Review
Real Food For Fertility by Lily Nichols and Lisa Hendrickson-Jack is the complete personal guide towards supporting, improving, and regaining your fertility through nutrition and lifestyle commitments. This book highlights the key nutritional elements to enhance the reproductive health for women. A chapter dedicated to men is also included, emphasizing that what is beneficial for egg quality is typically also beneficial for sperm quality. Real Food For Fertility shines a light on the importance of real, minimally processed foods and the key nutrients they provide. This book is the ultimate blend of science backed information followed by practical advice. It’s akin to a personal fertility coaching session.
The book begins with highlighting the importance of pre-conception nutrition to support a healthy pregnancy. In the earliest stages of your pregnancy, the endometrium has nutrient stores that support the first stages of embryo development. Before the placenta has grown and is ready to take over providing nutrients to a growing fetus, the endometrium is the lifeline. Therefore, it is especially important to have adequate nutrition stored within the body until the placenta is formed. Additionally, since your nutrition stores will be diverted to growing a baby, supplementation may be required to retain the necessary levels.
Authors Lily Nichols & Lisa Hendrickson-Jack highlight the importance of building these necessary stores with a rich diet that includes minimally processed foods such as grass-fed meat vs. grain fed. This holistic approach helps to maximize nutrient density. Of course there are instances when the bioavailability of certain foods may not be adequate given health factors such as allergies or diets that specifically exclude entire food groups, particularly for those who follow a vegetarian diet. This is another reason why supplementation can be your friend. Choline, Folate, Vitamin D, NAC, DHEA & EPA, Inositol (particularly for women with PCOS) are just a few supplements that support egg quality and ovarian function. It is noted throughout the book to carefully research your supplements to ensure that they undergo third party testing, and to look for the most bioavailable forms.
The authors thoroughly outline each stage of the menstrual cycle, addressing which hormones play a key role in the menstrual, follicular, ovulatory, and luteal phases. Not only is there a focus on the role of Estrogen, Testosterone, and Progesterone, but the authors also provide detailed information about FSH, LH and other fertility related hormones. Time is spent explaining each hormonal function, and how to support with nutrition. Nichols and Hendrickson-Jack also provide nutritional recommendations to support each stage of the menstrual cycle and what signs to look for that might indicate an underlying issue related to your menstrual cycle and overall health. This book highlights the steps that you can take to address your menstrual cycle irregularities and discomfort via stress reduction, nutrition, and additional testing. A key message that is woven throughout the book is: your ‘menstrual cycle is the 5th vital sign’ — meaning, if you experience regular menstrual cycles where ovulation occurs and your periods are relatively painless, then it’s an indication that your overall health is optimal.
Not only does ‘Real Food For Fertility’ provide helpful advice for ways to improve both egg and sperm quality, but also provides a list of certain foods and lifestyle factors that could negatively impact fertility. It is no secret that alcohol consumption impacts egg quality and ovarian function. Alcohol interferes with hormone regulation, and can lead to annovulation, when ovulation does not occur cycle-to-cycle. The authors highlight a study that focused on Danish women who consumed less than 1 alcoholic beverage / week against the live birth rates of those who consumed between 1 and 6 alcoholic beverages. It comes as no surprise that the group who consumed fewer alcoholic drinks in the week leading up to conception had greater fertility outcomes during IVF. It was appreciated that although foods and lifestyle choices could negatively impact fertility, this book touched on the the importance of a holistic approach, even by reducing or eliminating the overall consumption of specific ingredients such as caffeine, alcohol, processed sugar, processed foods could lead to greater fertility outcomes. Second to this, Real Food For Fertility educates the reader on how insulin resistance impacts fertility; low cholesterol negatively impacts hormone production; and testing for thyroid function is essential for understanding your fertility.
Any reader would gain considerable knowledge and, as a result, confidence after reading this book. It offers a complete nutritional guide with accompanying meal plans, addresses specific conditions (including PCOS, Endometriosis, Hypothalamic Amenorrhea, how to test for conditions that go beyond standard of care offered in conventional medicine.
It is clear that the authors wrote Real Food For Fertility to encourage readers to be curious about their body’s mechanisms, and to establish their nutrition levels to support fertility and overall health. This book is written with a positive and empowering lens, one that is motivating rather than fear-mongering.
The biggest takeaway: egg quality can be improved, regardless of AMH levels.
