Healthy PCOS

  Why Does PCOS Cause Hair Loss? The primary cause of PCOS hair loss is the excess production of androgens (such as testosterone), which is part of the diagnostic criteria for PCOS. Specifically, PCOS can drive hair loss by one or more of the following hormonal imbalances: Higher than normal androgen levels (most commonly testosterone Higher than normal 5-alpha reductase (5-aR) levels Higher than normal DHT levels Decreased levels of cytochrome p 450 enzyme These hormonal disruptions are not merely caused by PCOS. Instead, there will be an underlying condition that is driving excess testosterone in the form of the imbalances listed above. What are the possible underlying conditions? Well, there’s a few - the most common being Insulin Resistance (IR) which is found in 70% of women with PCOS. IR causes elevated insulin levels which, consequently, causes your ovaries to over-produce testosterone. Due to its prevalence (7 in 10 women), it’s easy to assume IR, without...

 One of the most unwanted and uncomfortable symptoms of PCOS is hirsutism, or excess hair growth. Hirsutism is the excessive growth of facial or body hair on women seen as coarse, dark hair that will usually appear on the face, chest, abdomen, back, upper arms, or upper legs. Hirsutism is a symptom of excessive amounts of androgen hormones in the female system. PCOS is the most common cause of hirsutism. Understanding Hair Growth Understanding how normal hair grows will help you better understand hirsutism. Each of your hairs grow from a follicle deep in your skin. Hair follicles cover just about all areas of your body except the soles of your feet and the palms of your hands. You have approximately 50 million hair follicles covering your body, and 20% of them are located on the scalp of your head. Adults have two types of hair, vellus and terminal. Vellus hair is the soft, fine, generally colorless, and usually short form of hair. On the other side, terminal hair i...

  If metformin isn't for you, what natural alternatives are out there? Metformin is the most commonly prescribed medication for  women with PCOS . It's considered an insulin-sensitizing drug, helping to reverse insulin resistance (IR). Metformin is actually a type II diabetes medication but, because many women with PCOS have issues with blood sugar levels and IR, it's often prescribed. Early beliefs were that Metformin was a wonder drug for PCOS but, as time as gone on and with more anecdotal and clinical evidence, results have been underwhelming of early hopes. This is due, in part, to the individual, and complex nature of PCOS. There are many natural alternatives to Metformin that you should be following, either alongside your Metformin or, if you simply cannot take Metformin due to the side effects. Best Natural Alternatives To Metformin 1) RESISTANCE EXERCISE 2) LOW-MODERATE CARB DIET 3) INOSITOL I hope this helps, especially to those who are struggling wi...

Supplements are a funny topic when talking about weight loss as the science of weight loss is this; you must be in a calorie deficit and you must be in hormonal balance. This means that any supplement that helps you lose weight must help you achieve one of these two 'laws' of  weight loss .  1️. L-Carnitine 2️. Glucomannan 3️. Inositol Read more here .

  EXERCISE IS ONE OF THOSE BEHAVIOURS THAT CAN HAVE A HUGELY POSITIVE INFLUENCE ON YOUR PCOS. But, why is that exactly? It’s because all exercise will have a hormonal & metabolic result. Put in simple terms, exercise can change your metabolic and hormonal state but it is important to note that this can be a negative or positive result. Not all exercise will have the same benefits for PCOS. For example, for the last 30 years women have been told to stick to treadmills if they want to lose weight and that stepping foot in the weights area will have them looking like the Hulk. In reality, nothing could be further from the truth. We now know that too much long-form cardio, like the advice given to females for decades can increase cortisol (stress) levels and result in depleted muscle mass, slowing down your metabolic rate. TYPES OF EXERCISE FOR PCOS: 1) RESISTANCE EXERCISE 2) RESTORATIVE EXERCISE 3) HIIT EXERCISE example of your weekly workout schedule might look ...