PCOS Crash Course & Care Plan
My heart is always saddened by the struggles I hear women speaking about in the office as a nurse practitioner. Women, many times, are told that our symptoms are “normal.” We are not listened to or taken seriously, rushed out the door and put on medications, such as birth control, metformin or spironolactone. By the end of the doctor’s visit, we are more confused and told “it's probably just PCOS, here is a pill, good luck.”
No one is even able to give us a clear answer as to what is happening in our body. We are told we just have to live with it. But, that is not what it is supposed to be!
So, I became determined to get to the root cause of hormone imbalance in women and why it is so common to see irregular and painful periods, infertility, lack of energy, weight gain, acne and rising rates of depression.
Here is my PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome) Crash Course:
Before we begin, let’s remember every patient is different and shows up with a different story. It is the job of your practitioner to listen and put the puzzle pieces together to find a care plan that is meant for you and your body.
I am going to address the basics about hormones for women first. As women, we have ovaries that are supposed to ovulate every month. Ovulating means that we release an egg from our ovaries, which will either become fertile or not. If the egg is fertilized, you become pregnant. If the egg does not become fertilized by sperm, the menstrual cycle starts over again.
The release of the egg is called the rupture site. This is also the site where progesterone is made. Progesterone helps with reducing anxiety, maintains pregnancy, promotes bone development and reduces risk of breast cancers. Testosterone is made in the ovaries for women. It is our primary androgen hormone, which helps us build muscle, bone strength, fertility, energy and fat storage.
Now this is important: If we are not ovulating, we do not produce progesterone. In other words, when our ovaries have too many cysts, such as PCOS, we do not ovulate at all or ovulate irregularly. There we miss the benefits of progesterone AND this is an issue for infertility and why PCOS is connected to infertility.
Now, the question is, why do we have cysts? What is the root cause of these cysts?
If you read above, I wrote that testosterone is made in the ovaries. However, when your insulin is too high for too long as a woman, your ovaries overproduce testosterone.
High insulin levels also lowers sex hormone binding globulin, which is a protein that helps to bind hormones to make them inactive in the blood. This is important for hormone balance. However, since SHBG is lower, this promotes more free androgens or more active testosterone in the blood, which interferes with follicle (ovary) formation. Therefore, forming cysts instead.
Now, you do not have to have cyst formation to be diagnosed with PCOS. PCOS symptoms include irregular cycles, weight gain, excessive hair, infertility, acne, depression from the high testosterone levels
If you have been suffering with any of these symptoms I want you to understand one important piece of information: Excessive insulin production causes excess production of testosterone in the ovaries.
So, if insulin is the driving factor behind your PCOS, this becomes a metabolic issue, not a gynecological issue.
Why does insulin increase in the body? The root cause of the answer is inflammation. Inflammation from high refined carbohydrate intake (diet), inflammation from toxin exposure, inflammation from dysbiosis of the gut, inflammation from chronic stress.
So, here is what we need to address:
Again: let’s remember every patient is different and shows up with a different story.
Diet
Toxin Exposure
Gut Imbalances
Emotional Health
PCOS Basic Care Plan
Diet:
This is where we start. We need to cut out the refined sugars. Some examples you might not think about: cereals, processed oatmeals, white bread, pasta, soda, candy, crackers, Starbucks/Dunkin vanilla lattes. This is only spiking your insulin levels.
Getting rid of inflammatory foods in the diet: Gluten, dairy, soy and corn are the top four big offenders.
Looking into a phytonutrient diet or a diet that focuses on anti-inflammatory foods. Focus on whole foods, high fiber intake, high protein and healthy fat intake. STABILIZE YOUR BLOOD SUGAR FIRST by eating a lower refined carb diet. (This can be a whole blog post in itself).
Toxin Exposure:
Toxins in your body trigger your immune response. Repeated exposure to toxins from products we use, chemicals we clean with, BPA from plastics, can cause chronic immune responses, which causes chronic inflammation. This chronic inflammation leads to elevated insulin levels.
Reduce toxin exposure by choosing clean products, using glass tupperware or coffee mugs, and detoxify the body properly.
Detoxifying the body starts with increasing hydrate to make sure you have normal urination, eating high fiber so you are having normal bowel movements and sweating daily from exercise or sauna exposure.
Dysbiosis (Gut Health)
Abnormal bacteria in the gut releases lipopolysaccharides (LPS), which the body identifies as a toxin. This leaks into your bloodstream which causes that same immune response, leading to more inflammation in the body.
Probiotics, Prebiotics, Restore Gut Balance
Supplements to Consider:
(Always talk to a provider before starting a new supplement for your health)
Inositol → helps improve insulin sensitivity
Vitamin D3 K2 → needed for insulin stability
Omega 3’s → anti-inflammatory
Emotional Health
It is true that we are a mind, body and soul being. Emotions are energy-in-motion, which will get stored in the body, if not properly addressed. For our reproductive organs, fear affects and can be stored in your reproductive organs and adrenal glands. Processing your emotions plays a huge part in your physical health.
Bible verses to meditate on for healing your fear:
2 Timothy 1:7: "For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind".
Philippians 4:6-7: "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God".
Isaiah 41:10: "So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand".
I hope this breaks down PCOS in terms you can understand. I hope the care plan gives you an idea of where to start. Remember your body is on your side and wants to help you heal; we just need to give it the right tools to do so. Be kind to your body <3
Xoxo,
Elyse
