New Year, Same Me, New Habits 

Dr. Erin Attaway • January 1, 2024

Am I the only person who love-hates the “New Year New Me” schtick? 

I love the promise of it, the romance of summing up where I am in life and then creating a new landing page for the next year.  I love taking time to reflect on where I’ve come from and be proud of what I’ve accomplished.  I love creating new goals. 

But I hate the fact that it creates a false narrative that it all must begin RIGHT NOW.  The suggestion that our timeline is arbitrary to the calendar year.  And I hate that most endeavors take longer than the time we ourselves to achieve them and we quit before ever really getting anywhere.  

I do’nt like thinking of myself as the new me, like a pair of new shoes and we just toss the old ones. Starting over with a clean slate feels good but our old self informs our new self, so shouldn’t we carry it along?  

Instead of new you, maybe focus on same you with new habits.  Habits are what we are all trying to change, really.  We want to eat healthier, be kinder, read more books or take over the internet.  Whatever it is you want to change it requires shifting your habits to get there.  

Obviously there are things beyond our control, and in the fertility world we are reminded of it everyday.  For some, simple habit swaps lead to healthy babies, and for others it does not.  But no matter your family status, we all have pieces of ourselves that we could improve and habits that could use some updating. 

To me, when we say “I’m creating a new habit” it sounds much more realistic than “I’m creating a new ME,” which sounds pretty intimidating.  I’ve been working on this me for 45 years and I don’t think I have the energy to start over on a new one.  As a lover of a fresh coat of paint, I am happy to keep doing the maintenance and upgrades on this version of me. 

I finally realized that my primary focus in life is to be the healthiest version of myself I can be, without sacrificing the fun.  Life needs to be fun to make it all worth while.  The way I’m cultivating my life now blends health and fun together.  

Don’t get me wrong, I want to advance my career to make an impact in the ways I can. I want to embrace the most lucrative years of my professional life (so we’re told) to put some away and spend a bit on traveling.  But to do life every day I need something bigger than that.  

My currency is time.  Having more time trumps more money for me these days and the Covid experience solidified that. I was the busiest at work I’d ever been, but I changed the way I practice to be at home more.  I am so grateful for the circumstances that convinced me to make the change and I’ll never go back.  

I loved being at home, feeling like time slowed down and life was simple again.  I wasn’t suffering the kind of Covid many other people were, I am very aware of that.  I can only speak to my experience, which was confusing and tiresome but peaceful. A new kind of gratitude superceded my need to achieve and uncovered the youthful part of me that drowned with obligations and constant striving in my 30’s.  

I love the 45 year old version of me.  I give less Forks about things, I do business to serve the people who want my experience and I don’t sell myself to anyone outside that small piece of the pie.  I only want to work the way I want and I have permission to stop trying to please everyone or grow a business that satisfies the needs of others’ over my own.  

So far, my forties are great and this version of me might be the most well-made yet. 

On this first day of the year, here are the habits I want to nurturing to continue creating the newest model of me, based on my own annual feedback reports. 

  1.  Keep trying to learn and appreciate the interwebs.  I mean, it’s where we are going, so I need the basic level of understanding. 

  2. Spend three days each week creating the writing I’ve always aspired to, even if no one but a few loyalists read it. 

  3. More nature walks.  I cut them on my busy days becuase of the time commitment, but at least one or two days a week I have to get out there and smell the trees.  

  4. Picnics.  My habit is to buy something for convenience on the way to or from or eat at home to avoid the hassle.  But picnics are so nostalgic and romantic, I’d like to incorporate more traditional picnics in my life. 

  5. No screen Fridays.  On this evening I intend to destimulate all the eyeballs by adding more candles, music, games and cookouts.  I know I won’t have friends over every week, but I can cultivate the house of music and romance that I always imagine, and my people will indulge me on this.  I just have to lead the team. 

That’s it for me this year.  It’s not a revolution, just a few simple tweaks to keep me moving towards the life I dream of.  

Like Diddy told us, mo’money, mo’probelms. 

Bigger house, bigger mess to clean.  But a walk today improves tomorrow’s outlook and that’s how I want to make my plans. 

Make the most of the season by following these simple guidelines

By Website Editor • October 3, 2024
The new season is a great reason to make and keep resolutions. Whether it’s eating right or cleaning out the garage, here are some tips for making and keeping resolutions.

Endometriosis and IVF: Everything You Need to Know

By Dr. Erin Attaway • March 18, 2024
It’s National Endometriosis and Adenomyosis Awareness Month, so we should take a moment to consider these conditions and how they are often overlooked. The common presentation for either condition usually includes very painful menstrual cycles, but you can still have this condition without those indicators. Many women are never diagnosed until they have difficulty conceiving. “Silent” endometriosis, or a mild form, is usually just accepted as normal menstrual pain and medicated or tolerated. What then, is endometriosis? Endometriosis is a medical condition in which the tissue that normally lines the inside of the uterus grows outside of it. It can be found on other pelvic organs, such as the ovaries, fallopian tubes, or the outer surface of the uterus, and other parts of the pelvis. This condition can cause pain, heavy periods, and fertility issues.

Notes on Vitamins

By Dr. Erin Attaway • March 11, 2024
Most people are simply unaware of what a vitamin is and its physiological importance. A vitamin is the short form of the term “Vital Amine” which was coined about the discoveries of organic compounds and proteins that contained amine groups, which were deemed VITAL for metabolism and health. What we think of today as vitamins are only a fraction of what was discovered and what is intended by the term. The term "vital amine" refers to a type of organic compound known as a vitamin. Vitamins are essential nutrients that are required for the proper functioning of our bodies. "Vital amine" described the earliest discovered vitamins which were organic compounds containing an amine group.

5 Coffee Habit Stacks to Improve Your Health

By Dr. Erin Attaway • March 4, 2024
Each year around this time people create unrealistic expectations for themselves and then suffer from low self-esteem when they don’t pull it off. It’s a negative reinforcement loop: creating unattainable goals and then confirming your low self-worth when you fail. Let’s just stop doing it, okay? Learn to set a few reasonable expectations, and work on them every day. Like, two or three things. Then, in a month or so, when you’re feeling good about having made this small progress, add one more thing to your list and build that new habit. Small, simple steps over time lead to great success.

Why the Alabama Supreme Court Embryo Ruling Affects Us All

By Dr. Erin Attaway • February 26, 2024
For those who aren’t keeping up, the Alabama Supreme Court ruled on a case regarding the accidental destruction of embryos. Despite previous courts dismissing the suit, the ASC ruled that cryopreserved embryos, (frozen embryos that may never even receive a transfer into a gestational carrier), are essentially children with the full rights of children who are walking the earth. Although many people jump to agree with this, a drastic fight for logical reasoning is playing out now, in the courts and in the media. And the risk is potentially the failure of IVF treatments as we know it.

Introducing a High-Fat, Low-Carb Diet

By Dr. Erin Attaway • February 4, 2024
In 1978 the US government issued a new visual image of how Americans should eat, The Food Pyramid. A challenge to how most Americans were currently eating, the new food pyramid emphasized eating 6-10 servings of grain-based carbohydrate foods daily. The new pyramid reduced salt and dietary fats to minimal levels and put them at the very top. Americans were told to stop consuming fat and instead fill their day with bread, cereals, popcorn, pasta, and all kinds of highly refined carbohydrate products. This is the beginning of the obesity epidemic we see today. Not only that, but neurological disorders, brain diseases, hypertension, autoimmune illness, hormonal imbalance, diabetes, hyperlipidemia, and most other epidemics we see today have skyrocketed since this incident.

10 Questions to Ask During Your First Fertility Appointment

By Dr. Erin Attaway • January 22, 2024
When going to sit down with a fertility specialist for the first time, it’s easy to get overwhelmed and forget to ask the questions you’ve been wanting to. Here’s a quick list to help you prepare. Make notes that apply to you and your partner and take it with you to help guide the discussion. Feeling heard and understood from the origin of the relationship helps build trust and respect, which prove to be vital to also feeling cared for by your physician and clinic. Informed patients are good at self-advocating, so plan to speak up when you have the opportunity.

5 Sentences You Need Hear in 2024

By Dr. Erin Attaway • January 13, 2024
Time is your most precious asset. Spend it wisely. If your biggest complaint is not enough time, then you probably need to recalibrate your time management. Not to fit more in and master multi-tasking, but rather to eliminate the time-wasting elements. Scroll less. Watch less television. Declutter your house to eliminate time spent on organization and storage. Stop shopping for items you don’t need anyway. Stop researching. Go make a snowman instead. Your mind is your strongest muscle, train it well….

Which Type of Anti-Inflammatory Diet is Right for You?

By Dr. Erin Attaway • January 8, 2024
Sometimes fertility clinics will recommend that you follow a diet that is intended to reduce inflammation in the body, but unless they give you specifics you can go down a rabbit hole trying to decide which one will produce the desired result but also suit your needs.  If your doctor recommends you try this approach, ask a few more questions to understand their wishes.  Be sure to understand the intended goals and desired effect, which leads to improved decision-making and an increased chance of sticking to the plan.   You might only have 30 or so days to prepare for the next cycle or procedure, so rapid intervention might be the goal.  You might have three months and a doctor who wants you to focus on getting five to eight servings of fresh fruit and vegetables each day.  To achieve the desired outcome you should aim to clarify as much detail as you can and make a master list of goals.   If a certain amount of weight loss is desired, make a note of it. Find other ways to monitor a reduction of inflammatory symptoms such as changes in your physical body like joint pain, skin rash or headaches.  Fill out a toxicity or inflammation questionnaire before you begin and keep your store.  Take the test again after each month of dietary changes and track your progress.  Here’s a quick exploration of the most common diets for reducing inflammation.  

Which Type of Anti-Inflammatory Diet is Right for You?

By Dr. Erin Attaway • January 8, 2024
Sometimes fertility clinics will recommend that you follow a diet that is intended to reduce inflammation in the body, but unless they give you specifics you can go down a rabbit hole trying to decide which one will produce the desired result but also suit your needs.  If your doctor recommends you try this approach, ask a few more questions to understand their wishes.  Be sure to understand the intended goals and desired effect, which leads to improved decision-making and an increased chance of sticking to the plan.   You might only have 30 or so days to prepare for the next cycle or procedure, so rapid intervention might be the goal.  You might have three months and a doctor who wants you to focus on getting five to eight servings of fresh fruit and vegetables each day.  To achieve the desired outcome you should aim to clarify as much detail as you can and make a master list of goals.   If a certain amount of weight loss is desired, make a note of it. Find other ways to monitor a reduction of inflammatory symptoms such as changes in your physical body like joint pain, skin rash or headaches.  Fill out a toxicity or inflammation questionnaire before you begin and keep your store.  Take the test again after each month of dietary changes and track your progress.  Here’s a quick exploration of the most common diets for reducing inflammation.  
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