Best Content from 2024

In the coming weeks, I hope you’re able to take some time away from the usual grind. I know I’m ready for some rest.

This was a very busy year! As I look back on it, I wanted to share some of the many highlights and a summary of my favorite content. Some of you have been receiving my email newsletters for well over 10 years and others are brand new here. Either way, I hope you find this summary helpful.

1. A new book: Real Food for Fertility

My third book, Real Food for Fertility, came out this year, which I co-authored with Lisa Hendrickson-Jack. This one took more than 3 years and has over 2,300 research citations — definitely a labor of love. We’ve been blown away by the success stories we’ve heard from readers. We’ve had stories of 10+ year cases of infertility resolve, unbearable menstrual cycle pain heal, reversal of PCOS and hypothalamic amenorrhea, incredible improvement in sperm quality parameters — you name it, we’ve heard it (and many readers have shared their miraculous success stories in Amazon reviews).

Those stories are enough to make us proud, but we were also blown away at the success of our book launch (100% grassroots, no paid PR). We were not only able to rank as the #1 bestseller in multiple categories — including fertility, women’s health, diet therapy, and more — but we were able to rank #19 out of all books across ALL of Amazon soon after going to print!

In this book, we explore how preconception nutrition and lifestyle choices not only affect your hormones and fertility, but also how they lay a strong foundation for your future baby’s development. This book goes beyond nutrition, covering topics like fertility awareness, egg quality, sperm quality, navigating reproductive health challenges (PCOS, hypothalamic amenorrhea, recurrent miscarriage, just to name a few), and overall how to leverage food and lifestyle choices to optimize your chances of conceiving.

For a behind the scenes peek into the process of writing and researching the book, check out this article.

If you don’t have a copy yet, you can get Real Food for Fertility in paperback, ebook, and audiobook. Lisa and I narrate the audiobook ourselves (maybe you’ve already laughed at our celebratory audiobook recording reel).

2. More blog articles 

Yes, I’m still putting out blog articles — and on my own site, with no paywall (call me old school). These are some of my favorite articles published this year:

• 5 fertility diet myths — You’ve probably heard all sorts of advice about what to eat (or avoid) when trying to conceive, but not all of it is backed by solid evidence. This article challenges five common myths about fertility nutrition, including whether meat and dairy are harmful to fertility, if increasing fiber is always a good idea, and the belief that the Mediterranean diet is the best for fertility. I also dive into whether diet has any impact on egg quality.
• Omega-3 fats: why you can’t rely on plants for all of your omegas — Omega-3 fats, particularly DHA, are critical for fertility, pregnancy health, and baby’s brain development, but not all sources are created equal. In this article, I break down the benefits of DHA, how to choose the best dietary sources, and why plant-based omega-3s aren’t equivalent to animal sources. This one contains some unique graphics, including one that visually shows how much DHA your body can theoretically convert from eating plant foods — this will likely shock you. If you’ve been relying on flax, chia, or walnuts for your omega-3 needs, please take a close look at this. The content of this blog was stolen by several creators/brands, but many of you quickly knew this was my original content; thanks, as always, for letting me know when you see my work plagiarized!

• Iodine: why this mineral is essential for fertility, pregnancy, and lactation — There are many nutrients that our bodies demand in higher quantities during pregnancy and postpartum — and iodine is one of them. In this article I discuss the critical role of iodine for women’s health, from fertility through postpartum — and how deficiency (which is quite common) can impact both mom and baby. I also share how to assess your iodine status, how to get enough through your diet, and whether supplementation is necessary.
• How to find a prenatal nutritionist who is well-trained — Finding the right prenatal nutritionist can make a big difference in your pregnancy journey. In this article, I share tips on what to look for in a qualified practitioner and where to find someone who embraces a real food and research-driven approach. In addition, for healthcare professionals aspiring to specialize in prenatal nutrition, I’ve included details on how to build your expertise.
• Become a prenatal nutritionist to expand your career opportunities — The popularity of this article was more than I expected, which means there is definitely more interest in this specialty (and that’s great because it’s so needed!). This article covers how expertise in prenatal nutrition can open doors to potential career paths. In addition, I share the many benefits of working in this field and how to specialize in this area.

Podcast Interviews

This year has been one of my busiest for podcast interviews. I was shocked when I looked back at the interview list and tallied up 89 interviews. I had the pleasure of chatting with so many knowledgeable hosts — and while many of these were focused on fertility (often the very topics covered in my newest book), there was plenty to revisit on pregnancy and postpartum nutrition as well as gestational diabetes.

Here are some of my most popular interviews from this year:

• Almost 30
• The Homegrown Podcast
• Realfoodology
• On Health w/ Dr Aviva Romm
• The Be Well Podcast
• Mind, Body, Soil
• The Dr. Tyna Show
• Expecting & Empowered
• Wise Traditions

If you want to see more of my podcast appearances, go here for more of my most popular interviews and here for the full list.

Research Briefs

If you don’t already follow me on Instagram, you may be missing out on the latest nutrition research. I summarize studies that I find interesting into what I call “research briefs.” Here are some of my top ones from 2024:

• Higher saturated fat intake is associated with better ovulatory function https://www.instagram.com/p/C7blDYfuqcc/?img_index=1
• Regular seafood intake shortens the time to conception https://www.instagram.com/p/C8XDG3Ju4iG/?img_index=1
• Methylfolate vs. folic acid for women with recurrent miscarriage & MTHFR https://www.instagram.com/p/C-De9ZkOKJS/?img_index=1
• Blood sugar levels are higher in early pregnancy in women who develop gestational diabetes https://www.instagram.com/p/C–dGJ6uLSs/?img_index=1
• Maternal vitamin B12 status in early pregnancy predicts better cognitive function in their 4 year olds https://www.instagram.com/p/DA6JYNkMGo2/?img_index=1

As always, if you have friends/colleagues who might benefit from my work, feel free to forward this email to them.

Until next year,

Lily

 

PS – This is the email that never ends…. As if all of that wasn’t enough, I’m still focusing a lot of my energy on training and mentoring professionals. If you missed it, I recently taught a detailed webinar on Hypothalamic Amenorrhea for the Women’s Health Nutrition Academy (you can access the replay here).

Of course, my biggest professional project is running the Institute for Prenatal Nutrition Mentorship. We recently wrapped up enrollment for the 2025 class and had more highly qualified applicants than ever before. We have practitioners from an array of backgrounds — MDs, RDs, midwives, DOs, NDs, acupuncturists, PhDs, and more. It’ll be another year before we open applications again. I’m looking forward to another engaged group of mentees!

 

PPS – It’s about that time of year that I start planning for next year’s content. If you have topic requests, please reply to this email with suggestions for future blog articles or webinars.