Category: Women’s Health

Fertility, General, Women's Health

September is PCOS Awareness Month

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PCOS is a condition that 5 -10% of women of childbearing age in the Australia have, experiencing chronic symptoms including:- weight gain- hair loss- hair growing in unwanted places (chin, breasts, lower belly, etc.)- depression- irregular or absent periods- acne

PCOS is also responsible for 70% of infertility issues in women who have difficulty ovulating, as well as increased risks for prenatal problems including miscarriage and gestational diabetes in women who do become pregnant with this condition. For a subset of women, there is also an increased risk of diabetes and heart disease.

After years of working with women with PCOS, I can say there’s really no end to how this condition can impact quality of life, self-esteem, and mental health. But, in my years of working with women with PCOS, I can also say that there’s actually a lot we can do for PCOS; there is healing, there is relief, and, in my experience, there is actual reversal of the root cause.

Some top tips for the control of PCOS

Balancing blood sugar reduces inflammation and reverses the insulin resistance often driving PCOS, leading to reductions in androgens and related symptoms.

Moderate restriction of fast carbohydrates while increasing protein + healthy fats, decreases testosterone, improves insulin sensitivity, and reduces symptoms.🍴

Omega-3-rich fish at least three times a week can reduce insulin resistance + inflammation🍴

2 tbsp. of flaxseed per day to lengthen luteal phase, improve ovulation, and reduce testosterone levels.🍴

Other useful foods
Buckwheat – may be helpful in improving blood sugar balance and reducing insulin resistance.🍴

Sesame seeds – can reduce elevated androgen levels by improving DHEA-S and SHBG (sex-hormone- binding globulin) levels.🍴

Legumes (chick peas, kidney beans, and non-GMO organic soy) are a rich source of inositol

Remember!! this doesn’t have to be an all or nothing approach, you can combine these strategies with conventional therapies to create a protocol that feels right to you.

If you would like personalised support for controlling PCOS and gaining control of your life, I can design a program for you filled with diet and lifestyle changes that can help treat your underlying causes.

Fertility, Women's Health

Period Pain is NOT Normal!!

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PARENTS!!

Do you have girls suffering from period pain?

If there is one statement that I would like to educate the masses to, it would be that PERIOD PAIN IS NOT NORMAL!!

Girls and women are taught from early on, that symptoms related to their menstrual cycles are to be accepted and suffered through.

NO! NO! NO!

Mistakenly, there is the perception that girls should just tough it out, it may pass as you get older, I’ve even heard this advice being given by some GP’s.

NEVER let anyone, including a Health Professional, tell you that period pain is NORMAL.

Here’s the real deal…Your daughter should not have to miss school due to period pain or associated symptoms.

Your daughter should not have to be curled up in a ball in pain once a month

Your daughter SHOULD NEVER be fainting due to excessive blood loss.

Never just take a wait and see attitude,

Excruciating pain, excessive blood loss, wild fluctuations in mood and all the other terrible associated symptoms could affect your daughter’s future fertility and early intervention is the key to the management of the condition.

Teenagers are NOT too young to suffer from gynaecological conditions including endometriosis and adenomyosis.

I can not underestimate the importance of EARLY INTERVENTION to prevent the irreversible internal damage caused by months and months, years and years of inflammation due to gynaecological conditions.

As a naturopath with specialist training in Reproductive Medicine, and Women’s Health Medicine, I would like to say, if you consult a health professional who dismisses your concerns, please get a second, third or tenth opinion. I work with top gynaecologists, laparoscopic surgeons and reproductive medicine specialists.

STAY TUNED for an upcoming workshop on methods to TAME your PERIOD PAIN!

Fertility, Women's Health

March is Endometriosis Awareness Month

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March is Endometriosis Awareness Month and I would like to highlight this condition that affects millions of women worldwide.

One in ten women are diagnosed with endometriosis however a significant portion of women with endometriosis are asymptomatic and do not realise they have it or it has been dismissed by general practitioners or other health care practitioners. This means the statistics regarding women with this condition are massively understated.

Did you know that on average, it takes 7-10 years for a woman to receive a definitive endometriosis diagnosis?

Simple key-hole surgery is required to diagnose this condition (laparoscopy and histology), and despite some of the information out there, scans and blood tests will not provide the answer.

If you’ve been following me for a while, you know one of my “things” is the message is that

PERIOD PAIN IS NOT NORMAL!!

Here’s why….. While slight discomfort with a period may be normal, pain (especially bad period pain) is not normal and period pain can be a sign of endometriosis. Whilst the most common symptom of endometriosis is pain, it is also important to be aware that not all women with endometriosis have pain.

Here are some of the common signs of endometriosis :

Period Pain

Pain with intercourse

Ovulation pain

IBS like symptoms

Pain on bowel movement

Bleeding from the bowel

UTI like symptoms (without infection present)

Fatigue

Anxiety and mood disorders

Bloating (can be severe)- also known as endo belly

Musculoskeletal pain

Pelvic and rectal pressure feeling

Abnormal uterine bleeding (AUB)

And many others……

So what is Endometriosis?

Essentially, endometriosis is normal tissue growing in abnormal areas. It behaves very much like cancer, but it is not cancerous. Endometriosis has been found in every part of the body and it can cause damage to multiple organs if it is not managed properly. Recent research points to a genetic component of endometriosis such that if your mother or grandmother had it, you may be more likely to as well. A few misconceptions to clear up. It is driven by oestrogen, even in tiny amounts. You don’t have to be oestrogen dominant. It is also not an autoimmune condition.

Over this month I will focus on the facts of Endometriosis, the serious complications of unmanaged endometriosis and why it is imperative that you consult an expert in this condition. Having a specialist qualifications in Reproductive & Women’s Medicine, I work in conjunction with Australia’s top advanced trained excision surgeons and gynaecologist with advanced training in endometriosis. We work in collaboration to treat endometriosis in a holistic and very effective way.

Whilst all this information sounds overwhelming and depressing… there is hope and help! If you have unmanaged endometriosis or have bad period pain, contact me for a chat, so that we can discuss a pathway forward. You can not manage endometriosis by yourself and it is vitally important for your future health that you consult an expert.

Stay tuned for the next instalment,

Rochelle