In today’s episode, Lisa Hendrickson-Jack breaks down how to understand and optimize your overall health using your menstrual cycle as a vital sign. We discuss how to use cycle charting to both get pregnant when it’s desired and avoid pregnancy when it’s not. Lisa is a certified Fertility Awareness Educator, Holistic Reproductive Health Practitioner, and the author of The Fifth Vital Sign and Real Food for Fertility. She also hosts the Fertility Fridays podcast with over 4 million downloads. This conversation dives deep into the practical tools behind tracking your cycle to optimize your health, hormones and fertility.

In this episode, you'll learn:

-Why your menstrual cycle is a powerful window into your overall health

-The link between your cycle and conditions like PCOS, Endometriosis, Osteoporosis and Hypothalamic Amenorrhea

-How to understand your cervical mucous, cycle charting and the Sympto-Thermal Method

-Practical ways to identify your fertile window and time sex based on your goals whether you’re trying to conceive or avoid pregnancy

-How Fertility Awareness compares to other forms of birth control

-Debunking myths we were taught in sex ed—and what the science really says about your body

-How often to have sex during your fertile window for conception based on the research

-Nutrition and lifestyle tips for preconception and hormonal optimization

-Lisa’s personal journey through miscarriage, motherhood, and having three children

-Lisa's self-care including nourishing herself and family with nutrient dense organ meats and home cooking inspired by her Caribbean roots

Whether you're looking to better understand your cycle, support your fertility, or move away from hormonal birth control, this conversation is full of practical insight and wisdom you won’t want to miss.

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Full episode webpage here

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Connect with Lisa @fertilityfriday and fertilityfriday.com

Read Lisa’s books The Fifth Vital Sign and Real Food For Fertility

This podcast is for informational purposes only and is not intended to replace professional medical advice.