Patience and determination!

by Rana
(Lebanon)

Hello everyone,

I'm glad to have stumbled across this site and see many others share the same problem as me. I'm also relieved that I'm not the only one who has gotten vague/confusing answers from my doctor.

After being on birth control for 7 years, and being only 21, that's not exactly the road I wanted to continue taking, especially since it isn't a solution. I want my OWN period. I bought the PCOS diet book but have found it super hard to be on the diet, especially since I'm not even overweight. However, I've definitely incorporated many of the foods into my diet, such as more fiber, omega 3, green tea, no sugar, no dairy, etc. Also, I do exercise and I'm taking herbs such as Dong Quai (which has some vitex in it). Also, I don't understand how the book says NO grains are allowed. What about whole grains?

I don't have insulin resistance, nor is PCOS a genetic problem in my family. All my hormones are within the range, except for LH, which was slightly higher. So where did I get it from?! I'm so confused! My doctor says I was just born with it. Very reassuring.

After 2 months of substantially improving my diet, my acne has cleared up and my hair isn't falling out anymore, yet still no period. It's getting really frustrating for me because the facial hair is increasing! BUT, I'm determined to stay off the pill.

I'm trying to be as patient as I can, but I'm sure many of you share my frustration. But we really have NO other choice but to be patient and pray to God that we start seeing results.

Any advice from those with more successful experiences?

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Editor's comments:

The difficult thing about writing a PCOS diet book is has to be directed toward the needs of the "average" woman, not an individual, unique woman. You do not fit the "average profile". You may need to modify the diet recommendations in the book.

Some of the reasons why grains are not included are explained in chapter 4.3 of The Natural Diet Solution for PCOS and Infertility.

Essentially, our average diet is mostly grains already. Humans never ate such large quantities of grains and legumes until just the last 100-200 years. Studies of aborigines have clearly shown the severely destructive effect on their health when they switched from a traditional diet to a "modern" diet. Never in human history have we consumed so much wheat, soy and corn. Vegetables and other foods have been crowded out.

From the genetic point of view, this is a gigantic change in the environment. Your environment influences what your genes do. Your genes are influenced by what you eat. Your mother's genes were influenced by what she was eating, doing and being exposed to when she was pregnant with you. The hormones in your mother's internal and external environment probably had something to do with the fact you have PCOS today.

We need to stop and think about the health effects of a diet dominated by grains.

As for your next step, your needs go beyond a book. You would benefit from personal advice and guidance from a qualified physician.

PCOS is not a simple disorder that is corrected with birth control pills. We understand that PCOS is a very complex, poorly understood systemic disorder that requires a customized and comprehensive approach.