September is PCOS awareness month

It’s Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) awareness month and I want to share a little more of my personal journey with you. I had a moment today where I thought ‘oh my word… I am actually a mum!’. I know by now I should realise this, I have been a mummy for 6 months, but it’s such an amazing experience and even now I still can’t quite believe it!

If I had to say what the thing I am most proud of in my life is, it would definitely be giving birth to my daughter, Isabella. I am honoured to be her mum. You see, three years ago I started thinking it was never going to be possible. Why you ask? Well, I am a girl that knows a thing or two about hormonal upheaval! Not one to do things by half measures, I have PCOS, hypothyroidism, adenomyosis (aka uterine endometriosis) and have unfortunately experienced two miscarriages.

I was able to deal with all the hormonal ‘crazy’ but it was after my first miscarriage in 2014 that I really started to despair. My worst fear became a reality, I had been told that I may never be able to have children in the past and suddenly I thought (extremely rude word) they may be right as the promise of my baby had been ripped away. I am not alone, see this in my clinic as well, hundreds of women who feel that due to having PCOS their dream of birthing a child may never happen and they are destined to ride this hormonal storm day after day. Well, I am here to tell you it doesn’t have to be like this! Trust me I have been there- I know what it’s like to only menstruate a few times a year but have what feels like permanent PMS, I know what it’s like to not be able to shift that tummy fat or struggle to fall  pregnant and unfortunately I know what it’s like to miscarry twice but I also know what it feels like to start correcting these things, that hormonal evolution where your hormones start to balance, yes this is possible. So as this month is PCOS Awareness Month I want to reach out to any PCOS ladies in our health tribe (and please share this with all the PCOS ladies that you know) and say I am here to help, please do not to lose hope. Yes PCOS comes with a host of symptoms and issues but it can be beaten – my beautiful daughter Isabella is a testament to that!

When I was first diagnosed with PCOS I thought I was alone, I was lost and all the information available at the time was all doom and gloom (thanks, Dr. Google!) But I wasn’t alone- it is thought that 10-20% of women have PCOS but many still remain undiagnosed. I list some of the recurring symptoms of PCOS in my book The Balance Plan but think along the lines of missing periods, facial hair, belly fat and subfertility; it is important that if you recognise any of these to go and see your GP for further investigation and work with a registered nutritional therapist to correct the underlying imbalance. You may still need medication (and I don’t mean just taking the Pill to mask your symptoms) but I cannot stress how much of a big difference you can make with the right nourishment and lifestyle choices. In short, in order to start correcting the imbalances but you have to make the change to see the change. What’s my biggest tip when dealing with PCOS? Start balancing those blood sugar levels, have a look at my blog on  Finding blood sugar balance to get started today!

I know that at times the symptoms are all consuming and there feels like there is no way out, but you can get your hormones back into balance. In my PCOS program the aim is to naturally address the imbalances which are known to be associated with PCOS. You can find out more about my PCOS program here.

Therefore symptoms may be alleviated because the underlying cause has been addressed. As a sufferer myself it was of utmost importance to share what worked for me with as many ladies as possible so life becomes one of the possibilities, not restrictions!  It’s such a big subject and this was more about my journey with PCOS as opposed to the science – but I will say one thing, although the label is PCOS we are all biochemically individual and will have different symptoms. If anything my wish is that this has given you some hope, a new thought on how to deal with PCOS and for you to realise you are not alone. Let me know if you have any questions by popping them in the comment box, or using #askangelique on social media, join the tribe and let’s show PCOS who is the boss.

Think of me as your hormone’s best friend – those of you who are familiar with my personal story will know that I walked this path for many years. Want to do more about balancing your hormones? Follow my 28 day plan in my latest book The Balance Plan.

Nourishing well wishes,

Angelique

Consult your doctor or health care practitioner for any health problems, and before embarking on any new health regimes, using any supplements or before making any changes in prescribed medications or food programmes.

Part of my work in clinic is to identity and address the root cause which is responsible for the symptoms a client is experiencing. The most common underlying condition I see is unbalanced hormones. Once I noticed that balancing hormones leads to the reduction of so many other symptoms, I knew I had to create a simple plan to help people understand and support their hormones.

Follow the plan

female health hormonal health Hormonal imbalance Nutrition PCOS