The Asian-American Duo Broadens its Offering to Nourish the Mother-to-Be
Keeps Debunking the Idea That Maternal Wellness Starts with Pregnancy and Ends with Childbirth
New York, New York – April 26, 2023 – Chiyo, the first-of-its-kind fertility through postpartum, ready-to-eat nutrition program, today announced it is expanding to include fertility-care offerings in order to respond to thousands of customer requests since launching its postpartum program in 2021. Rooted in Eastern food therapy, Chiyo relies on nutritional science to deliver stage-based and symptom-specific menus and alters the idea that – maternal care begins with pregnancy – and ends at childbirth. Preorders start on April 26 and orders will go out the week of June 6.
Chiyo’s fertility plan is set to run a 6-week program and draws from Traditional Chinese Medicine and Nutritional Science. It includes dishes like coconut pandan millet waffle with goji maple syrup for breakfast, white woodear mushroom soup with adzuki bean and brown rice tempeh surrounding sweet potato noodles and grass fed glazed beef with kelp noodles with Brazil nut sesame bark as a snack. All options optimize for key ingredients in fertility support including antioxidant rich lycopene and moringa for better egg quality, selenium rich brazil nuts to boost male fertility (it takes two!) and rich folate sources of nuts, beans and leafy greens to boost sperm count, cell division and DNA synthesis. Folate is essential in pregnancy to prevent birth defects and encouraged to engage maternal stores up to 6-9 months preconception.
The broth + tonic regiment follows the 6-week meal program and coincides with the menstrual cycle, week-to-week program and optional 2+ week reset in between ART (assisted reproductive technology).
“There was a lot of fear in the fertility journey, where ancient cultures had created a regiment and approach to guiding this new journey. And yes, it is a physical, mental and emotional journey." said Irene Liu, CEO and co-founder of Chiyo. “About 6.1 million women in the United States have difficulty getting pregnant or staying pregnant, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Knowing that nutrition is a key pillar in our reproductive and long-term health, our big vision is that we become the go-to nutrition source for women from the start of their menstrual cycle through menopause. Food as medicine is not prioritized in America but we feel optimistic that this will change with more consumer awareness of food as medicine”, she added.
Chiyo CEO and co-founder Irene Liu along with Chief Culinary Officer and co-founder Jennifer Jolorte Doro, launched Chiyo in 2021 to tap into their own heritage and offer women an alternative to the status quo. Since then, they’ve delivered boxes to 600 families across the U.S. and are on track to surpass $1m in revenue this year. The company plans to release more targeted fertility add ons including fertility boosting herbs like ginseng and others.
“The Eastern Approach to fertility emphasizes the importance of a healthy and balanced diet that is tailored to the individual's needs and can support optimal wellbeing during the reproductive years," said Dr. Lily Yu Gillespie, LAc, DAOM – Traditional Chinese Medicine Advisor at Chiyo, and mother of three.
“I am proud to make nutrition more delicious and diverse,” said Jennifer Jolorte Doro, Chief Culinary Officer and co-founder of Chiyo, and mom of two. “We want to help change the narrative around this time, to help women be more discovery-driven and joyful instead of restrictive and fearful about what you’re putting in your body.”
For Chiyo’s press kit including photos please email press@wearechiyo.com.
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About Chiyo
Chiyo is a maternal wellness brand rewriting what care looks like during key body and life moments, fertility through postpartum. Rooted in Eastern food therapy, Chiyo relies on nutritional science to deliver stage-based and symptom-specific menus for its nutrition programs. All of Chiyo’s food is dairy and gluten free given that data shows that pregnancy digestion and nutrient absorption can be compromised by sensitivities. Chiyo includes a digital guided component and health coaching with every program.