taking a break.

hey. well, as some of you know, I am quitting my job in august. after some time in prayer i feel like it's best for me to put this experiment on a hiatus until then. i'm too stressed out right now to give it the time and attention it requires. don't get me wrong, i'm still trying to eat right and take my supplements, but as far as trying to heal pcos, etc., i need a break. i've been at this for a year and a half and am getting weary of taking my temperature every morning, charting it, getting disappointed by the chart, freaking out over every bit off spotting wondering what my body is doing. so, for about two months, i am not going to worry about it. once i leave my job, i feel like i can approach it with a renewed sense of strength and optimism. until then!

Day Seven - Who Needs Provera?

Woo-hoo, one week in! I woke up this morning half asleep thinking about how good donuts would be. Once I actually woke up I quickly made a big breakfast to curb those thoughts right away.

Anyway, on to the topic of today's post. Also if you don't like reading about periods, this probably isn't the blog for you (go look at cats instead).

PCOS causes irregular periods. Our bodies need to menstruate to shed the uterus lining and prepare for ovulation and implantation. So every now and then our bodies need a jumpstart to induce menstruation.

Doctors oftentimes prescribe Provera to start a woman's period. It is a hormone that makes you bleed when you stop, from the withdrawal of the progestin. It's generally considered safe, but I've had terrible side effects from it. Took it for five days with non stop nausea. I started thinking there has to be a better way.

A little research revealed the Chinese herb Dong Quai (Angelica sinensis). It is used for many female troubles, especially for increased circulation to the reproductive organs. It strengthens and tones the uterus and can induce menstruation. I was overjoyed to find it at the Vitamin Shoppe. I took it for two days and started bleeding right away. Not just bleeding, Niagara freaking Falls, horrible cramps for six long days. I had not had a period that heavy in years.

After that I had a couple anovulatory cycles with typical anovulatory spotting around the time my period is due. This month the spotting had been weird and light and I decided that it was time for another round of Dong Quai.

I do not have it listed in the supplements I use because I don't use it daily. Also, it can be dangerous. If you have heavy bleeding, you shouldn't take it as you could actually lose too much blood. Also, if you're late for your period and think you need to take it, make 100% sure without a doubt you are not pregnant. The increased blood flow to the uterus can induce a miscarriage. I waited until day 35 of my cycle and took a couple pregnancy tests just to confidently rule it out. Also, once you start bleeding you should stop taking it so that you don't end up with too much bleeding. I relied heavily on Natural Fertility Info for most of my information, check it out to learn more.

Anyway, all that to say I've been taking it the past couple of days and the random spotting is starting to finally become more of a flow. I used to dread periods, now it's nice to finally have one and soon I'll be able to see if I will actually ovulate this cycle.

Today's Foods
10:00am - sausage, eggs, whole wheat bagel with butter and cream cheese. coffee with cinnamon

Day Six

Off work today, woot! But that also means no sweet drinks, which hasn't been a problem so far. Actually I've not eaten very much today at all. I'm not horribly hungry, either, so I'm not fighting it.

Today's Food
11:30am - chicken salad sandwich with lettuce and tomato on whole wheat bread
1:45pm - banana
drinking water and an unsweetened iced tea.

I am getting hungry now, so I'm off to find something. I'm planning a mexican salad type supper, complete with homemade hummus which I am about to make!

wow just realized I originally posted this as day five again. i can't believe i'm already at day six! it doesn't seem like i've been doing this that long but am so pleased so far!

 4:45pm yummy mexican salad, a lot like a taco minus the tortilla. it included lettuce, tomato, onion, green peppers, salsa, ground beef, hummus, salsa and sour cream

7:00pm dried cranberries and almonds

drinking more water, iced passion tea, coffee beefed up with cinnamon and coconut oil

9:20pm some turkey and cheddar cheese. we are now very low on veggies thanks to all this weeks veggie-filled meals (yay!) so this is my snack. we're fixing the veggie problem by going to Knoxville's Farmer Market on Market Square this Saturday and I'm super excited. We're also getting a new mattress - no more air mattress! But I digress.

Day Five

So five days in and I'm feeling great. Not much has changed except a couple pounds lost and the sugar cravings have all but subsided. I'm hoping to start a new cycle soon (I've been sporadically spotting the past couple of days and if I don't start a real period I'm going to take some Dong Quai to induce one. More on that in a later post... as in "who needs provera!") to see if I actually will ovulate!

Today's Food
9:00am - bowl of plain bran flakes.
11:00am - about four cups of coffee, almonds and dried cranberries

      I was super surprised how full I felt as this time. Granted I was off work at this time and not burning
       as many calories as I would have been if I was at work, but I was not hungry until I left the coffee shop          I was at.

1:30pm - tuna salad wrap, veggies
3:00pm - almonds and dried cranberries

      I eat a lot of almonds and dried cranberries. I keep a big bag of them with me at all times. It is my easiest       and simplest "go-to" snack and I'm not growing tired of them.

6:00pm - more almonds and cranberries! and an iced white mocha.
8:30pm - pita with turkey and cheese. small dish of cottage cheese

been drinking lots of water and iced passion tea throughout the day as well.

Day Four

Plan is changing to allow for one sweet coffee drink a day. It's still a big cut from what I've been drinking and optimistically I'll be able to wean myself down to only a couple a week, to just every once in a while. I had such a bad headache today, despite plenty of sleep, plenty of snacks and other sources of caffeine and an iced white mocha knocked it out. I had it with almonds, so I don't think it spiked my blood sugar, at least not as far as I can tell. And I've lost two pounds since I've weighed myself Sunday so I think I'm on to something anyway.

Today's Food
7:00am - two eggs, whole wheat bagel, butter, cream cheese coffee
10:00am - banana, almonds, dried cranberries
12:40pm - subway flatbread with oven roasted chicken and lots of veggies
2:15pm - almonds with dried cranberries, iced white mocha
4:30pm - cottage cheese, almonds with dried cranberries
6:30pm - a sort of hamburger salad. a bunless hamburger with lettuce, onion and tomato on the side with bacon. carrots and mushrooms with ranch dip
7:30pm - mango smoothie, more veggies

drinking lots of water and iced passion tea.

Day Three

Well. Today I caved and drank an iced white mocha at work. Not sure if I feel guilty or apathetic about it.. Seeing as I've not had one in 3 or 4 days and I'm used to drinking 3 or 4 per day, I'm not going to worry about it. Not going to make a habit of it, either. I was pretty drained and just needed a pick-me-up.

Anyway!

Today's Food
7am - one egg, whole wheat bagel with butter and cream cheese. water
10am - a pear and a handful of almonds
11:45am - turkey, veggies and cheese on a whole wheat wrap, almonds
1:30pm - almonds, fruit smoothie
3:00pm - iced white mocha :(
6:00pm - baked salmon, broccoli, salad
8:00pm - sharp cheddar cheese, apples

Day Two

What happened last night...

So last night, we met with some of Alex's family who were staying in Gatlinburg to eat dinner. I was under the impression that we were going out to eat, hence my planning of having a big salad wherever we went. However, that was not the case. Alex's lovely family cooked us a nice meal at their cabin. Chicken enchiladas, rice, corn muffins and brownies.

So what did I do?

I was faced with a dilemma. I was not going to be that girl - the one who picks and fusses what was cooked for her because she is one some "diet". Also, I wasn't going to sit and go hungry after they went through so much trouble for us. So, I ate what was given to me, just very small portions. Even half a brownie.

I don't feel guilty. I've been on "diets" before when I've been plagued with guilt when I do something wrong. I refuse for this to be like that. I have to make allowances for special circumstances. That's life!

Today's Food

We were up way too late last night. We slept until well after noon! So don't be alarmed as my meal times seem a little off.

2pm - large omelet stuffed with veggies and a little cheese. generous amounts of coffee.

4pm - snack of almonds and raisins

6pm - pan seared new york strip, asparagus, brown rice

been drinking coffee, water and iced unsweetened passion tea

Day One - great things can happen from small beginnings

Phase one of the diet will be:

Six weeks (until my birthday weekend, holla!)

This will be the initial phase of weaning my body from it's dependence on sugar/carbohydrates. Some sugar and carbs are necessary, therefore I am not completely phasing them out, but being very strict on what and when I eat them. In six weeks I'll review and see if I need any changes and if I can be less strict or step it up and be more strict (after my birthday of course!)

I will not be eating any sweets, desserts or sweet drinks (including beer and wine) during this time. The only "sweet" thing I am allowing is fruit, but only when eaten with a protein. Bread, pasta and other starchy foods will be greatly limited and only eaten in appropriate proportions with protein and fiber.


So what I am hoping to accomplish during these six weeks?

First, I'd like to see my hormone levels regulate themselves to a point where I am menstruation/ovulating cyclically as I should. Six weeks should give my body enough time to go through one to two cycles and I am trusting that I will ovulate at least once.

Secondly, I'm hoping that the hypoglycemic episodes will subside. I'd like to make it through a shift at work without my blood sugar hitting the floor and going through that "I need something with sugar in my body now!" mode.

Thirdly, I would like to see some weight reduction. Weight loss is not nor will ever be the focus of this plan, however, it is a secondary objective. PCOS makes it almost impossible to lose weight in conventional calorie counting, fat gram watching ways. However, low-glycemic diets have been wildly successful in controlling weight with PCOS and I am confident I will see the same results. I will only weigh weekly, and measure my health by other factors primarily.

Today's Food
italicized meals are planned future meals 

5am - sausage, eggs, orange juice, plain latte with whole milk
9:30am - almonds, dried mangos, fruit smoothie with added protein and fiber
(about 26 ounces of water from 5am - 12pm)
1pm - whole wheat pita, cheddar cheese, tuna salad, carrots with hummus, water, coffee
3pm - veggies with hummus, water
5pm (?) - dinner out with family. planning on a large salad, water

Fitness
lol. too tired and sore from work to think about it now, but I might do something later.

What This is All About

According to Wikipedia,
"Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is one of the most common female endocrine disorders. PCOS is a complex, heterogeneous disorder of uncertain, but there is strong evidence that it can to a large degree be classified as a genetic disease. PCOS produces symptoms in approximately 5% to 10% of women of reproductive age (12–45 years old). It is thought to be one of the leading causes of female subfertility and the most frequent endocrine problem in women of reproductive age. The principal features are anovulation, resulting in irregular menstruation amenorrhea, ovulation-related infertility, and polycystic ovaries; excessive amounts or effects of androgenic (masculinizing) hormones, resulting in acne and hirsutism; and insulin resistance, often associated with obesity, Type 2 diabetes, and high cholesterol levels." 

 After suffering with irregular menstrual cycles since puberty (I say suffering, but as a teenage I didn't find only getting 8-9 periods a year something to complain about!) I went to see a gynecologist soon after I was married. I had stopped having periods altogether, just irregular spotting. Alex and I were using no contraceptives, very happy with the idea of having children early. The September after our wedding, I finally had a positive pregnancy test! I was concerned, however, because I had begun spotting again, and went to the doctor right away. Blood tests showed little presence of HcG (the chemical that pregnancy tests detect). I was told there it was likely I had a chemical pregnancy, which is when the egg implants to the uterus but the body immediately rejects it, like a very early miscarriage.

I was devastated, but encouraged because the doctor seemed to think that birth control pills to re-regulate my cycles would fix everything. Ignorant and elated, I started right away. I did gain some control over my cycles - very predictable 28 day cycles. A couple days after my visit, the nurse-practitioner called me with the results of some more extensive blood tests they ran. I had elevated levels of prolactin, which seemed to indicate PCOS. The doctor and I have briefly discussed PCOS during our visit but he didn't seem to think it was a real possibility.

At my second visit, we discussed what the nurse practitioner had said about my prolactin. We discussed some other symptoms of PCOS and he didn't seem to think any of them applied to me. He prescribed birth control pills to regulate my cycle and basically said see you next year for your next annual.I took the birth control, had perfect cycles when I was on it but the day I went off I had non stop spotting for two months. Soon after we moved to Tennessee, I began to see a new doctor. This doctor was a bit more helpful, explaining that she thinks I am not ovulating. She prescribed Provera to start a period and Clomid to induce ovulation. She instructed me to chart my basal body temperature. However, I still failed to ovulated with Clomid.

Now, here I am at the end of another anovulatory cycle. I'm tired and depressed. And ready for a change.

I've read plenty of material of the relation of PCOS and blood sugar and have seen a lot of success from people who follow a low-glycemic diet. I feel that this is a route I should choose. I need to change my diet drastically and begin exercising. Both will be a challenge, as I am mildly hypoglycemic and as soon as 2 hours after eating my blood sugar drops and I immediately crave sugar. I have to combat that with high protein and fiber snacks regularly. Exercise will be a challenge because I work so much and when I get home I am tired and achy. Hopefully exercise will actually combat that and give me more energy.

The Rules of My Low-Glycemic Diet

Basically, all a low-glycemic diet does is focus on the way foods interact with your blood sugar. You want to eat food that doesn't cause a large spike and fall in the blood sugar.

These are rules I'm going to follow now, they may be modified in the future as I monitor how my body is responding:

No white flour or white sugar. 
     This is going to be a huge challenge. Since I work at Starbucks almost everything I drink there has some of processed sugar. However, I know I am not healthy and drastic changes are in order.

Never eat carbohydrates alone.
        Eating carbohydrates with proteins and fiber helps to slow down it's effect on the bloodsugar, regulating the spike and fall.

Snack often.
      In order to combat low blood sugar and the subsequent carbohydrate cravings, I need to snack once every 1 - 2 hours. Almonds, vegetables, boiled eggs, etc are great examples of low glycemic snacks.

Avoid hormones
     Since hormone irregularity is a big factor is PCOS, avoiding synthetic hormones in food is important. We can't afford to buy everything organic, unfortunately, but what we can we buy. We make a lot of things from scratch at home, something I would like to continue.

Anyway, this has been a long post. Tomorrow I will begin updating with a food and exercise diary and a list of the supplements and vitamins I am taking. I will continue with observations of how my body seems to respond to the changes. I hope that someday this experiment helps someone else suffering from PCOS and wanting a natural, healthy remedy.