PCOS help please

[snapdragon1010]

Hello!

I'm new here and to raw foods. I have been reading lots of information through books and on-line and I have been trying to find my way to a new raw lifestyle. I have about 130 pounds to lose to be at a healthy weight and I have PCOS.

I bought a Vitamix blender after reading the benefits of green smoothies and how wonderful a Vitamix is for many other raw food making. I want to try to incorporate smoothies in my diet and have found that a lot of the recipes have a good deal of fruit in them. While I know that fruit is healthy, I have found in the past that having PCOS and fruit don't generally mix well to aide in weight loss. Although, I'm not sure if eating fruit without all the other carbs in a SAD will make a difference. I'm only able to go by past experience at this point and unfortunately, my experience is only with a SAD.

I'm wondering if anyone here has PCOS and has incorporated raw foods and/or smoothies to lose some serious weight.

I've read all the information I have about raw foods with the experience I have gained in the past which is to add "for normal people" to the premise of all statements about what works for most people. I've had many other diets that work for most people not work for me due to PCOS. I feel that there is a place for me here in the raw food realm, but I just need some help finding it. I'm so anxious to be healthy for the first time in my life and am looking for direction from someone with PCOS.

I really want this to be the lifestyle that works for me for life. I'm so tired of gaining and losing on a perpetual yo-yo. It really takes a toll on my emotions and self esteem.

If you are someone who can help me take the first few steps in the right direction, please help me get on track.

Thank you so much!

~Kate

[Daisyhead]

I don't know what PCOS is, but I too was worried about too much fruit. My body has been loving it though. I am type 2 diabetic so sugar is a big concern for me. I decided to try raw as it's intended and all the fruit and veggies my body asks for. I have not had a reading over 200 since raw. In fact I have eliminated some of my insulin shots (down to 2 from 5). Sometimes my sugar is a little high after a lot of fruit, but now my high readings are 140 instead of over 400 which is where they were before. I am only one month raw vegan, so I imagine that my numbers will get even better. Try not worrying about the fruit at first and see what happens. Or use moderation with the fruit if it stresses you too much.

Best wishes to you. You will be surprised how well your body will respond. :)

[snapdragon1010]

Thank you for your reply. Congratulations on your successes! Eating raw the way it is intended HAS to be better than the way I've eaten all my life, so I definitely agree with you!

Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) is also known as: sclerocystic ovarian disease; polycystic ovarian disease(PCOD) and Stein-Leventhal Syndrome.

PCOS stands for Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome. PCOS is actually a misnomer, because it only refers to one of many symptoms associated with this disorder. It affects between 5 to 10% of all women and is one of the leading causes of infertility. If the hormone imbalance is left untreated, the syndrome may lead to life-threatening illnesses such as diabetes, heart disease, stroke, obesity, and uterine and endometrial cancers.

Symptoms can be mild or severe, and can vary widely from woman to woman. This is part of the reason doctors often miss the diagnosis. Someone with PCOS may have one or all of the following symptoms in varying degrees:

- irregular periods: abnormal, irregular, heavy or scanty (oligomenorrhea)
- absent periods (amenorrhea)
- ovarian cysts
- hirsutism (excess facial and/or body hair)
- alopecia (male-pattern hair loss)
- obesity
- acne
- skin tags
- acanthosis nigricans (brown skin patches, often found on the nape of the neck)
- high cholesterol levels
- high blood pressure
- exhaustion and/or lack of mental alertness
- decreased sex drive
- excess "male" hormones, such as androgens, DHEAS, or testosterone - infertility
- decreased breast size
- enlarged clitoris(rare)
- enlarged ovaries
- enlarged uterus

It is possible to have the above symptoms and not have PCOS. However, most women with these symptoms, especially irregular menstrual cycles, do have PCOS. In fact, 80 percent of women with six or fewer periods per year have PCOS.

Symptoms can worsen over time or with weight gain.

Another symptom is:

-insulin resistance (which I have and which makes me fear fruit due to the endocrinologist's drilling it in my head that my body doesn't need fruit)

Insulin resistance is a condition in which the body produces insulin but does not use it properly. Insulin, a hormone made by the pancreas, helps the body use glucose for energy. Glucose is a form of sugar that is the body's main source of energy.

The body's digestive system breaks food down into glucose, which then travels in the bloodstream to cells throughout the body. Glucose in the blood is called blood glucose, also known as blood sugar. As the blood glucose level rises after a meal, the pancreas releases insulin to help cells take in and use the glucose.

When people are insulin resistant, their muscle, fat, and liver cells do not respond properly to insulin. As a result, their bodies need more insulin to help glucose enter cells. The pancreas tries to keep up with this increased demand for insulin by producing more. Eventually, the pancreas fails to keep up with the body's need for insulin. Excess glucose builds up in the bloodstream, setting the stage for diabetes. Many people with insulin resistance have high levels of both glucose and insulin circulating in their blood at the same time. Insulin is a fat storer, so having it free flowing is never good for people who are trying to lose weight.

[Daisyhead]

Thanks for the explanation on PCOS.

I would possibly talk to another endocrinologist. Mine is supportive of my decision to go raw vegan. He is a bit worried that I may not be able to maintain it because of my history as a SAD addict. My numbers don't lie, and he knows that something powerful is happening in my body. Any good endocrinologist would take the data and then make a judgement. The idea that a carb is a carb is a carb is sooo very outdated. No one can tell me that eating a bagel is the same as eating an orange. I have taken my numbers after eating both. The bagel is like a demon inside my body pushing my bgl over 300. After my breakfast of 1/2 apple, 10 black berries, 1 small banana, 6 strawberries, a handful of soaked grains, and coconut milk, my bgl was 140 without insulin before the meal. I am full and happy and not sluggish.

Let your body decide. Keep track of your numbers and your symptoms. Make it through detox if you get it. I had it for a little over a week. Give raw a chance. I think you will see a big change in your overall health. I just got my prescription for my eye glasses lowered by half after a month raw. My eye doctor was amazed and very much a cheerleader for raw after seeing my results. I hope you all the best. You may even see some of your PCOS symptoms abate as well.

[Living Food]

I hear chlorella works well for regulating blood sugar. Also, eat lots and lots of greens...the combination of chlorophyll and protein will keep your blood sugar levels in check, and the minerals won't hurt either. :D
Preferably you'd juice them, but if you don't have a juicer then you can blend them, although high-speed blending destroys many of the nutrients.

[Daisyhead]

Really???? Blending destroys many of the nutrients??? I have never heard this. Where did you get this information? I am thinking of getting the vitamix, but I was under the assumption that blending didn't lessen my food at all. Yikes!!!!

[snapdragon1010]

I never heard that blending destroys nutrients either and I've read a lot about green smoothies. At this point, I really don't care because I'm guessing a smoothie blended 15 seconds in my blender has GOT to be better than ANYTHING I've been eating out of a box!

[Living Food]

I never heard that blending destroys nutrients either and I've read a lot about green smoothies. At this point, I really don't care because I'm guessing a smoothie blended 15 seconds in my blender has GOT to be better than ANYTHING I've been eating out of a box!

It is, don't worry about it. Decreasing the amount of blended food in your diet is a long-term goal, not something to worry about when you're just starting out.

[k8sl8]

Really???? Blending destroys many of the nutrients??? I have never heard this. Where did you get this information? I am thinking of getting the vitamix, but I was under the assumption that blending didn't lessen my food at all. Yikes!!!!

Don't obsess! This whole nutrient loss thing is 'new' to me in the past couple months... I was RAW for several months and basically lost a pound every other day or so and my numbers were off the chart good! Sugar normal, cholesterol low... don't worry, especially starting out - anything fresh/blended is still WAY better than SAD. (I suppose if you processed you fruit til it got WARM for crying out loud, there would be some nutrient loss, but none of us does that anyway. ) Now I'm a parttime RAW and still am way better off than not doing anything. Do what you can do and you'll be healthier than you were.

[Daisyhead]

Yea, sorry I went a little batty over the news. I am fine now. I feel great, better than ever. My body is loving me right now. I'm not going to worry about it.
:)

[snapdragon1010]

Ok...so today I tried like crazy to stick to staying as raw as possible. I had a smoothie for breakfast with some spinach, handful of blueberries, strawberries and a very small banana. I was so excited that I ate a completely organic breakfast for the first time ever! :-)

For snack I had some red pepper and half a cucumber. I was very hungry for lunch!

For lunch, I had a giant organic salad with baby greens, 2 small tomatoes, half a cucumber, some sunflower seeds (raw and organic) and some broccoli sprouts.

At 2:00PM, I was starving. I ate 100 calories worth of crackers.

At 4:30PM, I was starving. I ate an orange.

All day I drank water to try to be full. I soooo didn't work!

By 6:00PM, which was dinner time, I visited my mom and ate dinner there....cooked cabbage, potatoes, and sausage. I was absolutely starving by then!

It is now 10:00PM and I'm so hungry. I need help! I have a refrigerator filled with organic produce and I am starving!!

Please help! I REALLY want to eat raw foods and be healthy, but I'm sooo hungry!

[Living Food]

You're not eating enough...eating 100 calories worth of crackers or an orange when you're starving just won't cut it. Don't starve yourself, eat until you're satisfied. The smoothie sounds like it was very low in calories, so does the salad, and your snacks contained almost none. Try throwing some more fruit into your morning smoothie and adding lots more bean/seed sprouts to your afternoon salad for calories. For dinner, treat yourself to a gourmet raw meal. The important thing is to not be hungry.

[snapdragon1010]

I've been eating more and doing well! Thank you!

So I've been researching raw foods and equipment for raw foods like crazy over the past few days because I don't want to mess this up and I've come to a conclusion. There are a lot of people in this world that are in "it" for the money. There is a lot of information thrown around even by "professionals" that I'm not so sure I believe. Even "clinical studies" by "scientists" are not to be completely trusted. Afterall, let's look at the FDA and all the "data" they have compiled through "scientific research" to teach us how to eat our whole lives!

This all started when I was told that my Vitamix was destroying the nutrients in my smoothie. I researched this theory and many others I have to say that while I'm sure to a degree this is true, I'm pretty sure that the real truth falls somewhere in between the extremes. The glimmer of the amount of money to be made debunking a theory that green smoothies or any smoothies are actually good for you would make many people skew that data. It's always important to see what the researcher has to gain by releasing the data they have come up with. People are so bought and sold these days.

I have been so uptight about what I am going to do to try to heal myself this go round that I've been looking for the golden ticket or nugget of advice from researcher somewhere. After many weeks of looking for it, I've decided that I'm going with what I've seen or heard works for real people, like you. I'm eating healthy whole, raw foods and yes, I'm going to spin some fruits and veggies in my Vitamix for 10 seconds in the morning to make a delicious smoothie because it makes me feel good and that's what this journey is all about. Finding what works for each of us and enjoying the health we find.

Thank you to all of you that have helped me lift off into this journey. It is each of YOU that have truly helped me start this new eating lifestyle and I am grateful to each of you!

[qwerty988]

I've been eating more and doing well! Thank you!

So I've been researching raw foods and equipment for raw foods like crazy over the past few days because I don't want to mess this up and I've come to a conclusion. There are a lot of people in this world that are in "it" for the money. There is a lot of information thrown around even by "professionals" that I'm not so sure I believe. Even "clinical studies" by "scientists" are not to be completely trusted. Afterall, let's look at the FDA and all the "data" they have compiled through "scientific research" to teach us how to eat our whole lives!

This all started when I was told that my Vitamix was destroying the nutrients in my smoothie. I researched this theory and many others I have to say that while I'm sure to a degree this is true, I'm pretty sure that the real truth falls somewhere in between the extremes. The glimmer of the amount of money to be made debunking a theory that green smoothies or any smoothies are actually good for you would make many people skew that data. It's always important to see what the researcher has to gain by releasing the data they have come up with. People are so bought and sold these days.

I have been so uptight about what I am going to do to try to heal myself this go round that I've been looking for the golden ticket or nugget of advice from researcher somewhere. After many weeks of looking for it, I've decided that I'm going with what I've seen or heard works for real people, like you. I'm eating healthy whole, raw foods and yes, I'm going to spin some fruits and veggies in my Vitamix for 10 seconds in the morning to make a delicious smoothie because it makes me feel good and that's what this journey is all about. Finding what works for each of us and enjoying the health we find.

Thank you to all of you that have helped me lift off into this journey. It is each of YOU that have truly helped me start this new eating lifestyle and I am grateful to each of you!

Cool! Come join us at the monthly raw challenge thread if you want daily support for your journey. :heart:

[Daisyhead]

Very well put and thought out Snapdragon. I have come to the same conclusion. When I am arrive home tired after a hard day's work, I want a green smoothy to pick me up. I feel fabulous. I have lost 10lbs and 2 belt hoops. My friends comment on my skin after only one month raw. You have the right attitude. Thanks for sharing it. :)

I am going to buy myself a vitamix for Mother's day. I am so excited. :)
Happy Blending!!

[snapdragon1010]

YAY! I hope you LOVE LOVE LOVE your Vitamix as much as I love mine!!

[ShantiDass]

I'm so glad you've joined in. I'm not a raw food guru, AT ALL, and am still finding my way regarding raw foods. I had PCOS and will tell you a little about my story. I was on Metformin and the side effects were awful. My thyroid was out of whack and they put me on Synthroid. I ended up temporarily losing my vision due to side effects from the med. I am extremely sensitive to medicines, chemicals, etc. It caused my optic nerves to swell and push forward and made me blind for a day. I stopped the med and was fine. Took it again, and went blind. Stopped it permanently and vision came right back. That's only happened to a handful of people worldwide and most MD's don't know what I'm talking about when I mention it. I was seeing MD's at Cedar Sinai in Los Angeles and they just couldn't help me with my PCOS or thyroid since I can't tolerate most drugs.

I went vegetarian as a child, 37 years ago, and then progressed to vegan 24 years ago. I did it for the animals and ate a lot of junk food and gained weight. When the MD's didn't know what meds to put me on for PCOS and I could barely get out of bed, I decided to go 100% raw overnight and see what happened. I did it for 3 months straight and lost a lot of weight and my symptons disappeared. I will always be vegan but I'm not sure about raw. I go back and forth and have been raw again for just over 2 weeks. But, I make sure to eat a better diet when I'm on cooked foods and incorporate a lot of salads. I also eat a lot of fruit. I did the same when I did the initial 3 months raw. Fruit is different than eating crappy white sugar. My GP now tells me to just keep doing what I'm doing. My pulmonologist (I have asthma and allergies) said he's here to help me but all he's done so far is hurt me with medication side effects. He said I can come see him when I want to but he has nothing else to offer me. Since going back raw, I've had very few attacks. It really does make a difference.

Regarding the PCOS, I really don't miss the hairy face and extreme fatigue! I'm not sure why it worked so well for me but I have read that losing weight really can make a difference with the symptoms and it did. I also know that losing weight with PCOS can be really difficult. It's also near impossible to exercise with such bad fatigue. There were days when I bought my yoga mat to work and took naps on it in my office to make it thru the day. Raw foods give me energy and I notice such a difference.

I know I rambled so I hope this makes sense. If you have any questions, and I have any idea how to answer it, I'm here. Good luck on your journey.

[snapdragon1010]

I would LOVE to chat with you about your journey and mine, too! I'm proud of you for all your accomplishments! Congrats!!

PCOS is no fun and I really would LOVE to join you among the people who live a better life with far fewer symptoms.

[Mary Kay]

Snapdragon, Best of luck to you. It sounds like you are really doing your homework.

I was a host/helper on an infertility forum many moons ago, and I saw many women with PCOS there, and I saw some who were "cured" after eating better/eliminating too many carbs/sugar who then went on to have children. They weren't even high raw and were helped. Now here you are eating even healthier than they ---you can beat this thing!

Now I know high fat/low fat is controversial, but it is my theory that it helps your hormones. Get your EFA's. IMO anyway. But do your own research and see how your own body reacts.

Best of luck,

Mary Kay pls keep us posted!

[dragonlu]

I also have Pcos and i was going through this raw diet can you please guide me what do you mean by raw foods what kinda raw vegetarian foods did you eat that made you lose alot of weight and how did you follow this diet as i am also quite big built and i need to lose like 15-20 kg within 3 months as i am getting married year end and i am desperately wanting to lose weight i tried every diet possible but my weight dont go down at all. i was on glucophage 500 for my Pcos please guide me thanks.

[walnutty]

I also have Pcos and i was going through this raw diet can you please guide me what do you mean by raw foods what kinda raw vegetarian foods did you eat that made you lose alot of weight and how did you follow this diet as i am also quite big built and i need to lose like 15-20 kg within 3 months as i am getting married year end and i am desperately wanting to lose weight i tried every diet possible but my weight dont go down at all. i was on glucophage 500 for my Pcos please guide me thanks.


I also have PCOS and three other metabolic disorders. Since being diagnosed the ONLY way I have been able to lose weight is to be 100% raw.

"Raw" generally includes uncooked fruits, vegetable, nuts, seeds, sea vegetables, herbs and superfoods (which are super high nutrient foods).

To go raw, you just eat those foods!

Your body will start to heal and will release excess weight.

I have not resolved my PCOS, thus far, and am on continuous birth control pills to keep cysts from forming on my ovaries.

I have resolved my Diabetes with raw, though.

Hope this helps!