Fertility

Part 2: The East Asian Medicine Perspective on Fueling Fertility: What Athletes Should Consider Before Trying to Conceive

October 16, 2025

This article is Part 2 of a collaboration between myself and a registered dietician, Rebecca Jaspan. To read her tips on fueling fertility from a nutrition standpoint, click here.

Athletes tend to pay very close attention to their health, as they know how much it impacts athletic performance. However when you’re shifting the focus to preparing for conception, the same methods that got you a PR or 1st place in your age category may not be ideal for optimizing your fertility. This is true for both men and women.

An athletic lifestyle can potentially present challenges to fertility, but with careful attention, planning and some lifestyle shifts, most of the time there is no reason someone can’t continue pursuing athleticism at the same time they pursue parenthood. I recommend starting this journey 3-6 months before you would like to begin trying to conceive.

What is the EAM (East Asian Medicine) point of view?

Guest Post: Fueling Fertility: How Athletes Can Prepare Their Bodies For Conception Through Nutrition

October 16, 2025

This is part one of a series of posts on how athletes can prepare their bodies for conception. Special thanks to Registered Dietician Rebecca Jaspan for sharing her knowledge and expertise! To learn about the East Asian Medicine Perspective, you can check out my article here.

A Guest Post by Rebecca Jaspan, MPH, RD, CEDS, CDCES

For athletes, peak performance is a way of life. But when it’s time to shift focus from podiums to parenthood, the same dedication to training can be a powerful asset—especially when it comes to fertility. Preparing your body for conception isn’t just about tracking cycles; it starts long before that with what’s on your plate.

Whether you’re a competitive runner, a HYROX enthusiast, or a recreational athlete, your nutritional needs are unique—and so are the steps you should take to support reproductive health. In this post, we’ll explore steps athletes, both female and male, can take to optimize their fertility, ensuring that their bodies are not just strong and fit, but also ready to support a healthy pregnancy.

Why Athletes May Struggle with Infertility

Infertility: The Power of Ritual and Intentional Distancing for Mental Health

April 09, 2025

Struggling to build a family can be one of the most stressful life experiences that a person encounters. One historic study found that the mental health burden of women experiencing infertility was on par with that of cancer or HIV. Research has also shown that stress associated with infertility is one of the main reasons that people drop out of fertility treatments- one study found that stress was the primary reason why insured women ended treatment. While both of these studies were conducted only on women, it’s important to recognize that infertility is stressful for all people.

For this article, I interviewed Dr. Shara Brofman, a licensed clinical psychologist in Westchester County, New York, with extensive training and expertise in reproductive mental health. She was kind enough to share some words of wisdom, which I have paraphrased below. I love Dr. Brofman’s advice- it’s different from what you typically hear. It’s real, compassionate, and eye opening. Read more

Take a Breath: The Lung’s Function in Immunity and so much more

October 29, 2024

As I’ve previously described, East Asian Medicine connects each season to its own organ, emotion, and element. As autumn begins, I wanted to discuss the lung, which is at its energetic peak during this season. In our medicine the lung is vital for healthy immunity but is involved in so many other areas of health.

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, the lung has several functions including: Read more

Acupuncture for Painful Periods: A Holistic Approach

August 21, 2024

When you hear about a holistic approach, images of nature or meditating on a mountaintop might come to mind. But what does holistic really mean? According to Oxford Languages online dictionary, holistic medicine is

“characterized by the treatment of the whole person, taking into account mental and social factors, rather than just the symptoms of an illness”.

In our clinic, we strive to take this approach when helping people with painful periods (dysmenorrhea, in medical parlance). The primary method we use to help is of course acupuncture- and generally we see patients weekly, throughout the month as a means of improving overall health and emphasizing prevention as it’s not always possible for patients to come in for acupuncture as their cramps are peaking.

Additionally, we utilize other Traditional East Asian Medicine (EAM) therapies such as moxibustion, sometimes cupping, heat therapy and herbal medicine. Read more

Posts Categorized: Fertility