This week, we’re talking about the intersection of fertility, nutrition, and diet culture. We cover:

* Why under-eating is more common than you think

* What your menstrual cycle is trying to tell you

* Why the most fertile body is often not the “ideal” body

The Taboo

The body that is healthiest, most nourished, and most fertile is often at odds with the body ideal promoted by diet culture, wellness trends, and societal expectations.

“The most fertile body is often not the body we’re told we should have as women.”

Links + Resources

🍳 Amara’s cookbook: Eat Your Way To Fertility

🧴 TikTok face spray: Hypochlorous acid

🆓 Your Fertility Action Plan: 5 Evidence-Based Steps to Boost Your Chances This Cycle — That You Probably Haven’t Tried Yet

The Guest Expert

Amara is a fertility dietitian and who started her business, Foodbaby, after her own struggles to start a family. She is passionate about helping people tweak their diet and lifestyle without restrictions, a billion supplements or BS diets. Her debut cookbook, Eat Your Way To Fertility, translates fertility nutrition science into practical tips and delicious, generous recipes.

Follow Amara on Instagram — @foodbabyfertility

Key Takeaways

The most fertile body may not be the thinnest, or the one that matches our beauty ideals.

Many women come to fertility work still steeped in diet culture, wellness trends, and restrictive eating patterns. Amara calls out the dangerous disconnect: the thinner, more “controlled” body idealized by culture is often undernourished, and less hormonally resilient.

“Clean eating” — even when TTC — is often just restriction in disguise.

Amara explains that many of her clients think they’re eating “healthy” but are actually unintentionally under-eating—especially fats, calories, and key micronutrients. Diets branded as “clean,” “anti-inflammatory,” or “gut-healing” often reduce fertility by cutting out essential food groups.

Your menstrual cycle may be trying to tell you something.

Your cycle offers real-time data about your hormonal health—but most women don’t know how to read it. Amara encourages people to start by tracking their full cycle (not just the bleed) to identify “pink flags”—subtle signs like short luteal phases, irregular spotting, or mid-cycle pain that might indicate nutritional or hormonal imbalances.

Time Stamps

* 9:19 | Breaking down the menstrual cycle

* 15:40 | Why we’re so impacted by diet culture

* 24:24 | Fats, fish, fruit

* 28:59 | Blood sugar balance

* 30:22 | Trans fats

* 41:26 | The message from your menstrual cycle

* 44:34 | “Pink Flags”

* 46:33 | Alcohol, caffeine, sugar

* 54:25 | Supplements

* 59:00 | What’s in her bag?

What’s In Her Bag?

Upcoming

* Carbs, juice cleanses, and diet culture with Samina Qureshi

* Intimacy after sexual assault with Dr. Holly Wood

* Nesting x nutrition with Amy Spofford

Modern Hysteria is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Get full access to Modern Hysteria at micahlarsen.substack.com/subscribe