Is everything you’ve been told about fertility, pregnancy and “healthy routines” actually helping – or quietly working against you?

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In this episode of Modern Rituals, Alex sits down with Grace Kingswell to cut through the noise around fertility, pregnancy and everyday health habits. From protein-first breakfasts and fasting myths, to caffeine, supplements, light exposure and oral health, Grace shares what actually matters — and what’s wildly overhyped. Expect practical, sometimes uncomfortable truths about food, stress, exercise and modern wellness advice, grounded in real-world experience and current science.

🎙️ About the guest:

Grace Kingswell is a nutritional therapist (BANT, CNHC) with 7 years clinical experience. She supports couples on their fertility journey either trying naturally or with ART (IVF, ICSI) cycles. She specialises in fertility and complex cases (Autoimmunity, Mould etc) as well as early years childhood and starting solids.

✍️ Grace's modern rituals:

• Breakfast with protein, fat, fibre & carbs

• Eggs, veg, ferments, meat, sourdough

• Yogurt with whey protein, seeds & fruit

• 70% beef 30% beef liver mince meat

• Jump up and down x 100

• Morning daylight exposure

• Red lighting

• Oil pulling

• Fluoride free toothpaste

• High quality pre-natal

• Vaginal probiotic

• Oura ring

• Sensate

• Turn your wifi off overnight

🤝 Stay up to date with Modern Rituals podcast on:

Instagram: @yourexhale

TikTok: @yourexhale

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/yourexhale/

Follow Grace Kingswell:

Instagram: @gracekingswell

Grace's website: https://www.gracekingswell.com/

Grace's podcast State of Mind: https://www.gracekingswell.com/my-podcast

Grace's podcast Two's Company: https://open.spotify.com/show/77x1bItC7xvo0UHs9Glgtg

☕️ Brought to you by Exhale Coffee: https://exhalecoffee.com/

00:00 – NHS pregnancy guidance is outdated + why Grace “bashes” Pregnacare

02:05 – Grace’s story: IVF, second pregnancy + what’s different this time

04:17 – “Breakfast doesn’t have to look like breakfast”: what to eat for fertility

06:06 – Eggs & veg, choline for fertility + Grace’s egg intolerance workaround

09:58 – First trimester survival mode + why prep before conception matters

12:09 – Pregnancy food fearmongering

13:14 – Caffeine debate: NHS guidance vs research + what Grace recommends

14:46 – Coffee & fertility: tolerance, cortisol, and exercise intensity considerations

18:33 – Fasting: why Grace is cautious (especially for women) + better timing if you do fast

21:09 – Trendy “intermittent fasting” patterns + should pregnant women avoid fasting?

23:26 – Ice baths & sauna in pregnancy: what’s safe, what’s not

25:03 – Lymph health: the “100 jumps” morning routine + why it matters

26:25 – Morning routine + circadian health: daylight exposure and avoiding blue light

27:22 – LEDs, circadian lighting, blue blockers + evening light hygiene

31:19 – Oil pulling & oral microbiome: why mouth health matters for fertility

33:42 – Morning brushing, tongue scraping + oil pulling best practices

35:33 – Fluoride vs hydroxyapatite toothpaste + mouth breathing and oral biofilm

37:50 – Fertility supplements: why quality matters + what Grace prioritises

39:25 – Sleep in pregnancy: progesterone effects, magnesium, glycine + realistic expectations

42:16 – Sleep trackers (Oura/Garmin), stress scores + what actually helps

44:10 – Sensate/vagus nerve stimulation + HRV improvements

46:54 – What HRV is + how to interpret it properly

48:32 – Closing Q1: habit to stop (and why Grace wants more weight training)

49:22 – Exercise in pregnancy: what to avoid starting mid-pregnancy + why strength matters

52:06 – Closing Q2 + Q3: veganism, daylight exposure + turning Wi-Fi off at night

52:54 – Where to find Grace + her podcasts & next steps

#icewater #coldwater #iceswimming