The maze of PCOS (Poly Cystic Ovarian Syndrome) information can be startling or confusing. Although I got my diagnosis last year, I had suspected it many years prior. Throughout these years of research I found five basic things that helped me begin to heal physically and emotionally.
Avoid sugar.
Take comfort in knowing that some women who suffer from PCOS have more intense sugar cravings. Sugar in a body with PCOS is toxic. It makes your body release insulin, and insulin in a body with PCOS aggravates the multiple follicles that are developing and confuses body signals.
As part of your diagnosis you may also have been given a glucose test. If you have, ask about insulin resistance and if that is something you should watch out for. If, in fact, you have insulin resistance it only reinforces the importance of avoiding sugar.
If you have to eat something sweet I suggest raw honey, Stevia, or any berry. Adding cinnamon instead of sugar to a treat also helps.
Avoid carbs.
Okay, if you’re still with me you may be crying by now. Simple carbohydrates act in a very similar way to sugar. The body easily breaks them down and immediately glucose goes into the cells, causing blood sugars to spike. Realize, too, that there are healthy sources of carbohydrates and correct portions. Will a small handful of crackers on soup be harmful? Probably not. But eating a dish of pasta is probably not the best idea for a PCOS sufferer. I was shocked when my reproductive endocrinologist suggested I go on a low-carb diet. Is it really that simple? Can lowering carbs cure PCOS? Fortunately for some, yes. However for me it did not. Hopefully you are one of the few it can help!
Exercise regularly.
Now I’m really sounding like a health nut. Exercise has been proven to reduce PCOS symptoms. In addition, it adds an important social element to emotionally healing. Find a friend who you see at the gym regularly and latch on to them. Your cycles may even synch up! In my case my friend Michelle and I did synch up, however she had two cycles by the time I had one. Still, our symptoms throughout our cycles did match exactly.
Consider supplement changes.
Research has shown that d-Chiro-inostitol works in much the same was as Metformin, a drug used to regulate blood sugar in diabetics. This supplement is expensive but works very subtly to increase insulin sensitivity and reduce the opportunity for insulin over-production. Make sure you are taking folic acid, and vitamin D as well.
Acupuncture.
I’m not going to lie; calling an acupuncturist for the first time was scary. I was raised in a strictly western medicine home with microwaves and plastic. But the search for a PCOS cure was more important than any childhood ideals. What I found throughout three months of treatment by an acupuncturist was a friend I could talk to, relaxation, and hopefully some healing. I do know one person whose cycles regulated with acupuncture, and if you are truly seeking a cure, it is worth a try. Studies have shown there are benefits to acupuncture.
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