August 29th, 2008
By Amy Medling
PCOSA Today – Summer 2008
Many women with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) have tried to shed a few pounds. Research has shown that weight loss of only 5% can improve insulin resistance, leading to lower levels of male hormones and the return of menstrual function.
And, to help women with PCOS lose weight, doctors often refer their patients to dietitians for nutrition counseling. However, many dieticians may not have the training they need to effectively treat patients with PCOS. Believe it or not, some dietitians may have never even heard of PCOS!
Angela Grassi, a licensed dietician who practices in Haverford, Pennsylvania USA was compelled to write “The Dietitian’s Guide to Polycystic Ovary Syndrome” in hopes that, “dietetic professionals will gain the necessary knowledge and training to work with the PCOS population.”
Ms. Grassi states that, “Currently, PCOS may be diagnosed more often than in the past because it has recently been classified as an endocrine disorder not just a reproductive disorder. It is expected that dietitians will treat more patients with PCOS, yet little attention has been given to the syndrome in professional publications where dietitians are the main audience.” To date, only three articles and no scientific studies on PCOS have ever been published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association.
What makes this book particularly unique is that Ms. Grassi struggles with PCOS. She was misdiagnosed until she was in her late 20’s.
She explains, “When I was diagnosed with PCOS I was already familiar with the syndrome. As a dietitian, I had treated numerous women with PCOS, yet was unable to fully recognize it for myself. This led me to question: if I hadn’t been able to recognize PCOS for myself when I was already familiar with it, how are other dieticians, health professionals, or even patients going to be able to recognize it?”
This book is written to give dieticians the knowledge and training needed to recognize PCOS.
“The Dietitian’s Guide to Polycystic Ovary Syndrome” covers topics including both the physical and psychological aspects of PCOS, dietary strategies, alternative treatments, PCOS in adolescence, pregnancy, lactation and post-partum, eating disorders, case studies and sample menu plans. The book is well referenced and following each chapter is a summary and complete list of references.
Ms. Grassi acknowledges that there is much confusion regarding the proper dietary approach women with PCOS should implement to improve their symptoms and decrease risk of chronic diseases. Currently no formal dietary guidelines for PCOS exist. She recommends a moderately low GI diet (based upon the Glycemic Index) to improving PCOS symptoms.
The most eye-opening information contained in Ms. Grassi’s book outlines the connection between PCOS and eating disorders. “It is common for some to take the extreme belief that they should limit their carbohydrate intake as much as possible in order to lose weight. Unfortunately, this leads to an unhealthy preoccupation with food that often comes with dieting,” Ms. Grassi states.
Studies have shown that women with PCOS may engage in more excessive eating than women without this diagnosis because of the potential amplified physiological affect of stress on PCOS women. Ms. Grassi explains, “stress and increased eating behavior may be part of a vicious perpetual cycle that may be difficult for women with PCOS to combat, due to the fact that these women produce more of the stress hormone cortisol under repeated stress.”
New research also suggests that women who have PCOS have impaired secretion of cholecystokinin, as well as lower levels of leptin and ghrelin. These hormones affect appetite regulation. This could further explain why women with PCOS tend to crave sweets, binge eat or become overweight because of their impaired ability to feel full.
Ms Grassi recommends that dieticians screen patients with PCOS for eating disorders before recommending dieting or changes in eating behavior. If distorted eating is suspected, dieticians can help clients normalize their eating by providing conscious eating exercises, coping skills, cognitive restructuring techniques and reality checks. She wants dieticians to remember to “stress with your PCOS clients the goal is ‘healthy choices’ rather than ‘healthy weight.’”
Although the book is a bit clinical, it can certainly be helpful for a lay person. But with its hefty price tag, ($48.95 list price) this 238 page book may be a bit pricey for someone looking for just an everyday reference book (like myself). However, the book is truly a must-read for all dieticians and doctors who treat women with PCOS. I firmly believe that if they were to read “The Dietitian’s Guide to Polycystic Ovary Syndrome” Ms. Grassi could realize her goal: “It is my hope that you use this knowledge to provide effective medical nutrition therapy to help women improve their symptoms, prevent further medical complications and live better lives.”
About the author
Amy Medling is a stay-at-home wife and mother of two boys ages 8 and 4 who lives in Nashua, NH. She continues on her journey for relief from her PCOS through a low GI diet, exercise, and the use of herbs and dietary supplements such as those found in the Insulite PCOS System.
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August 26th, 2008
By Jeanne Smith
So you need to lose 10 (or 20 or 30) pounds – or think you do – but we’ll get to that later, missy. Well what is so hard about that? All you need is a little self discipline. After all, you only need to eliminate 3,500 calories from your intake, and whoosh – it’s gone. A one time deal and you never have to think about it again, Right? Right?? Don’t I wish!!
Why is it that I don’t hear cheers and the sound of high fives from around the room? What I do hear is the sneaky rustle of potato chip bags and Twinkie’s wrappings. Ah, you say, I could stick to a diet if it weren’t for those nasty food cravings.
All right, I hear you, and yes, I’ll admit that food cravings are real, and the good news is that there could be medical reasons for these cravings.
Are you pregnant? If you think you could be, please get tested. Don’t wait for nine months to find out, girls. That kid needs to be fed right, and fed right NOW. (You want a pickle? Go for it, mom! Just don’t use pregnancy to justify stuffing your tummy with everything you have tried to deny yourself for the past 15 years. )
Premenstrual? Look at the calendar. Does simply being a woman make you want a candy bar? (Or several candy bars? I’ll take two plain chocolate, one with almonds, and a little bag of…but you get the point.)
Low insulin levels? Yes, lack of insulin could be driving your irrational desire for Real Food, i.e., lots of carbohydrates. If you have low blood sugar or if there is diabetes in your family, your body will try to protect itself by storing every calorie within reach. Go to a doctor immediately, and get this checked out, will you?
Low Serotonin? So your boss hates you, your mom won’t get off your back about your messy living room, and your guy is the reason for the messy living room, in the first place. Sure, everybody wants to feel good, and if you are under a lot of stress, your body may start to holler for a one pound bag of chocolate chip cookies, fudge-ripple ice cream or three Margaritas. Are you going to give in?
Yes, food cravings are out there, but the question is, ‘What can you do about them?’ Well, apart from the very real medical issues that some women face, you can do a lot.
Now I know that some of you do not want to go the gym, but exercise really helps. Not only does it elevate the level of those natural feel-good chemicals, it tones your muscles (making the body you have look better, even if it weighs the same), it reduces the number of calories that are available for storage on your inner thighs, and gets you out of harm’s way (that bag of potato chips can’t see you when you are at the gym). Now that’s not just a two-fer, it’s a four-fer! Of course, you don’t have to go to the gym to exercise. You can take long walks with a friend, go bowling, or swim at your local pool – better than watching TV any day.
Meditation and yoga help, too, and yoga helps keep you flexible, as well as calming your nerves (the ones that are frayed because of your guy, your boss, and your mother: see above). Sex and a bath with candles can help, too. The point is that we do have a lot of control over our lives, so let’s go girls!
August 23rd, 2008
From PCOSA Today, Summer 2008
Disheartened and depressed by considerable weight gain, a miscarriage, two ectopic pregnancies and a host of other PCOS symptoms, Canadian Michelle Lonschek admits that she was once consumed by self-pity. In spite of having a caring family and friends, she longed for a community of women who could relate “exactly to what I was experiencing.”
Driven by both unhappiness and curiosity, Michelle created a group on Facebook simply called Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome which can be accessed at http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2377865557
“I was wondering just how many people out there have the same fears and frustrations about PCOS that I have,” explains Michelle, “and how big of an impact it can have on all aspects of your life especially when it starts to affect your fertility, which, in my case, happened before it had any major noticeable impact on the rest of my health.
“Is there anyone out there that knows why I feel the way I do, physically and emotionally?” she asked.
Yes. In one year, Michelle’s group has grown to include more than 1,500 members from as far away as Australia, who join in, talk about the stories, “meet” new people with similar problems, post websites and videos and support one another in their difficult journeys.
Starting the online PCOS group was “when I stopped feeling sorry for myself and decided I was going to try to help the ones who feel or felt like I did,” says Michelle. “Even if it’s only one girl out there who feels even a small bit of comfort from reading and talking with others in my group then I have done my job. Or that one woman who had no idea what was wrong with her and saw the symptoms on the front page through a friend who has joined and has been able to start treatment. I had no idea the sense of accomplishment such a small act could give a person.”
When she’s not online, Michelle works in Accounts at Ontario-based Goeman’s Appliances, considers volunteering with teenage girls to inform them about PCOS and is preparing to start the “fertility journey” all over again with her boyfriend “thankfully this time with a lot more knowledge and understanding,” she confirms optimistically.
But she’s committed to her online PCOS community. “Even though I don’t know these girls and will never have the pleasure of actually meeting them, I’ve been able to touch their lives. I’m so proud of them, and myself, for opening up and sharing everything, and encouraging others to do so, as hard and sometimes embarrassing as it may be.”
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August 21st, 2008
About one in every ten women of childbearing age has PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome), and PCOS is the most common cause of female infertility. In The Ultimate PCOS Handbook (Conari Press, September 2008), PCOS authorities and sufferers Colette Harris and Theresa Cheung empower readers to take control of their bodies and beat naturally, the often embarrassing symptoms of this syndrome, including weight gain, acne, excess body hair, mood swings, depression, and exhaustion.
San Francisco, CA (PRWEB) August 21, 2008 — The Ultimate PCOS Handbook
Lose Weight, Boost Fertility, Clearn Skin and Restore Self-Esteem
Colette Harris and Theresa Cheung
About one in every ten women of childbearing age has PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome), and PCOS is the most common cause of female infertility. In The Ultimate PCOS Handbook (Conari Press, September 2008), PCOS authorities and sufferers Colette Harris and Theresa Cheung empower readers to take control of their bodies and beat naturally, the often embarrassing symptoms of this syndrome, including weight gain, acne, excess body hair, mood swings, depression, and exhaustion.
Packed full of the latest science, up-to-date nutrition, and the best in self-help and natural therapies, this comprehensive book shows how women can start to see their PCOS symptoms improve in as little as 2 weeks.
From the book:
“PCOS isn’t just about your ovaries or your medical tests. It’s about the whole of you – mind, body, and spirit Whether you’re dealing with weight issues, struggling with facial hair, feeling frustrated with fertility, or worrying about your increased risk of diabetes or heart disease, there’s little doubt that having PCOS can prevent you from wholeheartedly embracing your life. That’s why we decided to write this book. We’ve both got PCOS ourselves, and we’ve both used the information and ideas in this book to get our health and lives back on track.”
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Colette Harris is a health journalist and editor of Health Plus magazine. Theresa Cheung is a journalist and author of several books including PCOS and Your Fertility (Hay House) and Tea Bliss (Conari Press).
http://www.dirzi.com/2008/08/21/lose-weight-boost-fertility-clearn-skin-and-restore-self-esteem/
