One of the core philosophies at Provenance is that health is not one-size-fits-all. Every woman has her own unique experience with nutrition, and the same goes for every other aspect of her health as well. For Women’s Health Month, we are opening the conversation on hormones and the many conditions, stages, and symptoms that women can face in their lifetime.
Affecting about 1 in 10 women, PCOS is becoming more of a hot topic in women’s health. Parsley Health Coach and hormone specialist, Erica Favela, NC, is here to share her wisdom on what you need to know about the hormone disorder.
What is PCOS?
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is an endocrine disorder that involves multiple organs including the ovaries, adrenals, pituitary, and pancreas. PCOS can result from different drivers, including inflammation, insulin, and excess androgens, and present differently from one individual to the next.PCOS is fairly common as it affects about 10% of women of childbearing age. Given that the causes and symptoms of PCOS can vary, it is typically a diagnosis of exclusion, which can sometimes make it difficult to get an accurate diagnosis. Most women receive a diagnosis in their 20’s or 30’s.
PCOS often presents as a constellation of symptoms, most often including:
Irregular periods or loss of periods.
Excess hair growth, or hirsutism (excess hair on chin, cheeks, belly, and/or nipples).
Acne.
Hair loss from the scalp.
Weight gain or difficulty losing weight.
Infertility.
More subtle would include unstable moods, such as anxiety and depression.
Can certain foods and diets trigger PCOS symptoms and flare-ups?
This will depend on what is causing one’s PCOS. For instance someone may have PCOS that is due to lack of ovulation, insulin resistance, discontinuing hormonal contraceptives, and/or elevated adrenal androgens.
Most women who have PCOS experience symptoms that are more chronic, given the hormonal roots of PCOS. Rather than trying to avoid flare-ups, it’ll be more helpful to think about which bodily systems need to come back into balance to help reverse symptoms. I find that this approach is much more realistic given that in most cases, consistent, sustainable lifestyle change is key to managing PCOS naturally.
One of the most common drivers of PCOS is insulin resistance, so refined sugar and excess refined carbohydrates would be a big trigger.
That being said, I find that many women with PCOS are likely to have an unhealthy relationship with food, or perhaps some patterns of disordered eating, so it’s important to take a balanced, individually-crafted approach that focuses on what to add in, first and foremost. For example, adding in high fiber, anti-inflammatory vegetables, with plenty of satiating protein and nourishing fats to keep blood sugar balanced, and naturally crowding out processed foods (including “healthy” processed foods like gluten-free breads, crackers, etc).
Recommended by Parsley Health Coaches
Whether you are looking to uncover root causes or alleviate symptoms, Provenance Meals is your go-to source for healing nourishment. Recommended by Parsley Health Coaches, our Organic Meal Delivery and Reset Programs offer several opportunities for you to connect with your nutrition and foster healthy, happy habits.
What are some nutrition habits people with PCOS should practice in order to alleviate symptoms?
Rather than focusing on the symptoms of PCOS, it’s important to figure out the root cause or causes igniting one’s PCOS. From there, one can understand which changes to prioritize that will make the biggest difference in their symptoms. For instance, not everyone with PCOS has insulin resistance, so modifying their carbohydrate intake may not be necessary. However, most women with PCOS will benefit from a low-glycemic whole foods, plant-forward, diet that focuses on blood sugar balancing with protein, fat, and fiber at every meal and snack.
What does a journey with PCOS typically look like? Is there a cure or end point?
Many women struggle with persistent and confusing symptoms, such as acne and missing periods, for several months, if not a few years, before getting a diagnosis of PCOS. Then, once they do get a diagnosis from their doctor, the most common conventional recommendation is hormonal oral contraceptives. For many women, this is a frustrating “solution,” as most know that the pill is a band-aid approach that will simply aim to mask their symptoms. So, by the time women get to me at Parsley Health, they’re frustrated and ready to dive into figuring out what’s at the root of their PCOS!
Parsley Health Coach and Hormone Specialist Erica Favela, NC
At Parsley Health, our doctors evaluate a variety of factors, including markers for inflammation, metabolism, and hormone levels to create a tailored treatment plan. As a Health Coach, I support women with balancing their diet and managing stress to reduce inflammation, and balance hormones, blood sugar, and insulin. I also support women in optimizing their sleep and movement routine, as we know both of these support metabolism and hormones.
We have seen that consistent and sustainable lifestyle changes, alongside individually tailored treatment plans, support women in reversing their PCOS.
PCOS and its many causes…
One’s genetic susceptibility may also play a role in their potential to develop PCOS. This does not mean that one’s genetics caused their PCOS, rather it means that one is susceptible, and therefore may have to stay diligent with dietary and lifestyle practices. For instance, genes can influence one’s susceptibility for insulin resistance, which is a common driver of PCOS.
In addition, it’s important for all women, and especially those with PCOS, to avoid endocrine disruptors that are found in the environment (i.e. food, personal hygiene products, etc) by way of toxins including pesticides, PCBs, and BPA. Endocrine disruptors are toxic compounds that interfere with our body’s natural communication messengers (a.k.a hormones) and can influence the progression of PCOS by negatively impacting how the brain communicates with the ovaries, or how sensitive our cells are to insulin.
