Fertility Friday | Fertility Awareness Mastery for Women's Health Professionals

Lisa Hendrickson-Jack, FAE, HRHP
  • 4.8 (801)
  • Alternative Health
  • Updated Weekly

Are you ready to uplevel your women's health practice? Welcome to the Fertility Friday Podcast! A podcast designed to empower you to use fertility awareness both personally and professionally. If you are a woman's health professional — and you're not fully utilizing the menstrual cycle as a vital sign — it's time to change that right away! Through evidence-based literature reviews, engaging discussions, expert interviews, and compelling client stories, Lisa Hendrickson-Jack, FAE, HRHP covers everything from complex menstrual cycle chart interpretation and balancing hormones to overcoming fertility challenges and more. With over 20 years of experience teaching fertility awareness, Lisa combines her real-world expertise with the latest research to ensure you're fully equipped to support your clients. Lisa's first book, "The Fifth Vital Sign," describes the menstrual cycle as an important vital sign we should pay attention to. Her most recent book, "Real Food for Fertility" (co-authored with Lily Nichols, RDN), explores how a healthy menstrual cycle sets the stage for a healthy pregnancy. With well over 4 million downloads, Fertility Friday is the #1 source for information about fertility awareness and menstrual cycle health. All women deserve to understand how their bodies work, and if we wait for our education systems to do it we may be waiting forever. It's up to us to be the change we wish to see in the field of women's health. In other words, It's YOUR TURN to bring this essential information to your clients sooner rather than later — they need it now!

  1. 3h ago

    Is Your Period Draining Your Iron Stores?

    Lisa examines a recent review paper on iron deficiency in women, covering the role of heavy menstrual bleeding, updated ferritin reference ranges, and why non-anemic iron deficiency still carries meaningful health risks. She also addresses iron deficiency in pregnancy, the case for preconception nutrition focused on iron-rich foods, and racial disparities in iron deficiency anemia prevalence among Black women. Follow this link to view the full show notes page! This episode is sponsored by Lisa's new book Real Food for Fertility, co-authored with Lily Nichols! Grab your copy here! Would you prefer to listen to the audiobook version of Real Food for Fertility instead? 🎧 Listen here! This episode is also sponsored by FAMM, the Fertility Awareness Mastery MentorshipTM program! Apply now to join the waiting list for our next class! Have you grabbed your copy of the Fertility Awareness Mastery Charting Workbook? It is the first fully customizable paper charting workbook of its kind, available in both Fahrenheit and Celsius editions. Click here to grab your copy today! 📚 If you haven't grabbed your copy of The Fifth Vital Sign, grab it here! Would you rather listen to the audiobook version of The Fifth Vital Sign? 🎧 Listen here!

    26 min

  2. Jun 26

    FFP 632 | Can Your Period Predict Heart Disease?

    In this episode, Lisa reviews a landmark 2023 study that followed over 700,000 women across 26 years to examine the association between menstrual cycle characteristics and cardiometabolic outcomes. Lisa highlights how different types of menstrual cycle irregularity appear to be associated with distinct cardiometabolic risk factors, reinforcing the case for treating the menstrual cycle as a vital sign rather than an exclusively reproductive concern. This episode offers meaningful context for women's health practitioners who want to better understand how cycle patterns may reflect broader systemic health. Follow this link to view the full show notes page! This episode is sponsored by Lisa's new book Real Food for Fertility, co-authored with Lily Nichols! Grab your copy here! Would you prefer to listen to the audiobook version of Real Food for Fertility instead? 🎧 Listen here! This episode is also sponsored by FAMM, the Fertility Awareness Mastery MentorshipTM program! Apply now to join the waiting list for our next class! Have you grabbed your copy of the Fertility Awareness Mastery Charting Workbook? It is the first fully customizable paper charting workbook of its kind, available in both Fahrenheit and Celsius editions. Click here to grab your copy today! 📚 If you haven't grabbed your copy of The Fifth Vital Sign, grab it here! Would you rather listen to the audiobook version of The Fifth Vital Sign? 🎧 Listen here!

    23 min

  3. Jun 19

    Are You Really Ovulating? | Luteinized Unruptured Follicle Syndrome (LUFS)

    In episode 631, Lisa explores luteinized unruptured follicle syndrome (LUFS) — a lesser-known ovulatory dysfunction in which the dominant follicle fails to rupture and release the egg despite a normal-appearing LH surge and progesterone rise. Because LUFS can mimic a textbook ovulatory cycle on a fertility awareness chart, it represents one of the more challenging silent contributors to unexplained infertility that practitioners may encounter in clinical practice. This episode offers fertility awareness practitioners essential clinical context for supporting clients with apparently ovulatory charts who continue to face unexplained fertility challenges. Follow this link to view the full show notes page! This episode is sponsored by Lisa's new book Real Food for Fertility, co-authored with Lily Nichols! Grab your copy here! Would you prefer to listen to the audiobook version of Real Food for Fertility instead? 🎧 Listen here! This episode is also sponsored by FAMM, the Fertility Awareness Mastery MentorshipTM program! Apply now to join the waiting list for our next class! Have you grabbed your copy of the Fertility Awareness Mastery Charting Workbook? It is the first fully customizable paper charting workbook of its kind, available in both Fahrenheit and Celsius editions. Click here to grab your copy today! 📚 If you haven't grabbed your copy of The Fifth Vital Sign, grab it here! Would you rather listen to the audiobook version of The Fifth Vital Sign? 🎧 Listen here!

    19 min

  4. Jun 12

    Does The Pill Impact Fertility?

    In this solo episode, Lisa takes a critical look at two recent studies examining the return of fertility after stopping hormonal contraception, one published in 2020 and one published in the BMJ in 2023. Rather than accepting their conclusions at face value, Lisa walks through the methodology of each study and identifies significant design flaws that call their findings into question. Lisa discusses the difference between time-to-pregnancy studies and discontinuation studies that track cycle characteristics, and makes the case for more robust, inclusive research designs that could provide clearer answers for women and the practitioners supporting them. Follow this link to view the full show notes page! This episode is sponsored by Lisa's new book Real Food for Fertility, co-authored with Lily Nichols! Grab your copy here! Would you prefer to listen to the audiobook version of Real Food for Fertility instead? 🎧 Listen here! This episode is also sponsored by FAMM, the Fertility Awareness Mastery MentorshipTM program! Apply now to join the waiting list for our next class! Have you grabbed your copy of the Fertility Awareness Mastery Charting Workbook? It is the first fully customizable paper charting workbook of its kind, available in both Fahrenheit and Celsius editions. Click here to grab your copy today! 📚 If you haven't grabbed your copy of The Fifth Vital Sign, grab it here! Would you rather listen to the audiobook version of The Fifth Vital Sign? 🎧 Listen here!

    24 min

  5. Jun 5

    Is Eating Liver More Effective Than Supplementation?

    Lisa examines a peer-reviewed study that tracked liver consumption and vitamin A status in young children from an impoverished South African community — and what the findings reveal about food as a nutrient delivery system. Lisa unpacks a striking paradox at the heart of the research: the poorest households consumed the most liver not for health reasons, but out of economic necessity and were consequently the most protected against vitamin A deficiency. Whether through whole food sources or desiccated liver capsules, Lisa makes the case that eating liver for vitamin A remains one of the most efficient and nutrient-dense strategies available for supporting fertility and reproductive health. Follow this link to view the full show notes page! This episode is sponsored by Lisa's new book Real Food for Fertility, co-authored with Lily Nichols! Grab your copy here! Would you prefer to listen to the audiobook version of Real Food for Fertility instead? 🎧 Listen here! This episode is also sponsored by FAMM, the Fertility Awareness Mastery MentorshipTM program! Apply now to join the waiting list for our next class! Have you grabbed your copy of the Fertility Awareness Mastery Charting Workbook? It is the first fully customizable paper charting workbook of its kind, available in both Fahrenheit and Celsius editions. Click here to grab your copy today! 📚 If you haven't grabbed your copy of The Fifth Vital Sign, grab it here! Would you rather listen to the audiobook version of The Fifth Vital Sign? 🎧 Listen here!

    24 min

  6. May 29

    The Nutrient Gaps Behind Female Infertility

    In this solo episode, Lisa breaks down the findings of a large cross-sectional study analyzing nutrient intake data from just under 4,000 women aged 18 to 44, drawn from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). The study compared dietary intake between women who self-reported infertility — defined as difficulty conceiving for at least one year — and women who had conceived within a 12-month period. Researchers examined 21 nutrients across both food-only and food-plus-supplement intake, revealing that women experiencing infertility had measurably lower intakes of several nutrients known to play a role in reproductive health, including vitamin A (retinol), vitamin E, vitamin K, lutein and zeaxanthin, selenium, vitamin C, and calcium. Lisa highlights that these nutritional gaps were significantly more pronounced in women between the ages of 35 and 44, a population commonly seen in fertility-focused clinical practice.  Follow this link to view the full show notes page! This episode is sponsored by Lisa's new book Real Food for Fertility, co-authored with Lily Nichols! Grab your copy here! Would you prefer to listen to the audiobook version of Real Food for Fertility instead? 🎧 Listen here! This episode is also sponsored by FAMM, the Fertility Awareness Mastery MentorshipTM program! Apply now to join the waiting list for our next class! Have you grabbed your copy of the Fertility Awareness Mastery Charting Workbook? It is the first fully customizable paper charting workbook of its kind, available in both Fahrenheit and Celsius editions. Click here to grab your copy today! 📚 If you haven't grabbed your copy of The Fifth Vital Sign, grab it here! Would you rather listen to the audiobook version of The Fifth Vital Sign? 🎧 Listen here!

    27 min

  7. May 22

    New Research: Women With PCOS Don't Actually Have More "Cysts"

    In this episode, Lisa  continues her PCOS series by reviewing a newly published research letter titled "Ovarian Cysts in Polycystic Ovary Syndrome", a cross-sectional analysis of nearly 2,000 women asking one key question: do women with PCOS actually have more pathological ovarian cysts than women without PCOS? Contrary to what the name implies, the study found no statistically significant difference in pathological ovarian cysts between the two groups. Lisa contextualizes these findings within a foundational understanding of the menstrual cycle, explaining how insulin resistance may interfere with the normal progression toward ovulation, resulting in arrested follicular development rather than the presence of abnormal cysts. Follow this link to view the full show notes page! This episode is sponsored by Lisa's new book, Real Food for Fertility, co-authored with Lily Nichols! Grab your copy here! 🎧 Would you prefer to listen to the audiobook version of Real Food for Fertility instead? 🎧 Listen here! 💥This episode is also sponsored by FAMM, the Fertility Awareness Mastery MentorshipTM program! Apply now to join our next class! We start on May 12th! 📚Have you grabbed your copy of the Fertility Awareness Mastery Charting Workbook? It is the first fully customizable paper charting workbook of its kind, available in both Fahrenheit and Celsius editions. Click here to grab your copy today! 📚 If you haven't grabbed your copy of The Fifth Vital Sign, grab it here! 🎧Would you rather listen to the audiobook version of The Fifth Vital Sign? 🎧 Listen here!

    26 min

  8. May 15

    What is Polyendocrine Metabolic Ovarian Syndrome? | The New Name for PCOS

    In this episode of the Fertility Friday Podcast, Lisa down the landmark renaming of PCOS to polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome (PMOS), published officially on May 12, 2026, following an 11-year global consensus process involving input from over 22,000 patients and clinicians. Lisa explores the rationale behind the name change, explaining how the term PCOS has long been criticized for implying a pathological ovarian condition when the underlying drivers of the syndrome are primarily metabolic and endocrine in nature. Drawing on her clinical experience and the framework she developed in Real Food for Fertility, Lisa offers a measured and informed perspective on whether renaming the condition will translate into meaningful changes in how women are diagnosed and cared for in practice. Follow this link to view the full show notes page! This episode is sponsored by Lisa's new book, Real Food for Fertility, co-authored with Lily Nichols! Grab your copy here! 🎧 Would you prefer to listen to the audiobook version of Real Food for Fertility instead? 🎧 Listen here! 💥This episode is also sponsored by FAMM, the Fertility Awareness Mastery MentorshipTM program! Apply now to join our next class! We start on May 12th! 📚Have you grabbed your copy of the Fertility Awareness Mastery Charting Workbook? It is the first fully customizable paper charting workbook of its kind, available in both Fahrenheit and Celsius editions. Click here to grab your copy today! 📚 If you haven't grabbed your copy of The Fifth Vital Sign, grab it here! 🎧Would you rather listen to the audiobook version of The Fifth Vital Sign? 🎧 Listen here!

    23 min
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About

Are you ready to uplevel your women's health practice? Welcome to the Fertility Friday Podcast! A podcast designed to empower you to use fertility awareness both personally and professionally. If you are a woman's health professional — and you're not fully utilizing the menstrual cycle as a vital sign — it's time to change that right away! Through evidence-based literature reviews, engaging discussions, expert interviews, and compelling client stories, Lisa Hendrickson-Jack, FAE, HRHP covers everything from complex menstrual cycle chart interpretation and balancing hormones to overcoming fertility challenges and more. With over 20 years of experience teaching fertility awareness, Lisa combines her real-world expertise with the latest research to ensure you're fully equipped to support your clients. Lisa's first book, "The Fifth Vital Sign," describes the menstrual cycle as an important vital sign we should pay attention to. Her most recent book, "Real Food for Fertility" (co-authored with Lily Nichols, RDN), explores how a healthy menstrual cycle sets the stage for a healthy pregnancy. With well over 4 million downloads, Fertility Friday is the #1 source for information about fertility awareness and menstrual cycle health. All women deserve to understand how their bodies work, and if we wait for our education systems to do it we may be waiting forever. It's up to us to be the change we wish to see in the field of women's health. In other words, It's YOUR TURN to bring this essential information to your clients sooner rather than later — they need it now!

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