Case Study: PCOS (Ovarian Cysts)

Client: Mrs. H
Symptoms: Painful Ovarian Cysts
Goals: Promote hormone balance through proper nutrtion and supplementation

Dietary Suggestions: When trying to balance hormones and heal any abnormal conditions it is always advised that one focus on balanced nutrition filled with as many nutrients as possible. With that said, I advise that each meal and/or snack be as “homemade” as possible. Food that are “pre-made” are often very refined and filled with extra sugars and additives to preserve their freshness. I highly recommend reading food labels. Before reading the labels, try to think about how you would prepare the item by scratch at home. If the label is filled with multiple ingredients that you are unfamiliar with and/or with ingredients that you would not add at home, avoid it! Focus on whole grains rather then grains that are refined (have had the fiber removed from them.) Increase your daily fiber, vegetables, and fruit intake. Filtered water and fiber are two good things to focus on. Feel free to visit my Healthy Cooking blog www.HealthyMamasKitchen.blogspot.com for a few tips and ideas. Organic foods are often advised for anyone who is seeking optimum nutrition. However, when there is a goal to balance hormones, organic foods play an even more important role. Many of the products that are used to treat food and crops against pests have been found to affect the hormone balance in humans. Because of this, I highly recommend eating as many organic or personally home grown/raised foods as possible. Local farmers markets are a good place to find organic (pesticide/treated free) produce and foods.

Recommended Herbs and Nutrients including dosage: Abnormal ovarian cysts most often stem from a hormone imbalance in the body. In order for the body to truly regulate itself, it has to have all of the vital nutrients that it requires to function. Unfortunately, in our world today it is not likely that we will come close to getting all of the essential nutrients from the foods that we eat. This is why quality supplementation is strongly recommended. I recommend the following supplements:
Rainbow Light Prenatal System (I recommend the “Complete Prenatal System. However, it requires you to take six pills per day. So the “Just Once, Prenatal One” is the next best thing.)
Omega 3 Essential Fatty Acids
Liquid Vitamin B Complex with added Vitamin C (You'll need to purchase two bottles for a 1 month supply.)
Chaste Berry Herb a.k.a Vitex (To be used as a hormone tonic. The recommended dose is two capsules daily. Start out with 1 capsule for 1 week. Then move up to two capsules.)
(1) round of Liquid Iron (This is recommended but can be considered optional. I recommend this for any women who has been pregnant, given birth, and breastfed in the last year even if they are currently taking a prenatal with iron included, unless the woman consumes large amounts of red meat throughout the week. Only use the liquid iron as this extra. Liquid Iron is more easily absorbed into the body.)

Relaxation techniques and exercise: I recommend walking at least 15 minutes daily. This increases circulation throughout the body, which aids in the healing process. Pilates and Yoga are also very therapeutic to the inner balance in the body.

Case Study: PCOS, Long Menstrual Cycles, Infertility

Client: Mrs. M
Symptoms: PSOS, Long Menstrual Cycles, Infertility
Goals: Pregnancy

My Conclusion: PCOS, long menstrual cycles, and infertility often stem from an excess of the estrogen hormone. This imbalance can happen over a period of time, or in a short period due to a sudden stress on the body and its emotions. Outside sources such as medications and the foods we eat have a great influence on the hormone balance in the body. The following suggestions are ways that you might be able to help the body regulate its hormones to a balanced state.

Dietary Suggestions: Focus on whole grains, vegetables, fruits, and filtered water. Use as many organic foods as possible. Try to avoid dairy products, or keep them to a minimum. Avoid pre-made and pre-cooked foods as much as possible. The refinement, enrichment, and additives in these pre-made foods have the potential to cause hormone imbalance. Try to keep your microwave use down to a minimum. Studies have shown that extensive microwave use (and food eaten after microwaving) can weaken the reproductive organs in men and women. NEVER eat anything that has artificial sweeteners (Aspartame, Acesulfame K, acesulfame potassium (just remember Ace), Sucralose, and their brand names: NutraSweet, Splenda, and Sweet n’Low.) Artificial sweeteners are very dangerous this is not a myth! Use sugar sparingly. Use as many foods that market their Omega 3 value as possible (Smart Balance, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Free Range Eggs, etc.)
Until pregnancy is accomplished: Avoid meat. When you do eat meat, try to only eat chicken, and only the chicken that says that it has not been treated with hormones. Animals can be treated with many types of hormones and other things that have the potential to cause hormone imbalance. When the body is already struggling, it is best to avoid these foods.
Feel free to browse through or follow my Healthy Mama’s Kitchen blog for some healthy eating ideas and tips.

Recommended Herbs and Nutrients Including Dosage: ** Highest Importance.
**Continue taking your Prenatal Plus vitamins. I personally recommend the Rainbow Light Complete Prenatal vitamin. It is slightly different then Prenatal Plus because it has higher dosages of certain things, as well as a few other things that the Prenatal Plus does not have. However, you also have to take 6 pills every day, which isn’t always easy. I consider Prenatal Plus to be a good vitamin.
Add the following to your daily supplement regimen:
**Four grams of Essential Fatty Acids. I recommend NSI Mega Omega. Omegas are just as they say, essential to the health of the whole body. In your condition, they can aid with inflammation, and balancing the hormones in your body. These should be taken throughout pregnancy and the rest of your life.
Extra Vitamin B. No less then a 150mg per day B-Complex (pill form). Sublingual will be the easiest to absorb into the body. Birth control pills as well as some of the prescription medications that you have taken or, are taking, tend to block or deplete the B vitamins from absorbing into the body. These will be helpful throughout your pregnancy.
One round of a liquid Iron supplement. Iron deficiency causes weakness to all of the body’s systems. Liquid Iron with vitamin C absorbs much easier then other iron supplements. This would be helpful to do on an occasional basis throughout your childbearing years.
**Vitex (Chasteberry) (as recommended on the bottle). This herb has been successfully used to balance the estrogen and progesterone hormones in the body. It is easy to use because you can take it throughout the month and not have to worry about which week to take it. It has also been used with the Metformin without known problems, and with success. Take this regularly, as it has been known to take time to take effect. However, it has also been known to work within one cycle. Stop taking this as soon as pregnancy is achieved.
There are other herbs that can be added to Vitex. But I would recommend trying this regimen for 3 months before adding to it.

Lifestyle Modification/Changes:
MORNING LIGHT and MOON LIT NIGHT: The menstrual cycle depends heavily on our body clock to cycle properly. The body systems use bright light during the day (particularly morning) to set the awake/asleep clock. It relies on moonlight to regulate the menstrual cycle. Darkness may be one of the biggest reasons menstrual cycles become irregular. Studies have shown that “Light Therapy” helps to regulate the menstrual cycle. You can use direct natural sun light or BLUEWAVE lights for this therapy. The directions are as follows:
BLUEWAVETM Therapy 15-30 minutes in the morning and evening to extend your active day length. BLUEWAVETM light technology is specially designed to produce the active hormone, serotonin and suppress melatonin. Melatonin is often called the ‘hibernation hormone’ and is thought to restrict other hormones that promote a healthy menstrual cycle. Your body produces higher levels of melatonin during the winter, and when you don’t get enough bright light.
Nighttime light. Use a 50-watt table lamp approximately three feet from your bedside. You only have to use this light on days 13 through 17 of your cycle. This will replicate the level of a bright, moonlight night and should regulate your cycle within a few weeks. This level of nightlight will also help control the production of melatonin.
In short, this is saying that it is important to spend minimum 15 minutes outside in the bright morning sunlight every day. If this is not possible on a regular basis, BLUEWAVE Technology lights might be a consideration.

Relaxation Techniques and Exercises:
I recommend Yoga and Pilates. These techniques aid in ways such as weight loss, circulation, and relieving stress.