When my husband and I embarked on our unexpected IVF journey, we would have never imagined how much lifestyle reflection & research we would end up undertaking in an effort to improve egg, sperm & embryo quality. When our first egg retrieval failed to result in any viable embryos and being diagnosed with a diminished ovarian reserve, my Reproductive Endocrinologist highly recommended that I consult with a specialized nutritionist to help analyze my current deficiencies and any possible toxicities in my system that could be improved upon. I eagerly made an appointment with a very highly respected nutritional scientist in LA, who ran a series of intensive blood and urine panels that assessed my nutritional levels for the past 3 months. The results were so eye-opening! Obviously, each person’s results and subsequent recommendations will be completely different and this needs to be considered alongside any doctor’s orders. For me personally, there were quite a few specific supplements I was able to add to help boost deficient elements in addition to some supplements that helped cleanse some toxic heavy metals. I was, however, able to extract some general rules of thumb for all from that nutritional consultation. After my consultation and to this day, here is what my (& my husband’s) diet centered around and what I was told to avoid during our journey to and through pregnancy and beyond:
IVF Lifestyle Overhaul: Clean Household Products
Never did I imagine the makeover that IVF would have on my life. Having to go through IVF unexpectedly was enough of an adjustment but flipping practically every aspect of how I had lived my entire life inside out was something no one really talks about. You hear about the grueling injections, the emotional roller coaster and possible weight gain. You don’t hear about how the tiniest most unsuspecting of items you use every day could be having a huge impact on your fertility. After my 1st IVF cycle failed, I hit the research hard scouring resources like the EWG website, IVF blogs, and the book “It Starts with the Egg” by Rebecca Fett to uncover things that could be impacting my egg quality and overall fertility. I even went as far as undergoing a thorough blood and urine analysis to find out which toxins I had exposed myself to. Looking back over the things I have had to switch out on my IVF journey in hopes of reducing as many environmental toxins as possible (of course, in addition to my dietary changes and added supplements), I started making this list of all the changes I made to hopefully help others in the same situation give their IVF cycle the best chance of success:
Destination Wedding: San Miguel de Allende, Mexico
The minute my then-fiancé and I arrived on the rooftop of the Rosewood Hotel in magical San Miguel de Allende, Mexico for the first time, we both knew THIS was where we would get married! We dreamt up so many incredible destination wedding ideas and none of them gave us that instantaneous spark like this cobblestoned colonial town. A fun & unique yet traditional destination was a MUST for us and San Miguel oozes all of the above.
Now, planning a destination wedding in another country on your own is a task I think, in hindsight, I may have underestimated but it is and was doable and I enjoyed pouring every ounce of creativity into making that weekend as unforgettable as possible. Of course, you can hire a planner either locally, through your venue, or a specialty destination wedding planner. I just preferred to work through every detail on my own so I knew that nothing would go unconsidered…
Beauty Reviews: March 2018
For my trip to Amsterdam & London, I wanted to try out some leave-on masks that I could apply and leave on during the long flight so my skin would not look so dehydrated upon arrival. I may have gotten a little carried away with my ordering but that’s where you all get the benefit! 😜 For the products that offered a travel or mini size, I like to go that route before committing to the full purchase. Check out which products I loved by clicking the “Continue Reading” button below:
Beauty Reviews: February 2018
I have been busier lately working on more travel posts but with the amount of beauty products I try, I always get excited to share my insight on each one of them! Without further to do, here are this month’s reviewed beauty products: (click “Continue Reading” button below)
Cuba Packing Guide: What to Bring
While honeymooning in Cuba, I couldn’t help but compile a list of all the items that either I wish I had brought with me or that I was happy I did bring with me. Cuba is such a beautiful destination but it is definitely a place trapped in time as far as many amenities and service go. To help make your Cuban adventure more hassle-free, here is the list of items I would recommend bringing with you:
How to Travel to Cuba as an American
Our trip to Cuba was in July 2016 after President Obama had loosened up the travel restrictions. While it was a looser policy than in years past, there still were some hoops to jump through and obstacles to overcome. The following is a guide to better help you navigate planning a trip to beautiful Cuba:
Beauty Reviews: January 2018
Happy New Year! I am starting off 2018 with a new focus… while I still plan to do my beauty reviews, I have so many travel posts that I have in the works that I want to share! As it is for all of us, time is limited so as much as I plan to try to continue with my monthly beauty posts, I will be shifting my priority to get in more travel posts this year. Don’t get me wrong… I love reviewing all these beauty products, but I’ve had several requests for more travel posts and well, I’m a crowd pleaser!😜 With that said, here are the 1st of my beauty reviews for 2018! (click Continue Reading button below)
Beauty Reviews: December 2017
Last year I did a Holiday Gift Guide as my December beauty post but I discovered too many AMAZING products recently that I decided to do both! (click “Continue Reading” button below)
Holiday Beauty Gift Guide 2017
For the 2017 Holiday Gift Guide, I opted to break it down into “Stocking Stuffers” for fun beauty finds under $50, “Fab Gifts” for gifts sure to please under $100, and “Splurges” over $100 for all those special babes on your list or to treat yourself! It’s time to get in the holiday spirit! 🎅🏼🎁🎀❤️ (click “Continue Reading” button below to see the full Holiday Guide & shopping links)