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Fertility Friday Radio | Fertility Awareness for Pregnancy and Hormone-free birth control

Fertility Friday Radio is your source for information about the Fertility Awareness Method and all things fertility related. Fertility Friday Radio debunks common myths about the fertility awareness method, birth control, and conception. Learn how to increase your chances of getting pregnant if you’re trying to conceive, and learn how the Fertility Awareness Method is more effective than the pill for birth control when used correctly. Your host Lisa, founder of fertilityfriday.com, is passionate about women’s health, specifically in the areas of fertility, hormone-free birth control, conception, and pregnancy. Lisa delivers in-depth weekly interviews with a wide variety of special guests covering fertility awareness, birth control, menstrual health, hormonal health, pregnancy and much more.
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Now displaying: Page 18
Jun 17, 2016

Sarah is the Founder of Grace Of the Moon and the founder of one of the very few Fertility Awareness Education teacher training programs available in North America. Sarah is a midwife, a Fertility Awareness Educator, and a Holistic Women’s Health Counsellor. She has been working in the field of women’s health for over 16 years. Not to mention that she has been charting her own cycle for over 23 years! She is an active member of the Association of Fertility Awareness Professionals, and the Natural Fertility Network in Ashland Oregon where she provides alternative and holistic options for women and couples dealing with infertility, as well as helping women and couples optimize their health during the preconception period.

And in today’s show, we talk about Fertility Awareness and the important role it plays in developing body literacy, the profound shift that often happens for women as they learn to listen to their body’s wisdom by charting their cycles, the future of fertility awareness education and much more!

Topics discussed in today's episode

  • What is body literacy?
  • Why aren't women taught body literacy and fertility awareness in schools?
  • The connection between our bodies and nature
  • What role does fertility awareness play in encouraging women to deepen their relationships with their bodies?
  • Taking a holistic approach to improving fertility and menstrual health
  • Why is it beneficial for women to learn fertility awareness from a teacher?
  • The future of Fertility Awareness Education

Connect with Sarah

You can connect with Sarah on her website, and on Facebook

Resources mentioned

Join the community! Find us on the Fertility Friday Facebook Fan Page

Subscribe to the Fertility Friday Podcast on iTunes!

Music Credit: Intro/Outro music Produced by Sirc of (The Nock)

Jun 3, 2016

Lee is internationally known for his methods and approaches to saving marriages. For over 25 years, he has been helping people around the world to save, restore, and create the relationships they desire and deserve. He is the author of the book, How To Save Your Marriage In 3 Simple Steps, and creator of the Save The Marriage System, as well as numerous other resources.

Lee also has a podcast - The Save the Marriage Podcast, which is one of my favorite podcasts on marriage/relationships.

In today’s show, we talk about fertility challenges, and how they can impact a relationship, why some couples don’t survive fertility challenges, and what you can do to strengthen your relationship so fertility challenges don’t destroy your relationship if you’re faced with them.

Topics discussed in today's episode

  • When couples are struggling, is it usually a communication issue or a lack of connection?
  • The 3Cs of saving your relationship/marriage: connection, change & create a new path
  • How does infertility impact a relationship?
  • Is it possible to compromise on having children?
  • What is the difference between couples who survive infertility and couples who don't?
  • Do men and women deal with infertility differently?
  • The grief associated with infertility, and how it can be expressed in different ways by different people
  • The impact that sex on demand or sex for a purpose can have on a couple
  • The 5 Love Languages
  • When is it time to call it quits?

Connect with Lee

You can connect with Lee on his website, listen to his podcast on iTunes and on Facebook & Twitter

Resources mentioned

Join the community! Find us on the Fertility Friday Facebook Fan Page

Subscribe to the Fertility Friday Podcast on iTunes!

Music Credit: Intro/Outro music Produced by Sirc of (The Nock)

May 27, 2016

In this episode, I stray from my usual interview format once again to share the top 10 unexpected effects of coming off the pill. I go through what to expect when you come off the pill from when your period will return to unexpected changes in your fertility.

In case you don’t know me already a few things you might want to know are that I am and  I have been charting my own cycles using the Fertility Awareness Method for the past 14 years or so, and I am the founder of FertilityFriday.com as well as the Fertility Friday Podcast!

Topics discussed in today's episode

  • How does the pill work to prevent pregnancy?
  • How does the pill impact a woman's sex drive?
  • How might your breasts change after coming off the pill?
  • What impact could hormonal contraceptives have on your mood?
  • If you went on the pill because of painful periods or acne, will all those symptoms come back when you stop taking it?
  • When will your period come back after coming off the pill?
  • How the fertility awareness method can boost your confidence to effectively prevent pregnancy without using hormonal contraceptives
  • The pill and pheromones, and why you may not like the way your partner smells after ditching the pill
  • How hard or easy will it be to get pregnant after coming off the pill?

Connect with Lisa

You can connect with Lisa on the Fertility Friday website and on Facebook & Twitter

Resources mentioned

Join the community! Find us on the Fertility Friday Facebook Fan Page

Subscribe to the Fertility Friday Podcast on iTunes!

Music Credit: Intro/Outro music Produced by Sirc of (The Nock)

May 20, 2016

Madeleine is a social entrepreneur known for her longstanding commitment to green products, progressive business practices, and women's entrepreneurship. Madeleine co-founded Lunapads International Products Ltd. with her longtime business partner Suzanne Siemens in 2000. Lunapads is a reusable cloth menstrual pad that keeps disposable products out of landfills.

Madeleine and Suzanne are also the co-founders of Pads4Girls and One4Her, projects that provide sustainable hygiene supplies to girls in developing nations to support their school attendance. Since 2000, these initiatives have touched the lives of over 300,000 girls in 18 countries. Pads4Girls now forms part of United Girls of the World, a registered non-profit society that the pair also lead.

In today’s show, we talk about Lunapads, natural menstrual products,  why we should be intentional about the menstrual products that we are using, and much more!

Topics discussed in today's episode

  • Why should we even be concerned about the use of regular pads and tampons?
  • What are conventional disposable pads and tampons made of?
  • What types of tech are used to make disposable pads & tampons?
  • How many tampons & pads end up in landfills each year?
  • Why are so many women uncomfortable touching their own bodies?
  • Why would a woman actually want to use reusable pads or the diva cup?
  • How can switching to Lunapads or the Diva Cup change a woman's consciousness around their periods?
  • What is the financial impact of switching to reusable menstrual products?
  • How does the Diva Cup work?
  • How does the Diva Cup encourage a woman to explore her body?
  • The Pads 4 Girls program & how it helps women around the world not only manage their menstruation but attend school and work where they were not previously able to do so

Connect with Madeleine & Suzanne

You can connect with Madeleine & Suzanne on the Lunapads website and on Facebook & Twitter

Resources mentioned

Join the community! Find us on the Fertility Friday Facebook Fan Page

Subscribe to the Fertility Friday Podcast on iTunes!

Music Credit: Intro/Outro music Produced by Sirc of (The Nock)

May 13, 2016

Dr. Jennings is the director of Georgetown University’s Institute for Reproductive Health, which she founded in 1985, she is also a professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. She is an anthropologist with a focus on gender, behavior change communication, and implementation science, and Dr. Jennings leads the Fertility Awareness for Community Transformation (FACT) Project. Dr. Jennings is also a principal developer of fertility awareness-based family planning methods and a major contributor to the implementation of these methods on a global level.

In today's show, we talk about the Standard Days Method®, as well as Cycle Beads®, and the implication of incorporating these methods have for communities around the world.

Topics discussed in today's episode

  • What is the Standard Days Method®?
  • How is the fertile window calculated?
  • Is it the rhythm method?
  • How long is the fertile window, and how do couples manage this period of time when they are not able to have unprotected sex?
  • Who is the ideal candidate for the Standard Days Method®? Could it work for all women?
  • Is the Standard Days Method® Effective?
  • Why is there such a bias against fertility awareness-based methods in typical medical practice?
  • What are the implications for the Standard Days Method® in low resource settings such as in developing nations
  • Why not all women choose the same birth control options
  • How are Cycle Beads® used as part of the Standard Days Method®?
  • What are some of the shortcomings of the Standard Days Method®?

Connect with Dr. Jennings

You can connect with Dr. Jennings on her website and on Facebook & Twitter

Resources mentioned

Join the community! Find us on the Fertility Friday Facebook Fan Page

Subscribe to the Fertility Friday Podcast on iTunes!

Music Credit: Intro/Outro music Produced by Sirc of (The Nock)

May 6, 2016

Aimee is a licensed acupuncturist and herbalist, and she incorporates her background in Western science with the principles of traditional Oriental medicine to create a unique, effective approach to help her clients reconnect to the presence of their optimal health. In addition to helping thousands of women on their path to conception, Aimee herself naturally and easily became pregnant at the age of 40 by following her own advice. Her mission through her teachings is to educate and inspire women, improve their health, celebrate their beauty, and prevent disease, as well as increase their fertility.

In today's show, we talk all about the emotional aspects of fertility, the connection between our thoughts and our health, and why it is so important for us to take control of our fertility & our health.

Topics discussed in today's episode

  • How is a woman's fertility intertwined with her health?
  • Why we need to change the way we think about and address infertility
  • How does Chinese Medicine view fertility?
  • The difference between our chronological age & our actual age based on how we live our lives
  • What is the connection between our fertility and our emotional state?
  • The connection between our thoughts and our health
  • Why it is important to take our health and fertility into our own hands
  • Preparing for pregnancy both physically and emotionally
  • Aimee's 5 step process to clean up our thoughts and improve our relationship with ourselves
  • Finding ways to connect with the things that bring you joy

Connect with Aimee

You can connect with Aimee on her website and on Facebook, Twitter & Youtube!

Resources mentioned

Join the community! Find us on the Fertility Friday Facebook Fan Page

Subscribe to the Fertility Friday Podcast on iTunes!

Music Credit: Intro/Outro music Produced by Sirc of (The Nock)

Apr 29, 2016

Megan is FertilityCare Practitioner. FertilityCare Practitioners are fertility awareness educators who are trained in the Creighton model of fertility awareness. In today’s show, Megan and I dive into about NaPro Technology and the role that it can play in restoring fertility. We also talk about the Creighton model of fertility awareness, which is a mucus only method, and we delve into cervical mucus and why mucus is central to this model of fertility awareness charting.

Topics discussed in today's episode

  • What is different about the Creighton method of fertility awareness charting?
  • What is NaPro Technology?
  • How do FertilityCare Practitioners and NaPro Doctors work together to interpret a woman's charts and address any cycle irregularities?
  • How is the Creighton model effective, especially considering that it is a mucus-only method of charting?
  • Continuous mucus and limited mucus cycles
  • How does mucus production shift around ovulation?
  • When might observing temperature not actually be helpful?
  • Is all mucus fertile? How do you tell when you are fertile?
  • How do models like Creighton and Justisse classify "sticky" and "tacky" mucus?
  • Why there aren't only 3 kinds of mucus (i.e. sticky, creamy, egg white)
  • What your cervical mucus could be telling you about your cervical health
  • What does a healthy menstrual cycle look like?
  • The process of coming off the pill and charting your cycles
  • Are NaPro Doctors "medical" or are they "holistic"?
  • How is the approach that NaPro Doctors take differently to mainstream physicians?

Connect with Megan

You can connect with Megan on her website and on Facebook

Resources mentioned

Join the community! Find us on the Fertility Friday Facebook Fan Page

Subscribe to the Fertility Friday Podcast on iTunes!

Music Credit: Intro/Outro music Produced by Sirc of (The Nock)

Apr 22, 2016

Sheridan is a writer, speaker, and broadcaster on faith and spirituality from Oxford UK who has written several books including Resurrection Year: Turning Broken Dreams into New Beginnings which we will be talking about today! He has spent 18 years in radio and has been featured in numerous TV and radio programs, and he speaks at numerous conferences and events internationally.

In today’s show, we talk about Sheridan’s book Resurrection Year which chronicles the 10-year fertility journey that he and his wife went through, after which they did not conceive or adopt. We talk about broken dreams, and what happens on the other side when you don't get the outcome you were hoping for.

Topics discussed in today's episode

  • Sheridan shares the story of he and his wife's 10-year fertility journey
  • How they were able to move on and find peace, although there was no baby at the end of their journey
  • How Sheridan and his wife were able to maintain their relationship in the face of their fertility struggles
  • Advice for couples struggling with infertility who ultimately wish to preserve their relationship
  • The different ways that men and women experience fertility struggles, and why men tend to "give up" first
  • The blow that infertility can have on men and their sense of masculinity
  • The Australian adoption process
  • How to manage the well-meaning comments and suggestions from friends and family
  • How to support friends and family who are struggling with fertility challenges
  • What is a resurrection year?
  • What are some ways we can create a fresh start and create a resurrection year in our own lives?

Connect with Sheridan

You can connect with Sheridan on his website

Resources mentioned

Join the community! Find us on the Fertility Friday Facebook Fan Page

Subscribe to the Fertility Friday Podcast on iTunes!

Music Credit: Intro/Outro music Produced by Sirc of (The Nock)

Apr 15, 2016

Julie is a medically trained healthcare practitioner with skills in multiple disciplines. Julie is a classically trained Oriental medicine physician. She earned her acupuncture degree from the Academy of Classical Oriental Sciences located in Nelson, British Columbia. She has additional qualifications from the CHEK Institute in musculoskeletal assessment and pathology correction. She also specializes in Tissue and Mineral Analysis, which is a noninvasive multipurpose medical test used to assess metabolism, cellular energy, stress response, endocrine and immune function, and heavy metal toxicity levels.

In today’s show, Julie and I talk about copper toxicity and how it relates to the Copper-T IUD as well as the birth control pill.

Topics discussed in today's episode

  • The connection between copper toxicity and the copper IUD
  • What is copper toxicity or excess copper and what causes it?
  • The relationship between the birth control pill and copper toxicity
  • What are the symptoms of copper toxicity?
  • What are some of the other sources of copper that contribute to copper toxicity?
  • The connection between estrogen levels and serum copper levels
  • The relationship between copper, zinc, and thyroid function
  • The role of hair analysis in diagnosing copper toxicity and other mineral imbalances
  • Addressing nutrient deficiencies through diet and proper supplementation

Connect with Julie

You can connect with Julie on her website

Resources mentioned

Join the community! Find us on the Fertility Friday Facebook Fan Page

Subscribe to the Fertility Friday Podcast on iTunes!

Music Credit: Intro/Outro music Produced by Sirc of (The Nock)

Apr 8, 2016

Angela is an internationally recognized nutrition and health expert on PCOS. She was recently named one of the Top 10 incredible RDs making a difference by Today’s Dietitian. She is the author of The Dietitian’s Guide to Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, The PCOS Workbook and The PCOS Nutrition Center Cookbook. Angela is the owner of the PCOS Nutrition Center where she provides nutritional counseling to women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome.

And in today’s show, we talk about the connection between eating disorders and PCOS, and how to recover and regain fertility after struggling with an eating disorder.

Topics discussed in today's episode

  • What are the different types of eating disorders?
  • What is the connection between PCOS and eating disorders?
  • Why having PCOS actually increases the risk of having an eating disorder
  • The complexity of managing the suggested dietary restrictions and/or changes associated with PCOS while recovering from an eating disorder
  • How does disordered eating impact a woman's menstrual cycle and her fertility?
  • How can a woman overcome the emotional aspects underlying her eating disorder?
  • Can she do it alone, or should she seek support?
  • How long does the recovery process take?
  • How do women address the negative body image they have developed alongside the eating disorder?
  • Dealing with the physical body changes that happen during pregnancy
  • How does the media influence our ideas about what an "ideal body" looks like?
  • How to support a friend or a loved one who has an eating disorder

Connect with Angela

You can connect with Angela on her website, and on Facebook and Twitter.

Resources mentioned

Join the community! Find us on the Fertility Friday Facebook Fan Page

Subscribe to the Fertility Friday Podcast on iTunes!

Music Credit: Intro/Outro music Produced by Sirc of (The Nock)

Apr 1, 2016

Clare is the founder of Fertility Massage Therapy. Fertility Massage Therapy combines massage and emotional healing to enhance successful conception using techniques such as abdominal sacral massage, pulsing reflexology, and guided visualizations.  After qualifying as a holistic massage therapist in the United Kingdom, Clare became one of the few qualified therapists, in abdominal sacral massage (fertility massage). She continued to train in numerous bodywork styles before studying naturopathy and the Billings Ovulation Method in Australia, which provided her a deeper understanding of women’s health.

In today's show, we talk about the benefits of Fertility Massage Therapy, and how this type of work can help women to connect to their bodies and their femininity. Clare incorporates naturopathy and the Billings Ovulation Method into her practice, and we delve into how applying these modalities help women to not only improve their menstrual health and fertility but also to connect with their bodies in a powerful and meaningful way.

Topics discussed in today's episode

  • Why are so many women so deeply disconnected from their bodies, particularly their womb and their reproductive organs?
  • What impact does Fertility Massage Therapy have on women experiencing fertility challenges?
  • How women view our reproductive organs as separate from our "selves" and why this matters for women throughout our lives
  • What does a healthy menstrual cycle look like?
  • How does the position of a woman's uterus impact her menstrual cycle?
  • How does sitting for long periods of time impact the position of and blood circulation to the uterus?
  • Why might you want to think twice about doing strenuous and hard physical training around menstruation
  • Why is it important to connect to your body's wisdom around menstruation and slow down a bit instead of "pushing through the pain"?
  • The seasons of the menstrual cycle, and how understanding them can impact how you view your cycle and help you to structure your commitments accordingly
  • How to time sex to increase your chances of conceiving a girl versus a boy
  • How hormonal birth control impacts your ability to produce cervical mucus

Connect with Clare

You can connect with Clare on her website, and via email.

Resources mentioned

Join the community! Find us on the Fertility Friday Facebook Fan Page

Subscribe to the Fertility Friday Podcast on iTunes!

Music Credit: Intro/Outro music Produced by Sirc of (The Nock)

Mar 25, 2016

Dr. Cowan is a medical doctor who graduated from Michigan State University College of Human Medicine in 1984. He is a founding board member of the Weston A. Price Foundation™.  He is the principal author of the book The Fourfold Path to Healing, he is the co-author of the book The Nourishing Traditions Book of Baby & Child Care. And he writes the “Ask the Doctor” column in Wise Traditions in Food, Farming and the Healing Arts, the foundation’s quarterly magazine, and has lectured throughout the United States and Canada, and currently sees patients at his office in San Fransisco.

And in today’s show, we talk about nutrition for preconception, pregnancy and postpartum, as well as nutrition and care for babies and children. We also talk about the philosophy of illness and healing, and why modern medicine often gets it wrong.

Topics discussed in today's episode

  • Why does modern medicine fail to address the root cause of illness?
  • In what ways do traditional cultures look at pregnancy differently than we do now?
  • Are there any traditional cultures who ate a vegan diet?
  • What can we learn about fertility and pregnancy from traditional cultures?
  • Nutrition for pregnancy - how to eat to create a healthy, tiny human
  • The connection between autoimmune disease and infertility
  • The role of fermented foods in gut health, fertility, and pregnancy
  • The link between a mother's gut flora and her baby's gut flora and immune system
  • Why are certain illnesses considered to be "incurable" and how does the doctor's philosophy of illness contribute to this belief?
  • What type of diet is most beneficial for babies and children?
  • How does a mother's diet impact her breast milk? Will the baby always "get what he/she needs" regardless of their mother's diet?
  • Making baby formula at home? How does homemade formula differ from store bought formula?
  • How to find a doctor who will work with you to determine the root cause of illness?

Connect with Dr. Cowan

You can connect with Dr. Cowan on his website, and on Facebook.

Resources mentioned

Join the community! Find us on the Fertility Friday Facebook Fan Page

Subscribe to the Fertility Friday Podcast on iTunes!

Music Credit: Intro/Outro music Produced by Sirc of (The Nock)

Mar 18, 2016

Hannah has been affectionately dubbed the “Kombucha Mama” and since 2004 she has been brewing Kombucha and educating others about how easy it is to make this delicious and healthy “longevity elixir”. Hannah has taught workshops all over the US for over a decade spreading the message of Kombucha and the bacterial benefits, and her how-to videos have pilled up hundreds of thousands of views! Also Hannah’s new book: The Big Book of Kombucha has just come out on March 8th where she shares hundreds of recipes and flavoring ideas.

In today’s show, Hannah and I talk all about Kombucha! The health benefits of this amazing fermented, probiotic beverage, and the different ways it can be beneficial for women after coming off of hormonal birth control, trying to get pregnant, or during pregnancy!

Topics discussed in today's episode

  • What is Kombucha?
  • What role can Kombucha play in improving fertility?
  • The role that Kombucha can play in the detoxification process
  • Why is Kombucha such a powerful natural probiotic?
  • What the heck is a SCOBY?
  • Where did modern soda pop actually come from?
  • How naturally fermented sodas like Kombucha can help you kick your soda pop addiction!
  • How do you make Kombucha? And how can you flavor it?
  • Is Kombucha safe during pregnancy?
  • When might Kombucha not be right for someone?
  • The importance of following your gut and listening to your body
  • The role Kombucha can play in improving skin health and reducing acne
  • Why fermenting your own foods can transform the way you think about food
  • The importance of gut health during pregnancy

Connect with Hannah

You can connect with Hannah on her website, on Facebook, Twitter, and on her YouTube channel.

Resources mentioned

Join the community! Find us on the Fertility Friday Facebook Fan Page

Subscribe to the Fertility Friday Podcast on iTunes!

Music Credit: Intro/Outro music Produced by Sirc of (The Nock)

Mar 11, 2016

Shawn is a bestselling author and creator of The Model Health Show, featured as the #1 Health podcast in the country on iTunes. A graduate of The University of Missouri - St. Louis, Shawn studied business, biology, and kinesiology, and went on to be the founder of Advanced Integrative Health Alliance, a company that provides wellness services for individuals and organizations worldwide. Shawn has been featured in Entrepreneur magazine, Men's Health magazine, ESPN, FOX News, and many other media outlets.

In today’s show, we talk about sleep, and why it is critical for health, fertility, balanced hormones and much more!

Topics discussed in today's episode

  • Shawn's journey back to health after his experience with a debilitating illness
  • The role that sleep plays in the body's detoxification process
  • The importance of preparing for a good night's sleep
  • The relationship between sleep, insulin levels, and weight gain
  • The relationship between sleep deprivation and food cravings
  • Why is sleep so important for overall health and fertility?
  • What happens to our bodies if we aren't getting enough quality sleep?
  • What are some of the ways that we can optimize our sleep?
  • How can what you do first thing in the morning impact your sleep quality at night?
  • What is the relationship between sleep and hormone balance?
  • What impact does sleep deprivation have on sex drive?
  • The negative impact of light on your sleep quality at nighttime

Connect with Shawn

You can connect with Shawn on his website and on Facebook and Twitter.

Resources mentioned

Join the community! Find us on the Fertility Friday Facebook Fan Page

Subscribe to the Fertility Friday Podcast on iTunes!

Music Credit: Intro/Outro music Produced by Sirc of (The Nock)

Mar 4, 2016

Rachel is a reproductive health practitioner out of Guildford UK, who specializes in fertility massage therapy. Rachel teaches Natural Family Planning, and she is a holistic health coach, and she incorporates Reiki, and reflexology into her practice, among other modalities. Rachel works with women suffering from PMS, painful, heavy or irregular periods, and fertility issues and much more!

And in today’s show, we talk all about fertility massage therapy and how learning natural family planning has informed her practice!

Topics discussed in today's episode

  • The connection between period health and fertility
  • How the position of the uterus impacts menstrual health & fertility
  • The natural movement of the uterus throughout menstruation
  • What causes uterine adhesions and how can these adhesions impair free uterine movement?
  • Using Fertility Awareness/Natural Family Planning as a diagnostic tool
  • How can food sensitivities impact a woman's menstrual cycle?
  • Using Fertility Awareness Charting to understand and address fertility issues
  • Luteal phase defect/short luteal phase
  • Impact of stress on the menstrual cycle

Connect with Rachel

You can connect with Rachel on her website and on Facebook & Twitter.

Resources mentioned

Join the community! Find us on the Fertility Friday Facebook Fan Page

Subscribe to the Fertility Friday Podcast on iTunes!

Music Credit: Intro/Outro music Produced by Sirc of (The Nock)

Feb 26, 2016

Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride is a medical doctor who graduated in Russia, and after practicing for five years as a Neurologist and three years as a Neurosurgeon she started a family and moved to the UK, where she got her second postgraduate degree in Human Nutrition. She is well known for developing a concept of GAPS (Gut And Psychology Syndrome), which she describes in her book Gut And Psychology Syndrome - Natural Treatment for Autism, ADHD, Dyslexia, Dyspraxia, Depression, and Schizophrenia.

The GAPS diet was developed to naturally treat chronic inflammatory conditions in the digestive tract as a result of a damaged gut lining.  Through years of research and clinical experience, Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride adjusted her protocol to fit the needs of her patients suffering from a variety of intestinal and neurological conditions as a result of an imbalanced bacterial ecosystem within the GI tract.  The GAPS Diet focuses on removing foods that are difficult to digest and damaging to gut flora and replacing them with nutrient-dense foods to give the intestinal lining a chance to heal and seal.

In my interview with Dr. Natasha, we talk about the importance of gut health for fertility, pregnancy as well as the important role that gut health plays in the health of your children!

Topics discussed in today's episode

  • What is the connection between the hormonal health and gut health?
  • The relationship between menstrual cycle irregularities and gut dysbiosis
  • How do antibiotics impact gut flora?
  • What impact do hormonal contraceptives have on gut flora?
  • The role that breastfeeding and vaginal delivery play in the development of healthy gut flora
  • The relationship between abnormal gut flora and illnesses such as Autism, ADHD, allergies, food sensitivities, eczema, asthma, etc.
  • The relationship between miscarriage and the toxic load we acquire in our modern world
  • The relationship between gut health and fertility
  • Using the GAPS diet to heal and seal the gut wall and improve fertility
  • Nutrition for fertility, preconception, and pregnancy
  • The importance of cholesterol for fertility and pregnancy and hormone balance
  • The difference between raw dairy products and pasteurized supermarket dairy products
  • The role of fermented foods in the GAPS healing protocol
  • Why is it important for both the mother and father to focus on their gut health when trying to conceive
  • The relationship between gut health and acne

Connect with Dr. Natasha

You can connect with Dr. Natasha on her website! and the GAPS diet website!

Resources mentioned

Join the community! Find us on the Fertility Friday Facebook Fan Page

Subscribe to the Fertility Friday Podcast on iTunes!

Music Credit: Intro/Outro music Produced by Sirc of (The Nock)

Feb 19, 2016

In this episode I stray from my usual interview format to share some information about an important topic, xenoestrogen exposure, and some of the ways to reduce your daily exposure to these endocrine disrupting hormones.

In case you don't know me already a few things you might want to know are that I trained as a Justisse Body Literacy Advocate with Justisse Healthworks for Women several years ago, I have been charting my own menstrual cycles using the Fertility Awareness Method for the past 14 years or so, and I am the founder of FertilityFriday.com as well as the Fertility Friday Podcast!

Topics discussed in today's episode

  • What are xenoestrogens and how do they disrupt the balance of our hormones?
  • What impact can xenoestrogens have in the menstrual cycle?
  • The link between conventional meat and dairy products and menstrual cycle irregularities
  • Why it might be a good idea to consider eating organic and local when possible
  • Why you might want to do a household cleaning product and beauty product detox
  • How conventional cleaning products can destroy indoor air quality
  • Why the birth control pill is actually a xenoestrogen
  • How does the birth control pill impact a woman's hormones?

Connect with Lisa

You can connect with Lisa on the Fertility Friday website and on Facebook and Twitter!

Resources mentioned

Join the community! Find us on the Fertility Friday Facebook Fan Page

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Music Credit: Intro/Outro music Produced by Sirc of (The Nock)

Feb 12, 2016

Geraldine is the founder of the Justisse Method - a comprehensive method of fertility awareness cycle charting that she founded in 1987. She is the CEO of Justisse Healthworks for Women, and she is the Academic Dean of the Justisse Training College. She has worked as a fertility awareness educator and a holistic reproductive health practitioner since 1977, and she has been active in the reproductive health freedoms movement since then.

If you didn’t get a chance to listen to the episode Geraldine and I recorded last year, you’ll want to go back and listen to episode 56 which I will link to this episode. In our previous episode, Geraldine talked in depth about the history of Fertility Awareness-Based Methods and how Justisse came about. She talked about the important role that she played in bringing this knowledge into the secular realm to allow free access to all women regardless of their marital status or religious affiliations.

In today’s show, we delve into the psycho-spiritual aspects of fertility awareness, the different ways that our bodies are commodified and mistreated within the standard medical system, and the implications these issues have for modern day feminists.

Topics discussed in today's episode

  • Where does the Fertility Awareness Method fit in with modern day feminism?
  • Why is our fertility treated as a "disease" that needs to be "treated" by modern medicine?
  • Why are women still told that hormonal contraceptives do no harm to our reproductive systems?
  • What is misogyny? And what does it have to do with the way women's bodies are treated in our medical system?
  • The importance of calling it what it is - "birth control" vs. "contraceptive endocrine disruptor" vs. "temporary sterilization"
  • The role of fear in the development of birth control methods
  • The complicated relationship that women have with their bodies and their fertility
  • Unplanned pregnancy, and why hormonal birth control is considered the only 'valid' birth control option
  • The consequences of unplanned pregnancy, and the lack of support for mothers with newborn children
  • The importance of proper attachment between mother and baby within the crucial first 2 years of life
  • The role of breastfeeding in encouraging proper attachment between mother and child

Connect with Geraldine

You can connect with Geraldine on the Justisse website and on Facebook!

Resources mentioned

Join the community! Find us on the Fertility Friday Facebook Fan Page

Subscribe to the Fertility Friday Podcast on iTunes!

Music Credit: Intro/Outro music Produced by Sirc of (The Nock)

Feb 5, 2016

Holly is the author of Sweetening the Pill or How we got hooked on hormonal birth control. If you haven’t had a chance to read this book and you’ve ever had any questions about the pill you need to get your hands on a copy ASAP! And if you haven't yet listened to my first interview with Holly you'll want to make sure to listen in! In our previous episode together Holly and I delve into the book and really hash out some of the most common side effects of the pill, and dispel some of the most common myths about the pill!

In today's episode, Holly and I talk about her most recent project as an ambassador for Daysy and Lady-Comp. We talk about the implications of using tech for cycle tracking and why most Fertility Awareness Educators, myself included, tend to discourage the use of fertility devices with prediction technology.

Topics discussed in today's episode

  • What are Daysy and Lady-Comp and how are they used for Fertility Awareness tracking?
  • How effective are these devices?
  • How do these devices "know" when you are fertile and infertile?
  • Do these devices encourage women to continue relying on external technology instead of learning about their bodies?
  • Why do Fertility Awareness Educators discourage the use of predictive technology for Fertility Awareness?
  • How can these devices bridge the gap between hormonal birth control and the fertility awareness method?
  • Can Daysy and Lady-Comp give women an option when they want to transition off the pill?
  • Do these devices just take us back to the rhythm method and encourage women to count the days of their cycle?
  • The future of birth control technology from IUDs to remote control birth control
  • How do Fertility Apps use our data without our knowledge?
  • The importance of meeting women where they are with their knowledge and comfort with their own bodies
  • The role that devices like Daysy and Lady-Comp can play in helping women transition from hormonal birth control and gain knowledge about their bodies

Connect with Holly

You can connect with Holly on her website and on Facebook and Twitter!

Resources mentioned

Join the community! Find us on the Fertility Friday Facebook Fan Page

Subscribe to the Fertility Friday Podcast on iTunes!

Music Credit: Intro/Outro music Produced by Sirc of (The Nock)

Jan 29, 2016
Jani is a senior acupuncture practitioner in London with over 17 years of experience in the field. Jani Specializes in acupuncture for fertility, pregnancy, and childbirth. She teaches courses in London for expecting parents, new parents, and prospective parents. She teaches about the importance of pre-conception care, how you can maximize your body’s capacity for normal conception, how to improve your chances with assisted conception and much more!
 
In today’s show, we talk about the role that acupuncture can play in improving menstrual health and fertility. Jani talks about the ways that acupuncture can be applied differently during the different phases of the menstrual cycle, and the powerful impact that acupuncture can have on fertility.

Topics discussed in today's episode

  • What does healthy menstruation look like?
  • How acupuncture can be applied to the menstrual cycle differently during the different phases of the menstrual cycle
  • The relationship between the lunar cycle and the menstrual cycle
  • What your menstrual cycle is telling you about your health
  • How is the menstrual cycle looked at in Chinese Medicine?
  • What are the phases of the menstrual cycle, and how does treatment differ based on the phase a woman is in?
  • What changes does a woman experience during ovulation?
  • How hormonal contraceptives impact a woman's menstrual cycle health
  • The way that hormonal contraceptives can mask menstrual problems and stall proper menstrual development if taken from a young age
  • How a woman's menstrual cycle health from menarche in the early years can impact her menstrual health in adulthood
  • What does a normal and healthy menstrual cycle look like?
  • What does a healthy period look like, and why menstrual pain and severe mood disturbances are not actually normal
  • Why do some women experience headaches at specific times during the menstrual cycle?
  • What is "unexplained infertility"?

Connect with Jani

You can connect with Jani on her website, on Facebook and Twitter!

Resources mentioned

Join the community! Find us on the Fertility Friday Facebook Fan Page

Subscribe to the Fertility Friday Podcast on iTunes!

Music Credit: Intro/Outro music Produced by Sirc of (The Nock)

Jan 22, 2016

Willow is a certified classical homeopath, labor doula, and prenatal yoga teacher. She has a Bachelor of Science in Neuropsychology. And she combined her holistic interests with her medical studies and ventured into homeopathy. For the last 8 years has helped families and individuals of all ages handle everything from anxiety and depression to morning sickness and sore throats.  She is a huge proponent of the body’s power to heal itself and infuses nutrition with real food into her practice.  And when became pregnant herself her focus shifted leading her down her current path as a prenatal, birth, and postpartum guide and co-author of the recently published book, How to Conceive Naturally and Have a Healthy Pregnancy After 30.

In today’s show, we talk about how to prepare for pregnancy before you start trying to conceive and why it’s important to do so! We will also be talking about what women need to know about having babies after age 30!

Topics discussed in today's episode

  • Why it is important for women to prepare for pregnancy for at least 3 months prior to conception
  • Epigenetics - how what women eat impacts the expression of their genes and their unborn children's genes as well
  • Why what women eat before they even become pregnant will have an impact on their children
  • The importance of preconception detoxification, and how the detoxification process may be different than what you think it would be
  • What is the connection between sugar, gluten, and infertility?
  • How can food sensitivities impact fertility?
  • The negative impact of alcohol on fertility
  • What foods women should eat preconception and during pregnancy to nourish the body and boost fertility
  • Why women who are trying to get pregnant should avoid low-fat diets at all costs
  • The benefits of raw dairy for fertility
  • The important role that protein plays during pregnancy and why it is important for women to get enough of it both before and during pregnancy
  • What does impact waiting to have a baby at an "advanced maternal age" (i.e. 30 and over) have on a woman's fertility and her ability to conceive and have a healthy pregnancy?

Connect with Willow

You can connect with Willow on her website, and on Facebook!

Resources mentioned

Join the community! Find us on the Fertility Friday Facebook Fan Page

Subscribe to the Fertility Friday Podcast on iTunes!

Music Credit: Intro/Outro music Produced by Sirc of (The Nock)

Jan 15, 2016

Katherine is a Professor and Vice Chair of the Department of Medicine at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia.  She is also Director of Jefferson Women’s Primary Care. Katherine became interested in Polycystic Ovary Syndrome in the 1990’s when she was studying insulin resistance.  She started treating women with PCOS and in 2000, she established the country’s first academic program for Polycystic Ovary Syndrome.

In today’s show, we talk about PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome), and how Katherine treats women with PCOS and helps them to conceive without fertility drugs!

Topics discussed in today's episode

  • What is Internal Medicine and how does an Internist differ from a regular doctor?
  • Why do women with PCOS often experience fragmented care?
  • Why a woman's menstrual cycle health is actually connected to her overall health
  • What is PCOS? And what are some of the common symptoms?
  • The relationship between testosterone, insulin resistance, and polycystic ovary syndrome
  • Why are women with PCOS often not getting diagnosed by their doctors or care providers?
  • Why hormonal contraceptives do not treat PCOS, and how this mode of treatment can be harmful to women in the long run
  • The connection between PCOS and diabetes and why it is so important to address this as early as possible
  • Why PCOS is often a precursor to type II diabetes
  • The relationship between PCOS and weight
  • The role that vitamin D plays in women's menstrual and overall health
  • Metformin and PCOS
  • How long does it typically take for women's periods to return after following Katherine's protocol?
  • The connection between acne and PCOS

Connect with Katherine

You can connect with Katherine on the Thomas Jefferson University web site!

Resources mentioned

Join the community! Find us on the Fertility Friday Facebook Fan Page

Subscribe to the Fertility Friday Podcast on iTunes!

Music Credit: Intro/Outro music Produced by Sirc of (The Nock)

Jan 8, 2016

Alexandra has been a chef, an author and a functional nutrition coach for over a decade. She has written 4 books, most recently the #1 bestselling book Women, Food and Desire. She was featured in the movie Supersize Me. And after being vegan for over 10 years, Alex came out as not being vegan anymore and has since created a community around the idea of following your cravings to discover what they have to teach you. She also has an awesome podcast “The Cravecast” where she delves into the importance of following your cravings and so much more!

In today’s show, we talk about Alex’s transition from a vegan diet. Alex talks about the impact her diet had on her menstrual cycle and her libido, and what happened when she started incorporating meat again. We also talk about how we can all learn to listen to and honor our cravings, and why it is important to pay attention to what our body is telling us!

Topics discussed in today's episode

  • Alex’s transition from sugar addict to a whole foods vegan diet
  • Origins of the film Supersize me and how it all came about
  • What prompted Alex to start questioning her diet after 11 solid years of being a vegan
  • Why the concept of a “perfect diet” is problematic in general
  • Confessions of an ex-vegan - Alex shares her experience eating meat in secret before she "came out" publicly
  • The disconnect that happens between the moral stance of veganism and what a person's body may need physically to be healthy
  • The importance of having compassion for yourself
  • Alex shares the changes she noticed in her menstrual cycle after over a decade of being vegan, and how it changed when she reintroduced meat
  • How can a vegan diet impact your libido?
  • Are meat eaters destroying the planet?
  • How to tune into our cravings
  • The 4 root causes of cravings, and how to figure out what your body really needs

Connect with Alexandra

You can connect with Alex on her website, and on Facebook and Twitter!

Resources mentioned

Join the community! Find us on the Fertility Friday Facebook Fan Page

Subscribe to the Fertility Friday Podcast on iTunes!

Music Credit: Intro/Outro music Produced by Sirc of (The Nock)

Jan 1, 2016

Dr. Aumatma is a Naturopathic Doctor with a Master of Science (MS) in Nutrition who specializes in fertility and women’s health. She recently finished her Get Fertile Stay Fertile Telesummit. Where she interviewed 25 of the world’s top integrative fertility experts.  Dr. Aumatma has also developed a 4-month fertility program that has 3 phases: detox, rebalance, and mind-body (energy work).

In today’s show, we talk about detoxification and the role it can play for women who are trying to conceive, some of the ways we can boost and preserve fertility as well as some of the challenges that are unique to women trying to conceive after age 40.

Topics discussed in today's episode

  • How effective is egg freezing as a way to preserve fertility?
  • What are some of the ways we can preserve our fertility in our 20s and 30s
  • Dietary changes to reduce stress on the body and improve fertility
  • What are the benefits of doing a detox before trying to conceive?
  • How long does it take for your natural hormone cycle to resume after coming off the hormonal control
  • What are the limitations of doing a short-term detox?
  • Why you shouldn’t be trying to get pregnant during a detox
  • The importance of clean air and water
  • How to reduce our daily xenoestrogen exposure
  • How to preserve and improve fertility over age 35
  • Mercier Therapy for fertility

Connect with Dr. Aumatma

You can connect with Dr. Aumatma on her website, via email!, and on Facebook and Twitter!

Resources mentioned

Join the community! Find us on the Fertility Friday Facebook Fan Page

Subscribe to the Fertility Friday Podcast on iTunes!

Music Credit: Intro/Outro music Produced by Sirc of (The Nock)

Dec 25, 2015

In this episode, I stray from my usual interview format and actually get interviewed for once! Tune into this special edition episode to learn a bit about what happens behind the scenes to make it all happen each week, what I've been up to this past year, lessons I've learned from all of my amazing guests, and what is in store for 2016!

Connect with Lisa

You can connect with Lisa on the Fertility Friday website and on Facebook and Twitter!

Resources mentioned

Top podcasts for learning the Fertility Awareness Method

Top podcasts for pregnancy preparation, healthy menstruation, and transitioning from the birth control pill

Join the community! Find us on the Fertility Friday Facebook Fan Page

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Sign up for email updates at fertilityfriday.com!

Music Credit: Intro/Outro music Produced by Sirc of (The Nock)

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