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I recently worked out that in my practice 100% of

I recently worked out that in my practice 100% of my fertility enquires have come from women. 😱 And when I thought about it, I realised that so much of the fertility messaging online and on social media is aimed at women too. So where are the men in all this?! Are women’s health issues the reason behind the rising number of infertility and sub-fertility cases, or is this just a case of women taking on the burden for the couples’ fertility.

I’ve noticed it myself too - how fertility seems to be more of a ‘female’ issue. Doctors’ letters are usually addressed to the female patient during fertility investigations, women get targeted with ads on social media for fertility supplements, testing and fertility preservation once they hit 35, and even the way the press portray declining fertility rates seems to point the finger at women for ‘leaving it too late’.

But what about male fertility? In fact, male factor accounts for 50% of infertility cases, so why are conversations around men’s fertility still lacking?

So I decided to write a blog about male fertility - how common male factor infertility is, what the common issues are, what testing is available and what diet and lifestyle interventions we can look at to optimise male fertility.

If you’re a man wondering about their fertility and how to optimise it - pull up a chair! Come join the conversation - you’re very welcome here!

Check out my blog on my website (🔗 above) and please get in touch if you have any questions. Who knows, you might even be my very first MALE fertility enquiry… 🤞

Why do I do what I do? I’ve been on my own hea

Why do I do what I do?

I’ve been on my own health journey, and I know first hand how powerful nutrition and lifestyle can be. Now I’m in the privileged position that I get to see this in my clients too.

Women are amazing, physiologically complex beings and I love working with them - unfortunately research is often underfunded when it comes to female health, and I hear lots of female clients say that they’ve not had the support that they would have liked from the medical profession. I want to help women better advocate for their health and empower themselves to take control of their own health.

I love seeing clients improving their relationship with food. Sometimes this might have been messages that they were given as teenagers (‘don’t eat breakfast or it’ll make you fat’ or ‘carbs are bad’). I try to help people find joy in food again, eating proper food without fear or restriction.

I have seen how confusing the wellness world is! And I want to cut through the noise and make it a bit more straightforward for people.

I want everyone to know that nutrition and lifestyle changes really do have the potential to change your life. To find out how, get in touch and book in for a free 30-minute consultation with me. ☎️

The luteal phase is the second half of the cycle,

The luteal phase is the second half of the cycle, after ovulation. The textbook length of the luteal phase is 14 days but we all know women are not textbooks and it can be anywhere from 7 to 19 days.

During this time, the corpus luteum (the dominant follicle that produced an egg) releases progesterone, which helps to prepare the body for pregnancy.

A short luteal phase (less than 10 days) may suggest low progesterone, either because there was no ovulation or because it’s dropping too early.

How do you know? Get tracking that cycle! Use a basal body temperate to find your ovulation, and then count how many days between then and your period.

What does it mean? Well, if you’re trying to conceive a short luteal phase can reduce your chances of getting pregnant and increase the risk of early miscarriage. Dropping progesterone levels can also contribute to poor sleep, low moods and PMS. If you have a short second half of your cycle, infertility, recurrent miscarriage or any bleeding or spotting between periods, you might want to investigate this - especially if you’re trying to get pregnant.

And what can we do about it? Supporting stress, a balanced diet and maintaining a healthy weight can all help support progesterone in the second half of the cycle. There are also certain nutrients that can help too, like vitamin C, zinc, magnesium and omega 3 fatty acids.

Think this could be you? Get in touch and see how I can help support.

A few tasty morsels from the moon 🌕 Long walks,

A few tasty morsels from the moon 🌕 Long walks, delicious treats, and the occasional burst of sunshine. What more could we ask for?! ♥️

Now back to Somerset and looking forward to catching up with all my lovely clients!

This lovely client came to me with a recent diagno

This lovely client came to me with a recent diagnosis of PCOS, irregular periods and low energy levels.

We worked to regulate her cycles and improve her knowledge about what to eat for different stages of the menstrual cycle. Unsurprisingly she was also low in iron, which wasn’t helping her fatigue either…

She made amazing progress and by the end of our sessions together she went from having a period every 2 weeks with 1 week of bleeding, to a period every 28 days with much lighter periods - and improved energy levels 🙌🏼

To see how I can help you, get in touch and let’s have a chat! 👋🏼

Chewing! 🦷 One of the first things I’m askin

Chewing! 🦷

One of the first things I’m asking about with new clients is how they eat their food. Are they sitting down at the table or are they watching telly while eating? Are they chewing thoroughly or wolfing down their food before moving on to the next task?

If you’re not chewing your food, you’re not breaking down all the nutrients in that food. Simple as that. It makes it MUCH harder for the rest of the digestive system to do its thing if we’re not doing some of the heavy lifting in our mouths. You’re also much more likely to overeat!

This first stage of digestion is SO important, as it sets off a cascade of digestive processes - like stomach acid, digestive enzymes, bile and more. Not chewing can cause bloating, indigestion, and an uncomfortable feeling of fullness 🤰🏻😫

The good news - it’s free, easy, and you don’t need any extra skills to do it.

Try it and see how it feels - chew your food until you can’t chew it any more, until it’s a semi-liquid consistency. Let me know how you get on!

Sorry I’ve been a little bit quiet of late but I

Sorry I’ve been a little bit quiet of late but I GOT MARRIED!!! 💍♥️

Just coming back down to earth after the most epic wedding celebrations in Devon, and our cosy campervan honeymoon in Cornwall. Feeling very lucky indeed. 🥰

You’ve probably heard of the gut microbiome, but

You’ve probably heard of the gut microbiome, but what about the vaginal microbiome??

That’s right, it is really a thing. Women all have a unique set of bacteria down there, which is quite distinct from our gut microbiome.

Unlike in the gut, MORE diversity in the vaginal microbiome isn’t actually a good thing. This is associated with an increase in vaginal pH, which can lead to recurrent infections like BV and thrush. (Remember, low diversity = low pH = lower risk of infections.)

Vaginal dysbiosis (an imbalance of bacteria in the vagina) can increase the risk of STIs, and cause complications in conception, pregnancy and post partum, as well as being associated with chronic diseases like diabetes, IBD and infertility.

For fertility clients, I’m always thinking about what’s going on in the vagina - and testing can be a great way to see which strains (good or bad!) are present.

The good news is that there is LOTS we can focus on to help restore and maintain balance, with diet and lifestyle, alongside potential pharmaceutical interventions.

So if you’re struggling with recurrent vaginal infections, or experiencing symptoms like itching and pain, it might be worth investigating what’s going on in the vagina. Get in touch to find out more…