Nourish & Nurture

You shouldn't be judged or shamed about your treatment choice for PCOS. . Unfortunately, I see that women are shamed because they start taking the birth control pill or Metformin. . What is important is that you understand how the medication works and its side effects, so you can make an informed choice.... . Sometimes these treatments are really necessary for you! . Of course, nutrition and lifestyle are the first line and should always be considered as your option. . Have you ever felt judged or shamed due to your treatment choice? See more

Do you equate your self-worth to your weight? . Rethink and reconsider! . I totally understand how our culture and society made you feel that your weight and body size means a lot, but in reality, it doesn't!... . Many of my clients tell me stories of how the society frames them based of discriminatory way based on their size. The comments at home or at the doctors clinic let them think and believe it. Many of us struggle with this because our society expects so much from us! I struggle with that as well! . You are not alone! . Look! That's why it's "SELF" worth, so you are the one who determines your values and your worth. What are your talents, abilities, skills, and so on? Not any one else! . You are a person full of life, and your weight has nothing to determine your worth. . Bring a piece of paper, and write down your qualities (to remind yourself), and remember you are a worthy human being no matter! . Save this post as a reminder that you are worthy! See more

This is what happens when you take a selfie with words! LOL! . This is principle one of intuitive eating is to REJET THE DIET MENTALITY. Intuitive eating is not about a number on the scale and of course it is not a diet! . Rejecting the diet mentality might be "different" or "scary" for you, especially if you think that you need to diet to manage your PCOS.... . Diets and the pursuit of weight loss keep you in the idea that weight is the measure of your worth. Dieting harm PCOS. . If you ask me, so what can I do to shift my thinking about dieting, I'll answer you from the book: Intuitive Eating, by @evelyntribole and @elyseresch. . First, "recognize and acknowledge the damage that dieting causes" Second, "be aware of diet-mentality traits and thinking" Third "Get rid of the dieter's tools" Fourth "Be compassionate toward yourself" . I totally understand that this takes time and patience, so don't forget to give that to yourself. . I'll be sharing the principles of intuitive eating. Keep following!. See more

What you're experiencing is real! I believe you! . Your feelings, thoughts, and symptoms are real! . Salma, called me in tears, feeling hopeless that all her doctors didn't listen to her pain. They told her: "it's all in your head!", "there is nothing can be done!" after waiting so long to get to see a specialist, who didn't listen.... . First thing I assured her and said: "I believe you. Your feelings are valid. It's not just in your head!". Salma thanked me and we continued to investigate the root cause of the annoying symptoms she was experiencing. . Unfortunately, we live in a time where many people's pain is "brushed off" or considered "unreal". I feel sad and in pain every time I hear someone's pain was not given enough attention for whatever reason that is, or given the classic response: "just lose weight", even when weight has nothing to do with the issue!! . I want to let you know that I believe you and feel you. I want you to feel at ease. I want to help you. . I am in the process of creating a freebie to help you to better understand your condition and options of treatment without diets! See more

Intuitive eating isn't anti-health! . It's the opposite! It's health-promoting. . You may be asking what's intuitive eating, anyway?... . Before I tell you. I want to let you know that I love it. It is dieting alternative, it's revolutionary, and it works! . Intuitive eating is a framework that let you tune into your body, reject dieting, and improve your relationship with food. . For a long time, we thought that the answer to health is dieting. . Diets don't work and this is what science tells us! . What's the alternative? . It's intuitive eating! . Does it work with PCOS? . Yes! . In the upcoming weeks, I'll be talking more about the ten principles of intuitive eating and how they are related to PCOS. . I'm Excited! See more

Were you prescribed the pill for PCOS? . The pill is the most common prescription for PCOS, especially if you have no regular period and complain of androgens' effect such as acne, excess hair or hair loss from the head. . It's also an effective way to prevent unwanted pregnancies!!... . The birth control pill shuts down the ovaries and ovulation, and provides synthetic hormones that leads to breakthrough bleeding when withdrawn! . It's considered a band-aid solution to PCOS as it doesn't address the root causes or the metabolic aspects of it. . It has many side effects like headaches, mood swings, high blood pressure, weight gain or loss and sore breasts. It may cause dyslipidemia and inflammation. . It also depletes some important nutrients such as riboflavin (vitamin B2), B6, B12, folate, vitamin C and E, and the minerals: magnesium, selenium and zinc. That is why it is important to eat a variety of nutritious high nutrient dense food such as fish, nuts, seeds, legumes, and whole grains. . If you get off the pill, make sure you protect against unwanted pregnancy if you may get pregnant. Your period may be absent for a while. You may get acne and unwanted hair. Make sure that you need to replenish nutrients and eating enough food. Some supplements may help and again, treating the root cause of PCOS is key. I absolutely can help with that! . When it comes to medications, it is critical to be informed about your options. . Save this post for your reference. See more

Do you feel that you want to hide because of PCOS? . Those annoying hairs and acne are embarrassing. They're making your life harder! You feel that you're shaving every single day and those hairs are still showing up. You're unsure of what skin routine you need to try because it feels you tried them all! . This feeling is super frustrating!... . Androgens and being sensitive to them causes those unpleasant manifestations on the skin, but you know something? Androgens don't work alone. . The whole situation of insulin resistance, inflammation, stress, and hormonal imbalance adds to this! . Nutrition and lifestyle play a role in reducing androgens. Some supplements can also help such as zinc. . As a PCOS dietitian, most of my clients deal with the same feelings. I help them navigate their food and lifestyle of how to balance insulin and blood sugar, how to reduce inflammation, how to reduce stress, and more. . I work one on one online with you to make you feel better inside out. See more

Were you prescribed metformin for PCOS? . Metformin is the first line of treatment for type 2 diabetes. It is also used in PCOS treatment. It helps sensitizing the muscles and the body cells to insulin, so it reduces insulin resistance. Because of that, it helps ovulation induction, preventing gestational diabetes and other benefits. It also reduces the amount of sugars coming from the liver to the blood. . Metformin has some side effects like gastrointestinal ones such as di...arrhea, nausea, bloating, and stomach pain. That's why it starts slowly then the dose increases as necessary. . It may cause vitamin B12 deficiency after the long term use. It's important to test your vitamin B12 if you take metformin. . Many of my clients take metformin and it was helpful for them. If you tolerate it, and your doctor recommends it, it can be a good option for you. There are other options as well. . Insulin resistance is also treated with nutrition, lifestyle, and supplements, and these that I help you with! . Save this post for a collection of the PCOS meds and treatments reviews - coming soon! See more

When it comes to nutrition for PCOS, I believe in you! . What I mean with that is I believe in your individual needs and your ability to listen to your body. Your body will ask for variety, for colours, for taste, for nutrition. . You might say: "but, I've been eating the exact same thing for weeks!"... . Yes, we might get stuck in a rut and eat one thing for a long time, how do you feel about it? . Food and nutrition are a way of self-care. Any extremes ruin the balance. . You got this within! . Photo by talented @nutriography See more

How many times have you been on a diet? . I am gonna confess that I, myself, have been on many and my goal was .... to improve my health and my appearance!! . Do you know what happened next?... . I gained the weight back, and before that those diets led me to crave food and to even binge! . That's why I don't support rules or food obsession when it comes to nutrition and PCOS. . In PCOS, you are more exposed to the famous advice: "just lose weight". you might be at more risk of developing disordered eating and eating disorders. Diets and restriction add stress on the body and mind. . Diets have a cycle that starts in restricting that might lead to lower moods and lower self-esteem. . When give up on the rules, and listen to your body, you'd achieve body and food piece. It is not a one step thing as you see it here. It may take longer and the way isn't linear. . Many of my clients come to me for "weight loss", then they discover the life beyond weight and numbers and servings. They start listening. . This, of course, doesn't ignore nutrition. Instead, it brings gentle nutrition to apply it with respect and self-care. . I'm so passionate about this. . Save this post for a future reference! See more

PCOS doesn't mean no carbs no fruit no favourite food! . There is just a little twist of balancing things out with "gentle nutrition". You will hear me saying this a lot. . What is gentle nutrition?... . Gentle nutrition is to look at the bigger picture when it comes to nutrition and health. It is flexibility without rigidity with self-compassion and self-care to honour your health. . Nutrition is an essential part of PCOS treatment, so why not choose "gentle" that is more sustainable and pleasurable! . I use this approach with my clients. Nutrition is fun and more doable. . I love this photo of berries in a cone because they are nutritious and fun with Greek yogurt and they also can be anti-inflammatory and delicious as a snack! . Comment below with you favourite snack that is balanced and delicious <3 See more