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!