WomanCode is much more than a guide to conception and fertility. It is a book that takes the reader through the link between her hormones and her health, wealth and happiness.
In a world where obstetrics and gynaecology are disciplines of medicine that are addressed separately from general health matters, Vitti seeks to drive home the point that an holistic approach to health will result in an endocrine system that functions much better. But more than that, by getting your hormones into balance, Vitti claims that you can boost your sex drive and focus more energy and enthusiasm into whatever is more important to you generally in life.
In her introduction to the book, Vitti thanks her menstrual periods for her success in life and love. This seems bizarre at first to the reader. However, as you make your way through the book you will come to see that Vitti means observing what is happening with your own menstrual cycle can give you important information about your health and wellbeing.
There is a wider message at work here. Rather than women feeling that their own bodies are a mystery to them (presumably because all the interesting stuff happens on the inside), Alisa Vitti is keen that we take note of what is going on a take charge of our own health. In a very practical sense, the message is one of female empowerment.
Vitti wants women to find their FLO, which is her shorthand for a state of mind and body in which they are happy and healthy (and by extension fertile).
This is all very commendable rhetoric, but the practical steps that Vitti gives you to follow involve mindfulness techniques, dietary advice, and a general encouragement toward exercise. However, there is much more “self-help” talk here than there are recipes.
Vitti’s style can be a little strange for a British reader. For example, as the reader embarks on the journey that will involve a healthy eating programme she is encouraged to take the “ovary oath” – an ode and promise to your own ovaries that you will do your best in this endeavour.
But the text is written with enthusiasm and conviction, and you will be caught up in her belief that you can control your own health.
If you are considering this book because you want to conceive a child, it makes sense to adopt Vitti’s protocols on paying attention to your menstrual health to know your own body. This, as Vitti says, is the best starting point to create optimum conditions for conception.
A healthy woman’s body of childbearing age is a fertile body, and fertility will be a consequence of Vitti’s suggestions, rather than the sole aim. For this reason, this book is suitable for women who want to improve their general health rather than focussing solely on conception.