The PCOS Repair Podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

In this compilation episode of the PCOS Repair Podcast, we dive into the vast and confusing world of supplements and how they can support your journey with PCOS. This episode combines insights from two episodes to provide a comprehensive guide to understanding and using supplements effectively. Whether you’re new to the world of PCOS supplements or looking to refine your approach, this episode is packed with valuable information on choosing the right supplements and avoiding common pitfalls.

Episode Highlights:

Episode #12: The Best Supplements for PCOS
In this episode, you will learn the role of supplements in managing PCOS and address common questions about their effectiveness and value. Emphasizing the importance of understanding your PCOS root cause before selecting supplements, I categorize supplements into three main benefits: restoring nutrients, improving blood sugar, and recovering from the effects of birth control. You'll learn about the benefits of magnesium, omega-3s, inositol, and berberine for various PCOS symptoms. I advise starting with one supplement at a time and consulting with a healthcare provider to avoid interactions and side effects.

Episode #37: How to Avoid the PCOS Supplement Trap
In this episode, you'll learn how to make informed decisions about supplements and avoid relying too heavily on them. I stress the importance of having realistic expectations, emphasizing that no supplement can single-handedly reverse PCOS and that lifestyle changes are crucial. I recommend selecting supplements based on your symptoms and root causes, starting with basic health supplements like omega-3s, vitamin D, and magnesium. Additionally, I highlight the importance of protein as a vital supplement to help manage hunger, cravings, and energy levels. I encourage you to focus on one health aspect at a time and choose high-quality supplements while being aware of potential side effects and interactions.

Key Takeaways:

• Role of Supplements: Supplements can support hormone balance and fertility repair but cannot replace good nutrition and lifestyle changes.
• Personalized Approach: Selecting the right supplements requires understanding your PCOS root cause and addressing your specific symptoms.
• Quality and Caution: Choose high-quality supplements, start with one at a time, and consult with a healthcare provider to ensure safety and effectiveness.
• Holistic Health: Supplements are part of a broader strategy that includes healthy eating, regular exercise, and stress management for optimal PCOS management.

Tune in to this episode to gain a deeper understanding of how to effectively incorporate supplements into your PCOS management plan. By focusing on the right supplements for your unique needs and combining them with healthy lifestyle changes, you can create a supportive environment for your body to thrive.

Keep Learning

• Be sure to subscribe to the podcast so you don’t miss any of the summer binge-worthy episodes. Subscribe on Apple or Subscribe on Spotify 
• Talk with me over on Instagram @Nourishedtohealthy

In this special compilation episode of the PCOS Repair Podcast, the focus is fitness and how it can be a powerful tool in managing PCOS symptoms. From debunking myths to finding joy in exercise and mastering daily routines, I cover all the bases to help you establish an effective and enjoyable fitness routine.

Episode Highlights:

Episode 10: Exercise for PCOS Hormone Balance
In this episode, I debunk common myths about exercise and PCOS and provide a science-backed approach to working out, emphasizing the importance of balanced exercise for hormone regulation. I address misconceptions about gentle workouts, cardio, and high-intensity training, and stress the need for personalized exercise plans tailored to your individual needs and the root causes of PCOS. You'll learn how regular exercise helps balance blood sugar, reduce inflammation, manage stress, and regulate hormones.

Episode 24: Enjoying Being Active
This segment focuses on finding joy in exercise, making it a sustainable and enjoyable part of your routine. I discuss the psychological shift from viewing exercise as a "should" to something enjoyable. You'll learn how to identify activities that you genuinely enjoy and get practical tips for creating a pleasant exercise environment. By balancing different types of workouts, including cardio, strength, and flexibility exercises, you can achieve overall health and well-being.

Episode 70: Mastering Your PCOS Routine: Daily Success Strategies 
In this part, I discuss strategies to master your daily routine and integrate exercise for long-term success in managing PCOS. You'll learn about the importance of planning and setting realistic goals to overcome the chaos of daily life and maintain a fitness routine. Tracking progress is crucial for staying motivated, and I emphasize taking one step at a time to gradually build a comprehensive health routine.

Fitness is a vital component of managing PCOS, but it doesn't have to be a chore. By debunking myths, finding enjoyable activities, and implementing effective daily routines, you can harness the power of exercise to improve your symptoms and overall health. I hope this compilation episode provides you with the insights and motivation you need to get started or refine your fitness journey.

Keep Learning

• Be sure to subscribe to the podcast so you don’t miss any of the summer binge-worthy episodes. Subscribe on Apple or Subscribe on Spotify 
• Talk with me over on Instagram @Nourishedtohealthy

As we roll into summer, I have some exciting updates to share with you. We just recently passed our 100th episode Woohoo!

While I take a short break to enjoy the summer with my kids, the podcast will feature compilation replay episodes every week. These episodes will focus on a variety of topics like fertility, weight loss, and insulin management, complete with resource guides to help you dive deeper.

I have been getting many questions about certain topics and these compilations have been designed to go back and answer many of these questions.

You can hear more details about this announcement … hit play now!

Need help with your PCOS health?
Are you ready to uncover the root cause of your health challenges? Let me guide you on your journey towards healing and well-being. Click here to learn more about how I can help you discover your PC

Get on the waitlist: This summer the PCOS Root Cause Boot Camp returns! Get on the waitlist for early bird bonuses and savings. www.pcosrootcausebootcamp.com


You can take the quiz to discover your root cause here

Let’s continue the conversation on Instagram! 
What did you find helpful in this episode and what follow-up questions do you have?

It’s one thing to know that eating better would improve your PCOS health. Most of us know more or less what to eat….the hard part is actually doing it and sticking with it! If that is as true for you as it is for me then you are going to love this episode as we talk about setting yourself up for success so that healthier eating happens without even thinking about it!


Let’s start with How to grow a PCOS-friendly pantry
Along with this episode, I’m including a free download with all the pantry staples and weekly shopping considerations to make sure your house is filled with PCOS-friendly foods to help you when meal time rolls around. However, I do not suggest going out and buying all of those things all at once

What I do recommend is getting your meal plan for the week ready. If you would like some of my meal plans be sure to check out the PCOS detox, which I will link to in the show notes below. Then just buy the few new ingredients to include in your meal plan and slowly stock your pantry that way

As you find new recipes that fit your tastes, and lifestyle and that you enjoy preparing you will know which ingredients you need to keep stocked and which ingredients you Don’t need.

Your PCOS Pantry Staples
First, there are some very easy swaps to make that you can easily lessen the inflammatory foods you consume without even knowing the difference

I'm going to go through this in some detail here but
I also have a free gift for you: it's a download of my pantry list. And it also has my glycemic index chart so that you can start to compare food options and gain a better understanding of how what you are eating is affecting your body - I will link to this free guide in the show notes below!

Salad dressings and marinades:
I love primal kitchen. They have clean ingredient salad dressings, ketchup and other condiments as well as marinades and dips. I will include a link to their site in the show notes as well so you can check them out

Minimally processed ingredients and foods
I also stock lots of dry goods and ingredients in my pantry. This includes base ingredients for in recipes as well as some convenience items that are ready to grab on busy days.

Stock the freezer
I have the luxury of a second freezer in my garage but even if you don’t keep a few items such as hormones-free organic meat, frozen berries, and frozen veggies when you can’t get to the store right away

Buy Fresh each week
Then each week I stop by at least one grocery store to refill my fridge with produce. This is where most of your nutrients are found above sure to get plenty of dark leafy greens for salads. Broccoli, zucchini, or asparagus as well as other veggies and fruits you enjoy! That way you can easily steam, grill, or roast some veggies to go with whatever else you are having

A full list of Resources & References Mentioned can be found on the Episode webpage.

• Your PCOS Pantry Guide
• Kickstart Your PCOS Health with the Meal Plans in the PCOS Detox
• Take the PCOS Root cause quiz
•  Primal Kitchen

PCOS is not just a fertility issue. It is a medical condition that comes with some long-term health risks. Yet healthcare providers only address it if a certain symptom is bothering you. Most women including me have been diagnosed, offered birth control, and told to return if and when they want help with fertility.

What about monitoring for longer-term problems, what about reducing the risk of factors. Well that is exactly what this episode is about

What are the risk factors that come with having PCOS?
While PCOS often is thought of as a fertility or reproductive hormone disorder, those are only the tip of the iceberg. The real hormones that we can rebalance to reverse PCOS symptoms AND risk factors go deeper than that into our metabolic system.

These deeper, root cause hormones can lead to all the common symptoms of PCOS but if not addressed and allowed to stay out of balance can lead to more problems as well. These other problems may take longer to develop but they are also more problematic to your health. These risk factors include:
~ Type two diabetes
~ Heart Disease
~ Cancer
As well as other health disorders.

How to address risk factors associated with PCOS
The good news is that with early diagnosis and appropriate lifestyle adjustments for PCOS you can avoid or significantly lessen any health risk in your future. Back in episode #2, I shared how PCOS makes us sensitive to our environment but when we create an environment that allows for health PCOS risk for long-term health risks decreases immensely

That’s why in this episode I walk you through how risk factors to be aware of, how to work with your doctor to monitor your health, and how to head them off altogether.

So go ahead and tune into this very important episode.


A full list of Resources & References Mentioned can be found on the Episode webpage.

~ Get your FREE copy of the PCOS Fertility Meal Guide

~ Take the PCOS Root cause quiz to learn what your body needs to heal

~ Episode #10: Exercise for PCOS Hormone Balance

Supplements are often one of the first places women turn when they find out they have PCOS.

You’ve searched google and read all about the nasty side effects of medications. The reports of taking supplements seem to be more pleasant.

I get asked all the time…. are supplements really helpful, are the success stories real, and if they are helpful which ones should I take?
In today’s episode, I am going to break down what supplements, when supplements might be helpful, and how to choose one.

Do you need a PCOS Supplement?
The short answer is no you do not. You cannot supplement your way past poor nourishment anyway. That said, a well-chosen supplement can support hormone balance and fertility repair. 

But there are a few important things to consider before starting a supplement. 

• A supplement is still medicine and can have harmful side effects. 
• Supplements can be a waste of money. 
• The right supplements can assist to manage your PCOS. 

The role of a PCOS supplement
PCOS is a syndrome, which means a collection of symptoms. These symptoms are caused by various hormones being out of balance. There are many causes of the hormone imbalance such as insulin resistance, inflammation, or other lifestyle factors.

While a supplement can’t cure or even relieve all PCOS problems if chosen carefully it may help. Supplements can assist by restoring nutrients, improving blood sugar, reducing cravings, and helping you recover from birth control.

In summary, don’t take a supplement in hopes it will work. Instead, take the time or get help to discover your root cause(s) and select the supplement(s) that are best suited to assist you. Below you will find a link to my complete guide to PCOS supplements to help you research further.

And be sure to listen to this episode to learn more about choosing a PCOS supplement to support your current PCOS root cause.

A full list of Resources & References Mentioned can be found on the Episode webpage. 

• Get your FREE copy of the Complete Guide to PCOS Supplements
• Get your FREE copy of the PCOS Fertility Meal guide
• Take the PCOS Root cause quiz to learn what your body needs to heal 

Let me guess, your doctor probably recommended weight loss, but didn’t offer any help on how to actually lose and keep off the weight? 

Your doctor is correct that women who lose weight see amazing improvements in their PCOS symptoms but there is a missing link that often keeps women with PCOS from being able to lose the weight. 

There is a secret and missing link between struggling to lose weight and long-term success which is exactly what we will be talking about in this episode!

You shouldn’t need a medical degree to understand how your body works!  

I have my master’s in Physician Assistant Sciences. I am licensed to diagnose and treat patients and I have treated many patients with PCOS and I also used to think weight loss was a mystery.  Since then I discovered the missing link and have assisted hundreds of women in following a lifestyle that helps them lose weight and reverse their PCOS. 

This is why I am so excited about this episode so let’s dive in! 

Unlike your doctor, I’m not going to tell you that you need to lose weight….
Weight loss isn’t the way to treat PCOS! I go into that in great detail during the episode. But if you want to lose weight I don’t want it to be a mystery for you. But make sure you are doing this for YOU because it is something you want. Otherwise, leave the shoulds behind and enjoy life on your terms 

The PCOS Weight Loss Formula
The way to lose weight is math, right? Eat less calories than you burn and every time that adds up to a pound of fat then you will lose a pound right?

WRONG! 

Weight loss all starts by understanding the body fat, PCOS, and hormone connection.

These three things, your genetics, hormones, and body composition play off each other. And if you try to isolate just one such as body fat then while it might work in the short term you will ultimately gain the weight back and probably more. 

PCOS Weight Loss Starts with Your Root Cause.
You can take the PCOS root cause quiz to learn more about your current primary root cause here. 
It is the best place to learn how to balance your hormones. 

You can find the full list of resources & references mentioned in this episode here.

RESOURCES MENTIONED: 

• Episode #3: PCOS Root Causes
• Episode #4: PCOS Lifestyle Medicine
• Take the PCOS Root cause quiz to learn what your body needs to heal

Myths of Exercise for PCOS
Have you heard any of the following?

• You should only do gentle workouts if you have PCOS 
• Cardio isn’t a good idea if you have PCOS 
• Walking and yoga are best for PCOS 
• HIIT is ok for short workouts but don’t over do it 
• The reason you aren’t losing weight is because you are working out too hard 
• The reason you aren’t having regular ovulatory periods is because of your exercise program 

Sound familiar? Have you heard of any of these?
These partial truths have been repeated and taken out of context until many people and even so-called experts believe them.

So what is the truth about exercise and PCOS?
There is certainly NOT one right way to reverse PCOS exercise is no exception to the ONE SIZE DOESN’T FIT ALL!

That is why this episode is so important as I share how to approach exercise for PCOS whether you are just getting started or are an athlete.

The benefits of exercise for PCOS go on and on but a few big ones are: 

• Exercise reduces stress
• Exercise helps balance blood sugar
• Exercise reduces inflammation
• Exercise improves mood and energy 

Well just like anything else…. we can always overuse a good thing. And over-exercising can lead to burnout and adrenal fatigue, something that I also discuss in the episode and how to listen to your body.

That said, understanding your primary PCOS root cause is always very important. And can provide a lot of insight into what exercise routines could benefit your PCOS the most.

You can take the PCOS root cause quiz to learn more about your current primary root cause.

Where does that leave YOU? What practical action can you take to improve your PCOS hormone balance with exercise?
While there may be cases of too much exercise the problem is feeling restricted and fearful.

The concern of doing something wrong paralyzes us to take action. And without getting started we can’t discover what is or isn’t working for our bodies.

So sadly these blanket statements that only apply to about 10% of women with PCOS who are currently in active burnout are being applied to 90+ % of women with PCOS who would greatly benefit from exercise but are left not sure what to do.

so I encourage you to take the PCOS root cause quiz and start learning more about your PCOS root cause. And listen to this episode so that you can feel more confident in how to move your body to benefit your health and hormones.

You can find all the resources mentioned in this episode here 

Medical research has shown that Insulin resistance is a primary factor for over 70% of women with PCOS and yet most women I work with and talk to have been told by their doctor that their blood sugar is fine and that they are not insulin resistant.

So what’s the deal with insulin and PCOS and is it something that you should be addressing in order to reverse your PCOS? Well, my friend that is what this episode is all about so hit play to listen now!

The insulin effect
Notice how I didn’t say insulin resistance. There is a big difference and it is really important to understand the importance of the insulin effect if you want to reverse your PCOS naturally. that I want you to understand.

So what is insulin and how does it affect your PCOS hormones?
When you eat something it is broken down and released into your body as glucose (that’s another name for blood sugar). So by choosing the foods you eat smartly and combining certain foods to lessen their insulin effect you can greatly improve your PCOS hormones.

In this episode, you will learn about what foods worsen the insulin effect and your PCOS (spoiler alert….it’s not just sugar).  And more importantly, you will learn what foods will help to improve your insulin effect and assist you in reversing your PCOS…..and it doesn’t require you to never eat certain foods again.

When you are armed with the food knowledge packed into this episode you will be able to make serious progress toward reversing your PCOS!

Are you ready? Go ahead and listen to this episode where I not only share how insulin is working in your body but some simple actionable steps to use this information to heal your PCOS naturally!

Happy listening!

Resources Mentioned can be found on the Episode webpage:

• Reset Your Hormones with The PCOS Detox
• Get your FREE copy of the PCOS Fertility Meal guide
• Take the PCOS Root cause quiz to learn what your body needs to heal

Medical Journal References for this Episode - see the podcast page for this episode here: 

• Adipocyte Insulin Resistance in PCOS: Relationship With GLUT-4 Expression and Whole-Body Glucose Disposal and β-Cell Function
• Association of Insulin Resistance and Elevated Androgen Levels with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS): A Review of Literature
• The Pathogenesis of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS): The Hypothesis of PCOS as Functional Ovarian Hyperandrogenism Revisited
• The role of miRNAs in polycystic ovary syndrome with insulin resistance
• Review of Novel Potential Insulin Resistance Biomarkers in PCOS Patients—The Debate Is Still Open
• To Assess the Association between Glucose Metabolism and Ectopic Lipid Content in Different Clinical Classifications of PCOS
• All Women With PCOS Should Be Treated For Insulin Resistance

“How can I get pregnant with PCOS?” It’s the number one question I get asked and it’s exactly what we are talking about in this episode of the PCOS Repair Podcast!

PCOS Fertility
PCOS is the top cause of female infertility but the good news is that it is one of the most treatable causes of infertility. 

First How Does PCOS affect fertility?

• Hormone imbalance disturbs your cycles and ovulation
• Low progesterone can increase the risk of first-trimester miscarriage
• Increases risk factors for a healthy pregnancy 

How to treat PCOS Infertility
The perception is that infertility treatments with medications, IUI, or IVF are the solution to infertility. And while they can be the answer for some couples there are many considerations on when and how to proceed down the path towards these medical options.

A Natural Approach to Getting Pregnant with PCOS
Creating a healthy environment for your body addresses all 3 of the ways that PCOS can stop you from getting pregnant and carrying a healthy baby to term. This doesn’t have to exclude medical assistance but I recommend listening to this episode to help create a strategic plan for when and what steps you will take next.

So are you ready to learn how to balance your hormones to optimize fertility? Then have a listen to episode #8 now to learn how to get pregnant when you have PCOS.

Resources mentioned in this episode:
Take the PCOS root cause quiz
Start Nourishing Your PCOS Fertility Today!

References:
Letrozole versus clomiphene citrate for ovulation induction in anovulatory women with polycystic ovarian syndrome: A randomized controlled trial

Ovulation induction in polycystic ovary syndrome