PCOS – An Owner’s Guide

 

Research tells us 5-10 percent of women in Australia have PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome) but in truth, I reckon it’s more like 20 percent plus!

Four of the female trainers at Bottoms Up! either have this syndrome currently, or have suffered through it in the past (yep, newest studies show it is very much reversible, or in some cases may even come and go naturally over time… who knew?). Friends are constantly asking for advice on tackling the syndrome and at least one client every few weeks tearfully confesses she’s just been diagnosed with PCOS.

While it may not pose an immediate threat to one’s health, this pesky syndrome is certainly worth shedding a few tears over, not least because it usually comes with a side order of either weight gain, acne, fertility issues, or dark, coarse hair on your once-smooth limbs! And guess what? You don’t even need to have the “syndrome” part to be lumped with a few of the less-desirable symptoms, like weight gain – just the PCO part without the ‘S’ can trigger weight gain and more.

There are a lot of resources out there for women with PCOS but today, I just wanted to give you a little rundown on a few of the things that may work for you if you have PCO or PCOS, what’s worked for me (yep, I’m one of the four) and a few little insights into how it all works and where to get help, all in easy question-and-answer format.

 

What symptoms are associated with PCOS?

The symptoms of PCOS are varied and many – you may experience rapid weight gain, unusually pimply skin on your face or body, excess hair growth on your arms, legs and (eep) face, as well as heavy fatigue.

 

How can you find out if you actually have PCOS?

A good question, because PCOS is often confused with other things, such as an adjustment period after coming off the contraceptive pill, severe PMT, or metabolic syndrome. To be diagnosed with PCOS you need both a pelvic ultrasound and to undergo a series of blood tests, which your naturopath/doctor will recommend, including fasting blood glucose, insulin, leptin, testosterone, iodine and thyroid function, to name a few! There are usually around 10 different blood tests used to pinpoint whether you have PCOS and which ‘type’ you have.

Which brings us to the next point… yes, there are actually different ‘types’ of PCOS!

Just like with diabetes, practitioners are now starting to recognise the different ‘types’ of PCOS. Even within these types, there are different symptoms and outcomes – it’s an incredibly individual condition! However, at least you can begin to categorise what you’re experiencing and take some control over your treatment.

 

What are Type I PCOS sufferers likely to experience?

The obvious one is weight gain, a lot of it and very quickly. Infrequent periods due to lack of ovulation, infertility, a predisposition to diabetes, very high testosterone levels and perhaps some classic symptoms like facial hair and acne. If this sounds like you, the cause of your PCOS is very likely to be insulin resistance.

 

What to do about it?

The best thing you can do for yourself is to improve insulin sensitivity by removing sugar and refined carbohydrates from your diet, for a minimum of about six weeks, to help your body ‘remember’ how to use incoming energy correctly. This doesn’t mean removing some refined carbs, or most of them… it means ALL of them for a period of time. So lollies, cakes, biscuits, white bread/flour, white potatoes, crackers, white rice, pasta, packaged muesli bars, cereals, flavoured yoghurts, most commercial milk and soy milk, as well as basically anything else packaged, is out. See how your body reacts and after your six weeks is up, if you’re still not experiencing any results, see your doctor and/or naturopath, who can help you create a new plan of attack. You may be encouraged to take a range of natural supplements such as magnesium, chromium, or resveratrol, or your doctor may suggest you try a more conventional approach, like the drug Metformin.

 

What are Type II PCOS sufferers likely to experience?

You may not notice any abnormal weight gain but any number of other symptoms could be creeping in, such as acne, facial hair, irregular periods, mood swings and fertility issues.

 

What to do about it?

Although cutting carbs may help, it’s not usually the answer in this case. Going on the pill may mask some symptoms but could compound the issue longer-term. So, you’ll need to go on a cause-finding mission that may mean a little trial and error. A guided detox program may help, removing toxins from your environment may help, checking your vitamin D levels and adrenal health is a good idea and you should absolutely, 100 percent avoid ANY trans fats and BPA from plastics (no more fried chips, or drinking from plastic waterbottles for you!). Eating a range of good fats from oily fish, avocado, nuts, seeds and cold-pressed veggie oils is super important to control leptin levels and you should never choose ‘low fat’ products, or processed/longer life foods. Still struggling? See your naturopath or doctor, they may suggest herbal formulas such as peony and licorice, chaste tree, or herbs that can encourage ovulation. Acupuncture may help, or your doctor might suggest hormone therapy.

 

Other good things to know if you have PCOS…

• Sugar, refined carbs and alcohol are not your friends
• Daily exercise is your BEST friend, for so many reasons… weight control and improved insulin sensitivity, toxin management, stress relief and mood enhancement, to name a few.
• You’re more susceptible to environmental toxins, so buy a good BPA-free waterbottle, eat organic when you can, avoid processed foods and try natural therapies to tackle common health complaints like headaches, rather than reaching for painkillers every time.
• Use stress reduction techniques to control your mood, like meditation, yoga and even a nice warm bath with magnesium salts will do at a pinch!
• Eat good fats, they’ll held with insulin/glucose levels, even out hormones and satiate your appetite.
• Avoid processed soy products, like tofu and soy milk, as they can encourage oestrogen dominance. Choose unrefined versions instead, like tempeh, edamame beans and miso soup.
• Cut down on your gluten intake, as it’s inflammatory and can make skin conditions worse.
• If you’re suffering from acne, try removing dairy from your diet and include anti-inflammatory foods like ginger tea, fish oil, turmeric and cinnamon.

 

Some cool online resources to hit up:

main.posaa.asn.au
sarahwilson.com.au/i-quit-sugar-ebook
pcossolution.com/?hop=lun4tic

 

What’s worked for me?

I’ve got Type 2, so my symptoms were terrible skin, a little weight gain, the absence of regular periods and adrenal fatigue. To this day, I still work with a naturopath/nutritionist to treat it, taking various herbal concoctions and measuring my hormone levels to see what’s going on – I’m currently doing a guided liver detox to try and help things along. I’ve managed to turn around the skin issues and have lost any weight I originally gained but I still struggle to keep any sort of female cycle and every now and then my skin flairs up. I also have to be particularly conscious of consistency with diet and exercise to make sure my weight stays as is and my skin is acceptable! Here’s what I do to keep things in check…

• I restrict alcohol to a glass or two of wine every few weeks
• An initial 6 weeks of NO sugar in my diet and only veggie/fruit carbs, coupled with a strong resistance and interval training program to increase insulin sensitivity got things back on track for me personally
• Ongoing dietary maintenance – limited sugar, only slow release carbs from veggies, fruit, wholegrains and beans, plenty of fibre in my diet, limited dairy (I opt for cocount or almond milk and goat/sheep yoghurt and cheese), plenty of good fats and good quality protein are what’s on the menu for me consistently. Of course, I eat out regularly and have a few cheats too but the aim of the game is to be consistently healthy MOST of the time.
• Daily exercise – this doesn’t mean I train hard every day but it does mean I move every day, whether it’s a tough session, a nice walk, a surf, or some yoga… or just taking every set of stairs I see and walking between appointments!
• Lots of anti-inflammatory foods and teas are included daily – ginger tea, turmeric added to dinner, fish oil capsules, cinnamon in my dandelion tea, etc.