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Living with PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome) can be so defeating, and the hardest part is trying to manage the symptoms and not lose hope or your will power, because you don’t want it ruling your life.

I’ve been there, I grew up with horrible cystic scarring acne, absent periods, thinning hair and Hirsutism (extra unwanted body hair) and the depression that follows it all.

In this blog post, I’m sharing the 5 ways I learned that allowed me to take back control and manage my PCOS symptoms to this day. I’ll be covering:

How I finally regulated my periods naturally once I ditched birth control
The PCOS diet and how certain foods negatively affect hormone imbalance
Types of exercise and how beneficial it is for PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome)
Probiotic and Prebiotic health benefits
How to find stress relief and carve out time for yourself

There is no cure for PCOS, but there is hope for living with it so if your looking for guidance and inspiration to manage your PCOS symptoms then I’m glad you’re here!

How I finally regulated my periods naturally once I ditched birth control

I was having some seriously irregular periods where I’d go months up to a whole year without having one. I was in my mid teens and I thought it was so awesome that I wasn’t having to deal with periods but my mom was really concerned so I saw a couple doctors and they told me it was because I was so active in sports, which I now know is such bologna! The quickest solution for my absent periods at the time was starting on birth control.

I tried about four different birth controls up into my early twenties and yes I did have a period every month, BUT I hated birth control and how it made me feel. I hated how synthetic it was and I felt like it changed my personality a little bit. I wasn’t my usual sweet and down to earth self. I was kind of like mood swing zilla and not very nice. It just wasn’t for me.

At 23 I decided to ditch birth control and I went to a gynecologist who actually specialized in PCOS and infertility and it was the most positive doctor’s experience I’ve ever had. After telling her all my symptoms she confirmed my PCOS via an ultrasound and I got to see those lovely “String of Pearls” cysts lining my uterus wall. Since I was on an all natural kick she recommended I try the Theralogix Ovasitol Inositol Powder HERE. This supplement was a total game changer.

To my shock I started a period within the first month and I was sooo stoked! I was even more shocked because I was increasingly having regular periods each month. I never thought I would be excited to have a period but after so many years of never knowing when flo will show but still having all the period symptoms, it was a huge relief :) After so many years of trying all these other women’s success methods but never experiencing it for myself I finally found my OWN success story with this Inositol supplement you can check out HERE.

I love this supplement because it works naturally in your body to promote regular and healthy periods. I also love the fact that it’s NOT a pill and it’s tasteless so you can mix it into any warm or cold drink (non-carbonated drink though) I go more in depth into what Inositol is and it’s health benefits in my blog post What is Inositol and How it Can Help You

The PCOS diet and how certain foods negatively affect hormone imbalance

The PCOS Diet is a must in managing your PCOS symptoms as it focuses on foods that maintain healthy blood sugar levels and avoids foods that causes spikes in blood sugar levels. A diet that is low in added sugars and processed foods and high in whole grains, unprocessed, fiber and protein rich foods are the goal. Many women with PCOS have insulin resistance. Insulin is a hormone that regulates blood sugar levels, but when the cells in the body don’t respond correctly to insulin it becomes resistant.

Avoid: added sugary sweets and processed foods, unhealthy fats found in dairy products, meat and fried foods can all have a negative affect on your hormone levels. Try to limit your alcohol and coffee consumption as these can also worsen PCOS symptoms.

Happily eat: Fruits and low starchy vegetables like broccoli, cucumbers, eggplant and asparagus just to name a few. Whole grains, healthy fats and lean protein like fish and chicken are great. There are many more

I have a couple dieting books I really love and for PCOS specific I recommend the book A Balanced Approach which can be found HERE. I found this book to be very insightful, it has a lot of pictures, great weekly meal plans and it was just simple to read and understand. Everything is thoughtfully broken down and I think a unique feature about this book is that it breaks the meal plans down by season.

Another great PCOS specific book I recommend is called Meals She Eats found HERE. This book is unique in it that it provides meals for certain points in your cycle. It’s very informative, has food lists and the recipes are fun and tasty.

Changing your eating habits can be overwhelming but I’ve made a helpful Naughty and Nice List of PCOS Foods you should start implementing into your everyday routine and foods you should be ditching to the curb! Use the form below to get INSTANT access to this PCOS food list you can use as a guide as you begin your journey to managing PCOS!

Get Your FREE PCOS Food List!

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Types of exercise and how beneficial it is for PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome)

Exercise is a great affective way to manage PCOS and improve overall health. Now you don’t have to go out and jog 5 miles or anything crazy like that but please get at least 30 minutes a day of exercise whether it’s low impact, or moderate to high intensity workouts.

Add in muscle strengthening and yoga or Pilates. These can help with ovulation, hormones, anxiety and stress levels which have an impact on PCOS. Doing a mix of short bursts of high intensity and moderate intensity aerobic exercises are said to be the best because it has a great impact on insulin resistance but you can also do low impact exercises like walking, swimming, cycling or chair exercises.

My daily low impact exercise is using my CUBii while I watch tv. If you’re wandering what the heck a CUBii is, It’s like a very small elliptical you can fit under a desk. So I sit in my chair around 7pm each day, turn friends on the tv and I’ll CUBii for an hour or two. It’s a great super low impact cardiovascular exercise that will definitely make you sweat! If you’re interested in learning more about the CUBii you can look more into it HERE.

Probiotic and Prebiotic health benefits

Probiotics and Prebiotics are both important for maintaining a healthy gut. They each play a different role in the gut. Probiotics are living bacteria that help maintain, balance and provide “good” bacteria that fights off “bad” bacteria in the gut. Prebiotics are high fiber foods that act as food for Probiotics. This allows for optimal function. Togther they create a strong gut barrier that reduces inflammation and keeps out harmful bacteria, viruses and substances.

Probiotics are found in fermented foods like yogurt or you can just take the supplemental form.
Prebiotics are found in fruits, veggies and whole grains so if you’re trying the PCOS diet you’re already a step ahead!

How to find stress relief and carve out time for yourself

Oh stress and how you creep into our lives everyday, unwanted. I mean how do you avoid stress everyday? We can start by avoiding stressful people, situations or uncomfortable situations. Put your phone or tablet away and turn off the tv for an hour a day, social media for a lot of us is just an escape from our realities but it’s not the healthy kind of escape.

Just like you’d make time for an appointment, block out a time each day for yourself and work on a hobby you love or have been thinking of starting. Turn on some music and start dancing, even if you look like a total fool! Take a walk somewhere and grab an ice cream, connect with others or try yoga! Try out an adult coloring book, cooking class or watch a funny movie or two or three that makes you laugh.

Practice gratitude through journaling, do a good deed for a stranger or volunteer for a cause. Go out for a girls night or take a weekend trip alone to reconnect and relax. I once treated myself to a weekend getaway in a little cabin with a hot tub at the Red River Gorge in Kentucky and it was a great solo experience where I had plenty of time to find some calm in my life.