Living your best life with PCOS

Being diagnosed with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) or dealing with PCOS-like symptoms can affect you physically, mentally, and emotionally. But, it does not need to feel this way. Changing up your lifestyle choices can make all the difference for a happy, healthy, and productive life!

There is no cure for PCOS, but a lifelong commitment to healthy eating, exercise, and taking the proper PCOS supplements will give you all the control you need to thrive!

1. Sleep is your superpower

Sleep as much as you need — more than 8 hours per night if you can! Your body needs time in the sleep state to repair. This is all the more critical for people who have PCOS.

• Lack of sleep increases insulin (increasing fat storage) and sugar levels, high blood pressure, diabetes, risk of heart attack and/or heart failure.
• Adequate sleep increases your immune system, reduces stress, decreases inflammation and improves mood swings.

2. Reduce your stress levels

Stress is a part of life and certain amounts of stress have been proven to be good for you. But high levels of cortisol can prove to be disastrous for people with PCOS, so it’s crucial to learn how to handle stress better. Meditation, yoga, keeping a journal, exercise, and breathing techniques are all wonderful ways to help us get a handle on stress. When we’re under chronic, mishandled stress, our body creates sequences of nerve cells firing. This releases chemicals such as adrenaline, noradrenaline, and cortisol, known the 3 major stress hormones, into our bloodstream.

The pituitary gland is central to the stress circuit. The brain region called the hypothalamus stimulates the pituitary gland to secrete adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) in response to stress. As a result, it stimulates the adrenals to produce cortisol, adrenaline, and noradrenaline, these are hormones that wreak havoc on an already unbalanced hormone system. ACTH also stimulates the production of the adrenal androgen hormones, and as a result, raises the male hormone levels in your body, which worsens PCOS symptoms. Keep in mind, some women can also develop “adrenal PCOS” that causes symptoms similar to ovarian cyst-driven PCOS.

3. Avoid dairy and sugar

Milk contains an abundance of IGF-1, which is a growth hormone. Too much causes inflammation and insulin spikes, which causes the liver to produce even more growth hormone. Excess IGF-1 may lead to an increased risk of diabetes and increased triglycerides. Dairy can also cause your skin to produce more sebum (oil), leading to clogged pores and acne. Sugar and sugar-containing foods worsen PCOS symptoms and insulin resistance.

Learn more about diet, sugar, and PCOS.

4. Use natural PCOS supplements

Commit to using natural, comprehensive PCOS supplements. Life Source’s PCOS Support Supplements assist with balancing hormones naturally, using powerful ingredients in therapeutic doses. This reduces the production of estrogens and androgens and improves progesterone levels while assisting with insulin resistance and inflammation. This helps ovulation, brings down the body’s acidity levels, and reduces PCOS symptoms like scalp hair loss, acne, unwanted hair growth, fatigue, cravings, anxiety, moodiness, water retention, and body pain.

5. Change your mindset 

Being diagnosed with PCOS can be daunting, but remember… you are in control! Where your mind goes, your body follows.

Negative self-talk causes stress, hindering your physical, mental, and emotional path to healing. Our belief systems are ultimately our compass through life which shapes our thinking, our inner dialog, and ultimately our actions. It’s not the events that shape our lives, but our beliefs as to what those events mean.

Most of us have never evaluated our belief systems, sorting through our reasons or challenging them. Many of our beliefs were passed down to us through our families, teachers, friends, or communities. While some of these beliefs are important and valuable, others are disempowering and destructive. It’s important to do some self-reflection and reconsider the parts of your belief system that does not serve you or your healing. Consider using positive affirmations every day, which can have a wonderful effect on your journey to balance and harmony.

Although living with PCOS can be challenging, it’s possible to manage your symptoms in a healthy and holistic way. Lifestyle changes and self-care strategies can help you lead a fulfilling, happy life while living with PCOS.