Today’s blog post is a little bit more of a personal topic, more specifically about my personal health. Perhaps you’re wondering why should I care? Well you don’t, but if you’re interested in knowing why I’ve found a new source of fuel igniting my passion for health and fitness (re: my fitness instas and more frequent posts), read on. This post also does in fact relate to my recent advocation for a high-fat, high-protein and low-carb “diet” -hence the bulletproof coffee, and why I believe it to be one of the best ways to eat. I will touch upon this in greater detail in later posts, but this background story is required. Keep in mind that when I say “diet” I’m not talking about a temporary way of eating but rather a lifestyle choice or an alternate way of maintaining healthy eating habits. I was recently diagnosed with PCOS, which stands for poly cystic ovary or ovarian syndrome. Without getting too technical, it essentially means in very simple terms that the follicles on my ovaries didn’t fully develop leaving them to be benign masses and causing a disconnect between hormone release and a regular monthly cycle. So, my hormones are quite unbalanced, after a lot of blood work, ultrasounds and saliva tests, I learned that my testosterone and DHEA levels are elevated, my cortisol levels are abnormal and my progesterone/oestrogen ratio is way off. Due to the hormonal imbalance, the greatest concern with PCOS is that with the absence of a monthly cycle, over time, the uterus could (emphasis on the could) become a host for cancer cell growth. Anyway, as you can imagine being the person that I am, I thoroughly researched PCOS and discovered many interesting things.
Consequences of having this disease are higher risks of weight gain, development of type 2 diabetes, acne and infertility all because of the hormonal imbalance experienced by those suffering from PCOS. Thankfully, due to my consistent healthy habits the weight gain isn’t really a problem for me therefore, neither is diabetes, however, after much research, I also discovered that most women who suffer from PCOS are overweight. Like I said, although this isn’t a CURRENT problem for me, I never want it to be a problem for me and I am a firm believer in preventative health care. I am also determined to inspire other women with PCOS that obesity can be a non-issue for them as well, which is why I have been a lot more active (and will continue to be) with my postings on social media and the blog regarding exercise and healthy eating.
Touching upon the two other side effects, acne is something I do struggle with. Even though it is 100% hormonal and has nothing to do with my lifestyle, it is something I’m very self-conscious about and absolutely despise. I have never really talked about it either because I try and avoid drawing attention to it as much as possible but I have come to realize that I am only human, I am not, nor will I ever be perfect and if acne is the greatest of my concerns, then I guess I should be thankful. Having said that, once I learn to live and regulate my PCOS, it should clear up, but for now I have to remain patient and positive -easier said than done let me tell you. Finally in terms of the infertility issue with PCOS, many women with PCOS can easily have children and others have a lot more trouble. However, I am not going to worry about that now as I do not plan on having children anytime soon, and when I do, I have faith that everything will work out just fine because if I don’t think this way, I’ll burden myself with unnecessary worry.
Now, I’m going to end the post here, not because I don’t have more to say but because I don’t want this to be too long of a read, frankly, I’m impressed if you’ve read this far. Nonetheless, I will make another post as to what I’m doing to deal with my PCOS, including diet (why a hight fat diet is beneficial for all not just those suffering from PCOS)/exercise and a short mention of the most amazing health care professional I’ve ever encountered (highly recommended)!
I hope you’ve enjoyed learning about the most recent addition to my health status that has posed a bit of a challenge for me but nothing I can’t handle right!?
xx
Leah