PCOS Explained

Have you ever complained to your medical practitioner that your hormonal birth control is causing weight gain (only to be told that this couldn’t be true!)?

Me too.

Hormonal birth control was created in the 1950s, and ever since, many of us have been complaining that it causes weight gain. In fact, it’s one of the most commonly cited reasons for stopping hormonal birth control.  

But until very recently we haven’t had any proof. A large study published in 2021, tested different forms of birth control against a control and found that some forms did indeed lead to weight gain.

Now not all hormonal birth control is made equal. In this episode, I’ll explain the types of birth control that have been found to cause weight gain, and the nitty-gritty mechanisms behind how they can mess with your weight.

But don't worry, we're not here to just scare you and leave you hanging. There are other hormonal birth control options that don’t increase weight, and of course non hormonal contraception and ways of managing your PCOS too. 

I'll also chat about alternative birth control options and ways to manage the potential side effects of hormonal birth control so you can make informed decisions about your reproductive health.

So, buckle up and get ready to hear the good oil on birth control and weight gain. 

In this episode we'll cover:

• New research showing the link between certain hormonal birth controls and weight gain 
• How to manage the potential side effects of hormonal birth control
• Hormonal birth control options that don’t increase weight
• Non-hormonal contraception and ways of managing your PCOS
• and more! 

This episode is for you if:

• You have experienced weight gain while on hormonal birth control 
• You aren’t sure if your birth control is linked to your weight gain 
• You want to explore other birth control options 
• You want to learn to manage your weight while on birth control and other PCOS symptoms
  
  
  

Take the Ovie questionnaire & start your journey to reversing your PCOS for life!

I remember sitting in St. Davids lecture theatre at Otago university (IYKYK), eating my Vogel's sandwich (packed lunch from the hall of residence of course), trying to concentrate on the lecture but having the most intense bloating pain.

My stomach was so hard and bloated that I had to undo the top button of my jeans and was almost doubled over in the lecture theatre, crippled with pain.

This was my first vivid memory with bloating and luckily for me, I was able to resolve this in a few years.

But for many of you that's not the case and you're still suffering from crippling bloating that affects every part of your life. In a study of over 400,000 women with PCOS globally, they found that over 70% of people with PCOS reported bloating that is not attributed to their cycle or what they’ve eaten.  This was the most common symptom by far! 

In this podcast, I am interviewing one of my colleagues, Charlie, who has had a long history of bloating that has taken her many years to resolve. When it comes to bloating - she has seriously tried it ALL.

I ask her all the nitty gritty about what bloating really is, what causes it and what we can do about it, today!

If you’ve been told, “You’ve got IBS, sorry, there isn’t much we can do for you”, then you need to listen to this.  You’ll learn that there are many causes of bloating and IBS, and many ways to treat your root cause.

In this podcast we’ll be diving into:

• What actually is bloating 
• The most common causes
• Practical tips you can use to help manage and prevent bloating, today!
• Further testing, if needed 
• And much more!

This episode is for you if: 

• You are so bloated that by the end of the day, you can no longer fit in your jeans
• You want to learn simple and easy tips to help with bloating 
• You feel like your doctor isn’t listening to you or is being dismissive about your IBS or gut symptoms 
• You want to know about what can cause bloating and see if this helps to determine your root cause
• You feel like you have to plan every day around what you’re eating because you’re always bloating or reacting to your meals

 
Take the Ovie questionnaire & start your journey to reversing your PCOS for life!

Are you struggling to conceive because of PCOS? If so, you are not alone.

This podcast episode is all about Kelly's natural fertility journey, how she approached the challenges of irregular periods, mental health struggles, and more. 

We dive into the specifics of her journey, including:

• Fertility specialists
• Cycle tracking to help with ovulation
• Making bad food decisions to raise blood sugar 
• The importance of quality sleep
• Stress management
• And more! 

We also discuss the importance of taking things one step at a time, and that doing more is not always better.

Above all, we emphasize that you are entitled to optimal health.  Join us and take away valuable insight from Kelly's story!

This episode is for you if:

• You’re trying to conceive and struggling
• You don’t want to wait for a whole year of trying to conceive
• You don’t really want to do fertility treatment
• You have insulin resistance or think you might
• Your cycles are irregular
• You don’t sleep well and you’re always tired
• You want a happy and healthy pregnancy where you feel great!

Resources and References:

• Iron Bisglycinate supplement 
• Prenatal recommendation WITH iron 
• Prenatal recommendation WITHOUT iron
• **Note: before supplementing with iron, we recommend getting your Iron levels tested. Iron can often be high in PCOS so supplementing with additional iron can be unnecessary and also contribute to insulin resistance. 
• My Book: Getting Pregnant with PCOS

Take the Ovie questionnaire & start your journey to reversing your PCOS for life!

So apparently, post pill PCOS is not a thing (according to the research anyway!).

However, this is very different to what I see clinically.

Post pill PCOS is when you didn’t have any PCOS symptoms before going on hormonal birth control and now after coming off it, you’ve suddenly got all these symptoms!

It’s been a frequently requested topic on the podcast, but one I’ve shied away from because there isn’t any research.
Unfortunately, research can sometimes be slow to catch up with what’s happening in real life and it requires researchers to ask the right questions i.e. could hormonal birth control be a trigger for PCOS?

Instead, I'm going to tell you about what I'm seeing clinically and that is that post hormonal birth control PCOS symptoms are a real thing. It's not as common as many people think, but it is still happening.

In this podcast we’ll be diving into:

• What is it, and is it even a thing?
• Is there any research on it?
• What I see clinically
• What the treatment options are
• And more! 

This episode is for you if: 

• Think you may have post pill PCOS
• Noticed new symptoms that only started once you came off hormonal birth control
• Are interested in whether post pill PCOS is a real thing
• You want to know if its not post pill PCOS, what else could be at play?

Additional information: 

• See Stephanie's Story here to hear a real life case study. Stephanie is a perfect example of post pill PCOS!  I know Stephanie personally and I knew her before she went on hormonal birth control. I knew that she did not exhibit any signs or symptoms of PCOS. Perfect periods. No hirsutism, acne, weight gain or any other symptoms of PCOS! However, after being on hormonal birth control (for less than 5 years), when she came off she had really irregular cycles and fertility challenges that led her to be diagnosed with PCOS. 

Resources and References:

• My Book: Getting Pregnant with PCOS

Links to our programs:

• The PCOS Protocol
• Book a 1:1 Consultations with Clare
• Book a 1:1 Consultation with Emma or Charlie

Want to have your own flourishing vegetable garden but not sure where to begin? This episode is for you!

We speak with the best vegetable gardener in the southern hemisphere (nominated by me), my mum!


I used to think I didn't have green fingers. After killing multiple indoor plants and failing to grow a vegetable garden, I gave up on gardening.

But thank goodness I tried again because over the last four years, I have become the very proud owner of a very prolific vegetable garden that has not only brought me so much joy but also saves me a lot of money and is now helping me teach my 1 year old where her food comes from.

Hopefully by hearing my story about how I have failed in this in the past, you will see that there is no such thing as being born with the natural knowledge of how to grow food.

You just need to know a few fundamentals, and when you know these, growing your own food can be really easy.

I'm excited to spread the veggie-growing love by helping you start your own vegetable garden!

Mum has a wealth of knowledge with over 40 years of gardening experience and a vegetable garden bigger than my house section!
We'll cover everything you need to know to get started this weekend!

In this episode you’ll learn:

• How to choose a good place to grow (and this could be a pot on your balcony or windowsill)
• How to know if you have good soil, and how to fix it if you don’t
• How to choose seeds vs little plants
• What grows at different times of the year
• How much time you need to dedicate to growing food (spoiler- I disagreed with Mum over this!)
• And how to troubleshoot problems.

Links, resources and additional information: 

• For those based in the Northern Hemisphere, April is a great time to plant your warm season crops, such as leafy greens, tomatoes, strawberries, carrots, squashes, zucchini, cucumber, peppers, eggplant, almost all herbs and more. 
• If you live in the southern hemisphere, April a great time to plant crops that like cooler weather such as leafy greens, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, kale and many herbs. 
• I recommend looking online for a growing guide for what to plant when in your city/state/area. I use this one for Auckland, NZ. 

This episode is for you if: 

• You have attempted and failed a veggie garden in the past (trust me, you can make it work)
• You are new to gardening and want to learn where to start
• You are looking for a refresh, or tip and tricks from a garden pro (my mum!), on how to sustain a thriving vegetable garden
• You want to save money growing your own produce 

Are you pregnant, planning to get pregnant or have you been diagnosed with gestational diabetes? 

Then you need to give our latest podcast episode, featuring special guest Lily Nichols - a Registered Dietitian/Nutritionist, Certified Diabetes Educator and Author of "Real Food For Pregnancy" and "Real Food For Gestational Diabetes".

We had Lily on the podcast a couple of weeks ago, talking to us about Vitamin A and the benefits it provides so give that episode a listen if you'd like to know more. 

Today, we are so excited to have Lily back, to chat about the really important topic of gestational diabetes! Lily, has done a lot of work with patients with gestational diabetes and has found that the standard dietary guidelines made things worse for them.

In this episode, we learn about the various meal plans advised for pregnant women with gestational diabetes and why they aren’t actually helpful for them, how to manage blood glucose through food, and how to get good nutrient levels. 

Lily also shares a little insight into her, "Real Food For Gestational Diabetes", discussing ketosis during pregnancy, and so much more.

Join us as we explore the ins and outs of gestational diabetes. Trust me, It's packed with amazing content that you won't want to miss.

Something  we cover in this episode:

• Gestational Diabetes.
• Dietary guidelines for gestational diabetes. 
• Lily’s book: Real Food for Pregnancy.
• Ways to manage your blood glucose through food.
• Pre diabetes for women with PCOS.
• 20-50% of people with PCOS test positive for gestational diabetes.
• Removing highly processed foods.
• Ketosis during pregnancy. 
• Working with a clinician who has worked with a wide range of patients.

Resources and References:

• Lily's book: Real Food for Pregnancy 
• Instagram
• The PCOS Nutritionist Instagram
• The PCOS Nutritionist Tiktok
• My Book: Getting Pregnant with PCOS

Links to our programs:

• The PCOS Protocol
• The DIY PCOS Protocol
• 1:1 Consultations

Are you suffering from migraines?

This week on The PCOS Nutritionist, we have a special guest, Diane Ducarme, the Founder & CEO of Nector Health, to discuss how migraines can be hormonally driven, particularly for people with disrupted progesterone and oestrogen.

Join us as Diane shares her tragic accident and journey with western medicine, how traditional Chinese medicine helped her, and how she was able to lose weight by adding foods rather than cutting them.

We’ll talk about giving your body the nutrients and energy it needs, thinking of migraines like a fire alarm, and exploring the root causes for women with migraines.

Plus, we’ll discuss liver and kidney function, symptoms and triggers for PCOS patients with migraines, and common medications for migraines.

Don’t miss this episode and the chance to learn how to add foods to help manage migraines.

Something things we cover in this episode:

• Why people are after a quick fix?
• Weight loss and weight gain.
• Traditional Chinese medicine.
• The root causes for women with migraines.
• Liver and Kidney function.
• PCOS patients with migraines.
• Migraine symptoms and triggers.
• Common medications for migraines.
• Adding foods to help with migraines.

Resources and References:

• Take the migraine test
• Ovie Instagram
• The PCOS Nutritionist Instagram
• The PCOS Nutritionist TikTok
• My Book: Getting Pregnant with PCOS

Links to our programs:

• The PCOS Protocol
• The DIY PCOS Protocol
• 1:1 Consultations

In this weeks episode, we talk about life with ADHD and PCOS with an incredible past Protocoler Anna.

Anna has experienced it all. She was told all the usual things most of us have heard from our doctors, tried Paleo but it didn't help with her PCOS. Eventually, Anna found The PCOS Protocol and loved the level of detail provided so she knew what was driving her PCOS. She didn’t want to feel like a failure this time.

So in this episode, we'll discuss how to think of ADHD and PCOS as a spectrum and how to adapt things to make dealing with PCOS and ADHD a bit easier. We'll also talk about how living with ADHD means you may struggle with being a perfectionist, how sugar cravings give a dopamine hit, how women present ADHD differently to men, and the increasing number of adult diagnoses of ADHD.

So, if you're looking for some tips and advice on how to manage the symptoms of ADHD and PCOS, then make sure to listen to this week's episode! 

Something things we cover in this episode:

• The PCOS Protocol and the level of detail provided 
• ADHD and PCOS on a spectrum, how it varies for everyone
• Adapting things to make dealing with PCOS and ADHD a bit easier
• Feeling like a failure 
• What people would assume ADHD is like
• Tips if you have ADHD and PCOS
• PCOS symptoms and ADHD symptoms overlap
• Sugar cravings 
• How women present ADHD differently to men 

Resources and References:

• Ovie Instagram
• The PCOS Nutritionist Instagram
• The PCOS Nutritionist Tiktok
• My Book: Getting Pregnant with PCOS

Links to our programs:

• The PCOS Protocol
• 1:1 Consultations
• The DIY PCOS Protocol

Join me and Emma, our Senior Nutritionist at The PCOS Nutritionist, as we chat about what we were wrong about, how our beliefs about nutrition have evolved since we graduated University, and especially since working with PCOS patients.

We’re going to be open and vulnerable about the things we got wrong, our personal experiences and beliefs, why we got it wrong, and how we are learning and adapting as new research comes out, to really help patients. 

We will also talk about cholesterol not causing high cholesterol in the body, the importance of individualised care, the fallacy of 'calories in, calories out', why eggs are not the devil, the priority of sleep over exercise, and how we have changed our stances in order to better help our PCOS clients.

So don't miss out on this fascinating episode - tune in now!

Something things we cover in this episode:

• Why people are after a quick fix?
• Creating a healthy relationship with food.
• What we learnt at University vs what we know now.
• How science is evolving, always gaining more knowledge and information.
• Eggs are not the devil
• Cheating on sleep for the gym
• Not everyone with PCOS can do the same thing to see success

Resources and References:

• Ovie Instagram
• The PCOS Nutritionist Instagram
• The PCOS Nutritionist Tiktok
• My Book: Getting Pregnant with PCOS

Links to our programs:

• The PCOS Protocol
• 1:1 Consultations
• The DIY PCOS Protocol

I am so excited to have special guest, Lily Nichols on our latest podcast episode!

Lily is an amazing Registered Dietitian/Nutritionist, Certified Diabetes Educator and Author of "Real Food For Pregnancy" and "Real Food For Gestational Diabetes", whose approach to nutrition embraces real food, integrative medicine, and mindful eating.

I know, many of you are curious about Vitamin A, and whether it is safe to take during pregnancy, so in this episode, Lily will share her expertise on the topic and provide evidence-based information to help answer your questions. 

We will cover what Vitamin A is, the different forms it comes in,  where we get it from and why health professionals have been telling us not to take Vitamin A during pregnancy? Lily will also share the important benefits of Vitamin A and how to introduce it into your diet. 

So if you're curious about Vitamin A and its role in pregnancy, you need to give this episode a listen and hear Lily's expert advice on this important topic.

Something things we cover in this episode:

• What is Vitamin A? 
• Different forms of Vitamin A
• Should I be taking Vitamin A during pregnancy? 
• Does Vitamin A cause birth defects?
• Research on Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia (CDH)
• What do doctors tell us about Vitamin A?
• Foods that contain Vitamin A 
• How to introduce Vitamin A into your diet
• The benefits of Vitamin A

Resources and References:

• My Book: Getting Pregnant with PCOS
• My free Prenatal supplement guide
• Lily's books: Real Food for Pregnancy 
• Lily's blog post: Liver and organ meat: Nutritional benefits and how to make it palatable
• Cod Liver oil - Amazon (3 daily (300mg DHA daily)
• Cod Liver oil - iHerb (3 daily (300mg DHA daily)
• Ovie Instagram
• The PCOS Nutritionist Instagram
• The PCOS Nutritionist Tiktok

Links to our programs:

• The PCOS Protocol
• 1:1 Consultations
• The DIY PCOS Protocol