Functional Fertility Nutrition and Lifestyle Therapy
Nutritional Therapy is the application of the latest theoretical and applied knowledge of nutrition and lifestyle medicine sciences in the promotion of health and individual care. Nutritional Therapy is based on the Functional Medicine principles and it addresses the underlying causes of disease using a systems-oriented, individualized therapy approach.
In my clinical practice, I use a variety of tools and methods to assess and identify potential nutritional imbalances and see how these may contribute to your and your partner’s fertility concerns. When it is deemed necessary, I use various functional laboratory tests. These tools enable me to personalise my therapy approach for the best, optimal health outcome. It may be to improve your egg quality, regulate your period, achieve monthly ovulation, or improve your partner’s sperm health including motility, morphology/DNA quality, and sperm count.
Besides dietary choices, lifestyle plays another integral part in our wellbeing. Lifestyle is not just the fancy places we go to, or the cool clothes and shoes we are wearing. Our environment/ pollution, toxins we put on our body/ clean our house with, sleep, movement, smoking, stress, hydration, light/sun, circadian rhythm, breathing and many more are all part of it. The way we live our lives every day will impact our wellbeing and health.
Flow, according to Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, is “the secret to happiness”. It is a state of joy, creativity and total involvement where our problems disappear and we are living a meaningful life. Basically, flow is food for our soul.
Nutrition and lifestyle are only two pillars of our temple; our mental state of mind, our beliefs and thoughts, emotions and behaviours also impact our overall health and all pillars should be considered when we consider optimal health.
Like the leaves of this tree, that are visible to us: those are your symptoms. However to understand why you are struggling with infertility, we need to dig deeper, under the soil, to find what exactly are the reasons causing your symptoms.
In my clinical practice, I use a variety of tools and methods to assess and identify potential nutritional imbalances and see how these may contribute to that client’s health concerns. When it is deemed necessary, I use various functional laboratory tests.
During follow-up appointments, I will interpret the results of these tests based on the individual’s health concerns and we agree on a personalised, individual, safe and effective nutrition and lifestyle plan that may also include certain practitioner approved, high quality supplements. This plan is then reviewed during every follow-up consultation to see if any change is necessary based on how the client’s health and wellbeing is progressing.
It is essential to address the underlying root-causes to create optimal and long-lasting health.
The comprehensive laboratory analysis along with your and your partner’s health and family history, current symptoms, environmental and lifestyle factors will shape the unique protocol that will cover nutritional and lifestyle elements as well as looking at your individual emotional wellbeing, your flow.
The health optimization plan will provide actionable and practical advice that my clients can follow through their journey to optimal health and beyond. By understanding the “WHY” and finding a “HOW” will create lasting habits and optimal routine that will most likely stick with the person for life. Consistency is key, therefore the health optimization plan is built step by step, so that the client can build the habit into their daily life.
Whether you…
are planning to get pregnant sometime in the future and you want to prepare your body before TTC
would like to understand and learn what diet and lifestyle will enhance your chances of getting pregnant
are just about to start TTC and you want to be as healthy as possible
have been diagnosed with abnormalities or disorders that may impact getting pregnant
would like to try natural and holistic approaches before considering ART
have gone through one or several failed cycles
suspect secondary infertility, subfertility
have been diagnosed with “unexplained infertility”
wouldn’t want to spend on pricey treatment options, which you might need to repeat numerous times before you might conceive
are already working with an IVF clinic but you would like to increase your chances of a successful treatment
have experienced painful loss of miscarriage before
To conclude, various studies show that nutritional strategies result in better fertility treatment outcomes (which could mean higher quality or higher number of eggs retrieved, healthier, higher quality sperm), increased chances of conceiving and lower risks of miscarriage. All these factors mentioned above contribute to your overall fertility and chances of conceiving. Reach out to discuss your health concerns and see if I can support you in your journey.