Healthy Hormones Depend on a Healthy Gut

By Andrea Vannelli Taking care of the gut truly is a pillar of good health. The gut microbiota is a major aspect of our internal ecosystem, and it seems the more we learn about this complex consortium of microbes, the more we understand just how intricately it is related to myriad important health factors. The human GI tract...

Sleep for Your Health

By Andrea Vannelli I often find that I’m urging patients to get more sleep and this can be a tough one for some. I can relate. As a young person, I was much more of a night owl, feeling most alert and productive in the later afternoon and into the night. Fortunately, I had a day job with regular hours that kept me pretty...

Medicinal Properties of Seaweed

Different cultures celebrate their birthdays with various foods and activities. In France, they eat a delicious treat called croquembouche. In Mexico, the children celebrate by breaking the piñatas. In England, they prepare and eat fortune-telling cake. The list goes on and on, but in my hometown, South Korea, we celebrate by eating...

Music Therapy and Fertility

Did you know that something as simple as listening to music can help you with your fertility journey? Infertility is an extremely complex issue that has various causes. Oftentimes solutions to these issues can seem very overwhelming and at times quite invasive. However, studies have shown that the basic act of listening to music,...

Help for Managing Estrogens

Estrogens are a vital aspect of female (and male) hormonal health. When properly balanced, they play an important role in helping women protect against inflammation, prepare the uterus for pregnancy, boost muscle mass, keep us thinking sharply, make us feel sexy and support the production of serotonin. Pretty crucial...

To Check or Not To Check (Your Cervix)

Communication is the foundation of any healthy relationship and that includes the relationship you have with your doctor. Part of ensuring you have a safe and healthy pregnancy is all about over-communicating your wants, needs, fears and goals while being explicit about what you are and are not comfortable doing. This is so you can avoid...

Ladies, how’s your progesterone?

One of the best things for female health is regular ovulation, because if there’s no ovulation there is no progesterone, and progesterone brings many crucial benefits that I expect you will not want to miss out on. Most are familiar with the role of progesterone in supporting a pregnancy. As the name suggests, it quite...

Benefits of Laughter for Health and IVF Success

As the days grow shorter and darker, I’d like to draw attention to the many benefits that come with the lightness of good humor and laughter. You’ve probably heard the adage that laughter makes good medicine, and in fact there are numerous studies that break down its multi-layered benefits. For women perusing conception through...