Seasonal Depression

Long time no blog :)
As the winter is upon us I am facing the usual seasonal depression. I know alot of folks deal with this ugly little problem so I am posting my natural approach to coping with the winter blues. First and foremost I am going to be faithful to my personal devotions. I feel a balanced spiritual life is of utmost importance to dealing with every other aspect of my life. Second, I am committed to daily exercise and good nutrition(still working on the high raw diet but struggling with cold food in winter months). Third, I am trying to find ways to relax everyday. I am finding bath with lavender essential oil to be quite the antidote! Lastly, I am going to make a daily list of blessings. I think it is important for me to focus on the positive aspects of my life especially during the time of year that I tend to be ho-hum. Best wishes and hoping you all have  a great week!!
PS- Lavender essential oil(and many others) can be found at a great price at iherb.com

Eating Raw

So I am experimenting with raw foods. I have read the countless benefits of eating raw food. Initially I was appalled at the thought of a raw diet but its not as bad as I thought. I have only added raw foods for about two weeks now and do notice less bloating a bit more digestive regulation. I added 50% raw foods to my diet so far as to gradually adapt to this huge dietary adjustment. So my sample day looks like this:
Breakfast- 1 cup cottage cheese, 1 apple chopped, stevia and cinnamon (about 1/2 tsp each)
Snack- Raw almonds
Lunch- Veggie and chicken soup and raw broccoli
Snack- Raw protein bars(recipe below)
Dinner- Green salad with raw veggies and diced cooked chicken with apple cider vinaigrette(1tsp each- a.c.v, soy sauce, dijon mustard, garlic, maple syrup)
My theory is to make sure each meal is 50% raw and all snacks are raw. So far so good.  The pros = less prep and cook time, smaller portions due to no shrinkage of veggies during cooking, satiety (since my body had to break down raw food and leaves me feeling full longer). The cons= kind of bland(good thing I love veggies), costly, and increased shopping to assure fresh fruits and veggies are available.
 My goal is to eat 75% or more raw food and see how my body responds. It is more mentally challenging than physically. i have this notion that all my food should be cooked and eaten warm. Starting in Fall may not have been the best idea as I loooove warm soups and cozy food this time of year. I decided to give it a try anyways. There will always be some excuse that could prevent me from pursuing healthier choices. Well that's my 2 cents for now :) I will be posting some research information on the benefits of raw food diets soon. Hope you had a wonderful day!

Raw protein bars or balls:
Ingredients:
4 scoops of protein of choice
1/2 cup ground flax seeds
2 tbs natural nut butter (I used almond butter)
1tsp stevia
2 tbs raw cocoa powder
3-4 tbs water
 Directions:
Mix all dry ingredients, set aside. Mix nut butter and water until smooth and add to dry. mix until blended and shape into balls or press into 8x8 dish if you prefer bars. Cool mixture until firm and cut into bars. Makes 8 depending on size you cut bars or shape balls

Apple Cider Vinegar

So today I am sharing some research I have been doing recently on a natural treatment for insulin resistance(IR). My goal is find a natural replacement for the prescription for Metphormin. I had previously taken Metphormin for almost two years with no results. I am not 100%  convinced I have IR but to comply with treatment my Doctor has prescribed, I will try a natural remedy for IR. I have posted one of many studies below that provide evidence of apple cider vinegar treatment and the success rates that followed. I am happy to know I am not putting chemicals in my body and hoping the vinegar will control any possible insulin spikes.


Source:http://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/27/1/281.full
Recent large-scale trials (the Diabetes Prevention Program and STOP-NIDDM) have demonstrated that therapeutic agents used to improve insulin sensitivity in diabetes, metformin and acarbose, may also delay or prevent the onset of type 2 diabetes in high-risk populations. Interestingly, an early report showed that vinegar attenuated the glucose and insulin responses to a sucrose or starch load (1). In the present report, we assessed the effectiveness of vinegar in reducing postprandial glycemia and insulinemia in subjects with varying degrees of insulin sensitivity.Our study included nondiabetic subjects who were either insulin sensitive (control subjects, n = 8) or insulin resistant (n = 11) and 10 subjects with type 2 diabetes. Subjects provided written informed consent and were not taking diabetes medications. Fasting subjects were randomly assigned to consume the vinegar (20 g apple cider vinegar, 40 g water, and 1 tsp saccharine) or placebo drink and, after a 2-min delay, the test meal, which was composed of a white bagel, butter, and orange juice (87 g total carbohydrates). The cross-over trial was conducted 1 week later. Blood samples were collected at fasting and 30 and 60 min postmeal for glucose and insulin analyses. Whole-body insulin sensitivity during the 60-min postmeal interval was estimated using a composite score .

Fasting glucose concentrations were elevated ∼55% in subjects with diabetes compared with the other subject groups (P < 0.01, Tukey’s post hoc test), and fasting insulin concentrations were elevated 95–115% in subjects with insulin resistance or type 2 diabetes compared with control subjects (P < 0.01). Compared with placebo, vinegar ingestion raised whole-body insulin sensitivity during the 60-min postmeal interval in insulin-resistant subjects (34%, P = 0.01, paired t test) and slightly improved this parameter in subjects with type 2 diabetes (19%, P = 0.07). Postprandial fluxes in insulin were significantly reduced by vinegar in control subjects, and postprandial fluxes in both glucose and insulin were significantly reduced in insulin-resistant subjects

These data indicate that vinegar can significantly improve postprandial insulin sensitivity in insulin-resistant subjects. Acetic acid has been shown to suppress disaccharidase activity (3) and to raise glucose-6-phosphate concentrations in skeletal muscle (4); thus, vinegar may possess physiological effects similar to acarbose or metformin. Further investigations to examine the efficacy of vinegar as an antidiabetic therapy are warranted.

I have started consuming 1 tbs prior to my main meals(breakfast, lunch and dinner) or a meal that contains a higher carbohydrate. I never really feel a spike or lull in blood sugar so I cant say I have seen direct result. As a precaution I will continue the practice and post any changes that may occur.  

Have a wonderful night and smile because tomorrow if Friday!!! TGIF

Focus on the Positive!

Today I am struggling with the devastating thought of infertility. It seems most of my friends are having their second child while I am seemingly far from conception. Motherhood has always been one of my truest desires. I know am I at the beginning of my healing but I am not one to be patient. It is so difficult to focus on the positive changes I am making to help me get closer to my hopes of having a child one day. This is truly the biggest battle I face in dealing with PCOS. I can be thankful for the the fact that I do not have alot of the other symptoms like hurtuism(male pattern hair growth commonly on the face), painful cyst, acne, thinning hair, skin tags..to name a few. I am striving to find hope in the changes in my diet and eating behaviors(eating disorder) and focus on the good in my life. There is a bible verse that talks about being content in the state I am in)Phil. 4:11). That's what I am trying to do but it is very hard to stop worrying. Hope is what I need to persevere through the disappointments in life. Mental and emotional well being is crucial to healing in my opinion so I am going to keep looking up!
A little less than a sweet post on Halloween, but honestly that is how I am feeling today.

One a more positive note...my 50% raw diet is going pretty well! For breakfast I had cottage cheese with chai vanilla yogurt, a chopped apple and 1tbs chopped walnuts. Snack was raw broccoli, lunch was raw cabbage slaw and chicken stew(yum) I will post this recipe tomorrow. No afternoon snack since I had a busy day at work. Dinner was this new salad recipe and 1 cup homemade pumkin soup.
Chicken,Beet and Apple Salad

Ingredients

                                                                3 cups spinach

1/2 sliced granny smith apple

4oz grilled chicken

1/3 cup sliced beets

2 sliced scallions

2 tbs goat cheese

1 tbs walnuts

dressing- 1 tbs each apple cider vinegar and maple syrup, 1tsp each dijon mustard and soy sauce

seasoned with salt, garlic powder and pepper

Yum!!

Happy Halloween! Hope you all have a great evening!!

New Challenge

Hope you are enjoying your Sunday! It has been pretty low key around here. I am excited to share my new diet strategy  I have been doing alllllot of research on the best approach to eliminating PCOS symptoms and restoring my body to its natural balance. It can be overwhelming as there are some contradicting remedies out there. I think it is key for me, and most others, to find a realistic approach that is sustainable to my lifestyle and dietary needs. So here is the dish...
My plan is to continue to abstain from caffeine, sugar and artificial sweeteners. This month I will nix Gluten from my diet to see how my body responds. I am not jumping on the gluten free bandwagon just yet(its seems a bit fad-ish to me) My recent diet consist mostly of whole foods like fresh vegetables, berries, apples, greens, chicken , eggs, lean turkey, nuts, yogurt, cottage cheese and low fat cheese. I still had a few "diet" foods in my daily nosh. I grew up on diet Pepsi, aspartame, low-card diet breads, Pam spray and anything else that I could get my hands on, believing it was better for me. I am certainly not a proponent of real sugar, however it is better than chemical sugar by far. My new approach is to eliminate as much artificial products as possible. Just say noooo to processed foods!! I am not one to change easily so I am going to eliminate in a gradual process. I hope this will make life a bit easier to swallow : )

So far today's eat been apple crepes made with oatflour and eggwhites and filled with chopped apple cottage cheese and sweetened with cinnamon and stevia. This is like a dessert to me and I usually enjoy it on the weekends. The swap in this recipe was oat flour instead of whole wheat flour to avoid the gluten.
Recipe
Crepe Batter
1/4 cup oat flour
1tbs baking powder
1/4 salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp caramel extract
1/2 cup almond milk
1/2 cup water
Mix all and chill while skillet heats. Pour small amount of crepe batter and flip when edges are lightly browed. You can keep crepes small or make a few large crepes and keep them warm in the oven at 200degrees or serve with filling at room temp.
Filling
1 cup fat free cottage cheese
1 chopped apple
cinnamon and stevia to taste
Mix well and spoon into cooked crepes
Snack: raw cauliflower
Lunch Large salad with 1/2 chicken breast, 2tbs goat cheese, 1/2 tbs sunflower seeds on top green salad with yellow peppers, cherry tomato, broccoli and dresses with lemon juice. Yum! Ate before pic, sorry. I am new so I will get better at this :)

Introduction

Hello to all!

 I am hoping to share my journey to better health with you! The main purpose of this blog will be exploring natural remedies to healing PCOS. I am 28 years old, married to my wonderful hubby and proud owner of two sweet dogs and my cat. I work as a gym manager and personal trainer. I have had a passion for fitness and nutrition for most of my life. I am learning more and more each day. I thought I was healthy and extremely fit until I learn something new and realize how little I really knew before. I was diagnosed with possible PCOS about two years ago. I was skeptical because of my lifestyle. I am very active and had struggled with eating disorders since about age 14. I have always been healthy,or that is what I chose to perceive, and did not have a reason to visit the doctor except for annual check ups. I found a reason to visit my doctor after an absence of my cycle that is currently going on 5 years. All of my test came back normal, except the lack of periods and cyst on my ovaries, hence the PCOS diagnosis. Since I was still battling bulimia I attributed any and all symptoms to my eating disorder. Now that I have overcome my eating disorder  I am faced with PCOS. Not sure whether it was the chicken or the egg here but I am sure that I want to be healthy. I am not fond of taking traditionally prescribed medicine. I choose to explore the natural path to healing it with you! Thank you for taking the time to stop by and share my tiny little corner of the internet. Best wishes and blessings to you!