The 1000 Hours Outside Podcast

Episode: 1KHO 765: Supporting Fertility Naturally | Rachel Swanson, Trying
Host: Ginny Yurich
Guest: Rachel Swanson, author of “Trying”
Date: April 11, 2026

Overview

This episode dives deep into natural approaches to supporting fertility, featuring Rachel Swanson, a registered dietitian and functional medicine practitioner. The conversation centers on her book, Trying: A Science-Based Plan to Optimize Your Fertility, and covers practical, hopeful strategies for enhancing fertility through diet, lifestyle, environmental awareness, and mindset. Swanson and Yurich explore five foundational pillars of fertility, the impact of environmental disruptors, empowerment through knowledge, the value of optimizing the microbiome, and the often-overlooked power of mindset and nature. The episode is rich in actionable tips, personal stories, and scientific insights intended to empower anyone interested in improving reproductive and overall health.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Rachel Swanson's Background and Motivation

• Functional & Food-As-Medicine Approach: Rachel’s core philosophy is leveraging food and lifestyle over pharmacology to drive health outcomes.
  (05:21) “I was always interested in how food interacts with the body and how we can change outcomes based off of that. Like, that's what interests me.” – Rachel Swanson
• Experience in Concierge Medicine: Rachel worked with high-budget clientele, enabling access to extensive diagnostics and interventions. She’s passionate about translating these findings into affordable, accessible steps for everyone.
  (07:03) “I want to take the best of what I'm seeing and, like, bring it Back to everyone, right? Where it's like, it's affordable, we can all do these things. It does not require a lot of money out of the wallet.”

2. Infertility Trends & the Emotional Toll

• Rising Infertility: Both authors highlight that infertility is increasing, with later ages of childbearing being only one of many contributing factors.
• Empowerment over Confusion: Swanson emphasizes her mission to empower women with actionable knowledge.
• Emotional Weight: They acknowledge infertility as all-consuming and heart-wrenching—fueling the desire for clear, science-based strategies.
  (01:49) “Seeing kind of women confused, disoriented, disempowered about what they can do to support their bodies for pregnancy.” – Rachel Swanson

3. What Is Concierge Medicine?

• Swanson explains it's a high-touch, personalized medical model, but her goal is to democratize what she’s learned for broader access.
  (05:21)

4. The Five Pillars of Fertility

The conversation samples several of the book’s scientific pillars:

A. Dodging Disruptors

• Endocrine Disruptors: Four main chemical groups affecting fertility and health:
  1. BPA
  2. Phthalates
  3. PFAS (“forever chemicals”)
  4. Herbicides & Pesticides
• Hormone Sensitivity: Hormones operate at incredibly low concentrations—disruptors can have outsized effects.
  (11:23) “Hormones work at parts per trillion. That's one drop in several Olympic-size swimming pools.” – Rachel Swanson
• Impact Across Lifespan: Not just fertility—exposure linked to earlier menopause, worsened symptoms, impacts on puberty, and male reproductive health.
• How These Chemicals Accumulate: Micro- and nano-plastics act as carriers for other chemicals, infiltrating the body and even penetrating major biological barriers (placenta, brain, gonads).

B. Practical Tips for Reducing Exposure

• Filtered Water: Reverse osmosis is best; options exist for various budgets.
• Home-Cooked Whole Foods: Reduce packaged and processed foods to limit chemical exposure from packaging.
• Indoor Air Quality: Use HEPA filters in ventilation, open windows for fresh air, and limit flame retardant materials.
• Product Swaps: Gradually replace chemical-laden products (lotions, cleaners) with simple alternatives as you finish current ones.
• Mindset: Avoid all-or-nothing thinking; incremental change is powerful.
  (25:43) “Whenever you're out of something, then reevaluate it.” – Rachel Swanson

C. The Power of Mindset

• Placebo/Nocebo Effects: Examples include fake surgeries resulting in real pain relief, and perceived exposure (kids told harmless leaves were poison ivy developed rashes).
• Mindset as a Leverage Point: Encourages awareness of self-talk and perspective as it affects biological outcomes.
  (27:46) “If that does not prove how powerful the mind is, I truly don't know anything else that that does.” – Rachel Swanson

D. Nature's Role

• Mother Nature as foundational for restoration and biological recalibration.
• Time outside supports stress regulation, metabolic health, and emotional well-being—urgent for city dwellers and office workers.
• (31:14) “Mother Nature is the OG healer...It is the quickest way to go from a depleted state to a replete one.”

5. The Microbiome: A Hidden Life Force

• Multiple Microbiomes: Beyond the gut—also mouth and vagina, all affecting fertility and systemic health.
• Invisible Imbalances: Dysbiosis can be present with or without symptoms, yet affect hormones, inflammation, and even cognitive diseases (Alzheimer’s).
• Mouth Health: There are links between oral bacteria, fertility, blood pressure, cancer, and inflammation.
  (36:28) “They took individuals...had them use mouthwash twice per day and...increase in blood pressure...because the microbes in our mouth...are converting nitrates from our food into nitric oxide.”
• Clean but Not Sterile: Over-sanitizing (e.g. with strong mouthwash) can backfire by killing beneficial bacteria.

The First 1,000 Days: Setting Up a Child’s Microbiome

• Conception to Second Birthday: Critical period shaping immune development and lifelong health.
• Method of Birth: Vaginal vs. C-section birth affects initial microbiome; “vaginal seeding” can help, but best discussed with a healthcare provider, especially if infections are present.
• Breast Milk: Called “liquid gold” for rich content of immunity-boosting molecules, even acting as decoys for pathogens.
  (44:24) “There’s so many unique aspects...this stuff is really magical. That’s why I called it kind of liquid gold.” – Rachel Swanson
• Feeding Matters: Breastmilk is ideal, but any feeding is what matters most; no guilt attached.

6. Epigenetics & Methylation

• Honeybee Analogy: All bees have the same DNA; diet (royal jelly) determines which one becomes the queen.
• Gene Expression Over Genetics: Your choices (especially before and during conception/pregnancy) affect how genes are expressed in your children.
  (45:32) “That’s the entire heart of that chapter...we are changing gene expression all the time.” – Rachel Swanson
• Piano Analogy: You can’t change the instrument (DNA), but you can change how it’s played (gene expression).

7. Hopeful Case Studies

• Rachel shares a story of a client who defied "written in stone" medical expectations (having severe complications in pregnancies), by embracing actionable changes, leading to a healthy later pregnancy and changed mindset for her medical team.
  (47:32) “...She came in with the mindset. She's like let’s do this. Let’s try something different. And...not only the best pregnancy experience, we completely avoided all of these complications and conditions.”
• The story illustrates the reach of personal empowerment: improved outcomes for mother, children, family, and even influencing the medical community.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “My job...is essentially to say to women and to couples and to anyone, is essentially looking at all of the modifiable factors that we have in our control...”
  (02:04) – Rachel Swanson

• “Not only am I. Can I do something that changes my health in the moment, it can influence my, like, health outcomes during pregnancy, including potentially pregnancy complications. It can influence the gene expression of my child.”
  (26:11) – Rachel Swanson

• “Mother Nature is the OG healer. Forest walks, beach strolls, mountain views, whatever gives you the, that sense of awe. A walk in a local park works.”
  (31:14) – Rachel Swanson (as quoted by Jenny)

• “Breast milk is best because it is essentially you are giving them think of like you're almost transferring like immunity in the way because baby's immune system is developing, right?”
  (41:49) – Rachel Swanson

• On hope:
  “I want people to understand that even if you've had children before, there are so many things that you can, that you can do and it's incredible. I just love that story. It's so close to my heart.”
  (47:32) – Rachel Swanson

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 01:45 – Rachel’s backstory and mission: empowering beyond concierge medicine.
• 07:35 – Infertility trends and the “older” parent challenge.
• 11:23 – Discussion of endocrine disruptors and their influence on fertility.
• 21:22 – Actionable strategies for minimizing exposure to disruptors (filtered water, food choices, air quality).
• 27:46 – The surprising power of mindset/placebo in health.
• 31:14 – Nature as foundational to health and recovery.
• 32:08 – The microbiome—gut, mouth, vagina—and its invisible impact.
• 37:44 – Optimizing a baby's microbiome, focus on the first 1,000 days.
• 45:21 – Methylation, the honeybee/queen analogy, epigenetics.
• 47:32 – Uplifting client story highlighting hope and empowerment.

Conclusion & Resources

• The episode emphasizes science-backed, accessible strategies anyone can implement to support fertility naturally, with wide-ranging benefits for both immediate and long-term health.
• Rachel’s book, Trying, offers deeper dives into the discussed pillars, shopping guides, and practical checklists.
• Find Rachel Swanson online at rachelswanson.com and @rachelsRX on Instagram.
• Listeners are encouraged to approach fertility—and health more broadly—with curiosity, empowerment, and a willingness to make incremental, meaningful changes.

“Getting pregnant is supposed to be the most natural process there is. For some people it's easy indeed. But for the rest of us it's at best a waiting game and at worst a frustrating dive, a heartbreaking, you know, heartbreaking experiences into the world of cycle tracking and hyperfocus on what's happening with reproductive organs we haven't paid that much attention to beforehand.”
(50:24) – Rachel Swanson, as quoted by Jenny