I met with a new patient last week who asked an awesome question. We were discussing she and her partners’ diet, and talking about the general dietary principles I encourage all of my patients to follow, very basically: 1. whole foods only; nothing processed 2. no refined flours 3. no added sugar 4. tons of veggies (at least 50% of every meal) 5. the highest quality protein you can afford (25% of every meal) 6. high quality fats with every meal (avocado, nuts/seeds, olive oi

It’s that busy time of year, when we’re all running around trying to get things done before the holidays - making sure we’ve bought gifts for people we love, stocked the bar for guests, and tied up all the year's loose ends. And if there’s one thing that saves me at this time of year, it’s a one-pot meal. As much as I love putting together elaborate meals, I really appreciate those dishes where you chop a bunch of veg, chuck it together in a pan with some spices, and throw

I’ve got a slight obsession with Jamie Oliver – I’m not afraid to say it. Several of his cookbooks line our shelves, and I find they are frequent go-to books for food inspiration both mid-week and for when company’s coming. I love the way he writes recipes. They’re easy to follow, and always use fresh healthy ingredients. A lot of his recipes are plant based, and fit in perfectly with the approach of the Acubalance Fertility Diet. He’s got a new book coming out this fall

The environment in which egg cells are growing during the process of recruitment and development has a major impact on the quality of the egg cell that is ovulated every cycle. Whether you’re trying to conceive naturally, or with the help of an embryologist, optimizing the quality of eggs (oocytes) that are being produced is of paramount importance in increasing the likelihood of each cycle resulting in a healthy pregnancy. Oocytes require good blood supply, proper nutrition,

Most of the patients I see in a day at Acubalance are pretty healthy individuals. They eat fairly healthy diets, watch how much alcohol they consume, exercise regularly, most don’t smoke. They’re not particularly hard on their bodies, and in general they do their best to practice healthy lifestyle habits. Despite all their efforts, many of these patients still struggle to conceive. And it can feel incredibly frustrating (!), especially as the rational mind tries to understand