Ah yes, those beautiful ovaries lined with strings of pearls aka cysts. Aren't they just the best!? As most of your know I received my PCOS diagnosis back in 2014 although it wasn't until 2015 that I was ready to come clean about it.
One big reason I started getting healthy back in 2013 was because I didn't want to struggle with fertility issues. I wanted to be able to have healthy babies when the time came for hubby and I. Little did I know the giant shit storm I was about to enter into after I got off the pill!
But this blog post isn't just about me and it's not just about my story. I tell you this because I want you to know that you're not alone. Even more then that I want you to know that there are actual natural options out there that can help your body heal.
I still remember getting the call while I was at work "your ovaries look like they're lined with a string of pearls" the doctor said. "your options right now are to get back on the pill so you have regular periods, or you can take a progesterone pill quarterly to induce a period so you're at least having 4 periods a year. Then when you're ready to get pregnant we will treat you accordingly with fertility medication."
I MEAN.... None of those were viable options to me. None of them made me feel any better and I had genuinely never felt like such a failure of a woman. I sat in my cubicle, face full of acne, thinner than I had been in years, the healthiest I had probably ever been, and I just cried as quietly as possible.
I wallowed, I was depressed, I hated thinking of myself as "infertile".
I was already eating Paleo, I had already been working to heal myself naturally and be as healthy as possible, but there were some pieces missing. I did manage to clear my skin on my own, but my hormones and testosterone levels were another story. After not having a period for over a year I went to my naturopath and did a bunch of blood and DNA testing that was beyond helpful.
You see no two women with PCOS are exactly the same. But with that being said, there are still some universal truths when it comes to PCOS despite there being multiple types.
For instance women with PCOS can be overweight, but they can also be underweight. Women with PCOS can have acne, or they can have clear skin. Some women with PCOS have intense mood swings, with others are chronically depressed. Women with PCOS can have irregular periods, or no periods at all, and the list goes on and on.
But regardless there is a basic functionality that's missing in all women with PCOS - our ovaries aren't releasing eggs normally through ovulation, but instead they're creating cysts. This lead to androgen dominance because those cysts then pump male sec hormones like testosterone through your system. Needless to say, when a woman has dominance of male sec hormones, things start to get complicated.
I must say that despite all of the differentiation within women with PCOS, we can all still understand each other. We all know the struggle of feeling manly because of our excess male hormones, it is not a fun cross to bare as a woman who wants to feel sexy and feminine.
I mean I know I didn't want my boobs to disappear and instead to have terrible acne and more chin hair. Uh yeah, not my personal idea of sexy lady. But we manage and life goes on and we learn to accept our new identities.
The biggest things is the fact that having PCOS tells you something is off in your system. There is so much healing that our bodies are capable of yet all the resources out there make it sound impossible. I was BEYOND frustrated when I went about trying to heal my PCOS naturally on my own and that's why I'm here sharing this knowledge with you now!
The supplements below are not only ones I personally used to get my period back and feel like a woman again, but I have seen them transform my clients lives as well. I truly hope that wherever you are in your PCOS journey wether it be TTC (trying to conceive) trying to get a period back, or just trying to get back some kind of libido, and get a handle on your PCOS that there supplements will help you!
So here is my list of TOP supplements for PCOS! Everyone is different and no two women with PCOS are the same but nonetheless these should be able to help your body start to heal and function properly again!
1. Cenitol
The absolute #1 supplement I recommend for anyone with PCOS is Cenitol. If you're overweight with PCOS & trying to get back a cycle OR if you're UNDER weight and trying to get back a cycle, OR if you're TTC in any capacity this is the supplement you'll want to turn to. I started with 2 scoops per day along with my paleo diet (obvi) for 2 weeks then went down to 1 scoop. I actually gained 5 lbs (which I NEEDED to gain) without any dietary changes, and got my period back after not having it for over a year in those first two weeks of taking this! Now these fast results aren't typical - I was working to heal myself for over a year before I started taking this powder also so please do keep that in mind.
Back in the day myo-inositol was actually the go-to for treating PCOS. Doctors would actually recommend inositol before drugs like metaformin came on the scene. Nowadays doctors work with pharmaceutical companies and don't typically even mention things like inositol or cenitol anymore. It's unfortunate but that's just the world we live in today and doctors can't really be blamed for it.
Back to cenitol... The great thing about it is that depending on what YOUR body need cenitol will conform to it. It's a type of myo-inositol but it's far superior to your typical inositol powder. Seriously I know it's not cheap but your health is 100% worth it!
READ MORE ABOUT INOSITOL & PCOS HERE!
2. HerSynergy
Okay so when you look up this supplement it says "female libido support". I've had so many clients be like uhmm... What's this HerSynergy thing? I'm not looking for a new libido, I just want my PCOS to be good and my hormones. The thing is, for women who have androgen dominance from PCOS it's honestly PRETTY hard to have a great libido.
This bad boy is going to not only make you feel like a sexy woman again, but really in the process it's going to help you with producing those lady hormones you want like progesterone & estrogen while reducing the effects of PCOS by helping to lower the male hormones. More lady hormones means a better balance in your body and an overall happier endocrine system and improved mood for yourself too. Sounds pretty good right?
Plus.... Just a little extra libido support never hurt anyone let's be honest! Many women with PCOS struggle with having a sex drive simply because our hormones are all out of wack plus we often feel unattractive because of the physical changes PCOS causes... Especially if you're TTC (Trying To Conceive) I know you'll take libido support any day! HerSynergy can help you there!*winky face*
READ MORE ABOUT HERSYNERGY'S KEY INGREDIENT & PCOS HERE!
3. N-Acetyl Cystine (NAC)
This bad boy right here is LEGIT for PCOS.
Not only does NAC help lower your androgen levels (aka those pesky male hormones) but it also is going to improve menstural regularity, & ovulation rate. UHM hello that's essentially everything you could ever want and need from a supplement when it comes to PCOS. Considering the fact that NAC is an amino acid and very safe, you'll want to take about 3 600mg tablets each day.
It's also going to help with insulin sensitivity and pretty much in all these ways it aids in reducing pretty much every single PCOS symptom. How exciting is that!? If you want to find out more about how NAC affects PCOS you can hit the link below to read some supporting studies & articles!
In my opinion, wether you want a baby right now or not, if you have PCOS it is never too early to work towards getting everything with the hormones in your body under control. It's honestly just going to help you feel more complete. Sometimes we forget how POWERFUL our hormones are. But really they define almost everything about us from the way we look to our mood & personality.
Don't let your hormones run your life and get the best of you. The matter of the fact is that even when you have your hormones under control conception can still be a struggle with PCOS. And if you're not on the baby train then even having 28 day cycles can be something you only ever dream about.
But please keep in mind that SOME cycle is better than NONE. Always.
50 day cycles, 45 day cycles, 38 day cycles, they're all a part of daily life with PCOS so take whatever you can get. But keep the cycles going. Don't let things go dormant or turn to perscriptions that have a ton of terrible side effects.
The awesome thing is that you don't HAVE to artificially manipulate your hormones with drugs & you can manage this naturally!! I honestly think that's awesome! Not all things hormonal can be managed this way! It takes time but it's doable and that's what you need to remember.
If you pair the three supplements up there with a Paleo lifestyle & a well balanced exercise routine you're going to be set! It will take time as these natural measures do, but you will get there. Remember that your body WANTS to heal, you just have to provide what it needs and show it the right path so it stops getting lost.
I'm super curious -
How many of you with PCOS are on the pill right now and would love to get off of it and manage your hormones & acne naturally? Comment below, I want to hear from you! AND I want you to see that you are not alone! Don't be shy I promise I don't bite!
Ya'll are amazing, so don't forget it! And as always you can enter your email address below if you want access to my exclusive resources for naturally healing acne & PCOS for good!
Have a super amazing week!
