Guest Post with Tania Tod: Nutrition for Women Diagnosed with PCOS

It is my pleasure to introduce you to Tania Tod. Tania has started a blog about pregnancy and preconception time in relation with fertility, nutrition, exercise and other issues. Today, she is going to be talking about nutrition for women diagnosed with PCOS.  Please welcome Tania to One Blessed Mama of Boys!


One of the most important parts of managing and living with PCOS is better nutrition. Nutrition for women diagnosed with PCOS plays a vital role in the quality of life a woman will have and directly increases the chance for those trying to conceive . In certain studies, women that lose as little as 5% body weight can experience an insulin stabilization, decrease in levels of progesterone and a regulation of menstrual cycles.

By incorporating healthy lifestyle changes, consuming a well balanced diet which includes vegetables, healthy fats, lean protein and limited carbohydrates, a woman can successfully manage symptoms of PCOS-related insulin resistance . Lean proteins in the diet should consist of egg whites, nuts, soy-based products, fish, skinless poultry and nuts. Healthy fats are contained olive oil, canola, sunflower seeds and oils, peanuts, corn and flaxseed.
 
A PCOS diet should limit carbohydrates, but this does not mean all carbs are bad and should be completely avoided. Nutrition for women diagnosed with PCOS can include the following carbohydrates such as whole grain breads, quinoa, couscous, brown rice and barley. For a woman trying to conceive, these incorporations into the diet can also increase fertility and make it much easier for her to become pregnant.
 
For women with PCOS, nutritional changes can be very important in treating the accompanying insulin resistance. Experts recommend a balance of 35% protein, 35% fat and 30% carbohydrates, which can be done by dietary changes but does not have to be considered a “diet.” The balanced diet will help stabilize insulin levels and control cravings which can lead the woman to over eat and gain weight.
 
There are various different types of protein available; most sources come from plants or animals. Plant protein is more beneficial to the woman’s diet than an animal source which contains unnecessary fats which can increase cholesterol levels. A balanced diet must include fats, but the fats need to be polyunsaturated and monounsaturated in order to be good for the diet and healthy for the body.
 
Exercise alone is not enough for a woman suffering from PCOS; it only treats the weight gain. It is necessary for a woman suffering from PCOS to understand the importance nutrition plays in her life and that of her condition. In order to have a decent quality of life, control weight gain and keep hormones and insulin levels in check, a woman needs to take all things into consideration and eat right, exercise and follow a nutrition plan.


When a diagnosis of PCOS has been made in a woman, there are many things that can be done to manage the condition. PCOS-related infertility is a condition which can be treated and conquered with the proper diet and a woman becoming educated about the situation all of which increases awareness. Being provided with the right information, making proactive decisions and incorporating certain lifestyle changes into the equation can help a woman succeed at the goal of becoming pregnant.

Tania has a great wealth of knowledge over at her new blog- Trying To Conceive! You would be doing yourself a great disservice if you did not head over and check it out!

Give Us a Little More!!

I have gotten numerous emails from faithful readers saying "Give us a little more!"

And you know what I have to say?

Quit being so nosey!

 Just kidding!!!

So this post is going to be honest and maybe brutal but it's going to be what it is going to be... Bear with me. Love me anyway...

These past couple months have been filled with a flurry of praises and requests, hurts and joys, hard times and good times..

Mostly, they have been a flurry of health concerns. And while I can say God has been faithful, there are still many questions in my mind. Many unanswered requests.

I'll start at the begining of our journey.

For a long while, I have been convicted about our health, eating habits, and environment. I, however, have not had the self-discipline to make the changes necessary. I have tried a couple of times and have failed time and time again.

A few months ago, I was diagnosed with Adult ADHD, OCD, Anxiety and a couple of different phobias. I have begun a couple of different medications but really struggle with putting those toxins in my body.

It has also been said on my blog that I have been diagnosed with PCOS. We have been trying and trying to conceive for a while now. About a month ago, I finally went to the Dr. and asked what steps I could take in order to ovulate (I only ovulated 2 x last year.) and what help I might need with my bad cervix. I really do not know what I expected but after a while of telling her my concerns this is what she said and I quote...

I would like to put you on clomid. However, with your numbers, we have concluded that you have approximately a 68% chance of conceiving multiples NATURALLY. Therefore, I will put you on half of the necessary dose. I promise you that you will not conceive twins but MULTIPLES. With your last pregnancy, it was shown that your body cannot physically carry more than one baby (Lincoln was a twin.). Therefore, I ETHICALLY (Really?!? Ethically!?!) will have to push you to terminate down to one baby.  

I was stunned. I just took the script for Clomid and drove home in utterly disbelief. How could I honestly and in good faith put those toxins in my body and then put myself in the positition to possibly have to choose my life or my future childrens? After talking to Andy, we decided Clomid was not for us and we would hand it over to the Lord.

Okay... I had recently been diagnosed with OCD. Do you know what goes hand and hand with OCD? Being a total control FREAK! Seriously, how can I give this huge burden to the Lord?

I struggled with this for a few weeks and after having decide I could not carry this burden anymore, I handed it to the Lord.

In the mean time, I had my annual cancer check. The doctor called and told me that they needed to re-test. For a couple of weeks, I stewed and stewed over possibly having cancer again.

In comes the past week. I had been weirdly sick for a couple of days and after feeling so yucky, I decided to take a pregnancy test. It was positive!! God is good! I gave over my burden and He was faithful and had blessed me!

I could not believe it so I sent Andy to the store for another batch of tests (Did I mention that EVERYONE I know is pregnant!?!). The next 6 tests were negative. I had a false positive test.

My heart broke. My faith shattered. How could this be?! What a cruel joke? I handed my burdent to Jesus and he allowed a false positive? I felt betrayed. I felt slapped in the face. I felt hurt. I still feel a lot of those things.

I know what people think... "You are 25 years old. You have time." Well I understand where you are coming from. However, being 25 years old and having had 6 miscarriages and a false positive, I am done. I no longer can handle the anticipation. The pain. The worry. The wonder. I can no longer allow myself to feel. It just hurts too much now.

I am struggling. I am questioning. I am wondering.

I really need to launch myself into something. I really need to find the discipline to take care of myself and my family.

Therefore, real foods, here I come. I have talked about meeting with you. I have talked about spending most of my eating time with you and it is now time. The time is now!

I get extremely overwhelmed with the knowledge of whole foods online. Sometimes, I just need the meat and potatoes. Therefore, I started a facebook group called "Nourishing Foods". You might or might not be a friend of mine on facebook. No matter the case, if you are interested in learning about the "meat and potatoes" of real foods or if you are intersted in linking up some of your posts on real foods, PLEASE join me! All are welcome and I would love the information.

So, please come and check it out. Join me. Hold me accountable. I could really use it.

A Time in My Life

I wanted to pop in and give a little update. I don't have much to say. I am not worth much right now. I was driving home today and I was trying to sum up the condition of my faith, my heart and my life. The Lord played this song right as I was pulling in the garage and it summed it all up. Here are the lyrics and the song..

Please pray for me as I seek the Lord and his Revelation..

Lent 2010

What does Lent mean to me?

I am not a Catholic and many people think that you need to be a Catholic to take part in Lent. I, however, do not think that is the case.

My family observes the part of Lent in which you give up something in order to praise God and give Him control. He sent his only son and Jesus gave his life- so how could we not give up something dear to us for forty days in order to praise Him?

This year, Andy is partial fasting everyday and total fasting some days. He has a calendar prepared and his prayer and praises ready to bring to the Lord and focus on.

I am going to be giving up sugar. At first, I was going to give up ALL sugar even when I baked but after much prayer and seeking, I have decided that giving up soda, sweets and out and out sugar items will be enough. Trying to make my bread and such without sugar would just be too daunting.

I am also going to begin Lent by fasting and praying and seeking the Lord. It just amazes me how involved food and over eating are in everything in our lives.

Things have been really crazy this week at our house so on top of the above things, I am going to "unplug" from Wednesday afternoon until Sunday afternoon. I want to take that time to focus on the blessings in which God has given me and seek Him and His will more.

That is the rundown of Lent in our home. What is your family doing for Lent?

Skirts

(Borrowed image from Zappos)

This is the skirt I am wearing in gray today... Why have I begun to wear skirts you might be asking... Because I'm crazy! No not really. I do have a couple good reasons or at least they are good in my opinion. :)

The Bible says:

In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array; But (which becometh women professing godliness) with good works. 1 Timothy 2:9-10

It is, I believe, the opinion of each individual on whether to wear skirts or pants, cut their hair or not, weat make-up or not, OR wear jewelry or not, however the Bible does call for us to be dressed modestly. I do wear make-up time to time and I do wear a little bit of jewlery.

I was not a big skirt or dress wearer, but that changed a few months ago and I have just recently began to force myself into wearing a few skirts.

Here are the short reasons for why I wear skirts more now:

• God convicted me. He told me that I was not taking good care of myself and I was not being an example for my children. Just because I was a mom, doesn't mean I should neglect myself and my body.
• I am now at a point where I am content with my life (it took a lot of praying and seeking the Lord). If I only have two sons, I want to show them what modest femininity looks like. I want to be a Godly example of how woman should dress.
• If I am blessed with daughters, I want to be the example that you can be modest and look nice. I want them to look at me and see confidence in what I am wearing and with everything all covered.
• I want to look nice for my husband. I know this and all the above examples can be achieved through jeans and a nice sweater, but it just wasn't working for me. I had to get out of the maternity pants and sweats suits. This was my only option. I am very an "all or nothing" personality.
• I feel better. I was beginning to forget, in a house of all males, that I was a woman and it was okay to not be one of the guys.
• And I am being completely honest here, after I started wearing them, I have begun to like how the feel. I like that I'm not worried about my backend hanging out or my pants splitting. It just gives me room to move (side note... all skirts I wear at this point are long).

I know that wearing skirts might now work for you, but they work for me in making me feel like more of a woman, a Godly standard for my children and future children and skirts got me out of my sweats.

Have you ever thought of giving skirts a try?
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This post is linked to Works for Me Wednesday.

How Will They Know you Love Jesus?

What do your actions say?

I'm One of Them!!

When I was in high school, I swore I would never be one of them. I swore that I would never be that "uncool". I swore I would have more sophistication but alas it has happened...

I have turned into a MINI-VAN MAMA!!

How totally cool is that? Now that I am a mom, I not only LOVE my mini-van but I rock out my mini van!

And here is the crazy thing, I am learning just how much money we save by my being a mini-van mama! Do you know how much money a big old SUV burns as it is burning your expensive gas?!?

If you are interested in a family vehicle, I would recommend being "uncool" with a mini-van!

And while you're actually being quite cool, do the cool thing and take a gander at my new blog!
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*This post is linked to Frugal Friday!

Women Blessing Women: Including

Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other. Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically. Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying.  When God’s people are in need, be ready to help them. Always be eager to practice hospitality.

Romans 12:9-13

Do you know what an open and closed circle in communication means?

I did not know until a seminar this weekend at our church...

Have you ever walked up to a group of people in a circle and it was just hard to get included?

Have you ever looked around and saw groups of people who have similar circumstances and interests in one group and then another in a different part of the room?

Have you ever felt like the "odd man out"?

I know I have and I know that I have at church a lot of times at church...

Church is the one place that where everyone should be welcomed, loved and accepted. However, some times it just does not feel that way.

It breaks my heart to see a new face in the room searching for someone to reach out and the circles are formed and closed.

One easy way to bless other women is to include them and when you include them, listen to them. I know the Lord has truly equipped you!

So what do you say? This week when you walk through the church doors, I challenge you to look around for a new face and encourage them and make them feel special and like they belong. That will really be a woman blessing women!

Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.

Ephesians 4:32

Breakin' Goals Up

If you remember, I have quite the large number of goals this year. I have decided since these goals were ones I actually wanted to accomplish,  that it might be easier and the goals might be more attainable if I break them up and re-evaluate every month.

Therefore, this past weekend, I sat down and thought about what goals I wanted to make priority this month of February.

I know sometimes I see someone's post about goals and lists and I just want to click the "x" at the top left so I totally understand if that is the case, but lists and goals are a very important part of my personality. Putting them on the net for all to see also makes me try and stay more accountable than if I never voiced or typed them at all. It also helps my husband and me stay on the same "page". He is an always, everyday reader of my blog and when he sees my goals for this month after we have talked about them, it's a little refresher. It makes both our lives a little easier. :)

February 2010 Goals:

Faith:

• Work through the book of Deuteronomy

Marriage:

• Work through the Love Dare Book

Family:

• No more meals in front of the TV, all meals around table spending time together
• Consistently continue Saturday family movie night 

Home-schooling:

•  Keep on track

From the Kitchen:

• More soaking
• Kefir from grains
• Kombacha Tea

Financial:

• No more than 5 debit card purchases. Use more cash!

Homemaking:

• Organize ALL closets

Reads:

• Finish "Family Driven Faith" (see left toolbar for more info)

So how are your goals for the New Year going or just lists and goals in general?