Brazil Nuts Sweet potatoes LIMIT: Caffeine Alcohol These are usually the last two we go for because they make life so much FUN! Maybe just cut back a bit, or switch to more natural forms. Think organic wine vs. jack and diet coke. Think cold brew coffee vs. sugar-free redbull. NOTE: DHEA actually stands for dehydroepiandrosterone

It's the first episode, friends! Here we meet Caitlin Johnson, RDN and Sophia Pavia, RDN. Hear a little of their history, where they went to school, why they love women's health, and a little bit about one of us peeing our pants on a first date! We dive right in and discuss juicy matters such as: IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) PCOS (Poly Cystic Ovary Syndrome) Cervical mucus and other bodily fluids Check out their websites at www.pcosfertilitynutrition.com and www.sophiathedietitian.com.