No worries, ladies. I'm not going to try to sell you a new "wonder" supplement. Not my shtik. However, I will arm you with the sound nutrition information you can use to change your eating habits and boost your fertility. Totally my shtik.

If you're anything like many of the patients I see most days, you may have this question floating around your brain, "Can't I just take a pill, a multivitamin, to get what I need? Do I really have to eat healthy?"

The answer: No, a vitamin and mineral supplement is not enough. Yes, you need to eat plenty of healthful, minimally processed foods too. Your best bet is to do both; take a multivitamin AND (more importantly) eat a healthy diet. Do it now. Thank me later.

She exuded confidence. Gracefully, she ascended the delicate silk fabric high above the audience. All eyes were on her as she contorted her limbs into jaw dropping and awe inspiring shapes. I was mesmerized and judging by the looks on everyone else's faces, I wasn't alone.

It's no secret, I adore aerial arts. I was first bitten by the bug at a women's conference years ago. Speaker after speaker spoke about our innate value and purpose as women. It was encouraging, stirring, and uplifting. You have probably been in this sort of environment; one where you suddenly believe anything is possible and you have the confidence to conquer anything. During the conference, the most beautiful aerial dancers would perform between speakers. To me, their grace, strength, and beauty embodied everything the speakers were sharing. They were making the seemingly impossible seem easy. They were fearless, flexible, and captivating. I wanted those traits to permeate every area of my life.

Have you ever seen a woman give birth? It is one of the most powerful, touching, and downright frightening events this world has ever seen. It happens every single day, yet it is anything but ordinary.

After 40 weeks of being molded and sculpted out of sight, a new life readies itself to enter this world. Suddenly, it's time for the world to receive a beautiful gift. A woman bears excruciating pain, bares her most private of parts without shame, and pushes with all she has, all in hopes of finally locking eyes with the child who already holds her heart. But she rarely does it alone.

Surrounding her from start to finish are relatives and friends, all serving as mommy coaches and cheerleaders. There are doctors, nurses, and midwives providing medical care and support. She is cocooned by community, and most within her community are other women. It's been that way forever. Women have been helping other women give birth to and mother children from time immemorial. And from well before this blog was ever even a thought in my mind, I have longed to be a part of that community of women. I have longed to support other women along their journey to create and nurture life.

No worries ladies, women's health is still the focus of this blog. However, in honor of Father's Day and National Men's Health Month, I wanted to share some important information for the men in your life to improve their fertility and health. 

After all, what's good for the goose is good for the gander, it takes two to tango (or to make a baby), and err... you get the point. Both an egg and sperm are needed to create a new life. And just like our food choices can affect our fertility, nutrition can affect men's fertility too.

Ah, it's time to breathe easy and live light. Summer is right around the corner and my mind is filling with thoughts of sun, sand, and leisure. The smell of seaweed and coconut oil overtake me as I daydream about lazy days on the beach. 

Living in NYC, my days are more likely to include picnic blankets, grass, and crowded parks than sunny beaches. Trips to surf and sand come a lot less often. Fortunately, enjoying the smell or the beauty and health benefits of the coconut oil, the oil synonymous with summer, doesn't have to wait until the next excursion to the ocean.

There’s something about the Mediterranean that just screams tranquility, wellness, and fertility. Maybe it’s the pristine coastlines or all that lush greenery. Or perhaps it’s the world renowned mediterranean diet, the quintessential health promoting and protecting diet that’s big on flavor and nutrients. 

Boasting ample amounts of fiber, phytonutrients, healthy fats, vitamins, minerals, and flavor, the Mediterranean diet is one of the best eating patterns to follow for optimal fertility, health, and beauty.

I'm (slightly) ashamed to admit this: I have seriously considered not wearing a helmet while riding my bike simply because the thought messing up my hair was almost too much to bear.

Having naturally kinky-coily hair, my hair quickly molds into any shape it is encouraged to take. Just let the wind blow a bit too hard and too fast, and my afro turns into a Gumby-esque slope. Cute on some folks, I'm sure, it's just not the look I'm going for. That being said, wearing my hair in an afro, then smashing a helmet on it, simply is not an option. I had to find a solution ASAP.

Pinterest to the rescue, as always! If you're in the market for a helmet friendly hairstyle, just scroll down. You will find a Pinterest roundup of some of the best hairstyles to don under your helmet.

Pleasant, pretty, and purple, this smoothie marks the end of the Eat (and Drink) the Rainbow smoothie series. It has been fun to come up with these smoothie recipes and I hope you have enjoyed them as much as I have.

A mixture of red raspberries and blue(-ish, they still look purple to me...)berries, along with purple cabbage, gives this tasty delight its beautiful hue. And each ingredient provides nutrients known to improve the elasticity, roughness, and tone of our skin. In addition to providing what our bodies need to be radiant and beautiful, it provides what it needs to be healthy.

If you are looking for an excellent source of vitamins A, B6, C, and K, thiamin, magnesium, potassium, and manganese, you have found it here. Pleasantly Pretty also packs a good amount of riboflavin, niacin, folate, calcium, iron, phosphorus, and copper. Not too shabby.