Tribe Medicine

Happy Father’s Day to all you dads out there! I am so grateful for my dad and everything he has done for me and my family. He is one of the most amazing humans I know and I couldn’t have asked for a better father. My dad has been asking to be a grandpa since we got married 9 years ago. It would always make me sad that it wasn’t ever happening.... Now 9 years after he walked me down the isle, he was able to see me pregnant in person. It feels surreal and I feel extremely blessed for his support and love and I can’t wait for Ayvia to meet her grandpa! #fathersday #happyfathersday #dadsday #gratefulformydad #blessedandgrateful #fathersday2021

You are born with all of the eggs you will ever have. I am pregnant right now with a little girl and her eggs, which will be my grandchildren, are already formed inside of her ovaries! However, these eggs are in a primitive form. Starting with menarch, the first time a woman has her period, she begins a cycle that repeats every month until menopause, when her periods stop happening. Each month, a group of the immature eggs progress through development to b...ecome follicles, with one becoming the predominant follicle that is the egg your body ovulates. This is the egg that could become a future child, if sperm is present when it's released. So the process of maturation from immature follicle to full blown follicle responds to the nutrients and environment they are bathed in. The health of your ovaries also impacts their development. This is how diet and nutrients, toxicity exposure and stress can all impact egg QUALITY. Your lifestyle truly does matter when it comes to fertility. Many nutrients are needed for this process to be optimal, I have listed only a few here. There are many, many more! Berberine and inositol are more helpful in women who struggle with PCOS type patterns where insulin regulation is an issue. What questions do you have about egg quality or ovarian health? . . . . . #eggquality #optimaleggs #optimalfertility #fertile #fertileeggs #ttc #ttccommunity #ttcjourney #preconception #epigenetics #naturopathicmedicine #fertilityawareness #ovarianhealth #pregnancynutrition #fertilitynutrition #nutritionforfertility #naturopathicdoctor #tribemedicine #empoweredfeminine #fertilitywarrior #ivf #naturalconception #naturalpregnancy #pregnancyafter30 #fertilityjourney #infertility #infertilityjourney #womanhoodwellness #fertilityawareness #fertilitynutrition See more

Xenoestrogens are chemicals that look like or mimic the natural estrogens in our body. They are called environmental hormones because they act like hormones in the body but they come from our environment. Oftentimes, these synthetic xenoestrogens bind to our own estrogen receptors causing unwanted effects, such as: 1) Increase in prostaglandins leading to more painful periods... 2) Increase in uterine lining growth leading to heavy periods 3) Growth of tissues leading to fibroids, polyps, and in some cases cancers 4) Decrease in sperm quality affecting fertility 5) Increase in overall weight gain in men and women 6) Triggering of estrogen imbalance symptoms such as migraines The easiest ways to avoid them are to: 1) Eat organic food free of pesticides and herbicides 2) Get rid of plastic in your life, especially in water bottles, Tupperware, and cookware 3) Choose non-toxic personal care products and sunscreens, refer to ewg.org 4) Limit or avoid processed and packaged foods with preservatives 5) Be mindful of the pharmaceuticals you are taking and only take those which are completely necessary for your health What questions do you have about xenoestrogens? . . . . . #estrogen #estrogendominance #endometriosis #migraines #fibroids #highestrogen #lowsexdrive #hormonalimbalance #fibrocysticbreasts #lumpybreasts #enlargedbreasts #swollenbreasts #painfulperiods #heavyperiods #periodproblems #womenshealth #ttc #preconception #ourgutandhormones #hormonalbalance #hormonalbliss #tribemedicine #naturopathicmedicine #functionalmedicine #womanhoodwellness #xenoestrogens See more

Top Nutrients Part 1 in honor of #menshealthweek: These are the top nutrients I recommend for men's sperm health with the doses found to be effective in numerous studies. Ubiquinol (the active form of CoQ10) has been shown in studies to improve motility, morphology, and count with a greater effect on motility at a dose of 200-300 mg daily for 26 weeks.... Carnitine and acetyl-L Carnitine have been shown in studies to improve motility specifically as well as all other markers at doses of 3 grams daily. It acts as a protective nutrient and has anti-oxidant effects. There is a high amount in the epididymis and it has also been shown to improve DNA integrity of sperm. Best outcomes when taken for 6 months. Selenium, zinc, vitamin A, vitamin C, and vitamin E all act as anti-oxidants, again protecting the DNA of the sperm resulting in greater count, motility, and morphology. Ashwaganda has been shown to increase count, motility, semen volume, and testosterone at a dose of 650 mg daily for 90 days. In one particular study at that dose the count increased by 167%! Astragalus water extract at 1m mg/ml increased sperm motility after 4 weeks. B12 and folate are needed for DNA production and to support detox of nutrients, so without adequate active forms, sperm markers decrease! So there you have it! My top nutrients for sperm health! And remember, any change you make shows up 70 days after you begin so if you are wanting to conceive in the next few months, support your male partner ASAP as well! I will share Part 2 tomorrow with more important nutrients for your man's little swimmers! What questions do you have about sperm or male fertility? See more

In honor of #menshealthweek I wanted to share some important info for men in the fertility and infertility space! Our male partner’s role in creating a baby is often overlooked or ignored. The lack of understanding and awareness of the male’s role in this journey hits home for me since we went through almost 7 years of navigating male-factor infertility before we conceived via IVF with ICSI with testicular retrieval. Along our journey I was shocked at how ...few resources or support there was from doctors and specialists across multiple disciplines. When I work with my fertility clients I am still shocked at how much the man's health is ignored. I am a fan of optimizing health prior to conception for both partners to not only improve fertility outcomes, but to improve the overall health of the couple's future child. Because of this, I am an advocate for testing a man's sperm right away when trying to conceive. Because it takes almost 3 months for sperm to be made, we need to know of any imbalances early on so we can optimize sooner rather than later, and in certain cases can avoid waiting months to years before addressing his health when a baby is still not in the picture. You can do a sperm test at home, my favorite right now is @givelegacyinc or with your fertility doctor or urologist. All four markers in the graphic are important, but you can wait on the DNA fragmentation test unless the other markers in the sperm analysis are off. What questions do you have about male fertility or sperm health? See more

A little salad inspiration for you today. The tahini dressing is in my Moon Medicine Meal Plan, the four week cycle-led guided eating component of Moon Medicine, my cycle hormone program which I will be releasing at the end of January! I can't wait! Salad: ... ~ 1 cup of kale, chopped ~ 1/2 an apple, chopped ~ 1/4 cup currants ~ 1/2 an avocado ~ 2 tbsp chopped red onion ~ Option to add protein of choice, such as baked chicken, salmon, or lentils Dressing: 14 cup (60 ml) extra virgin olive oil 14 cup (60ml) Tahini 2-3 tbsp lemon juice 2 tsp Dijon mustard 2 tsp maple syrup or honey 12 tsp sea salt Freshly ground black pepper, to taste 2 tbsp ice cold water, more if needed I enjoyed this salad yesterday and it was so yummy! I think I may go make it again! What is your favorite kale salad toppings? I love learning about new combos! Share below! See more

6 years ago, I discovered that my husband didn't have viable sperm during our sperm analysis class in medical school. It was the day our infertility journey began. We both went through the stages of grief over many years in our own ways. Denial was a HUGE part of mine, especially in the beginning. However sometime along the 6-year journey it hit me that there was a possibility we may not become biological parents together. That was a real...ly hard pill to swallow. This realization was not an easy one for me. I felt like a failure, being a naturally-minded root-cause doctor who solves complex cases and trusts in the natural process of life. It broke my heart that I may not be the mother of the love of my life's children. It brought up so much for me to process and sift through over the years. And after 6 years, we may finally know why we have been experiencing infertility. We are on the path toward parenthood in a way I never anticipated and that we didn't think was possible. And the people we are now are not the same people we were 6 years ago. Through infertility we became the parents our children needed us to be in this lifetime. We have grown, evolved, and transformed. Hardship and grief does that to people. I am so grateful we didn't figure out the answer earlier. I am grateful for the years of trying, the sadness, the gallons of tears, and the love that has grown stronger between us because of it. And I pray that one day our story will be healing, inspiring, or educational for others. So many gifts have already come out of this journey, and I believe there are more to come. I am grateful, at the start of 2021, for one of the most challenging journeys we have been on. And I look forward to continue to see who we become because of it. See more

I sent my request to Santa. He replied. He said my wish will come true, it just may happen in a way I didn’t originally imagine. It will be magic just the same.... I can’t wait. Merry Christmas See more

Christmas has always been a beautiful and exciting time for me. I love magic and I truly see the world as magical in so many ways. I loved Christmas as a child and I always imagined what it would be like to share in the joys of the holidays with our own children this time of the year. Now it feels like having a child will be an act of magic. How ironic. The first few years of our infertility journey were the hardest around the holidays. D...uring the 6 year journey, all but 1 of our 5 siblings has been blessed with two children each. Although I love being an auntie, I would love even more to also be a mother. There is so much gratitude for what we do have, and that always becomes very apparent around the holidays. I have always been so grateful for my many blessings, including being married to the love of my life and having the wonderful family that I do. And at times, I have felt guilty for feeling sad being child-less at Christmas. And it still is sad and I feel it is important to honor that. Not knowing why parenthood wasn't happening for us was always a hard pill to swallow, especially with me being a doctor who solves complex cases. But, we are more hopeful now than we have ever been. And I have a really good feeling about 2021! I will be sharing more about our infertility journey over the next few weeks. And for now, because I believe in the power of intention and positive energy, I am going to say that I am giving gratitude for this being our last Christmas as two instead of three. Merry Christmas to all of those who celebrate it. And if you are like me and want a baby more than anything else this year: my heart is with you. I do believe magic is possible. Keep believing. Blessings! See more

I said this to a patient yesterday. Not only did she need to hear it, I needed to hear it, too. Many of the women I work with, myself included, are high performing, hard working, and driven women. Many of us have our own businesses or work long hours. I know this is the case for me, having grown up in a home where hard work was valued and resting was seen as lazy.... This deep seated belief can lead to burn out, especially when it feels like the work is never done. It is a major obstacle to fertility and for fostering a calm nervous system needed for an optimal pregnancy. I felt a reframe was needed for myself and my patients around rest. Resting for many women is some of the hardest work they may ever do. Busying ourselves and keeping ourselves stimulated is an unfortunate product of our modern society, and it is often our default. How sad that it’s challenging for us to just sit still. When you reframe the rest as work, however, it feels like even when you aren’t being productive you are still working and you are being productive. That nap 2 pm nap was just as important as your 9 am meeting! It is during rest that your body is working its hardest, repairing and recovering, mending and healing. And during pregnancy your body is growing a human!!! The more you rest, the better your body can do the necessary work it needs to do. Resting also calms your nervous system. The message that all is well and there is nothing too stressful happening outside of the womb is a beautiful gift you can give your future baby, as it writes their hormonal and nervous system patterns too! So if you are a work-aholic like me, as you prepare for pregnancy or move through your pregnancy, remember that resting is the real work. And it is a 7 day a week job ;) What is your favorite way to rest? Share below! See more