It has been a long time since I have posted, but all of my sacrifices have paid off...I'M PREGNANT!! We are so excited as anyone might guess. We found out at the end of June while on vacation. I had to take three tests to make sure it wasn't a fluke. Every time we saw that little pink line a wave of excitement and joy swept over us.
I was actually at my parents' house at the time so we decided to tell them right away. I think they were in disbelief because we had been having so much trouble. When my husband called his parents I could hear my mother-in-law screaming through the phone she was so excited.
I am currently 11 weeks and 4 days and everything has been going really well. I even managed to avoid getting morning sickness. Probably the best thing so far was when I was taking a class and was staying with my dad's cousin whose wife is a midwife. She was able to sneak me in the clinic, after hours, free of charge, and take an ultra sound. It's amazing how much movement and detail there is in just 8 weeks! I could see my little baby kicking its leg up, the heart beating away, and I could make out the arms. She was even better and could see the eyes, nose and lips, but I had a hard time seeing that. It was amazing. Thankfully I had my ipad with me so I was able to take video for my husband so he could witness it too! We tried to find the heartbeat, but it was too early to hear. She brought the doppler home a week later and we were able to hear the heartbeat too! It wasn't easy to track down because the baby was so tiny it could swim away. So we would find it for a second and then it would disappear. Finally after about 2 minutes of trying it finally stayed put long enough to really hear it. The heartbeat is about 150, which old wive's tales say is a girl....we will see....
We do want to find out what we're having and we have an actual appointment to hear the heartbeat this week. We're so excited and it's so reassuring every time that everything is ok. Every questionable pain and discomfort always makes me question if everything is going well. Obviously people with PCOS have a much higher rate of miscarriage, but I think that we are almost in the clear. The ultra sound and the doppler really made me relax about having a healthy baby as everything looked so good at that early of a stage.
I encourage all of you readers to listen to my story. I was recently on the PCOS Challenge radio show with my NFP practitioner talking about Natural Family Planning. Besides the fact that I used "um" a lot, I think there is a lot of encouraging things for those of you struggling to conceive. Of course I can't guarantee that everything I did will work for everyone else, but the way I look at it, it's worth a try! http://www.pcoschallenge.com/page/pcos-radio
I want to continue to encourage all of you to not give up hope. I'm going to continue to post on here through pregnancy, and after. I'm curious to see what my hormones do after birth. Sometimes PCOS goes away after child birth, sometimes it comes back with a vengeance. There are lots of unknowns in pregnancy...I think that's what drives me the most crazy!! However, all I know is that things are going well now, and I just thank God for every day of this pregnancy!!
Saturday, August 20, 2011
Friday, July 8, 2011
Diet and PCOS
People often shake their head at me when I turn down the plate of chocolate chip cookies or don't take the huge slice of pizza. I can tell you this wasn't always me. Before I understood PCOS and started trying to conceive I was all about cheetos, pizza, ice cream, and pretty much anything that had anything to do with sugar. In my first year of teaching I lost about 20lbs simply from hardly eating because I was so busy.
It was in grad school that I started understanding myself more and started working out regularly and tried to keep my calories in check. I lost a little weight, but not a lot. When I got the news from my current dr. that conceiving a child was going to be difficult for me I researched everything I could on PCOS. I ran across Diane Kress' book Metabolism Miracle. When I read that this book was specifically for women with insulin resistance I had to have it.
I wasn't sure about the 2 months of low carb dieting, but I made it, and I felt great. I still follow this diet, with my own twist.
I've been doing a lot of reading on preservatives and additives that are in food. The more I read the more I am convinced that a lot of the problems we face as a country can be contributed to these types of foods. That includes those foods that slap low carb on the lable, but are loaded with a bunch of chemicals to replace the carbs. I started really questioning what I was putting in my body.
I started looking at a more whole foods approach. I read books on the way our ancestors ate and how we are so filled with toxins. I fell in love with Whole Foods recipes and started watching ingredients.
I never felt better. I can't be perfect all the time when I'm out to eat, but I feel a lot better knowing exactly what I'm putting into my body and using ingredients instead of microwave meals.
I would suggest checking out Naturally Knocked Up for some ideas of how to get toxins out of your life. I don't think you have to go overboard, but I do believe we live in a constant science experiment in our food.
If anyone has opened the world's eyes up to what's in our food it is Jaime Oliver and the Food Revolution. There are so many excuses we use to eat poorly. If we could just use better excuses to eat right think of where we would be!
So, even when I get the head shakes and the constant prodding of, "Oh one cookie isn't going to hurt you." I'm actually reminded...yes, one cookie will sky rocket my blood sugar! Here's what I've been doing:
Breakfast: Green Smoothie (See whole foods recipe)
Snack: Fruit or handful of nuts
Lunch: Organic Soup (Amy's is the best)
Snack: Fruit or Veggies
Dinner: Anything that is created not thrown in the microwave.
I haven't had dessert in a long time and really don't miss it. I'm not going to lie, it's not always easy, but I'm certainly not going hungry and feel a million times better! That in itself is worth all the eye rolls! :)
It was in grad school that I started understanding myself more and started working out regularly and tried to keep my calories in check. I lost a little weight, but not a lot. When I got the news from my current dr. that conceiving a child was going to be difficult for me I researched everything I could on PCOS. I ran across Diane Kress' book Metabolism Miracle. When I read that this book was specifically for women with insulin resistance I had to have it.
I wasn't sure about the 2 months of low carb dieting, but I made it, and I felt great. I still follow this diet, with my own twist.
I've been doing a lot of reading on preservatives and additives that are in food. The more I read the more I am convinced that a lot of the problems we face as a country can be contributed to these types of foods. That includes those foods that slap low carb on the lable, but are loaded with a bunch of chemicals to replace the carbs. I started really questioning what I was putting in my body.
I started looking at a more whole foods approach. I read books on the way our ancestors ate and how we are so filled with toxins. I fell in love with Whole Foods recipes and started watching ingredients.
I never felt better. I can't be perfect all the time when I'm out to eat, but I feel a lot better knowing exactly what I'm putting into my body and using ingredients instead of microwave meals.
I would suggest checking out Naturally Knocked Up for some ideas of how to get toxins out of your life. I don't think you have to go overboard, but I do believe we live in a constant science experiment in our food.
If anyone has opened the world's eyes up to what's in our food it is Jaime Oliver and the Food Revolution. There are so many excuses we use to eat poorly. If we could just use better excuses to eat right think of where we would be!
So, even when I get the head shakes and the constant prodding of, "Oh one cookie isn't going to hurt you." I'm actually reminded...yes, one cookie will sky rocket my blood sugar! Here's what I've been doing:
Breakfast: Green Smoothie (See whole foods recipe)
Snack: Fruit or handful of nuts
Lunch: Organic Soup (Amy's is the best)
Snack: Fruit or Veggies
Dinner: Anything that is created not thrown in the microwave.
I haven't had dessert in a long time and really don't miss it. I'm not going to lie, it's not always easy, but I'm certainly not going hungry and feel a million times better! That in itself is worth all the eye rolls! :)
Friday, June 24, 2011
Waiting
We go on vacation today, which I'm extremely excited about. Something to take my mind off of TTC. Google has become an awful thing for me. With every twinge, ache, or abnormality I'm searching if it is a sign. I've been soooo gassy, which is unusual, I've been tired (but been better the last two days), kind of moody, but not ridiculous, and my bbs are sore. However, I always keep thinking, many of these symptoms are simply increasing progesterone symptoms, which I take at the end of my cycle...so who knows.
I felt some twinges in my uterus yesterday that I was convinced were implantation twinges. Who knows...
I found the website, Countdown to Pregnancy which lists every symptom you may encounter based on the number of days past ovulation. Needless to say, I'm checking that daily.
I'm trying so hard not to get my hopes up and not read into things too much, but it is incredibly difficult. At least I've gotten my yoga in everyday. I'm going to go for my run today..I hope it doesn't wipe me out like it did last time.
The two week wait stinks, but as I read on another post, "This precious gift from God is worth the wait."
The other thing is if I am pregnant I really don't want to tell anyone until I make it at least past 10 weeks due to the high percentage of miscarriages with PCOS. I think a lot of that has to do with lack of progesterone, so I'm pretty confident that my supplementation will help with that. However, egg quality can always be an issue too, so if it implants and the body decides it's not healthy enough it can spontaneously abort. The body is an amazing thing.
I guess all I can do is keep praying right?! At least I ovulated...that's what I should be thanking God for!
I felt some twinges in my uterus yesterday that I was convinced were implantation twinges. Who knows...
I found the website, Countdown to Pregnancy which lists every symptom you may encounter based on the number of days past ovulation. Needless to say, I'm checking that daily.
I'm trying so hard not to get my hopes up and not read into things too much, but it is incredibly difficult. At least I've gotten my yoga in everyday. I'm going to go for my run today..I hope it doesn't wipe me out like it did last time.
The two week wait stinks, but as I read on another post, "This precious gift from God is worth the wait."
The other thing is if I am pregnant I really don't want to tell anyone until I make it at least past 10 weeks due to the high percentage of miscarriages with PCOS. I think a lot of that has to do with lack of progesterone, so I'm pretty confident that my supplementation will help with that. However, egg quality can always be an issue too, so if it implants and the body decides it's not healthy enough it can spontaneously abort. The body is an amazing thing.
I guess all I can do is keep praying right?! At least I ovulated...that's what I should be thanking God for!
Monday, June 20, 2011
Birth control is not the answer
I've seen so many birth control commercials that make me shake my head. The Mirena commercial almost made me throw a shoe at the TV. They all sound so positive until you hear the 10 minute long list of side effects. The side effects for this Mirena made me cringe
Birth control seems to be the quick fix. Constant bleeding? We'll treat it with birth control. Not bleeding? Birth control. Acne? Birth Control.
I'm sorry, but doctors go to school for a million years and the best they can do is prescribe birth control?! This is all I ever heard and I didn't know any different. We are supposed to be able to trust our doctors. The doctors are supposed to be the ones doing all the research and telling us what will work best for us. They are supposed to get to the root of the problem and treat it, not put a band aid on it. Birth control for PCOS is nothing but a band aid.
Birth control shuts down your ovaries and just pumps you full of synthetic hormones that make you bleed. Tell me how that will fix PCOS? PCOS people have ovaries that are already not functioning correctly. Does it make sense to just shut them down completely instead of trying to fix the ovarian function?
BTW, if you look at the Mirena side-effects again you'll notice that it may cause ovarian cysts....oh good, so someone who may have been functioning normally will now end up with cysts.
Besides the side-effects they list, they fail to tell you that you may become suicidal on birth control, or may have shortness of breath, or may be so moody that no one wants to be around you anyway. These were just some of the issues I had while on Yaz. I wouldn't give Yaz to my worst enemy. Yet, despite my concern for all these side-effects the doctor I was seeing at the time wanted me to wait it out. Mean while, I was checking forums and seeing person after person who was having awful side-effects from this Yaz. Some had a stroke, some had deep vein thrombosis, and various other problems. Then while I was watching TV I saw a commercial come on from a law office regarding the safety of Yaz and that there was a civil lawsuit suing the company for these dangerous side-effects. If you noticed Yaz disappeared for awhile and now there is "Beyaz" ...interesting
I was seeing a heart and lung specialist for what I thought were asthma conditions. I was crying almost daily from something. I felt awful and had no motivation to do anything. Finally, after I saw that commercial, I had had it, I told my doctor I wanted out, so she put me on another birth control. I think I lasted 2 - 3 months before God put NFP in my life.
Interestingly enough after I went off birth control my moods stabalized, my "asthma symptoms" went away, and I felt so much better.
I feel like I need to make an on-going plea that people need to get off of birth control. Even if you don't have bad side-effects, synthetic hormones are just not healthy! It takes almost a year to get synthetic hormones out of your system to allow your own hormones to function normally.
Why are there so few people that are ever introduced to NFP? Why isn't this taught in health class as an option? Most people don't even know this is an option unless you're catholic, and even a lot of catholics don't know about it. Somehow the OB/GYN world needs to change their approach to treating female conditions. Why can't the natural world and the medical world unite a little?
I'm thankful that I now have a doctor that doesn't just throw synthetic hormones at me and works to find the root of the problem. She's open to me taking herbals and even does research on things when I find something that seems to be working.
Do yourself a favor and at least look into NFP if you're not doing it already. TTC or not, it is the best decision you will make! Check out these sites:
Creighton Model
Sympto-thermal method
- Mirena may attach to or go through the wall of the uterus and cause other problems. If Mirena comes out, use back-up birth control and call your healthcare provider.
- Although uncommon, pregnancy while using Mirena can be life threatening and may result in loss of pregnancy or fertility.
- Ovarian cysts may occur and usually disappear.
- Bleeding and spotting may increase in the first few months and continue to be irregular. Periods over time may become shorter, lighter or even stop.
Birth control seems to be the quick fix. Constant bleeding? We'll treat it with birth control. Not bleeding? Birth control. Acne? Birth Control.
I'm sorry, but doctors go to school for a million years and the best they can do is prescribe birth control?! This is all I ever heard and I didn't know any different. We are supposed to be able to trust our doctors. The doctors are supposed to be the ones doing all the research and telling us what will work best for us. They are supposed to get to the root of the problem and treat it, not put a band aid on it. Birth control for PCOS is nothing but a band aid.
Birth control shuts down your ovaries and just pumps you full of synthetic hormones that make you bleed. Tell me how that will fix PCOS? PCOS people have ovaries that are already not functioning correctly. Does it make sense to just shut them down completely instead of trying to fix the ovarian function?
BTW, if you look at the Mirena side-effects again you'll notice that it may cause ovarian cysts....oh good, so someone who may have been functioning normally will now end up with cysts.
Besides the side-effects they list, they fail to tell you that you may become suicidal on birth control, or may have shortness of breath, or may be so moody that no one wants to be around you anyway. These were just some of the issues I had while on Yaz. I wouldn't give Yaz to my worst enemy. Yet, despite my concern for all these side-effects the doctor I was seeing at the time wanted me to wait it out. Mean while, I was checking forums and seeing person after person who was having awful side-effects from this Yaz. Some had a stroke, some had deep vein thrombosis, and various other problems. Then while I was watching TV I saw a commercial come on from a law office regarding the safety of Yaz and that there was a civil lawsuit suing the company for these dangerous side-effects. If you noticed Yaz disappeared for awhile and now there is "Beyaz" ...interesting
I was seeing a heart and lung specialist for what I thought were asthma conditions. I was crying almost daily from something. I felt awful and had no motivation to do anything. Finally, after I saw that commercial, I had had it, I told my doctor I wanted out, so she put me on another birth control. I think I lasted 2 - 3 months before God put NFP in my life.
Interestingly enough after I went off birth control my moods stabalized, my "asthma symptoms" went away, and I felt so much better.
I feel like I need to make an on-going plea that people need to get off of birth control. Even if you don't have bad side-effects, synthetic hormones are just not healthy! It takes almost a year to get synthetic hormones out of your system to allow your own hormones to function normally.
Why are there so few people that are ever introduced to NFP? Why isn't this taught in health class as an option? Most people don't even know this is an option unless you're catholic, and even a lot of catholics don't know about it. Somehow the OB/GYN world needs to change their approach to treating female conditions. Why can't the natural world and the medical world unite a little?
I'm thankful that I now have a doctor that doesn't just throw synthetic hormones at me and works to find the root of the problem. She's open to me taking herbals and even does research on things when I find something that seems to be working.
Do yourself a favor and at least look into NFP if you're not doing it already. TTC or not, it is the best decision you will make! Check out these sites:
Creighton Model
Sympto-thermal method
Saturday, June 18, 2011
Gotta have Faith!
George Michael probably said it best when he sang, "You gotta have Faith." It's easy to say to someone, "Don't worry it will all work out, just have faith." But everyday that you fight the symptoms of PCOS it's harder to keep that faith.
As I mentioned before, I've only been "officially Catholic" for a little over a year now. Even thought it was hard at first hearing homily after homily about how birth control is horrible, I believe it is what led me to where I am today; birth control free!
I've always had a strong conviction in my faith. I know that God is guiding me through this. The hardest thing for me is to be patient for what God has in store for me. When people start thinking about getting pregnant they don't envision it to be an uphill battle. There are the lucky few that get pregnant just thinking about it, but I think more times than not are the people that find it to be not as easy as they made it sound in health class. I kind of chuckle at the book title, "Every Drunken Cheerleader; Why Not Me?" Although that title is humorous, I would be lying if I wasn't thinking that quite often. This especially rings true working in a low income school where some parents can't stay sober long enough to remember they have kids. I constantly wonder why they were blessed with kids, but here we are struggling.
It's so easy to question our faith when things aren't going as planned. We pray and pray, but it doesn't seem to matter. It's times like these that I think back to a video Rain by Rob Bell. "God is close to the broken hearted....I love you...we're gonna make it"
Keep your faith. Find some way to pray, or whatever you need to do to find faith. I saw an interesting segment on Dr. Oz the other day, "Can Faith Heal?" God isn't ignoring you, he just has other plans for you. I love you...we're gonna make it!
As I mentioned before, I've only been "officially Catholic" for a little over a year now. Even thought it was hard at first hearing homily after homily about how birth control is horrible, I believe it is what led me to where I am today; birth control free!
I've always had a strong conviction in my faith. I know that God is guiding me through this. The hardest thing for me is to be patient for what God has in store for me. When people start thinking about getting pregnant they don't envision it to be an uphill battle. There are the lucky few that get pregnant just thinking about it, but I think more times than not are the people that find it to be not as easy as they made it sound in health class. I kind of chuckle at the book title, "Every Drunken Cheerleader; Why Not Me?" Although that title is humorous, I would be lying if I wasn't thinking that quite often. This especially rings true working in a low income school where some parents can't stay sober long enough to remember they have kids. I constantly wonder why they were blessed with kids, but here we are struggling.
It's so easy to question our faith when things aren't going as planned. We pray and pray, but it doesn't seem to matter. It's times like these that I think back to a video Rain by Rob Bell. "God is close to the broken hearted....I love you...we're gonna make it"
Keep your faith. Find some way to pray, or whatever you need to do to find faith. I saw an interesting segment on Dr. Oz the other day, "Can Faith Heal?" God isn't ignoring you, he just has other plans for you. I love you...we're gonna make it!
Friday, June 17, 2011
Yoga
When I first started going to the chiropractor with all my aches and pains and tight back she would always tell me, "You should do some Yoga." I would smile, but in my mind was thinking, "Yoga is for people who play guitars under trees, wear knit caps in the summer, and never wear shoes."
In all my research I ran across book after book that said, "Yoga for PCOS can be very beneficial." I wasn't completely convinced. How can breathing and standing on your head be beneficial? So I randomly did an amazon search on fertility yoga on Amazon. There's a couple out there, but Restoring Fertility was made to be done with the cycle, which being an NFP person made sense to me. I went to their website and looked at the FAQs and found a post that said two out of the three women instructors on the DVD became pregnant shortly after doing the series.....I was sold!
It's not the cheapest set you'll ever buy, and I'm not pregnant yet, but it is amazing how much better I feel afterwards. I've always had tight muscles, I'm not sure if that's a PCOS thing or not, but my back is always tight and during the school year that's where I carry all my stress. After doing 1/2 hour of this yoga my back feels so much better!
The website Restoring Fertility discusses PCOS briefly and how to do the set if you are not ovulating. It encourages people with PCOS to do the DVDs twice a day to help restore fertility. I was doing that for awhile, but quite honestly, that becomes a lot of time, so I tried to do it once a day. I wasn't always perfect, and there were definitely times when I said, "Screw it, it's not working." but when I started seeing some ovulation I started up again. There's nothing on these DVDs that's overly difficult. There is some intense stretching, but they are so good at showing and explaining modifications. If you're not ovulating you do the Follicle Development one or the Ovulation one until you see ovulation. Then you can start doing the cycle.
Some people might get results right away from doing Yoga. I know in the book Inconceivable: A Woman's Triumph over Infertility She talks about the many benefits that Yoga gave her. I would recommend that book as a great inspiration to those of you TTC. It's not directly about PCOS, but is a great book about a journey through infertility.
If there's one thing I know about most of us with PCOS it's that stress is just a part of us. Not only do we deal with the every day stress of work, family, and life, but we also throw this syndrome into the mix. A syndrome for which there is not a cure and we are often sent fending for ourselves trying to find the answers. That's a whole added element of stress that we often don't talk about because we're embarrassed. So, even if you don't believe that Yoga will turn your life around at least try it for some stress relief. This allows you to have 1/2 completely devoted to you, and to allow you to free your mind of all the stress.
Believe me, "freeing your mind" is not easy. There's a couple different references used for the women's mind: a ball of yarn, spaghetti, or a ball of wire. All of these refer to the fact that one thought always leads to another, and another, and another. Watch your husband sitting in front of the TV sometime. His brain is referred to as a waffle, or boxes. Nothing touches in that brain, and there's even a little box where he can think about nothing. Men are probably amazing at yoga and relieving stress because they have the ability to think about absolutely nothing. My husband and I have a joke about me trying to be more like a man by thinking about nothing. :) It's not easy!!
Another book that helped me to focus more on clearing my mind was Fully Fertily: A 12 week Holistic Plan for Optimum Fertility. This books goes through diet and exercise, but really dives into Yoga. For me there were some parts that were a little over the top, but the main advise I took away was to free the mind during yoga by simply saying, "I'm breathing in, I'm breathing out." and try to keep your mind focused on that breath.
It sounds stupid, and I kind of felt stupid the first time I did it, but it totally worked....well mostly, I kind of thought I was amazing in able to still be saying that in the back of my mind while I was thinking about something else. I'm a work in progress :)
So, if you're not doing yoga, I would recommend adding it when you can. Even if it's once a week, I just don't believe that all these books would recommend it if it didn't do something. Keep the faith!!
In all my research I ran across book after book that said, "Yoga for PCOS can be very beneficial." I wasn't completely convinced. How can breathing and standing on your head be beneficial? So I randomly did an amazon search on fertility yoga on Amazon. There's a couple out there, but Restoring Fertility was made to be done with the cycle, which being an NFP person made sense to me. I went to their website and looked at the FAQs and found a post that said two out of the three women instructors on the DVD became pregnant shortly after doing the series.....I was sold!
It's not the cheapest set you'll ever buy, and I'm not pregnant yet, but it is amazing how much better I feel afterwards. I've always had tight muscles, I'm not sure if that's a PCOS thing or not, but my back is always tight and during the school year that's where I carry all my stress. After doing 1/2 hour of this yoga my back feels so much better!
The website Restoring Fertility discusses PCOS briefly and how to do the set if you are not ovulating. It encourages people with PCOS to do the DVDs twice a day to help restore fertility. I was doing that for awhile, but quite honestly, that becomes a lot of time, so I tried to do it once a day. I wasn't always perfect, and there were definitely times when I said, "Screw it, it's not working." but when I started seeing some ovulation I started up again. There's nothing on these DVDs that's overly difficult. There is some intense stretching, but they are so good at showing and explaining modifications. If you're not ovulating you do the Follicle Development one or the Ovulation one until you see ovulation. Then you can start doing the cycle.
Some people might get results right away from doing Yoga. I know in the book Inconceivable: A Woman's Triumph over Infertility She talks about the many benefits that Yoga gave her. I would recommend that book as a great inspiration to those of you TTC. It's not directly about PCOS, but is a great book about a journey through infertility.
If there's one thing I know about most of us with PCOS it's that stress is just a part of us. Not only do we deal with the every day stress of work, family, and life, but we also throw this syndrome into the mix. A syndrome for which there is not a cure and we are often sent fending for ourselves trying to find the answers. That's a whole added element of stress that we often don't talk about because we're embarrassed. So, even if you don't believe that Yoga will turn your life around at least try it for some stress relief. This allows you to have 1/2 completely devoted to you, and to allow you to free your mind of all the stress.
Believe me, "freeing your mind" is not easy. There's a couple different references used for the women's mind: a ball of yarn, spaghetti, or a ball of wire. All of these refer to the fact that one thought always leads to another, and another, and another. Watch your husband sitting in front of the TV sometime. His brain is referred to as a waffle, or boxes. Nothing touches in that brain, and there's even a little box where he can think about nothing. Men are probably amazing at yoga and relieving stress because they have the ability to think about absolutely nothing. My husband and I have a joke about me trying to be more like a man by thinking about nothing. :) It's not easy!!
Another book that helped me to focus more on clearing my mind was Fully Fertily: A 12 week Holistic Plan for Optimum Fertility. This books goes through diet and exercise, but really dives into Yoga. For me there were some parts that were a little over the top, but the main advise I took away was to free the mind during yoga by simply saying, "I'm breathing in, I'm breathing out." and try to keep your mind focused on that breath.
It sounds stupid, and I kind of felt stupid the first time I did it, but it totally worked....well mostly, I kind of thought I was amazing in able to still be saying that in the back of my mind while I was thinking about something else. I'm a work in progress :)
So, if you're not doing yoga, I would recommend adding it when you can. Even if it's once a week, I just don't believe that all these books would recommend it if it didn't do something. Keep the faith!!
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Low Carb Taco Seasoning
Tacos are an easy "go-to" meal at our house, but the taco seasoning you get at the store has sugar and things I can't pronounce. I've started making my own following this recipe.
SEASONING FOR TACOS
1 t. chili powder
3/4 t. paprika
3/4 t. cumin
1/2 t. onion powder
1/2 t. salt
3/8 t. garlic powder
pinch cayenne
Combine and add to 1 pound browned and drained hamburger. Add a little water, if desired. This will be drier than taco meat made with a commercial mix due to the lack of thickeners. It tastes just as good as the store bought kind and is a lot cheaper to make. Makes enough for 1 lb. hamburger (4.5 carbs for the whole batch)(4-6 servings - 1 carb each)
A package of Taco Bell taco seasoning has 18 carbs and Old el Paso brand has 30 per package.
I mix up a bunch of this and put it in a small jar. I just measure out 4 teaspoons of the mixture per 1 pound of hamburger. See recipe below.
This recipe makes enough for about 6 batches of taco meat:
2 T. chili powder
5 t. paprika
4 1/2 t. cumin
1 T. onion powder
1 T. salt
2 1/2 t. garlic powder
1/8 t. cayenne
Mix and store in a small jar. Mix well before measuring. Makes 24 teaspoons.
I just put my meat over the top of lettuce. If you're not dairy free add some cheese. YUM!!
SEASONING FOR TACOS
1 t. chili powder
3/4 t. paprika
3/4 t. cumin
1/2 t. onion powder
1/2 t. salt
3/8 t. garlic powder
pinch cayenne
Combine and add to 1 pound browned and drained hamburger. Add a little water, if desired. This will be drier than taco meat made with a commercial mix due to the lack of thickeners. It tastes just as good as the store bought kind and is a lot cheaper to make. Makes enough for 1 lb. hamburger (4.5 carbs for the whole batch)(4-6 servings - 1 carb each)
A package of Taco Bell taco seasoning has 18 carbs and Old el Paso brand has 30 per package.
I mix up a bunch of this and put it in a small jar. I just measure out 4 teaspoons of the mixture per 1 pound of hamburger. See recipe below.
This recipe makes enough for about 6 batches of taco meat:
2 T. chili powder
5 t. paprika
4 1/2 t. cumin
1 T. onion powder
1 T. salt
2 1/2 t. garlic powder
1/8 t. cayenne
Mix and store in a small jar. Mix well before measuring. Makes 24 teaspoons.
I just put my meat over the top of lettuce. If you're not dairy free add some cheese. YUM!!
The ups and downs
Anyone with PCOS knows the emotional roller coaster that we are on. One day you're feeling great, the next day you feel like nothing is working. It has definitely been this way for me in the last few months.
First of all, I am on summer vacation, which is a huge stress relief for awhile. That's the good part, the bad part is I've become a bit obsessive about trying to get to the bottom of this PCOS. I've been researching constantly on diet, exercise, supplements, pregnancy, and the experience of others.
However, I have come across some great references that everyone should check out:
http://www.pcoschallenge.com This website is amazing, but even more amazing is the radio show. I have downloaded it to my ipod and listen to it almost daily during my exercise. Sasha is so good at having shows with the top names and leading researchers in PCOS. It really has given me comfort to try new things that have been working!
I also have started the Insulite system (http://www.insulitelabs.com. Yes, it is expensive, and yes, it is a lot of pills (18 pills a day), however I am very hopeful that this will work. I've read some great things about this program. I'm currently on month 2 and showed signs of ovulation this past week. I would suggest looking through the website, but I'll give you an overview:
1/2 before breakfast I take PCOS + that has the following ingredients:
Saw Palmetto (berries) - a 5-alpha reductase inhibitor impedes testosterone conversion and reduces circulating testosterone (androgens).
Vitex Agnus Castus (Chaste tree berry) - Improves menstrual regularity, supports luteal phase of menstrual cycle and addresses hyperprolactinemia.
Stinging Nettle (root) - Increases sex hormone-binding globulin.
Flax Seed - Supports estrogen metabolism, which increases the production of protective estrogen metabolites and increases sex hormone-binding globulin.
Milk Thistle (seed, powdered extract) - Supports liver function (phase 1 detoxification.
With breakfast I take Insulx and Rejuvenx that has the following ingredients
Insulx
Vanadium (Sulfate) - Restores blood glucose, lowers cholesterol, increases insulin sensitivity, improves glucose tolerance and metabolism, decreases body fat and reduces appetite naturally.
Chromium (GTF Niacinate) - Supports insulin binding to cells and decreases cholesterol and insulin levels. Boosts insulin response to glucose.
Alpha Lipoic Acid - Increases insulin sensitivity and lowers glucose levels. Provides antioxidant activity, scavenges free radicals, supports glucose transport and extends the functional capacity of Vitamin C, Vitamin E and Co Q 10.
Magnesium (Amino Acid Chelate) - Positively affects insulin secretion/action and improves cholesterol profile. (Lower than normal levels of Magnesium Glycinate are associated with Insulin Resistance, glucose intolerance and hyperinsulinemia.)
Zinc (Picolinate) - Lowers insulin concentration and improves insulin sensitivity.
L-Carnitine (Tartrate) - Improves insulin sensitivity.
Copper (Citrate) - Balances zinc and supports its ability to lower insulin concentration.
Calcium (Citrate/Malate) - Reduces fasting insulin levels, increases insulin sensitivity and regulates fat tissue.
Biotin USP - Involved in the manufacture and release of insulin; a cofactor required for the synthesis and oxidation of fatty acids.
Manganese (Citrate) - Reverses glucose intolerance, a deficiency associated with Diabetes.
Pancreatic Tissue - Contains specific amino acids in the correct proportions to supply growth, balance and repair factors of the pancreas.
Adrenal Tissue - Contains specific amino acids to supply growth, balance and repair factors of the adrenals.
Protease and Amylase - Improve absorption and digestion of proteins and nutrient absorption
Rejunvenx
Vitamin C from calcium ascorbate - Balances Vitamin C deficiency that induces disordered glucose regulation, improves glucose tolerance and scavenges free radicals. Reduces damage to arteries and arterioles and reduces glycosylation.
CoQ10 (Ubiquinone) - Lowers glucose and insulin levels and plays a major role in carbohydrate metabolism. Aids peripheral glucose utilization while lowering fasting blood sugar.
Vitamin B12 (Cyanocobalamin) - Reduces neuropathy associated with Diabetes, sorbitol accumulation, muscle weakness and tingling.
Folic Acid (Calcium Folinate) - Ensures sufficient folate status to aid in the prevention of many chronic diseases (e.g. atherosclerosis, anemia, heart disease) and reverses homocysteine levels.
Quercitin - Contains antioxidant, anticarcinogenic and anti-inflammatory properties to inhibit free radical production. Reduces intracellular accumulation of sorbitol that is implicated in the pathogenesis of cataracts, retinopathies, neuropathies and other disorders.
Bilberry Extract - Improves microcirculation and protects the vessels of the eyes in particular with potent antioxidants.
Grape Seed Extract - Reduces free radicals and possesses vital antibacterial, antiviral, anticarcinogenic, anti-inflammatory and antiallergic effects. (Its antioxidant properties are 20 to 50 times stronger than Vitamins C and E.) Lowers cholesterol levels and prevents damage to the artery from elevated glucose and insulin levels.
Thiamin - Thiamin (Vitamin B1) (as thiamin hcl) May help convert carbohydrates into energy. Thiamin is important for several body functions of the heart, muscles, and the nervous system.
Vitamin D - Vitamin D (as cholecalciferol) Vitamin D plays a role in bone health and has an important role in immunity, wound healing, and hypertension. Vitamin D may also be known to affect insulin secretion and glucose tolerance in Type 2 diabetes.
Cinnamon Extract - A recent controlled trial (1), comparing a placebo against cinnamon, demonstrated that doses of cassia cinnamomum ranging from 1-6 grams a day provided in divided daily doses all produced some significant reductions in blood sugar levels, total cholesterol levels, triglyceride levels and finally even lower levels of LDL lipoproteins. Rejuvenx provides 1.2 grams cinnamon per dose.
About and hour after breakfast I take GlucX which has the following ingredients:
Guar Gum - Decreases cholesterol, triglycerides and systolic blood pressure. Increases insulin sensitivity and regulates appetite.
Apple Pectin & Beet Powder - Slow the absorption of glucose into the blood stream which reduces insulin response.
Fenugreek - Reduces blood sugar and insulin following a meal, lowers cholesterol levels (LDL, TG and total Cholesterol), increases HDL and improves insulin response and glucose tolerance.
Milk Thistle - Diminishes fasting blood glucose, mean daily glucose and fasting insulin levels.
I then take InsulX and RejuvenX again with lunch, PCOS + mid-afternoon, and then GlucX after supper.
In the first month I did have some weight gain, but the great thing about Insulite is they have Drs to answer any questions you might have. The Dr. said that sometimes people experience weight gain as hormones are balancing out. Now in month 2 I'm starting to see the scale go back down and as I said, I ovulated for the first time in a few months so that means something must be working!
A few weeks after I ordered Insulite I heard about d-chiro-inositol (DCI). You can check out more about it through the PCOS challenge or at http://www.chiralbalance.com I've read a couple posts where the combination of the DCI and Insulite System has helped pregnancy.
I've had no side effects from either supplement. With Insulite I have had more bowel movements, but they have been healthy and I look at it as detox. It sure beats the heck out of Metformin, which I have stopped, and stopping that may also account for some weight gain.
Basically my goal is to eat as cleanly as possible. Although I'm still watching carbs, I'm eat more whole foods. I've taken a lot of recipes off of http://www.wholefoods.com I'm limiting dairy and gluten. I'm using a lot of almond milk or coconut milk. I've read and heard several people say that eliminating those two product, though difficult, can really help with PCOS.
Exercise wise, since I've been out of school I've gotten back into exercise again. I'm doing 2 days of interval cardio (walk/run), 2 days of strength training (check out Nike Women's fitness..they have an awesome app for strength training), and 2 days of steady cardio (walking, rollerblading, or biking). It's been 2 weeks and I feel stronger and noticing some of those flabby spots are starting to firm up. I've also been doing fertility yoga, daily, that corresponds with my cycle: http://www.restoringfertility.com
Outside of the insulite program and DCI I am still taking Wheatgrass, Fish oil, evening primrose, B6 (200mg), L-argenine, Royal Jelly, and I just added some Calcium supplements.
Am I cured? Nope, not yet, but I have noticed improvements. My acne has made huge improvement, my energy is better, and most importantly I'm seeing signs that my menstrual cycle is getting back on track.
Even though I'm taking a lot of supplements I feel a million times better about putting those into my body as opposed to the other crazy meds that I've been put on that have had horrible side effects. I'm still taking progesterone at the end of my cycle, but it is a natural progesterone.
The hardest thing for me is simply patience. I read Freedom from PCOS by Katie Humphery (who I love!) and that really made me realize that I need to be patient and not let PCOS ruin my life. I need to stay positive, keep faith, and know that God has a plan for me. No matter what happens we have to stay positive!!
First of all, I am on summer vacation, which is a huge stress relief for awhile. That's the good part, the bad part is I've become a bit obsessive about trying to get to the bottom of this PCOS. I've been researching constantly on diet, exercise, supplements, pregnancy, and the experience of others.
However, I have come across some great references that everyone should check out:
http://www.pcoschallenge.com This website is amazing, but even more amazing is the radio show. I have downloaded it to my ipod and listen to it almost daily during my exercise. Sasha is so good at having shows with the top names and leading researchers in PCOS. It really has given me comfort to try new things that have been working!
I also have started the Insulite system (http://www.insulitelabs.com. Yes, it is expensive, and yes, it is a lot of pills (18 pills a day), however I am very hopeful that this will work. I've read some great things about this program. I'm currently on month 2 and showed signs of ovulation this past week. I would suggest looking through the website, but I'll give you an overview:
1/2 before breakfast I take PCOS + that has the following ingredients:
Saw Palmetto (berries) - a 5-alpha reductase inhibitor impedes testosterone conversion and reduces circulating testosterone (androgens).
Vitex Agnus Castus (Chaste tree berry) - Improves menstrual regularity, supports luteal phase of menstrual cycle and addresses hyperprolactinemia.
Stinging Nettle (root) - Increases sex hormone-binding globulin.
Flax Seed - Supports estrogen metabolism, which increases the production of protective estrogen metabolites and increases sex hormone-binding globulin.
Milk Thistle (seed, powdered extract) - Supports liver function (phase 1 detoxification.
With breakfast I take Insulx and Rejuvenx that has the following ingredients
Insulx
Vanadium (Sulfate) - Restores blood glucose, lowers cholesterol, increases insulin sensitivity, improves glucose tolerance and metabolism, decreases body fat and reduces appetite naturally.
Chromium (GTF Niacinate) - Supports insulin binding to cells and decreases cholesterol and insulin levels. Boosts insulin response to glucose.
Alpha Lipoic Acid - Increases insulin sensitivity and lowers glucose levels. Provides antioxidant activity, scavenges free radicals, supports glucose transport and extends the functional capacity of Vitamin C, Vitamin E and Co Q 10.
Magnesium (Amino Acid Chelate) - Positively affects insulin secretion/action and improves cholesterol profile. (Lower than normal levels of Magnesium Glycinate are associated with Insulin Resistance, glucose intolerance and hyperinsulinemia.)
Zinc (Picolinate) - Lowers insulin concentration and improves insulin sensitivity.
L-Carnitine (Tartrate) - Improves insulin sensitivity.
Copper (Citrate) - Balances zinc and supports its ability to lower insulin concentration.
Calcium (Citrate/Malate) - Reduces fasting insulin levels, increases insulin sensitivity and regulates fat tissue.
Biotin USP - Involved in the manufacture and release of insulin; a cofactor required for the synthesis and oxidation of fatty acids.
Manganese (Citrate) - Reverses glucose intolerance, a deficiency associated with Diabetes.
Pancreatic Tissue - Contains specific amino acids in the correct proportions to supply growth, balance and repair factors of the pancreas.
Adrenal Tissue - Contains specific amino acids to supply growth, balance and repair factors of the adrenals.
Protease and Amylase - Improve absorption and digestion of proteins and nutrient absorption
Rejunvenx
Vitamin C from calcium ascorbate - Balances Vitamin C deficiency that induces disordered glucose regulation, improves glucose tolerance and scavenges free radicals. Reduces damage to arteries and arterioles and reduces glycosylation.
CoQ10 (Ubiquinone) - Lowers glucose and insulin levels and plays a major role in carbohydrate metabolism. Aids peripheral glucose utilization while lowering fasting blood sugar.
Vitamin B12 (Cyanocobalamin) - Reduces neuropathy associated with Diabetes, sorbitol accumulation, muscle weakness and tingling.
Folic Acid (Calcium Folinate) - Ensures sufficient folate status to aid in the prevention of many chronic diseases (e.g. atherosclerosis, anemia, heart disease) and reverses homocysteine levels.
Quercitin - Contains antioxidant, anticarcinogenic and anti-inflammatory properties to inhibit free radical production. Reduces intracellular accumulation of sorbitol that is implicated in the pathogenesis of cataracts, retinopathies, neuropathies and other disorders.
Bilberry Extract - Improves microcirculation and protects the vessels of the eyes in particular with potent antioxidants.
Grape Seed Extract - Reduces free radicals and possesses vital antibacterial, antiviral, anticarcinogenic, anti-inflammatory and antiallergic effects. (Its antioxidant properties are 20 to 50 times stronger than Vitamins C and E.) Lowers cholesterol levels and prevents damage to the artery from elevated glucose and insulin levels.
Thiamin - Thiamin (Vitamin B1) (as thiamin hcl) May help convert carbohydrates into energy. Thiamin is important for several body functions of the heart, muscles, and the nervous system.
Vitamin D - Vitamin D (as cholecalciferol) Vitamin D plays a role in bone health and has an important role in immunity, wound healing, and hypertension. Vitamin D may also be known to affect insulin secretion and glucose tolerance in Type 2 diabetes.
Cinnamon Extract - A recent controlled trial (1), comparing a placebo against cinnamon, demonstrated that doses of cassia cinnamomum ranging from 1-6 grams a day provided in divided daily doses all produced some significant reductions in blood sugar levels, total cholesterol levels, triglyceride levels and finally even lower levels of LDL lipoproteins. Rejuvenx provides 1.2 grams cinnamon per dose.
About and hour after breakfast I take GlucX which has the following ingredients:
Guar Gum - Decreases cholesterol, triglycerides and systolic blood pressure. Increases insulin sensitivity and regulates appetite.
Apple Pectin & Beet Powder - Slow the absorption of glucose into the blood stream which reduces insulin response.
Fenugreek - Reduces blood sugar and insulin following a meal, lowers cholesterol levels (LDL, TG and total Cholesterol), increases HDL and improves insulin response and glucose tolerance.
Milk Thistle - Diminishes fasting blood glucose, mean daily glucose and fasting insulin levels.
I then take InsulX and RejuvenX again with lunch, PCOS + mid-afternoon, and then GlucX after supper.
In the first month I did have some weight gain, but the great thing about Insulite is they have Drs to answer any questions you might have. The Dr. said that sometimes people experience weight gain as hormones are balancing out. Now in month 2 I'm starting to see the scale go back down and as I said, I ovulated for the first time in a few months so that means something must be working!
A few weeks after I ordered Insulite I heard about d-chiro-inositol (DCI). You can check out more about it through the PCOS challenge or at http://www.chiralbalance.com I've read a couple posts where the combination of the DCI and Insulite System has helped pregnancy.
I've had no side effects from either supplement. With Insulite I have had more bowel movements, but they have been healthy and I look at it as detox. It sure beats the heck out of Metformin, which I have stopped, and stopping that may also account for some weight gain.
Basically my goal is to eat as cleanly as possible. Although I'm still watching carbs, I'm eat more whole foods. I've taken a lot of recipes off of http://www.wholefoods.com I'm limiting dairy and gluten. I'm using a lot of almond milk or coconut milk. I've read and heard several people say that eliminating those two product, though difficult, can really help with PCOS.
Exercise wise, since I've been out of school I've gotten back into exercise again. I'm doing 2 days of interval cardio (walk/run), 2 days of strength training (check out Nike Women's fitness..they have an awesome app for strength training), and 2 days of steady cardio (walking, rollerblading, or biking). It's been 2 weeks and I feel stronger and noticing some of those flabby spots are starting to firm up. I've also been doing fertility yoga, daily, that corresponds with my cycle: http://www.restoringfertility.com
Outside of the insulite program and DCI I am still taking Wheatgrass, Fish oil, evening primrose, B6 (200mg), L-argenine, Royal Jelly, and I just added some Calcium supplements.
Am I cured? Nope, not yet, but I have noticed improvements. My acne has made huge improvement, my energy is better, and most importantly I'm seeing signs that my menstrual cycle is getting back on track.
Even though I'm taking a lot of supplements I feel a million times better about putting those into my body as opposed to the other crazy meds that I've been put on that have had horrible side effects. I'm still taking progesterone at the end of my cycle, but it is a natural progesterone.
The hardest thing for me is simply patience. I read Freedom from PCOS by Katie Humphery (who I love!) and that really made me realize that I need to be patient and not let PCOS ruin my life. I need to stay positive, keep faith, and know that God has a plan for me. No matter what happens we have to stay positive!!
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Need to get back on the horse
I'm really disappointed in myself. I don't know if it's the stress of the end of school or just a simple lack of discipline that I've been having such a hard time sticking to my diet and exercising, but it needs to turn around. The last two weeks have not been good for me. I can feel myself getting flabby, but for some reason the snickers in my classroom that I have for good student behavior seem to be calling my name more and more every day. I'm super frustrated with myself, but once I start eating something with refined sugar I am like a heroin addict and can't stop. It's depressing and embarrassing! I'm fully aware of what I'm doing, but at the same time I just can't seem to turn it off. It has to be a result of blood sugar going nuts. I feel like I need a babysitter to stay on track, too bad I can't afford to hire one. This has to get better!!
Saturday, April 9, 2011
We're on the right track
It has been a roller coaster of a month, but I'm working hard to count the blessings. I have ovulated again with a strong ovulation. We were trying for a baby this month, and like a fool, I convinced myself I was pregnant. After ovulation I had extremely tender breasts, cramping, tired, and just having that pregnant feeling. I started feeling hungry constantly and continued to convince myself with every symptom that it was pregnancy. I went to the doctor 7 days past ovulation to get a progesterone/estrogen level reading. I was amazed when I got it back. Normal is between 15-25 and I was at 30! That's crazy! I'm actually worried that it's too high. I've been working on getting ahold of my doctor about it, but I haven't heard back yet.
So on day 14 I hadn't see any sign of menstration, and woke up at 5am to take a pregnancy test, and got a negative reading. I thought that it was just too early, but later that day, what should appear but that lovely sign of menstration.
I was bummed, not going to lie, but I also know that just mentrating without taking all these prescription meds is a blessing. I honestly feel really well and my energy and moods are staying fairly stable, which is something I don't think ever happened with any prescription meds.
The progress is exciting and I'm hoping that in a couple weeks we'll be able to try again because I'll be getting more regular. I have never had this many periods in a month without birth control, so it's totally possible!! Get off of birth control! That is my plea to women. There are so many bad side effects and who knows the long term effects for sure. Drs. use it as a fix for every female problem instead of trying to find what really is wrong. Find a dr. that will listen to you and get off of birth control, track your ovulation and you will be happier and healthier!!
So on day 14 I hadn't see any sign of menstration, and woke up at 5am to take a pregnancy test, and got a negative reading. I thought that it was just too early, but later that day, what should appear but that lovely sign of menstration.
I was bummed, not going to lie, but I also know that just mentrating without taking all these prescription meds is a blessing. I honestly feel really well and my energy and moods are staying fairly stable, which is something I don't think ever happened with any prescription meds.
The progress is exciting and I'm hoping that in a couple weeks we'll be able to try again because I'll be getting more regular. I have never had this many periods in a month without birth control, so it's totally possible!! Get off of birth control! That is my plea to women. There are so many bad side effects and who knows the long term effects for sure. Drs. use it as a fix for every female problem instead of trying to find what really is wrong. Find a dr. that will listen to you and get off of birth control, track your ovulation and you will be happier and healthier!!
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Continued Success
I'm officially ovulating for the 3rd time since October. For me, that is unheard of! I'm so excited. I'm hoping this will be the month that things finally come together, but I don't want to get too excited.
According to my charting it looks like I'm actually cycling. They are about 60-90 day cycles, but it's a start! It sure beats once or twice a year! I went to the Dr. on Friday and she's super excited by what she is seeing. So excited, in fact, that she is going to check out Vitex to potentially use for other patients. I'm on a pretty strict regimen, but hey, whatever works. Here's what I'm doing:
Exercise every morning at 5:30 (I'm proud that I've finally gotten this in!)
Vitex = 800 mg
Wheat Grass = 5000mg (I have so much more energy from this)
False Unicorn Root (twice a day)
Omega 3
B6 = 400mg
Evening Primrose Oil
Asprin = low dose once a day
Metformin = 1500mg (the Dr. upped me)
L-argenine = 500mg
It's a lot, but honestly, I've never felt better!. I've also been really focusing on eating warm foods as was suggested in the Making Babies book. As well as avoiding soy, wheat, and artificial sweeteners as much as possible. It's sounds difficult, but it's really not so bad. I've also found Goji berries to be incredibly beneficial. I put them on my oatmeal every morning and even found a green tea with them in it which I drink every morning. Goji berries are kind of a super food and especially beneficial for fertility.
I'm excited that I think I'm on to some natural fixes that could potentially help and save others from having to go into unnecessary treatments!
According to my charting it looks like I'm actually cycling. They are about 60-90 day cycles, but it's a start! It sure beats once or twice a year! I went to the Dr. on Friday and she's super excited by what she is seeing. So excited, in fact, that she is going to check out Vitex to potentially use for other patients. I'm on a pretty strict regimen, but hey, whatever works. Here's what I'm doing:
Exercise every morning at 5:30 (I'm proud that I've finally gotten this in!)
Vitex = 800 mg
Wheat Grass = 5000mg (I have so much more energy from this)
False Unicorn Root (twice a day)
Omega 3
B6 = 400mg
Evening Primrose Oil
Asprin = low dose once a day
Metformin = 1500mg (the Dr. upped me)
L-argenine = 500mg
It's a lot, but honestly, I've never felt better!. I've also been really focusing on eating warm foods as was suggested in the Making Babies book. As well as avoiding soy, wheat, and artificial sweeteners as much as possible. It's sounds difficult, but it's really not so bad. I've also found Goji berries to be incredibly beneficial. I put them on my oatmeal every morning and even found a green tea with them in it which I drink every morning. Goji berries are kind of a super food and especially beneficial for fertility.
I'm excited that I think I'm on to some natural fixes that could potentially help and save others from having to go into unnecessary treatments!
Monday, February 28, 2011
Possibilities
In the past week, with my new found excitement in finding a solution to my problems, I've been toying with the idea of finding some way to help people with this besides this blog. I seriously thought about going back to school to become an OBGYN, but the amount of school and money involved is not feasible, especially for someone trying to have a baby. However, another opportunity became available. I may be teaching NFP creighton model. I'm in the works of starting the process and I'm excited to help couples deal with infertility in a positive way, free of side-effects. If anything I want to be a person that couples with issues can turn to for an understanding ear. I'm excited for this opportunity. I don't know how long it will take to get all the training I will need, but I'm willing to give it a go!
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Moving closer
As I sit down to write this I have a new, found zest for women with PCOS. In the past two weeks I have read two books that have changed my life, The Making Babies Program: A proven 3-month program for maximum fertility and The NaPro Reveloution. These books have so much information in them, but I want to attempt to summarize their amazing research.
Making BabiesThis was the primary book that has really changed how I am handeling PCOS. Sami David and Jill Blakeway combine both western and eastern medicine in this book. Sami David was the first doctor to successfully perform IVF. Dr. David said that he did not like holding life in his hands as he felt he was playing God. After that moment he decided he did not want to be a part of that reveloution. He has spent his life dedicating his practice to finding the root of the problems in patients that are infertile. Drs. today are very quick to send someone to IVF without really knowing what is causing the infertility. Dr. David is interested in finding the root, trying everything, and if absolutely nothing works send them to IVF.
Jill Blakeway represents the eastern side of medicine using herbal supplements, vitamins, and daily therapy. This was the most enlightening part of this book for me as I'd been looking high and low for other ideas to help with PCOS.
I encourage all of you that follow my blog to check out this book and the webstie Making Babies At this website you can find out your fertility type "FT" by taking a 10 minute quiz. This will tell you your fertility type and give you a list of supplements and therapies you can introduce into your daily regimine. Jill Blakeway states in her book that if you can do up to 80% of the recommendations you're on the right track.
I've only been doing this a week, but I have had no side effects from any of the supplements I am taking. Currently I am taking the following:
Vitex (800mg), Metformin (1000mg), False Unicorn Root, Evening Primrose, L-Argenine, (good) Prenatal vitamin, Wheat Grass, and Royal Jelly.
Yes, without question, this is a lot, but if it works, it's worth it. I've also been drinking warm lemon water and I've been trying to get in 1/2 of exercise a day, which is sometimes difficult with my schedule, but I've been trying to make it work. I do feel I have more energy and I look forward to seeing how it works for my cycle. In encourage anyone interested to read this book as it has had some fabulous reviews!
The NaPro Technology ReveloutionI have been involved with Creighton Model for Natural Family Planning for a year and 1/2 and the more I do it and learn the opportunities available I have fallen in love. So much so that I am planning on becoming a teacher for NFP. Before I understood it I thought there was no way it could help me, but it has done nothing but help me learn and understand my body. This book describes the Creighton Model, how to chart, and then list specific ailments and their treatments through NaPro technology. This technology has been researched by Dr. Hildgers out of Omaha, NE. You can check out more about NaPro and the Creighton Model through these websites:
http://www.creightonmodel.com/
http://www.fertilitycare.org
http://www.popepaulvi.com/
http://www.naprotechnology.com/
My goal is to update this blog more regularly as I think I can help people more by updating more. I'm constantly reading and researching in hoping to find something that will work for me and in turn find something that will work for others. Blessing to all my followers!!
Making BabiesThis was the primary book that has really changed how I am handeling PCOS. Sami David and Jill Blakeway combine both western and eastern medicine in this book. Sami David was the first doctor to successfully perform IVF. Dr. David said that he did not like holding life in his hands as he felt he was playing God. After that moment he decided he did not want to be a part of that reveloution. He has spent his life dedicating his practice to finding the root of the problems in patients that are infertile. Drs. today are very quick to send someone to IVF without really knowing what is causing the infertility. Dr. David is interested in finding the root, trying everything, and if absolutely nothing works send them to IVF.
Jill Blakeway represents the eastern side of medicine using herbal supplements, vitamins, and daily therapy. This was the most enlightening part of this book for me as I'd been looking high and low for other ideas to help with PCOS.
I encourage all of you that follow my blog to check out this book and the webstie Making Babies At this website you can find out your fertility type "FT" by taking a 10 minute quiz. This will tell you your fertility type and give you a list of supplements and therapies you can introduce into your daily regimine. Jill Blakeway states in her book that if you can do up to 80% of the recommendations you're on the right track.
I've only been doing this a week, but I have had no side effects from any of the supplements I am taking. Currently I am taking the following:
Vitex (800mg), Metformin (1000mg), False Unicorn Root, Evening Primrose, L-Argenine, (good) Prenatal vitamin, Wheat Grass, and Royal Jelly.
Yes, without question, this is a lot, but if it works, it's worth it. I've also been drinking warm lemon water and I've been trying to get in 1/2 of exercise a day, which is sometimes difficult with my schedule, but I've been trying to make it work. I do feel I have more energy and I look forward to seeing how it works for my cycle. In encourage anyone interested to read this book as it has had some fabulous reviews!
The NaPro Technology ReveloutionI have been involved with Creighton Model for Natural Family Planning for a year and 1/2 and the more I do it and learn the opportunities available I have fallen in love. So much so that I am planning on becoming a teacher for NFP. Before I understood it I thought there was no way it could help me, but it has done nothing but help me learn and understand my body. This book describes the Creighton Model, how to chart, and then list specific ailments and their treatments through NaPro technology. This technology has been researched by Dr. Hildgers out of Omaha, NE. You can check out more about NaPro and the Creighton Model through these websites:
http://www.creightonmodel.com/
http://www.fertilitycare.org
http://www.popepaulvi.com/
http://www.naprotechnology.com/
My goal is to update this blog more regularly as I think I can help people more by updating more. I'm constantly reading and researching in hoping to find something that will work for me and in turn find something that will work for others. Blessing to all my followers!!
Friday, February 18, 2011
Feeling Positive
I definitely haven't found the cure yet, but I feel like I'm getting closer. Currently I am doing the following:
800 mg of Vitex every day
200 mg of B6
Prenatal vitamin
1000 mg of metformin
Accupuncture once a week
I started accupuncture about a month ago. I ovulated in January again and had the most normal cycle I've seen, which tells me that things are working. The chiropractor I see suggested accupuncture as well as progesterone cream. I used the progesterone cream after I ovulated and had one of the longest luteal cycles I have seen.
The chiroprator suggested that I used the cream 3 weeks and then off one week for menstruation. I really questioned this move as too high a level of progesterone can cause you not to ovulate because it tricks the body into believing you are pregnant. For some reason I talked myself into giving it a try, never ovulated, and decided to stop the cream all together for fear that things could get more screwed up.
After doing a little more research I really felt in my heart I should not take any progesterone early in my cycle. Estrogen is the primary hormone at the beginning of the cycle and having too much progesterone, I really believe, will screw things up. It's hard to know whether I would have ovulated this month or not, but I've definitely decided to save the progesterone until the end of my cycle. The cream is a lighter dose than the pill form, but I've been reading mixed reviews on the wild yam extract that is in the cream and how it reacts with human hormones. I am planning on going back on the progesterone in the pill form that I received from my dr. That was also a natural progesterone and I trust it a little more than I do the cream at this point.
I decided to start accupuncture as I have heard many people rave about their results from accupuncture for many different ailments. It's hard to know if it has helped or not, but I've decided it really can't hurt.
I really attribute my recent ovulations to vitex. It seems only since I started taking this that I have started ovulating, and my acne has been a lot better!
Like I said, I havne't found the cure, but I feel more positive that things are moving in the right direction.
I recently read an article about how copper can have an estrogenetic effect. I'm not sure if I have to worry about it, but I'd like to do some more research on it to find out if this could potentially be an issue as I eat a lot of nuts being on a low carb diet.
At least things are looking up....
800 mg of Vitex every day
200 mg of B6
Prenatal vitamin
1000 mg of metformin
Accupuncture once a week
I started accupuncture about a month ago. I ovulated in January again and had the most normal cycle I've seen, which tells me that things are working. The chiropractor I see suggested accupuncture as well as progesterone cream. I used the progesterone cream after I ovulated and had one of the longest luteal cycles I have seen.
The chiroprator suggested that I used the cream 3 weeks and then off one week for menstruation. I really questioned this move as too high a level of progesterone can cause you not to ovulate because it tricks the body into believing you are pregnant. For some reason I talked myself into giving it a try, never ovulated, and decided to stop the cream all together for fear that things could get more screwed up.
After doing a little more research I really felt in my heart I should not take any progesterone early in my cycle. Estrogen is the primary hormone at the beginning of the cycle and having too much progesterone, I really believe, will screw things up. It's hard to know whether I would have ovulated this month or not, but I've definitely decided to save the progesterone until the end of my cycle. The cream is a lighter dose than the pill form, but I've been reading mixed reviews on the wild yam extract that is in the cream and how it reacts with human hormones. I am planning on going back on the progesterone in the pill form that I received from my dr. That was also a natural progesterone and I trust it a little more than I do the cream at this point.
I decided to start accupuncture as I have heard many people rave about their results from accupuncture for many different ailments. It's hard to know if it has helped or not, but I've decided it really can't hurt.
I really attribute my recent ovulations to vitex. It seems only since I started taking this that I have started ovulating, and my acne has been a lot better!
Like I said, I havne't found the cure, but I feel more positive that things are moving in the right direction.
I recently read an article about how copper can have an estrogenetic effect. I'm not sure if I have to worry about it, but I'd like to do some more research on it to find out if this could potentially be an issue as I eat a lot of nuts being on a low carb diet.
At least things are looking up....
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