My soul sister and friend IRL Jenna Longoria (aka the Period Guru) is hosting a Masterclass for Period Solutions.
If you have painful periods or have been diagnosed with a period-related condition like endometriosis or PCOS, I highly recommend that you start following Jenna (@jennalongoriahealth on Instagram) and take this Master Class.
I have personally been working with her over the last 4 months with some of my hormone imbalances, and her awareness of all things hormones is unparalleled. I believe hormone health is something that is not well-understood or supported by standard medical practice, and much of the suffering is quite unnecessary. Jenna’s website is linked below.
Hope you are all in good spirits and undeterred by this current climate. Xoxo Nikki
Happy munching kicking off November to a good start, the main barrier will be keeping up with it. Goals for November are to eat a more natural diet with no dairy, gluten, & more importantly minimally processed foods! Some other goals are to incorporate stretching & working out into my daily routine and continuing with my natural remedies and hacks. Let’s kick ass this month
Lunch: grilled chicken (w/ lemon pepper, Himalayan salt, oregano, and garlic), diy garden salad with lemon and pepper as a dressing, and a homemade corn salsa with avacado, tomatoes, and onions.
It’s been a week of visitors & halloweekend so there’s no surprise that I fell off track From kit kats to chili cheese dogs, I completely indulged. Focusing on detoxing my body, as my body can’t handle fast food and overly processed food as much. Kicking off my Monday with my favorite mermaid water. Recipe: - 1/8 - ¼ tsp spirulina powder - 1 tbsp Apple cider vinegar - half a lemon - ½ tsp honey - Mix in a glass of water I absolutely love this drink as it has a lot of detoxifying properties & hydrates you at the same time. If you haven’t heard of spirulina, I highly suggest it as a staple pantry ingredient! Spirulina is high in antioxidants, supports your heart, liver, and kidneys, naturally detoxifies the body, good source of iron and much more! What’s your favorite staple? #pcos #pcosdiet #pcosgirl #pcosfighter #pcoshacks #pcosweightloss #pcoslife #pcosawareness #pcosucks #spirulina #detox #healthyfood #healthyeating #cleaneating #vegan #greenjuice
Happy Sunday I’ve been cooking up a storm this weekend and have been focusing on dishes that are #whole30 friendly, not every single dish I’ve made is for the whole 30 diet but I know I want to get a step closer to taking the challenge, because there is nothing better for your body than good natural food. This week I’m challenging myself to dedicate 5 days to no processed foods ❤️ tonight’s dinner kick started the week with Greek style chicken & sautéed veggies What are your goals this week? #pcosgirl #pcosdiet #pcossupport #pcosfighter #pcos #pcosweightloss #pcosawareness #pcosweightlossjourney #paleo #glutenfree #dairyfree #healthyeats #healthyfood #healthydiet #healthyeating #weightlossjourney
Happy Sunday so one thing I want to focus more on incorporating in my diet is healthy fats which are rich in omega 3s which are super good for inflammation, high cholesterol, depression, anxiety, IBD, and symptoms of pcos salmon is one of the best foods to get your omega 3 from and is absolutely delicious. Today’s dish I made a mango avacado habanero salsa, which I had with sautéed kale, smoked salmon, and a poached egg happy brunching! #healthybreakfast #brunch #sundaybrunch #pcos #pcosdiet #pcossupport #pcosfighter #pcosdiaries #pcosweightloss #pcosawareness #pcosgirl #weightloss #healthyeats #healthyfood #healthydiet #omega3 #glutenfree
So if you’re like me, you have the HARDEST time staying hydrated. One of the easiest hacks that has been keeping me hydrated is Detox waters detox waters aren’t just super tasty but have a lot of AMAZING benefits. This detox water has - * Strawberries which help in regulating blood sugar, assisting in digestion, and promotes good skin * Cucumbers which help in reducing cholesterol, balancing alkaline levels, and detoxifying the body, and are also a great source to regulate your pH * Lemon which helps regulate blood pressure, gives you potassium, cleanses the liver, and acts as an anti inflammatory (plus a good immune booster) * Ginger which helps with IBS, inflammation, and helps in clearing skin * Basil which has tons of antioxidants, helps with inflammation, Alkalizing the body and improving digestion, and supporting liver function, plus it keeps you happy In the past it was so hard for me to drink water, but these waters are so good and staying hydrate is one of the best easy hacks for conquering your journey…what’s your water trick? #pcos #pcosdiet #pcosfighter #pcossupport #pcosawareness #pcosucks #pcosgirl #pcosjourney #weightloss #healthylifestyle #hydrate #detoxwater #healthhacks
Many people have asked for my favorite teas, as I’m a huge tea lover (I aim to drink 3 cups a day), here’s a handful of teas I HIGHLY recommend & drink at least once a week. I aim to add at least 1 cup of green tea each day & 1 type of detox tea! Happy tea Tuesday #tea #teatime #teatuesday #detoxtea #pcos #pcosdiet #pcossupport #pcosfighter #pcosfighter #pcosdiaries #pcosweightloss #pcosawareness #pcosgirl #weightlossjourney
Happy Tuesday ☺️ I needed a little more inspiration and motivation in my life so I created a bullet journal to track my progress I think it’s SUPER important to not only care about the number on the scale but the non scale victories such as fitting into a pair of old jeans or drinking lots of water I added a little envelope to add my own victories while tracking the scale ☺️#bulletjournal #weightloss #weightlossjourney #weightlosstracker #pcos #pcossupport #pcosfighter #pcosdiaries #pcosweightloss #pcoswarrior
3 ingredient vegan + gluten free cookies seriously all you need is ripe bananas, almond milk, & GF oats! But since I’m a chocolate addict, I added some vegan chocolate chips & dried pomegranate to make it more of a “junk food” cookie recipe: mash 4 ripe bananas, add 2 cups oats, and ¼ milk of your choice and then add whatever other things you want, throw in the oven at 350 for 25-30 mins! (Make sure the pan is greased well) let me know if you try this recipe ☝️ #pcossupport #pcos #healthyeats #healthyfood #healthydiet #healthyeating #pcos #pcosdiet #pcosfighter #pcosweightloss #cravingsatisfied #cravingsolved #weightlossjourney #vegan #glutenfree #dairyfree
Happy October October has always been my favorite month, and I believe the universe is on my side this month. Since Halloween is right around the corner I’m promising myself a more strict regime and sticking with it this time I’ve made a habit tracker to motivate me and remind me of my progress this month I’m focusing on all aspects of my health and taking control of my mind, body, and soul☺️ happy October, what are some of your goals this month? #bulletjournal #octobergoals #pcos #pcosdiet #pcossupport #pcosfighter #pcosdiaries #pcosawareness #habittracker
First time making Indian dal, & forgot how much I miss how much I love home cooked Indian food this is great just as a soup or with some grains ☺️ #pcos #pcosdiet #pcossupport #pcosfighter #pcosdiaries #pcosweightloss #pcosgirl #healthyeats #indianfood #glutenfree #dairyfree #vegan #weightlossjourney
From everyone that called me out on my weight, my mom was the most painful. The diet pills and the constant remainder that dresses looked bad on me.
I was 14 when I noticed my periods stopped a lot, the doctor blamed my weight, I was 140 lbs… I felt like a heifer, especially when my mom told the neighbor and her daughter if they would like to go shopping with her, that she never took me because the clothes from there wouldn’t look nice on me.
It hurt…
Patty McFatty always stuck in my mind…
I started to drink nothing but teas and those coffees that promise weight loss, nothing but a small meal at night.
I started to count EVERYTHING I ate… I learned all the calorie content of every food by looking at their labels.
I started to see how long I would last without food…
I started to pop more pills, and not just diet anything I could find to make myself purge and make my stomach hurt so I would not want food.
I started to workout more and more, maybe one meal, and if I dared eat more I would punish myself.
I got laxatives to try and increase purging, since I began to binge eat.. I would eat and eat, until I vomit, until I drowned those laxatives.
The doctor noticed my losing 10lbs in less than a week and was upset, but did not pay attention to it much…
My friends noticed…. they told the counselor at the school… who told the nurse.. then I was caught purging at school…
My parents also caught me once at home…
I met with other girls like me, except they were skinnier, and I was FAT compared to them. I noticed that I never went lower than 120 lbs though.. no matter how much I did not eat. I felt bad and guilty but I did work through it, talking it out, and the fact that I got diagnosed with PCOS helped a lot, because now I knew it wasn’t my fault… and I do tell myself everyday. It took years to learn to love myself more, and honestly I still pick up a bad habit or two, but I noticed and I catch myself before I fall.
I am not perfect and I am not “cured” of it, although a lot of times it feels like, I go months and even years without falling back again, and the few times I slip I don’t fall. It is about working hard..
It is not easy.
I am sharing my story because I want to tell a teen like the one I was that you are beautiful <3 I want to tell my fellow PCOS sisters that if you have gone through any type of eating disorder you’re not alone… <3 <3 <3
September is PCOS awareness month, and if you haven’t heard of PCOS, then that’s exactly why there needs to be more awareness! I’m not going to pelt you with scientific explanations which you can later Google, but I would like to share my own experience with it. Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome is basically one of those things that if you have it, it’s incredibly hard to explain to people, and it messes a lot of things up with your hormones, your period, your metabolism, etc. I read that over 10M women have it, and maybe only half of them are aware that they do. The symptoms usually involve irregular periods, but it can get a lot more complicated than that. If unchecked, it could lead to higher risk for cancer, diabetes, infertility, etc. Sadly, there isn’t a cure. It’s one of those things you have to live with, and can only manage with medication & other treatments. I know “diet and exercise” are usually prescribed for every single thing by doctors, and as someone who has always struggled with weight and self image, I can tell you that doctors should seriously consider not categorically attributing everything to something that could very well be linked with genetics and/or hormone-related medical issues. I have no patience whatsoever for fat-shamers, especially doctors. And yes, it’s totally okay to not feel a-OK about having PCOS. And in case you do want to know a bit more about this vague condition, head over to PCOSAA.org ✌️
Reposting because it’s September
Long overdue update, just in time for PCOS awareness month. When I first made the original post, I was pretty amazed at the response, and the virtual kinship I found with other people who also had PCOS, or who found out they had PCOS because they saw the post and went to see their doctor. Over the years, I don’t think awareness has improved all that much, and because it’s so vague and chronic, people don’t see it as a serious threat. But all the nasty little things PCOS can cause can open the doorway to a host of other diseases and conditions, like ovarian cancer, endometriosis, heart disease, diabetes, etc.
And as someone who has struggled with it since around 2011/2012 when I was diagnosed, I can tell you how difficult it is to manage, because the very thing that’s supposed to help (drastic weight loss) is pretty much going head to head with one of the main symptoms/effects of PCOS (weight gain and crap metabolism). Losing weight takes quadruple the effort because my body is always reverting back to the state of hormonal imbalance that caused the weight gain to begin with. That cruel cycle can definitely take a toll, especially in a society that loves to fat-shame and judge-by-the-cover.
Anyway, if you’re experiencing any of these symptoms, get checked out by your doctor so you can start taking steps to manage things. It’s a crappy hand to be dealt, but it’s not a death sentence. And if you have any questions or stories/experiences to share, please feel free to message, drop an ask, or comment
And as an additional 2020/2021 side note:
get vaccinated! Check with your doctor that you’re not on any medication that would have any lethal interactions with the vaccines. PCOS is considered a comorbidity so it does put you on the list of people who are vulnerable and need to get vaccinated as soon as possible.
Hope you’re all faring well through these hard times xx
I received an overwhelming response both from women struggling with PCOS and simply concerned folk. I’m glad this infographic is now out there, drifting in the web, raising more questions, as it should. That was its purpose.
First, let me express how grateful I am for the appreciation and many thanks I received from you, beautiful ladies, my cysters. I wish you all to be strong, to be healthy (as much as it’s possible), and to be happy. Being happy is the best therapy out there.
Now, to answer a few passive-aggressive comments about PCOS being not only a woman’s problem. There are many levels to understanding this. As I said before, anyone who was assigned female at birth, even if they do not identify themselves as women presently is at risk of having PCOS. Anyone who did not have their ovaries, uterus, and cervix removed have to be vigilant and continue seeing a gynecologist until they no longer have the above mentioned organs. They may also have increased risks for ovarian cancer - it is highly important to keep seeing a specialist - ovarian cancer is too often caught too late. You may not feel and identify as a woman, but unless you undergo those changes, your body is still the body of a woman. And that is what I talk about in my infographic, a woman’s body. So please, don’t feel offended or excluded.
Finally, thank you to everyone who shared my infographic. I have an article about PCOS waiting to be published, and your effort adds up significantly to the value of my article.
I have been diagnosed eight years ago, and there were many dark days when I wished PCOS had just been a bad dream, something that could be fixed and forgotten about. But it’s not, and speaking up is my way of dealing with it.
You never really know whose listening to you until someone from the outside shows you that they are aware of whats going on with you and decide to become your supporter.
When I decided to be open about my PCOS on facebook, it was like no one really cared despite me explaining what it was because I got remarks that ranged from “all you have to do is just work out” to “fat people always make an excuse as to why their big.”
Because of that and like many others, we turn to support groups and other sites such as tumblr.
But then I slowly got discourage. I became bitter and annoyed with how people saw this as a made up thing, that people who suffer with PCOS just want attention. That doctors who claim their existence is to help people was instead covered with remarks such as “irregular periods are normal for someone your size, just lose weight.” Or “What is PCOS?” Or “theres no such thing as PCOS.”
I thought, “If doctors won’t even recognize this, what makes me so sure anyone i know would?”
Then today a friend shared a post on my timeline created by Daisy Ridley about what she went through. With the caption:
“I thought of you when I read this. Here’s to hoping that there will be more awareness which leads to more solutions as time goes on.”
My voice was heard. It may have not touched a large crowd, but it touched one person.
It made me realize, thats how awareness starts; lighting one candle at a time no matter what source of fire you may have.
