Fighting PCOS Naturally

I'm in a couple of vegan groups on Facebook. They have really helped me out while getting over the hurdles of eating animal products. One of the groups is a weight loss group ran by some nurses. I love this group, because everyone is so nice, and shares lots of recipes and tips. It was here that I was introduced to the McDougall Plan , devised by Dr. John McDougall. Most people are very used to me preaching that certain carbs are bad for people with PCOS and diabetes, like rice, potatoes, corn... I have always said to stay away from white potatoes and corn altogether, and use a limited amount of brown rice. This has been due to all the research stating that these types of carbs would increase blood sugar and just mess you up. But.... The McDougall plan has shown great promise over the last several decades, helping people with severe auto-immune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis and fibromyalgia reverse their symptoms completely. This goes for diabetes as well. But why am I talking...

HOLY CRAP IT'S THE END OF 2015. I'm a little late in posting this, but better late than never! Here were November's goals: - Finish Nutrition course final by Nov 15 - YES YES YES! And I scored a 96 overall! - Start Dyslexia Therapist course on Nov 16 - Yep! 2 of 10 modules complete - Visit family for Thanksgiving - Nope. Family cancelled, and I had a horrible migraine (damn gluten). So we hung out at home and ate mashed potatoes. - Get most (if not all) handmade Xmas gifts completed - Yes! I'm fairly certain all I have left is to put some of those handmade gifts in the proper containers for distribution. - Get the Christmas Card exchange lists out to all participants - Done! - Get Christmas cards ready to mail - Mailed! I have one more card to make, but I've been really slow because I want the wording to be PERFECT. - Go to yoga at least once - Nope. But I did buy a groupon for another studio close to home, and I have one prepaid class at my favorite hot...

October goals were a bust. I'm starting to think that my list of goals should be things I don't want to do, so I can accomplish not doing things. October : - Pay someone to clean my kitchen - NOPE - Get kitchen organized - NOPE - Go to yoga at least once - NOPE . Paid for the class, but didn't go. - Work enough to not stress about next month's paycheck- OH HELL NO. - Get some items listed for sale on eBay / garage sales- NOPE - Work on eating healthier again - YES . - Sit down with Hubs and make a plan to change things up over the next few months - NOPE . He thinks that nothing needs to change. - Use the October 12x30 Cooking Challenge to focus on food - SORTA . I did 2 posts. That's better than none. - Finish the review guides for my final exams - EHHHH ... I finished one page of 5. - Write up a proposal for custom appointment software at Mom's job - NOPE . Decided it wasn't worth my time because I know they can't and won't pay what I...

Here it is, the end of the dang month, and I haven't made very many food posts. So much for doing a lot of #12x30Challenge posts. But I did do something important this month. I tried a 7-day raw vegan detox. I've been wanting to do one for a while, but every one that I found used a TON of celery, and I hate celery. Plus, it's on my food sensitivity list, so it gives me an extra reason to hate the stuff. But this one I found from Gourmandelle didn't have much, so supplementing a few ingredients was easy. My mom and I tried it together. She didn't last as long as I did. The first few days weren't bad. I wasn't hungry between meals, and I didn't feel deprived at all. I actually couldn't eat as much as I was supposed to. The recipes made a ton of food. I was doing pretty good until day 5. That's when I broke down and went to Chipotle. At least I ate vegetarian, so that counts for something, right? Here's what I determined from trying this: 1)...

Hubs and I took the twin 6-yr-old nieces (Princess and Namesake) to the Gluten Free Allergen Free Expo last weekend. It's one of my favorite events of the year - mainly because it's a cheap way to try expensive products before I buy them. For example - I love Rudi's GF bread, but hate Udi's. I wasted money trying Udi's because they weren't at the expo. I just bought it to try something different. I knew the girls would love going from table to table getting free stuff (it's like Christmas!), and Princess has a dairy allergy. I wanted to be able to get lots of coupons for their mom and find tasty treats that won't send Princess to the hospital. I can't begin to explain how happy she was to try a cheese quesadilla made with Daiya slices. Speaking of Daiya, this was the first time I've tried it. I was afraid to pay the price and hate it, so I hadn't tried any non-dairy cheese yet. And wow, that was a tasty quesadilla!!! More Daiya cheese will...

I've always collected items, though I'm not sure why. I love frogs and fairies. They started my collections. Then Hubs decided that he loved penguins. When we got married, penguins came up more and more because they mate for life. Hubs decided that I was his penguin, I was the only one he would ever want. So we started out penguin collection. That's harder than it may seem, because attempting to keep a year-long collection of penguins without looking like you forgot to take down your Christmas decor is almost impossible. But because I'm awesome, I've done pretty well. Then we started watching Doctor Who. We were almost a decade late, but better now than never. I've always been a little bit of a geek. I love Star Trek and computers. But Doctor Who? That might just have managed to beat Star Trek on my favorite series list. Why? Because I'm watching the series for the third time and still not tired of it. And I want to see the classic series. We have a small ...

Today I'm irked. Let's talk about childlessness, again. Lately there have been more and more celebrities coming out as infertile, begging people to stop asking about when a couple is going to have kids. At first I was really excited, because it takes celebrities to get awareness these days. Of course, this all changed when I read today that Chrissy Teagan and John Legend are expecting. Less than a month ago, she was telling people to stop asking, and now she's pregnant. So it's pretty likely that she was already pregnant, but keeping it a secret at that time. How the heck does that help spread awareness about infertility? If anything, it shows that people don't want to talk about something they are fighting through until they have beaten the odds. As a fully-fledged member of the Childless Not By Choice club, this really pisses me off. We don't get to "overcome" childlessness. This is a forever deal. We don't get to "relax and it will happen....

So Sept was a partial bust. It came with a lot of stress and some big changes. My goals were pretty much thrown out the window. But I've made some heartbreaking decisions and I think that October will be better. I have decided to temporarily stop all efforts on my support group/non-profit. I've been really stressed out about it, and I am making myself physically sick. So I'm probably not doing anything in regards to that group until the beginning of the new year. I need the next few months to focus on myself. It's going to be hard to give up the group, but I trust that my best friend can keep it afloat until I'm ready to try again. I am glad that Hubs and I got the office rearranged. We moved our desks into the same room, along with our computers. That has solved the problem of my need for him to be in my personal bubble. We can be in the same room and do completely different things now! So he can play video games while I work. It will be of big help as I focus ...

I haven't written a monthly goals post in several months, and I think I need to get back to it! Since it's still fairly early, here it goes! September Goals: - Finish rearranging the office - Start a batch of homemade kombucha - Pay someone to clean my kitchen - Complete all 3 miles at the PCOS Awareness Walk - Create some more PCOS Awareness images for Facebook - Go to a yoga class at least once - Lost 5 pounds - Work enough to not stress about next month's paycheck - Get some items listed for sale on eBay - Start work on some handmade cards for etsy - Create 1+ shirt designs for CafePress I know this list seems long, but most of the items are fairly easy, and I think I can do it! I might have to get some assistance, but that's ok. What are your goals for the month?

I haven't blogged in a little while. I've been meaning to. I'd start one, then never finish it, or think about it but not actually follow through. But with the latest events, I need to get them out somewhere. 1) Roomie unexpectedly got transferred to another state. He had a week to pack and move. Honestly it broke my heart. In the past year, Hubs and I had grown quite fond of him. We knew that he'd eventually head back to his home state, but this was rather sudden. It definitely sucks from a financial standpoint, but I don't care about that at all. I just want my roomie back. The house is quiet. Hubs and I have always enjoyed having a third person in our lives. We were the Three Muskateers. Team Rocket. And now we aren't. He's been gone two weeks now. I stopped crying after the first weekend, but I had to completely rearrange his old room for that. He left so much behind that I can't look around the apartment without thinking about him. I told Hubs it fe...

 I sort of forgot to post this update on June 1st. Oops. Oh well, I'm still quite satisfied at how many points I got. Too bad I missed the deadline for the link-up.  15 points: Read a book with "light" or "dark" in the title. (Or "lightness" or "darkness.") Dark Fire, Christine Feehan, 4 stars 20 points: Read a book with an animal on the cover. Dark Blood, Christine Feehan, 5 stars. With all of Christine's books, there are some awesome sex scenes. If you don't like reading these types of scenes, this series is definitely not for you. But with this book, there was a HUGE fight, and it was very well planned before written. It was very detailed, and you could almost feel the intensity of the battles. 25 points: Read a book that is part of a series with at least four books. Dark Melody, Christine Feehan, 4 stars 25 points: Read a book that is longer than 500 pages long. The Face, Dean Koontz, 679 pg , 5 stars. This book wa...

It's been almost a week since the weight loss challenge started. Along with that, I started two detoxes - one using bentonite clay, and the other using Newport Skinny Tea's 21 day detox. I haven't been very consistent with the tea detox because I don't take it to work with me and I don't really eat at proper times to get the best benefits. I have better success with drinking the tea when I work from home, but I'm really getting sick of that. The bentonite clay detox has gone better because I just drink it when I get home from work. I was worried about the taste - everything I read said it wasn't bad but it was a little weird to get used to. I totally agree. I'm taking one teaspoon in 8-10oz of water. It tastes like I dumped an a couple of individuals serving of half and half into the water, so a little milky. It's not really that bad, especially if you keep in mind the benefits of drinking it. I hopped on the scale just for the hell of it yesterday...

I've spent a lot of time in bed lately, due to serious pain flares. It has not been fun. Having the guys at home to hang out with has been some help, but I'm still so frustrated by the lack of ability to do anything. So I've been reading books. Lots of books. I think I've finished 3 in the last week or two. When Angie posted about this book challenge she is doing, I decided I must do it as well! I just recently won two of Angie's blog giveaways, so I'm kinda hooked on her blog lol. I've always loved books as a way to disappear into another world. Books are movies on steroids. For less than the cost of one movie ticket, I can get hours and hours of video in my head. I can put myself in the movie, playing the main character. I can be the good guy, the bad guy, or the one you aren't so sure about.  I feel bad for the people that say they hate reading, or the ones who haven't picked up a book since some of the crappy ones we were forced to read in school...

In just a little over a week, the first weight loss challenge for my local PCOS support group starts. I've spent a lot of time working out a challenge plan that will work for everyone. Because weight loss with PCOS is so hard, I really hated the idea of judging the winner based on how many pounds they lost. So this challenge is focused on becoming a healthier person. Points are awarded for exercise, eating enough fruits and veg, drinking plenty of water, etc. We have 4 people signed up right now, and hopefully more as the month comes to an end. I'm working on getting started early - I want to get some exercise in, and I'm planning on a detox when I get home tonight. Have you heard of bentonite clay? I was introduced to it in my latest nutrition class. It was suggested as a simple form of detox, and goodness knows my entire system could use a good scrub inside. I also think that a detox would be great for me since I quit smoking (again) 3-4 weeks ago. Bentonite clay, whe...

Sometimes you just have to plan for the future, even if you have no idea how you'll feel when you get there. This year, my planning has been for concerts! I love going to concerts. It's one of Hubs and I's favorite activities. For about a decade now, I haven't been a big fan of crowds. Can't stand them. Freaks me out and I get a little panicy. When I went to my first major rock concert, I felt the same way. I had never been to Gexa Energy Pavilion (it has been so many names over the years), a large outdoor concert venue in Dallas. And I chose a fairly large concert for my first one there, so I was pretty anxious on my way over there. Add Hubs' frustration with driving around Dallas, and I was freaking out before we ever hit the parking lot. But anywho, once we finally got inside and picked a spot on the lawn, I realized it really wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. There was plenty of room around me so I didn't feel cramped and claustrophobic. Afte...

This morning I tried to get something I've been wanting for a while, and I was refused. I don't want to go into any real detail. Let's just say that I was shocked and mildly upset to be denied. I don't do denial very well, mainly because I can usually get my way. I complain a lot about how things don't work out the way I want them to, but I do get my way in certain aspects of my life. The odd thing was being sad about it. And it has stuck with me. It's something that I should have blown off as soon as it happened, but it won't go away. Currently I'm frustrated about being frustrated. So I figured I needed the perfect song to get my mind off of it, or at least one to remind me that things are still all good in my world. Obviously the perfect song is You Can't Always Get What You Want by The Rolling Stones.

I'm 27 now. Half my mom's age. My mom looks at least 10 years younger than she really is, but I look like my dad, so I probably got screwed. My little sister takes after the right side of the family, so she'll be drop dead gorgeous all her life. That figures lol. But I'm slowly losing weight, and maybe I'll be super hot when I get skinny too. But that's not the reason for this post. I wanted to write about how happy I am. I know that I talk a lot about the crap going on, and I figured, with the new age, I should remind myself of what makes me happy. I feel unhappy a lot, but when I think about these things, I can't help but smile. - I'm married to a great man that wants to make sure I'm always cared for, satisfied and happy. - I live with two awesome guys that love to make me happy - or torture me. - I have a great job that is super flexible and allows me to work from home when needed. - My family is healthy, so I don't have to worry about...

Well, it's that time of year again. My birthday. Usually I don't focus too much on it. It's just a reminder that I'm a year older and still not where I wanted to be. But I'm looking at it a little differently this year, I guess. So how was the 26th year of my life? Not too shabby. We did move into the smaller apartment, and I was starting to save to move into a house. I started new meds which seemed to bring a sense of normalcy to life. I discovered painting classes, and have started to fill my walls with art. We made a new friend in a neighbor. Hubs and I made a drastic change in our relationship that has turned our world upside down for the better. Instead of moving into a house, we joined forces with our neighbor and got a bigger apartment! We saw some great concerts and celebrated our 5th wedding anniversary. I became vegetarian for a while, and really enjoyed it. I plan to go back. Now, as I sit here, 2 days from my 27th birthday, I wonder what the year wil...

I can't believe that I've been in my new apartment for two weeks and I haven't posted an update! It took 3 days to move the two apartments into one. We've still got some unpacking to do, but it's pretty comfortable. The kitchen is almost fabulous. It has plenty of counter space, but the cabinet situation is a little weird. I'm still working on solutions for organization. I've been cooking almost every night, and the guys have been pretty happy. I made homemade lasagna for Valentine's. One meat and mushroom for the guys and a GF veggie one with mushroom, cauliflower, broccoli and carrot. Yum!!! Spike loves the room he has to run around. He also can't get enough of the giant patio and his new ability to watch people. Now that I have a washing machine again, I've been going through all of my old clothes, getting them ready for my support group's clothing swap next weekend! When I told some of my friends that I was going to be living with...

In 11 days, we make one of the biggest changes of the year. We are moving into a bigger apartment and gaining a roommate. I'm still really looking forward to it. I'm excited about the kitchen. I'm going to start working on my cookbook again - PCOS friendly recipes that are also allergen free. I've got my entire support group coming up with dishes they want to see. My goal is to have it out and purchasable before Thanksgiving. We'll see if I can pull that off. I have taste testers and photographers set up, so I really just need to create the recipes! I'm also happy that I will have a dedicated space for my laptop, so I can start working from home. This'll allow me to do more for my PCOS support group, work on side projects for extra cash, and blog more. But... I'm also going to have trouble getting around to working because I'll be living in a house with two guys that love playing video games. Ones that are really excited when I play as well. I...