Navigating PCOS

PCOS is a hormonal imbalance that affects women of reproductive age. Specifically, the condition is characterized by having too many androgens, or male hormones, in the body, and this imbalance interferes with regular menstrual cycles. Women with PCOS experience missed or irregular periods. Receiving a diagnosis of PCOS can be incredibly heart breaking. But I am here to tell you that a diagnosis is not the end and it can be reversed and erradicated following my Healthy Hormone Mastery Program.

PCOS is diagnosed when high androgens are present and all other possible causes of androgen overload have been ruled out.

A physician can diagnose PCOS based on several criteria (1) symptoms that indicate higher than normal androgen levels, including acne along the jawline, chest, and back; unwanted hair growth on the chin and/or chest, loss of hair on the head usually around the crown and on top; weight loss resistance; and waist-to-hip ratio (women with PCOS tend to store unwanted weight around the waistline, (2) blood tests, including blood glucose, HbA1c, insulin, and circulating androgens, and (3) physical exam and pelvic exam to look for enlarged ovaries or other signs of increased androgens.

Some doctors may do an ultrasound of the ovaries, but PCOS cannot be definitively diagnosed by ultrasound, as is often reported, because it is normal for ovaries to have ovarian follicles (cysts). Healthy women—especially young women—very often have multiple ovarian follicles at once. That makes an ultrasound finding of multiple cysts meaningless when it comes to diagnosing PCOS.

What are the symptoms of PCOS?

• Missing or irregular periods (not ovulating regularly)

• Unwanted face and chest hair

• Loss of hair on the head

• Acne (specifically on the jawline, chest, and back)

• Carrying extra weight around the waistline

• Inability to lose weight

• Insulin resistance and dysregulated blood sugar (though not in every case. Most women with PCOS have dysregulated insulin, but not all)

Whenever I’m working with a client who has been diagnosed with PCOS, the first changes I recommend are food and nutrition. Food is medicine when it comes to PCOS.

One important nutrition piece? Blood sugar and insulin balance. Whether you have insulin-resistant PCOS or another type of PCOS, getting your blood sugar and insulin under control is critically important for regulating ovulation—and the best way to manage blood sugar is with food. A diet high in processed carbs and simple sugars will send your blood sugar and insulin surging. A diet high in healthy fats, phytonutrient-rich vegetables and other complex carbohydrates, and high-quality protein will keep blood sugar stable.

10 Natural Remedies for PCOS

PCOS is best addressed with food and lifestyle modifications. Here are my top recommendations for resolving the hormone imbalances associated with PCOS and erasing your symptoms:

(1) Balance that blood sugar. Try to eat breakfast within 30 minutes of waking up to help keep blood sugar steady and keep you feeling full until lunch. Eggs and avocado make a good combo. Consider adding some leafy greens or other veggies so your plate is brimming with inflammation-fighting phytonutrients.

(2) Cut the animal protein. A Harvard study showed that women improved their chances of fertility when they got more of their protein from vegetable sources than animal sources.

(3) Enjoy healthy carbs. Not all carbs are created equal. While some carbs are notoriously bad for health—think baked goods, white bread, pasta—others are important for hormonal harmony. Most women with PCOS struggle on a low-carb diet, like Atkins or Paleo. I recommend making rice, quinoa, buckwheat, and millet part of your regular diet.

(4) Ditch caffeine. Sorry.

(5) Become aware of the toxins in your life. Many of the everyday chemicals we’re exposed to through cleaning products, conventional health and body care products, lawn care products and household pesticides are endocrine disruptors and have negative reproductive, neurological, and immune system effects

(6) Start living life according to where you are in your cycle. When you live your life in accordance with your natural hormonal rhythms, your hormones are happier—and so are you. It’s as simple as that.

(7) Take care of your gut. A healthy microbiome, the group of bacteria that lives in your gut, means a healthy estrobolome, the colony of bacteria in the microbiome that help metabolize estrogen. Hormonal healing is impossible if your gut is out of balance. The best way to bring your microbiome into balance is to supplement with probiotics.

(8) Patch up nutrient deficiencies. Micronutrient support is critical for women with PCOS. Our bodies need the B vitamins that can help with mood and progesterone production; the liver support that helps detox estrogen; the magnesium that helps balance the production of progesterone, estrogen and testosterone; the probiotics that help heal the gut; and vitamins D, K1, and K2 to support healthy immune function and regular ovulation.

(9) Focus on strength training. Some research suggests that resistance training may have a therapeutic effect for women with PCOS.

(10) Get some sleep. Sleep helps pretty much everything, including hormone regulation. Make getting more sleep a priority!

In the Healthy Hormone Mastery Program food comes first. What you eat and when you eat it are the single best ways to heal your hormones and erase the symptoms of PCOS.

After that, taking high-quality, targeted supplements is the best way to help yourself recover lost nutrients and restore hormone balance. Supplements can help undo the havoc caused by caffeine, stress, hormonal birth control, and environmental toxins — and they are especially important when you are trying to heal PCOS. They help support your body and balance your hormones as your body works to restore a new, healthy baseline.

It’s easy to feel protected by a virtuous diet. But that is often not enough to erase PCOS symptoms. What’s more, you don’t want to take a slapdash approach to supplements, trying one thing you read about in a magazine here or another highly lauded supplement there. Real relief from hormone-related symptoms requires a systemic approach. Each PCOS client has different needs for different supplements, and we address each individual need inside the Healthy Hormone Mastery Program where I work 1-1 with you to solve your unique symptoms associated with PCOS.

Ready to banish your PCOS? Book your free call so we can get you some clarity on what you need to get better. On this call I will tell you the exact method I teach inside of the Healthy Hormone Mastery Program.

Follow this link to access my scheduling page to book your free call —> https://hormonebreakthroughcall.as.me/

Talk to you soon,