My Fertology

It is diabetes awareness month.  Halloween has passed and next comes the winter holiday treats abound.  Although it's true that having each seasonal holiday to look forward to, improves our quality of lives and how long we will live, we need to find balance in how much of the sugary treats we eat that are associated with these holidays.

Learn…

-How to know if you are at risk of type two diabetes

-What tests can tell you if you have insulin resistance or are at risks for type 2 diabetes, even if your doctor has told you that you are fine

-How much sugar is safe?

-Where can hidden sugars be found?

-Are sugar free options safe?

-What’s the difference between a healthy carbohydrate and an unhealthy one?

-What is it about flour products such as pastries, pasta, breads, nans, wraps, rotis that put us at risk for type two diabetes?

-Discover Dr. Tanya’s favourite flour alternatives and healthy carbohydrate options to help support you to reduce your risk of type two diabetes and drop weight if you have any to lose. 

-Wait to the end of this episode for our two week challenge….

-Reference Dr. Hyman bread video

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/what-would-happen-if-you-stopped-eating-bread-for-30-days/id1382804627?i=1000548433891

NEWS headlines have highlighted many times that  stress is impacting our fertility.  We hear well-meaning neighbors and friends telling us to JUST RELAX and that will help us get pregnant.   But is stress really the cause of our infertility preventing us from getting pregnant?  Can we even take it that next step further and say stress can cause a miscarriage?  

One recent study said that higher perceived stress in early pregnancy was associated with an elevated risk of pregnancy loss, with higher risks observed for early hCG-detected pregnancy losses.  We reviewed this study and tips and tools to manage stress.  Our guest  Dr. Julia Sen, Psychologist speaks to how important it is to work on our ability to manage the stress that will hit you on your fertility journey every step of the way for better quality of life, not because of its impact on fertility itself.  

The stress is real, it’s intense and learning effective strategies to cope with it is more important than worrying about being stressed.  Otherwise you are adding more pressure and yet another thing, in your mind to concern yourself with while trying to make a baby.  Stressing about being stressed is common.  Dr Julia helps patients  pivot by recognizing stress will always be there.  She answers our difficult questions around coping strategies since not all strategies are effective for everyone and every stage of fertility.   

This episode focuses on pre-conception. Watch out for episode two where she talks about how to pivot while pregnant and postpartum as parents who once struggled to get here.  She teaches us easy and effective tools to help us lean into our tenderness after processing our sadness and not feeling guilty about our grief but instead acknowledging it, catching it and meeting it with compassion.  Lastly, NO we do NOT have to stay positive all the time.  Staying positive will not get us pregnant faster.

Our featured guest Dr. Julia Sen is a registered clinical and counseling psychologist and has been seeing clients, individually, as couples, and in groups for over 20 years. She has dedicated her career to guiding people through fertility, parenting and re-parenting the self. Julia has a heart-centered approach with her clients and integrates both science and spirit into her practice.

Connect with Dr. Julia Sen, @drjuliasen 

Instagram 

Energy protocol at DrJuliasen.com

Resources: 

13 Things Mentally Strong People Don't Do: Take Back Your Power, Embrace Change, Face Your Fears, and Train Your Brain for Happiness and Success by Amy Morin

Energy Medicine by Jill Blakeway

Breath by James Nester 

When Elephants Weep by Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson 

https://academic.oup.com/humrep/article-abstract/37/10/2264/6668505?login=false

Vitamin D3 is known as the sunshine vitamin.  There are so many benefits to having sufficient vitamin d3  levels but it seems so challenging, living in the northern hemisphere where we lack sunshine, to get enough.

Learn…

Where does Vitamin D3 come from?

Can you get enough Vitamin D3 from your diet?

What is Vitamin D3 important for?

Can we live without extra vitamin D3?

Why do we call Vitamin D3 the sunshine?

What is the common thing we do to slow down the skin's aging process that could be preventing vitamin D3 absorption?

How do you get tested for vitamin D3?

When is the best time to test for vitamin D3?

What are all the forms of supplemental vitamin D3?

What are normal and optimal ranges of vitamin D3?

What happens if you take too much vitamin D3?

What phases through the human lifespan should a person take vitamin D3 and how much should you take when you live in the northern hemisphere through the spring/fall/winter/summer?

What is vitamin D3 good for?

What happens if you miss a day of taking vitamin D3?  Learn a nifty tip on what to do!

Vitamin D and miscarriage: a systematic review and meta-analysis - Fertility and Sterility (fertstert.org)

Suffering from insomnia, weight gain, fatigue, hot flushes, night sweats, irregular periods, joint pains, depression, or anxiety? Feeling frustrated that you are feeling out of sorts or imbalanced despite regular exercise, healthy eating and a balanced lifestyle?...  Or perhaps you feel out of control and unable to get back to the former healthier version of yourself as symptoms take over your life… If this sounds familiar, then consider getting assessed for perimenopause and learning all your treatment options including hormone replacement therapy.

Related Episodes

Episode 50 Why Progesterone Treatment?

References

https://peterattiamd.com/caroltavris-avrumbluming/

www.estrogenmatters.com

Estrogen Matters: Why Taking Hormones in Menopause Can Improve Women's Well-Being and Lengthen Their Lives -- Without Raising the Risk of Breast Cancer by Dr. Avrum Bluming and Carol Travis

We cover the following questions:

What is cyclical Progesterone?

When and why is progesterone helpful?

How does Progesterone help women with heavy periods, irregular cycles, and PCOS?

What is the difference between progesterone and progestins?

Is taking progesterone risky or bad for you?

What are some common side effects of progesterone vs. progestins?

Does Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) cause Breast Cancer?

Related Episodes

Episode 46 Natural treatment for PCOS with Chinese Medicine (ft. Aik Kim Heng) 

References

​​https://peterattiamd.com/caroltavris-avrumbluming/

https://www.cemcor.ubc.ca/sites/default/files/uploads/Cyclic%20Progesterone%20Therapy-final%20to%20post.pdf

Estrogen Matters: Why Taking Hormones in Menopause Can Improve Women's Well-Being and Lengthen Their Lives -- Without Raising the Risk of Breast Cancer by Dr. Avrum Bluming and Carol Travis

Although women often feel responsible for miscarriages, the latest research tells us that men’s sperm contribute to miscarriage rates.

85% of miscarriages are due to abnormal chromosomes which means that there is something wrong with either the egg OR sperm leading to an extra or one less chromosome, says Dr. Kim Garbedian, fertility doctor and medical director at Pollin Fertility Centre. 

While we can’t change genetic egg quality or an inevitable miscarriage due to chromosomal errors, we can help with metabolic egg quality. By increasing the metabolic energy of our cells by not smoking or drinking and taking taking Vitamin D supplements, Acai berries and doing things like acupuncture, we may be able to help decrease miscarriage risks. That means that there are things within your control in terms of healthy habits and treatments that may help fuel normal embryo development as a pregnancy progresses. 

But whatever the risk factor is at the start of a pregnancy, risk of miscarriage goes down from week to week as pregnancy progresses. That means that if you see a fetal heartbeat at 8 weeks, your chances of miscarrying is less than 5% even if you are 40 (with a risk factor of 40 - 50% at the start of pregnancy). In this podcast, we walk you through things you can do to take back control over your pregnancy. 

Any amount of vaginal bleeding during pregnancy may be startling and requires medical attention. That said, the most common cause of bleeding in early pregnancy is due to subchorionic hematoma (SCH) aka blood clot. Dr. Kim Garbedian, Chief Medical director at Pollin Fertility says, “ it’s a good thing because when little blood vessels around the gestational sac break, it creates a clot to stop bleeding much like when you get a papercut.” She goes on to say that  almost 50% of women doing IVF develop blood clots and 95% of them go on to have healthy babies. 

This means that bleeding is common and it doesn’t often lead to miscarriage … BUT it still causes a lot of stress and anxiety. 

So, it’s important to reduce anxiety by seeking the help of your healthcare providers. Why? Because studies show that caring about the patient and providing TLC actually reduces risks of miscarriage! 

DM us for more information.

The world is full of waste and toxins and one of the most important ways to eliminate these is through healthy bowel movements. But pooping is a problem for nearly 20 percent of adults (and 33% of adults over 60)  … which can start in infancy. It may not be a lifelong problem but is of concern when taking medications, while trying to conceive, during pregnancy, and postpartum. The good news is that simple every day lifestyle habits can impact it. 

Instead of dealing with constipation silently, nurse Susan Wong, Butt Talks TV host, author of The Power of Pooping, and pelvic floor expert,  shares tips and tricks to help you poop and feel better both inside, and outside of the Water Closet (WC). 

DM us with any questions

When experiencing irregular or non-existent menstrual cycles or Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS), doctors may prescribe the Oral Contraceptive Pill (OCP). It works but NOT if you want to get pregnant. Furthermore, OCP may come with undesirable side effects such as mood swings, bloating, weight gain, breast tenderness, headaches, increased appetite, and increased risk of blood clots. 

Thankfully, there are options - acupuncture and traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). Aik Kim Heng, our leading herbalist and menstrual health detective at ALIVE shares current research demonstrating beneficial effects of TCM herbal formulas in PCOS treatment.

Chinese medicine works so well that the National Health Insurance Program in Taiwan covers not only western medicine but also Chinese herbal medicine equally.

A nationwide study, published in 2019, found that 66.43% of women with PCOS sought out TCM for infertility or menstrual disorders. 

Jia Wei Xiao Yao San (JWXYS - Supplemented Free Wanderer Powder), the most commonly prescribed herbal formula, plays a vital role in treatment of anxiety, irritability, stress, depression, premenstrual tension, and infertility.

That said, it’s not for all patients. So, if you want results, we strongly advise that you seek help from a licensed herbalist/TCM practitioner like Kim before using Chinese herbal medicine. 

Feel free to DM us with questions 

When it comes to being pregnant, most women stop smoking and drinking alcohol. And when you struggle to have a baby, you can’t help but worry about IVF drugs’ possible negative impacts.

Although, Dr. Garcia dispelled the myth that IVF drugs cause cancer in episode 20, it doesn’t stop the fears surrounding the impacts IVF drugs may have on the health of your unborn child.

Specifically, Dr. Bentov, a fertility doctor, talks about the risks of taking Metformin during pregnancy because it’s commonly prescribed for diabetes and for women with PCOS that undergo fertility treatment.

The bottom line is, “Whatever happens to the mother happens to the baby”.

That means, mom and baby’s blood concentration of metformin is the same because metformin crosses the placenta.

While embryos are 100% dependent on energy to grow, metformin decreases cellular energy which forces the baby to develop efficiently in the womb even though it's a low energy environment.

This is not a problem until the baby is born and exposed to the western type diet in the land of supersized meals and sugary treats. Dr. Bentov has been researching this topic and found studies where children have high blood pressure and diabetes at the age of 7.

Another recent study speaks to genital birth defects in boy offsprings after the father takes metformin for diabetes.

What’s the antidote? According to Dr. Bentov,  EAT Healthy and you don’t need to worry and speak to your doctor to see about alternative choices.

Resources:

A Western Diet Side Story: The Effects of Transitioning to a Western - Type Diet on Fertility by Yaakov Bentov

Diabetes Drug Linked to Genital Birth Defects in Baby Boys

Related Episodes

Episode 20 Fertiity Myth Busting with Dr. Meivys Garcia, REI

Episode 39 Is Metformin the Fertility Wonderdrug? With Dr. Yaakov Bentov

Instagram:

@drtanyawylde_nd

@aliveholistichealthclinic

@meetmarywong

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To find out more about Tanya or Mary, or listen to all episodes, head over to http://myfertology.com.