Fertile Me Radio

Fertile friends, I want you to take a moment to think about your meal plan for the day.  I'm not sure if this is you, but most people start their day with a smoothie or yogurt and fruit, have a salad or sandwich for lunch, and dinner is usually dinner is warmest meal of the day but sometimes not.

Could excessive amount of raw and cold foods be damaging your fertility?

I this episode, I talk about:

• the science behind why eating raw might not be the best for us
• the reason why cooking vegetables is better for fertility according to Chinese medicine
• the best cooking methods for vegetables

Connect with me on instagram, Facebook, and TikTok @dradriennewei.

References:

Colino, S. (2016, December 7). How much do doctors know about nutrition? U.S. New and World Report.  https://health.usnews.com/wellness/food/articles/2016-12-07/how-much-do-doctors-learn-about-nutrition

Crowley, J., Ball, L., & Hiddink, G. J. (2019). Nutrition in medical education: a systematic review. The Lancet. Planetary Health, 3(9), e379–e389. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2542-5196(19)30171-8

Fielding, J. M., Rowley, K. G., Cooper, P., & O' Dea, K. (2005). Increases in plasma lycopene concentration after consumption of tomatoes cooked with olive oil. Asia Pacific Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 14(2), 131–136.

Ghavami, A., Coward, W. A., & Bluck, L. J. (2012). The effect of food preparation on the bioavailability of carotenoids from carrots using intrinsic labelling. The British journal of nutrition, 107(9), 1350–1366. https://doi.org/10.1017/S000711451100451X

Hoffman, C. J., & Zabik, M. E. (1985). Effects of microwave cooking/reheating on nutrients and food systems: a review of recent studies. Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 85(8), 922–926.

Hwang, I. G., Shin, Y. J., Lee, S., Lee, J., & Yoo, S. M. (2012). Effects of different cooking methods on the antioxidant properties of red pepper (Capsicum annuum L.). Preventive Nutrition and Food Science, 17(4), 286–292. https://doi.org/10.3746/pnf.2012.17.4.286

Miglio, C., Chiavaro, E., Visconti, A., Fogliano, V., & Pellegrini, N. (2008). Effects of different cooking methods on nutritional and physicochemical characteristics of selected vegetables. Journal of agricultural and food chemistry, 56(1), 139–147. https://doi.org/10.1021/jf072304b

Veda, S., Kamath, A., Platel, K., Begum, K., & Srinivasan, K. (2006). Determination of bioaccessibility of beta-carotene in vegetables by in vitro methods. Molecular Nutrition & Food Research, 50(11), 1047–1052. https://doi.org/10.1002/mnfr.200600076

Yuan, G. F., Sun, B., Yuan, J., & Wang, Q. M. (2009). Effects of different cooking methods on health-promoting compounds of broccoli. Journal of Zhejiang University. Science. B, 10(8), 580–588. https://doi.org/10.1631/jzus.B0920051

Zeng, C. (2013), "Effects of different cooking methods on the vitamin C content of selected vegetables", Nutrition & Food Science, 43(5), pp. 438-443. https://doi.org/10.1108/NFS-11-2012-0123

Choline is all the rage right now and is touted as a super nutrient for fetal brain development, cognitive function, and reducing the risk of neural tube defect (NTD).  

However, is choline needed to help you get pregnant?  In this episode, I answer the question by examining the facts and evidence on choline.  

References:

Boeke, C. E., Gillman, M. W., Hughes, M. D., Rifas-Shiman, S. L., Villamor, E., & Oken, E. (2013). Choline intake during pregnancy and child cognition at age 7 years. American journal of epidemiology, 177(12), 1338–1347. https://doi.org/10.1093/aje/kws395

Choline. (2021, March 29). National Insitute of Health: Office of Dietary Supplements. Retrieved March 2, 2022, from https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Choline-HealthProfessional/

Korsmo, H. W., Jiang, X., & Caudill, M. A. (2019). Choline: Exploring the growing science on its benefits for moms and babies. Nutrients, 11(8), 1823. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu11081823

Irvine, N., England-Mason, G., Field, C. J., Dewey, D., & Aghajafari, F. (2022). Prenatal folate and choline levels and brain and cognitive development in children: A critical narrative review. Nutrients, 14(2), 364. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14020364

My philosophy is always that your fertility is a reflection of the balance within.  I used to say that "fertility is a reflection of health" but that has been misunderstood because health can mean different things to different people.  However, even if you’re in top-notch health on paper, it doesn’t mean you’re optimized for fertility.

In this episode, I talk about:

• What patterns are according to Chinese medicine
• Why perceived health is not the same as optimal fertility
• How knowing your patterns can boost fertility and help you get pregnant
• How to discover your patterns

Links mentioned:

www.2elefants.com/patternquiz

To connect with me on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok:

@dradriennewei

Why do I care about inflammation on a podcast about fertility?  Inflammation is one of the major causes of infertility.  If you work with me, you know that I am a huge advocate for antioxidants because they reduce oxidative stress and inflammation.  It is a huge misconception that unless you’re sick or if an anomaly is discovered via bloodwork, you’re not inflamed.  We’re actually experiencing inflammation every second, every day.  It is necessary for survival and our bodies are excellent at clearing inflammation to prevent it from turning into problems.  But the truth is, we’re not always able to clear the inflammation due to various factors such as external environmental stress, work stress, and lifestyle stress.  

 

Today, I want to start the conversation about inflammation by talking about the role that it plays for one of the most important events in a woman’s life.  

To connect with me on instagram, TikTok, and Facebook:

@dradriennewei

References:

Critchley, H., Maybin, J. A., Armstrong, G. M., & Williams, A. (2020). Physiology of the endometrium and regulation of menstruation. Physiological Reviews, 100(3), 1149–1179. https://doi.org/10.1152/physrev.00031.2019

Duffy, D. M., Ko, C., Jo, M., Brannstrom, M., & Curry, T. E. (2019). Ovulation: Parallels with inflammatory processes. Endocrine Reviews, 40(2), 369–416. https://doi.org/10.1210/er.2018-00075

Mendonça, L. L., Khamashta, M. A., Nelson-Piercy, C., Hunt, B. J., & Hughes, G. R. (2000). Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs as a possible cause for reversible infertility. Rheumatology (Oxford, England), 39(8), 880–882. https://doi.org/10.1093/rheumatology/39.8.880

Hey Fertile Friends, my guest today is Lindsey Henke, the founder and Executive Director of Pregnancy After Loss Support, she is also a writer, clinical social worker, wife, and most importantly a mother of two beautiful daughters and one sweet-smiling little boy. 

To give you a little background, Lindsey’s oldest daughter Nora was stillborn after a healthy full-term pregnancy in December of 2012. After the safe arrival of her second child, Zoe, in March of 2014, Lindsey was inspired to create a sacred place for other bereaved moms like herself to find support during their pregnancies that followed a loss, and Pregnancy After Loss Support, an online magazine and peer-to-peer support organization, was born. 

Navigating through the emotional trenches when you get pregnant again after a miscarriage is not something that is talked about every day.  When you suffer a miscarriage, there is definitely grief, sadness, anger, fear.  However, when you do get pregnant again, you have to deal with a whole new set of emotions and many of them are conflicting.  So, let’s dive into today’s episode and hear what Lindsey has to say about all of this and where you can find support and work through these challenging emotions.  

To connect with Lindsey, please visit

https://pregnancyafterlosssupport.org/

To connect with me, find me on instagram, TikTok and Facebook @dradriennewei

Thanks for tuning in Fertile Friends!  In this episode, I share a vulnerable side and fill you in on a major life-changing experience.  However, this episode has everything to do with you.

I was diagnosed with severe burnout with mild depression.  I am grateful to have discovered a reason for the way I was feeling and have the tools to recover from it.  I want to share my story with you because I want you to know that even though our lives are different, we’re all working toward achieving life long goals.  The road will be bumpy and times will get tough.  But I’m here for you. 

I also have a new Instagram handle.  Please follow me @dradriennewei

On TikTok, you can find me @theadriennewei.  

References:

Carter, S.B. (2013, November 26). The telltale signs of burnout…do you have them?. Psychology today. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/high-octane-women/201311/the-tell-tale-signs-burnout-do-you-have-them

Infertility FAQs. (2022, March 1). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved April 1, 2022, from https://www.cdc.gov/reproductivehealth/infertility/index.htm#:~:text=Yes.,to%20term%20(impaired%20fecundity).

Signs of burnout. (2021, December 14). ADA. Retrieved April 1, 2022, from https://ada.com/signs-of-burnout/#treatment

There are so many challenges a woman can face when she starts to TTC…from trying to guess whether or not you’re ovulating with OPKs to waiting forever to get tested by your physician. We all have our own hormonal patterns, but we don’t want to rely on guesswork to find your fertile window because after all, ovulation is the most important event of the menstrual cycle…without it, pregnancy is not possible.

 

I’m excited to interview the Founder and CEO of Mira, Sylvia Kang.  Mira is revolutionizing the fertility tracking industry.  It’s introducing a new era of fertility tracking that goes beyond just testing the LH for ovulation.  It’s allowing women to receive accurate and personalized data about their hormone levels and fertility potential right from the comfort of their own homes. 

 

Join us as Sylvia goes in-depth about the science and data behind Mira, and how it helps empower women by taking the guesswork out of their fertility journey.

 

In this episode, we talked about:

• What compelled Sylvia to create Mira  
• The difference between Mira and other products
• How does Mira help with fertility tracking
• The accuracy of Mira’s fertility data and analysis
• How Mira can work with physicians to better connect them with their patients

Connect with Sylvia:

• Website | Mira
• LinkedIn | Sylvia Kang

Connect with me:

• Website | Adrienne Wei
• Instagram | @adrienne.wei
• TikTok | @theadriennewei
• Facebook Group | Fertile Me

To learn more about Two elephants products, please visit www.2elefants.com

 

Everyday I see posts on social media and inside our private Facebook Group with questions about certain herbs that help with adrenal fatigue, and whether that would help to boost fertility.

These herbs are known as adaptogens.  In this episode, my intern Samantha and I talk about:

• What adaptogens are 
• What adaptogens do
• Do they help with fertility
• Cautions with using adaptogens

To connect with me:

www.adriennewei.com

[email protected]

TikTok@TheAdrienneWei

 

 

 

This is the question that I get asked over and over again.  With so many opinions out there, it's really hard to know who is right.  

With my training in Chinese medicine nutrition and Functional Nutrition, my protocols are a blend of both because I believe that each has its own benefits and limitations.

In this episode, I talked about so much more than just dairy.  I went into depth into the world of Chinese medicine nutrition and the concept of phlegm.

I talked about:

• How the digestive systems works according to Chinese medicine
• How Chinese medicine nutrition is different than western nutrition
• What phlegm is, how it's formed, how it affects fertility, and how to get rid of it

To connect with me:

Instagram:  @Adrienne.Wei

TikTok: @theadriennewei

www.adriennewei.com

Samantha and I are back and this week and we’ll be talking about dairy. Despite being one of the largest food industries in the world, dairy is still a widely debated topic amongst nutritionists on its actual health benefits. You’ve probably asked yourself once or twice if you really should cut down on the dairy, especially when it comes to trying to conceive.

For this week, we’ll dive into various studies conducted about dairy consumption-- its pros and cons, health effects, as well as cultural myths and how such an industry turned into a staple in homes across America.

Don’t miss out on this highly informative episode to help your fertility and overall health!

In this episode, we talked about:

• The cultural component to dairy consumption and ingestion
• The correlation between gut health, inflammation, and drinking milk
• Positive effects of dairy on your diet
• The nutritional value of cow milk vs. human milk
• Disputing the myth of drinking milk for stronger bones
• Dairy consumption on women’s health and insulin resistance
• Studies on dairy consumption for ovulation and fertility
• Should I cut dairy out of my diet?

Connect with me:

• Website | Adrienne Wei
• Facebook Group | Fertile Me

To learn more about Two elephants products, please visit www.2elefants.com