Digestion requires more daily energy than any other system in the body, but it also absorbs the nutrients needed to keep the system running. And when any part of the digestive system – stomach, intestines, liver, gallbladder or pancreas – becomes overburdened, we feel it, we just don’t always pay attention to it.

A pregnant woman is often told that what she eats will affect the health of her unborn child. Now there is evidence that her diet before pregnancy could be just as important. In fact, a recent study shows that a mother's pre-pregnancy nutritional status may permanently affect certain aspects of her child's DNA.

For those women who chose to pursue the path to motherhood, I believe that option should be available to them. If a woman is of a reasonable reproductive age and there are no serious structural issues, then pregnancy is a viable goal.