How I Healed my Body from PCOS Naturally

1. HowIHealedmyBodyfromPCOSNaturally It's understandable that as you get older, your body is going to endure changes. But at the age of 22, I was increasingly suffering from unexplained weight gain, acne, depression, anxiety, and loss of my menstrual cycle—and I suspected this was unusual. I started experiencing low self-esteem as a result and was no longer as social as I once had been. I wanted to take these symptoms head-on, so I decided to drag myself to the doctor. At my OB-GYN's office, after I explained what I had been dealing with, they drew my blood and performed an ultrasound. Then, my doctor discovered close to a dozen cysts on my ovaries. I was quickly diagnosed with PCOS(Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome). He explained that PCOS occurs when a woman's hormones are out of balance, which can lead to problems with fertility and menstrual cycles as well as weight gain and cysts on the ovaries. I began asking questions: How did this happen? Was it something I did? And finally, what can I do? I was told there was little I could do and that this would stay with me for life. My doctor recommended I go on birth control and begin hormone therapy. I was told that if I wanted children one day I would most likely have to have IVF treatments and that, even then, my chances were slim to none. At my OB-GYN's office, after I explained what I had been dealing with, they drew my blood and performed an ultrasound. Then, my doctor discovered close to a dozen cysts on my ovaries. I was quickly diagnosed with PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome). He explained that PCOS occurs when a woman's hormones are out of balance, which can lead to problems with fertility and menstrual cycles as well as weight gain and cysts on the ovaries.

2. I began asking questions: How did this happen? Was it something I did? And finally, what can I do? I was told there was little I could do and that this would stay with me for life. My doctor recommended I go on birth control and begin hormone therapy. I was told that if I wanted children one day I would most likely have to have IVF treatments and that, even then, my chances were slim to none. WhenwellnesscoachNicoleGranatowasdiagnosedwithpolycysticovarysyndromeat21,shewasshocked.“Ihadneverhadregularperiods,butIthoughtitwaspartofmybodychanging.Iwasstillsoyoung,youknow?Ifiguredmybodywasstillfiguringitselfout.” Butataroutinetriptoherob-gyn,itbecameincreasinglyclearthatsomethingwaswrong.“Ihadtoldheraboutmyperiodsbeingallovertheplace,andsheaskedmeifIplannedonhavingchildrensomeday.Isaidyes.Sheranafewtestsandprettysoon,IwasdiagnosedwithPCOS.” Immediately,Nicolewantedtoknowwhatheroptionswere.“Iwastolditwasincurable,andthebestwaytodealwithitwasbyusinghormonalbirthcontrolwhichwouldmanipulatemyhormones.Supplement for pcosMychancesofhavingchildrenwereincrediblylow,whichwasahugeblowtome.Itwasverydistressingtohearallofit,especiallyasIwassoyoung.Itwasjustsounexpected.” Reluctanttousehormonalbirthcontrol,Nicolethoughtaboutheroptionscarefully.“IspokewithalotofspecialistsandeventuallydecidedtodealwithmyPCOSnaturally,” shesays.“Myfirstgoalwastogetmyperiodbackregularly.” Alreadyacertifiedwellnesscoach,afterthediagnosis,Nicolebecamehyper-awareofher health.“Ibecamemuchstricter,” shesays.“Istarteddrinkingamorningtonic,Ididacandidacleanse,Itookherbs(thesameonesthatarenowinmyownformulas).” Thediagnosis,shesays,changedherperspectiveonherbody.“Insteadoffeelingfrustratedatbeingsick,Istartedtoshiftmythinkingto:whatcanIdoformybodytohealit?Whatdoesmybodyneed?” Now,shesays,it’sthesamekindofshiftinthinkingsheencouragesinherclients.“Itkindofsoundscrazy,butassoonasItellclientstodothis,somuchchangesforthem.It’samazing.” Afterafewyears,saysNicole,shewentfromsevencystsonherovariesto– countthem– zero.“I’msohappythatIwasabletoaidmyPCOSnaturally,” shesays.“Technically,I’llalwayshaveit,butwithdietandexercise,Icanmanageitandkeepmysymptomsincheck.”

3. Today,Nicoleiswellknownforherwellnessprograms.Shespecializesinwomen’shealthandherparticularpassionishelpingwomenfallpregnant.“I’veworkedwithwomenwhoaretryingtogetpregnantforyears,andonaverage,aftertheyseeme,ittakesaboutsixmonthsformostofmyclients.” Whilenoteveryclienthastroubleconceiving– Nicolealsoworkswithwomenwhomightnotbehavingfertilityissuesbutarekeentogettheirbodiesinthebestshapetoprepareforpregnancy,andthenbreastfeeding– eachistreatedindividually.“Iputeveryoneonanutritionalplandependingonwhattheirneedsanddeficienciesare,” saysNicole.“Andtheplanyoustartwithmightnotbetheonewestickwith.Forexample,thechangesyourbodygoesthroughduringpregnancyarehuge– youwanttomakesureyourbodyisaspreparedasitcanbe.Yournutritionalneedschange,andmyworkreflectsthat.” Ifyoufeelyoucannotconsumeeverythingmentionedonyourdietplan,youcansubstituteafewnutrientswithhealthsupplements.Accordingtodoctors,youcaneitherchoosetabletsandvitamincapsulesortryAyurvedicChurnstocombattheeffectsofhormonalimbalance.Consultyournutritioniststofindthebestsupplementsforyou. YoucancontroltheeffectsofPCOSonyourbodybyusingthesehomeremedieseasily.Sincenomedicineoroperationcancurethisdiseasepermanently,youshouldfocusoncombatingtheeffects.Consultanutritionistaseverywoman’sbodyislikelytoreactdifferentlytoincreasedandrogenlevels.Followtheinstructionsofyourdoctorandmakeallthenecessarylifestylechangestobringabalance.PCOSisahormonaldisorderthatdoesnotdomuchharmaslongasyousticktothehealthcards!

4. MyJourneywithPCOS Iamawomanwithpolycysticovarysyndrome(PCOS),themostcommonhormonedisordersinwomen.Iwasdiagnosedinmylate20safterImissedaperiodandwenttomyObGYNinapanic.Thedoctorranhormonetests,tookmyhistory,anddidatransvaginalultrasound.ShediagnosedmewithPCOSandtoldmetocomebacktoseeherwhenIwantedtoconceive,andnottoworryaboutirregularperiodsbecause“lotsofwomenwouldlovenottohavetheirperiods. Afterwards,myOBGYNreferredmetoanendocrinologistwhotoldmetoreturntohiminsixmonthsafterIloseweight.MyhealthinsuranceatthetimewouldnotpayforvisitswithadietitianornutritionistbecauseIwasn’tdiabetic.Ifeltdismissedbymyhealthcareteam,andlefttomyowndevicestofigureouthowtomanagePCOSandliveahealthierlife.ThiswasthebeginningofmyjourneywithPCOS. Afterdoingresearch,IfoundoutthatIhadbeenexperiencingPCOSsymptomssuchashairlossandweightgainsinceadolescence.Lookingbackatmyhistory,Ifoundthatthereweremanymissedopportunitiesforanearlierdiagnosis,butduetomyownlackofawarenessaboutPCOS,andvariousspecialistsnotaskingtherightquestions,Iwasdiagnosedalmosttwodecadesaftertheonsetofsymptoms. Theseexperiencesandothers,andthedesiretoimprovethisprocessforothers,ledmetocreateanorganizationtobettereducatepatients,providersandthecommunityaswellasprovideaplatformforadvocacytoeffectsystematicchangestoimprovethediagnosis,treatmentandcareofPCOSpatients.SomylifewithPCOS,almostimmediatelyaftermydiagnosis,hasbeenfocusedonadvocacyandincreasingawareness. Oneofthereasonspeoplemayfeeluncomfortablewithaskingforhelpistheperceptionthataskingforhelpissynonymouswithaskingforahandout.Itgoesagainstoursenseofprideasindependentpeople.However,thefirststepinincreasingawarenessandadvocatingforyourselfandothersisidentifyingtheproblembybeingopenabouthowitimpactsyoupersonally,andhowitimpactsothers. ResearchshowsthatthemajorityofwomenwithPCOSweredissatisfiedwiththediagnosisprocessandthelackofinformationreceivedafterbeingdiagnosed.Overthepastdecadeofdoingthiswork,Ihaveheardcountlessstoriessimilartomineandotherswherethelackofawarenessandeducationhashaddangerousandlife-alteringconsequences. weredismissedas“nothingtoworryabout,” orthedevelopmentofself-esteemissuesandeatingdisordersafterbeinggiventhenumberforWeightWatchersorbeingtoldtogoonaliquiddietas“prescriptions” forPCOS;orthelossofopportunitytobuildtheirfamiliesfrombeingundiagnosedorgivenanunnecessaryhysterectomyduringreproductiveyears.Everyoneshouldfindthesepatientexperiencestobe

5. unacceptablePCOS for women.Someofthesestoriesincludepatientsdevelopingcancerwhentheirlackofperiods. ThisiswhyIviewmyPCOSdiagnosisasadefiningmomentinmylife.WhenpeopleaskmewhatmylifewithPCOShasbeenlike,Irealizethatithasbeenaseriesofmeaskingforhelp,notjustformyself,butforeveryoneimpactedbyPCOSandthosewhowillbeinthefuture.Askingforhelphasnowbecomeapartoftheprocessofcreatingopportunitiesforchangewherethepatient,provider,andresearchcommunitiescanworktogethertobeapartofthesolution. Admittedly,Imaystillhaveabitoftroubleaskingforhelpinmypersonallife;however,inmyprofessionallife,Ithinktheonlywayforwardisformoreofustoworktogether,askingforhelptogether,andchangingthefuturetogether.