The Hemp Connection [Search results for activity] 

Not long ago Sasha Ottey of PCOS Challenge e-mailed me to see if I knew anything about"eggplant water". Seems it had been written up in the Los Angeles Times as a weight loss aid. It sounded strange, and she was looking to see if there was any scientific backing.

I was a little skeptical, but I did go to the National Library of Medicine database to see if anything existed. There was nothing about eggplant water specifically, but I did find a research abstract about the potential benefits of an eggplant-based diet. It appears that the antioxidants in eggplant are especially good for combating the types of degenerative processes common to insulin resistance.

Here it is, along with the reference. And below that, is a recipe for ratatouille, my favorite eggplant recipe. Enjoy!

National Diabetes Education Program of NIH, Mayo Clinic and American Diabetes Association recommend eggplant-based diet as a choice for management of type 2 diabetes. The rationale for this suggestion is the high fiber and low soluble carbohydrate content of eggplant. We propose that a more physiologically relevant explanation lies in the phenolic-linked antioxidant activity and alpha-glucosidase inhibitory potential of eggplant which could reduce hyperglycemia-induced pathogenesis. Results from this study indicate that phenolic-enriched extracts of eggplant with moderate free radical scavenging-linked antioxidant activity had high alpha-glucosidase inhibitory activity and in specific cases moderate to high angiotensin I-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory activity. Inhibition of these enzymes provide a strong biochemical basis for management of type 2 diabetes by controlling glucose absorption and reducing associated hypertension, respectively. This phenolic antioxidant-enriched dietary strategy also has the potential to reduce hyperglycemia-induced pathogenesis linked to cellular oxidation stress. These results provide strong rationale for further animal and clinical studies.

Kwon YI, Apostolidis E, Shetty K. In vitro studies of eggplant (Solanum melongena) phenolics as inhibitors of key enzymes relevant for type 2 diabetes and hypertension. Bioresour Technol. 2008 May;99(8):2981-8. Epub 2007 Aug 13.

Ratatouille

2 1/2 lb tomatoes (4 large)
8 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
20 fresh basil leaves, torn in half
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 lb eggplant, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 1/4 teaspoons salt
2 large onions (1 1/2 lb total), quartered lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise
3 assorted bell peppers (green, red, and/or yellow; 1 1/2 lb total), cut into 1-inch pieces
4 medium zucchini (2 lb), quartered lengthwise and cut crosswise into 3/4-inch-thick pieces
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Garnish: Parmigiano-Reggiano shavings and fresh basil

Cut an X in bottom of each tomato with a sharp paring knife and blanch together in a 4-quart pot of boiling water 1 minute. Transfer tomatoes with a slotted spoon to a cutting board and, when cool enough to handle, peel off skin, beginning from scored end, with paring knife.

Coarsely chop tomatoes and transfer to a 5-quart heavy pot with garlic, parsley, basil, and 1/3 cup oil. Simmer, partially covered, stirring occasionally, until tomatoes break down and sauce is slightly thickened, about 30 minutes.

While sauce is simmering, toss eggplant with 1/2 teaspoon salt in a large colander and let stand in sink 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook onions in 3 tablespoons oil with 1/4 teaspoon salt in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer onions with a slotted spoon to a large bowl, then add 3 tablespoons oil to skillet and cook bell peppers with 1/4 teaspoon salt over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 10 minutes. Transfer peppers with slotted spoon to bowl with onions. Add 3 tablespoons oil to skillet and cook zucchini with 1/4 teaspoon salt over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until just tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer zucchini with slotted spoon to bowl with other vegetables.

While zucchini are cooking, pat eggplant dry with paper towels. Add remaining oil (about 1/4 cup) to skillet and cook eggplant over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, 10 to12 minutes.

Add vegetables, remaining teaspoon salt, and black pepper to tomato sauce and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are very tender, about 1 hour. Cool, uncovered, and serve warm or at room temperature.

One of the things I love about social networking…is that I have more information at my fingertips than I would ever have access to if I had to find it all by myself.

One of the things I hate about social networking, especially Twitter, is how much bad information is passed along without any fact checking. I would have to say, 99% of all links that come across my screen were just retweeted without being read. People state their opinions as if they are facts, without providing any references. And the more followers a person has, the more entitled they seem to be, to state their opinion as if is fact, leaving their hundreds or thousands of followers thinking,"Well if _____ said so, it must be true."

Recently I've been reading a lot of things about stevia that are opinion-based, but not factual, which are being circulated without fact checking, so I went in to PubMed and found some references I thought I would throw out to help level the playing field.

Stevia is a natural sweetener. It is not sugar, but it is not a chemical artificially created in the laboratory. It is a plant native to Paraguay that is processed to be used as a sweetener. I have friends here in Phoenix who actually have stevia plants in their gardens in early summer.

Here are some other facts.

Stevia may or may not affect fertility. The very first article appearing in a stevia search, way back in 1968, reports that it does. Others follow with mixed results, looking at both male and female fertility. It does not appear to be related to any toxic aspect of the plant, merely how it affects hormone balance. Anyone using the right mix of references can create an argument leaning in either direction.

Stevia may improve glucose tolerance. It may actually improve function of the pancreatic cells (beta cells) that produce insulin. This is a pretty consistent finding.

Stevia is not cariogenic.

Stevia may help to reduce blood pressure.

Stevia is anti-inflammatory, has antioxidant characteristics, and may discourage tumor production.

Stevia does not cause you to eat more of other sweet foods. I have seen more than one dietitian assert this, and there is no reference (as of this date) to validate that.

For most of you, if you're not trying to conceive, stevia may be a very nice addition to what you're doing to balance your hormones. If you're trying to conceive, it gets a little tricky. If your main barrier to conception is insulin resistance, stevia may actually be beneficial. If it's another issue, such as sperm count, you may want to stay away. I'm providing references so that you can share this information with your reproductive physician and together decide which course of action is most appropriate for your personal situation.

Planas GM, Kucacute J. Contraceptive Properties of Stevia rebaudiana. Science. 1968 Nov 29;162(3857):1007.

Schvartzman JB, Krimer DB, Moreno Azorero R. Cytological effects of some medicinal plants used in the control of fertility. Experientia. 1977 May 15;33(5):663-5.

Yodyingyuad V, Bunyawong S. Effect of stevioside on growth and reproduction. Hum Reprod. 1991 Jan;6(1):158-65.

Das S, Das AK, Murphy RA, Punwani IC, Nasution MP, Kinghorn AD. Evaluation of the cariogenic potential of the intense natural sweeteners stevioside and rebaudioside A. Caries Res. 1992;26(5):363-6.

Melis MS. Effects of chronic administration of Stevia rebaudiana on fertility in rats. J Ethnopharmacol. 1999 Nov 1;67(2):157-61.

Jeppesen PB, Gregersen S, Poulsen CR, Hermansen K. Stevioside acts directly on pancreatic beta cells to secrete insulin: actions independent of cyclic adenosine monophosphate and adenosine triphosphate-sensitive K+-channel activity. Metabolism. 2000 Feb;49(2):208-14.

Chan P, Tomlinson B, Chen YJ, Liu JC, Hsieh MH, Cheng JT. A double-blind placebo-controlled study of the effectiveness and tolerability of oral stevioside in human hypertension. Br J Clin Pharmacol. 2000 Sep;50(3):215-20.

Lee CN, Wong KL, Liu JC, Chen YJ, Cheng JT, Chan P. Inhibitory effect of stevioside on calcium influx to produce antihypertension. Planta Med. 2001 Dec;67(9):796-9.

Jeppesen PB, Gregersen S, Alstrup KK, Hermansen K. Stevioside induces antihyperglycaemic, insulinotropic and glucagonostatic effects in vivo: studies in the diabetic Goto-Kakizaki (GK) rats. Phytomedicine. 2002 Jan;9(1):9-14.

Chan P, Tomlinson B, Chen YJ, Liu JC, Hsieh MH, Cheng JT. A double-blind placebo-controlled study of the effectiveness and tolerability of oral stevioside in human hypertension. Br J Clin Pharmacol. 2000 Sep;50(3):215-20.
Gregersen S, Jeppesen PB, Holst JJ, Hermansen K. Antihyperglycemic effects of stevioside in type 2 diabetic subjects. Metabolism. 2004 Jan;53(1):73-6.

Lailerd N, Saengsirisuwan V, Sloniger JA, Toskulkao C, Henriksen EJ. Effects of stevioside on glucose transport activity in insulin-sensitive and insulin-resistant rat skeletal muscle. Metabolism. 2004 Jan;53(1):101-7.

Hsieh MH, Chan P, Sue YM, Liu JC, Liang TH, Huang TY, Tomlinson B, Chow MS, Kao PF, Chen YJ. Efficacy and tolerability of oral stevioside in patients with mild essential hypertension: a two-year, randomized, placebo-controlled study. Clin Ther. 2003 Nov;25(11):2797-808.
Chen TH, Chen SC, Chan P, Chu YL, Yang HY, Cheng JT. Mechanism of the hypoglycemic effect of stevioside, a glycoside of Stevia rebaudiana. Planta Med. 2005 Feb;71(2):108-13.

Boonkaewwan C, Toskulkao C, Vongsakul M. Anti-Inflammatory and Immunomodulatory Activities of Stevioside and Its Metabolite Steviol on THP-1 Cells. J Agric Food Chem. 2006 Feb 8;54(3):785-9.

Ferreira EB, de Assis Rocha Neves F, da Costa MA, do Prado WA, de Araújo Funari Ferri L, Bazotte RB. Comparative effects of Stevia rebaudiana leaves and stevioside on glycaemia and hepatic gluconeogenesis. Planta Med. 2006 Jun;72(8):691-6. Epub 2006 May 29.

Chen J, Jeppesen PB, Nordentoft I, Hermansen K. Stevioside counteracts the glyburide-induced desensitization of the pancreatic beta-cell function in mice: studies in vitro. Metabolism. 2006 Dec;55(12):1674-80.

Ghanta S, Banerjee A, Poddar A, Chattopadhyay S. Oxidative DNA damage preventive activity and antioxidant potential of Stevia rebaudiana (Bertoni) Bertoni, a natural sweetener. J Agric Food Chem. 2007 Dec 26;55(26):10962-7. Epub 2007 Nov 27.
Shukla S, Mehta A, Bajpai VK, Shukla S. In vitro antioxidant activity and total phenolic content of ethanolic leaf extract of Stevia rebaudiana Bert. Food Chem Toxicol. 2009 Sep;47(9):2338-43. Epub 2009 Jun 21.

Melis MS, Rocha ST, Augusto A. Steviol effect, a glycoside of Stevia rebaudiana, on glucose clearances in rats. Braz J Biol. 2009 May;69(2):371-4.
Figlewicz DP, Ioannou G, Bennett Jay J, Kittleson S, Savard C, Roth CL. Effect of moderate intake of sweeteners on metabolic health in the rat. Physiol Behav. 2009 Dec 7;98(5):618-24. Epub 2009 Oct 6.

Anton SD, Martin CK, Han H, Coulon S, Cefalu WT, Geiselman P, Williamson DA. Effects of stevia, aspartame, and sucrose on food intake, satiety, and postprandial glucose and insulin levels. Appetite. 2010 Aug;55(1):37-43. Epub 2010 Mar 18.

Shukla S, Mehta A, Mehta P, Bajpai VK. Antioxidant ability and total phenolic content of aqueous leaf extract of Stevia rebaudiana Bert. Exp Toxicol Pathol. 2011 Mar 4. [Epub ahead of print]

So let's say you've landed on this website because you were doing a Google search at 3:30 in the morning.

Or because you're home from work and can't slow your head down enough to relax and enjoy a leisure activity…so you're surfing the Internet to distract yourself.

What's going on?

It could be a lot of things.

1. If your hormones are out of balance, as with PCOS, you may have excess levels of stress hormones such as cortisol that rise more easily than average, and take longer to normalize after a stressful day.

2. If you didn't sleep well last night and used caffeine and sugar to get through your day, you may be experiencing the aftermath of that.

3. If you over-exercised too late in the day, because it's only large amounts of exercise that help to calm your mind, it may have stressed you more than it relaxed you.

4. You may have a mood disorder (anxiety, bipolar disorder, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder).

How to know which is which? If you've made major changes in your lifestyle, corrected nutrition choices, worked to prioritize sleep, etc., and your head simply won't slow down, that's a huge red flag that something important lies beneath those behaviors. In fact, the imbalances you adopted, from eating sugar to drinking alcohol to relax, to marathon exercise sessions, may have helped you to"medicate" something more important going on in your nervous system.

Mood disorders are important not to ignore. They can be degenerative, which means, left unchecked, they can prematurely age the brain and nervous system. Your new lifestyle choices are incredibly important in slowing that process down, but you may find that additional help, such as a medication, can be tremendously useful as far as finally bringing you back into balance.

If you feel as though I'm describing you, you may be interested in another blog I write, about nutritional aspects of psychotropic medications. It goes into more detail about this specific topic, and I do post a lot of information about nutrition for brain and nervous system health.

Awhile ago I made an informal (that is, never scientifically tested) questionnaire. It's not intended to diagnose, but rather to get you thinking about what kinds of thinking patterns may be underlying how often and how intensely you experience stress. You may be blaming your racing head on your stress, but it may be that your racing head attracts you to situations and relationships that are stressful.

There is no right or wrong way to answer these questions. But do consider, the more"yes" responses you give yourself, and the less your answers change in response to reasonable changes in diet, activity, sleep, and stress management, the more important it is to consider that you may have a mood disorder.

Are You A High energy Thinker? (Copyright 2000, www.afterthediet.com)

1. I am easily flustered.

2. I am easily drawn into a conflict.

3. I am very organized, and when my routine is disrupted, it can ruin my day.

4. I have a hard time with change, I would rather control thngs than let them take their natural course.

5. I can become so attached to a person, idea, or situation that I lose sight of the"big picture" perspective.

6. Staying focused on a task is a challenge; I am easily distracted/bored.

7. I can become obsessed with an activity. I ccan lose track of time because I get so absorbed.

8. People tell me I overanalyze things.

9. Peole tell me I am an adrenaline junkie.

10. I am a perfectionist.

11. I am very sensitive to criticism.

12. I worry a lot.

13. I procrastinate/can't finish projects I start.

14. I feel like I sabotage myself.

15. I have a way of saying or doing impulsive things that undermine relationships or which hurt my credibility.

16. I toss and turn a lot before falling asleep.

17. I can do a lot of things at once; in fact, it's easier thann doing one thing at a time.

18. I feel driven by some sort of internal machine.

I find it so interesting that we only seem to think exercise is good for losing weight and toning muscle. There are so many other benefits! Exercise helps to combat depression, it can clear your head when you've been sitting at your computer, it can help you better use anti-oxidants…and now, researchers believe it can help you have a healthier pregnancy.

Pre-eclampsia is a greater risk for women with PCOS. It is a condition characterized by high blood pressure and protein in the urine. It is the most common pregnancy complication, and it can affect both mother and baby. Doctors often deliver babies early when pre-eclampsia occurs. We're learning that, in order for the brain and nervous system to develop as much as it possibly can, it is important to keep the baby in utero as long as possible. So there would be great benefit to preventing pre-eclampsia whenever possible.

2241 pregnant women were interviewed at their 15th week of pregnancy. They were found to have a lower risk of pre-eclampsia if they participated in recreational activity in the year before becoming pregnant.

Wow! A simple choice with profound effects! A little bit of exercise can go such a long way. You'll feel better, sleep better, have a less troublesome pregnancy…and who knows, if you're feeling better, sleeping better, and participating in an activity you enjoy, there may be less temptation to eat out of emotional stress. Calories in and calories out may be more easily balanced, and you might actually lose weight, too. But the important thing is, if you practice good self care right now…today…someone else down the road…someone you've not even had the chance to meet yet…may have much to thank you for.

Rudra CB, Sorenson TK, Luthy DA, Williams MA. A Prospective Analysis of Recreational Physical Activity and Preeclampsia Risk. Med Sci Sports Exerc 2008; 40(9): 1581-1588.

*****WE INTERRUPT THIS BLOG POST FOR AN IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT***

So excited to announce that starting this week, the Nutrition 101 series will be co-written in conjunction with PCOS Diva Amy Medling, of Nashua, NH. Amy, a professional health coach, is currently completing the inCYST training. She also loves to cook, and has a great series on her own blog with a week's worth of menus. You all are always asking for those, so I like that Amy likes so much to take the time to prepare them. The theme in her menus will be the nutrient I feature over here. It's so fun to see what she did with this first round…and I like that you get suggestions more diverse than what I would eat myself. Increases the likelihood that you'll find something between both blogs that works for you.

OK. Back to what I was saying about riboflavin.

*********************************************************************************

Riboflavin is my favorite vitamin. Not for any nutritional reason, but because in my senior year of college I was lucky enough to work in renowned nutrition researcher Daphne Roe's laboratory, as a lab assistant for a riboflavin study. I was one of the people who prepared the food for female subjects in a study evaluating whether riboflavin requirements increase with increased activity (turns out they do).

It was a most unique job, because riboflavin is destroyed by ultraviolet light. In order to keep it stable to increase the accuracy of the experiment, my entire work shift was spent weighing and measuring all of the subjects' food IN THE DARK. Yes, for a semester, I dished out rice and poured milk with the shades pulled and the lights out.

As you can see in the bio I linked to, Dr. Roe was highly intelligent, hugely curious, and very high energy. She completely intimidated many of her students, as she loved the Socratic method and thought nothing of stopping midlecture, looking a student straight in the eye, and asking their opinion on the subject of the day's lecture. It is in her class that I developed a keen ability to avoid eye contact and feign complete focused interest on the notepad on my desk.

I was so very fortunate to be able to work side by side with Dr. Roe, because I had the honor of seeing her other side, that of someone who was intensely curious about problems affecting real people. She had questions she needed to answer, and did her best to do that. She didn't have patience with messing around, because she had important things to do. It is because she was an MD (a practicing dermatologist of all things!) that I become somewhat impatient with physicians who do not appreciate or take the time to understand solid nutrition principles. Sorry guys, Dr. Roe set a very high standard. It would serve you well to follow in her footsteps.
(On the flip side, I do my very best to work well with those who DO appreciate nutrition, like our own dermatologist, Dr. Van Dyke, who took time out of her busy schedule to take our training, much of which is not directly related to her personal medical specialty.)

I love riboflavin because by the end of the study I hated the tedious work so bloody much I decided I never wanted to be a researcher. BUT…I also gained such an appreciation for people who have the capacity to think about those questions and piece together the details of such a study to get answers that make the world a better place. I credit Dr. Roe for planting the very first seed of the inCYST Institute in this college senior's heart.

And since you all are working to increase your activity level, it's important that you benefit from Dr. Roe's research on the influence of exercise on how much riboflavin you need.

If you're vegetarian, vegan or dairy-free, be sure and take the time to analyze your diet to see how you measure up with this vitamin. You may be falling short.

Got milk? That's a good start.
Look for the following in your next shopping trip.
asparagus
popcorn
bananas
persimmons
okra
Swiss chard
Cottage cheese
Yogurt
Meat
Eggs
Fish
Green beans

Thanks, Dr. Roe, for all of what you did that rubbed off on me. I was pretty humbled by your presence and am grateful for your passion and enthusiasm for instilling excellence in budding nutrition experts like myself. I hope if you're looking down on your students, like me and fellow classmates and researchers Valerie Duffy at the University of Connecticut, and Karen Parfitt at Pomona College, you're smiling. You laid the foundation for many professional passions and successes.

Belko AZ, Meredith MP, Kalkwarf HJ, Obarzanek E, Weinberg S, Roach R, McKeon G, Roe DA. Effects of exercise on riboflavin requirements: biological validation in weight reducing women. Am J Clin Nutr. 1985 Feb;41(2):270-7.

I just finished reading a list of new research on the hormone melatonin. This is the hormone that helps you feel sleepy at night. It is also one of the most powerful anti-aging compounds in the body. I've got quite a few things to share over the next few posts, hopefully to reinforce the importance of getting enough sleep. When you don't, your body is out of balance and hormones start to act wacky!

Today I'd like to talk about endometriosis, something I've had myself since a teen and something I wouldn't wish on anyone.

Researchers created an artificial state of endometriosis by implanting endometrial tissue on the abdominal walls of a group of rats. After 4 weeks, a portion of these rats were given a daily dose of melatonin. At the end of the study, the volume of the artificially implanted tissue was measured, and the melatonin/no melatonin groups were compared. Tissue volume actually shrunk in the melatonin-treated rats. Anti-oxidant activity also increased in the rats receiving melatonin.

The risk in presenting information like this is that the first thing most people ask when reading studies like this, is how much melatonin they should be taking. That's not my point. If you're struggling with disorders related to melatonin imbalance…the very first thing you should be asking yourself is how much attention you pay to sleep hygiene.

Are you getting enough sleep?

Do you recognize the importance of adequate sleep for overall health, or do you tend to consider the little amount of sleep you get as an indication that you're harder working/better than others?

Do you minimize your alcohol intake? Are you judicious with your caffeine intake?

Do you get physical activity on a regular basis?

If you can answer"yes" to all of these questions, a melatonin supplement is something you may want to consider…used judiciously. If you can't, these are the lifestyle areas you should work on first.

We have a difficult time respecting the importance of balance, but it's pretty much a non-negotiable thing. We either work toward achieving it, and improve our health, or we ignore it, and we stay stuck in a place where we just don't feel the absolute best that we can.

Güney M, Oral B, Karahan N, Mungan T. Regression of endometrial explants in a rat model of endometriosis treated with melatonin. Fertil Steril. 2008 Apr;89(4):934-42. Epub 2007 Jun 19.

Chaste-tree [Vitex agnus-castus] has the effect of stimulating and normalizing pituitary gland functions, especially its progesterone function. When working with Chaste-tree berries, I classify her as amphoteric type of herb, which means that she tends to have a balancing effect specific to the pituitary gland function, the reproductive system, and libido. An example of the amphoteric effects of Chaste-tree are best observed in libido changes: if the individual is prone to having a higher libido, one of the effects of using Chaste-tree that may be noticed is a decrease in libido, however, if the individual is more prone to a lower libido, Chaste-tree may act as a libido booster, which would then increase the activity desires of the user. It will always enable what is appropriate to occur in order to help restore the body or system back to homeostasis, which is the optimal balanced state.

Primarily, Chaste-tree is used to help normalize the activity of the female sex hormones but is also used regularly for assisting with symptoms like dysmenorrhea, PMS, and other disorders related to hormone function. It is especially beneficial during menopausal changes. In a similar way, it may be used to aid the body to regain a natural balance after the use of birth control pills or major changes in hormone levels. Chaste-tree may also be helpful with skin ailments like premenstrual herpes outbreaks or acne on the lower half of the face, premenstrual breast pain, fibrocystic breast disease, endometriosis, luteal-phase deficiency, infertility, spotting during ovulation, ovarian or uterine cysts or tumors, menopausal hot flashes, low progesterone, high prolactine, and low dopamine.

Recommended dosage: as an infusion – pour a cup of boiling water onto (1)tsp of the dried berries and let steep for 10-15mins. Drink 2-3 times per day. As a tincture – take one dropper full twice daily

ACTIONS:
--Warming
--Drying
--Hormone Balancing
--Galactagogue

CONTRAINDICATIONS:
-- concurrently with contraceptives, progestins, dopamine-receptor antagonists
--consult with a trained medical profession regarding use during pregnancy
--monitor usage and consult a trained professional if any abnormal changes occur with
menstruation (heavy flow, increased clotting, flooding, etc)

Luisa Evonne Valdez, AKA The Herbalista, is a formally-trained herbalist practicing in Phoenix, Arizona. She is a member of the inCYST Network and has conducted a training for our members about herbs for PCOS. She is on the schedule at Dr. Lundgren's upcoming PCOS Boot Camp. Visit her website and follow her on Facebook and Twitter.

--Tonic for the reproductive organs

My post a few days ago about the effects of PCOS on the brain seems to have created some discomfort. We lost a few Facebook fans, and those who did respond, said that learning that PCOS was taking its toll on brain tissue and function was somewhat depressing to take. Theories of behavioral change state that until you know a problem exists, you will not act to change. So while the news can be uncomfortable to live with, the good news is, now you know why you need to make changes. You can't talk yourself out of those changes by convincing yourself that you're at peace with your body type, or that maybe you can live without having a baby. You're fighting for your cognitive life, and only you can make the changes that can make a difference. Here is a list of things you can do to help preserve brain and nervous system function. 1. Get sleep. You may think it's a badge of honor to cut yourself short in the sleep department. But it takes its toll. It is when you sleep, that your brain cleans out all the crud from the day before…spit shining neurons, so to speak. If you go too long without sleep, it's like you're letting rust accumulate all throughout your brain. Make it a habit to get to bed at an hour that allows you to get at least 7 hours of sleep a night. 2. Reduce stress. Every little thought, behavior, chemical reaction, that gets you through a day, requires a series of neurons to coordinate that activity. Every time a neuron is asked to work, it uses glucose to do so. Every time a neuron burns a molecule of glucose, it uses oxygen to do so. More neurons = more glucose = more oxidation. Make it a priority to give up the small stuff…and if you can't completely give it up…learn how not to sweat it so much. 3. Manage mental health issues. Most mental health diagnoses affecting PCOS (anxiety, bipolar disorder, PTSD, OCD, ADHD), involve processes that overwork the brain and nervous system. People with these disorders are fairly high energy, and that means they are using more neurons, more often, with far more intensity, than people who don't have to live with these conditions. Get counseling. If you need medication, take it. Health means MENTAL as well as PHYSICAL conditioning. Take it seriously. Do what you need to do. Slow down those neurons in any (legal) way available to you. 4. Exercise. Research is showing that regular physical activity slows down the development of brain diseases like Alzheimer's and helps to maintain brain tissue. How many times have you struggled with a problem at your desk, put it down, walked over to the post office, and had an inspiration while moving your body? Muscles and neurons are best friends. Be sure to give them plenty of play dates.

5. Eat less carbohydrate. Because your brain uses glucose, and because it's going to want more glucose when it is stressed, you're going to want to eat more carbs when under pressure. Remember what I said in number 2. The more carbs you eat, the more oxidative stress you impose on your brain. The more easily your brain rusts out and breaks down. I want you to think of this picture every time from this point forward you see a donut, order of french fries, or bottle of soda. Look less appetizing? Good. That was my point. 6. Eat antioxidants Antioxidants, those chemicals with the funny names nutrition experts love to impress people with in their blogs…hate oxidation. Eat them. Don't worry if you can pronounce their names, just know if the food in your hand (1) doesn't have an ingredient label, (2) has color, (3) and rots if left too long in your fridge, it's good for you. Put it on your plate and into your body. 7. Use fish oil. Fifteen percent of the dry weight of a healthy human brain is DHA, one of the primary omega-3's found in fish oil. It has to be fish, it can't be nuts, or flax, or greens. Eat the fish or take the capsules. I don't care if they come up a little bit. You have a choice…burps or brains. Just do it. 8. Reduce omega-6's. All those oils beginning with the letters"s" and"c"…break down brain tissue. Read labels. Get them out of your diet. Two exceptions. Organic canola is fine and coconut oil is fine, provided you're not eating it by the tablespoonful. 9. Yoga. Yoga tones the nervous system. It chills you out. It improves circulation in your spinal column. It improves your flexibility. It helps to manage mental health issues. It pretty much takes items 1 through 8 and makes them work even more effectively for you. It's worth the time. 10. Cut the high-fructose corn syrup. Recent research suggests that HFCS affects memory. Get it out of your diet!

I encounter this question quite frequently. Yoga is associated with the Hindu religion, and many people steer clear for that reason.

My observation is that yoga classes run the spectrum, from super-connected to as benign as an aerobics class. It all depends on the instructor, and his or her philosophy. I encourage you to try several classes in several locations to see if you can find one that fits.

If you're still hesitant, consider something called"Praise Moves", a program that calls itself the"Christian Alternative to Yoga".

There is no way I can write this post without offending purists on either side of the argument. I'm not here to argue, I'm here to inspire healthy choices. So here's my bottom line with regard to PCOS.

1. Your body has three fluid systems: blood, brain, and lymph. Only one of them has a pump, the blood. The other two depend on muscle movement to be circulated. Yoga, or any activity that encourages you to assume positions other than your primary, seated-on-the-couch-or-in-front-of-the-television, is going to help you to be more flexible and to feel better.

2. One of the biggest barriers to your own success with PCOS is your own anxiety. Any activity that gently allows you to be aware of your inner self in a nonjudgmental fashion, that is compatible with your own spiritual path, is an excellent way to calm that anxiety.

If it's yoga, great. If it's Praise Moves, great.

Just be sure whatever choice you make, your instructor is certified and trained to help you participate without injury.

I just want you to be healthier and to feel better…and moving is an important step toward getting there.

I've been chatting with several of our network members the last few weeks about some really fun things they've been doing in the activity department. I'm hoping talking about my own activity this past week will encourage them to get something posted! (You guys know who you are…)

My car needed a major repair that resulted in my being without (gasoline-powered) transportation for a couple of days. And, the garage that did the work was about 10 miles away. I could have used the bus, and actually did for a major trip, but since the weather was so nice, I thought I would get out and enjoy it.

So…when I took the car to the garage, I packed my rollerblades and skated home. I checked out the route, and it turned out, the garage was just a couple blocks away from my favorite greenbelt; therefore, half of my trip was already familiar. Just a few different turns toward home, and voila! I had my workout in.

I used to cross country ski a lot when I lived in Colorado, and picked up rollerblading when I moved to California and didn't have such great access to snow. It is so fun! I actually had to check my heart rate when I first started because I didn't believe it was actually going anywhere.

Something I really love about rollerblading is the workout it gives my backside. Everytime you push off and lift your boot, it's like lifting a weight. One of those weights that really isn't fun to do in the gym, but you don't notice when you're skating.

I also love the meditative rhythm rollerblading creates. There is something about the back and forth repetition that calms the chaos in my head and allows my more creative thinking to predominate.

By the time I got home…I had a bunch of new ideas for my work, I was relaxed, and later on that night I fell right asleep.

I'm looking forward to what other network members share. It's not about how often you are in the gym, really, it's how much you move your body in general. They've got some great ideas!

Hello everyone,

I want to take a moment to introduce you to our new sponsor, Green Mountain at Fox Run in Ludlow, Vermont, and explain how this partnership came to be.

Here is an introductory note from Robyn, Green Mountain's dietitian:

Women working to manage PCOS know first-hand that making lifestyle changes to promote better health is often easier said than done. To say nothing of the confusion about what's best to eat. At Green Mountain at Fox Run, you can begin to sort out the confusion and find what works best for you in terms of eating and physical activity with the help of professionals who understand the needs of women with PCOS, and who truly care about helping women take control of their health. Green Mountain offers a comprehensive program that allows women with PCOS to get a taste of how good they can feel while eating healthy and being active.

Here you'll practice healthy living that features foods you like and physical activity you enjoy. Our meals are comprised of high-quality choices such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean meats, fish, legumes, lower fat dairy products, nuts & seeds, and healthy added fats such as flax seed, olive oil & canola oil. We also leave room for “fun” foods to illustrate how healthy eating can be flexible and delicious. Our chefs strive to create exciting meals out of whole foods, with most menu items made from scratch. We offer a conservative level of carbohydrate as part of our balanced meals & snacks for better management of blood sugar and insulin levels. Generous amounts of fun fitness classes offered throughout the day encourage better insulin sensitivity as well.

Our strong focus on education not only guides women in practicing healthy habits while with us, but prepares them to integrate these new habits into their routines back at home.

First of all, I want to tell you that I'm very, very picky about who inCYST partners with, and who it accepts sponsorships from. Companies with products and services to sell see women with PCOS as a very lucrative demographic. That includes fertility centers, diet centers, supplement companies…you name it. With one in ten women in this country having PCOS, that's an awful lot of dollar signs.

It could mean an awful lot of money for a well-visited blog like this, to accept advertising from all of these companies wanting your attention, but that's not how this business is operated. I actually discontinued Google Ads because no matter how hard I tried to filter, I kept getting ads on here that were counterproductive to the message I wanted to project. And more opportunities are declined than accepted.

I also am very selective about who inCYST promotes as a PCOS expert. It's not just anyone you see here, it's someone who has been willing to invest time and money into the inCYST training. A training that is as much about the facts of PCOS, as it is about understanding what it means to go through a health care system with the syndrome and be treated poorly by doctors, dietitians, etc., who give counterproductive advice.

I know I've probably offended a few colleagues who wanted to be included in what we do here, but didn't want to participate in the training as I've outlined it. But this program is about women with PCOS, first and foremost, not about the many entities that want to profit from them.

What that means to all of you is, that you can be assured that professionals listed here and on my website are of a different breed, and that sponsors I choose to include in the inCYST mission have quality services and products, delivered with integrity.

Which brings me to our newest sponsor, Green Mountain at Fox Run. I love them! I actually had an opportunity to spend a week at their Vermont resort a few years ago, and wish that all of you had an opportunity to spend time there. Alan Wayler and Marsha Hudnall, the owners of this fitness retreat, work hard to provide quality programming that incorporates the principles you regularly read about on this blog. Marsha actually took the time to come to one of our professional trainings a few years ago.

Sometimes it helps to just get out of your personal situation and have some time to experience what healthy living actually feels like. Eating well. Moving your body. Sleeping well. Lower stress level. I know there are many people coming to this blog with the search words,"pcos""program". For you and anyone else who simply didn't know this program even existed, I encourage you to check out their website. Their logo will be up on the right if you ever want to come back and click through for information.

Welcome, Green Mountain at Fox Run! I'm so excited that our readers get a chance to learn about your wonderful program!

It was 1975, and my father had a powder blue polyester double-knit “leisure suit,” a weight-loss plan disguised as a plan to single-handedly re-roof our house, and a keen interest in alternative nutrition and well-being. The latter took the form of upside-down eating, in which we had our smallest meal at dinner and our largest meal at breakfast. My friends thought it was very strange that we ate steaks and pork chops for breakfast, along with huge salads.

We were also eating texturized soy protein, roughly ground grains made into coarse earthy breads, spoonfuls of lecithin, mung bean sprouts, and a whole lot of strange things that you could only get out of the bulk food barrels at Elliot’s Natural Foods. We had a copy of “The Whole Earth Catalog” on the coffee table, and there was also a well-worn copy of my dad’s new bible, Adelle Davis’ “Let’s Eat Right to Get Fit.” There was some new thinking going on in this middle-aged straight-laced German guy, and I was curious about it. Extremely curious. I read the books, and ate whatever weird stuff I was supposed to be eating.

Things got even more curious when my father signed the entire family up to learn Transcendental Meditation (TM), which was developed by the Mahareshi Mahesh Yogi in the 1950s. Although it started elsewhere, by the 1970s, it had penetrated as far as “The Big Tomato,” my hometown of Sacramento, California. He went to a couple of introductory lectures, and the next thing we knew, all five of us were learning TM! It sure seemed exotic at the time, but it’s a technique I have practiced off on and on for over three decades. It’s so simple, I find it the easiest place to return to when I’m most stressed.

TM is a mantra-based meditation technique that has been scientifically validated for stress reduction, blood pressure reduction and, most recently management of the symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress in veterans. The National Institute of Health has spent in excess of $20 million validating the benefits of TM. It increases mental clarity, creativity, and overall health, and decreases stress by decreasing the activation of the sympathetic nervous system. When the sympathetic nervous system’s activity decreases, so do adrenaline, noradrenaline, and cortisol levels. Therefore, it is quite effective for stabilizing mood and even controlling appetite, because your appetite tends to go out of control when you’re feeling stressed.

Technically, it must be taught through an authorized trainer (see www.tm.org), but a great deal of introductory information can be gleaned online. I’ve written previously here about the benefits of meditation, and I’d love to introduce you to this technique.

Simply sit quietly and comfortably. This is essential to all forms of meditation. The mantra would be assigned by your teacher, but you can choose a syllable or sound with no inherent meaning (other forms of meditation might focus on a word with a meaning, such as “love” or “peace.”). The act of focusing on the mantra draws your mind out of its normal state of anxiety, chatter, and activity. If your mind drifts, return your attention to the mantra gently and repeatedly, for a period of 20 minutes per day. Results have been verified with as little as eight weeks of consistent daily practice. Optimally, practicing twice a day for twenty minutes each time is the goal, but benefits can be derived from as little as five minutes a day.

Gretchen Kubacky, Psy.D. is a Health Psychologist in private practice in West Los Angeles, California. She specializes in counseling women and couples who are coping with infertility, PCOS, and related endocrine disorders and chronic illnesses. If you would like to learn more about Dr. HOUSE or her practice, or obtain referrals in the Los Angeles area, please visit her website at www.drhousemd.com, or e-mail her at Gretchen@drhousemd.com. You can also follow her on Twitter @askdrhousemd

References:
Dillbeck M.C. and Orme-Johnson D. W. Physiological differences between Transcendental Meditation and rest. American Psychologist 42:879–881, 1987.
Jevning R., et al. The physiology of meditation: a review. A wakeful hypometabolic integrated response. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews 16(3):415-24, 1992.
Orme-Johnson D.W. and Walton K. W. All approaches of preventing or reversing effects of stress are not the same. American Journal of Health Promotion 12:297-299, 1998.

Blood platelets are blood components that are important for blood clotting function. Platelet levels are very important to balance--if you don't have enough, you will have a difficult time stopping bleed from a cut or scrape. Too many, and you may have trouble with blood clots, which can block blood flow. Depending on where these blockages are, they can cause heart attacks, strokes, and thromboembolism.

Inflammatory diseases like PCOS are associated with changes in platelet function. In fact, women with PCOS do have problems with"sticky blood"--that is, blood that forms clots too easily. This aspect of PCOS is not weight dependent--you can have the same problem if you are lean as a woman who has weight to lose. Some of the changes in your clotting function are a function of the disease and likely would exist without any medical intervention. Other changes may be due to medications you are being prescribed. Birth control pills promote platelet activity, while metformin, decreases it.

Did you know that the same lifestyle choices inCYST promotes for weight loss, better fertility, healthier skin, and every other aspect of PCOS, is also good for healthier platelets?

1. Omega-3 fatty acids promote healthy blood clotting function. They also help to promote better melatonin balance. Melatonin is an important compound to platelets; it helps them to be less"sticky".

2. Physical activity improves circulation. Blood that is not moving is blood that has a tendency to coagulate. The more physically active you are, the less opportunity you have for platelets to collect and decide they should stick together.

3. As I just mentioned, melatonin is important to platelet function. If you're prioritizing sleep, you're giving melatonin a chance to do its job. Deprive yourself, and you give platelets the go-ahead to congregate. Melatonin is so important for platelet function, some researchers believe it may be a therapeutic supplement in people with heart disease, with similar functions to aspirin and Plavix. Who knew, a little bit of extra shut eye might be equally as powerful?*

*Any medication you have been prescribed for the purpose of altering how your blood flows and clots should not be discontinued without the consent of the physician who prescribed it. This could be a deadly choice. For anyone who is interested, I do have research I found describing some of the benefits of melatonin supplementation in heart disease. I'm happy to share it. Please share with your physician and discuss before making any changes.

If you're on any medication for blood thinning or platelet management, consider making some simple changes in your overall lifestyle that may have far-reaching benefit.

Luque-Ramírez M, Mendieta-Azcona C, del Rey Sánchez JM, Matíes M, Escobar-Morreale HF. Effects of an antiandrogenic oral contraceptive pill compared with metformin on blood coagulation tests and endothelial function in women with the polycystic ovary syndrome: influence of obesity and smoking. Eur J Endocrinol. 2009 Mar;160(3):469-80. Epub 2009 Jan 12.

Dereli D, Ozgen G, Buyukkececi F, Guney E, Yilmaz C. Platelet dysfunction in lean women with polycystic ovary syndrome and association with insulin sensitivity. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2003 May;88(5):2263-8.
Rajendran S, Willoughby SR, Chan WP, Liberts EA, Heresztyn T, Saha M, Marber MS, Norman RJ, Horowitz JD. Polycystic ovary syndrome is associated with severe platelet and endothelial dysfunction in both obese and lean subjects. Atherosclerosis. 2009 Jun;204(2):509-14. Epub 2008 Sep 17.

Amowitz LL, Sobel BE. Cardiovascular consequences of polycystic ovary syndrome. Endocrinol Metab Clin North Am. 1999 Jun;28(2):439-58, viii.

Kebapcilar L, Taner CE, Kebapcilar AG, Sari I. High mean platelet volume, low-grade systemic coagulation and fibrinolytic activation are associated with androgen and insulin levels in polycystic ovary syndrome. Arch Gynecol Obstet. 2009 Aug;280(2):187-93. Epub 2008 Dec 24.

Hello everyone,

It's great to be back with the new team of PCOS course graduates! I hope you enjoyed Susan Dopart's recipe and that other contributions will be educational and practically useful.

Today I wanted to share some recent findings about the effects of elevated glucose on a developing baby. If you have PCOS and you are pregnant, you are at risk for gestational diabetes. I realized while reading this study that rarely is the effect of hyperglycemia on the fetus ever discussed. You might hear that it can effect your weight and the baby's weight, but can it do anything else? Some researchers think so.

A group of chick eggs were injected with glucose. Significant changes were found in the babies that developed from those eggs, including:
--their own hyperglycemia
--elevated oxidative (degenerative) activity in body and brain tissue
--lower body weight
--lower brain weight
There also seems to be lower levels of DHA in babies exposed to hyperglycemia. This may be due to the elevated oxidative activity destroying any DHA that might be there.

You're likely aware that taking folate is pretty much an across the board recommendation to pregnant women. In this study, hyperglycemia seemed to induce a level of oxidation/inflammation that was not significantly helped with a folate supplement.

Bottom line, it's important to eat well not just to avoid weight gain or to keep your blood sugar low to keep your doctor and dietitian happy, but because your baby's brain and body depend on you to do so.

I did not write this post to scare you, I did it to make you aware. However, if you're feeling as if you now don't know what's right to eat, or you're trying and having a hard time, please take a look at the right hand of this blog screen. There is a whole list of professionals ready and waiting to help you figure it out.

Most of my clients express surprise that healthy eating includes as many tasty foods as it does. So before you write off a visit to the dietitian because you're afraid of what you WON'T be able to eat, consider that it may be your ticket to freedom and guilt relief to work with someone who can introduce you to the many foods that will BENEFIT you and baby!

Cole NW, Weaver KR, Walcher BN, Adams ZF, Miller RR Jr. Hyperglycemia-induced membrane lipid peroxidation and elevated homocysteine levels are poorly attenuated by exogenous folate in embryonic chick brains. Comp Biochem Physiol B Biochem Mol Biol. 2008 Jul;150(3):338-43.

Statistics say, a diagnosis of infertility is as stressful as a diagnosis of HIV or terminal cancer. So I'm always on the lookout for ways to help keep that stress from interfering with your hormone balance.

Recently, I've been researching L-theanine, a compound found in green tea, which is also used in supplement form. It's got some interesting benefits, including reduced blood pressure, reduced heart rate, antitumor activity, increased serotonin and dopamine levels in the hippocampus, hypothalamus, and striatum, neuroprotection, weight loss, stroke protection, improved learning and memory, reduced neuron excitability, reduced insulin concentration, suppressed food intake

Of course, the caffeine and polyphenols in green tea have enough benefit themselves that for the most part, I'd prefer to see green tea consumed whole instead of parsed into its separate parts. However, given the fact that this anxiety we see with our audience can stretch into the extreme zone, there may be benefit to L-theanine in addition to whole green tea in your daily program. I am also intrigued by the beneficial effects on learning and memory, given the number of you reporting the problems you're having in that department.

I'm running a little theanine experiment here with myself as the subject. Not that it's all that scientific, but I do like to test things I'm writing about, when I can, so I've got a personal as well as an evidence-based perspective. Stay tuned for some followup reports on how my study is coming along!

Yokogoshi H, Kato Y, Sagesaka YM, Takihara-Matsuura T, Kakuda T, Takeuchi N. Reduction effect of theanine on blood pressure and brain 5-hydroxyindoles in spontaneously hypertensive rats. Biosci Biotechnol Biochem. 1995 Apr;59(4):615-8.

Sadzuka Y, Sugiyama T, Miyagishima A, Nozawa Y, Hirota S. The effects of theanine, as a novel biochemical modulator, on the antitumor activity of adriamycin. Cancer Lett. 1996 Aug 2;105(2):203-9.
Yokozawa T, Dong E. Influence of green tea and its three major components upon low-density lipoprotein oxidation. Exp Toxicol Pathol. 1997 Dec;49(5):329-35.

Yokogoshi H, Kobayashi M, Mochizuki M, Terashima T. Effect of theanine, r-glutamylethylamide, on brain monoamines and striatal dopamine release in conscious rats. Neurochem Res. 1998 May;23(5):667-73.

Terashima T, Takido J, Yokogoshi H. Time-dependent changes of amino acids in the serum, liver, brain and urine of rats administered with theanine. Biosci Biotechnol Biochem. 1999 Apr;63(4):615-8.

Kakuda T, Nozawa A, Unno T, Okamura N, Okai O. Inhibiting effects of theanine on caffeine stimulation evaluated by EEG in the rat. Biosci Biotechnol Biochem. 2000 Feb;64(2):287-93.

Kakuda T. Neuroprotective effects of the green tea components theanine and catechins. Biol Pharm Bull. 2002 Dec;25(12):1513-8.

Zheng G, Sayama K, Okubo T, Juneja LR, Oguni I. Anti-obesity effects of three major components of green tea, catechins, caffeine and theanine, in mice. In Vivo. 2004 Jan-Feb;18(1):55-62.

Egashira N, Hayakawa K, Mishima K, Kimura H, Iwasaki K, Fujiwara M. Neuroprotective effect of gamma-glutamylethylamide (theanine) on cerebral infarction in mice. Neurosci Lett. 2004 Jun 3;363(1):58-61.

Kimura K, Ozeki M, Juneja LR, Ohira H. L-Theanine reduces psychological and physiological stress responses. Biol Psychol. 2007 Jan;74(1):39-45. Epub 2006 Aug 22.

Yamada T, Nishimura Y, Sakurai T, Terashima T, Okubo T, Juneja LR, Yokogoshi H. Administration of theanine, a unique amino acid in tea leaves, changed feeding-relating components in serum and feeding behavior in rats. Biosci Biotechnol Biochem. 2008 May;72(5):1352-5. Epub 2008 May 7.

Phoenix Vice Mayor and District 4 Councilman Tom Simplot just sent me his responses to my questions I recently posed to our City Council members about locally produced food and organic shopping. Vice Mayor Simplot is not one to sit still! In addition to being Vice Mayor, he serves on various City Council subcommittees.

Love how he mentions the light rail! Using that to get to and from your favorite local watering hole or grocery shopping spot, not only adds a little bit of activity into the evening…it promotes a healthier environment as well!

Do you have any favorite locally owned restaurants in your council district that you'd like us to mention?
Plenty. Since the completion of the light rail, new locally owned businesses have been sprouting up along the rail line like organic mushrooms. Postino's on Central; Maizie's; and Two Hippies Taco Shop are relatively new to the district, and more are on the way. Old favorites include Harley's Bistro; Fez; and Alexi's.

Do you have a favorite Arizona-grown food?
All locally grown food is great…and don't forget Arizona wines, too.

You mentioned that you are a strong supporter of the Phoenix Downtown Market. Do you have any favorite booths?
Yes, the ones that hand out samples!
Hmmm…then I must have unknowingly bumped into you at least once at the Dr. Hummus booth!

You're in the middle of a campaign and you're a pretty busy guy with all your committees and boards, yet you make time to patronize the Downtown Market. What would you say to the person who says the idea of a local market is nice but they're just too busy to shop there?
The one of the best reasons about shopping at the Downtown Market is that you, as a consumer, have a say in what your dollar supports. You know exactly who benefits from your purchase; I like to think of it as a"political purchase."

A LITTLE MORE ON WINE!
Councilman Simplot gave me a perfect lead in to a topic I've always intended to write about but never did--wine and health. For starters, the main difference between red and white wine is that red wine incorporates the crushed skins of the grapes in processing, while white wine removes the skin and uses only the remaining pulp for the final product. Resveratrol, found in grape skins and therefore in red wine, is probably the most well-known of these compounds. However, grape pulp contains polyphenols, another kind of antioxidant, which gives white wine health benefits too. Both red and white wine have antibacterial activity. So regardless of the type of wine you enjoy, know there is some benefit to your favorite variety.

If you are currently trying to conceive, or do not drink alcohol, the same benefits can be obtained by eating fresh grapes, grape juice, and wine vinegar. Homemade vinaigrettes are quick and easy, and a perfect topper for the salad fixin's you are sure to find while working your way from that free hummous sample to the organic grapes on your next trip to the farmer's market.

I appreciate your time and comments, Councilman Simplot. From healthy, tasty food to using public transportation to thoughtful consumer spending, you summarized exactly the kind of choices what inCYST aspires to encourage in its readers.

Many of you already know you're insulin resistant, and are receiving medical attention for that. Here are the basic nutrition and lifestyle actions you can take to further help minimize the impact of that issue on your pregnancy success.

1. Move! I'm a distance runner. As much as I love running, however, I have a lot of other activities I love to do. Having a variety of activities to rotate through prevents boredom, and it involves different muscle groups in exercise. I learned to vary after a ski injury that sidelined my running for a year. You don't want that to happen, to become so dependent on one activity that you set yourself up to lose activity completely. These days I run, but I also walk, rollerblade, garden, hike, golf, swim and do yoga. (Ivonne recently talked me into trying a tango class. I think dancing is my new favorite!) Any little thing you can do that tells your body it needs to get better at moving glucose into muscle cells…is what you need to do.

2. Commit yourself to better sleeping habits. Poor sleep, either few hours or bad quality, interferes with insulin function. The clients I work with who prioritize better sleep are the ones who notice feeling better the soonest. It can be a hard one if you love the late night shows, easily get lost in the Internet, or don't set good boundaries with others. But good sleep is one of the most important things you can give yourself. If you search"sleep" in this blog there is a lot of information about how to achieve this.

3. Watch the caffeine. This goes hand in hand with #2. Caffeine in coffee, tea (it's in green tea, too, so be aware), chocolate…it all challenges healthy sleep. It's something you are best to live without during pregnancy anyway, so why not get used to decaffeinated life now if that's where you want to be?

4. Be aware of glycemic index. Foods with a low glycemic index are foods that don't challenge your insulin function as much as other foods. It's not that high glycemic foods are"bad", it's just that they should not be eaten as often. In order to make a MEAL lower-glycemic, be sure you have a good balance of carbs, fats, and proteins. People eating on the run tend to challenge glycemic function either by eating large quantities of fast food or nibbling all day long on carbs without making time for protein.

5. Pay attention to your fats. One reason I push the fish oil so much is that it really helps to improve insulin function."S" and"C" oils--safflower, sunflower, soybean, corn, cottonseed…tend to worsen glycemic function. They're found in processed foods, baked goods, and salad dressings. One reason I love teaching my classes at Whole Foods is that their entire deli uses only olive and canola (the only"C" exception) and you can literally choose what you want without ingredient anxiety.

6. Add a little cinnamon to your low-glycemic oatmeal. It has been found to improve insulin function…and it's tasty!

A word about metformin. Some women complain about digestive disturbances with this medication. A physician once shared that if you eat a lot of carbs (particularly sweets) while on the medication, it can cause diarrhea. So be forewarned, taking the medication is not a license to eat what you want, assuming metformin is going to do all the work. Metformin is most effective if you use it in conjunction with the guidelines in this post.

Next progesterone post we'll talk about poor nutrition. It is very important!

You may know of melatonin as a potent sleep aid. So much so, that if you took melatonin and you did not experience an enhanced ability to sleep, you stopped taking it.

Did you know, melatonin is a very powerful antioxidant as well? Some of the benefits of this compound relevant to PCOS include:

--lowered blood pressure
--improved memory
--reduced adrenal gland activity and cortisol secretion
--reduced cortisol response to stress
--reduced blood glucose, insulin levels, and insulin response to a glucose load
--reduced cholesterol and triglycerides
--reduced testosterone levels
--increased progesterone synthesis
--slows gastric emptying (which can help you to feel fuller, longer)

That's a lot of stuff! And it's not just not sleeping well that interferes with melatonin metabolism. So does fasting and starvation…which includes any kind of radical diet, including the medically supervised ones and the HCG ones. Melatonin levels in all three types of eating disorders, anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating disorder, are disrupted. Obesity suppresses normal melatonin daily rhythms. Omega-3 deficiency reduces melatonin synthesis and total tissue levels.

Vitamin deficiencies such as B12, zinc, and magnesium, can interfere with good melatonin status. When I read that, I immediately thought of the many vegetarians reading this blog, as those are common deficiencies when vegetarian eating is not proactively balanced.

Normal melatonin metabolism may be dependent on physical activity.

Medical problems associated with a melatonin imbalance include: affective disorders, Alzheimer’s disease, arthritis, asthma, autism, bipolar disorder, cervical cancer, chronic fatigue syndrome, cluster headaches, congestive heart failure, coronary artery disease, Cushing’s syndrome, depression, diabetes, duodenal ulcer, epilepsy, fibromyalgia, hypertension, idiopathic pain syndrome, lung cancer, metabolic syndrome, migraine headaches, obesity, obsessive-compulsive disorder, panic disorder, Parkinson’s disease, polycystic ovary syndrome, pre-eclampsia, premenstrual syndrome, schizophrenia, seasonal affective disorder, sleep apnea, and ulcerative colitis.

I'm well aware that many people reading this blog are looking for a magic supplement to erase the need for making healthy lifestyle choices. If you choose to supplement with melatonin, it likely will not hurt you, and it may help you to restore normal sleep patterns, but it will never replace the power of regular, adequate sleep. Just sayin'.: )

If you've never used melatonin before, and you decide to start, you may want to try it on a night when it's not essential that you be up and functioning early the next day. It can have a paradoxical reaction in some people.

And, if you happen to be a professional pilot, the FAA advises against using melatonin while on duty. It certainly wouldn't hurt on your days off, especially if you've been on some grueling red eye flights, just beware of this disclaimer while officially on duty.

I have an extensive list of references I've collected from which this blog post was derived. If you would like them you can contact me directly.

Bottom line, if you don't value sleep, your body is going to have a really, really, really hard time being healthy.

I love to run…I've been doing it since high school. In grad school I tore my anterior cruciate ligament in a ski accident which kept me from running for about 2 years. Ever since then, on and off, that injured knee decides it doesn't like running and I have to switch to other activities while it takes a rest.

A few years ago, I bumped my running distance up and was really enjoying my Sunday 8 and 9 mile runs. But after awhile, that bum knee spoke up and I had to cut back again.

This past summer I decided to do a city run (I usually run on the dirt canal bank near my home) while I waited for the garage to repair my car. Whatever happened during that run sidelined me for a good 6 months. I would go out to run, make it about 1/10 of a mile, and have to stop for the pain. Some days I even had trouble walking.

I finally stopped running for a couple of months and steeply curtailed my distances when I tried it again. I was afraid to try anything but the canal bank because I didn't want to hurt. It has been hard, because running is such a part of who I am.

Yesterday, I happened to be in Venice, California, with a beautiful day and a free morning on my hands, so I decided to head out to the beach. I also decided to see how my knee would handle a little running on the bike path. A half mile went by, and I felt great. But, just to be careful, I stopped and walked another half mile. I started running again, a little further this time, then stopped and walked to be sure my knee was holding up. I ran what was my normal distance at home, but noticed that the Santa Monica pier was j-u-s-t-a-l-i-t-t-l-e-p-u-s-h farther, so I made the pier my turnaround point and headed back to the Venice pier.

No knee pain! I joked on my Facebook page that my knee is ok with pavement as long as the run includes a pretty bike path and a sunny beach. But the truth is, my knee simply was ready to run again.

As I was running back, I realized that being able to run 6 miles on pavement after not running pavement at all for almost a year may have been due to the fact that I didn't just stop exercising because the thing I wanted to do and thought I should be able to do was not an option. I had to learn a couple of things to get back the thing I most wanted: (1) I had to better moderate my activity level and not overdo it, (2) I had to find other activities to do while my knee healed, and (3) I had to be consistent with my activity even if I was doing one thing when I really wanted to be doing something else.

I also thought about how many times I've heard clients say something is not working or they can't do something they've been encouraged to do. I wondered if the problem wasn't either of those, but rather that they tried the new change on the wrong day, or in the wrong set of circumstances, or as too drastic of a change from what they had done the day before.

And THEN I got to thinking that maybe, if they dialed back their expectations, and accepted that not every day with the new way would be perfect, and that it might even take months of diligence and consistency to see things pull together…maybe there would be less"I can'ts" being uttered and more,"I'm getting theres" to report.

It's not about how perfectly you make the change. It's about how well you follow through with your intent and how persistent you are over the long haul. How much you participate in your change even on days when it's inconvenient or it doesn't feel like it's helping you get anywhere.

Be persistent and envision where you want to go. Moving from the dusty canal bank to the beautiful beach is within reach of anyone who believes it.

It's 2010! It's also the time for reflection and resolutions. Don't forget to give yourself credit for the positive! Often times we try a new behavior, food, or activity, and because it didn't create a miracle or immediate change, we discontinue it and assume it didn't work. The truth was, we didn't give the new choice an opportunity to take hold and unfold.

We also tend to make the same old resolutions revolving around diet and exercise. Rather than fall into that trap here, I came up with a list of 10 other, less obvious, but equally important things you can do to help manage your PCOS.

Here's to another year of PCOS outreach. I am grateful for all of the wonderful people this blog has brought into inCYST's world, and I look forward to more good times and new friendships!

1. Prioritize yourself.

Most of my clients are highly intelligent, accomplished, passionate, and creative. But what strikes me is how easily they devote all of that energy to others…and have trouble using it to benefit themselves. Make time for healthy behaviors. They're appointments with yourself that are equally as important as any appointments you make with your doctor. Your body is trying to tell you that if you deserve anything, it's time for self-care. Make 2010 the year you agree and take action!

2. Be informed.

Over the year I've become busy with Twitter. I am disturbed at the number of tweets promising miracle supplements and cures for PCOS. Even moreso, I am disturbed to see that these tweets are the ones tending to be most often retweeted. The tweets with the most logical, evidence-based advice…sit there largely unread. If"fixing" PCOS was as easy as taking a pill, it wouldn't affect one in ten women. Don't get caught up with anyone promising a miracle or a pill. You deserve better than that. Be sure that any advice you try has research and evidence behind it to support its validity.

3. Be gentle with yourself.

I don't allow my clients to use self-deprecating language, and I confront them on self-punitive behaviors. Every single one of you is special. You deserve respect, and you deserve to celebrate the many positive things about you the rest of us see. You're not broken, and you don't need to be fixed. What you need is for the rest of us in your world to support a positive self-image and to see your goodness on days when you have a hard time with that. Expect more of that and less of the"broken speak" and see what comes into your life.

4. Take responsibility.
You can spend hours and hours on the Internet. You can participate in chat rooms and support groups and share your story. OR…you can take action. Many women I've tried to help have been more invested in sharing their story and their misfortune than they have in learning how to change their fortune. Are you suffering from what I call"PCOS Paralysis"? Is your time devoted to keeping you stuck, or are you consistently trying new things and working to be consistent with the behaviors that work? You can't see change unless you implement change. One step at a time is good enough. Those steps eventually add up to make a difference.

5. Create a support network.

inCYSTer Stacey Whittle (Santa Monica, CA) recently shared this quote on her Facebook fan page: "In 2010 CHOOSE your friends. Do the people you invest much of your time with sharpen you and amplify your happiness/productiveness? You will take on the habits, attitudes, beliefs and even mannerisms of the people you surround yourself with." Look around you. Are you surrounded by people who support healthy change and who help you to add those changes in your life? Or are you expected to be a lone wolf in the middle of people who are stuck in the lifestyle that helped make you sick to begin with? Look for people who live the way you would like to, and spend more time with them.

6. Try something healthy.

It does no good to read about it, tweet about it, debate about it. You have to live it!

7. Persist.

Remember, the days you need to take care of yourself the most…are the days you least feel like it.

8. Turn off your technology and live!

There is only so much the Internet can do for you. The life that will turn your situation around, is the one that exists off of your computer/iPhone/television screen.

9. Get some sun.

It will increase your vitamin D levels, improve your melatonin metabolism, increase your activity, improve your mood, and give you some nature-based inspiration. It really works.

10. Celebrate your beauty.

You are not broken. You do not need to be fixed. Your beauty is about who you ARE. Not about what you could be. Celebrate it. Be proud of it. Don't wait until you lose weight/conceive/resolve your acne to take care of yourself. Take care of yourself first, and see what happens to your weight/fertility/skin. Make 2010 the year you take care of the beautiful person you are, the way you deserve to be taken care of!