This week Jess hosts the lovely Olivia Bennett on the show. They discuss the key role that holistic care including nutrition, exercise and lifestyle can have on your fertility chances. In particular they focus on the role of nutrition in pre-conception, during pregannacy, and postpartum. So, if you are struggling to know what to do and eat during this time, then we would definitely recommend giving this episode a listen!

Keep up to date on all things Women’s health on our Instagram, Youtube, LinkedIn, or website!

Olivia’s socials;

Website: https://www.akindietitian.com

Instagram: @akin.fertilitydietician

Here’s a little summary of the podcast: 

Olivia’s background

Olivia details her background and how she got interested in health and nutrition. Olivia originally worked in the NHS in clinical nutrition, specialising in Weight Management and Diabetes, before leaving to start her own practise in order to meet the needs of more women. She discusses how her current work allows her to take a more preventative and early-stage approach by focusing on manageable changes to everyday life such as nutrition and lifestyle. 

Pregnancy nutrition 

Olivia and Jess discuss some of the different myths, misconceptions and falsehoods surrounding pregnancy nutrition, such as ‘eating for two’. Olivia instead highlights the ways in which you can optimise your pregnancy health through small, positive changes. Jess and Olivia stress the importance of not needing to follow a crazy ‘fad’ diet, but making manageable changes that fit your body, your lifestyle, and your needs. This is not about being highly restrictive and punitive, but instead doing what makes you feel best at the time. Such a positive mentality allows you to make a series of small changes which together accumulate into large beneficial outcomes that are sustainable. 

Post-partum 

Olivia highlights the changes that your body and lifestyle undergo once you have given birth, which are often not thought about — including the mental strain of moving from a more relaxed latter pregnancy stage to suddenly looking after a child and (often) hosting a large number of guests. Olivia and Jess therefore discuss the necessary changes that must be made to your diet to sustain this, but also caution of relying on particular crutches which may not be the best for your overall health and your child’s, such as high caffeine intake. 

We hope that you enjoyed listening this week and tune in next week to discover more about women’s health! 

Jessica Hobbis