MYF 53 | Nutrition for Egg Quality & IVF Prep with Elizabeth Cherevaty, ND
Welcome to Episode 53!
In episode 53, we interview naturopathic doctor, fertility specialist, and author, Dr. Elizabeth Cherevaty, about how we can use diet to optimize egg quality and increase the odds of success during IVF treatment. Dr. Liz recently published a book called IVF Meal Plan, which will be released on December 3rd, 2019. The book helps educate couples about the impact of certain nutrients on fertility and then walks them through a 28-day meal plan they can use to prepare for their upcoming treatment cycle. Throughout the episode, Dr. Liz shares with us:
The current state of the research on nutrition for egg quality and fertility success
Why it's so important for male partners to be participating in the IVF preparation process along with their partners
Which dietary pattern has been proven most effective for both male and female fertility
Why building an integrative team can really help you personalize your IVF preparation and boost your success rates
How her book, IVF Meal Plan, is set up and how it's designed to be used by couples going through fertility treatment
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Show Notes:
6:00 How Dr. Liz became a naturopathic doctor and built her practice in fertility medicine
9:30 Prevention through preconception care – optimizing egg and sperm quality before pregnancy
11:30 The current state of the research about the impact of nutrition on IVF success
14:20 A quick overview of the IVF process and why it’s used
16:10 IVF is a high-stakes numbers game and it’s important to do what you can to increase egg quality odds of success
18:25 Incredible advances in modern science that have allowed us to study fertility
20:05 Factors that influence how male and female fertility manifest and change throughout the lifespan
21:50 How the male partner’s sperm quality impacts the entire reproductive process and why he needs to be on board
25:00 The dietary pattern that has been proven most effective for male and female fertility in research and what it looks like
29:00 Why it’s important to break the reliance on grains (especially refined grains) in the diet
32:30 Understanding that certain common and culturally ingrained foods may not work for your body
34:05 Is dairy good for fertility or not?
35:45 Seeking out individualized advice from integrative practitioners to tailor your IVF preparation plan to your needs
38:50 Reasons that dairy may be beneficial for fertility and how you can get those same benefits from other foods if you don’t/can’t eat it
42:05 Healthy fats are essential for egg quality and we need balanced amounts of the different types of fat
45:00 How IVF Meal Plan is set up, what to expect, and how to use it on your IVF prep journey
48:30 Using the book as a template for a healthy fertility diet even if you’re not using fertility treatment
49:35 When you should ideally start using IVF Meal Plan when you’re gearing up for IVF
54:00 Why infertility isn’t really the best way to refer to most fertility issues
56:35 Pre-order your copy of IVF Meal Plan on Amazon – official release date is 12/3/19