Do You Want to Become a Fertility Coach?

Your connection to the creation of a new life is unlike any other. Women who have been trying to conceive for years may feel like they’ve exhausted every possible option. It’s time for a fresh perspective.

As a fertility coach, you can help couples regain their hope and confidence by guiding them through one of the most challenging times in their lives. You’ll be there to support them through each step of their journey, from conception through pregnancy and beyond.

The best part? You don’t need any special prerequisites to get started! In fact, many fertility coaches are not doctors or nurses — they simply have specialized training in fertility coaching and the desire to help others navigate their infertility journey.

You can start your own fertility coaching business by offering basic services like cycle tracking tools and lifestyle support. Or if you’re interested in going deeper into this field, we recommend that you take our Integrative Fertility Training Coach program and become certified so that you can really understand what it means and have the tools to become a fertility coach.

To get started as a fertility coach, you need to be able to:

Be a good listener. One of the most important skills for a fertility coach is being able to listen well and respond appropriately to what people tell you. You’ll need to hear what they are saying, understand why they are saying it, and give them support and guidance based on that information.

Be perceptive. You’ll also need to be able to notice things about people that others might not see. For instance, if someone says she’s having trouble getting pregnant because her husband doesn’t want kids, but then mentions that he always wants sex at night when she’s tired or stressed out — that might be an important clue that there is more going on than meets the eye!

Be empathetic. Although this goes hand-in-hand with being perceptive, it is worth mentioning separately because empathy is such an important part of being a good fertility coach. Asking the right questions and listening carefully so you can understand what your clients are going through will help you feel their pain and know how best to help them move forward towards their goals (which may include conception or simply getting pregnant.

If you would like to get started sign up for our free workshop and start training today! FREE WORKSHOP

Nutrients that Boost Your Fertility

NUTRIENTS THAT BOOST FERTILITY 

We anxiously wait for monthly visits from Aunt Flo, doubtful (even though there shouldn't be) about our methods of contraception. However, this time it is reversed. After keeping track of ovulation, taking the correct medication, and perhaps countless blood tests, we eagerly wait for our pregnancy test to come back positive. 

For some of us, pregnancy and childbirth are the ultimate life goal. 

Those of us who struggle with fertility are aware that it is an uphill battle to achieve pregnancy. We try countless methods, procedures to increase the chances of a positive pregnancy test. 

A vital factor that we may often overlook is our diet and nutrition. A healthy balanced diet is the basis of good health. Food influences various elements of our health. And since we control what we consume, we have the power to stir our health in the correct direction. For instance, excessive intake of highly refined carbohydrates can result in insulin resistance, which increases the risk of polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), diabetes type 2, and cardiac diseases. For this reason, altering dietary habits plays a crucial role in PCOS treatment. Another example will be the beneficial effects of the Mediterranean diet. Following this diet long-term is known to reduce the risk of cardiac diseases, obesity, cancer, and diabetes. 

Does this mean certain nutrients have the power to boost our fertility? Yes, of course! For our ancestors, nutrition was probably the key to fertility(and likely contraception as well). They will probably cook up various concoctions of herbs and plants that require a complex method of consumption. But don't worry, we are not heading towards that indefinite direction. We won't be needing rare ingredients to knock together a pot of medicinal goo. Instead, in this modern era, there are multiple nourishing foods available to us. And to make things even easier, supplements too. 

Omega-3 fatty acids 

Omega 3s are powerful antioxidants that have anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer effects. They are famously known for preventing heart diseases. But a lesser-known fact about omega 3s is that it prevents ovarian aging and improves the quality of eggs; this will be particularly beneficial for women over 35 looking to conceive. Research also reveals that these antioxidants are also supportive of women undergoing assisted reproductive techniques. Omega 3 rich foods are seafood (salmon, mackerel, oysters, etc.), avocados, spinach, chia seeds, flaxseeds, and many more. Cod liver oil supplements also contain high concentrations of omega 3s, including vitamin D and A. 

Vitamin D 

This sunshine vitamin is popular for maintaining bone health. But it also promotes female reproductive health. Research shows that vitamin D deficiency is a risk factor for reduced fertility and unfavorable pregnancy outcomes. Vitamin D also plays a vital role in the treatment of menstrual disorders such as PCOS, endometriosis, and uterine fibroids. And the effective

treatment of these disorders will improve ovulation and fertility. Foods abundant in vitamin D are mushrooms, red meat, eggs, fortified food (cereal, yogurt, oatmeal, milk), and oily fish. 

Complex carbohydrates 

These carbs consist of fruits, vegetables, beans, and whole grains. These carbs contain ample dietary fiber and are slowly digested. 

Quinoa is a gluten-free grain that is rich in good quality protein, vitamin B, C, E, and minerals such as magnesium, zinc, iron. This mighty grain contains all the necessary nutrients required for reproductive health, such as folic acid, iron, and vitamin E. Buckwheat is a plant cultivated for its grain-like seeds. This 'undercover' cereal contains d-chiro-inositol, a compound that improves ovulation. Berries are a powerhouse of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds. Dark green leafy vegetables (spinach, kale, arugula) are also known to improve ovulation. 

So far we have discussed foods to enjoy, to increase their intake. But that does not mean that we take anything else in excess. Moderation is the focus here. Therefore, reduce alcohol intake, avoid highly refined carbohydrates, sugar, or saturated fats. Try to avoid soy foods as well. These foods contain phytoestrogens, which interferes with the estrogen levels in the body. 

There are many elements present to boost fertility. And nutrition is one of the cornerstones. So, ladies, let us evaluate what is on our plates today. Let's initiate dietary changes, plan out our meals, and be mindful of what we consume.

REFERENCES 

1) Pilz, S., Zittermann, A., Obeid, R., Hahn, A., Pludowski, P., Trummer, C., Lerchbaum, E., Pérez-López, F. R., Karras, S. N., & März, W. (2018). The Role of Vitamin D in Fertility and during Pregnancy and Lactation: A Review of Clinical Data. International journal of environmental research and public health, 15(10), 2241. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph15102241 

2) Voulgaris N, Papanastasiou L, Piaditis G, Angelousi A, Kaltsas G, Mastorakos G, Kassi E. Vitamin D and aspects of female fertility. Hormones (Athens). 2017 Jan;16(1):5-21. doi: 10.14310/horm.2002.1715. PMID: 28500824. 

3) Nehra D, Le HD, Fallon EM, Carlson SJ, Woods D, White YA, Pan AH, Guo L, Rodig SJ, Tilly JL, Rueda BR, Puder M. Prolonging the female reproductive lifespan and improving egg quality with dietary omega-3 fatty acids. Aging Cell. 2012 Dec;11(6):1046-54. doi: 10.1111/acel.12006. Epub 2012 Oct 19. PMID: 22978268; PMCID: PMC5624332. 

4) Chiu YH, Karmon AE, Gaskins AJ, Arvizu M, Williams PL, Souter I, Rueda BR, Hauser R,Chavarro JE; EARTH Study Team. Serum omega-3 fatty acids and treatment outcomes amongwomen undergoing assisted reproduction. Hum Reprod. 2018 Jan 1;33(1):156-165. doi:10.1093/humrep/dex335. PMID: 29136189; PMCID: PMC5850735.

Are plastics messing with your fertility?

7 Ways Plastics Damage the Body

Ronald Grisanti D.C., D.A.B.C.O., D.A.C.B.N., M.S.

Plastics (or the chemical name, phthalates) are now considered the number one pollutant in the human body. They make products flexible, durable, and these chemicals are also in items you would not considerto be plastics, like pesticides, detergents, cosmetics,medications, or your shampoo. They are found everywhere. It is difficult to completely avoid them.

You can live in the most pristine place on planet earth and still find animals polluted with plastics.

It is an interesting fact that plasticizers are over 10,000 to 1,000,000 times higher in our bodies than any other toxins thathave been found in EPA studies.

Unfortunately once in the body, these plastics do enormous damage.

7 Ways Plastics Damage the Body

1: Phthalates damage the chemistry of fatty acids mostimportantly, the fatty acid, DHA (docosahexaenoic acid). This is the fundamental chemistry necessary for making every cell lining or membrane. These fatty acids are the foundation for brain health including memory and recall.

2: Phthalates can create a zinc deficiency which will compromise the metabolism of vitamins A and B-6. In turn this could lead to conditions such as indigestion, depression, heart disease,cancer, diabetes, and accelerated aging.

As a quick side note the combination of low zinc and low DHA can lead to chronic inflammation. Medical literature has clearly identified chronic inflammation as one of the most common underlying pathologies of most diseases leading to auto-immune diseases (rheumatoid arthritis, MS) to cancer and heart disease.

3: Phthalates has been found to be responsible for damaging the pancreas leading to diabetes, insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome X.

4: Phthalates has been found to lower sulfation.  This means that you are no longer able to effectively detoxify like you should. This in turn can lead to a whole host of health challenges.

5: Phthalates damage hormone function, especiallythyroid and testosterone.

6: Phthalates can poison the peroxisomes needed for the control of the chemistry of cholesterol. They can cause high cholesterol while at thesame time keep cholesterol from forming the “happyhormones” (neurotransmitters) of the brain.

7: Phthalates can damage the body's ability to makecatalase. Catalase is absolutely essential for devouring up thehydrogen peroxide that cancer cells make to allowthem to metastasize or wildly spread throughout the body. Lack of catalase is a reason why manycancers briefly seem to be in remission aftertreatments, only to resurface months or years later with lethal consequences.

 Compliments from Functional Medicine University www.FunctionalMedicineUniversity.com

Empowered Fertility: Supporting the emotional struggles of infertility

FREE clinician's guide to Empowered Fertility. Infertility is an emotional journey and it pays to be equipped with the tools to support your clients during these trying times.

I put together this FREE guide to help you support the mental and emotional needs associated with getting pregnant.

Get my Clinician's Guide to Empowered Fertility

Getting pregnant fast...

Time and time again clients come in and tell me they are looking to get pregnant in the next month or so and that they have been trying for years! Now I wish that I could tell the future and say that I knew exactly what to do to but there is just not a magic bullet to get pregnant fast. But what I will tell you is that we can do something to increase the chances of conception as well as create a better environment to house a baby. 

What we do know is that our living conditions and environment can somehow leave an imprint on the genetic material on eggs and sperm which can influence how they are expressed in the world. This could explain why a set of identical twins may develop different disorders such as asthma or bipolar.  The study of the modification of gene expression is called epigenetics. Or as I like to think about it in terms of nature and nurture or yin and yang where your internal environment is just as important as your external environment.

Find out more about what you can do to increase  your success treating fertility clients

Yin and yang and your genetic code....