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In this episode, we continue the conversation about PCOS.  I talk in-depth about the possible causes of PCOS, both external and internal factors.  Some might surprise you.   References: Abbott, D. H., & Dumesic, D. A. (2021). Passing on PCOS: new insights into its epigenetic transmission. Cell Metabolism, 33(3), 463–466. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cmet.2021.02.008 Parker, J., O'Brien, C., Hawrelak, J., & Gersh, F. L. (2022). Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: An evolutionary adaptation to lifestyle and the environment. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(3), 1336. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19031336 Sadeghi, H. M., Adeli, I., Calina, D., Docea, A. O., Mousavi, T., Daniali, M., Nikfar, S., Tsatsakis, A., & Abdollahi, M. (2022). Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: A comprehensive review of pathogenesis, management, and drug repurposing. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 23(2), 583. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms23020583 Szczuko, M., Kikut, J., Szczuko, U., Szydłowska, I., Nawrocka-Rutkowska, J., Ziętek, M., Verbanac, D., & Saso, L. (2021). Nutrition strategy and life style in Polycystic Ovary Syndrome-narrative review. Nutrients, 13(7), 2452. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13072452 Valdes, A. M., Walter, J., Segal, E., & Spector, T. D. (2018). Role of the gut microbiota in nutrition and health. BMJ (Clinical research ed.), 361, k2179. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.k2179

Hey Fertile Friends, you might not be aware of the different types of PCOS, or Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome.  Or perhaps, you've pulled up a blog talking about an adrenal type, insulin resistance type, inflammation type PCOS.   In this episode, I talk about: Four types of PCOS according to functional medicine Four types of PCOS officially recognized by the international medical community Whether you need to know which type of PCOS you have Connect with me on instagram, Facebook and TikTok @dradriennewei Reference: Armanini, D., Boscaro, M., Bordin, L., & Sabbadin, C. (2022). Controversies in the pathogenesis, diagnosis and treatment of PCOS: Focus on insulin Rrsistance, inflammation, and hyperandrogenism. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 23(8), 4110. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms23084110 Barrea, L., Frias-Toral, E., Verde, L., Ceriani, F., Cucalón, G., Garcia-Velasquez, E., Moretti, D., Savastano, S., Colao, A., & Muscogiuri, G. (2021). PCOS and nutritional approaches: Differences between lean and obese phenotype. Metabolism open, 12, 100123. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.metop.2021.100123 Teede, H. J., Misso, M. L., Costello, M. F., Dokras, A., Laven, J., Moran, L., Piltonen, T., Norman, R. J., & International PCOS Network (2018). Recommendations from the international evidence-based guideline for the assessment and management of polycystic ovary syndrome. Fertility and sterility, 110(3), 364–379. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fertnstert.2018.05.004

Fertile friends, I want you to take a moment to think about your meal plan for the day.  I'm not sure if this is you, but most people start their day with a smoothie or yogurt and fruit, have a salad or sandwich for lunch, and dinner is usually dinner is warmest meal of the day but sometimes not. Could excessive amount of raw and cold foods be damaging your fertility? I this episode, I talk about: the science behind why eating raw might not be the best for us the reason why cooking vegetables is better for fertility according to Chinese medicine the best cooking methods for vegetables Connect with me on instagram, Facebook, and TikTok @dradriennewei. References: Colino, S. (2016, December 7). How much do doctors know about nutrition? U.S. New and World Report.  https://health.usnews.com/wellness/food/articles/2016-12-07/how-much-do-doctors-learn-about-nutrition Crowley, J., Ball, L., & Hiddink, G. J. (2019). Nutrition in medical education: a systematic review. The Lancet. Planetary Health, 3(9), e379–e389. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2542-5196(19)30171-8 Fielding, J. M., Rowley, K. G., Cooper, P., & O' Dea, K. (2005). Increases in plasma lycopene concentration after consumption of tomatoes cooked with olive oil. Asia Pacific Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 14(2), 131–136. Ghavami, A., Coward, W. A., & Bluck, L. J. (2012). The effect of food preparation on the bioavailability of carotenoids from carrots using intrinsic labelling. The British journal of nutrition, 107(9), 1350–1366. https://doi.org/10.1017/S000711451100451X Hoffman, C. J., & Zabik, M. E. (1985). Effects of microwave cooking/reheating on nutrients and food systems: a review of recent studies. Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 85(8), 922–926. Hwang, I. G., Shin, Y. J., Lee, S., Lee, J., & Yoo, S. M. (2012). Effects of different cooking methods on the antioxidant properties of red pepper (Capsicum annuum L.). Preventive Nutrition and Food Science, 17(4), 286–292. https://doi.org/10.3746/pnf.2012.17.4.286 Miglio, C., Chiavaro, E., Visconti, A., Fogliano, V., & Pellegrini, N. (2008). Effects of different cooking methods on nutritional and physicochemical characteristics of selected vegetables. Journal of agricultural and food chemistry, 56(1), 139–147. https://doi.org/10.1021/jf072304b Veda, S., Kamath, A., Platel, K., Begum, K., & Srinivasan, K. (2006). Determination of bioaccessibility of beta-carotene in vegetables by in vitro methods. Molecular Nutrition & Food Research, 50(11), 1047–1052. https://doi.org/10.1002/mnfr.200600076 Yuan, G. F., Sun, B., Yuan, J., & Wang, Q. M. (2009). Effects of different cooking methods on health-promoting compounds of broccoli. Journal of Zhejiang University. Science. B, 10(8), 580–588. https://doi.org/10.1631/jzus.B0920051 Zeng, C. (2013), "Effects of different cooking methods on the vitamin C content of selected vegetables", Nutrition & Food Science, 43(5), pp. 438-443. https://doi.org/10.1108/NFS-11-2012-0123

You might already know this , but nutrition is super important when it comes to boosting fertility.  However, based on my observation, most women do not balance the nutrition properly.  In this episode, I talk about the major components of a fertility diet that are absolutely necessary and the science behind them. Connect with me on instagram, Facebook, and TikTok @dradriennewei References: Aoun, A., Khoury, V. E., & Malakieh, R. (2021). Can Nutrition Help in the Treatment of Infertility?. Preventive nutrition and food science, 26(2), 109–120. https://doi.org/10.3746/pnf.2021.26.2.109 Mumford SL, Alohali A, Wactawski-Wende J. Dietary protein intake and reproductive hormones and ovulation: the BioCycle study. Fertil Steril. 2015;104(3):e2 Skoracka, K., Ratajczak, A. E., Rychter, A. M., Dobrowolska, A., & Krela-Kaźmierczak, I. (2021). Female Fertility and the Nutritional Approach: The Most Essential Aspects. Advances in nutrition (Bethesda, Md.), 12(6), 2372–2386. https://doi.org/10.1093/advances/nmab068 Willis, S. K., Wise, L. A., Wesselink, A. K., Rothman, K. J., Mikkelsen, E. M., Tucker, K. L., Trolle, E., & Hatch, E. E. (2020). Glycemic load, dietary fiber, and added sugar and fecundability in 2 preconception cohorts. The American journal of clinical nutrition, 112(1), 27–38. https://doi.org/10.1093/ajcn/nqz312  

Do you ever feel like you've done it all and are still not pregnant?  It's frustrating, isn't it?  It feels like trying to conceive is a full-time job that is unrewarding.  In this episode, I'm going to talk about what you can do when you've done it all.   Connect with me on Instagram, Tiktok, and Facebook, @dradriennewei  

Choline is all the rage right now and is touted as a super nutrient for fetal brain development, cognitive function, and reducing the risk of neural tube defect (NTD).   However, is choline needed to help you get pregnant?  In this episode, I answer the question by examining the facts and evidence on choline.   References: Boeke, C. E., Gillman, M. W., Hughes, M. D., Rifas-Shiman, S. L., Villamor, E., & Oken, E. (2013). Choline intake during pregnancy and child cognition at age 7 years. American journal of epidemiology, 177(12), 1338–1347. https://doi.org/10.1093/aje/kws395 Choline. (2021, March 29). National Insitute of Health: Office of Dietary Supplements. Retrieved March 2, 2022, from https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Choline-HealthProfessional/ Korsmo, H. W., Jiang, X., & Caudill, M. A. (2019). Choline: Exploring the growing science on its benefits for moms and babies. Nutrients, 11(8), 1823. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu11081823 Irvine, N., England-Mason, G., Field, C. J., Dewey, D., & Aghajafari, F. (2022). Prenatal folate and choline levels and brain and cognitive development in children: A critical narrative review. Nutrients, 14(2), 364. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14020364

My philosophy is always that your fertility is a reflection of the balance within.  I used to say that "fertility is a reflection of health" but that has been misunderstood because health can mean different things to different people.  However, even if you’re in top-notch health on paper, it doesn’t mean you’re optimized for fertility. In this episode, I talk about: What patterns are according to Chinese medicine Why perceived health is not the same as optimal fertility How knowing your patterns can boost fertility and help you get pregnant How to discover your patterns Links mentioned: www.2elefants.com/patternquiz To connect with me on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok: @dradriennewei

Why do I care about inflammation on a podcast about fertility?  Inflammation is one of the major causes of infertility.  If you work with me, you know that I am a huge advocate for antioxidants because they reduce oxidative stress and inflammation.  It is a huge misconception that unless you’re sick or if an anomaly is discovered via bloodwork, you’re not inflamed.  We’re actually experiencing inflammation every second, every day.  It is necessary for survival and our bodies are excellent at clearing inflammation to prevent it from turning into problems.  But the truth is, we’re not always able to clear the inflammation due to various factors such as external environmental stress, work stress, and lifestyle stress.     Today, I want to start the conversation about inflammation by talking about the role that it plays for one of the most important events in a woman’s life.   To connect with me on instagram, TikTok, and Facebook: @dradriennewei References: Critchley, H., Maybin, J. A., Armstrong, G. M., & Williams, A. (2020). Physiology of the endometrium and regulation of menstruation. Physiological Reviews, 100(3), 1149–1179. https://doi.org/10.1152/physrev.00031.2019 Duffy, D. M., Ko, C., Jo, M., Brannstrom, M., & Curry, T. E. (2019). Ovulation: Parallels with inflammatory processes. Endocrine Reviews, 40(2), 369–416. https://doi.org/10.1210/er.2018-00075 Mendonça, L. L., Khamashta, M. A., Nelson-Piercy, C., Hunt, B. J., & Hughes, G. R. (2000). Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs as a possible cause for reversible infertility. Rheumatology (Oxford, England), 39(8), 880–882. https://doi.org/10.1093/rheumatology/39.8.880

Hey Fertile Friends, my guest today is Lindsey Henke, the founder and Executive Director of Pregnancy After Loss Support, she is also a writer, clinical social worker, wife, and most importantly a mother of two beautiful daughters and one sweet-smiling little boy.  To give you a little background, Lindsey’s oldest daughter Nora was stillborn after a healthy full-term pregnancy in December of 2012. After the safe arrival of her second child, Zoe, in March of 2014, Lindsey was inspired to create a sacred place for other bereaved moms like herself to find support during their pregnancies that followed a loss, and Pregnancy After Loss Support, an online magazine and peer-to-peer support organization, was born.  Navigating through the emotional trenches when you get pregnant again after a miscarriage is not something that is talked about every day.  When you suffer a miscarriage, there is definitely grief, sadness, anger, fear.  However, when you do get pregnant again, you have to deal with a whole new set of emotions and many of them are conflicting.  So, let’s dive into today’s episode and hear what Lindsey has to say about all of this and where you can find support and work through these challenging emotions.   To connect with Lindsey, please visit https://pregnancyafterlosssupport.org/ To connect with me, find me on instagram, TikTok and Facebook @dradriennewei

I am an Integrative Fertility Expert with a background in Chinese medicine so obviously, I talk about it quite a bit.  It is not the mainstream medical system in the United States, and there are lots of skepticism around it.  Is it real?  Is it woo-woo or is there evidence supporting its effectiveness?  Those are the big questions that you are probably wondering about before embracing this system that is a few thousand years old to help you get pregnant.  Today, I am going to present some of the evidence behind Chinese medicine and you can decide if it’s legit or if it’s too new agey for you. To follow me on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook: @dradriennewei Reference: Feng, J., Wang, J., Zhang, Y., Zhang, Y., Jia, L., Zhang, D., Zhang, J., Han, Y., & Luo, S. (2021). The efficacy of complementary and alternative medicine in the treatment of female infertility. Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine : eCAM, 2021, 6634309. https://doi.org/10.1155/2021/6634309 Johansson, J., & Stener-Victorin, E. (2013). Polycystic ovary syndrome: effect and mechanisms of acupuncture for ovulation induction. Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine : eCAM, 2013, 762615. https://doi.org/10.1155/2013/762615 Liu, H., Xu, J. Y., Li, L., Shan, B. C., Nie, B. B., & Xue, J. Q. (2013). FMRI evidence of acupoints specificity in two adjacent acupoints. Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM, 2013, 932581. https://doi.org/10.1155/2013/932581 Liu, L., Liu, Y., Yang, M., Xu, G., Li, R., Xu, X., Pan, X., & Liang, J. (2020). Effectiveness of tonifying-kidney and regulating-liver therapy on diminished ovarian reserve: a systematic review and Meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine = Chung i tsa chih ying wen pan, 40(3), 343–354. https://doi.org/10.19852/j.cnki.jtcm.2020.03.001 Maciocia, G. (2015). The foundations of Chinese medicine. Elsevier. Ried, K. (2015). Chinese herbal medicine for female infertility: an updated meta-analysis. Complementary Therapies in Medicine, 23(1), 116-128. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ctim.2014.12.004 Zhang, C., & Xu, X. (2016). Advancement in the treatment of diminished ovarian reserve by traditional Chinese and Western medicine. Experimental and Therapeutic Medicine, 11(4), 1173–1176. https://doi.org/10.3892/etm.2016.3025

Thanks for tuning in Fertile Friends!  In this episode, I share a vulnerable side and fill you in on a major life-changing experience.  However, this episode has everything to do with you. I was diagnosed with severe burnout with mild depression.  I am grateful to have discovered a reason for the way I was feeling and have the tools to recover from it.  I want to share my story with you because I want you to know that even though our lives are different, we’re all working toward achieving life long goals.  The road will be bumpy and times will get tough.  But I’m here for you.  I also have a new Instagram handle.  Please follow me @dradriennewei On TikTok, you can find me @theadriennewei.   References: Carter, S.B. (2013, November 26). The telltale signs of burnout…do you have them?. Psychology today. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/high-octane-women/201311/the-tell-tale-signs-burnout-do-you-have-them Infertility FAQs. (2022, March 1). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved April 1, 2022, from https://www.cdc.gov/reproductivehealth/infertility/index.htm#:~:text=Yes.,to%20term%20(impaired%20fecundity). Signs of burnout. (2021, December 14). ADA. Retrieved April 1, 2022, from https://ada.com/signs-of-burnout/#treatment

There are so many challenges a woman can face when she starts to TTC…from trying to guess whether or not you’re ovulating with OPKs to waiting forever to get tested by your physician. We all have our own hormonal patterns, but we don’t want to rely on guesswork to find your fertile window because after all, ovulation is the most important event of the menstrual cycle…without it, pregnancy is not possible.   I’m excited to interview the Founder and CEO of Mira, Sylvia Kang.  Mira is revolutionizing the fertility tracking industry.  It’s introducing a new era of fertility tracking that goes beyond just testing the LH for ovulation.  It’s allowing women to receive accurate and personalized data about their hormone levels and fertility potential right from the comfort of their own homes.    Join us as Sylvia goes in-depth about the science and data behind Mira, and how it helps empower women by taking the guesswork out of their fertility journey.   In this episode, we talked about: What compelled Sylvia to create Mira   The difference between Mira and other products How does Mira help with fertility tracking The accuracy of Mira’s fertility data and analysis How Mira can work with physicians to better connect them with their patients Connect with Sylvia: Website | Mira LinkedIn | Sylvia Kang Connect with me: Website | Adrienne Wei Instagram | @adrienne.wei TikTok | @theadriennewei Facebook Group | Fertile Me To learn more about Two elephants products, please visit www.2elefants.com