The Wholesome Fertility Podcast Michelle | Fertility Wellness - Chinese Medicine, Acupuncture, Lifestyle

Dr. Catherine Clinton, a licensed naturopathic physician, has spent over 16 years helping people overcome their health issues. Diagnosed with two autoimmune conditions and Lyme disease while in medical school, she began the long and difficult journey of healing- a path that led to the commitment to help others to not only heal physically but to return to the relationships we evolved over millennia with for a deeper sense of health and belonging. By healing herself and patients like her, she discovered that true health comes from our relationships. Dr. Catherine has learned how our quantum biological system is intimately and inseparably connected to the world around us. Our relationship with the dirt beneath our feet, the sun, the wind, the water, the plants, the seasons, each other- that is the real medicine.
Her mission is to empower as many people as she can with this knowledge to encourage the paradigm shift we so desperately need.
 
Website & Social media links (Facebook, instagram, twitter):
 
Instagram: @dr.catherineclinton
 
Facebook: www.dr.catherineclintonnd
 
YouTube @dr.catherineclinton
 
Website: www.drcatherineclinton.com
 
The Way of Fertility is here! Be sure to check it out here www.michelleoravitz.com/thewayoffertility
 
For more information about Michelle, visitwww.michelleoravitz.com
 
The Wholesome FertilityFacebook group is where you can find free resources and support:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/2149554308396504/
 
Instagram: @thewholesomelotusfertility
 
Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/thewholesomelotus/
 
 
Transcript:
Michelle (00:01)
Welcome to the podcast, Dr. Clinton.
Catherine (00:04)
Thank you so much for having me. I know we've been trying to get together to do this for a while and I'm just really excited to talk with you today.
Michelle (00:14)
I am so excited. I've been actually looking forward to this call for like a while just because I found you on Instagram and I was like, oh my God, this lady gets it. Like your work is so fascinating to me. I'm really into quantum physics in general. And then I'm like quantum biology, like the whole idea and just there's so many things that we're uncovering. It's kind of like the future of medicine.
But also, I feel like you're very intuitive in your work. I feel like you're sort of channeling a lot of really fascinating intelligence through your work. So, yeah, that was my initial thing when I started looking at your work and the things that you're posting and sharing. And I would love it if you can share your background and how you got into this field and also how you got into it in the way that you're getting into it.
 
Catherine (01:10)
Absolutely, absolutely. Yeah, it definitely feels like I've been talking about this for years and now the energy around it is just like so much momentum, right? It kind of used to feel like I was talking in an empty room, sort of talking to myself, right? And what happened was I was in naturopathic medical school. I was in my second year and it was that initiation year where... they really want to weed people out, right? So it's like, get there at 7 a .m. If you're a couple minutes late, you can't sign the attendance sheet. You have to wait another year to take the class, you know, that kind of like med school initiation, really long clinic hours. And it was the proverbial straw that broke the camel's back. And I was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis and Hashimoto's thyroiditis, two autoimmune conditions and I was diagnosed with Lyme disease. So I just was like spiraling with my health. And that's when, you know, I was in a great place to put my physical body back together, put the pieces back together. I was in naturopathic medical school. I was across the river from an acupuncture school. I was just down the hill from a very progressive, allopathic teaching hospital. And so I had so many tools to work with, but for anybody wh

In this episode, I'm going to be talking about five things that could be sabotaging your fertility efforts to conceive. And a lot of these things may not be so obvious to a lot of people, 
 
I will be covering:
 
Why too much of a good thing isn’t so great for your fertility health (you’ll find out what I mean!) The importance of sleep and how to regulate it if you’re having trouble. Why many fertility disruptors can be hiding in your kitchen and ones that even fooled me! Important times to eat during the day and why!  
For more information about Michelle, visit www.michelleoravitz.com
 
For more information on fertility diet, you can pick up my free fertility diet ebook in the notes. https://www.michelleoravitz.com/fertility-diet
 
The Wholesome FertilityFacebook group is where you can find free resources and support:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/2149554308396504/
 
Instagram: @thewholesomelotusfertility
 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thewholesomelotus/
 
Links mentioned in this episode:
 
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5457858/
https://www.ewg.org
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4350886/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7400274/
 
[00:00:00] Could these five things be sabotaging your ability to conceive?
In this episode, I'm going to be talking about five things that could be sabotaging your fertility efforts to conceive. And a lot of these things may not be so obvious to a lot of people, So stick around.
 
So number one is over exercise. So while exercise is something that is really good for the body and it can actually improve fertility health. If a person is overweight or if they have not exercised before, it can improve your lymphatic movement, your blood circulation. And increase your overall energy. However, if you over exercise, too much of a good thing is not so good. So while exercise is amazing for the body, in some cases, over exercise has been shown to adversely impact reproductive health. So studies have confirmed that over exercising could [00:01:00] impact menstrual cycle irregularities and ovulation. or, amenorrhea, which is when your period completely stops.
 
There was one study done where women underwent a really intensive training for military camp. And what they found was that 68 to 98 percent of them who started out to have regular periods, ended up becoming irregular after the training.
So what's been observed with over exercise is that it impacts the luteal phase. So it can cause luteal phase defect in the menstrual cycle, which means that the second part of the cycle, which is after ovulation is shorter than it should be. And the reason that is so important not to happen, is because it's a really important time for implantation to occur. And if it's too short, it doesn't allow for that pregnancy to take place. Over exercise can also increase cortisol and cortisol tends to compete with progesterone, [00:02:00] which is why it can impact the luteal phase since progesterone is the main hormone. that increases around the luteal phase.
And it's a really important hormone, not only for pregnancy to occur, but also to support pregnancy, they also found that ovulation hormones such as GNRH, FSH and LH, as well as estradiol were suppressed, and that led to an ovulation, which means that they were not ovulating. And that is why over time it can either make the periods irregular or take away the periods altogether.
 
And as you know, you need to ovulate in order to get pregnant otherwise you're not going to have an egg to fertilize. So that is one of the reasons why overexercising can really impact the body is because it causes a lot of stress on the body. When the body experiences a lot of stress, it also increases cortisol, which is a stress hormone. Cortisol tends to compete with progesterone, which is a really important [00:03:00] hormone, but also the body ove

On today’s episode of The Wholesome Fertility Podcast, Dr. Briguglio, a fertility health expert, shares her passion for empowering patients and addressing the challenges of unexplained infertility and overreliance on IVF. She emphasizes the importance of comprehensive testing and addressing root causes to improve fertility health. Dr. Briguglio also discusses the interconnectedness of physical and mental health and the significance of individualized testing in the initial consultation. Additionally, she highlights the importance of iron and ferritin levels and addresses the challenges of vegan diets and cholesterol.
 
In this conversation, Dr. Samantha Briguglio discusses the role of cholesterol and inflammation in health. She emphasizes that cholesterol is not the villain it is often portrayed to be and that it is needed for hormone production. Dr. Briguglio advocates for a balanced approach to diet and lifestyle, focusing on sleep, diet, and movement. She encourages individuals to find their own natural path to healing and emphasizes the importance of empowering people with information.
 
Takeaways
Comprehensive testing and addressing root causes are crucial for improving fertility health. The physical and mental aspects of health are interconnected, and addressing both is important for fertility. Individualized testing and a holistic approach are key in the initial consultation. Iron and ferritin levels play a significant role in fertility health, and vegan diets may present challenges in obtaining necessary nutrients. Cholesterol is not the villain it is often portrayed to be and is needed for hormone production. Nourishing the liver and eating enough fiber can support healthy cholesterol levels. A balanced approach to diet and lifestyle, focusing on sleep, diet, and movement, is crucial for overall health. Empowering individuals with information allows them to make informed choices about their health.  
 
Dr. Samantha Briguglio is a licensed Naturopathic Medical Doctor and the founder of Walk the Natural Path Hormone Health and Fertility Care.
 
Dr. Briguglio has a passion for helping women achieve their wellness and/or fertility goals, and she treats – and teaches – her patients from a mindset of natural healing that treats the root cause of their symptoms.
 
Website: www.walkthenaturalpath.com
 
Instagram @walkthenaturalpath
 
Facebook: www.facebook.com/walkthenaturalpath
 
For more information about Michelle, visit www.michelleoravitz.com
 
The Wholesome FertilityFacebook group is where you can find free resources and support:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/2149554308396504/
 
Instagram: @thewholesomelotusfertility
 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thewholesomelotus/
 
 
Transcript:
 
Chapters
 
00:00 Introduction and Passion for Fertility Health
04:09 Passion for Empowering Patients
07:07 Challenges with Unexplained Infertility and Overreliance on IVF
11:03 Importance of Comprehensive Testing and Addressing Root Causes
16:35 Interconnectedness of Physical and Mental Health
24:06 Importance of Iron and Ferritin Levels
25:56 Challenges with Vegan Diets and Cholesterol
26:52 The Role of Cholesterol and Inflammation
30:05 Nourishing the Liver and Eating Fiber
35:03 The Importance of Sleep, Diet, and Movement
37:34 Finding Balance in Diet and Lifestyle
43:20 Empowering People with Information
45:30 The Inspiration Behind Walk the Natural Path
 
Michelle (00:00)
Welcome to the podcast, Dr. Brigulio, right? Brigulio is how you pronounce it, or Sammy, right? Awesome. Dr. B, awesome. So first of all, I love your Instagram. I'm going to say that. You guys got to check out her Instagram. It's going to be in the episode notes. I kind of want to lead with that because she has fabulous content, really rich with information and tips.
 
Samantha Briguglio (00:05)
Yes, you did that nicely. Or Dr. Bean. It's easie

Lisa Hendrickson-Jack is a certified Fertility Awareness Educator and Holistic Reproductive Health Practitioner who teaches women to chart their menstrual cycles for natural birth control, conception, and monitoring overall health. She is the author of three bestselling books The Fifth Vital Sign, the Fertility Awareness Mastery Charting Workbook, and her most recent book Real Food For Fertility, which she co-authored with Lily Nichols RDN. Lisa works tirelessly to debunk the myth that regular ovulation is only important when you want children by recognizing the menstrual cycle as a vital sign. Drawing heavily from the current scientific literature, Lisa presents an evidence-based approach to help women connect to their fifth vital sign by uncovering the connection between the menstrual cycle, fertility, and overall health. With well over 4 million downloads, her podcast, Fertility Friday, is the #1 source for information about fertility awareness and menstrual cycle health.
 
Fertility Friday: fertilityfriday.com
Real Food For Fertility: realfoodforfertility.com
The Fifth Vital Sign: thefifthvitalsignbook.com
Instagram: @FertilityFriday
Facebook: Facebook.com/FertilityFridays
LinkedIn: Lisa Hendrickson-Jack
 
 
For more information about Michelle, visit www.michelleoravitz.com
 
The Wholesome FertilityFacebook group is where you can find free resources and support:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/2149554308396504/
 
Instagram: @thewholesomelotusfertility
 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thewholesomelotus/
 
 
 
 
Transcript:
 
Michelle (00:00)
So welcome to the podcast, Lisa.
 
Lisa Jack (00:03)
Thanks so much for having me back.
 
Michelle (00:05)
Yes. So having you back again, we had a little mishap, issue with the recording for some reason, but we are on a new recording software. So hopefully this is going to be great and I'm excited to pick your brain again.
 
Lisa Jack (00:21)
Well, I'm happy to be here. I mean we can never anticipate the tax nafus. It's part of online business, I suppose.
 
Michelle (00:28)
Oh, totally. 100%. So we had so many good things too. That's what's really frustrating. We had such a great conversation about so many things. But for people who are first hearing about this, I know that a lot of people think that there's certain textbooks like menstrual cycles, or they have like sort of an idea in their mind of what a perfect menstrual cycle looks like. And since this is...
 
your absolute specialty and you understand it from like A to Z, can you describe what a healthy menstrual cycle should look like?
 
Lisa Jack (01:06)
Yeah, I mean, that's a great place to start. And just to put it out there when I'm working with clients and practitioners, I always say there's no such thing as a perfect menstrual cycle because you're a human, not a robot. And so when we look at what a healthy menstrual cycle looks like, we should be looking at a range. And basically, what I can lay out is the different parameters that we're looking at. Often when I talk about the menstrual cycle, people's minds will go straight to the period.
 
Michelle (01:17)
Right?
 
Lisa Jack (01:34)
and they'll kind of think, okay, well, what is a healthy period? But then they don't necessarily think about all the other parameters. So when we're looking at what makes a healthy menstrual cycle, we can look at the overall cycle length, which ideally would be somewhere between about 24 and 35 days. We can look at the pre -ovulatory phase in particular. So we can look at the period. So the period is its own category. We want to have a menstrual period that overall is somewhere between three to seven days with an average of about five days.
 
And I always say the period should be like a sentence. It should have a beginning, a middle, and an end, and then it should be over. So if it's like trailing on for days and days

On today’s episode, I will be discussing some aspects that contribute to vitality and fertility health that are often missed on the fertility journey. Here are some topics that will be covered:
Integrating Ancient and Modern Knowledge: How aspects of Taoist philosophies and TCM align with current research and what that can mean for fertility health. The Body’s Wisdom: Learn how the body possesses an inherent intelligence for conception and how aligning with our natural biological rhythms can support the path to reproduction. My Personal Experience: Hear about my own struggles with irregular periods and how this led me to explore a combination of medical perspectives and trust my intuition in making health decisions. Patterns and Cycles: Learn about the importance of recognizing natural patterns and cycles, a concept deeply rooted in Chinese medicine, and how this understanding can impact fertility. Interconnectedness: How TCM perceives a holographic nature of the universe, where everything is connected, reflecting a larger whole and its relevance to our reproductive health. Balance for Fertility: The episode highlights the critical role of balance, represented by the yin and yang, and how maintaining this equilibrium is essential for optimal health and fertility.  
[Don’t forget to subscribe to the Wholesome Fertility Podcast for more empowering insights and real-world stories on the fertility journey.]
 
Be sure to go to this link to find out how to pre-order The Way of Fertility and receive the special gifts mentioned in this episode!
 
https://www.michelleoravitz.com/thewayoffertility
 
For more information about Michelle, visit www.michelleoravitz.com
 
The Wholesome FertilityFacebook group is where you can find free resources and support: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2149554308396504/
 
Instagram: @thewholesomelotusfertility
 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thewholesomelotus/
 
 
 
Transcript:
 
Way of fertility episode
[00:00:00] Welcome to the Wholesome Fertility Podcast. So if you're new to this
podcast, my name is Michelle Oravitz and I'm an acupuncturist specializing in fertility health. And for people who know me have been listening to this for a while, you may have heard a couple of different announcements here and there that I am super excited. Because my new book is coming out, The Way of Fertility.
And a lot of you guys might be thinking, What in the world is this book about? Is it about Chinese medicine? Is it about acupuncture points? Is it about food? Is it about supplements? What is it about? 
 
So of course I can try to explain in the best way I can but it's almost like trying to tell a friend about another friend that you met that you really connected with and trying to put that into words and To describe the person and [00:01:00] of course, there are so many different aspects to it and it's an experience So, you'll have to read it to get that full immersion However, it really is based on ancient Wisdom so a lot of what I share is not only about ancient wisdom, 
 But it's also about some modern research that has been done that has shown and proven some of these things that Chinese medicine has spoken about and the energetics that basically are super important for fertility health, like the heart uterus connection.
 
And ultimately, this book is for the person that has tried everything to conceive and is not sure what in the world is getting in the way. So they're eating the right foods. They're doing the right things. They're having sex at the right time. They're going to the doctor. They're figuring out all the different options that they can do.
They're cutting out any toxins in [00:02:00] their life, trying everything almost to the point of being stressed by all of the checklist,
 
But yet not having any success. And so in the book I wanted to speak about
a very important aspect of our being that rarely get

Holly Leever is a licensed acupuncturist, herbalist, Arvigo abdominal massage therapist and Fertility Awareness Method educator. She works with women to optimize their menstrual cycles and their fertility. She founded her practice, Rosebud Wellness in 2014, and works with clients locally in Ojai, CA and virtually all over the world. When Holly isn’t solving period problems, she is spending time with her sweet daughter, practicing yoga, gardening or cooking.
 
Website - rosebudwellness.com
IG - https://www.instagram.com/rosebud_wellness/
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/hollyrosebudwellness
Free FAM Video - https://rosebudwellness.com/opt-in-free-training-how-to-track-and-chart-your-cycle-to-support-your-body-for-optimal-health-and-fertility
Holly’s Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-fertile-womb-natural-fertility-optimization/id1568908543
 
For more information about Michelle, visit www.michelleoravitz.com
 
For Fertility Resources: https://www.thewholesomelotusfertility.com/fertilityresources
 
The Wholesome FertilityFacebook group is where you can find free resources and support:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/2149554308396504/
 
Instagram: @thewholesomelotusfertility
 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thewholesomelotus/
 
 
 
Transcript:
 
Michelle (00:00)
Welcome to the podcast, Holly.
 
Holly Leever (00:02)
Thank you so much, Michelle. I'm really excited to be here.
 
Michelle (00:05)
I'm excited to have a fellow acupuncturist here. It's always fun talking
 
to my
 
Holly Leever (00:09)
It is
 
Michelle (00:10)
my acupuncture family.
 
Holly Leever (00:10)
Yes. Yeah.
 
Michelle (00:12)
Awesome. So give us a little background on yourself and what got you into women's health specifically, infertility,
 
acupuncture.
 
Holly Leever (00:20)
so it's a long and winding road, like all of our stories, right? But I started studying acupuncture when I was pretty young. I was just naturally really interested in yoga and holistic health and nutrition. It just kind of came out of the womb that way for some reason. And I went to acupuncture school and I learned about how hormonal birth control...
 
could potentially be impacting some of the issues that I was experiencing at the time. And when you're really young, you can get away with a lot. And so I didn't feel terrible, but I hadn't had a natural period. I probably had three in my whole life at that point and I was 24. So I started, yeah.
 
Michelle (01:10)
Wait, so give us a background. So when did you first get your period? When did you first start and then when did you get on the birth control pill?
 
Holly Leever (01:18)
Yeah, so that's the tricky part, the annoying part, is that I got my first period when I was 14, and I was already on birth control by the time I was 15. So I don't remember exactly how many months, and I would only get it every three months. So I went to the gynecologist and I was like, oh, is that, I mean, I had enough of an awareness to know that it was supposed to happen every month at the time, and they were just like, oh, that's really...
 
Michelle (01:29)
Uh.
 
Mm-hmm.
 
Holly Leever (01:46)
problematic and here you can just have the birth control pill to regulate your cycle, of course. And I did have pretty significant period pain too. I think it was just young bodies don't just start menstruating perfectly right away and having significant period pain I think also was partially related to my diet at the time. I grew up really just eating
 
Michelle (02:00)
Yeah.
 
Holly Leever (02:10)
Total crap food, just convenience foods, only snacky kind of things, really had no guidance around nutrition at all. And I think the period pain was partially related to that, and also just being young and my body doing something new for the first time. I did become sexually activ