[wannabigbabybelly]

Have any of you read this book or heard of it? Is it worth getting? I'm just curious if any of you have tried to go on any specific diet while trying to conceive? Has your doctor recommended any change in diet ....to help you conceive?

[Gemmabean]

Jessica,

Who is the author?

I've ordered one from Amazon by Colette Harris (my favorite PCOS author), and it's taken WEEKS, I still don't have it!

[wannabigbabybelly]

Yes that is the author of the book.

Let me know how you like it when you get it.

[Ninja]

My doc hasnt mentioned anything about the food. Even when my lining wasnt getting where it had to be, I checked with my nurse, she said nothing can help.

I do believe that certain foods help with blood levels and vitamins in the body. I collected some information from certain websites and books to help me with immunity, blood circulation & zinc which I read somewhere is very important during fertility.

[CryingInside]

My doctor said the most important things are vitamins and getting into shape. When he found out that I was going to have to be taking time away from getting pg he suggested I use this time to work on an exercise program and start taking a multi-vitamin.

[Gemmabean]

Jessica,

I think you can look at it on Amazon. I had a look at it in my RE's office (the US tech had it!) It looked great at a glance. The reviews on Amazon are good and bad. Colette is English so all the recipes are written with UK measurements, easy enought to convert, but I think some of the ingredients go by a different name so we will have to translate Fortunately my DH is ENGLISH!

I'll let you know if/when it ever arrives!!!

I have several of Colette's books, she and I have even emailed back and forth! She is really a sweetie!

Love,
Julie

[wannabigbabybelly]

I found one website that gave a lot of info about PCOS and diet. But it just seems so extreme.

It's a low-fat, low-sugar, low-carb, high-protien diet. (sounds kinda like the adkins diet which I don't believe in...I don't think it's right to eat a bunch of meat as your main source of food). It recommeds protiens and vegetables since PCOS patients can't deal with sugars and carbohydrates.

It talks about staying away from yeast products and when you do eat bread only use rye bread or soda bread(whatever that is)

It mentioned things like only buying organic foods because your body can't handle the extra chemicals.

No processed foods or pre-packanged foods.

Not eating or drinking out of plastic containers since they also introduce more cemicals to your body. No warming food up in the microwave in plastic containers.

about eating 6 small meals a day verses 3 meals.

drinking lemon water to help clean out the toxins in your body.

Those are just some things I could remember.

It just seems hard...because when I cook I'm not only cooking for JUST me or JUST me and my husband. Our home consists of me, my husband my sister, and my kids ages 7, 4.4, 2.5, 2 and newborn. So whatever I make has to be for all of us. How could a family really make it throguh each day with those restriction?

Not to mention we don't have any organic food stores around here...and what organic food they do sell at the supermarket is very pricey compared to the normal stuff.

I'm afraid I'd just be setting myself up for failure if I even tried doing that.

I can see....trying to go for more of a diabetic diet...like trying to buy sugar free stuff (but even that is so much more expensive).

I'm really interested in what the PCOS diet book recommends....since PCOS is somethign I have that will never go away...I HAVE to find a way to live with it...and protect myself from developing diabetes or heart problems etc..

I wish there was a class I could take on the subject....or lists of products to buy or foods to prepare....maybe it wouldn't seem like such a difficult task to undertake.

[Gemmabean]

Jessica,

I try to eat organic whenever I can, and when it's reasonably priced. Fortunately we have a store called Trader Joe's about 1.5 hours away. We get organic ketchup cheaper than regular ketchup at a local store!

Also, Wal-Mart has started carrying a lot of organic stuff. I wish they'd have an organic isle rather than having everything spread all over the store!

You know, I have noticed I do feel better, the more organic foods I eat. I do drink organic milk, after a friend told me her ob told her to drink it while she was pregnant. And I have no problem finding organic cereals at the local stores. But produce is a problem, it is usually more expensive and harder for me to find.

I've read that we should avoide nitraites, like in hot dogs and deli meats, so we don't eat those anymore. We do eat more processed foods than we should, but I try to get Amy's Organic stuff when I can.

Please visit my blog, I have links to a lot of PCOS sites maybe you'll find some good info there.

[slobin]

Hi Ladies,

I've heard great things about that book. Keeping your blood sugar level and avoiding high carb foods is important for fertility! Esp. if you have PCOS. Please don't listen to drs and nurses who tell you that diet does not play a part- they mean well but they are totally ignorant. It's just like the drs who say that supplements can't improve sperm, yet there are tons of studies documenting that they do. Another good book that discusses diet and fertility is Randine Lewis' The Infertility Cure. She is a practitioner of Chinese Medicine (and completed med school). This book is a bit complicated, but if you want to learn some really good diet/supplement stuff (and a lot more such as sel acu pressure, massage/breathing for fertility, etc.) check it out. Can get it on Amazon.

Good luck to you all!

[wannabigbabybelly]

Wow!!! I'm suprised. I've shopped at walmart for quite sometime and never realized how many "organic" foods they actually carry. I'm more of a bargain hunter so go for the cheap stuff and walmart brands.

I went there today just "LOOKING" for the word organic on things and was suprised to see how much they actually do have.

Some are just slightely more expensive than the normal cost but many are a lot more expensive even 2-3 times as expensive....but I guess it's true you get what you pay for.

Now here is my question...

Since with PCOS you are supposed to watch your fat, sugar and carbs...which one is better.....for you ...I found a bunch of stuff that said sugar free or low carb... are those better than the organic stuff in some cases.

For example...with yogurt...I saw organic....and then i saw this low carb/low sugar one....and by reading the label it seemed like the low-carb/low-sugar one is actually healthier....but then again the organic one is free from chemicals and stuff???? How do you know which ones you should buy?

Please remember all this "healthy eating" stuff is really new to me. I grew up relatively poor and learned to buy the cheap stuff....regardless wether it was actually bad for you or not....so I tend to do the same thing. But I really want to not only improve stuff not only for me but to teach my kids good healthy eating habits.

[Mrs.Ocean]

Its a balancing act - a lot of the things that are done to foods to make them "low-sugar" or "low-fat" are done by adding additional chemicals. So, you have to think about what your definition of "healthy" is - is it just about calories and fat, or is it about the natural state of your foods? There ARE foods that are low-sugar and low-fat naturally, and that's more where you want to stay. Unfortunately, it may just require some time and research. I'm in that stage myself - I have changed to a whole foods diet, for the most part, but still have a LOT to learn.

I second the recommendation for Randine Lewis' book The Infertility Cure. Its fascinating! A bit overwhelming - you kind of have to read it in bits and pieces. But its really given me inspiration for what I can do FOR my body as I get ready to be a mom.

[fairyfloss]

I hope my story might help someone, hopefully I will find something that can help me too in my current efforts to conceive.

Five years ago, after trying to concieve for nearly a year, I was finally diagnosed with PCOS and after one week of changing my diet strictly I ovulated and fell pregnant.

I too was anti the low carb diets, having read many books that explained how they were dangerous and bad for you. Wow, have I changed my tune.

This is what I did.

Breakfast: An egg on a slice of the grainiest organic piece of toast you can find.

Lunch: Salad with good amount of quality meat, fish or cheese. Eg chicken caesar without croutons. OR meat & vege soup with one tiny slice of high grain bread.

Dinner: Meat and veg. Just tweak whatever you're currently eating. If lasagne, change the pasta for eggplant. If curry & rice, make large cucumber raita and tomato onion side dishes and have tiny serve brown rice. Or spaghetti, just serve tiny bit wholemeal pasta with large salad and meat sauce.

Snacks: High grain cracker (ryvita or vitawheat) with ricotta or cheddar cheese. Veges and dip. Cold meat & lettuce rollups.

Rules: Don't TOUCH white carbs or ANYTHING that contains sugar. That includes rice, bread, pasta, potatoes etc as well as cakes, icecream etc. Limit brown carbs, only have a couple slices wholegrain bread a day. Only eat fruit directly after a meal. Choose berries if possible. Drink lots of water. If you can't give up coffee, have only one cup a day, and don't have it on an empty stomach. No more than a cup of tea either. Don't touch anything with chemical sugar, including diet coke and chewing gum.

After much research, I also took the following supplements:
Multivitamin
Vitex Agnus Castus (chastetree)
Chromium
B12
Vitamin E
Omega 3-6-9

The insulin effect is instant. If you haven't ovulated for a while I bet you will soon after doing this. The amazing side-benefit is that for the first time in my life I found myself dropping weight quickly.

Keep up the diet during the first three months of pregnancy. Any insulin surges can be dangerous and could possibly lead to miscarriage during this time.

I had a healthy baby four years ago, and because of following the same principles of diet, albeit not strictly, my blood tests show my PCOS is effectively "in remission". My cycle has returned to a perfect 28 days with regular ovulation. And for the first time, I weigh less now than I did five years ago.

Unfortunately, with Hashimoto's and other issues, this still hasn't resulted in another pregnancy. :-(

Don't let anyone put you off the low carb diet, they are custom made for anyone with PCOS, I wish I'd ignored the bad hype years ago.

N x

[tulip23]

Thanks for the post.Its really very informative and encouraging.I am a vegetarian so I might need to make some changes here but still it has lots I can work on.Thanks again.

[nedege24]

wow, thanks! great info.