PCOS & Our Bodies

Apr 25

A little positivity

Hello Beauties. 
I just wanted to send a little but of positive energy your way on this lovely day! Remember, PCOS doesn’t go away on its own, we simply learn how to live with it and adopt a healthier lifestyle to combat it. Keep your head held high, and keep fighting! 
Don’t let something as silly as genetics get in the way of you reaching your goals! You are beautiful just the way you are.  
Love always, 
OurPCOS 

Apr 22

Learning to Lose Weight Permanently

If you are overweight, the excess weight contributes to PCOS. Practicing certain techniques to lose weight for PCOS health before you begin altering your diet may be the key to making sure those extra pounds don’t return.

A new Stanford University study suggeststhatlearning how to maintain your current weight without at first trying to reduce it helps prevent you gaining back lost pounds later.

Researchers divided more than 250 overweight women into two groups. In one group, the women began dieting right away by eating healthier food and exercising regularly. In the other group, the women were asked simply to maintain their weight for eight weeks by practicing such measures as weighing themselvesdaily and being mindfulof portion sizes and calorie intake.

That “practice run” allowed the second group to “work out the kinks” involved in maintaining a regular weight “without the pressure of worrying about the amount of weight they had lost, ” said study author Michaela Kiernan.

After the eight weeks had passed, the women in the second group launched into the same diet program as the other group and shed roughly the same number of pounds.

But in the year following their diet, the women in the second group only regained half the weight that the other women who took the more traditional, immediate approach to dieting found themselves putting on.

Although this study focused on a short-term diet, and we know that following a low-glycemic diet on an ongoing basis is the core of PCOS treatment, the lessons learned from this study help us to understand how to be “in touch” with our bodies and achieve lasting results.

Sincerely,

Christine DeZarn Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome Association, Inc. (PCOSA)

SOURCE: http://www.pcosupport.org/

Apr 19

Source: http://www.pcos.insulitelabs.com/pcos-and-infertility.php#.UXFuYhrCvQM

Highly recommend checking out the Insulite Labs website for information!

Source: http://www.pcos.insulitelabs.com/pcos-and-infertility.php#.UXFuYhrCvQM

Highly recommend checking out the Insulite Labs website for information!

Apr 18

easypeasypaleo:

Seedy Biscuits 
You will need.
1 cup desiccated coconut (organic)
1 cup mixed dried fruit (i use blueberries and cranberries)
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 cup pepitas
1/2 cup sesame seeds
1/2 cup almonds
1/2 cup chia
4 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons raw honey
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
pinch salt
Preheat oven at 170 degrees.
Blitz all dry ingredients for about 30 seconds in food processor and place in a large bowl.
Blitz the dry fruit and place in the bowl. It may clump once blizted.
Mix fruit into the rubbing out clumps.
Melt butter in saucepan and add honey and vanilla essence.
Bring to boil and let foam for about 30 seconds
Pour melted butter mix over seeds and mix thoroughly.
Spoon into silicone patty pans and press down with the back of a spoon.
Bake in oven for 15-25 mins or until a little browner.
Let cool before removing from patty pans.
Kali Orexi!

easypeasypaleo:

Seedy Biscuits 

You will need.

  1. Preheat oven at 170 degrees.
  2. Blitz all dry ingredients for about 30 seconds in food processor and place in a large bowl.
  3. Blitz the dry fruit and place in the bowl. It may clump once blizted.
  4. Mix fruit into the rubbing out clumps.
  5. Melt butter in saucepan and add honey and vanilla essence.
  6. Bring to boil and let foam for about 30 seconds
  7. Pour melted butter mix over seeds and mix thoroughly.
  8. Spoon into silicone patty pans and press down with the back of a spoon.
  9. Bake in oven for 15-25 mins or until a little browner.
  10. Let cool before removing from patty pans.
  11. Kali Orexi!

Apr 15

The link between PCOS and obesity may be overstated says new research

Polycystic ovarian syndrome, or PCOS, has long been implicated as a cause of obesity in some women and can, in fact, develop as a woman becomes obese, however, new research published in the current issue of the Journal of Endocrinology and Metabolism published April 11, has found that the link between PCOS and obesity may have been overstated.

The relationship between obesity and polycystic ovary syndrome may have been exaggerated, the researchers hypothesize, because the women who actively seek care for the condition tend to be heavier than those identified through screening of the general population.

PCOS affects about 10 percent of women, though some estimates put that figure as high as 25 percent. The condition appears to be more prevalent in lesbian women than in heterosexual women, though it is not known why this is. Polycystic ovarian syndrome is characterized by excess levels of male hormones which are triggered by excess levels of insulin which act upon the theca cells of the ovaries stimulating them to produce testosterone, irregular ovulation and menstruation which can lead to infertility and is associated with an increased risk for insulinresistance, which can lead to diabetes and heart disease. PCOS is the leading cause of female infertility and the disease greatly increases the risk of premature cardiovascular disease including heart attack and stroke.

READ MORE - SOURCE: http://www.examiner.com/article/the-link-between-pcos-and-obesity-may-be-overstated-says-new-research

Apr 04

yogachick:

health-teaa:

BEGINNERS
WEEK 1
Day 1: Morning Sequence with Kate Holcombe
Day 2: Happy Days practice with Lilias Folan
Day 3: Yoga for Morning with Jason Crandell
Day 4: Standing Poses with Jason Crandell
Day 5: Core Focus with Rebecca Urban
Day 6: Shoulder Openers with Kate Holcombe
Day 7: Hip Openers with Rebecca Urban
WEEK 2
Day 1: Awakening Practice with Jason Crandell
Day 2: Standing Poses with Jason Crandell
Day 3: Core Focus with Rebecca Urban
Day 4: Forward Bends with Elise Lorimer
Day 5: Yoga for Better Energy with Jason Crandell
Day 6: Quieting Practice with Jason Crandell
Day 7: Evening Sequence with Kate Holcombe
WEEK 3
Day 1: Morning Sequence with Kate Holcombe
Day 2: Backbends with Elise Lorimer
Day 3: Hip Openers with Rebecca Urban
Day 4: Yoga for Noon with Jason Crandell
Day 5: Gentle Flow with Kathryn Budig
Day 6: Sidebends with Jason Crandell
Day 7: Yoga for Restful Sleep with Jason Crandell
 
 
INTERMEDIATES
WEEK 1
Day 1: Morning Sequence with Kate Holcombe
Day 2: Standing Poses with Jason Crandell
Day 3: Core Focus with Rebecca Urban
Day 4: Hip Openers with Rebecca Urban
Day 5: Sidebends with Jason Crandell
Day 6: Backbends with Elise Lorimer
Day 7: Evening Sequence with Kate Holcombe
WEEK 2
Day 1: Shoulder Openers with Kate Holcombe
Day 2: Core Focus with Rebecca Urban
Day 3: Practice Standing Poses with Jason Crandell
Day 4: Forward Bends with Elise Lorimer
Day 5: Bakasana with Jason Crandell
Day 6: Fun Flow with Elise Lorimer
Day 7: Evening Sequence with Kate Holcombe
WEEK 3
Day 1: Hanumanasana with Elise Lorimer
Day 2: Hip Openers with Rebecca Urban
Day 3: Backbends with Elise Lorimer
Day 4: Wheel Pose with Jason Crandell
Day 5: Shoulder Openers with Kate Holcombe
Day 6: Bakasana with Jason Crandell
Day 7: Sidebends with Jason Crandell


Hmmm. Sounds cool!

yogachick:

health-teaa:

BEGINNERS

WEEK 1

WEEK 2

WEEK 3

 

 

INTERMEDIATES

WEEK 1

WEEK 2

WEEK 3

Hmmm. Sounds cool!

NVN Therapeutics Supports PCOS Challenge in the $4 Billion Fight Against Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome

SACRAMENTO, Calif., March 20, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — NVN Therapeutics (www.nvnth.com) today announced its sponsorship of the non-profit support organization, PCOS Challenge, Inc., to help address one of the most common and critical issues impacting women’s health today, polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS).

“As the developer of Glucorein™ PCOS for women, we understand how important reliable support resources are to individuals and families when dealing with any health or medical condition,” said Susan Derence, director of sales for NVN Therapeutics. “We’re extremely proud to sponsor the education and awareness efforts of PCOS Challenge. They are one of the leading support organizations for women with PCOS and are having a significant impact on the lives of thousands of women.”

NVN Therapeutic’s patent-pending Glucorein™ for Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) is patent-pending proprietary blend of chlorogenic acid and L-cysteine, which collectively reduce the incidence of metabolic syndrome and insulin resistance, both thought to be key contributors to PCOS.

“We are grateful for the support and commitment demonstrated by NVN Therapeutics,” said Sasha Ottey, executive director of PCOS Challenge, Inc. “NVN Therapeutics’ support will significantly help in our mission to make PCOS a public health priority and to help bring answers to the millions of women and families affected by the condition. Despite affecting one-in-ten women, PCOS gets very little attention in the media and most people are unaware of the condition. PCOS is often under-diagnosed and those who have been diagnosed are left wanting for more resources. With the help of visionary companies like NVN Therapeutics, this can change.”

READ MORE - SOURCE: http://globenewswire.com/news-release/2013/03/20/532075/10025820/en/NVN-Therapeutics-Supports-PCOS-Challenge-in-the-4-Billion-Fight-Against-Polycystic-Ovarian-Syndrome.html

Apr 02

Anonymous asked: I'm so frustrated because I feel like I literally can't lose weight, & I have a lot to lose. I think being on BC might be making it worse, but I feel like I have to take my BC pills due to PCOS. I've tried going on different types of diets & sticking to them & the weight just won't come off. I feel like I should go to an endocrinologist but I guess I'm scared of what they'll do or if they'll even help me lose weight or confuse me even further, and I'm scared of the side effects of metformin.

:( I promise everything will work out! PCOS doesn’t ever go away, and sometimes you just have to relax and take baby steps to work with it. It can be FRUSTRATING as all heck, but it can get better! 
Endocrinologists are going to help you a whole lot more in the long run with PCOS because they understand how different chemicals and hormones will react with your body. Its super scary and seems like a big deal but it really isn’t! Just be very clear with him or her about what your needs are and they can really help! There are certain types of medications such as metformin that can help a PCOSer lose weight. 
Metformin is also kind of scary but not every horror story is accurate to you and your body. Nausea, dizziness, and fatigue are the most common symptoms and can easily be treated, they can also give you a slow release metformin to help ease these symptoms!  A lot of treating PCOS is trial and error until you find exactly the right fit for you and your lifestyle. I really recommend talking to your doctor about seeing and Endo. He/she can really help you so much with weight loss as well as getting everything in your body regulated. 
Good luck! I really hope this helps you!
—If anyone else has any words of encouragement or advice, feel free to weigh in! remember we are all here to support each other!—
~Ashley 

Anonymous asked: Hello! I recently went to the doctor for irregular periods and hair growth, as well as swollen inguinal lymph nodes. My blood tests came out perfectly fine, so I didn't get an ultrasound done, as the doctor thought it wasn't necessary... plus, she thought I was too young for one. Do you think PCOS is something I should still be concerned about? And perhaps get my symptoms checked out (if they persist, that is), once I'm older? :/ Thanks so much! <3

As of right now, I would continue watching your symptoms. I suggest writing them down on a calendar or in a journal that way you can keep on top of how these symptoms are changing or progressing. Also ALWAYS track swollen lymph nodes, sometimes they can lead to major health problems like cancers and whatnot. If they do not drain or heal and get really hard, go to a doctor asap.
But, yes, I would recommend just watching your body, and going in for regular check ups and talking to your doctor about what’s going on. If the symptoms persist have her do blood work again and request an ultrasound if possible!
best of luck to you!
—Ashley  

dearemilyyoureugly asked: Throughout the years my hair has been thinning out (I used to have really thick hair when I was younger). Just the other day it clicked with me that maybe it could have been due to my PCOS since a lot of women have hair loss with it. Could this be because of it too?

Hair loss can be directly because of PCOS but it can also be due to other factors such and styling and whatnot. Your thinning hair may very well be linked to your PCOS. 
At the end of this week I’m going to do some research for remedies to thinning hair due to PCOS! so stay tuned!

—Ashley