Mgr. Zuzana Kopáčiková, PhD. is an ICF certified specialist focusing on the cycle and fertility of women (so-called fertility expert). Since 2013, she has been helping women on their journey to a harmonious cycle and pregnancy (naturally and through assisted reproduction - IVF).
Based on many years of experience and studies, Zuzana, in cooperation with gynecologists and IVF doctors, coaches women on how to take care of their health with regard to their specific situations (fertility support, IVF, PCOS, endometriosis, missing menstruation, long cycles). Zuzana Kopáčiková is one of the specialists on our website with whom you can connect (if you are part of the Femvie community, you will also receive a 10% discount on the Preparation for Pregnancy and Healthy Cycle programs).
In the second part of our interview, Zuzana and I talk about the role of nutrition in women's health. The first part, "What does a healthy menstrual cycle look like and how to balance hormones? " can be found here .
What role does nutrition play in a woman's overall health?
I would say the key one. Many women deal with diet to achieve their dream figure, but few women realize how deeply related diet and hormonal balance, pregnancy are. Today, it is already known that a high-quality diet can alleviate PMS symptoms, painful menstruation, painful ovulation, improve the overall course of the cycle, ovulation, and that we actually influence our future offspring with our diet, for example, in the form of egg quality.
Changing your diet is key for any hormonal imbalance. The results will never be sustainable in the long term unless there is a change in diet and lifestyle. Nutrition plays a key role in cycle renewal and regeneration. What is even more important is that nutrition can permanently improve and maintain hormonal balance . What is important to remember is that the basic prerequisite for a balanced level of hormones is a properly functioning liver, nutrition, sleep and relaxation, and adequate stress for the body. Everything is related and influences each other.
What basic nutritional tips would you give to women who have endometriosis and PCOS?
Everything depends on the individual manifestations - intensity, because PCOS is not like PCOS (there are several types) and endometriosis is not like endometriosis either. Each woman with this disease is different and each woman may have a slightly different procedure for regeneration. Every woman has a different starting point, has different nutritional requirements, etc. It depends, for example, how old he is, what other hormonal manifestations he has, what operations he has had, whether he is taking any medications, what his lifestyle is, what kind of work he has...all this affects the choice of individual recommendations. There isn't one "golden rule" that you just have to follow and everything will be fine, so unfortunately it doesn't work. Hormonal balance is complex, it's like one big orchestra that has to tune together and complement each other. But in general, it's good to follow an anti-inflammatory diet. Eliminate white flour, semi-finished products, instant products, cow's milk, sugar and artificial sweeteners, refined vegetable oils, solidified fats, cured meats, soy foods, sweetened raspberries, caffeine, stimulant drinks. And on the other hand, increase the proportion of high-quality proteins, healthy fats and high-quality fiber - vegetables . Important vitamins are B6 and magnesium, vitamin E and zinc.
Hormonal balance is not only about diet, but also about changing the overall lifestyle. Replace an irregular regimen with a regular regimen, replace coffee with herbal teas, ensure a high-quality source of drinking water. Eliminate canned foods and prefer home-grown, organic, and home-grown foods. Equally important is quality and sufficiently long sleep in a sufficiently dark room, enough exercise, and especially with endometriosis, it is important to find gynecological physiotherapy as well.
An important point in regeneration is also the elimination of negative chemistry in the form of a harmful drug store . The next level is the reevaluation of the previous functioning in relation to oneself, to the environment, to work. It is very often confirmed to me that women who suffer from long-term hormonal imbalance are under pressure, have toxic relationships or are often "saviors of the world". All this together, it is necessary to realize that women's health is not only about one herb or one activity. It was very often confirmed to me that regeneration is accelerated when it is possible to reveal the very psychosomatic trigger of these diseases.
What is the most important nutritional factor for supporting a woman's fertility?
It all depends on individual assessment. Each woman is different, each one has a different story, lives in different conditions. Somewhere it's about nutrition, somewhere about psychosomatics. And after another pregnancy, it represents a nutritional burden for the body, that is, when the body does not have enough nutrition for itself, it does not know how to nourish another body and naturally protects itself from the burden and further stress by not getting pregnant. It is not possible to rely on a list of "miracle" supplements (activities) that will work 100% when trying to get pregnant. In my work, I have noticed that women often make one mistake repeatedly when trying to get pregnant. They are always looking for and trying new supplements that promise to get pregnant after using them. Over time, this often turns into frustration and growing anxiety that they are somehow "disabled" because the desired pregnancy did not occur after taking the supplement and the overall hormonal balance worsened. The reason is that the particular supplement was not at all suitable for their type of hormonal imbalance. Even during pregnancy, it is important to have a targeted regeneration plan. Start adjusting your diet and lifestyle, increase your intake of folic acid, get enough exercise, reduce stress, get into an overall balance, improve digestion, reduce the environmental burden, discover new ways of cooking and overall care for your body and womb.
No nutritional supplement can compensate for excess sugar in the diet, low fiber diet, etc. An essential thing in restoring the cycle and fertility is to learn what can be controlled during pregnancy and what cannot, to adopt the so-called "fertility habits", healthy habits and stereotypes that lead to regeneration. And of course, don't forget that if it doesn't work, you've adjusted your diet and lifestyle and there's no change, you need to seek professional help.
What can women contact you with and how do your consultations work?
I have been working as a fertility and IVF specialist for several years and I am also a certified fertility coach.
I help women support their cycle:
- PCOS
- Endometriosis
- missing menstruation
- long cycles
- miscarriage
Or increase the chances of getting pregnant through:
- targeted fertility nutrition (vitamins, nutritional supplements, herbs, homeopathy...)
- improvements in motivation and mental state (adopting proven fertility habits, womb care and changes in overall fertility lifestyle...)
I also work with gynecologists, IVF doctors, and I will also recommend other examinations. If the woman decides, I also accompany her through the entire IVF process.
For women who are trying to improve – restore their cycle or get pregnant, we start with a cycle analysis. This is an interview in which I find out where the cause of a dysfunctional cycle or fertility disturbance is. This is an initial consultation where they will learn several tips on how to start with targeted regeneration and self-help strategies. Because it is very important that every woman who tries to improve her health takes responsibility for her health and realizes what she can do to improve her health. And then, as needed, we continue even more to improve the physical setting or go to the psychological level - awareness of fears, pressures, expectations, blocks, psychological harm..., which can block the harmonious functioning of the cycle, pregnancy. Often at meetings I feel like a "fertility detective" ☺ , I search for hidden and deep causes, I look for hidden connections, because in some cases it is not easy to discover the cause and connections.
