Why It is Essential to Prepare Your Bodies Before You Conceive a Baby

The Doctor's Farmacy with Mark Hyman, M.D.

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Are you, or someone you know, thinking about starting a family now or in the near future? Typically, the focus on reproductive health falls on the woman, and it begins after conception has already occurred, with minimal emphasis on diet and nutrition beyond prenatal vitamins.

However, the pre-conception window is a foundational time for both partners to take charge of their hormonal, metabolic, and overall health to ensure the healthiest sperm and egg possible for a healthy pregnancy and, most importantly, a healthy baby.

In today's episode, we're discussing the essential steps both men and women can take to foster a nurturing environment for conception. We'll delve into lab tests and tools to support hormone and reproductive wellness, the challenges and insults of our modern-day lifestyles, and how we can use Functional Medicine to take a proactive approach by embracing diet, supplements, and exercise to prime couples for a successful pregnancy while safeguarding against developmental conditions like autism and ADHD that are doubling, or even tripling from one generation to the next.

Whether you're just starting to think about having kids or already on your pregnancy path, this conversation is for you.

In this episode I discuss:

• The importance of the preconception window (3:15)(5:05)
• How epigenetics impact the preconception window (3:58)(6:01)
• How parent’s diet and lifestyle imprint their children’s epigenome (5:03)(6:59)
• Limitations of Conventional Medicine during the preconception window (9:30)(11:26)
• The Functional Medicine approach to preparing to conceive (12:12)
• Breakdown of essential nutrients and biomarkers to ensure a healthy pregnancy (15:27)
• Sex hormone and bonus lab tests (21:00)
• Optimizing blood sugar and cardiometabolic health before and during pregnancy (22:40)
• Foods to eat and foods to avoid while gearing up for pregnancy (23:44)
• Eat your foods in the correct order (protein and fat first, then carbs (36:28)
• Tips for reducing exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals (38:14)
• The power of exercise, stress, and sleep for a healthy pregnancy (47:24)
• Supplement recommendations for men and women for the preconception window (51:35)

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