In this week’s episode of Food, Freedom, and Fertility, Caitlin and Sophia interview fellow functionally trained dietitian, Olivia Neely, RD to discuss fertility and the fertility gap many women experience but few know the full extent of the how and why. As their conversation grows deeper, Olivia hopes to point out the ways in which women can request further extensive tests that are practical and inexpensive before spending huge amounts of money on other kinds of fertility tests and fertility practices.  One factor that is often overlooked when discussing unexplained infertility, is the bodies’ own digestive system.  Our digestive system holds the responsibility of processing important nutrients many women trying to become pregnant watch carefully, but is still a system that is reactive to the ways in which we treat our body, in both the past and presence.  Habits stemming from genetics and influenced by medicine and lifestyle choices directly impact the digestive system in a way that may also affect fertility.  By outlining the ways in which our body are impacted by factors, frequently left untested, Olivia hopes to clear the air when it comes to accessing your body’s fertility status.  Additionally, Olivia takes the time to discuss the testing steps women should request that are often overlooked but imperative to evaluating a fertility journey.  Some examples of the tests discussed, which are often overlooked, are Vitamin D and Thyroid. Along with identifying the tests, Olivia also emphasizes the importance of weighing one’s own lifestyle and medical practices and the potential for those practices to cancel out the necessary nutrients needed in a fertility journey.    Instagram: Infertility.nutrition    www.letsgetrealrd.com