PCOS Diva Podcast

Persistent acne is the bane of many women with PCOS.  If you believe the ads, there are countless magical products out there which will give you a perfect complexion in 30 days. “It’s pretty preposterous,” says master aesthetician, Valerie Tukey.  Val successfully treats many clients with PCOS and finds several common elements, particularly inflammation. Listen in to our conversation as she explains the expected and unexpected (pillowcases & toothpaste!) ways that your pores become clogged as well as:

As promised, here is the special 15% off your retail purchase (one time use) coupon code for PRIIA Cosmetics: PCOSD

“You can’t hate yourself happy, and you can’t criticize yourself thin, and you can’t shame yourself healthy.

That’s the strategy that so many women are using and it’s important to address the emotional side of weight loss and to take a different approach.” –Jessica Ortner

Who am I to take care of myself when so many people depend on me? I hear this all the time.  The fact is that self-care is not a reward. It is an essential ingredient to living, to surviving, to having a healthy life. “Tapping” is a technique I use myself of literally tapping with your fingers on acupressure points in order to relax your body and/or change your mindset. It is useful for alleviating cravings, stress, anxiety, and much more.

Tapping expert Jessica Ortner stopped by the podcast to explain how tapping can help a woman understand the motivation behind certain behaviors and consciously reprogram her response. Listen as we discuss:

Please listen and learn to love yourself and your body through tapping.

Erin Stutland has cracked the code. She has developed a method of exercising which will inspire you, physically, mentally, and spiritually. Her unique combination of joyous movement (imagine looking forward to your work-out) and mantras comes together in a powerfully positive mind/body experience that can change how you feel about, well… everything.

You’re only one workout away from feeling good again, but it has to be the right type of workout. Listen as we discuss how movement in your body creates movement in your life.

“Honoring yourself is not about why and how to pamper yourself, and it’s not about turning your back on those who need you. The issues surrounding giving and receiving are much deeper. When you honor yourself you are respecting, appreciating, and giving birth to your best self, so that you can give creatively and abundantly in ways that honor others.” –Patricia Spadaro

Self-care is possibly the most important part of thriving with PCOS.  Without it, all the diet and lifestyle changes are diminished.  It also may be the hardest part for many women (like me). Ask yourself:

Patricia Spadaro says it is time to open your heart and say, “I deserve to bring forth my gifts.” In this podcast we discuss how to establish the healthy habit of honoring yourself. It is a habit that will improve your life; I promise.

I often interview men and women who are on the front lines of PCOS research, finding innovative solutions so women with PCOS can move forward. Sonya Satveit is such a trailblazer. Her latest initiative, Open Source Health, is focused on building a bridge between the latest research, the greatest experts and providers, and patients in order to close the gap and eliminate the fragmentation of service in health care. Listen as we discuss a study her team is about to begin, employing the latest in Precision Medicine for research in PCOS.

“Our responsibility is not to match the standard of beauty that we’re given in the advertising world. Our responsibility is to feel well enough so we can go out and do what’s purposeful and passionate for us.”

 -Rosie Molinary

I think of PCOS Diva and the work that I do as helping women move beyond the pain, struggle and symptoms of PCOS so that they, in turn, can live the life they were meant to live and shine their light without PCOS holding them back. Self-acceptance is a really important piece of that. I often recommend Rosie Molinary’s book, Beautiful You: A Daily Guide to Radical Self-Acceptance to my clients, family and friends.  Rosie’s message of radical self-acceptance is powerful and potentially life changing. Listen in as we discuss:

“A lot of women say, ‘I don’t have the luxury of taking care of myself.’ The reality is you don’t have the luxury not to.”

“The idea that we have to experience ourselves and be treated as if we are ill and wrong rather than individuals with our inherited physiology with some common experiences related to that is what I want to change our minds about.”

Nancy Dunne is a pioneer in holistic handling of PCOS and was instrumental in my own healing journey. Her positive spin on PCOS, focusing on the benefits of being a high androgen, inherently insulin resistant woman are life changing. In her view, “We are human beings with highly androgen influenced nervous systems and fundamentally feminine emotional hearts which is a very beautiful and very powerful combination of characteristics that should be developed and celebrated rather than suppressed and hidden.” In short, women with PCOS must adopt a powerfully positive lifestyle and perspective in order to truly thrive.  Listen in as we discuss:

Nancy Dunne teaches high-androgen, inherently insulin resistant women diagnosed with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) to maximize the many advantages we are born with & to minimize aspects that cause distress. In consultation, women living with PCOS are guided to learn behaviors that help create optimal well-being. As a postmenopausal woman with PCOS, having raised a peaceful, positive, thriving daughter who has PCOS & successfully treated hundreds of other women, she can assure us all that the rewards of naturopathically-informed self-care are profound & utterly reliable. She has served in a variety of volunteer leadership roles in the naturopathic medical profession with passion & gratitude. She earned her medical degree at National College of Naturopathic Medicine in 1989 & a Master of Arts/Applied Behavioral Science from Bastyr University in 2002. Before that she was an obstetrical RN & a homebirth midwife. She is fascinated with aging & dying & what comes next! Nancy Dunne can be found at: www.PCOSConsultations.com

Dr. Mark H. Ratner  is the Regional Director of Male Reproductive Medicine at Shady Grove Fertility Center in Washington, DC.  He is also the Medical Director of Theralogix, a DC-based company which develops products focused on nutrition and reproductive health.

Women diagnosed with PCOS are often told that they will suffer the symptoms their entire lives. Dr. Meaghan Kirschling and Health Coach Wendy Borhauer, founders of Beyond the Basics Health Academy, disagree.  Diagnosis is just the first step toward balance and healing. Whether you are a teenager being told you will “grow out of it” or woman in menopause, there are actions you can take today to begin healing. Listen in as we discuss:

Dr. Meaghan Kirschling, DC. APRN. RN. MS

Dr. Meaghan Kirschling, has both an allopathic and alternative medical background, receiving a Doctor of Chiropractic from Northwestern Health Sciences University, a B.S. in Nursing and Exercise Science from Valparaiso University, a Masters of Nutrition from the University of Connecticut Bridgeport, and a Masters of Nursing in Women’s Health from University of Cincinnati. Before coming to Synapse is 2006, she worked as a floor nurse for six years in the Organ Transplant Unit at the University of Minnesota Fairview Hospital. In 2010, she moved to Germany to be one of the first doctors to provide chiropractic services to military personnel overseas. At Baumholder Health Clinic, she helped create an integrative environment & worked closely with MDs, DOs, PTs, & others. She also was a faculty member for the University of Maryland during this time, & taught health science classes.

“A lot of women who follow this journey are in a lot of pain because of the inflammation. You can’t do a high-impact workout. You can’t do P90X. You can’t even think about Insanity. CrossFit? Don’t even look at the building as you’re driving by.”

– Diamond Dallas Page

I’m an early adopter of DDP Yoga. It is a strenuous cardio workout that doesn’t overtax my adrenals and leave me exhausted.  At the end of a workout, I feel rejuvenated, strong and flexible– exactly the way you should feel after some great exercise.

Many women with PCOS are dealing with chronic inflammation and elevated levels of cortisol, as well as weight and joint issues which make it hard to do high-impact exercise. I want everybody to know that there are alternatives (like DDP Yoga)-exercise that you can do at your own pace and level and see real results.

Yoga is proven to be very beneficial for PCOS. In a recent study, adolescents with PCOS who spent one hour a day in yoga practice, significantly improved their anxiety, hirsutism, menstrual frequency, glucose and lipid levels, as well as their insulin resistance values. So listen in to my interview with DPP Yoga founder, Diamond Dallas Page and learn how DDP Yoga can transform your mind and body.

PCOS Diva is not affiliated with DDP Yoga. I’m just a fan.

A full transcript follows.