Name: Dr. Rebecca Genuis
Address: CA

Preconception Care

Our functional medicine approach to
women's health & fertility
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Dr. Rebecca Genuis

MEET DR. REBECCA GENUIS

Dr. Genuis (née Lobo) was a medical student at McMaster University when she first heard a physician speak about his practice of Functional Medicine. Intrigued, she went to work with him and was fascinated to learn about pursuing root causes of disease in order to reverse illness.

Given the rising rates of infertility and numerous childhood illnesses, Dr. Genuis began her work in preconception care – helping women to prepare their bodies for pregnancy in order to have healthier pregnancies and healthier children. Over the last 10 years, she has repeatedly found that it is possible to normalize menstrual cycles, eliminate premenstrual dysphoric disorder (severe PMS) and recover fertility by looking for and dealing with the root causes of disease.

Dr. Genuis has written for several medical journals and spoken at numerous conferences on topics including preconception care, nutrition, environmental health and medical ethics . She is a mother to 6 children and having seen the benefits of healthy living in her own family, she is passionate about educating couples to make healthy choices for themselves and their families.

Recet posts

What is preconception care?

Rebecca Genuis

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Low ovarian reserve

Rebecca Genuis

1 min read

Hand sanitizer & chemical exposures -

Rebecca Genuis

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What our patients are saying...

"My husband and I were very hopeful that we would become parents soon after our marriage. Instead, we experienced over a decade of heartbreaking infertility. Before being connected with Dr. Rebecca, I had tried various fertility treatments as a NaPro patient and at the Royal Alex Fertility Clinic. I was diagnosed with endometriosis but otherwise had unexplained infertility. We tried many different treatment plans and suggestions that were offered to us over the years as a possible solution. We joyfully became parents through adoption twice and had accepted that it was unlikely we’d ever conceive naturally.

I was encouraged to reach out to Dr. Rebecca through a family member and was looking for help with the unexplained infertility as well as managing the pain associated with endometriosis. As part of the lab testing, I discovered I had celiac disease and some important nutrient deficiencies. I completed the 6 month program and as a result feel a lot better overall, especially in my energy levels, and my endo pain has been drastically reduced. Miraculously, we conceived naturally after completing the program and were blessed with a healthy baby boy!

I am so grateful that I was connected with Dr. Rebecca."

TEstimonials

FRANCE developed a Pesticide Victims Compensation Fund (FIVP) in 2020.

In 2024, they awarded compensation in recognition of the harm done to the daughter of a florist who had significant pesticide exposure during her pregnancy working with cut flowers that are often heavily treated with pesticides.

Her daughter was diagnosed with leukaemia at the age of 4 and the FIVP acknowledged “the causal link between [her] pathology and her exposure to pesticides during the prenatal period.”

While compensation may do something to support families after the fact, the real solution here is to keep all humans safe from pesticide exposure at all stages using every safety measure possible.

#infertility #preconceptioncare #functionalmedicine #holistichealth #pesticidefree

I could talk about vitamin D all day long for us Canadians, and it still wouldn’t be enough.

Low vitamin D has been associated with ovulatory dysfunction, endometriosis, menstrual irregularities, delayed conception, miscarriage, gestational diabetes, preterm labour, postpartum depression, reduced sperm quality, lower testosterone, low birth weight, rickets, asthma & wheezing, cognitive impairment, neurodevelopmental concerns AND MORE.

This is an inexpensive supplement that pulls it weight.
No more “I take it when I remember”

Vitamin D for all!

#infertility #functionalmedicine #preconceptioncare #holistichealth #vitamind

There is another option…

Unexplained infertility is often under-investigated infertility
Heavy periods are a description, not a diagnosis
Horrible PMS is a signal from your body that needs understanding.

The kind of testing we run is complicated - our patients have to be committed to the process because they are literally shipping blood, urine and stool to international labs with the capacity to give us root cause answers.

But the patients we see are committed.

Because they’re tired of blood work that all comes back normal while month after month nothing changes.

They’re willing to do the work because they are ready to finally get some answers.

If you’re tired of spinning in circles, we’d love to help.
www.evapreconception.ca

#infertility #preconceptioncare #holistichealth #functionalmedicine

I’ve been learning a lot about cell membranes recently and now obsessing a bit over healthy, non-oxidized, fats.

#holistichealth #homemade #cellmembrane #evapreconceptionhealth

1. Keto granola (O, S)
2. Dried figs (O, S)
3. New gluten free, veggies crackers (O)
4. Raw cashews
5. Chia seeds (O)
6. Coconut yogurt - hands down the best I’ve found (O)
7. Ambrosia Apples (O)
8. Clementines
9. Coconut oil (O)
10. Blueberries (O)
11. Bananas (O)
12. The original spice blend - makes everything better (O)
13. Butter (O)
14. Non-GMO Popcorn - snack for playdates
15. Chicken breast (O)
16. Father’s Day gift
17. Coconut milk (O, S)
18. Paper towels

O - organic
S - sale

#functionalmedicine #infertility #holistichealth #grocery #costco

Mental illness can be a heavy burden and I was truly grieved to see how dramatically rates seem to be rising.

On the flip side, I am so encouraged by the level of knowledge and engagement in the patients we are privileged to work with that I think change could truly be on the horizon if we were to encourage this type of preventative work on a large scale.

And fortunately (though not surprisingly), work to optimize fertility is also work that will impact the next generation. It’s good for prospective parents and it’s very good for their children.

#infertility #preconceptioncare #functionalmedicine #holistichealth #womenshealth

Follow along if you are interested in generation-changing education!

#womenshealth #evapreconceptionhealth #infertility #toxinfree

Many personal care products contain chemicals known as endocrine disruptors — substances that can mimic or interfere with our natural hormones.

Research has linked these exposures to changes in ovarian function, menstrual cycles, sperm quality, and overall fertility.

Small changes in hormone levels can have big effects on the body, which is why reducing unnecessary chemical exposure can be an important part of supporting hormone balance and fertility.

Start with what you use every day - small changes make a big difference in the long run.

PMID 40587922, 37743685, 41803857, 39555988

#infertility #preconceptioncare #functionalmedicine #holistichealth #womenshealth

#infertility #preconceptioncare #functionalmedicine #womenshealth #generationalhealth

#backtobasics #functionalmedicine #holistichealth #womenshealth

#preconceptioncare #infertility #holistichealth #womenshealth #menshealth

🤓 Full article here : https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fertnstert.2025.08.027

#infertility #functionalmedicine #naturalhealth

Super interesting study design:

Men who were providing sperm for IUI had a sperm sample from before wildfire exposure compared to a sample provided after wildfire exposure.

So the men served as their own controls.

After wildfire exposure, researchers found a decline in sperm concentration, total sperm count, total motile sperm count, and total progressively motile sperm count.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fertnstert.2025.08.031

While you only need one sperm to fertilize an egg, you do need significant concentrations of sperm present to deactivate a woman’s initial immune response and then let more through for conception to occur.

ALSO - compromised sperm health has been associated with a decline in overall health and well-being, so this study is warning us of consequences beyond trying to conceive.

You can significantly decrease your exposure to wildfire smoke by staying indoors when there’s smoke in the air, but also, importantly, filtering your indoor air with a good quality filter. I like Austin air and Amaircare.

#infertility #functionalmedicine #holistichealth #preconceptioncare #menshealth

This topic is sometimes blown out of proportion and sometimes minimized as if it couldn’t matter at all.

The reality is that to ignore it is foolish, but it is rarely the only factor at play.

Answer in comments, tomorrow 😉

New research shows PFOA, a forever chemical found in water/stain/grease-resistant items, may disrupt hormones and early embryo implantation.

In this animal study, as mice were given increasing doses of PFOA by mouth, their ability to form pinopodes decreased in a dose dependent manner. The “no PFOA” and “max PFOA” images are shown above.

They also had lower levels of progesterone as PFOA increased.

These forever chemicals have been a massive experiment-gone-wrong on human fertility and may have impacts for decades to come.

Get them out of your kitchen and filter your drinking water to start decreasing your exposure and optimizing your fertility today.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/RD9.0000000000000137

#infertility #preconceptioncare #toxinfree #holistichealth #womenshealth

The more I learn about the symphony of reproduction, the more my mind is blown by how carefully orchestrated it all really is.

Quite magnificent.
And quite vulnerable.

#infertility #preconceptioncare #functionalmedicine #holistichealth #womenshealth

Husband’s away so this seemed like a poor time to get sick, so I pulled out all the stops (plus some current things I’m experimenting with)

✅ Vitamin D (of course)
✅ Omega 3s
✅ Magnesium
✅ Zinc
✅ Liposomal Vitamin C
✅ Liposomal glutathione
✅ Methylated B complex + choline
✅ Alimax
✅ Mitoactive
✅ Para 4
✅ ViRadChem

PLUS tons of fluid & bone broth
MINUS all ultra-processed food

#functionalmedicine #holistichealth #womenshealth

Over 55% of sperm samples at this infertility clinic had high levels of glyphosate - the active ingredient in RoundUp, the most commonly used pesticide in North America.

Glyphosate is known to cause oxidative stress which can impact sperm numbers, morphology and motility.

Most commons sources of exposure :
- air pollution from nearby use (parks, golf courses, farms, cemeteries)
- pesticide residue on conventionally raised food

The ideal:
Filter your air with an Austin air and eat organic food

Maybe less ideal but still real progress:
Air filtration in any form and not eating from @environmentalworkinggroup Dirty Dozen.

Let’s gooooo

#infertility #preconceptioncare #functionalmedicine #holistichealth

PMID 41352534

Vitamin D.

Of all the patients I’ve tested, only two have ever come back in the recommended range for vitamin D. Canadians do not getting enough of this critical vitamin, which is so crucial for cycle health, reproduction, healthy children, and overall well-being.

Canada recently increased its fortification with vitamin D from 90IU to 200IU/cup of milk. For reference, most of my patients end up taking 4000IU a day, if not more, depending on what their starting levels are.

When it comes to vitamin D, soft gels > capsules > tablets for absorption.

This is a no brainer for everyone - male, female, old, young - take your vitamin D!

#infertility #vitaminD #functionalmedicine #holistichealth #womenshealth

If you’re curious to learn more, check out the book Overpowered written by Martin Blank, Ph.D., a biophysicist who studied the biological effects of electromagnetic fields for decades and taught at Columbia University.

#infertility #preconceptioncare #functionalmedicine #holistichealth #womenshealth

Eating out (almost) always involves trade offs.

I often go for more raw foods so you don’t have to think about food being cooked in/with non-stick chemicals and plastics.

Higher temperatures = increased chemical exposures.

I generally avoid hot food or beverage in plastic-lined take out containers.

And sometimes just skip a meal and know there’s lots of value in that.

Most of the time, I bring my own food, but when I don’t, I often fall back on one/some of the above.

Plastics and non-stick chemicals are known to be hormone disruptors so they are worth avoiding whenever you can!

#infertility #preconceptioncare #functionalmedicine #holistichealth #airport

If you are working to discover and deal with the root causes that are contributing to your cycle challenges or trouble conceiving, it can be overwhelming.

There are a number of factors that are often at play and in the midst of our busy lives it can feel impossible.

My suggestion?

Keep making small choices that move you closer and closer to your ideal.

Take the stairs, bring your stainless steel water bottle, eliminate seed oils in your kitchen, eat from the clean 15, take some time to breathe/laugh/pray, when your shampoo runs out buy something unscented.

These things create momentum.
And momentum is a powerful ally!
Start today 👍🏼

#infertility #preconceptioncare #functionalmedicine #holistichealth #womenshealth

In the second trimester a woman’s body will intentionally become MORE insulin resistant.

This shift happens to increase her ability to hold on to calories so baby can start to layer on fat.

BUT

If mum begins pregnancy already somewhat insulin resistant, then this additional shift can be problematic and lead to a diagnosis of gestational diabetes.

Cue the extra tests, sugar checking, ultrasounds, diet restrictions etc to try to optimize outcomes for mum and babe at that point.

What if - instead - we worked with women in the preconception period to optimize their metabolic health, eliminate insulin resistance and thus significantly reduce her chances of ever developing diabetes in pregnancy?

That’s true preventative medicine in my books and is always a part of preconception care at our clinic.

#preconceptioncare #functionalmedicine #gestationaldiabetes #holistichealth #womenshealth

“Chemical pollution is an escalating and underrecognised threat to human health — and men across Europe are facing unique and often overlooked risks. Mounting scientific evidence links exposure to harmful environmental chemicals—such as endocrine- disrupting chemicals (EDCs), persistent pollutants, and microplastics—to a range of serious male health outcomes, including prostate and testicular cancer, infertility, sexual dysfunction, hormonal imbalances, and impacts on descendants’ health.”

https://www.env-health.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/2025_Chemical-Pollution-and-Mens-Health-Report.pdf

#infertility #preconceptioncare #functionalmedicine #holistichealth #menshealth ’s health

Infertility can be a really hard road to walk.

The ups and downs of hope and disappointment can affect couples in many ways. One of the things that sometimes happens is our bodies get stuck in sympathetic activation. The chronic stress of hoping for something that seems so difficult to attain can make us feel like we are being chased by a bear all day long.

Sympathetic activation does not create the most favourable conditions for conception.

One of the ways to help our bodies recognize that our environment is safe & there is no imminent threat, is to take time to do things we would only do if that were truly the case.

That can be deep breathing, goofing around with your husband, reading a good book or sketching your dog.

And honestly, while they are helpful for the sake of conception, they’re also just really good things to do when you are trying to grow your family and encountering roadblocks.

In that season, it is so important to remember to lift up all the other things in your life that bring you joy.

#infertility #preconceptioncare #functionalmedicine #holistichealth #womenshealth

When sweat is excreted it is completely odourless, but it contains carbs, proteins and fatty acids that make it wonderful food for microbes. The germs that live on our skin metabolize our sweat into volatile organic compounds that the human nose is exquisitely sensitive to (we can detect some of them at parts per trillion!)

Sweating is fantastic in the preconception period - it helps with detoxification, metabolic health and can lower inflammation. Men need to be careful because the high temperatures can drop sperm count (the easy work around for this is to sit on an ice pack while you sweat)

#infertility #preconceptioncare #functionalmedicine #holistichealth #womenshealth #sauna

A new paper released this week suggests that the timing of tooth eruptions may have something to do with mom‘s hormones during pregnancy.

https://doi.org/10.3389/froh.2025.1663817

In this study, they measured maternal, salivary hormones in pregnancy and looked to see if there was any relationship with when their babies got teeth.

The hormone with the strongest association was cortisol-commonly known as the stress hormone.

In this group of women, having higher cortisol levels in late pregnancy was associated with babies having more teeth earlier on.

There was an average difference of four teeth between women in the lowest and highest cortisol groups.

Is this a definitive answer?
Nope

But in functional medicine, we believe that things happen for a reason, so it’s always fun to see researchers pursuing the why behind the what!

#preconceptioncare #functionalmedicine #holistichealth #womenshealth #childhealth

In the early stages of pregnancy (up to 10 weeks!), maternal blood is BLOCKED from flowing through the placenta.

Spiral arteries in mum’s uterus are plugged up by specialized cells called trophoblasts to prevent mum’s oxygen-rich blood from flowing through.

Why?

Too much oxygen too soon will cause oxidative stress and can seriously interfere with organ and placenta development.

Then how does your baby get the nutrients that are so critical early on?

For the first 10–12 weeks, the embryo is nourished by specialized uterine glands that secrete a nutrient-rich fluid filled with glycogen, amino acids, lipids, growth factors, immune signals - everything the embryo needs during those critical first weeks. Toxins, such as alcohol, can also freely diffuse into this fluid and can harm the developing child. This is called histotrophic nutrition, and sometimes referred to as “uterine milk”.

After 10 weeks, the trophoblast plugs slowly break down so that by 12 weeks of pregnancy, maternal blood flow is completely unhindered!

Want more deep-but-simple fertility science? Follow along for evidence-based insights on hormones, conception, and women’s health.

#Infertility #miscarriage #womenshealth #preconceptionhealth #holistichealth

In case you needed a reason to go to Costco…

You’re not crazy when you ask to have further investigations to figure out why you’re struggling to conceive.

https://doi.org/10.1503/cmaj.230091

#infertility #preconceptioncare #functionalmedicine #holistichealth #womenshealth

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