Week 16
Welcome to the Module 4 Week 16 of the Fertile Ground Holistic Fertility Program!
Module 4
Week 16
Module 4 - Week 16 will be focusing on how vaginal PH balance and yeast and candida affect fertility. Also, a Stomach Acid Testing protocol is provided to check your level of stomach acid.
What's Your Gut Got to Do With It?
I will start by saying that your gut health should be one of your top priorities when working to address hormonal imbalances.
As you now know, the state of the food industry and the quality of food is not as great as it used to be. Food is supposed to contain vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals, enzymes and probiotics, which are all essential to optimal digestive function. Unfortunately, it doesn’t look this way anymore for the majority of the world’s population.
In addition to that, many of us are stuck in a perpetual state of stress with no let up. This lethal combination has led to an epidemic of acute and chronic gut disorders.
According to the National Institute of Health, over 70 million Americans suffer from some kind of digestive disease and the total economic cost of digestive diseases is around 50 billion annually! This is serious business!
It’s important to note that digestive disorders impact not only the stomach and intestinal tract but the organs attached to it like the liver, gallbladder and the pancreas.
Poor digestive health is especially impactful on women because of their physical and hormonal makeup. Here’s why:
Impaired gut and digestive function can mess with hormones in several different ways:
Gut bacteria + vaginal and urinary tract infections
I want to start by saying that vaginal and urinary tract infections are all linked to gut health in my opinion. If you are experiencing any of these, then its high time you take a deeper look at what’s happening with your gut.
For women who are trying to conceive or are already pregnant
An important fact about gut bacteria for women who are planning on getting pregnant or who already are. A baby’s gut microbiome is relatively sterile in utero, meaning there is some bacteria there, but then it gets very much colonized at delivery. The research on this is still not totally conclusive but this is the latest data.
What this means is that, during a vaginal birth, the baby’s gut get’s populated by the mother’s vaginal bacteria. You want to have a healthy microbiome so you’re passing that on to your new baby.
With a C-section delivery, the baby’s gut get’s colonized by the bacteria on the mother’s skin which is essentially what she has picked up in the hospital. This is not the most desirable option as you can imagine. It takes longer for C-section babies to acquire the two most prevalent species of bacteria in the adult microbiome, Firmicutes and Bacteriodetes.
LIGHT YOUR DIGESTIVE FIRE
There is a common misconception in the conventional medicine arena that most people produce too much stomach acid, when in fact the exact opposite is likely the problem. Hypochlorhydria or low stomach acid is usually the real culprit behind acid reflux or heartburn and gastroesophageal reflux disease, along with a whole bunch of other conditions, including hormonal imbalances. I know this sounds like a total paradox but it’s true.
To make it easy, I’m going to quote Steve Wright from SCDLifestyle.com. He says this, “ A leading theory of acid reflux goes like this. Insufficient stomach acid leads to a host of conditions, like a bacterial overgrowth that can ferment food in the stomach, that encourage the increase in intraabdominal pressure (IAP).
When IAP increases it pushes against the lower esophageal sphincter (LES). When the LES opens because of the pressure and even a microscopic amount of acid touches the inside of your esophagus it can produce large amounts of pain and burning. This is because the esophagus is not protected like the stomach from high acid levels. Acid reflux is certainly not the only symptom of low stomach acid levels.
If you:
These symptoms are a strong indication that you have low stomach acid. As you might know, stomach acid is a prerequisite for healthy digestion and it plays a key role in digestion of protein, fat and carbohydrates as well as the utilization of the nutrients in our food.
So here’s what to do to start addressing this:
GOOD:
There are a few theories regarding just why apple cider vinegar improves digestion and low stomach acid. First, the vinegar is acidic and will slightly lower the pH in the stomach. Frequent doses of raw apple cider vinegar is also purportedly effective in correcting candida overgrowth, and candida problems can contribute to low stomach acid production. It is very effective as a quick solution when one is experiencing heartburn, perhaps because the acidity signals the LES to close tightly.
I don’t think apple cider vinegar should be used on a long term basis because of the potential damage to the enamel on your teeth.
BETTER:
Take bitter herbs or “digestive bitters” which have been used in traditional cultures for thousands of years to stimulate and improve digestion. Studies have confirmed the ability of bitters to increase the flow of digestive juices, like HCL, bile and pepsin. Look for digestive bitters that have some or all of these ingredients which are commonly used in Western and Chinese herbology:
➢ Dandelion
➢ Fennel
➢ Ginger
➢ Beet root
➢ Goldenseal root
➢ Milk thistle
➢ Peppermint
➢ Wormwood
➢ Yellow dock
Take a dose of bitters (according to the label or directions from an herbalist) before each meal.
BEST:
Supplement with Betaine HCL. This is the best option to help restore your stomach acid production. This is going to require close attention to your symptoms and whether they improve or not. Usually people see an improvement in 36 months depending on their stomach acid levels.
If you have low stomach acid:
IMPORTANT: If you’re consuming any antiinflammatory medicines please do not take HCL. Examples of those are: corticosteroids, aspirin, ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil) or other NSAIDs. These drugs can damage the GI lining and supplementing with HCL could aggravate it, increasing the risks of bleeding or ulcer. If you have any kind of stomach ulcer, please do not take HCL.
Chronic yeast infections, bacterial vaginosis and/or your tongue has a white coating – If you have either of these then it is likely you have a yeast or candida overgrowth or some other kind of bacterial imbalance. Here’s what to do in addition to what is recommended above:
If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, take the Stomach Acid Testing provided in your handouts as well as the testing in the handouts for Candida and for testing your vaginal PH Balance.
As you now know, the state of the food industry and the quality of food is not as great as it used to be. Food is supposed to contain vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals, enzymes and probiotics, which are all essential to optimal digestive function. Unfortunately, it doesn’t look this way anymore for the majority of the world’s population.
In addition to that, many of us are stuck in a perpetual state of stress with no let up. This lethal combination has led to an epidemic of acute and chronic gut disorders.
According to the National Institute of Health, over 70 million Americans suffer from some kind of digestive disease and the total economic cost of digestive diseases is around 50 billion annually! This is serious business!
It’s important to note that digestive disorders impact not only the stomach and intestinal tract but the organs attached to it like the liver, gallbladder and the pancreas.
Poor digestive health is especially impactful on women because of their physical and hormonal makeup. Here’s why:
- There is a higher prevalence of gynecologic disorders, such as pain associated with menstruation (dysmenorrhea) and premenstrual syndrome in women with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) as compared to those without IBS.
- I’ve observed painful bloating and gas around ovulation for many women due to fluctuations in estrogen levels. This usually stops when the gut lining is healed and the gut bacteria is balanced out.
- Birth control pills set up an environment for yeast to grow in the gut because they tip the balance of the microbiome in favor of more yeast, leading to more frequent yeast infections.
- Abdominal pain and diarrhea tend to be more prevalent right before and at the beginning of a woman’s period.
- While bloating and constipation tend to begin post ovulation and stick around throughout most of the luteal phase.
- The bacteria in a woman’s gut directly influences the bacteria in her vagina, meaning that if her gut is overrun by harmful bacteria it will likely lead to vaginal infections.
Impaired gut and digestive function can mess with hormones in several different ways:
- For instance, if you have a fungal overgrowth, or a parasite, gut dysbiosis or leaky gut, these all cause inflammation. Inflammation suppresses the function of the hypothalamus and the pituitary in the brain, which produce the stimulating hormones, like FSH for your ovaries and TSH for your thyroid). This can have a downstream effect.
- This will then suppress the function of the adrenals and the ovaries and the testes that produce crucial sex hormones. We can’t forget the guys because they are just as affected as we are.
- Inflammatory cytokines, which are basically biomarkers that can be measured to determine inflammation, can also cause something called hormone resistance, this is where the levels of hormones may be good in your body but the receptors on the cells aren’t sensitive to those hormones, so you end up getting the same symptoms.
- Gut Dysbiosis has been shown to increase the activity of something called betaglucuronidase, which reverses hormone conjugation in the liver, which means that you get a recirculation of deconjugated hormones like estrogen back into the circulation, and that can cause estrogen dominance.
- Dysbiosis also increases the production of certain estrogen metabolites like 4OH and 16OH, which are proliferative. That means that they actually can contribute to breast and prostate cancer, and dysbiosis decreases the production of 2OH, which is protective against those conditions.
Gut bacteria + vaginal and urinary tract infections
I want to start by saying that vaginal and urinary tract infections are all linked to gut health in my opinion. If you are experiencing any of these, then its high time you take a deeper look at what’s happening with your gut.
- Yeast infections as I said earlier, this is often linked to an overgrowth of candida in the gut. Other causes and triggers include antibiotics, douching, wearing tight clothes that are made of synthetic fabrics, an impaired immune system, a dip in estrogen levels (which can be related to menstrual hormone fluctuations), and eating a highsugar diet. Symptoms include a thick white discharge, itching burning and irritation.
- Bacterial Vaginosis this is linked to the PH in the vagina being higher than it normally should be. Vaginal PH should be more acidic but BV sufferers tend to have a PH higher than 4.5 and lower levels of beneficial Lactobacillus bacteria. Also hormonal fluctuations when estrogen drops just like yeast infections. What is going on with the gut and immune system that we are not able to fight off this bacteria? Symptoms include a really gross smelling discharge that looks greyish, itching and burning. This is very important to get diagnosed and treated because it can lead to pelvic inflammatory disease.
- Urinary tract infections These are the worst! They are caused when bacteria from the digestive tract (often E. coli) migrate from the anus into the urinary tract and cause infection in the urethra, bladder or even the kidneys. There is a direct link to the gut in this case. Symptoms include a strong urge to pee all the time, pelvic pain, cloudy urine, and a painful burning sensation all the time.
For women who are trying to conceive or are already pregnant
An important fact about gut bacteria for women who are planning on getting pregnant or who already are. A baby’s gut microbiome is relatively sterile in utero, meaning there is some bacteria there, but then it gets very much colonized at delivery. The research on this is still not totally conclusive but this is the latest data.
What this means is that, during a vaginal birth, the baby’s gut get’s populated by the mother’s vaginal bacteria. You want to have a healthy microbiome so you’re passing that on to your new baby.
With a C-section delivery, the baby’s gut get’s colonized by the bacteria on the mother’s skin which is essentially what she has picked up in the hospital. This is not the most desirable option as you can imagine. It takes longer for C-section babies to acquire the two most prevalent species of bacteria in the adult microbiome, Firmicutes and Bacteriodetes.
LIGHT YOUR DIGESTIVE FIRE
There is a common misconception in the conventional medicine arena that most people produce too much stomach acid, when in fact the exact opposite is likely the problem. Hypochlorhydria or low stomach acid is usually the real culprit behind acid reflux or heartburn and gastroesophageal reflux disease, along with a whole bunch of other conditions, including hormonal imbalances. I know this sounds like a total paradox but it’s true.
To make it easy, I’m going to quote Steve Wright from SCDLifestyle.com. He says this, “ A leading theory of acid reflux goes like this. Insufficient stomach acid leads to a host of conditions, like a bacterial overgrowth that can ferment food in the stomach, that encourage the increase in intraabdominal pressure (IAP).
When IAP increases it pushes against the lower esophageal sphincter (LES). When the LES opens because of the pressure and even a microscopic amount of acid touches the inside of your esophagus it can produce large amounts of pain and burning. This is because the esophagus is not protected like the stomach from high acid levels. Acid reflux is certainly not the only symptom of low stomach acid levels.
If you:
- Don’t like meat (of any kind) and have trouble digesting it or you feel tired, sluggish or heavy after eating it then you might not have enough stomach acid to actually digest it properly.
- Burp right after eating or hours after eating or you have gas within 12 hours of eating and you get bloated after eating that lasts 12 hours.
These symptoms are a strong indication that you have low stomach acid. As you might know, stomach acid is a prerequisite for healthy digestion and it plays a key role in digestion of protein, fat and carbohydrates as well as the utilization of the nutrients in our food.
So here’s what to do to start addressing this:
- The first thing you want to do is the baking soda stomach acid test. This is not a 100% accurate test but it will give you a good idea of what’s going on with your stomach acid. If it is inconclusive for you, then I recommend the next step.
- Take the HCL challenge outlined on the same handout. HCL is basically a supplemental form of hydrochloric acid that is very helpful for people with low stomach acid.
- If these two tests are pointing towards a stomach acid deficiency then you can follow the steps below to stimulate acid production in the stomach.
GOOD:
- Start each morning out with warm water and lemon. Squeeze a tablespoon of lemon juice into the water. You can also use a tablespoon of lime juice. You can also do this with apple cider vinegar.
- Raw apple cider vinegar add 1 tablespoon of raw apple cider vinegar to an 8oz glass of warm water and drink it in the morning and then again before meals. You can even have it after meals to stop heartburn if it happens.
There are a few theories regarding just why apple cider vinegar improves digestion and low stomach acid. First, the vinegar is acidic and will slightly lower the pH in the stomach. Frequent doses of raw apple cider vinegar is also purportedly effective in correcting candida overgrowth, and candida problems can contribute to low stomach acid production. It is very effective as a quick solution when one is experiencing heartburn, perhaps because the acidity signals the LES to close tightly.
I don’t think apple cider vinegar should be used on a long term basis because of the potential damage to the enamel on your teeth.
BETTER:
Take bitter herbs or “digestive bitters” which have been used in traditional cultures for thousands of years to stimulate and improve digestion. Studies have confirmed the ability of bitters to increase the flow of digestive juices, like HCL, bile and pepsin. Look for digestive bitters that have some or all of these ingredients which are commonly used in Western and Chinese herbology:
➢ Dandelion
➢ Fennel
➢ Ginger
➢ Beet root
➢ Goldenseal root
➢ Milk thistle
➢ Peppermint
➢ Wormwood
➢ Yellow dock
Take a dose of bitters (according to the label or directions from an herbalist) before each meal.
BEST:
Supplement with Betaine HCL. This is the best option to help restore your stomach acid production. This is going to require close attention to your symptoms and whether they improve or not. Usually people see an improvement in 36 months depending on their stomach acid levels.
If you have low stomach acid:
- Your meals should contain at least 1520 grams of protein (about 46 ounces of meat). Do not take HCL with a meal that doesn’t have animal protein.
- Start with 1 pill (350mg) of Betaine HCL with each meal. Take it 12 minutes after you begin eating.
- Finish the meal and observe sensations like: heaviness, burning, warmth or hotness.
- Stay at this dosage of 1 pill for another day of meals with protein and if you don’t notice anything, then at the beginning of your 3rd day, try TWO pills.
- Stay there for another day and then try THREE pills.
- Keep increasing the number of pills taken with each meal until you notice some GI discomfort described in step #3, especially the warm/hot sensation. Please don’t go over 10 pills without supervision by either myself or a qualified practitioner. You can book a private session with me by emailing support@nicolejardim.com.
- When you feel this sensation, reduce the dosage to the previous number of capsules you were taking before you experienced it and stay at that dosage. For example, if you felt the discomfort at 4 pills, then 3 pills is your proper dosage for each meal.
- Over time, if you start to feel a warming sensation at that dose, reduce again by 1 pill. You may find that you can continue to reduce the dosage, or you may also find that you may need to increase the dosage.
- After 90 days on your maintenance dose, try to gradually reduce the dose to zero.
IMPORTANT: If you’re consuming any antiinflammatory medicines please do not take HCL. Examples of those are: corticosteroids, aspirin, ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil) or other NSAIDs. These drugs can damage the GI lining and supplementing with HCL could aggravate it, increasing the risks of bleeding or ulcer. If you have any kind of stomach ulcer, please do not take HCL.
Chronic yeast infections, bacterial vaginosis and/or your tongue has a white coating – If you have either of these then it is likely you have a yeast or candida overgrowth or some other kind of bacterial imbalance. Here’s what to do in addition to what is recommended above:
- It is imperative that you remove all sugar and refined carbohydrates from your diet
- You might want to introduce a women’s health probiotic to help with the yeast infection
If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, take the Stomach Acid Testing provided in your handouts as well as the testing in the handouts for Candida and for testing your vaginal PH Balance.
Why Yoni Steam?
Thousands of women are experiencing a wide range of benefits from yoni steaming. Buy why?
Learn more and grab a copy of Yoni Steam Ritual Guide here!
Thousands of women are experiencing a wide range of benefits from yoni steaming. Buy why?
- Significant reduction in pain, bloating and exhaustion associated with menstruation.
- Decreased menstrual flow
- Regulation of irregular or absent menstrual cycles
- Increased fertility
- More rapid healing and a toning of the reproductive system after giving birth
- Treatment of uterine fibroids, ovarian cysts, uterine weakness, uterine prolapse and endometriosis
- Assistance with the repair of a vaginal tear, episiotomy or C-section scar
- Assistance with the healing of hemorrhoids
- Treatment of chronic vaginal/yeast infections and works to maintain healthy odor
- Relief for symptoms of menopause including dryness or pain
- Detoxification of the womb and body
- Reconnection to the Earth and ancient women's wisdom
- Release of stored emotions
- Access of feminine energy that gives rise to our vibrant radiance and creative potential
Learn more and grab a copy of Yoni Steam Ritual Guide here!
Handouts:
- Stomach Acid Testing
- How Yeast & Candida Affects Fertility
- Anti-Candida Protocol
- How Vaginal PH Can Alter Your Fertility
- Chicken Stock and Winter Recipes
- Bone Broth Recipe
- Golden Milk Chai Latte
- Healthy Indulgences
- Healthy Snacks
- Natural Support for Sleep and Mood
- Toss the Self-Imposed Stress
- Healing Power of Vaginal Steams
Action Items:
- Download each of the handouts and resources above
- Continue to fill out the information in the 4 Phase Symptom Tracker - and tracking your cycle
- Start to implement the information in the downloads
- Continue to do affirmations, gratitudes, journal entries and food diary
- Do the Conscious Menstruation and Gathering Uterine Energy exercises - you can use the MP3 or print the handouts to use
- Do the Yoga Nidra Fertility Meditation 3 at least a couple of times this week or more-use this meditation for weeks 13-16
- Continue to do the Fertility Pelvic Massage routine Fertility Yoga and Acupressure for Fertility - three times this week
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