Happy Friday! I hope your week has been fabulous so far!

This week I thought I would address the question I often get from people because health coaching is a newer concept; who would benefit from working with a Functional and Integrative Coach and who won’t?  So, I’ve spelled it out below starting with who it will benefit :)

Reach out with questions or to sign-up for a 20 minute consultant! 

1. Someone looking to find an alternative way to improve their fertility prior to medical interventions or along side;
2. Someone currently working with a medical team who wants additional one-on-one support to manage stress or with recommendation from their physician; 
3. Someone who wants to find ways to feel more in control of their body while going through medical interventions;
4. Someone who wants a custom health program designed specific to their needs/wants; 
5. Someone who wants to learn how their lifestyle may be preventing them from being their most fertile self;
6. Someone who wants to be confident in choosing healthy foods that will nourish them and their future baby;
7. Someone who wants to be confident their doing the correct exercise routine;
8. Someone who wants learn how yoga can help their fertility; and
9. Someone who wants an objective, relatable support and mentoring system.

Not for:

1. Someone who is not serious about making lifestyle changes;
2. Not comfortable with discussing their fertility health;
3. Not comfortable with trying anything new (i.e. foods, beverage, meditation, yoga); 
4. Not open to alternative medicine.

To decide if health coaching is right for you, I invite you to schedule a 20 minute initial consultation with me. 

Have a wonderful weekend!

Be well.
Diana

Happy Friday! It’s a beautifully warm day in Chicago, so I hope those reading this in Chicago are outside reading it :)

Today I wanted to share one of my favorite yoga poses: Viparita Karani (Legs-Up-the-Wall Pose). This posture is a great pose for MANY reasons during this challenging time of your life.

1. It’s a safe pose to do while going through the assisted reproductive treatment.  In fact, it can be a useful tool during ovulation to help encourage blood flow to the pelvic organs, help with bloating and cramping from medications and help with elimination.
2. Helps promote sleep. Anytime my mind and/or body are restless I spend 10 minutes in this pose and I am ready to get some shut eye.
3. This is a multi-purpose pose.  If you only have time for one pose a day I would recommend this one because it stretches your legs, spine, chest, arms, neck and can relieve low back pain. Basically, it refreshes the entire body.
4. You can do it anywhere there’s a wall (or a chair if the wall isn’t appropriate). No need for a mat or any props, but if you have them great!

Try it out today!  

Reach out here for a complementary consultation to learn more about how yoga can help you during your fertility journey! Maybe a health coach and yoga are the missing pieces in your fertility puzzle?

Be well,
Diana

P.S. There’s still space to attend my Farmer’s Market Tour - Lincoln Park tomorrow, Saturday 10/21st @ 9 a.m., sign up ends at 5 p.m. today. Sign-up here now!


Visit my site to learn more about me, events I'm hosting and other fertility tips!

Since I was legal age to drink (actually several years before legally being able to drink) I would drink for what seemed like any occasion. If something was going well, I’d drink; if something wasn’t going well, I’d drink; the weekend, I’d drink; if I was anxious, I’d drink. You get the picture. I grew up in the Southwest suburbs of Chicago and it was the norm to go out and drink for all occasions. I recall one time being sick and going out anyway and someone recommending a hot toddy to drink to cure my sickness. Ha! So, needless to say, when I moved to the city I took it with me and surrounded myself with people who enjoyed it as well. Most nights after work I would go to happy hour with colleagues, have wine with dinner when I got home, and more wine after dinner on most days of the week.

So, before I go any further I just want to state that I’m not knocking drinking in moderation, but I started wondering why I felt it was necessary for EVERY occasion and was it helping my fertility? The answer for me was no. It was too much sugar inflaming my gut and throwing my whole system off (i.e., digestion,  hormones and robing me of minerals). My theory is it becomes a way of coping with uncomfortable situations at times as well as a habitual thing, just doing it because that’s what I’ve always done. Also, there’s a bit of worry that things will change in certain relationships and I wasn’t ready to deal with it. Then, the worry of being labeled as a teetotaler, strange or boring because I’m not drinking. By the way, none of these things were reality! Just silly fears of change.

Over the past year or so I’ve been cleaning up my lifestyle which includes drinking less and paying closer attention to everything I put into my mouth because, believe it or not, what you consume affects your hormones which affects your fertility health. Now I realize that most of us were conceived after a drunken night out for our parents (I was one of them apparently) or maybe several of your friends have that story. But for some it may not be that easy and drinking may possibly be hindering your fertility by messing with your hormones if you’re consistently doing it.

If you want to know why letting the wine glass go more often while trying to conceive and find out how to become more fully fertile, reach out to schedule a free consultation.

If you think you have an alcohol addiction, please call your doctor or the local AA for support.

Upcoming Events!

Prenatal Workshop at P.S. Yoga - October 7th 12:30 - 1:45 p.m.
Free Yoga for Fertility Class with Vios Fertility Institute - October 9th 5-6 p.m.
Free Farmer's Market Tour - Green City Market Lincoln Park - October 21st 9:00 - 10:30 a.m.

Contact me here for more information and sign-up instructions.

Be well,
Diana :0)

Do you feel like you're doing everything right, but you and your partner are not pregnant yet? You're following the doctor’s, acupuncturist’s, physical therapist’s and every other healers’ recommendations, following a healthy diet, the right amount of exercise, stress is managed, but still not getting the "positive" read on the pregnancy stick.

Read below for a few secrets that can help to enhance your fertility that you may be missing. Reach out here for one-on-one support.

1. Sleep. Studies have shown that sleep helps to balance your fertility hormones (follicle-stimulating, luteinizing, estrogen and progesterone). Commit to 7-8 hours of sleep each night. I find setting the mood for sleep by dimming the lights in the room, reading a lighthearted book or coloring, getting some aromatherapy going, gentle yoga poses or a massage from your partner helps :)

2. Meditation. Making time to sift through your thoughts daily can help keep you from drowning in a sea of negative thoughts. Studies have shown that individuals having a difficult time conceiving have stress equivalent to cancer patients. Think of it as dental floss for mind; getting rid of the nasty bits, stagnant thinking and patterns. Our minds love to repeat the same stories over and over again!

3. Letting go. Using your letting go muscle is extremely important during this period of your life. Holding on to fear, anger, and sorrow only impacts our body's ability to create a new life. Remember what you tell yourself becomes your truth!

Take advantage of my complimentary consultation to help you moving towards your most fertile self!

Be well, 
Diana 

You can learn more about me at www.dianazic.com

Hello!

I hope everyone is enjoying nature as much as I am while everything is in full bloom and beauty. I've found myself three times this week walking over to my neighborhood park which has a community garden that I admire. I find it helps me re-group and center myself when the day of “doing” has me feeling like I am a hamster in a hamster wheel. Try it out sometime and report back ;)

Currently, I am getting a CSA box (what you see in the picture above), but patiently waiting for our rooftop garden to be finished. I'll share pictures once progress is made. (If you're interested in learning more about the CSA box program reach out to me here, and I’ll recommend a couple farmers I like based on your needs www.dianazic.com)

Here are my top 5 summer categories of fruits and veggies (*fyi I'm in Chicago) that will help your fertility:

1. Dark leafy greens (spinach, kale, chard, beet greens, collards, micro greens);
2. English and sweet peas;
3. Berries (raspberries, blueberries);
4. Root veggies (carrots, beets); and
5. Summer Squashes (zucchini, yellow squash)

* Remember to buy local, pesticide-free, organic, non-GMO. See the Environmental Working Group's Dirty Dozen below to decide which organic produce to spend your money on. A good rule of thumb, be sure to buy organic produce for anything that doesn't have a tough skin or exterior.

2017 Dirty Dozen from the Environmental Working Group (they’re a non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to protecting human health and the environment):

Strawberries
Spinach
Nectarines
Apples
Peaches
Pears
Cherries
Grapes
Celery
Tomatoes
Sweet bell peppers
Potatoes

I'll be hosting a FREE Farmer's Market Tour - next Saturday, July 22nd 9-11 a.m. Contact me at zicyasa@gmail.com by Friday at 10 a.m. Sign-up is requested.

ALSO, I'm currently offering a complementary health history if you want one-on-one support in your fertility journey. Book here! 

Look forward to connecting!

Be well,
Diana

Whether you're starting to try or you've been trying to conceive with no success, having a conversation with your doctor about Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) is a good idea. For those of you that aren’t familiar, according to PCOS Foundation it is one of the most common hormonal endocrine disorders in women. It affects 7 million women in the United States. For some women, symptoms can appear as early as their first menstrual cycle. The kicker is most women don't know they have it because often it's difficult to diagnose, which was what happened in my case. Read More

As Mother's Day weekend quickly approaches and Father's Day not far behind that, I understand it can be SO hard to celebrate with family and friends when you’ve been struggling to conceive. (By the way, you don't have to force yourself to celebrate if you're not up to it.) Below is a poem I found on the Made for Mums website that had me tearing up but left me feeling very hopeful and positive thinking.  I hope you’ll find it comforting as well.

Also, please refer back to my holiday blog to see tips on staying well when things get tough. Click here if you need an objective/relatable ear to listen.

"With every tear that falls, there is a lost heart that calls.
It calls to say I'm here, don't despair, I will come to you
when the time is right, when you least expect me and through
the quiet night open your heart to me, accept me, I will be there
in the end.

Your wait may be long, you may get frustrated by the whole
ordeal. In the end I will be real. While others around you are
succeeding your heart goes on bleeding.

I would thank you for being patient, I would thank you for
being the kind of person who shows persistence. If it were not
for this, I may never get the chance to have an existence.
In the chaos of your day, the calm of your night, let your heart
soar and take flight.

For so many tears, for so many years you have been trying,
thinking of giving up but never doing it. In the end you just keep
on going in the hopes that I will come to you, the one who deserves me,
the one who can love me as no other can. You will be that mother that
you always wanted to be. Just you keep waiting for me."
    -unknown writer

I’d love to hear what you think about this poem in the comments section of this post and/or on any topics that may help you along in your fertility journey.

Contact me to learn how I can support you during your fertility journey; you don’t have to tackle this alone!

Until next time. Stay well.
Diana

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