You know you should be eating better, sleeping more, cutting back on alcohol, exercising differently, managing stress, and taking supplements. And knowing all of that is somehow making everything worse.
In this episode, Ciaran and Shaun take on a brilliant listener question: how do you actually optimise your lifestyle without becoming obsessive about it? It is one of the most common traps men fall into during a fertility journey, and both hosts have lived it themselves.
Shaun spent eight months following a strict low-GI diet to try to bring his testosterone levels up naturally after his micro-TESE, with charts inside his kitchen cupboard and every food on the glycaemic index memorised. His levels went down. Ciaran was handed a list of changes in a consultation room and immediately buried his head in the sand because the whole thing felt so overwhelming he didn't know where to start.
This conversation is honest, practical and genuinely reassuring. If the pressure of getting everything right is starting to feel like another thing to fail at, this one is for you.
What to Expect
- Why trying to do everything at once often makes things worse, not better
- Shaun's eight months of obsessive low-GI living and why his testosterone still went down
- What Ciaran's urologist said about alcohol that actually stuck
- Why fertility nutritionist Mel Brown told her clients to enjoy the burger
- Ciaran's practical framework: write down five changes, prioritise them, and introduce them one at a time
- How to think about consistency rather than perfection, and why one bad week doesn't matter
- Reframing lifestyle changes as something that outlasts your treatment, not a programme you are on
- The thermostat analogy that Shaun still uses years later
Ciaran is available for direct support and guidance via Instagram @themalefertilitypt or by email at themalefertilitypt@gmail.com.
Send your questions for a future Male Bag episode through any of the channels below. Ciaran and Shaun love hearing from you.
Episode Sponsors
This season is all about reminding you that when it comes to fertility, you are not alone.
At The Male Fertility Podcast, we know how powerful the right support can be, which is why we've partnered with Fertility Family to share Impryl.
We all know nutrition matters for fertility, but let's be honest, maintaining a perfectly balanced diet for conception is incredibly hard. Choosing a supplement can be just as confusing, especially when many multivitamins contain strong antioxidants that can actually harm sperm quality.
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What we really like is that behind the science are real stories from real people.
To find out more, visit fertilityfamily.co.uk. And if you decide it's right for you, our listeners can get 10% off using the code MFPOD10. That's MFPOD10.
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Disclaimer
This podcast provides information and support but should not replace professional medical advice. Always consult your healthcare provider for personalised care.
This has been a Worth A Listen Production
