COURSE OUTLINE

Natural fertility
Why take the natural approach?

Infertility, fertility and conception
Why fertility is a problem today
Rates of conception
Approaches to overcoming infertility

Infertility
Female infertility
Checking for hormonal imbalances
Endometriosis
External influences
Tips to reducing your exposure

Male infertility
Infertility testing

Understanding conception
Female reproductive anatomy and physiology review
When the timing is right
The female cycle and conception
Checking temperature to predict ovulation
Plotting progress

Pre-co conception care, improving fertility and prevention of miscarriage
The 16 Essential points
Reducing the risk of spontaneous abortion (miscarriage)
Dietary issues in miscarriage
Coffee and miscarriage
Effect of under nutrition and malnutrition on pregnancy
Nutrients and prevention of miscarriage
Magnesium and miscarriage
Antioxidants and prevention of miscarriage
Antioxidants and free radicals 
Dietary antioxidants


Diet and nutrition in pre-co conception care
General recommendation for both prospective parents
Importance of a healthy body weight
Nutrition and dietary preconception care for women
B9/folic acid
Zinc
Vitamin C and  Vitamin E
Iron
Common body signals of micronutrient deficiencies
Diet pH balance


Preconception care for men
Diet, nutrition and lifestyle recommendations
Zinc
Selenium and sperm
Vitamin E and antioxidants
Carnitine


ELEMENTS OF A HEALTHY DIET
Dietary guidelines in brief
Dietary Guidelines for Australians (2003)
The five food groups

Nutrients reviewed
Health effects and recommended intakes of carbohydrates
Health effects of sugars
Recommended intakes of sugars
Soft drink consumption and sugar intake
Reading food labels for sugar content
Ingredient listings
Nutrition information
Total sugars vs. added sugars
Simple ways to reduce refined sugar intake
Health effects of complex carbohydrates and dietary fibre 

 
Dietary protein review
Health effects of protein
Major roles of protein in the body include:
Non-essential and essential amino acids
Sources of protein in the diet
Protein quality
Vegetarian diets  
Vegetarians, vegans, lacto-vegetarians, lacto-ovo-vegetarians and macrobiotic diets
Problem nutrients in some vegetarian diets
Health benefits of vegetarian diets 


Dietary fats review
Classification of dietary fats
Health effects of dietary fats
Essential fatty acids
Linoleic acid and linolenic acid
Trans-fatty acids
Dietary sources of fats
Recommended intakes of dietary fats
Saturated and trans-fatty acids
Using nutrition panel information to calculate fat calories
Simple formula for identifying high fat products
Reducing fat in the diet


PART D: SPECIALISED DIETARY NEEDS 
Pregnancy nutrition 
Weight gain and pregnancy 
Nutritional recommendations
A special note on teenage pregnancy
Is there anything that should be avoided? 
Listeria 
How many servings of each food group a day? What about fish? 
What about the odd tipple? 
Eating for two is a fallacy 
Additional intake Protein Folic acid (folate) 
What about iron? 
Iodine Iodine deficiency issues in pregnancy 
Not too much vitamin A 
Calcium 
Supplementation 
Tips to cope with nausea and vomiting during pregnancy 
Heartburn 
Pregnancy Nutrition: Safe eating in pregnancy 
Reducing allergy in the family 
General food safety guidelines


Lactation and breastmilk
The anti-inflammatory effect of breastmilk 
Defenses in breastmilk 
Nutritional components of breastmilk 
Milk production 
Milk quality 
Feeding routine 
Changes in breastmilk composition 
Breastfeeding statistics 
When to start 
Contraindications to breastfeeding 
The importance of breastfeeding 
Benefits for nursing mothers 
Stages of lactation 
Changes in breastmilk during feeding 



Nutrition for nursing mothers 
Additional energy requirements 
Nutrients and recommended intakes 
What about extra calcium? 
Fluid Weight loss 
Foods and breastmilk
Maternal dietary influences 
Are there foods to avoid? 
Fish, mercury and breastfeeding 
What about chocolate? 
Allergies and the breastfed infant 
Keeping the balance when a food group is being avoided 
What about a cuppa? 
Alcohol and breastfeeding 

TESTIMONIALS
I  thorougly enjoyed the Nutrition for Fertility course and found that it was  easy to follow, informative and well supported. Your format really helped me  to get the work done by breaking it down into sections! Thank you, 
Amy  Greenshields


I loved learning this course, has been my favourite!
Laura Economos



A well set out manual, relevant easy to read course work.
Janet Stephens, Homoeopath



The course has been excellent for me professionally in my practice and my patients have already gained the rewards.
Amanda Bright

 
My wife and I have both learned so much from this course and we are now awaiting our 6 months preconception stage before we put our new knowledge to work.
Name withheld for personal reasons