Hi — It’s Micah from Modern Hysteria, podcast and newsletter revealing the taboos of women’s brains and bodies. This week’s episode is about the intersection of the fertility industry, nutrition, and diet culture. Listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify
Fertility is about more than just an egg count or a sperm sample. It’s a whole-body process. And we often overlook one basic question when trying to conceive (TTC): Are you giving your body the things it needs to thrive outside of your fertility?
In this episode, fertility nutritionist Neema Savvides breaks down how nutrition and other commonly-overlooked health factors impact fertility, why diet culture complicates fertility advice, and what you can do to take control of your reproductive health (instead of feeling at the mercy of your lab results). We discuss:
What “unexplained infertility” really means
Why IVF is not a fail-safe or magic fix
How diet culture has infiltrated our understanding of fertility nutrition
How underlying conditions like nutrient deficiency, restrictive dieting, and thyroid issues can impact fertility (and can be managed)
The Taboo
Fertility struggles and TTC are deeply personal, and using interventions like IVF (in vitro fertilization) and IUI (intrauterine insemination) require us to put a lot of trust in clinicians and the fertility industry. But what if you’re diagnosed with “unexplained infertility,” and the imperfect system that’s supposed to help you get pregnant is also somewhat to blame?
This episode challenges the unspoken truth that fertility clinics are businesses and sometimes prioritize efficiency — and, potentially, profit — over comprehensive testing or whole-body health, while there are things you can do before or during intervention to support your body and improve chances of success.
The Guest Expert
Neema Savvides is a fertility nutritionist with over twelve years of clinical experience. She specializes in treating clients with PCOS, endometriosis, and using IVF.
📍 London, UK
Links + Resources
Key Takeaways
What we call “unexplained infertility” is often un-investigated infertility. Many fertility clinics skip addressing thyroid health, inflammation, and nutrient levels, which could explain why conception isn’t happening.
Fertility nutrition is really about nutrient adequacy, not restriction. Diet culture often pushes “clean eating,” but eating enough and focusing on key nutrients (rather than eliminating foods) is recommended.
IVF is not a guarantee of pregnancy, and prepping your body matters, because interventions like IVF and IUI don’t fix poor egg or sperm quality. Optimizing your nutrition, reducing inflammation, and getting the right tests before starting treatment can improve success rates.
Time Stamps:
04:31 | The reality of “unexplained infertility” (and why it’s often more un-investigated than unexplained)
07:16 | What fertility clinics may not test for, but should
14:51 | How diet culture warps our ideas about fertility nutrition
18:31 | Key tests for understanding your fertility
22:01 | The truth about IVF success rates and what most people don’t know before starting treatment
25:41 | How nutrition really affects fertility; what to focus on (without food fear)
30:01 | “Toxins” and fertility
34:16 | Managing the emotional side of fertility struggles
38:31 | Action items ✅
That’s it for this episode. Thank you for listening, and let me know if this resonates in the comments (I read every single one!).
Next week, friend of the pod Angi McClure returns to tell us about what kind of movement can support us as we age (and why she is fervently PRO-aging!).
Talk soon,
Micah
Source Material
Air Pollution and Female Fertility: A Systematic Review of Literature
Insulin resistance in polycystic ovary syndrome: A systematic review and meta-analysis of euglycaemic-hyperinsulinaemic clamp studies.
"Diet and fertility: A review." American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology
The influence of diet on fertility and the implications for public health nutrition in the United States.
The interconnectedness of diet culture, weight stigma, and reproductive health
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