Preconception Care

This episode of the Wellness Connection MD podcast focuses on the critical topic of pre-conception care, emphasizing the importance of both parents optimizing their health in the months leading up to pregnancy. The hosts explain that the health of the egg and sperm, as well as the environment in which they develop, significantly impacts fertility, pregnancy outcomes. the long-term health of the child, and even the health of future generations. 

Key points discussed include:

• Pre-conception health: The hosts stress that lifestyle choices made before conception can reduce risks like miscarriages, birth defects, childhood, diseases, and can even affect adult health. 
• Diet and Nutrition: A balanced diet, such as a Mediterranean diet, rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, and omega-3 fatty acids is essential for both egg and sperm health. Supplements like folic acid, CoQ10, and vitamin D are also recommended for improving fertility.
• Toxins and Lifestyle Factors: The podcast covers how alcohol, smoking, caffeine, and environmental toxins can negatively affect reproductive health. Reducing exposure to these substances is crucial for optimizing fertility. Toxins discussed include heavy metals, mycotoxins from mold, and organic toxins, including endocrine-disrupting chemicals.
• Stress Management: Stress can interfere with reproductive health by disrupting hormonal balance. The hosts recommend stress management techniques to improve fertility outcomes.
• Other factors are also discussed, such as restorative sleep, exercise, medications, hydration, infections, thyroid optimization, acupuncture, and epigenetics. 

Listeners are encouraged to share this information with anyone considering starting a family and to take practical steps toward improving their pre-conception health.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:02):
Hello and welcome to the Wellness Connection MD
podcast.
I'm Dr McMahon, and in thisepisode we're going to take a
deep dive into one of thebest-kept secrets of medicine,
and that is preconception care.
That means optimizing thehealth of both parents before
the fetus is even conceived.
The key here is to create ahealthy egg, healthy sperm and a
healthy environment in themother's body in order to give

(00:23):
the offspring the very bestchance of living a long, happy,
healthy life.
This is hugely important forfertility and healthy outcomes
for mom and baby, and yet it isalmost never talked about in
medicine.
So kick back and enjoy thisevidence-based discussion of
care before conception.
I hope you enjoy the show.

Speaker 2 (00:44):
Welcome to the Wellness Connection MD Podcast
with Dr McMinn and Coach Lindsay, where we bring you the latest
up-to-date, evidence-basedinformation on a wide variety of
health and wellness topics,along with practical take-home
solutions.
Dr McMinn is an integrated andfunctional MD and Lindsay
Matthews is a registered nurseand IIN-certified health coach.

(01:16):
Together, our goal is to helpyou optimize your health and
wellness in mind.
Thank you, favorite podcastplayer, so that you'll be
notified when future episodescome out.
The discussions contained inthese podcasts are for
educational purposes only andare not intended to diagnose or
treat any disease.
Please do not apply any of thisinformation without approval
from your personal doctor.
And now on to the show with DrMcMinn and Coach Lindsey.

Speaker 1 (01:42):
Hello and welcome to the Wellness Connection MD
podcast with Dr McMinn and CoachLindsay the evidence-based
podcast with all things wellnesswhere we bring you honest,
commercial-free, unbiased,up-to-date and evidence-based
information, along withpractical solutions in order to
empower you to overcome yourhealthcare challenges, to
optimize your wellness of mind,body and spirit and to become a

(02:04):
great captain of your ship whenit comes to your health and
wellness.
We thank you so much forjoining us today.
I'm Dr Jim McMinn.
I'm here today with our co-hostnurse and certified health
coach, ms Lindsay Matthews.
Good morning, coach.

Speaker 3 (02:17):
Good morning, dr Mack .
It's good to be back with youand our listeners on the podcast
.
Today we're going to take adeep dive into the important
topic of preconception care.
So, just to be clear, thatmeans the care that the mom and
dad both take of their ownbodies in the months before

(02:39):
pregnancy.
So in my current job, I get towork with new moms and babies
all the time and I have twolittle guys at home too my
babies and so this topic is nearand dear to my heart and it
really boils down to this Inorder to have a healthy baby,
you've got to start with ahealthy egg and a healthy sperm,

(03:00):
and then these have to benurtured in a clean and
supportive environment in thewomb.
Sperm, and then these have to benurtured in a clean and
supportive environment in thewomb.
The things that you do in theprecious months before
conception really have aprofound and important impact on
the quality of the egg and thesperm, and then the environment,
the pregnancy outcomes and,ultimately, the health of the

(03:20):
offspring for the rest of his orher life.
So I don't think most peoplethink about preconception care
at all.
I don't either.

Speaker 1 (03:26):
I don't either.
It's interesting, coach, butit's so important, and now I do
realize that many of youlisteners are not at the stage
in life where this topic ispertinent to you.
However, we all have familymembers and friends who may
benefit from this knowledge, soplease consider sharing this
podcast with someone who mightbe at the stage in their life
when they're consideringbuilding a family.

Speaker 3 (03:46):
Absolutely, and even so, dr Whitman, I would say that
fertility can bea marker ofhealth, whether you're wanting
to conceive or not.
You kind of think about ancientcultures.
They would have their gods andgoddesses that were like
fertility gods and it was justthe sign of power and wellness
and health.
So really, you know, fertilityis also just a sign of health in

(04:07):
general and the things thatsupport fertility and support
general wellness really.
So in that way, I do think alsoit's important for all of our
listeners in that way, just tothink about health and vitality
that fertility represents.

Speaker 1 (04:21):
Fertility and vitality overlap greatly.

Speaker 3 (04:23):
Yes agreed, represent Fertility and vitality overlap
greatly.
Yeah, agreed.
So the science is solid and itshows us that the attention to
the fundamentals of goodpreconception care, as we're
going to outline for you in thispodcast, it results in better
fertility rates, fewermiscarriages and, for the
offspring, healthy birth weight,reduced risk of congenital
anomalies and cognitive andemotional benefits.

(04:45):
And then there's betterlong-term health, as well as
lower risk of chronic diseasesfor the future generations.

Speaker 1 (04:52):
But the unfortunate reality of the situation is that
many babies are conceived insituations like, say, for
instance, a college spring breakwhere there's a lot of alcohol,
maybe some other substances onboard, party, party, party and
the next thing you knowsomeone's pregnant Right In
these situations, there's reallyno consideration at all for the
concept of preconception care,and this creates a whole host of
potentially disastrousconsequences which can adversely

(05:13):
affect the pregnancy, the babyand even the health of future
generations.
But it doesn't have to be thatway.
Under ideal circumstances,pregnancy is planned and
preconception care is given ahigh priority in order to ensure
the best possible outcome forthe offspring.
So we're going to break it alldown for you and as always I
support it with solid science toprovide you with practical

(05:34):
take-home solutions.

Speaker 3 (05:35):
I have several friends and probably many of you
listeners.
If it doesn't personally applyto you, you know someone who's
struggling with fertility or hadmiscarriages, and so this
podcast in general could betriggering for people and we
recognize that, and so thismight not be the season for you
to listen to that, if thisapplies to you.

(05:56):
But also we want you to comeaway from this podcast with hope
, and that's always the messageof our podcast.
So please hear that there'sgrace and hope for you wherever
you are out there.
And I do think that this isjust really a sweet time to
bring up this topic, comingright out of the month of
October, october 15th being aday of world pregnancy and

(06:26):
infant loss remembrance.
So we just kind of want toacknowledge that and acknowledge
that there might be a lot ofmotions here around this.

Speaker 1 (06:30):
Let me interrupt there and say you know this
infant loss thing.
I mean, there's so many thingsin medicine that are what we
call idiopathic.
You know, stuff happens and wedon't know why, Right.
But on the other hand, that'sexactly why we're doing this
podcast.
Sometimes, these things we'regoing to talk about, they do
affect infant loss, and sosometimes there are reasons we
can't necessarily go back andestablish a cause and effect
relationship.
But on the other hand, movingforward, we can certainly do our

(06:52):
best to plan and to increaseour odds the best we can, of
having healthy outcomes.

Speaker 3 (06:59):
Yes, and give our children the best increased odds
of the best future possible.
So that's absolutely our heartbehind this message.

Speaker 1 (07:08):
That's right.
That's why we're doing this.

Speaker 3 (07:10):
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the drill by now.
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Speaker 1 (07:21):
And that's kind of unique, isn't it, Coach?
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It seems disingenuous to mesometimes, but anyway, it does
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Speaker 3 (07:42):
And so there's a couple ways that you, the
listener, can contribute.
So first, if you buynutritional supplements, then
consider purchasingphysician-grade supplements from
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You can see that link to theFullscript below in the show
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(08:03):
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It's really simple.
You just click on that link andit guides you through the
process and really it really isa win-win.
You get those high qualitysupplements at the discount and
truly I've done it several times, but it's been a while since I
did a price comparison.
Dr Mack and I was doing thatlast night looking at my
prenatal vitamin that I take andjust also my fish oil that I

(08:26):
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And there's free shipping overa $50 purchase, which most of
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Speaker 1 (08:40):
Cool Well that helps.

Speaker 3 (08:46):
So, yeah, I think it's a great resource if you're
out there looking for those highquality supplements and you're
looking for this, that littlebit of savings, so, and then it
supports us and so we'regrateful for that.
Listeners, thank you.

Speaker 1 (08:53):
Yeah, I mean we.
You know, unfortunately it canbe expensive to take care of
your body and so we're doingeverything we can to keep costs
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So also you can safely make acontribution to the show
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Speaker 3 (09:09):
And don't forget to subscribe to the show, of course
, and please contact someonetoday to tell your friends and
family about us, so that we canbring this information to even
more people.
When you share it out just toone person, each person shares
to one it spreads the news andspreads the hope of the message
of functional medicine.
So thank you for being a partof that.
And now, Dr Mimak, on to theshow.

Speaker 1 (09:31):
All right.
Well, you know, Coach, the termanti-aging medicine has become
fairly trendy these days.
I've been to a lot ofconferences, anti-aging
conferences, and there's theAmerican.
Academy for Anti-Aging.
It seems to be a real buzzwordthese days, but if you kind of
think about it, anti-agingreally starts way back, even
before conception.
And let me be clear the termbefore conception means before

(09:53):
the egg and sperm even cometogether to then go on to make a
fetus.
The reason that anti-agingmedicine starts before
conception is that the thingsthat the parents do, like things
like what we eat, what we'reexposed to in the months before
the baby is even conceived,affect the health of the egg and
the sperm, and then that goeson to have a profound effect
down the road for pregnancyoutcomes and for the health of

(10:15):
the offspring for the rest ofhis or her life.
Therefore, preconception careactually directly affects the
aging process of the offspring.
For instance, if mom or dad dothings in the months before
pregnancy that cause theoffspring to go on to have
diabetes or metabolic syndrome,then later in life that is going
to affect their aging process,including illness, poor quality
of life, premature death, and so, in summary, anti-aging

(10:39):
medicine actually starts evenwell before conception.
Isn't that interesting, coach?

Speaker 3 (10:43):
Yes, and I totally agree, anti-aging before you're
even born.

Speaker 1 (10:48):
Yeah, yeah, cool.

Speaker 3 (10:50):
So if you happen to hear our podcast on lifestyle
medicine, then you'll probablyappreciate a lot of overlap here
between these two podcasts oflifestyle medicine and this one
that we're doing now.
So that podcast we calledLifestyle Medicine the most
powerful medicine on earth, andin this podcast you'll see that
lifestyle medicine affects everystage of life, even before life

(11:13):
is conceived.

Speaker 1 (11:14):
Now, coach.
It's important to note that theegg and sperm present at the
time of conception have beendeveloping for several months.
Therefore, adopting idealpreconception care practices
well in advance of trying toconceive can have a significant
impact on the health of the eggsand the sperm.
Ideally, both parties shouldstrive to be super clean for
about four months beforeconception.
Anything less is reallyinviting trouble.

Speaker 3 (11:35):
As we frequently do, let's start with nutrition,
since diet plays a significantrole in the health of both the
egg and the sperm at the time ofconception.
So let's take a first look atthe effects of diet on egg
health.
So a diet rich in fruits,vegetables, whole grains, lean
meats, that one that containsantioxidants, vitamins and

(11:58):
minerals, will help protect theeggs from oxidative stress and
promote their proper development.
Consuming foods high in omega-3fatty acids, like fatty fish,
salmon or sardines, can improveegg quality and increase the
chances of conception.
Also, you'll hear aboutadequate folic intake and how

(12:19):
important that is, eitherthrough the diet or supplements,
and that's crucial for the eggto mature and develop, and that
prevents serious birth defectsspecifically affecting the brain
and spinal cord.
So folic acid is found in yourleafy greens, and also in some
fortified foods as well.

Speaker 1 (12:37):
So now let's take a look at the effects of diet on
sperm health.
Consuming foods high inantioxidants, such as fruits and
vegetables, can also improvesperm quality, motility and the
shape of the sperm, which iscalled morphology.
Foods rich in vitamin C,vitamin E, beta-carotene, like
citrus fruits, carrots andspinach, are also important.
Zinc and selenium are bothvital for sperm production and

(12:57):
motility.
Zinc is found in foods likemeat, shellfish, legumes, and
selenium is found in Brazil,nuts, eggs and fish.
Also, men who get more of theirprotein from plant sources, for
instance beans and lentils,tend to have better sperm
quality compared to those whoconcern more animal protein.
Similar to their effects oneggs, omega-3 fatty acids from
sources like fish can alsoimprove sperm quality.

(13:19):
Amphilic acid is important forDNA synthesis in sperm.

Speaker 3 (13:23):
Before we keep moving , let me define what we mean by
sperm quality, quantity,motility and morphology, since
these properties of the spermare important to this whole
discussion and these terms aregoing to be mentioned more as we
proceed through.
So if the sperm is high quality, then that means that the sperm
is healthy overall and that ithas a high likelihood of

(13:46):
fertilizing the egg.
Also, the genetic materialinside the sperm, if it's of
high quality, is intact and theDNA is not damaged in any way.
Quantity or sperm count, sothat's the number of sperm
present in a given amount orvolume of the semen.

Speaker 1 (14:06):
And motility is the ability of the sperm to move
properly through the femalereproductive tract to reach the
fertilized egg.
Healthy sperm shoulddemonstrate a continued forward
movement.
And morphology refers to theshape and structure of the sperm
.
Normal sperm should have anoval head and a long tail, which
helps them swim effectively.
Abnormalities in sperm shapecan reduce fertility.

Speaker 3 (14:26):
Some concentrated food sources are packed with
nutrients and they may be morehelpful for both parties the
female and the male in this.
So those are things likeunrefined honey, black molasses,
cold-processed seed oils, oilyfish, goat's milk, live yogurt
and wheat germ.
So those are all very packedfoods.

Speaker 1 (14:48):
A moderate intake of fish will help both the male and
the female and the baby.
However, some types of seafoodcontain mercury, so avoiding
large ocean fish such as shark,tilefish, swordfish and king
mackerel would be advisable.
The last thing you want to dois to introduce more toxic heavy
metals into the mix.
The last thing you want to dois to introduce more toxic heavy
metals into the mix.

Speaker 3 (15:04):
Right, and so a couple other foods to kind of
put on that no list.
The avoid excessive sugar.
That really negatively impactshormonal balance, specifically
also ovulatory function, and itreduces egg quality for us women
.
Processed meats also have beenlinked to lower sperm quality

(15:25):
for men, and trans fats arealways a no-no.
There's really no associatedbenefit to trans fats at all.
They've been associated withdecreased fertility in both men
and women, and unfortunatelytrans fats have become very
common in our modern-day diet.
They're in so many processedfoods.

Speaker 1 (15:43):
Yeah, Coach, we call it the standard American diet or
SAD diet, and you'll find transfats just about everywhere.
They're in baked goods, friedfoods, snack foods, margarine,
shortening, frozen foods,refrigerated dough products,
non-dairy creamers, ready-to-usefrostings and some of the
breaded and battered foods aswell.
So definitely we want to try tostay away from those as best we
can.

Speaker 3 (16:03):
Yes, and so while we're on nutrition, let's go
ahead and talk about what wedrink.
So we got to stay well hydratedduring this time period as well
.
With good filtered water, youcould also drink vegetable
juices and fruit juices.
Some whole milk can be okay,but you want to avoid fat free
milk, since it can reducefertility, and you also want to
be looking at the source of themilk too, really trying to get a

(16:25):
good, clean, organic milk ifyou can.

Speaker 1 (16:29):
So, in summary, a whole food, balanced diet rich
in nutrients, antioxidants andhealthy fats, while limiting
processed foods and harmfulsubstances, can significantly
improve the health of both theegg and the sperm, potentially
increasing the chances ofsuccessful conception and also
improving the chances ofsuccessful conception and also
improving the chances of ahealthy baby and, eventually, a
well adult.

Speaker 3 (16:48):
So, to borrow a phrase from Weston Price, eat
healthy food grown on healthysoil.
So you know, a good example ofthis would be adhering to a
Mediterranean-style diet that'sbeen proven to improve fertility
and lower risks of pregnancycomplications.

Speaker 1 (17:06):
In the offspring.
If mom and dad eat mainly aMediterranean diet during their
preconception months, studiessuggest that this will improve
birth weight in babies, lowerthe risk of childhood obesity
and result in positive long-termhealth effects for the child,
including a lower risk of heartdisease later in life, improved
cognitive health and a reducedrisk of allergies and asthma
later in life.

Speaker 3 (17:24):
Improved cognitive health and a reduced risk of
allergies and asthma.
A Mediterranean diet prior toconception may also positively
influence epigenetic markers,which are changes in the gene
expression, without alteratingthe actual DNA sequence.
So it's above the gene.
Healthy epigenetics can improvedisease resistance and
metabolism.
Medics can improve diseaseresistance and metabolism.
They can improve cognitivefunction for the offspring and

(17:48):
provide long-term healthbenefits.

Speaker 1 (17:51):
Anyway.
So now let's talk about somevitamins, minerals and
supplements that might help.
First, let me point out thatquality matters, so always
choose high-quality supplementsfrom reputable sources to ensure
safety and efficacy.
There's a lot of garbage outthere on the shelves and if you
want more information aboutsupplements, then go back to and
listen to our podcast we did onthis topic a couple months ago.
And don't forget, if you'relooking for high quality

(18:13):
supplements at that 10% discount, then check out our full script
dispensary and you can see thelink to that in the show notes
or at mcminnmdcom on thehomepage under helpful links.

Speaker 3 (18:23):
Yes.
So some specific supplementsthat are helpful for a healthy
egg Coenzyme Q10.
Coq10.
This supports the mitochondrialfunction in egg cells, which is
essential for energy production, egg quality and especially
true for older women, as you'retrying to conceive when you're

(18:43):
more in that older age bracket.
Your sources for CoQ10dietary-wise are beef, chicken,
fish and spinach, and you canalso get it in supplement form.
And then I'd mentioned beforefolic acid, or folate.
This is really essential forproper cell division in eggs and
it reduces the risk of birthdefects.
And super important to havethis on board before the

(19:06):
pregnancy, super important.
So it's recommended that womentake folate before conception to
support that early pregnancyand to reduce birth defects,
specifically like neurotubedefects.
So speak with your OBGYN oryour doc on personal preferred
dosage recommendations forfolate.
Also, vitamin D alwaysimportant plays a key role in

(19:29):
supporting that egg maturingproperly.
Good sources for vitamin Dinclude supplements, but also
sunlight fortified foods andthen a good fatty fish.
And I would also heavilyencourage you to consider taking
a fish oil supplementcontaining omega-3 fatty acids,
especially if you're not eatingenough fish in your diet.
These omega-3s can enhance eggquality and overall fertility.

(19:51):
We love the Pure Omega brand byIntegrative Therapeutics,
because it's mercury-free andit's also not going to give you
that heartburn, burping, fishytaste, because it's not rancid.

Speaker 1 (20:03):
It's really not high quality, a lot of fish oils are
rancid and we would have peoplecome in and say, oh, I can't
take fish oils because I tastefish and burp fish.
We'd have them try this productand they never had that issue.
And, by the way, we have nofinancial affiliation with the
company at all, so we just haveused it for many years and have
had great success with it.
So a combination ofmyo-inositol and

(20:23):
d-chiro-inositol may beparticularly helpful for women
with PCOS, which is polycysticovary syndrome.
This may help to improve eggquality and ovulation.
You can get this fromsupplements, beans, citrus
fruits and nuts.
And let's see on to melatonin,which can improve egg quality,
especially in women undergoingfertility treatments.
Vitamin E helps protect eggsfrom oxidative stress, and

(20:44):
sources of this includesupplements, nuts seeds and
leafy greens.
N-acetylcysteine, a potentantioxidant, may help improve
egg quality, and zinc from nuts,seeds and legumes, and selenium
from Brazil.

Speaker 3 (20:59):
Nuts and fish can also be critical for protecting
the eggs from damage, and solet's talk about supplements for
healthy sperm, and I mean Iwould love to just say, raise
your hand out there if you, as ayoung man, were ever encouraged
to supplement before you weregoing to try to conceive.
I mean it's laughable.
No one even considers it.

Speaker 1 (21:17):
Well, you know, that's interesting, Coach.
I mean this whole concept ofpreconception care.
I never even heard about it,quite frankly.
You went through all medicalschool and residency and it was
never on the radar screen at all.
I remember years ago I kind ofheard a lecture on it and
thought, wow, that's interestingBecause you know the lady who
gave the lecture.
She was very evidence-based andso the more I got to looking
into it, the more I realized howimportant this is.

Speaker 3 (21:39):
But you're right, it's just not talked about,
which is a shame.

Speaker 1 (21:48):
Right, but I mean just, it's so logical though you
got to have two goodingredients to make something
good.

Speaker 3 (21:50):
If one of the ingredients is not good, how do
you expect the whole thing to begood?
But we just only put theemphasis on after you're
pregnant, taking a prenatalvitamin for women.

Speaker 1 (21:59):
Yeah, I think we just assume that the sperm is going
to be healthy or the egg isgoing to be healthy, but that's
not the case.
I mean, those things, thosecells, are just as affected by
things like toxins as othercells, and so, yeah, we got to
start early here, and so we'rehappy to get this information
out there.

Speaker 3 (22:17):
Yeah, I think it just kind of goes in line with this
idea that people should beempowered.
Just kind of goes in line withthis idea that people should be
empowered.
You know, so often we're takingthat back seat of our health
instead of being in the driver'sseat and it is our
responsibility to really pilotour own ship.
So healthy sperm.
What's a good supplement?
Zinc that can help with spermproduction, motility and overall

(22:41):
sperm health.
And then again going to mentionCoQ10 here, because it improves
sperm motility and protectssperm from oxidative stress
which can damage the DNA of thesperm itself.
L-carnitine plays a role inenergy production for sperm
cells, also helping to improvemotility and overall function.
Folic acid is also beneficialfor men.

(23:03):
It works in combination withzinc to improve sperm quality
and reduce DNA abnormalities.
Selenium again.
So, listeners, as you'relistening, you're probably
hearing.
Oh, I already heard that.
Oh, I already heard that.
There's a lot of overlap.
What's good for one is alsogood for the other.
So selenium is an antioxidantwhich is essential for sperm

(23:23):
development, motility andprotects against oxidative
damage.

Speaker 1 (23:27):
And vitamin C is also an antioxidant to prevent sperm
DNA damage and improve spermcount and motility.
Vitamin E is a fat solubleantioxidant that protects sperm
cells from oxidative stress,enhancing motility and overall
health.
And then, once again, we circleback around to your omega-3
fatty acids, which are the fishoils.
They're important for fluidityof sperm membranes and to

(23:48):
improve sperm count andmorphology.
And finally, D-aspartic acidcan positively affect sperm
quality and count.

Speaker 3 (23:55):
It's important to note that you can get so many of
these nutrients in the foodthat you eat when you eat that
Mediterranean well-rounded wholefood diet.
Also, you might be able to findjust a really good multivitamin
that contains all of thesenutrients together, such as a
good prenatal vitamin, so thatyou will have to take fewer

(24:16):
pills.
Your healthcare provider willlikely have this on her
preferred brand or preferredprenatal, and my plug here from
working in your office for years, Dr Mack, is to kind of look at
that multivitamin and you'llknow right away if it's a higher
quality one, if it's methylatedB vitamins, Talk to your OBG.

Speaker 1 (24:37):
They may have a.
Most of them actually have aprenatal vitamin that they
prefer, and so you want todefinitely get their approval
and feedback, and so you mightwant to just talk to them about
that, because a lot of timesyou'll find a lot of these
vitamins and minerals that wementioned are all included in
that thing.
So if all this sounds toocomplicated, it may be
worthwhile to get a consult witha good nutritionist who can

(24:58):
customize and simplify a programfor you.
I highly recommend our friendand colleague Rachel Olson.
Unfortunately she's moved awayfrom Birmingham down to the
beach.
Can't blame her, but, rachel,if you're listening to this, we
miss you so much.
Rachel does do telemedicine,and so her contact information
is on the website at mcmindycom.
Forward slash guest dashbiographies and please do work

(25:19):
with your OBGYN doctor and yourPCP once again to get their
input and approval on your plan.

Speaker 3 (25:24):
Now let's move on to stress management.
Stress can have a significantnegative impact on both egg and
sperm quality, adverselyaffecting fertility and the
chances of successful conception.
I've heard it said your bodytells the story.
You know, sometimes peopleignore stress, but your body
wears stress in it.

(25:45):
It kind of.
You will eventually not be ableto kind of withstand the level
of stress unless you manage it.
So stress triggers a cascade ofhormonal and physiological
responses in our bodies that candisrupt the reproductive system
for both men and women.
We did an entire podcast onstress before, so I'll just
recommend that you go back andlisten to that and please check

(26:08):
out Dr McMinn's documentsentitled Stress Management Plan
and Stress Toolbox, and you canfind that at mcminnmdcom.
Forward slash documents.

Speaker 1 (26:18):
And moving on to toxins, and starting with
alcohol, alcohol reduces thenumber of viable eggs a woman
has.
It can also create poor eggquality, leading to DNA damage
in the eggs, which increases therisk of pregnancy loss, and
chromosomal abnormalities in theoffspring, which can then lead
to birth defects in sperm countand sperm motility.

Speaker 3 (26:46):
It can also produce abnormal sperm morphology,
especially if the drinking isheavy or chronic.
Alcohol can also cause DNAdamage to the sperm and that
results in lower fertility rates, increased risk of miscarriage
and increase the likelihood ofthe developmental disorders
later on for the offspring.

Speaker 1 (27:00):
The preconception.
Alcohol consumption can alsoinduce epigenetic changes in
both eggs and sperm,particularly affecting the gene
expression in the offspring.
These epigenetic modificationsmay increase the risk of
developmental delays, cognitiveimpairments or even chronic
diseases such as obesity,diabetes and those kind of
things in children.
And these changes may alsoadversely affect future

(27:21):
generations.
Like you know, grandkids,great-grandkids.

Speaker 3 (27:25):
We would also suggest that, ideally, there really be
no drinking of alcohol in thiscritical time.
However, quantity and frequencydo matter, so you might be able
to get away with some moderatedrinking one to two drinks now
and then.
However, heavier binge drinkingis really strongly associated
with problems.

Speaker 1 (27:42):
However, heavier binge drinking is really
strongly associated withproblems, and since eggs and
sperm undergo development overtime, alcohol consumption even
months before conception canaffect their quality.
In men, sperm takes about 70 to90 days to fully mature, so
alcohol consumption anytimeduring that process can impact
sperm quality.
So the bottom line is thatreducing or eliminating alcohol
consumption when trying toconceive is recommended for

(28:06):
optimizing reproductive healthand improving your chances of
having a healthy offspring, andnow let's move on Coach to
caffeine, which, of course, iscommon in lots of things like
coffee, tea, chocolate, energydrinks, and these can affect
fertility pregnancy outcomes,particularly when consumed in
high amounts.

Speaker 3 (28:22):
Here's a breakdown of its effects Some studies
suggest that excessive caffeinecan affect ovarian function by
reducing blood flow to theovaries, which may then affect
egg development.
There's also some studies thatindicate that high caffeine
intake can reduce sperm countand motility, which are crucial
factors for fertility, which arecrucial factors for fertility,
and there's also evidencesuggesting that high caffeine

(28:43):
intake could damage sperm DNA,potentially affecting fertility
and increasing the risk ofmiscarriage or birth defects.

Speaker 1 (28:52):
Now, several studies have found that consuming over
200 to 300 milligrams ofcaffeine per day during
pregnancy is associated with ahigher risk of miscarriage, and
high caffeine intake duringpregnancy also is linked to
increased risk of preterm birthand low birth weight.
And finally, excessive caffeineintake during pregnancy may
negatively affect fetal growthand development, leading to

(29:14):
potential issues with the baby'scardiovascular system and brain
development.

Speaker 3 (29:18):
So for the coffee drinkers out there, if you just
really gotta have that morningcup, how much caffeine is safe?
Most health authorities,including the American College
of Obstetricians andGynecologists they, recommend
limiting that caffeine intake to200 milligrams per day, or less
when trying to conceive orduring pregnancy.
Roughly, that's the equivalentof one 12-ounce cup of coffee

(29:42):
per day.
Roughly, that's the equivalentof one 12-ounce cup of coffee
per day.
Also, it's noteworthy here,just to give you an idea energy
drinks.
Most of them contain about 300milligrams of caffeine per drink
.
Finally, given that everybody'ssensitivity to caffeine can be
different, some people may justreally need to consume even less
caffeine or just forgo italtogether in order to avoid

(30:03):
these risks altogether.

Speaker 1 (30:04):
Moving on now to smoking.
Smoking is, of course, bad foreverything, and in this case it
has a negative effect on botheggs and sperm health,
contributing to reducedfertility, potential long-term
consequences for the offspring.
And so let's start with the egg.
There are tons of toxins incigarette smoke.
These toxins reduce the totalnumber of viable eggs,
contribute to poor egg qualityand increase the risk of ectopic

(30:25):
pregnancy.
Now, ectopic pregnancy is wherethe egg implants outside of the
womb.
Of course, it's supposed toimplant in the womb, and smoking
also increases the rate ofmiscarriages and chromosomal
abnormalities such as Downsyndrome.

Speaker 3 (30:37):
Conversely, when it comes to smoking's effect on
sperm, it can significantlyreduce sperm count.
It comes to smoking's effect onsperm, it can significantly
reduce sperm count, decreasethat motility and produce
abnormal sperm morphology.
Smoking also causes oxidativestress and DNA damage in sperm
cells and that can lead toreduced fertility, a higher
likelihood of miscarriage andpotential problems

(30:59):
developmentally for theoffspring.
Long-term effects of smoking onoffspring include an increased
risk of birth defects,developmental disorders and
genetic abnormalities.
So this is some bad stuff here,like cleft, palate, heart
defects or neurodevelopmentaldisorders.

Speaker 1 (31:15):
Yeah, some bad stuff, Coach.
Smoking by either parent cannegatively affect the placenta
and the fetal development.
Babies born to parents whosmoke are more likely to have
low birth weight, preterm birthand other complications.
Smoking can also causeepigenetic modifications, both
egg and sperm, which can thenpass on to the offspring, and
these changes may affect geneexpression in the child,

(31:36):
potentially increasing the riskof developing health problems
such as asthma, obesity,cardiovascular disease in later
life.

Speaker 3 (31:43):
Even secondhand smoke can negatively affect fertility
.
Women exposed to secondhandsmoke are at a higher risk of
experiencing reduced ovarianfunction, while men have lower
sperm quality due to the toxicchemicals from secondhand smoke
exposure.
And I was even reading thatthat secondhand smoke exposure
can be like going throughsomewhere where someone has just

(32:05):
smoked within the past couplehours, even those smoke
particles linger in the air.
So just something to be aware of, because, you know, sometimes
we think, well, they put thecigarette out and it's done, now
I can go out there, but thoseparticles are lingering.
So it's just something to tryto walk around and be aware.

Speaker 1 (32:22):
I know it's amazing, and we underestimate the impact
of secondhand smoke, don't we,lindsay?
And next on our list isexercise, and, of course,
bullish on exercise and moderateexercise can help to maintain
the overall health of the eggsand support egg maturation and
contribute to normal ovulation.
It can also improve egg qualityand protect the eggs from DNA
damage.
As for us guys, regular,moderate intensity exercise has

(32:45):
been shown to increase spermcount motility and improve sperm
morphology and reduce sperm DNAfragmentation.
Exercises like yoga areparticularly helpful for
reducing stress, which can helpwith egg and sperm health.

Speaker 3 (33:18):
Also, you can overexercise, with negative
consequences for egg and sperm.
So the sweet spot foroptimizing fertility appears to
be regular, moderate exercise.
Like br be a hard place, youknow, because for women there's
such an emphasis on how we lookand being healthy.
And so that overexercise caneasily happen, but just
something to really be aware ofenvironmental exposures to

(33:43):
toxins, which can lead toharmful epigenetic modifications
in egg and sperm.

Speaker 1 (33:45):
These exposures can affect the developing organs and
systems, increasing the risk ofbirth defects, preterm birth or
long-term health problems.
The main types of toxins thatwe are concerned about here are
heavy metals, organic toxins andmycotoxins from mold.
And, make no mistake about it,we live in a world full of
toxins.
They are in the air we breathe,the water we drink, the food
that we eat and the things thatwe put on our body like lotions,

(34:05):
sunscreens, bug sprays andcosmetics.

Speaker 3 (34:08):
Well, let's start with the heavy metal topic.
The main ones to be concernedabout include lead, mercury,
cadmium and arsenic.
Exposure to those heavy metalsat the time of conception can
have really serious adverseeffects on both the sperm and
egg quality and subsequently onfertility and the health of the
developing fetus, resulting inincreased risk of birth defects,

(34:32):
developmental delays,congenital abnormalities,
increased risk of chronicdiseases for the baby,
neurological disorders anddevelopmental issues down the
road.

Speaker 1 (34:41):
And moving on now to organic toxins, many of these
are what we callendocrine-disrupting chemicals
or EDCs.
They include chemicals like youmay have heard of BPAs, pcbs,
phthalates, dioxins, pfas,pesticides and other substances
that interfere with hormonesignaling.
These can disrupt the delicatehormonal balance required for
normal egg development andovulation.

(35:02):
Unfortunately, these chemicalsare just about everywhere in our
environment.
The category of toxins calledPFAS are often referred to as
forever chemicals, because ittakes forever for them to break
down.
Right here in our state ofAlabama, we have tons of PFAS
chemicals in our rivers and evenin our groundwater due to
industry pollution, and sincethese are forever chemicals,
they will still be here athousand years from now.

Speaker 3 (35:25):
And as we go down this rabbit hole, it really is a
rabbit hole and it keepsexpanding and this issue of
toxins can really beoverwhelming when you are first
looking into it.
But just know that it'ssomething you continue to slowly
chip away at and continue tofilter out the things that you
realize.
Oh, that's not a good thing.
Let me pull this product ininstead and move that product

(35:49):
out.
Let me cook with this instead.
And it's a slow modificationthat you continually make and an
awareness that you continuallybuild.
But just recognize that thiscan feel overwhelming and I
recognize that.
But it is something worthfighting for and slowly making
these changes.

Speaker 1 (36:05):
And the first and most important step is avoidance
, right, just being aware of.
Sometimes you look at thebottle of lotion and you read
the ingredients and it's gotlike 50 chemicals in there.
You can't pronounce the namesof these long chemical names you
know.
Okay, that's not good stuff.
I have another lotion I use andI mean it's just got everything
natural you know, and the thingabout people don't realize how

(36:27):
much stuff goes through yourskin.
You know and I mean the examples, like in the ER we put
nitroglycerin on people's skinand next thing you know it goes
to their heart, right.
We have women use topicalcreams, estrogen cream.
Next thing you know, theirestrogen level in their blood
increases.
So same thing when you'reswimming in a river with a lot

(36:47):
of forever chemicals, then thatgets in your blood, right.
And so we just have to beCareful what we put in and on
our body.

Speaker 3 (36:55):
Yes.

Speaker 1 (36:55):
That's the first step and most important step really.

Speaker 3 (36:57):
Yes, so common sources of organic toxins
include food packaging, waterbottles, plastic toys, medical
products, detergents, cleaners,lawn and garden products,
non-organic produce, cannedfoods, thermal paper, flame
retardants, upholstery,mattresses, carpets, paints,

(37:19):
solvents, cigarette smoke, likewe've mentioned, electronics,
stormwater, runoff, off-gassing,especially from those VOCs,
volatile organic compounds, andthen personal care products can
be a big source of organictoxins, like shampoos, makeup,
sunscreens, lotions, nonstickcookwares one as well to watch

(37:41):
out for and many other consumerproducts.
They're often ingested in thefood that we eat, the water that
we drink, the air that webreathe, and they also absorb
directly through the skin, likeDr Mack, you were just saying.

Speaker 1 (37:53):
And it's interesting, there are even pharmaceutical
EDCs which can disrupt our ownendocrine system, and these
include things like syntheticestrogens and synthetic
progestins.
Progestins would be things wefind like, for instance, in
Primpro, birth control pills,anabolic steroids and even SSRI
antidepressants can, to somedegree, be an endocrine

(38:13):
disruptor.
Unfortunately, these often getflushed down the toilet, they
get into our water supply andaccumulate in the food chain,
and this goes on to havesignificant adverse
environmental impact, includingdisastrous effects on wildlife
and a population decline andbiodiversity loss.

Speaker 3 (38:28):
Overall, there are an estimated 1,500
endocrine-disrupting chemicalsin our environment, and many
EDCs have not been adequatelystudied or regulated.
So most people are exposed to amixture of these EDCs rather
than just one single chemical,and the combined effects of
these multiple EDCs can be moreharmful than even just the

(38:51):
exposure to one.
So this is complex, and makingthe regulation of these becomes
even more complex and just kindof then assessing what we're
exposed to becomes challengingfor us.
Unfortunately, the chemicalindustry has deep pockets and
historically has engaged inextensive lobbying efforts to

(39:12):
avoid the regulation of organictoxins.
So it's hard to put an exactnumber on it, but the overall
cost to the healthcare system inthe US alone from organic
toxins could be estimated to beas high as $600 billion annually
.
So this is not a trivial issue.

Speaker 1 (39:30):
Oh my gosh.
$600 billion annually, coach.
That's just amazing, isn't it?
Edcs can impair the maturationof eggs and reduce their overall
viability.
They can cause epigeneticdamages and also many of these
EDCs can directly damage the DNAof eggs.
This increases the likelihoodof chromosomal abnormalities,
which can lead to miscarriages,failed fertilization, epigenetic

(39:52):
disorders in the offspring,such as Down syndrome.
The EDCs may also predisposethe child to other health issues
, including developmental andreproductive disorders.
Ultimately, they can alsocontribute to infertility in
some women.

Speaker 3 (40:05):
When it comes to sperm health.
The EDCs can reduce sperm count, produce poor quality and
abnormal morphology.
They create DNA fragmentationand other types of genetic
damage in the sperm.
These factors increase the riskof miscarriage or developmental
issues.

Speaker 1 (40:23):
And since these chemicals are so common in our
environment, it's impossible toavoid them altogether.
However, just being aware ofthe common sources and choosing
products with fewer harmfulchemicals can help mitigate some
of the risks.
For instance, avoid drinkingwater out of plastic bottles.
People who do drink out ofplastic bottles have more
microplastics in their blood andEDCs in their blood, and these

(40:44):
do affect their tissues.
Anyway, next time you buy somelotion for your skin, read the
label and if it has a bunch ofchemicals on it that you can't
pronounce, then pick a differentnatural lotion.

Speaker 3 (40:53):
These endocrine-disrupting chemicals
are in so many personal careproducts and they absorb right
through the skin into yourtissues, like you said, just
goes right in there.
Dr Mack, you'd be amazed at thelist of toxins commonly found
in cosmetics.
Some of them are really badguys.
It may be worth your while tolook for non-toxic cosmetics.

(41:14):
One brand that we've oftenrecommended in the past that
women seem to really like isBeauty Counter.
You can find their products atwwwbeautycountercom.
I also personally reallyheavily use the EWG website, the
Skin Deep database they have-.

Speaker 1 (41:33):
That's Environmental Working Group, right?

Speaker 3 (41:35):
Yes, Environmental Working Group.
Their Skin Deep database looksat all different types of
personal care products and itgives you a scale, a rating, and
you're getting in the one ortwo or three range.
There are green numbers thatmeans good and less, and they're
able to kind of identify.
You can click on the productsand know what chemicals might be
found in there if they're ahigher number on the products

(41:56):
and know what chemicals might befound in there if they're a
higher number.
But you can find, they verify,they'll give a stamp on products
that are EWG verified andthat's usually how I shop for my
personal.
That is how I shop for mypersonal care products.
I've also just threw out somebrands that I am not at all
invested in but that are in mycosmetic bag.
I like Well People and thenHonest Beauty.

(42:17):
Those are products that havebeen vetted by the EWG, so I
like to use that website a lotand, again, no financial
affiliation with them at all.
There are so many othercompanies out there that focus
on clean cosmetics, so you caneasily find them online, but
that EWG website is reallyindispensable for me personally
in my life.

Speaker 1 (42:36):
The last of our toxins we're going to discuss is
mycotoxins, which come frommold.
Mycotoxins can potentiallyaffect reproductive health,
including egg and sperm quality,as well as pregnancy outcomes.
Here's a breakdown of how theymight affect different aspects
of reproduction.
Exposure to mycotoxins has beenlinked to reduced sperm count,
decreased motility, abnormalsperm morphology and damage to
sperm DNA count.

Speaker 3 (42:56):
decreased motility abnormal sperm morphology and
damage to sperm DNA.
Some mycotoxins may also affectegg quality and some mycotoxins
have been linked to birthdefects and fetal growth
restriction.
Mycotoxins can also adverselyaffect the placenta and that
would lead to impaired nutrientand oxygen delivery to the fetus
, which can result in poor fetalgrowth or complications during

(43:18):
the pregnancy.
So long-term exposure in thewomb to mycotoxins can also
result in poor immunedevelopment, lower birth weights
and even cognitive ordevelopmental issues for
children.
So the key to this issue, likeyou've said already, is
avoidance, dr Mack.
However, if there is known orsignificant exposure that you

(43:38):
know about, then undergoing evena mold protocol with an
experienced provider may reallybe the ticket as part of your
preconception care plan,definitely wanting to do that
several months prior toconception, so that might expand
your four-month time frame thatwe mentioned earlier in the
podcast.

Speaker 1 (43:56):
And if you want to learn more about toxins, check
out the podcast we did a fewmonths ago dedicated to the
subject for more detailedinformation.
And next on our hit per day ofissues is getting quality sleep.
Sleep deprivation cancontribute to poor egg
maturation and egg quality.
And, for the men, studies showthat men with poor sleep quality
or insufficient sleep may havelower sperm counts, poor

(44:17):
motility, abnormal spermmorphology and can also increase
the risk of DNA damage in thesperm, which can impair
fertility and increase the riskof miscarriage.

Speaker 3 (44:25):
Maintaining an ideal body weight can also affect egg
and sperm quality, resulting inless than optimal outcomes.
So when it comes to weight, youwant kind of that Goldilocks
too thin, not so good, too muchweight, not so good.
So when you focus to weight,you want kind of that Goldilocks
too thin, not so good.
Too much weight, not so good.
So when you focus on yourhealth, oftentimes that weight
will follow.
But we want that balanced place.

Speaker 1 (44:43):
Yes, Hydration is also important.
Both egg and sperm thrive in awell-hydrated body, which
provides an optimal environmentfor cellular health, hormonal
balance and nutrient delivery.
Staying well hydrated is asimple yet crucial part of
supporting fertility andreproductive health, for both
men and women.

Speaker 3 (44:59):
There is growing evidence that taking probiotics
can have a positive impact onpregnancy outcomes too, Dr Mack.

Speaker 1 (45:05):
Oh, that's kind of cool.
I think probiotics can helpjust about anything.

Speaker 3 (45:08):
Yes, yeah, circle back around to that gut health
protocol that we did early on.

Speaker 1 (45:13):
That's one of the core things I do is always take
a probiotic every day.
Avoiding infections is alsoimportant during this time.
There are many infections outthere to consider, and if
there's any concern about thingslike genitourinary infections,
like STDs, then please see yourdoctor for proper screening.
One infection that is ofparticular interest to me is
called toxoplasmosis.
This is one of the most commonparasitic infections in the

(45:34):
world.
One of the main sources whichcauses infection is cat feces,
and the infection often happensfrom cleaning out the cat litter
box.

Speaker 3 (45:42):
So toxoplasmosis infection during pregnancy can
really lead to serious issueslike miscarriage, preterm birth
or stillbirth, and the mainconcern appears to be the risk
of transmitting an activeinfection to the fetus, which
can cause problems like eyeinfections, brain damage and

(46:03):
developmental delays.
So that bottom line is that ifyou're planning to get pregnant
or are pregnant, then delegatethe cleaning of the cat litter
box to someone else, or hey, youknow, there's even these things
called automatic cat litterboxes, which might be something
to consider.
I don't personally have anindoor cat so I haven't had to
look into those things, but Iknow they exist.

Speaker 1 (46:22):
And next I'll mention medications and I'm sure you're
aware that there are many medsout there that are
contraindicated in pregnancy andthis list is too numerous to go
into here.
But likewise for vitamins andminerals and other supplements,
I recommend that if you decideto conceive, then set up an
appointment for a checkup withyour OBGYN doc or family doc to
go over your medications andsupplement list to make sure
that everything's okay duringpreconception and pregnancy.

(46:43):
Keep in mind that some vitaminsare quite safe at low dose
during pregnancy but may becomeunsafe at higher doses.
Recreational drugs should alsobe considered, since most of
them are contraindicated inpregnancy and in the
preconception phase.
There's an app called Drugscomwhich you can use to find out if
your medication is safe duringpregnancy or breast feeding.

Speaker 3 (47:01):
And while you're there at your doc, make sure
that you have your thyroidstatus optimal.
Low thyroid can affect the IQof the baby, so ask him or her
if there's anything about yourfamily history that warrants
genetic counseling to conditionslike diabetes, hypertension or
thyroid disorders.
Those can lead to complications, miscarriage, preterm birth,

(47:23):
developmental issues in the baby.
So if you have any chronicmedical conditions, make sure
that your doctor gets you alltuned up as you begin your
preconception care programprogram.
And if you are taking the birthcontrol pill, then make sure
you ask your provider when youshould stop in order to stay on
schedule with your plans forconception.

Speaker 1 (47:43):
A couple of episodes ago we did a podcast on the
benefits of acupuncture with ourgood friend and colleague, dr
Margo Walbert.
If you've had some troubleconceiving in the past or if
you're on IVF treatments, thenconsider adding acupuncture to
your preconception care plan.
Studies have shown that it canincrease the chances of
conception and may improve eggquality.
Dr Margo had a bunch ofpictures of babies born after

(48:03):
her acupuncture treatments tomoms who were previously unable
to conceive.
Needless to say, that brought agreat joy to these moms and to
Dr Margo.

Speaker 3 (48:11):
Yes, absolutely.

Speaker 1 (48:13):
And just a few other.
Strategies to improve sperm formen include taking multivitamin
CoQ10, L-arginine,acetylcarnitine, D-ribose.
Regular sexual activity canalso promote healthy sperm, and
wear loose boxer shorts and notyour tighty-whities.

Speaker 3 (48:29):
We mentioned earlier that we'd circle back around to
explain that term of epigenetics.
So it refers to changes in howour genes are expressed without
actually changing the DNAsequence itself.
It's like having a switch thatcan turn the genes on or off or
adjust how strongly each gene isexpressed depending on the
various factors like environment, diet, stress, lifestyle.

(48:52):
These gene modifications duringearly development can have
long-lasting effects on thebaby's susceptibility to chronic
and sometimes serious diseaseslater on down the road, such as
cardiovascular disease ordiabetes or obesity.

Speaker 1 (49:06):
Interestingly, some epigenetic changes may even be
passed on through multiplegenerations.
For example, if a mother orfather experiences certain
environmental stresses ornutritional deficiencies, it
could lead to epigeneticmodifications that are inherited
by the child and the grandchildand future generations,
potentially affecting theirhealth and development.

Speaker 3 (49:24):
Well, that'll about wrap it up for this episode of
the Wellness Connection MD.
I know that's a lot to throw atyou, but, as you probably know
by now, we tend to err on thatside of being thorough.

Speaker 1 (49:36):
And in the next week or so I'll put a blog out on
this subject and in the blogI'll try to summarize and
simplify the plan for you.
You can check that out atmcminnmdcom under the Wellness
MD blog menu.
Please take a moment to rate uson iTunes.
These reviews really do make adifference.
Also, if you like the podcast,take a moment today to let a
friend know about the podcast.
So thank you so much forhelping us spread the word about

(49:58):
evidence-based, holistic,functional and integrative
medicine.
You won't find a moreevidence-based podcast on
wellness anywhere on the web.
We do our homework on theseimportant topics and we shoot
straight with you withoutpushing a bunch of products.
If you would like to reach outto me to comment on the show or
make recommendations for futuretopics, you may do so at

(50:19):
drmcminn at yahoocom.
Well, coach Lindsay, can youleave us with one of your
wonderful, brilliant CoachLindsay pearls of wisdom.

Speaker 3 (50:24):
Thanks, dr Mack.
You know, when I was reflectingon this show, I kind of thought
about that famous line you getwhen you're about to take off in
an airplane put your oxygenmask on yourself before your
child.
And because you can't help yourchild unless you have it on.
And I think that globallyapplies to what we're talking
about today.
We cannot have healthy childrenwithout starting with healthy

(50:49):
bodies ourselves to make healthyeggs and sperm.
And that principle continues toapply in parenting.
I think ad infinitum.
You know, I think about how Idiscipline my children.
I have to first parent myselfnot to be angry at them, to
teach them not to be angry.
So same principle here we justwant to put that oxygen mask on

(51:09):
yourself, get those goodnutrients in exercise, take care
of your sleep, take care ofyour stress.
And hopefully you've seen today, you know we've we've talked
about a lot of big bad thingsthat can happen when we don't
take care of our egg and spermbefore they're even made.
Um, but it all goes back tothat lifestyle medicine yeah,
for sure?
um, so think, think today abouthow you can you know what are

(51:30):
the things that you need toavoid to do that.
We talked about a lot of thingsthat we can start avoiding, but
also think about what are thenutrients and what are the good
things that I can put in andwhere can I start.

Speaker 1 (51:40):
Yeah, you know, as I mentioned earlier, dr Cheryl is
a wonderful cook and sometimesI'll watch her.
You know, look at theingredient list and she gets
really good ingredients and putsthem in and makes these great
dishes.
Well, let me simplify all thisfor you.
There are only threeingredients here A healthy egg,
healthy sperm and a healthyenvironment in the womb for that
to grow.
So in order to do that, then itall goes back to that lifestyle

(52:03):
medicine.
So that's the simplifiedversion.
Maybe we should have just saidthat, right?
But yeah, that's it.
That's all you got to do.
Just once again, those threeingredients.
Instead of having a healthycake, you have a healthy baby,
right?

Speaker 3 (52:16):
Yes, right, healthy bun in the oven.

Speaker 1 (52:18):
That's right, there you go.
Well, coach, that'll about doit.
Thank you so much for listening.
This is Dr McMinn.

Speaker 3 (52:23):
And this is Coach Lindsay Take care and be well.