PCOS Recipe: Lemon and Herb Oven Roasted Chicken

Lemon and Herb Oven Roasted Chicken

Ingredients:

One Whole Free Range Chicken 4 Lbs.
Two Lemons
2-3 Carrots
2-3 Red Potatos
Green beans and/or a variety of any other veggies in season
Olive Oil
Ground Mustard Seed
Thyme Sea Salt
Ground Pepper
parsley

Directions:
If the bird you bought contains the gizzards, remove them.
Pre-Heat oven to 350 degrees.
In a baking dish, place along the bottom the diced vegetables and put the chicken on top of the veggies. This will lift the chicken from the bottom of the pan and allow the skin to crisp on the bottom.
Gently lift the skin of the bird and rub in the seasonings and then sprinkle seasoning into the cavity of the bird.
Slice the lemons in half and squeeze some of the juice out of them. Put the remaining peals inside the cavity of the bird (make sure they have some juice left in them).
Take the juice and mix with some olive oil and baste the bird with the mixture. Drizzle some olive oil onto the veggies and then sprinkle both the bird and veggies with the salt and pepper (doing this last will prevent the oil from running it off the bird).

Place on the center rack and cook for an hour and a half, checking on the bird every 20 minutes to baste and to check for doneness.
Bird is done when a knife is placed into the meaty part of the thigh and the juices run clear. Or use a thermometer in the same spot. Look up the temp requirements for chicken ... I think it is 160 degrees.

Sprinkle with parsley and serve

PREGNANT AGAIN

So I'm pregnant again. .... I'm due in June and couldn't be more thrilled.

The past few months have been rough and tiring so I've taken a little break from experimenting with new dishes and I admit, my diet has been limited to things the little one would let me keep down. LOL

Now, in my second trimester, I feel much better and am excited to get back on track.

Two pregnancies in one year, not bad for a girl who can't have babies.

Stay tuned for new updates.

Recovery

I want to thank all of my readers who have written me over the past month wondering about my absence from this blog.
I am sorry I have been absent for so long and I thought it was important to share with all of my fellow PCOSers what has been happening in my journey.
Last time I wrote, I shared that I was expecting my first child. ... Unfortunately, I lost that child in my 9th week of pregnancy. (The pregnancy was ectopic, growing in my left fallopian tube).
I'm glad they found it when they did because it was on the brink of rupturing and it was a life threatening situation. :(

So, on the afternoon of my first ultrasound, I was rushed to the hospital for emergency surgery. I lost the baby and the left tube. ... Ever since then, I've been at home recovering, just trying to get back on track.

My family, friends, and my fellow PCOS gals have been a tremendous help through all of this and I can't thank you all enough for your kind words and prayers.

This whole thing has been a part of my journey ... a very interesting, stressful, depressing, and inspiring part of my journey.

I am comforted that I now know that I have healed myself from this condition but must continue the fight every day. Although this pregnancy didn't take, it wasn't lost because of PCOS or because of my health. It was a random event that no one could have controlled.

I look forward to the family I will grow one day and know that when the time comes, my little one will greet me in Heaven. ... I never knew them, but I loved them just the same.

God bless you all.

Pregnant! ... The PCOS diet woks!

THE DIET:

The PCOS diet was very simple. ...

Eat at least 50g of protein throughout the day with half coming from breakfast, cut out sugar (having stevia, honey, or molasses as needed), eat TONS of fruit and veggies, and finally, cut out simple carbohydrates and introduce complex carbs in small quantities. SIMPLE.
Yes, it was that simple to cure me of my PCOS. Okay, okay, so "cure" is a strong word and not entirely accurate. No, I don't have a single PCOS symptom anymore, but should I ever go back to my old lifestyle, those symptoms would return.

CONCEPTION AND EARLY PREGNANCY:
How do I know that the diet works? ... well, I've lost 46 lbs ... and I'm pregnant. All without ever taking one dose of Metformin or Chlomid! I have not taken any drugs to manage my condition ... I beat it WITH DIET ALONE!!! No IVF treatments, no shots, no fertility charting, no temperature monitoring, ... nothing.

I simply ate the things my body needed, let the love between myself and my husband grow, and gave the burden over to God.
My Mom and Dad were constantly asking when we were going to make them grandparents, and we had to be honest ... With my condition and with our refusal to go on any medication, it would be unlikely that I would ever become pregnant. However, I was on a diet to manage my condition and that there was a possibility that it may be all I needed. We simply threw caution to the wind and decided that if and when God wanted to bless us with a child, he would. Five months of this "caution free" lifestyle and adhering to the diet plan and ... I'm pregnant.

Currently, I am a little over 8 weeks pregnant with my first (and possibly only) child. We've tracked our conception to a trip we took to Biloxi, MS back in the early part of April. We had a blast by the way ... obviously.

How have the last 8 weeks been? ... Well, I found out Wednesday before last that I was pregnant and I have been to two doctor's appointments already. I've been sick only once and I have to say it was the most bazaar experience ever. I was throwing up, but not really sick, and I cried like a two year old, but I wasn't upset at all. Crying without cause is the strangest feeling I've ever had.
I have done some research, and it turns out that my PCOS diet can be attributed to my lack of "morning sickness". Having a balanced diet chocked full of B6 and essential vitamins (that we'll naturally get from veggies and fruit we eat a ton of) will stave off the sickness feeling. ...  I do, however, expect a great deal of sickness over the next few weeks and I am preparing myself for it. But I have to say that I am looking on the positive side of things at the moment because I haven't had half the amount of discomfort and nausea as other women have reported.

DIET DURING PREGNANCY:
I do not have to stop the diet during pregnancy! In fact, staying on the diet is more important than ever. This is because we are at an increased risk of miscarriage (50% likely) and we are at a greater risk of developing gestational diabetes. Avoiding simple carbs and sugars are essential during this time because of this. We need to make sure that our new babies are getting all the nutrients they need while also making sure that our insulin levels don't skyrocket by eating sugar and carbs.
Pregnancy is a delicate hormone dance, where hormones have to change at specific times to insure that certain things happen when they are supposed to happen. If our insulin shoots out of control, we already know from pre-pregnancy, all of the other hormones will follow suit. Which is why I deduce that many PCOS patients suffer miscarriage in early pregnancy. Think about it ... if insulin levels cause progesterone to drop ... all of the sudden, there is nothing keeping the body from holding onto the fetus and you may suffer a miscarriage.
But that means there is hope. With this information in hand, we can be confident that by simply adhering to the PCOS diet, that our risk of miscarriage drops drastically.
The number one thing we have to make sure to do is get frequent hormone level checks at the doctors office to monitor our progesterone levels. This past time I went it was a little low, so hopefully I can get them back up or I'll have to be put on synthetic progesterone to hold onto the pregnancy. But I thank God for modern medicine sometimes .... I'll do everything I can not to need the medicine, but I will take it if I need to.

The only change we have to make in our diet is overall calorie intake. In the first trimester, you should intake 200 more calories than before, 300 for the second trimester, and 500 for the third.
And it is HARD!!!
Before the PCOS diet, if I wanted extra calories, I would eat a bowl of ice cream. But now, fruits and vegetables aren't as high in caloric value as the unhealthy alternative. ... So when I get up to about 900 calories and want to stop, I am reminded that I have a lot of calories left to go. It is HARD work to get all of the calories in let me tell you. Right now my husband is keeping track of what I eat to make sure that the goal is met. Keep in mind ... if you are anything like me, your appetite is practically non-existent in the first trimester (from what my husband reads, it should return around week 18 or 19) so getting all of the calories in will be difficult.

OVERALL:
Overall, I am optimistic for the future. Even if I can't carry this baby to term, I am comforted knowing that I can conceive and have one down the road. I am also at ease knowing that anything is possible with God in your heart and that everything will happen according to his plan. All it takes is a little self love, love for others, and faith.

PCOS RECIPE: Turkey Tacos

TURKEY TACOS:

A lot of people think of turkey as dry and lifeless or as something that only comes around once a year. But when you buy the right kind of turkey, like humanly raised birds, the flavor is jammed packed and JUICY! My husband LOVES THESE!

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. of ground turkey (No added hormones or antibiotics, fed on vegetarian diet NOT JENNIE O ... PS: Plainville Farms turkey [available at Publix] and Jennie O are about the same price per pound so you might as well get the added health benefits and meat from a happier bird)
• 1 Package of taco seasoning (my favorite is the Kroger brand)
• Canola Oil or Olive oil (organic if you have it)
• Lettuce, tomato, onion, cheese (organic), avocado, etc. etc. The more veggies the better
• Low Carb or Whole Grain soft shell taco shells OR organic blue corn hard shell taco shells. 
• Organic salsa (optional)

In a skillet, heat 2 tbsp of oil and add turkey and seasoning. Stir and cook until done. 

Assemble tacos. YUMMY!

TIPS AND WHY THIS DISH IS GOOD?

Turkey is lower in fat than beef and has some great nutrients and has Omega 3s too when it is a vegetarian fed or free range bird!

You can omit the oil for a slightly healthier taco, but the oil makes it taste SO MUCH BETTER.

Use the cheese sparingly ... dairy isn't good for us PCOSers, ESPECIALLY if you are using regular cheese. If you like to use more cheese, the best thing to do is buy organic if you can find it. There won't be any added hormones than those that naturally occur in dairy. ... It's may seem like an expensive change, but really it isn't when you break the cost down per taco.

Use your judgement on the taco shell and do some research. Keep your carb budget in mind and if you are an extreme PCOS dieter, omit the shell and use a leaf of romaine lettuce as your taco shell. 

Serve tacos with slices of mango .... or for an indulgence, organic salsa and organic blue corn chips. 

 

PCOS RECIPE: Fried Green Tomatoes

Since tomatoes are coming into season, one of my favorite dishes as a southern gal is FRIED GREEN TOMATOES. I used to get green tomatoes from the supermarket and coat them in milk and flour and fry them in vegetable oil. I know now, milk should be avoided, flour is BAD and veggie oil is full of bad fats ...  Now, this isn't exactly a "healthy" dish, but balance is everything, and what is a southern girl without some fried comforts?? 

This is the first opportunity since my journey began with PCOS to experiment with this dish to make it more friendly for my condition. I tried it a few different ways, but here is the best one:

FRIED GREEN TOMATOES:

Ingredients:

• 1 - 2 Organic Green Tomato(es) (from a local stand, they have more flavor)
• 1 Organic, free range egg
• Organic Corn Starch
• Bob's Red Mill Brown Rice Flour
• Canola Oil (organic if you can find it [I did at Publix])

Chill the tomatoes for a few hours if you can, it makes them easier to slice without "squishing" them. The best way to slice is to use a mandolin slicer, but slice them as thinly as you can if you don't have one. Sometimes, having thick and thin slices produces better results anyway. 

Dip the sliced tomato in the egg and coat in a brown rice flour and corn starch mixture. About 70% brown rice flour and 30% corn starch. 

Heat canola oil in a skillet about 1/2" deep on high and put a small piece of tomato in the grease. When the tomato begins to bubble, put the rest of the slices into the grease and fry until slightly golden brown. 

Here's the kicker: NO SPECIAL SAUCE for a truly PCOS friendly meal! Eat without condiment or with a reduced sugar ketchup. YUMMY 

Recent Journey to Organic

When I first started this journey with PCOS, I found a blog called PCOS Diva. After reading her blog, I thought "wow, this girl is NUTS!!". She took the PCOS diet guidelines and took them to a huge extreme. I thought, I could NEVER afford to eat that way, nor would I want to.

But one thing kept nagging me in the back of my mind ..... She argued against being a "dairy queen". That led me to research why I shouldn't have milk, and if I did, why I should drink organic. ....

It clicked in me ... OMG, every time I take a bite of anything, it is filled with hormones that make this struggle even harder than before. The worst part is ... most of these hormones are not there by an act of God, they are put there by men in order to make are animals grow faster and bigger, thus feeding more people and making them more money. Look at the way we eat, if there was a little less food to go around in the US, would any of us suffer? We'd all lose a few pounds I suspect and stop overindulging in food we don't need.

That research led me to a few documentaries on our current food system and how our food is more of a "product" than actual food. If you have Netflix like I do, you can watch them yourself. I recommend "Food Fight" and "Fresh" among others.

Now I can't fight it anymore. I am on the bandwagon for free-range, cage-free, organic meats and organic, locally produced fruits and vegetables. No, there is no taste difference between the $1.20 one dozen pack of store brand eggs and the all natural cage-free organic alternative that sells for around $2.80-$4.50 per dozen. But that extra you spend is making you healthier because you aren't getting those artificial hormones and you can be assured that the chickens they came from led a happy life. .... Whenever I am in the store and am tempted to save the $2, my husband looks at me with sad eyes and says "cheep cheep cheep cheep" like a little chick and I remember that when I purchase those eggs I am "voting" for the types of food I want to see in the store.
As far as the milk and meat goes ... there is a HUGE taste difference. The milk is creamier and the meat has a LOT more flavor. When you go to a five star restaurant, that isn't industrial Wal-Mart beef you're eating. It was most likely raised on a farm no more than 50 miles away.
Not only that, there is a video out there on the internet showing footage of a Land-O-Lakes dairy farm. I cried like a baby when I watched it. I couldn't believe that by buying the $1.98 gallons of milk or a $2 brick of butter I was telling the dairy industry that their practices were not only okay, but that I was okay with whatever means they deemed necessary to bring it to me for a low price. And that's NOT acceptable. Why should we torture these animals just to save a few dollars?? Composing myself took a little more than a few minutes, but when I finally did, I searched for footage of an organic farm. That's when I found footage from the Horizon diary farm. You could see the cows in the field playing and eating the grass. ... They were happy and healthy, the way any diary cow should be raised.
I will never ... never .... never bring the industrial food into my home again.

At the moment, the closest organic meat I can find is at the Whole Foods store 30 miles away in the city. UNACCEPTABLE. Now I am on a journey to find options closer to home.

I have now found two organic veggie farms here in town and I plan on setting up an appointment with them to tour their farms and find out how to purchase their produce.
Now I am on a mission to find eggs locally (to save some $$) and to find some organic meats too. The meats I suspect, will be a little further away and I am probably going to have to find a grocery store or butcher shop that has it ... unfortunately for me, I don't think we have any butchers anymore as they were pushed out by WalMart a long time ago. But the eggs I imagine are entirely doable.

This health mission has now extended past me and my family. It now extends beyond me and my journey. Now, I am on a journey for my own health and a journey to insure that the animals that are giving their lives for my nourishment are in turn, being provided a full, healthy, and happy life from the people who raise them. I will not allow the food I eat to come from tortured and the way I insure that is to research the things that I buy, vote with my purchasing dollars to send a message, and by encouraging my fellow PCOSgals to educate themselves on these issues. Hopefully you too will see why these changes not only need to be made for our own health, but to fight for what we stand for as human beings.

Live better, eat healthy, and get familiar with that logo by buying organic.

Being a Little Selfish

It has been 6.5 months since starting this journey with PCOS and I am asked from time to time how life is different now.

Most people are reffering to my weight loss when they ask that question. They want to know how I feel or if I have more confidence since losing a great deal of weight. The weight loss has certainly made life easier ... and I'm not shocked when I pass mirrors anymore, at least not in a bad way. But the weight loss is only part of the change.

It feels like my life has been changed in almost a fundamental way. I am still me ... I am still a nice person, I still think about others and their feelings, I still believe in Jesus and the hereafter, I still love my husband, and I still think that how I treat others will come back to me 10 fold. I am still me! ..... What has changed is my relationship with myself.

...


You can't take care of others until you first take care of yourself. .... That realization is essentially how my life has changed.

If I focus on other people without putting myself into the equation .... well ... that's how people become unhealthy. Being healthy takes a lot of time, a lot of effort, and a lot of money. Three things that when focused on others can do a lot of good .... but unfortunately it means you are neglecting yourself and you can't keep up all of that goodwill for long when your health is fading. Pretty soon ... you're going to need a lot of people focusing all of their attention on you and making you better.

Being unhealthy makes you fatigued, sluggish, sickly, and unmotivated. But being healthy gives you tons of energy, drive, and of course ... you are more likely to live longer.

Being a little selfish doesn't seem so selfish anymore does it?

...

Now that I've added a little "selfishness" into my life, I have to say, I've become a better wife, a better employee, and generally, a better person. I'm able to contribute more than ever before, even though more of my resources are focused on myself.
Before this change, my life was hard to manage and had frequent breakdowns ... hey, 7 day work weeks with no weekends can really drain a healthy person, let alone an unhealthy one. My hormones being out of whack made every day a challenge. But now, I do the same schedule, the same grind ... but it isn't difficult anymore. I do it without batting an eye now.

Yes, life has changed in many, many ways. .... And I'm enjoying every turn this life is throwing at me.

Back on Track: Accountability with Food Journaling

This week was a success!

I am back on track and seeing the results. The key to this week was simple: Food Journaling.

In my previous post I talked about how on this journey we are accountable to only one person: ourselves.
Because of this, when we succeed, it gives us a great sense of pride and accomplishment ... but it is also the very reason why most of us fail.

When we are accountable to others, they will know when we fail. Think about it, if you want and extension on a deadline or extra credit in school you have to go to another person and ask permission ... and they may say no. But when we are on this journey, when we want to cheat, binge, or completely go off track, the only person we have to ask permission from is us. Because of that, we will find ways to justify our stumble or rationalize our behavior ... and it is easy to give ourselves permission to do things we shouldn't.

When I think about this journey, I often see myself as two people. One Ashley is trying her hardest to succeed and be a diva in this journey, but then there is another Ashley that wants to cheat and thinks ...."mmmm ..... Cheetoes". lol.

This week, I tried something new: Food Journaling.

We are often blind to our own stumbles and pitfalls, but by writing it down, we have no choice but look at our diets truthfully and be honest with ourselves at the end of the week.
When the scale shows a loss, a gain, or stays the same, we can look back at the week and see where we went wrong or went right. .... It makes the inanimate journal the "person" we are accountable to.

I took a small notepad and started writing down everything I ate ... and I realized, that because it was more trouble to find that silly thing and write it down, I was less likely to snack late at night. I would have just enough energy to grab a snack, but not quite enough to grab a snack and write it down and calculate the carb intake.

This week, I lost 1.2lbs ... pretty good for a girl who has a condition making it near impossible to loose weight. :)

I hope to get to a point in my life where I will no longer need the journal, but for now, I am just starting out and the journal will help me fight those old habits of mine.

Falling off the Wagon!

Well, I've hit plateaus a few times since starting this journey, and it appears that I've hit another. :(

A few posts ago I announced that I had reached a milestone of a 42 pound loss. ... since then, I've put back on 3 pounds. ... Now I'm back to the weight that I've been hovering around for about two months. [sigh]

We have to expect that plateaus will happen naturally no matter what you do and you can't expect to lose weight every week. ... But of course we are all human and it is natural for us to creep back into old habits ... it really is a test of discipline and a test of will power to stay on track. 

The diet itself isn't difficult ... the food is amazing and I haven't had food this full of flavor and variety in my entire life. ... The difficult part of this journey are the habits of old. 

I spent 25 years of my life snacking on junk food and gorging on rolls at dinner time. Twenty five years of skipping breakfasts and eating pizza three times a week. Twenty five years of bagged lunches with Debbie Cakes, personal bags of chips, white bread sandwiches, and candy. 

All of that training won't melt away because of a diagnosis or a commitment to a new way of life. Those habits will creep back in and turn their ugly heads from time to time. 

Now, those easy switches I haven't gone back on. I haven't had white bread, Debbie Cakes, or candy since the diagnosis. ... but the other things have made an entrance from here and there, and I have to admit it to myself, these habits is the main reason why I've hit a plateau lately. I have the tendency to forget that while I may have some things in extreme moderation .... my brain starts to think that I can have them after all ... and over indulge. I've eaten whole grain Cheeze-Its, organic blue corn chips, and brown rice to excess. I'm not gaining weight or going completely off the wagon, but I am going off track. This week, I even convinced myself that I could indulge in a slice of carrot cake because I've been a "good girl" on my diet. 

This is the bottom line .. we aren't accountable to anyone but ourselves! Because of that, we have to realize that having that extra cracker or having that slice of cake is a very real thing that affects us and our diet. Forget carb budges for a moment and all of that ... when we eat that cracker, we are telling our bodies that they aren't worth the sacrifice, that our bodies aren't worth the care and effort we have committed to giving them. 

In the end, nothing tastes as good as feeling good feels ... isn't that what this journey is all about?

Today, I am making a commitment to staying on track. I know that I will falter now and again, and I won't ever truly be rid of those old bad habits, but if I stay mindful to their existence and have the will power to control them, I will succeed.  

EAT ORGANIC and manage PCOS!

I've been struggling lately with the milk delima because so many sites say that ladies with PCOS shouldn't eat dairy products. Why??

 

I have been researching the question for about a week and the results startled me and made me realize exactly why dairy is so dangerous for me ... :(

 

The bottom line to my research is that milk, cheese, and butter contain an alarming amount of hormones in them. I've heard that all my life but until this week, never made the connection. My dad always said that the reason I had big breasts was because he always fed me lots of milk and chicken. That essentially, hormones make women mature faster, hit puberty faster, and they make us bigger ( . ) ( . )    .... lol.

 

Those hormones may make our girlies bigger, but they may also do a lot of harm. ( Girls hitting puberty at 9 can't be a good thing.) And when it comes to those of us with PCOS, we already struggle everyday to maintain our hormone levels .... so why would we drink something that makes that challenge even greater??

 

Milk, Cheese, and butter contain DHT and progesterone among other hormones. DHT contributes to our hair loss and progesterone promotes infertility. Think about it ... any of us that are familiar with birth control knows that the most active hormone in those medications is progesterone! I have been fighting the hair loss for a long time now and more recently infertility and it kills me to know that I have been drinking something that is thwarting my efforts.

 

But I also came across some interesting literature that organic milk, cheese, and butter don't contain hormone levels as high as the regular dairy products we buy. Many of the PCOSers out there have shunned dairy completely, switching to almond butter and soy milk. But I LOVE butter and milk. Soy milk just isn't the same ... and on top of that ... there is also research that shows the dangers of eating soy. What is a PCOS Gal to do???That's why I am releived that I don't have to give up my favorties ... I just have to fork out my checkbook and pay through the nose for organic dairy. Now ... I am still not going to buy organic cheese. The way my husband chows down on cheese ... we'd go broke ... But I am planning to use it consiously and more sparingly than before. So no more mac-n-cheese for me, just a little garnish for my tacos. When I get a hankering for milk, I will reach for the organic and since my diet now calls for such limited amounts of butter, the organic brands won't hurt my feelings.

 

I'm not done researching meats though. I know that there are hormones present in cattle and chickens to make them grow bigger faster, which I suspect also affects my hormone levels ... but more research is needed.

However, one thing is certain, organic, at least in meat and dairy, is safer for those of us in the world who have a hormone inballance. Lesson learned ... it's time for another change in my life and diet ... but I don't think that this change will be a huge bump on my journey ... though my wallet may not agree.

Grocery Shopping

Last night, I went grocery shopping after work and I found some excellent finds in the health food section. I have to share all of these amazing finds with you. Yes, we are supposed to limit carbs, but from time to time, a little treat within reason can't hurt ... and those Kashi Steamer meals are good anytime. It's all about balance and we need good carbs to live a balanced life ... these options have helped me stay on track and keep away from the cupcakes and deep-dish pizza.




AMAZING FIND #1:
Kashi's Oatmeal Dark Chocolate Soft-Baked Cookies!
Okay Okay, so they don't taste like traditional cookies. But I have to say, after not having cookies for over 6 months, it was exactly what I needed to satisfy a craving. Yes they are sweetened, but with all natural honey which isn't bad for us PCOSers. Not only that, they are made with stone rolled oats. I had ONE ... yes, just one ... everything in moderation, even the good stuff.





AMAZING FIND #2:
Kashi's Roasted Vegetable Thin Crust Pizza!
Kashi has done it yet again with this amazing pizza. Got a craving for some pizza pie? Oh, this will curb this craving.
Whole GRAIN crust, all natural ingredients, it doesn't get better than that!

AMAZING FIND #3:
Kashi's Steam Meals!
Gotta love Kashi .... These steam meals are packed with protein, what us PCOSers use for energy! They take 4.5 minutes to cook in the microwave and are delicious, which make them perfect for my dinner at work when I don't have a lot of time and don't feel like cooking. Hey, it's how to manage my PCOS realistically for me.

AMAZING FIND #4:
Cascadian Farm Organic Kids Cinnamon Crunch!
Whole grain cereal with CINNAMON! If you've read my previous post on cinnamon, then you already know about what cinnamon can do for PCOS. I am very excited about this find. A small bowl with some organic milk and a half a banana. Yup, that's a great breakfast. For that perfect PCOS breakfast, sprinkle some flavor-free protein powder on your cereal. (Yes, it is hard to find). Or if you're like me and don't like cereal in the morning ... a small bowl will make a perfect snack at the end of the night.

Hair Solution Day One Review

I finally got my Clinicure in the mail this week and I was so excited to try it out on my hair.
So here is my "Day One" review:

• I like that the bottles are labeled steps 1,2,&3. It helps someone like me who will forget over time.
• The cleanse smells amazing ... kinda minty and like green tea.
• The nourish is a bit thick and I was worried I didn't put enough on my hair. ... but it seemed to do okay.
• I was worried that the rescue bottle was going to wet my hair down too much to style ... but I worked it in with my fingers and it soaked right in. 

After all of the applications, I have to say, I can actually see the difference. I'm not saying that I grew hair instantly, but one of the steps claims to make hair look fuller and make the scalp the best condition it can be for fuller looking hair. Usually, I have to play with my hair for a while and put a light spritz of hair spray in it to hide the thin spots .... today .... I didn't need to play or spritz at all!! I am so excited to see what the difference will be at the end of the trial period.    :)

Cinnamon .... A Treatment for PCOS?

I read a study today about cinnamon and it's medicinal effects on PCOS and diabeties.

Essentially, cinnamon is linked with the reduction of blood sugar and the management of insulin levels. Check out the article here.

I am intrigued about this, especially after hearing my friend Juan's account about how ginger has all but cured his gout problems. ... Not only that, but my friend Rubina also has her husband using ginger tea to help with his shingle pain.

With all of the things that God creates for us to use ... why wouldn't he create some things that would cure  our ailments? It is common knowledge that many of the wonderful medicines that doctors use today were found growing naturally in the rain forrest or from a particular hair that grows on the nose of a unique animal. God gave us all of the plants and animals on this Earth for our use ... to consume to nourish our bodies and for us to protect. I love the fact that our our Lord gives us all we need on this Earth.

Has anyone out there tried this out? Did it work for you?

Six Month Mark and a Milestone!

I have been working hard these past 6 months and it's paying off.

The diet isn't that bad really ... I like the food and I LOVE vegetables .... the hard part is staying with it. There are so many temptations out there, so many influences to get you off track. Come on, let's have a slice of cake ... come on, just one bite wont hurt you! NO NO NO NO NO!

Just say NO as Nancy Reagan would say .... or Just Keep Moving as Michelle Obama would recommend ... the only good part of that administration. haha.

But today I weighed in as I do every saturday and I have reached an AMAZING goal of mine, one when I started this journey, I couldn't have hoped for. ... I lost another 3.4lbs. Which means that I am down a total of 42lbs. in six months.

That number already sounds huge to me, but lets put this number into perspective.

When I started this journey, I was the heaviest I've ever been. Weighing in at 210lbs. I was HUGE!
Now at 168lbs., I have lost 20% of my body mass!!!!!! Who does that??? ME!

I've lost 20% in 6 months ... at home with nothing more than a simple change in diet. WOW!

Not only that ... I've lost enough weight to move me out of the obesity category and into the delightfully overweight category.

Lew-Ann told me to accomplish about 5% -10% loss for the year ... that little bit would help my condition ... but no, I'm only half way through the year and have lost 20% AND I'm not obese anymore!!

I still have another 6 months to go, I can't wait to see the look on Lew-Ann's face when I weigh in at my one year mark. I am so excited today .... nothing can affect my mood today.

Make Small Changes and WIN BIG

When I first started my diet, OMG .... I ate nothing but grilled chicken salad with a tablespoon of light Italian Vinaigrette, grilled chicken with a side of broccoli or squash, hot wings (Mmmmm Carb Free), and peaches for snacks. .... It wasn't helping my energy levels (I didn't know about protein yet, though the chicken helped a little bit). As I learned more and more, the more I learned that there was a better way.
How defeating it was to think my whole life was going to consist of bland, tasteless food ... not including the hot wings of course (YUMMY).
The closest I came to breaking down over food was when my husband and I went grocery shopping .... I thought, mmmmmmm juice. I was always raised thinking juice was a health food and I always prided myself that I would grab a glass of cranberry juice when dad grabbed a Pepsi, though I drank my fair share of that too. .... I grabbed my favorite blend, cranberry/blueberry juice. And, like I was told, flipped it over to read the label. .... The sugars were sky high and the fiber was completely gone, removed in the juicing process. My husband got onto me for even thinking I could have juice.
I felt tears come to my eyes as I put the juice down .... for the rest of my life, the only things I can drink is water, un-sweet tea, and black coffee. :(

So for the next month, that's all I drank ... and I ate mostly veggies and meat .... and I lost 12 lbs!

But life isn't about diets ... It's about living and living healthy. There had to be a way to eat what I love and still live healthy. My problem was that I didn't know how to prepare healthy meals or where to even begin. So I started researching good carbs hoping to bring back in some of my old favorites.

I don't have to give up the things I love! I may not lose weight as quickly as I did before, but life is more enjoyable. I think at this point, I'm trying to find a balance. I am having a lot of meals that aren't bad for me, I just need to cut back these good carb meals back to about 1 or 2 meals a week and focus on low carb the rest of the week .... right now I'm around 4-5 good carb meals a week, and frankly, I haven't been paying close attention to my Carb Budget. If I just started doing that, I think the weight would start falling off again. .... And this week is the week! I am going to focus on behaving and kicking my discipline back in.

But here it is, my list of simple switches so you can enjoy your favorites every now and then:




1. TACO TACO, BURRITO, BURRITO, TACO TACO.
Switch out soft shelled tacos for hard shelled tacos at Taco Bell and save yourself TONS of carbs. Not to mention, corn is a whole grain and better for us.
When making tacos at home however, the best thing to do is go with a high fiber soft shell taco or low carb soft shell taco.





2. BURGERS AND HOTDOGS
You can buy whole grain buns if you want to be apart of a group, but if it's just you and the family, put the burgers and dogs on a slice of whole grain bread. Seriously, read that package ... buns have a lot more carbs in them than slices of bread. And remember, they are whole grain, so they won't affect your blood sugar the way white bread would.





3. PASTA
There are three types of pasta available for us: Whole Grain Pasta (in the regular pasta aisle), Quinoa Pasta (Health food section), and Brown Rice Pasta (Health food section). But still try and limit your intake of carbs for that meal. Pass on the garlic bread and start the meal with a side salad so you won't gorge on the deliciousness of pasta.





4. PIZZA
Kashi now makes a 7 grain frozen pizza covered with veggies. Again, you should have a side salad to lower your carb intake for the meal. ... It's no Dominoes, but hey, it's yummy. .... And if you want to burn a cheat day and have pizza ordered in, stick with thin and crispy and you'll save a ton ... but remember, have hot wings or salad on the side to lessen your carb intake for the night.




5. BISCUITS
SYKE! There's no good substitute that I've found for the delicious buttery goodness of biscuits ... but I'll keep looking ... though it doesn't look good. And BTW, I haven't found a good cookie either.

PCOS RECIPE: Portobello Mushroom Spaghetti

Ingredients:

• Prego Light Smart Traditional Sauce (It is low in sugar, however, some organic brands have even less if you're willing to fork out the dough)
• Cup of Baby Bella Mushrooms (chopped to desired size)
• 1lb. of lean ground beef OR1/2lb. of lean ground beef and 1/2lb. of Italian sausage
• Oregano to taste
• Minced Garlic to taste
• Olive Oil
• 1 Box of Quinoa Pasta, Brown Rice Pasta, or Whole Grain Pasta

Directions:

Boil a pot of water for the pasta and cook to directions on box.

In a skillet, put a tablespoon of olive oil and add mushrooms. Cook for about 5 minutes and add minced garlic. Cook for an additional 2 minutes until aromatic. Remove from heat and place to the side. 

In a skillet, put a tablespoon of olive oil and add ground meat, garlic, and oregano. Cook till meat is cooked through.

In a pot, combine sauce, meat, and mushrooms. Heat on low for 10 minutes, stirring frequently. 

Assemble on plate and top with some cheese ... Mmmmmmm. 

What makes this a PCOS friendly recipe is the fact that the sauce is lean and low sugar and the pasta is whole grain which makes our bodies happy! For an even healthier meal, make a small bowl of pasta and proceed dinner with a small salad. That'll cut your carb intake for this meal by 25-30%.

Developing Your PCOS Plan of Attack

When facing any medical condition: Education is important!!!! I have learned that doctors won't always share the specifics of your issue with you or take the time to fully educate you in the office. Hey, their day is hectic and there are more patients to see. The best thing that Lew-Ann (my midwife) told me to do, was to go and research it for myself and started me off with some literature to read ... along with her reccommendation for a course of treatment, which in my case was diet and exercise.

That's something that us PCOSers need to learn. We have to be our own advocate and take our course of treatment on for ourselves.

Don't forget, the doctors we deal with are not general practicioners, they are OBGYN's and midwives ... they are in a business, and while, yes, their business is health, it is also to make MONEY. The simple fact is, there isn't any money in telling a patient to go home and diet.

Think about the other patients they see every day. How many women have I known that have had C-Sections when it could have been avoided, been induced because the doctor pushed them before time, had every-other week ultrasounds to test for a complication that happens to <.002% of women?? These doctors will find any excuse, any scare tactic, to keep women in their office, play by their schedule, and keep us on the meds they get a kick back from. You have to keep in mind, you may have one of the few doctors in the country that are 100% there for you and what's in your best interest .... but sadly, the only person you can really trust to keep your best interests at heart IS YOU!

   

I came up with my own course of treatment after doing a great deal of research. While I immediately started my crash diet per my physician's advise, I was able to tweek my course of action as I learned more. 

Think about it ... most mother's-to-be develop a "birth plan" because there is simply so many ways to have a child these days. Some people with arthritis or gout swear that drinking a glass of ginger tea cures their aches while others swear by their medication. From this point on, your "PCOS plan" is unique to you and should be developed after seaking medial advice and after doing extensive research.

I can't count how many hours I spent reading books, blogs, pamphlets, and medical references before my final "PCOS Plan" was finished, and I have to say, it's far from complete. For me, I do the research and then play a game of trial and error to find the right way for me. It's like being back at school again ... cracking the books at the end of the night as if cramming for an exam. There are TONS of medical websites out there that deal with the topic of PCOS and methods of teatment. Unfortunately, the most frustrating site to navigate around in is WebMD. ... though it is always worth a look.

So Here's My PCOS Plan:

• For the first year, approach with diet and exercise. Goal is to lose 15% of total body mass in 12 months or 31.5lbs.
• Monitor blood sugar once or twice a day using a diabetic testing kit. Readings in the morning should be around 75 and two hours after lunch, should be around 95-105. If high, pinpoint foods that may have triggered increased blood sugar levels. (I got a reader at WalMart that didn't cost that much)
• Be concious of carbohydrates. ... avoid white carbs and have whole grains in strict moderation. Limit intake to 30g or less per day. (subtracting fiber)
• On simi-cheat days (earned once a week) limit intake to 60g or less for the day. (Subtracting fiber)
• On full blown cheat days (earned every other week) limit intake to 110g or less for the day. (subtracting fiber)
• Protein, Protein, Protein! Attempt to get in around 40-50g per day of protein with the bulk intake at breakfast.
• Veggies, Veggies, Veggies, and Fruit!!! Veggies and fruit do not contribute to "Carb Budget" for the day.
• Milk debate: Milk is okay in moderation. It provides levels of calcuim that are essential to my diet. ... I will revisit the milk debate down the road as I do more research.
• NO SODA OR JUICE ... it wouldn't fit into my "Carb Budget" anyway.
• Have 3-4 days a week of moderate, light exercise to start. ... on own schedule, increase intensity and duration.
• After one year of diet and exercise, tests for androgen levels and insulin/sugar levels. Weight will be measured in % of body mass lost and period cycles as well as other symptoms will be discussed and checked for improvement. If all readings and symptoms have subsided ... no medication will be required. HOWEVER: if I am unable to manage the weightloss or hormone balance, metformin will be required along with other possible medicinal treatments.

*** I have already met the first goal *** I am already down over 18% of my body mass .... so I am certain that Lew-Ann will be pleasantly surprised. :)

Protein: The PCOS gal's best energy friend

PROTEIN:

Okay, so we don't get energy from sugar and most kinds of carbohydrates. .... so where do we get our energy from??

If you have PCOS, you might have noticed a distinct lack of energy. There are just days where you can't seem to get going. Everybody has days like that, but they come more frequently for us. ... Well, after much research and some dumb luck stumbling onto some very helpful posts .... the answer is protein.

Low GI carbohydrates will aid in energy, but not more than protein can. Studies show that we should be getting 50g a day. For us with PCOS, we should be getting around 20 of those grams at breakfast to jumpstart our day, and incorporate the rest throughout the day in snacks, meat, cheese, eggs, and other sources. If your energy is low, ask yourself "did I have any protein in my breakfast this morning" ... if the answer is no, you know try to have it the next day and see the difference.

Not only does it give you energy it will promote weight loss because of the science behind it. When we are low in energy, our bodies look for immediate satisfaction ... so your body will begin to crave sugar. As you know by now, sugar is our enemy! By getting your protein in right away, you'll avoid that mid-day sugar cravings that leads to weight gain.

Many people get stuck in the routine of eating bacon and eggs every morning to get the protein in. And that works, but if your like me and want to try and limit the fatty foods and prefer a sweet fruit breakfast, try having a made at home smoothie or a home-made protein bar.

For smoothies: add a half a banana, 1 scoop of protein powder (vanilla), some berries, crushed ice, and a splash of water. ..... or substitute the berries for some peanut butter and coco for a mini-meal later in the day for a much anticipated treat! Most brands of protein powder contain around 25g of protein ... and WOW what a boost!

Click for the perfect recipe for home-made protein bars!

PCOS RECIPE: Chicken Panini

Ingredients:

1. One large chicken breast cut into thin, short strips
2. 1/2 red bell pepper cut into thin, short strips
3. Baby bella mushrooms, about 1/2 cup, cut into cubes
4. Fresh spinach
5. Oregano
6. Minced garlic, about 2 cloves worth
7. Garlic salt
8. 1 slice of whole grain bread per person, slightly toasted
9. 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese
10. Splash of milk
11. Olive Oil

In a skillet, heat about a tablespoon of olive oil and add red bell pepper. Cook through till soft, about 6-9 minutes ... add additional oil if needed. Remove from heat and place to the side.
In a large skillet, heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil and put in chicken, spinach, and mushrooms with a dash of garlic salt and oregano. Cook on medium until chicken is almost cooked through. (Spinach and mushrooms will shrink considerably so keep that in mind when adding ingredients.) Right before chicken is done cooking add a tablespoon of minced garlic and finish cooking. Mix in cooked red bell pepper.
In a separate pan, throw in 1/2 cup of the cheese with a splash of milk and heat on medium until melted.
On toasted bread, put desired amount of chicken mixture and top with melted cheese.

Now some studies show that dairy isn't good for PCOSers, but I haven't seemed to have a problem with it personally and since it is low in carbs, I gladly continue to add it to my dishes. However, I did try this dish without the cheese and it is still good, so for hard core PCOSers, leave it off. Above is the glamour picture of a chicken panini ( of course the french bread had to get the boot) and below is a picture of my finished product. I served it with sauteed broccoli with garlic. I steamed it till almost done then finished it on the stove with a little olive oil and minced garlic. YUMMY!

Hair Hair Everywhere!

One of the most difficult things us PCOSers have to face is our issues with hair.

At first we notice the hair growth. It's worse for some than others and if you find your case is particularly bad, you should do some research into hyerandrogenism. Every PCOS gal is different, but one thing is certain, we just have to be good groomers. My husband isn't even aware of all the maintenance I do to myself, and he doesn't have to fully know. But a set of tweezers and a magnifying mirror go a long way. If it is so defeating, I came across a lot of blogs that recommend laser hair removal. I would strongly recommend this if you are one of those women with the full on black mustache or beard. 

Luckily, I only suffer from minor problems under my chin and on my belly button. About 10 minutes of plucking once a week or every other week takes care of that. 

The truth is, hair growth is easy to take care of .... what makes us cry is the hair loss.

Hair loss is depressing, if not completely crushing. You tell yourself that it isn't that bad, that no one notices. Last week someone commented on how thick my hair was ... it gave me hope that I was doing well. 

I noticed the loss for the first time when I was 18. My husband, then boyfriend, first noticed when I was 19. He said that I was looking a little thinner on top .... and he was right. 

I immediately went and got some Rogain for Women and put it on religiously. Unfortunately, it didn't work at all, no matter how much I wanted it to. ... Then I gave up telling myself that when I was 30 I'd just go in to Bosley and get a transplant. 

You can research more on the specifics of hair loss for PCOSers, but here's the short story ....

We lose hair the same way men do. For most women, there are many different factors that cause hair loss, but fortunately for us ... I know it doesn't seem like it ... we lose hair like men. We have higher levels of testosterone whose byproduct is DHT. DHT chokes off circulation to our hair and causes it to thin out ... and eventually fall out. However, the hair on the sides of our head and the back of our heads aren't sensitive to DHT. Because of that, hair can be transplanted from those areas to the tops of our heads for a permanent solution. 

However, because of the cost of such procedures, we should try to skirt that cost with preventative treatment. The only difference between Rogain for Women and Rogain for Men is the medication content. They don't want women using the men's brands because it is absorbed through the skin causing hair growth in other places. But guess what .... we have PCOS so that is already a problem we deal with!

Since Rogain didn't work for me, I am trying some other products right now and I will post the results down the road. Right now I just bought Joico Clinicure Kit Natural Advanced Thinning Hair Solutions because it was recommended by Amy at PCOSDiva. I'm hoping it works. If anyone has another method that's working for them, let me know, I'll try anything.

I have spent a great deal of time researching hair transplants and there is a new technology out there that all of us PCOSers should know about. It's called a FUE-NEOGRAFT. The traditional transplant is where they cut a one centimeter by 7 in strip out of the back of your head and staple the wound closed. Then they remove the hairs one by one and move them to the top of your head. You are left with a severe scar that hopefully your hair will cover ... but sometimes it doesn't. Recovery is long and painful ... but now with the FUE/NEOGRAFT there is no need to cut the strip out.
It works by using a vacuum. They place the needle around a hair and suck it out root and all. Then the put the needle in the location they want the hair to go and then use reverse vacuuming to put it in. Bosley doesn't have this technology yet, in Atlanta at least, but other places do like HRS in Atlanta. It's cheaper and the recovery time is reduced! Not only that, there isn't a scar. Can't beat that!!

PCOS RECIPE: Lemon Pepper Tilapia

Ingredients:

• Package of fresh tilapia
• Brown Rice flour (Bob's Red Mill brand is sold at Wal-Mart and Kroger)
• Lemon Pepper Seasoning or Seasoned Salt (depending on what kind of fish flavor you desire)
• Stick of butter divided into 1 tablespoon measurements. (for the hard core PCOSers, use almond butter .... but I just can't seem to kick dairy).

Directions:

Take a bowl and mix four parts flour to one part seasoning (either lemon-pepper or seasoned salt). Make a small mixture, you can add more if you need it ... if you get the seasoning at CostCo, BJ's, or Sam's Club, you'll save a bundle .... that goes for the fish as well.

Dip the fish in a splash of water to make them moist and coat with the flour mixture.

Heat a skillet and melt a tablespoon of butter into the bottom of the pan. Place fish into pan (about 3-4 filets) and cook on high for three minutes (med-high if using electric stove) and remove from pan. Cool down the pan or use a second pan while the other cools off. Heat the cooled pan on high and melt one tablespoon of butter into the bottom (if using a second pan you can heat it up in the last 30 seconds of cooking side one). Cook on high for three minutes and viola! you have a delicious fish dish filled with Omega-3s, good carbs, and yes a bit of butter too. Yummy.
For each side, make sure the pan is cooled before starting the next because that butter is unforgiving and will burn quickly .... I don't know how many times I sent my husband running to fan the smoke detector. lol.

Serve with a side of vegetables and maybe some brown rice. Everyone agrees ... YUMMY. Five Stars

Get a Health Partner!

My "fat" friends from over the years will tell you that most of the time they fail in their dieting efforts because they didn't have anyone that supported their efforts and pushed them to stick with it when they needed it.
It's hard to stick to a diet when your spouse or best friends say they want to order pizza two days after you started the diet "that I swear is gonna work this time". ... We have so many people all around us that will crinkle their noses and say ... "diet, your on another new diet?" ... "wow, all your gonna have is baked chicken and broccoli for lunch?" .... "one cupcake won't hurt" .... and my favorite "you're shopping the health food section, what a waste of money".
Yup, the critics are everywhere. Even when they say nothing at all, you can see the words plastered all over their faces .... but let me tell you, they aren't giving you that look because you are doing anything wrong ... they are giving you that look because they want you to fail. They don't want the fat girl to lose weight ... it's that simple. The more we learn and the healthier we get, the more we want to share what we've learned.
But be careful, people don't want the fat chick to tell them how to eat, they don't want to change the way they are living. Essentially, by setting you up to fail or putting down what you learned, they are protecting the choices they are making because THEY don't want to put down the cupcakes. They want to be confident that the cupcake won't hurt THEM.

That is why it is so important to have a health BUDDY that supports you!!

When I started diets in the past, my husband was always the bad influence that got me off of it. .... Let's face it .... we were both the bad influences on my diet ..... I'd lose 8 - 10lbs and quit. The moment I said, hey let's go to Dairy Queen ... "I'm IN" he'd say and that would be the end of it. .... off the wagon I'd fall, go rolling down the hill into the river of soda on my raft of white bread. Okay, so it may be bad imagery, but it's true.
But, when I first got my full diagnosis from Lew-Ann, Stephen looked at me and said "okay, no more games, it's time to make real changes". He took me out for my last meal for lunch that day, and even then with the shocking news, I couldn't eat many things on my plate just thinking about what it was doing to me. Every grain of rice on my plate looked like a grain of fat that would wind up on my gut. ...
That's when I knew my life would change forever. I got no joy out of that food ... lunch was a disaster.

Since then, when I want to break down and eat some cookies, Stephen will smile, kiss my forehead and say "no" ;) . Not only that, he eats whatever he wants when he's at work or when I'm not around .... or when we go out to eat. But when we are at home preparing meals, he eats what I eat and doesn't complain. He doesn't say, "man, I don't want quinoa pasta with low fat spaghetti sauce and sautéed mushrooms .... I want pizza" .... and he doesn't turn up his nose at my fried chicken coated with garbanzo bean flour with a side of garlic broccoli and steamed squash. He enjoys the food ... it is really good BTW! He doesn't try and get me to snack late at night, instead stopping me when I want one.

You need that support to stick with it and the self discipline not to convince them you have earned a cheat when you haven't. I've been guilty of that a few times. :)

If your husband/boyfriend isn't helping ... find a daughter, sister, mother, or friend you can buddy up with. Call or visit them on a consistent basis .... and get your family involved as well. For my family members that hate the idea of my diet, I pick the best recipes I've found and invite them over for dinner. I wait until the very end of the meal and ask them what they thought ... then reveal that everything they ate was 100% organic and healthy for them. ... The looks of shock and surprise never ceases to satisfy me ... I get lots of "what did you say that was?" ... "what kind of pasta was that?" .... "wow, I would have never known that was not regular white flour!".

Your buddy will eventually start to exercise with you too when you're ready. I'm just about there, I am now doing light exercise a few times a week after work with my buddy and we're doing well.

Challenge Two: Kicking Bad Carbohydrates!

We started kicking sugar in challenge one by cutting out soda ... the hardest of the sugary treats to kick. The easy sugars to cut, at least for me, were desserts and candy. I didn't even have to think about those things and I really only miss them from time to time. The other easy thing to do is to read the labels on everything! You have put yourself on a Carb "Budget" for the day and you have to spend that budget wisely. Things like sauces and dressings can be high in sugary carbs, so READ THE LABEL, there are similar alternatives available which often have 75% less carbs in it. BEWARE OF SWEET AND SOUR SAUCE!

It is important to note that you are entitled to cheat days and I'll talk about cheating in a later entry. But until I post it, my short answer is to limit cheating, at least in the beginning of your journey, to one meal a week. Mmmmm .... pizza. :)

KICKING BAD CARBOHYDRATES!

But this entry, I am focusing on the complete carbohydrate picture. 

Carbohydrates are made up of three things: Sugars, Fibers, and Starch. Sugar and fiber are listed individually on the label, so when you subtract them from the Total Carbohydrates, that will give you the starch content.  If the label says that it has 10g of "Total Carbohydrates", 2g of "Fiber", and 2g of "Sugar" ... then that means that there are 6g of starches. 

Fiber is different: Sugars and starches are what raise your blood sugar ... not fiber. For us PCOSers, the short answer is that we are concerned with are sugars and starches. When you first begin your journey, it's best to leave it that simple.What you'll want to do is subtract fiber from total carbs to get the true damage to your daily Carb Budget. So for the example listed above, the true damage is 8g (10g Total - 2g Fiber). 

The carbohydrate discussion is very complicated and if you are just beginning your journey, try and stay within your budget and live by one rule .... if it's white, it ain't right. Also, just like weight watchers, fruits and vegetables do not contribute to your daily Carb Budget. These are naturally occurring foods made directly from God himself. As such, these foods do not affect your blood sugar the way that prepared and processed foods can. However, it is important to note .... if you want fruit .... eat the whole fruit, once it is squozen into juice, you can't have it. 

Fruit Juice is BAD!: Growing up I was always told that juice was good for you. WRONG! A whole piece of fruit contains fibers and natural sugars, which together make it a great snack for us PCOSers. But when you juice a piece of fruit, you are removing all of the pulp aka:fiber and leaving all of the sugar behind. Ask any diabetic out there .. juice is a no no. 

If it's white it ain't right: White starches indicate that it has a high GI (Glycemic Index) rating. A food's GI rating is the best indicator for whether it is going to affect your blood sugar. Listed below are some High GI (usually simple carbs) and Low GI (usually complex carbs) examples. NEVER eat the things from the top and eat the things on the bottom in moderation. 

HIGH GI CARBS:

1. White Bread

2. Enriched white flour

3. White rice

4. Regular white flour pasta

5. Potatoes

6. Sugar!!!

7. High Fructose Corn Syrup

8. Instant oat meal

9. Potato Chips

LOW GI CARBS:

1. Whole GRAIN bread (not whole wheat)

2. Alternative flours such as oat flour and brown rice flour

3. Stone rolled oats (not the instant kind)

4. Corn (MODERATION PLEASE)

5. Quinoa (a grain often made into pasta)

6. Brown rice (milled into flour, prepared like rice, and also made into pasta)

7. Agave Nectar (It's a natural alternative to sugar... organic please)

8. Honey (A natural alternative to sugar ... organic please)

If you are eating carbs from the bottom list, they still go against your daily Carb Budget ... but you have a little more leeway because it works like this:

When you eat a high GI foods, your body tries to convert it to energy and when it can't it is stored as fat. When you eat a low GI foods, your body processes it more slowly cutting out the need for insulin to process it. 

The bottom line is: YOU GET ENERGY FROM LOW GLYCEMIC INDEX (GI) CARBS!!!

I am still learning more and more about what foods are good to eat, but I have noticed a HUGE difference in my energy levels by making some simple switches in what I eat. 

STOP EATING FOODS THAT GIVE YOU NOTHING BUT BELLY FAT! WHY WOULD YOU EAT IT IF IT GIVES YOU NOTHING IN RETURN??? If you can answer that question, you can begin to heal. If you answered the way I did, that it made me feel happy to eat it ... you can heal that emotional bond with food. But simply knowing what those foods were doing to me gave me strength against those emotional attachments to food. 

The first couple of weeks on my diet, I ate nothing by grilled chicken and vegetables. I lost a lot of weight, but that kind of diet isn't sustainable, especially as social as I am. I am now at a level where I am not losing 5-6lbs a week, I'm losing more like 1-2lbs or less a week, but my diet is more easily accomplished and satisfying. And we all want to enjoy or food. :D  

Challenge One: Kicking Soda

My biggest fear in life had always been kicking my soda habit.
I always knew that if I got pregnant or was trying to become pregnant, I would need to kick the soda out of my life.


But first a little background on how PCOS works to explain why this first step is so crucial!

PCOS often begins, as in my case, with an insulin resistance. Your body makes plenty of insulin but your body doesn't use it properly. So when you eat more sugar and simple carbs, your body produces more and more insulin trying to process it. Normally, insulin breaks down sugars and carbs so that it can enter your cells and be used for energy. But for us PCOS gals, we end up with high levels of blood sugar, high levels of insulin, AND low levels of energy. And on top of it, because the sugars and carbs aren't being used for energy, it get's stored on our bodies as FAT. This is why us PCOS gals are so plump (to put it kindly). Because we aren't getting any energy from these foods, our bodies will crave more and more seeking energy ... and the cycle continues as we get larger.
To add insult to injury, insulin is a hormone (not many people know that) and when one hormone in your body is out of whack, it makes all of the other hormones in your body go crazy too. ... so we get moody!
When testosterone goes high and estrogen goes low, cycles become irregular causing cysts to form on our ovaries (not everyone with PCOS, including myself have this side effect) and hair grows in a falls out in places it shouldn't. Fertility ends up being a strong issue because of this. In addition, the hormones responsible for our moods go crazy ... and frankly, so do we. Our spouses and boyfriends can attest to this.
HOWEVER, there IS HOPE!!! If we can eliminate the foods that trigger the insulin production and eat things that actually provide us with energy (protein), then the insulin levels will regulate. When that happens, all of the other hormones will follow suit.

So the types of food to avoid are foods high in sugar and simple carbohydrates. Sugar is the easy one ... simply cut it out. Simply set yourself a goal of 40g of carbohydrates or less a day, and then a separate goal for "cheat" days such as 60g-70g. With that range you can have most things but not completely blow your diet. I personally try and keep my intake to 30g or less and cheat days are limited to 60g.

We'll talk about simple and complex carbs in a later blog ... it takes a whole segment to explain.

The single highest culprit of sugar is SODA! It is the best first thing to cut out ... yet because of the caffeine, it is also the hardest thing to cut out.

KICKING SODA:

Because us PCOS gals are naturally low in energy, as a whole we seek caffeine to battle this problem. But there are better ways ... there will be a future blog on Protein, the PCOS gal's energy friend.

Tip: Keep Ibuprofen with you at all times!! You will need it, trust me. I haven't had a real soda since the day I was fully diagnosed with PCOS six months ago. And I don't regret the decision at all.

The days will be difficult. At the time I had wished that I had chosen some days off for the first three days, but in the end, it was better to be somewhere I couldn't just break down and drink a soda.
Day one was okay ... I was tired and irritable and needed a sip of soda to get through the day ... a move I regretted.
The second day my head was pounding, I don't think I ever had a worse headache. I couldn't open my eyes and had to take my glasses off because the handles and nose-pieces pinched too hard. I didn't have any headache medicine on me and I thought I was going to give in and buy a soda. When I tried to kick soda before, this day is always when I failed. Since I work at an airport, I broke down and purchased Ibuprofen at a kiosk for $4 a dose .... best $4 I ever spent!
The third day I was smart, I started the day with a dose of Ibuprofen and had an un-sweet tea at lunch. It had just enough caffeine to make me happy and with no sugar or calories, it's a fantastic PCOS drink. .... for those of us used to sweet tea, the bitter taste is hard to get used to and please refrain from the artificial sweeteners as much as possible, but if you must, use stevia. I barely made it through, but I got through the third day.
The fourth day I drug myself out of bed and ate lunch, but by the end of the day, I felt better.
On the fifth day, I was free of soda and feeling better than ever.

Nothing worth having is ever easy, and being soda free is so worth it.
Not only that, the first week after my PCOS diagnosis and kicking soda ... I lost 5 lbs.!

Every now and then when I need a boost, I have a Pepsi Max or Coke Zero. But these should be kept to an absolute minimum ... but if you must, they are a good alternative .... but beware, those artificial sweeteners will slow or halt your weight loss. I'm not sure why it does, but from experience, it does. Some things are what they are.

THE DIAGNOSIS IS SCARY!

If you know me personally, I must warn you that there will be some things revealed in this blog that are very personal in nature. It is scary for me to share them, but after meeting some people that share in my struggle, they have asked me to share my journey publicly in the hopes of helping others. Unfortunately, that means that some things that I have kept very private are going to be put on display for all to see.

It may be uncomfortable for me to write, and uncomfortable for my friends and family to read, but here it is ... it's all on the line. 

I'm not doing this because I want to sound superior to anyone else. I'm not doing this because I think I'm better than anyone else. I'm not doing this because I think I've found all of the answers. I'm doing this because I have seen what a small change can make in one life, and my hope is that my friends, family, and those that end up finding and following this blog will not only take from my journey, but add to it as well. Comments are welcome and things you have found that work for you are welcome to be shared. 

I want everyone to know that because PCOS is scary at first, I am offering to chat privately as well should you be looking for support. At anytime, email me at jackson.ashley524@gmail.com. I'll be there to listen, offer advise, or to take it should you have suggestions.

And here is the first entry:

THE DIAGNOSIS IS SCARY!

The physician you choose is essential. So many doctors and midwives out there either don't know about the condition, or won't focus on the entire picture. This is my journey with my diagnosis, some will be shocked and others, will find a familiar set of circumstances. ...
When I was 16, my mother became increasingly concerned that my cycle was irregular and insisted that I take a trip to the doctor to get checked out. At my very first appointment, my physician insisted that I start taking birth control to regulate my cycles. She didn't offer any explanation ... just a simple daily pill to fix it. Of course, as a 16 year old girl, I didn't ask why ... my whole life I've always been offered pills to fix a condition, and why should my cycles be any different.
HOWEVER ... I have to praise God that I also had a stomach condition and am not allowed to take pills that are processed in my stomach. After taking my pills for years, I started waking up in the morning with "morning sickness". After several years of dealing with my belly aches and pains, it occurred to me that it may be caused by my pills. I did give the doctor my medical history didn't I. Wouldn't someone catch on along the way that I shouldn't be taking a pill I wasn't supposed to?? I decided that I would bring it up with my midwife on my check up ... and wouldn't you know it ... several years of checkups and exams, no one caught the little mention in my file about my stomach condition to see that I was not supposed to be taking pills that absorbed in the stomach! So after discussing my options (me hiding my anger at my doctors) we decided that we would try Nuvoring ... the ONLY option to regulate my cycles while also having a medication that absorbed in the liver.
That's the first time I heard of Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome. This is because right before we talked about the new meds, I suggested that I simply stop taking the medications at all and to see what happened. I didn't need to take them from birth control standpoint ... no need ... I just needed it to regulate my system. "Let's just see what happens" I said "you don't know, maybe the situation has resolved itself" ... "I don't like taking them anyway because the effect my moods anyway". That's when she dropped the bomb ... I had PCOS. She said with my condition I would be stupid to stop taking my medication! Stupid??? PCOS???
???????
She said that they knew from day one that I had this condition. "What does that mean??" I asked. She said that it was a condition that when women do not have regular periods, the tissue in the uterus does not shed and instead decomposes inside the body. When that happens, cancer and ovarian cysts develop making fertility a very real issue. (NOTE: this is only a very small part of the story ... a symptom really, not a cause ... but that info comes later). With my wedding less than a year away, how can I get married in good faith without my spouse knowing if we can have children?
She said not to worry, as long as I took the meds she prescribed, that I would be fine ... that they were "protecting" my womb and my ability to have children. However, she warned that having children would still be difficult and may have to be accomplished with doctor direction and planning.
I took her at her word and left with my script. I paid over $70 a month filling this prescription hoping that one day, I could have children.
I had a discussion with my husband and he said not to worry, kids or no kids, he loved me just the same, and that God would bless us with a life that was child-free or bless us with tons of them. No matter what happened, it would be what He had planned for us and it would all be okay. .... I hate when he's right!
So we paid the bill until one month it went up to $90! We were both, unfortunately, unemployed and had to make a decision. ... we prayed. We felt that it was God's will that I stop taking the medication and put it in his hands. Yet again, God stepped in when we asked for his guidance, he has NEVER steered us wrong.
Over the next year, my cycles were slightly irregular ... however .... I continued to grow. I was always a chubby girl and it got worse with age. Eventually I stopped checking the scale, covering my eyes when I went to the doctor's office when I was sick. I didn't want to know the damage.
Then I hit bottom.

My waistline was to a point where I was about to shelve the size 16's and go to 18's. I broke down into tears in the changing room of JCPenny ... trying to convince myself that I was still attractive ... that I wasn't grossly overweight. My mood was all over the map, flicking from calm to rage in a split second. I know for my husband, life with me was no picnic no matter how much he loved and supported me.

It was time to make a change. That's when God, yet again stepped in ... I got an advertisement in the mail for Douglas Women's Center. My cousin had given birth just a year before with doctors from my office. She said that no matter how many times she insisted that only women see her, they often sent men into the room and refused to listen to her wishes. Because of that I was already inclined to seek new medical care. So, I made an appointment with Lou-Ann.

That's when my life changed forever.

When meeting with Lew-Ann (my husband went with me) ... I didn't look at the scale as usual ... and she sat with me as I described my family and personal medical history. She didn't just scan over what was on the paper, she wanted to hear it from ME! Right when I said that I had been diagnosed with PCOS, she started nodding her head and cut in, saying that everything that I described pointed to that diagnosis. She said "Let me guess, you are the person at the dinner table that eats all of the free rolls and then asks for more". Yup, how did she know???
She ran blood work to confirm the diagnosis (the other doctor didn't do that) and then said, "what do you know about PCOS and how that affects you?". I told her what I was told years ago ... and that's when she smiled and patted my shoulder ... she might as well have said "I'm about to change your life forever". :D

She asked me how I was doing with my decision to stop my meds. I told her that I was struggling with regularity but that I didn't want to go back on them at all. My moods were better but they were still swinging ... my husband had a lot to say about that to Lew-Ann :/.  .... She didn't argue, she honored my decision and then gave me the best thing anyone had EVER GIVEN ME! She handed me a stack of literature and told me that she would STRONGLY recommend that I read them closely and let me know that my condition could be handled with diet alone ... if done properly.
She told me that PCOS was not just about fertility. Too many doctors focus on the fertility issue and don't focus on anything else. But PCOS leads to weight gain, early heart disease, and over 40% of PCOS patients are diabetic by age 40. By not focusing on the whole picture, doctors may get you babies but you end up in an early grave and lead a short hard life. Doctors will often focus on fertility treatments and metformin to control the condition .... but she had a better answer. If I had the discipline to do it on my own, she said that life would be completely different for me ... but so many women fail because they don't take it seriously or they lack the discipline. If I couldn't get my levels under control in one years time, she would begin looking into drug therapies.

The day in her office changed my life forever! Since then, I have lost nearly 40lbs. (six months have passed) simply by sticking to a PCOS friendly diet and getting to know my body and how it responds to what I do and how I feed it. I have six months left to go until my appointment but I am confident that my resolve to change my life will please Lew-Ann and the test results will show that I don't need any form of artificial assistance.

The other strong influence in my journey has been Amy at PCOSDiva.com. She has helped me by leaps and bounds in my journey towards health and I can't thank her enough.

I dedicate this post to both Amy and Lew-Ann. Without them, I don't know where I'd be. This blog will document my journey and how I've become successful. However, the only way to reach your goals is to walk daily with the Prince of Peace.