Today, I’m listing my 5 favourite resources for women with PCOS.
It is estimated that 5 – 10% of the population suffer from PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome), and I’d suggest that for many women, they don’t realise they have this condition until they reach childbearing age…. Start wondering what on this God’s earth is going on when they can’t have children, and then after significant heartache, discover they have PCOS after a visit to the Fertility Clinic.
If you have irregular periods, unwanted facial hair and really stubborn weight – I think it could be highly likely that you have PCOS, and while the initial diagnosis can be scary, I feel that this can also be liberating, and the great news is that there is SO much that can be done for women with PCOS, and that diet is the number 1 way to control symptoms and bring insulin resistance under control (insulin resistance is one of the hallmarks of this condition).
But, whether you’ve just been diagnosed with PCOS or you suspect you have it, here’s 5 of my favourite resources for women with PCOS.
1. 8 Steps to Reverse your PCOS by Dr Fiona McCulloch
This book is a game-changer and Dr Fiona McCulloch herself is a sufferer of PCOS, but it’s the lean type. That’s right. Not EVERYONE with PCOS is overweight. In her book, Dr McCulloch explains that there are four types of PCOS, and outlines, to my mind, some of the best diet advice, outlining how the Glycemic Index is slightly flawed. It’s a must-read for anyone with PCOS.
2. Don’t Do a Keto Diet for PCOS – Here’s Why
This article by Kym Campbell of Smart PCOS Choices speaks to my heart. I don’t think it’s a secret that I don’t believe in fad diets for infertility, and especially any diets that have a trendy name. They’re fad diets. And while a PCOS diet takes guts and involves a substantial amount of elimination, it also focuses on lots of healthy vegetables, and common sense eating, and Kym outlines this perfectly in this article. I have long wanted to write an article on why I don’t believe the Keto diet is suitable for women with infertility, but I’d have a hard time topping this one.
I also did this great podcast with Jo Atkinson about fertility diets and we talked about this topic, as well as another where I discussed dairy for fertility.
3. Nicola Salmon
Nicola is a dear friend, fertility coach and acupuncturist, but she specialises in women who struggle with their weight. When everyone is screaming at you to lose weight, Nicola is someone there to hold your hand and rather than focusing on weight, she’ll help you develop long term strategies for getting HEALTHY…. Because (and I know this from experience) when your mind is weak, so is your resolve, your motivation, your self confidence and your willpower. Sometimes we have to get our heads right, before we can embark on making significant lifestyle changes in order to get pregnant. Sometimes the work is in our minds, and so it wouldn’t be a resources list without a few resources that help us fix the minefields of our heads!
4. Nat Kringoudis
Nat is a TCM Practitioner (well… Doctor y’all – she knows her shiz) and pretty well-known personality in Australia. She has a clinic in Melbourne, Australia called The Pagoda Tree as well as several online programs, including Debunking PCOS. Nat knows I’m a huge fan of hers, and I once wrote an article that talked about how she supports bio-individuality as I do, but there was one thing that also really stood out to me recently in one of her Instagram lives and that was that she said she gets results for people in a reasonably short period of time, and is then happy to send people on their way. This speaks to me, because nothing irks me more than practitioners who try to get you coming back and back and back for no good reason!
5. The Fertility Warrior Diet
Ok, so I had to promote my own diet program! My diet program focuses on a 21 day elimination diet. It takes 21 days to make a habit, and 21 days to break a habit, and this diet focuses on eliminating foods that could be causing our bodies to go haywire, while promoting (I won’t lie) A LOT of vegetables to give us a massive nutrition boost and detoxification, as well as the simple concept of ticking the boxes of protein and vegetables, then not stressing about the rest. It’s an incredible way to detox and reset your body, work towards achieving a goal and set yourself up for long term success. We’ve had 400 people take this course and the results have been incredible – weight loss, sparkly skin, more energy, and of course, pregnancies! Oh, and let me also share that this diet has been created in consultation with the incredibly talented family Nutritionist Jo Atkinson, who has endorsed this diet.
So there you have it, my 5 favourite resources for women with PCOS. I hope this list has been helpful! If you suffer with PCOS and have something you’ve found incredibly helpful on your journey, reach out to me on Instagram and let me know so we can add it to the list!
