7 Natural Remedies For PCOS

1-AVOID FACTORY MEAT AND ANIMAL PRODUCTS

Because estrogen dominance is very often associated with PCOS, it’s best to stick with organic animal products as conventional animals are often given hormone shots and the excess estrogens are stored in the fat and meat. Ingesting hormones is causing major issues with our bodies, whether it be PMS, infertility, or menopause. The more organic/grass-fed meat we can buy the better of we’ll be. Organic isn’t always the answer as many large organic farms just feed organic grain instead of allowing them to eat their natural diet, but if that’s all you can find – it’s better than conventional!

2-AVOID REFINED SUGARS AND GRAINS

Sugars are the thorn in the side of any woman who is dealing with PCOS. It’s basically a double whammy – it depletes the body of nutrients and it causes insulin resistance which causes unbalanced hormones. Cutting out all refined sugars and flours is extremely important!! Cutting back on your consumption of even unrefined (or natural) sugars is also important as any type of sugar affects the body’s insulin production. Some women, especially those with moderate to severe PCOS find that eating a primal diet is needed to reduce and even eliminate symptoms.

  

3. CHOOSE NATURAL WOMEN’S PRODUCTS

Used by women every month, conventional pads and tampons are actually not great for the body. Tampons contain something known as dioxin which is both carcinogenic (causing cancer) and inhibiting to fertility. Disposable pads prohibit air flow and can cause the area to be a breeding ground for bacteria, though they are better than using tampons. The best options for menstrual products are going to be reusable, fabric pads*, natural tampons, or something like the Diva* or Moon cup*.

4- BE AWARE OF XENO-HORMONES

Mimicking estrogen in our bodies, xeno-estrogens are found in plastics, many beauty supplies, cleaning products, and pesticides. Once in the body they disrupt the hormone balance causing our bodies to be confused on how many natural hormones to make. And the higher the estrogen in the body, the lower the progesterone, causing major problems with fertility. Choosing organic produce, making your own cleaners and beauty supplies, and using glass instead of plastic will go a long way in reducing your exposure to these chemical hormones.

5-AVOID SOY

While the jury is still out on how soy affects hormones production due to the phyto-estrogens in it, it’s still on my do not eat list. What happens in the body is this: your natural estrogens go floating around the body, produced by organs and fat cells. Once they come across an estrogen receptor, they fit into it like a specific key fits into a lock – no other hormone will fit in that receptor. Plant based estrogens are basically the same shape as natural estrogens and they fit in these receptors. Some people/nutritionists/doctors say that these plant-based estrogens cause excess estrogen in the body since they take up the space the natural estrogens should, causing the natural ones to move around the body looking for a place to go. others say that plant-based estrogens can reduce the amount of estrogen your body produces over time as the body gets signaled that there is enough.

But most holistic health professionals I’ve spoken with say that the plant-based estrogen particles in soy (isoflavones) are different from other plant-based estrogens and they recommend no one consume unfermented soy. I’ve also heard way to many stories of damage caused to people’s health from moderate soy consumption, infertility being one of them.

6-TAKE CARE OF YOUR LIVER

Your liver is responsible for taking excess and old hormones out of the body. If its overworked because of over consumption of processed and sugary foods, it won’t be able to keep up and do all of it’s work – so the excess and old hormones stay. taking time a few times a year to gently cleanse the body is very beneficial as well as increasing your consumption of liver friendly foods like lemon, beets, and garlic. You could also prepare a liver cleanse tincture* to help boost liver function and get rid of toxins.

7-AVOID FOOD PRESERVATIVES

Chemicals placed in food to preserve or enhance flavor are harmful to anyone, but especially those who deal with some sort of health issue. They cause issue with insulin production and also slow down the liver, giving it more to do. Cutting out processed foods is the easiest way to lower consumption of chemicals like MSG, Aspartame, and the multitude of colorings and chemical flavorings used.