06 August 2011
changing tides
Well, it's been a while.
A lot has been going on!
Where to begin... I think bullet points might be the easiest way.
Back story: In 2005, at the age of 17.5, I stopped menstruating. After a year, I saw a doctor, bloodwork was done and due to amenorrhoea (lack of menstruation) and low estrogen/high testosterone levels, I was told I may have PCOS. The only medical solution for amenorrhoea, according to medical doctors, is a prescription for the birth control pill. I was told I would need to be on some form of HBC (hormonal birth control) for the rest of my life until I wanted to get pregnant.
Do you understand how the pill actually works? If not, read this. Hint: it doesn't regulate your hormones, it suppresses them.
So, since 2005, I have been taking HBC off-and-on in an attempt to "regulate" my hormones. Most recently, I began HBC (Yaz) in May 2009 for both "hormone regulation" and actual birth control.
What have I been doing this year?
In February, I stopped drinking coffee and switched to black tea. In May, I stopped drinking black tea and switched to herbal.
In May, I started drinking a cup of raw milk each day.
In June, I began buying all my produce at the farmers' market, including eggs from chickens fed veggie scraps (as opposed to corn and soy feed - those organic omega-3 free-range eggs are from chickens fed organic corn and organic soy).
After reading this amazing book in June, I stopped taking the pill in order to heal my body naturally and ovulate. Every woman on the planet should read this book, whether or not she is interested in using FAM.
I started practicing Fertility Awareness (FA, or FAM if you include 'method') and charting my cycles, while continuing to use a barrier method for birth control. (FAM is NOT the Rhythm Method, click here to read why.)
I read another great book, and began to delve deeply into the work of Weston A. Price. I purchased Nourishing Traditions.
I began reading blogs written by those following a "nourishing foods diet" (Some are seeped in a back-to-basics Christian philosophy, others are "Paleo Diet").
I also began reading about natural solutions for PCOS.
In July, I ramped up my food choices.
Eliminations
I eliminated all grains, which by summer only included dry rolled oats in yogurt from breakfast, and sometimes brown rice with dinner.
With the exception of fresh fruit, I eliminated all sugars, which has always been minimal but included dark chocolate and dried fruit, such as dates and figs. Watch this fascinating lecture and read the accompanying New York Times Magazine article. Another great one about the state of the American Diet here.
I stopped consuming all forms of soy (a phytoestrogen) except fermented soy (tempeh, in my case) once every few weeks as a last-resort protein.
Additions
I started eating grass-fed beef regularly. Before this, I ate ground beef (usually a burger) approximately once a month, chicken and turkey regularly, and fish once a week. (Once upon a time, I was vegetarian and, briefly, vegan.)
I started cooking liberally with coconut oil, grass-fed butter and ghee.
I stopped using extra virgin olive oil in cooking (and started consuming it liberally in unheated form, generally in salads).
I even bought beef liver. My first attempt at cooking it wasn't very successful... but I haven't given up! (I'm trying this recipe next.)
I began incorporating a weekly meal of small, oily, omega-3 fish such as sardines.
At the beginning of August, I started taking a teaspoon daily of fermented cod liver oil.But, so what? Have I noticed any changes?
It's only been a few months, and while my diet and lifestyle were pretty darn good before, I have noticed the following:
I've always been blessed with great sleep, but it has been even deeper and more restful.
I am stronger, which I especially notice when lifting weights.
I feel satiated, especially now that I'm consuming beef regularly.
I don't crave sugar. Ever.
I haven't been tired in the afternoons. My temperament has evened out - I'm generally happy and calm. The volatile mood swings have subsided.
My hair stays soft and shiny for two full days after washing. I only need to wash it twice a week.
My skin has not yet showed any trouble, despite being off HBC and a history of acne.
From charting, I know my cycle is already starting to show signs of normality.
Since BCP suppresses hormones and masks symptoms, cycles that are irregular before starting the pill stay irregular after stopping the pill. If I was on the pill until I wanted to have babies, I would not know how my fertility expressed itself until I stopped HBC. Only at that point, time would be running out. By being hormone-free now, in my early twenties, I will learn how my cycles work and be able to plan for the time in the far future when I want to become pregnant. This information is vital to having a successful conception and healthy pregnancy.
In any woman, irregular cycles or not, it is common for the first handful of cycles off BCP to be anovulatory, meaning you don't ovulate. Because while on the pill, you don't ovulate. (It is very possible to not ovulate and still get your period.) From charting, I know I didn't ovulate in my first cycle, but it was textbook 28 days, just like they were on the 28-day Yaz pill. (I think my body was still patterned on the BCP cycle length; don't expect them to stay at 28 days for long.) I am on Day 18 of this second cycle, and my body is showing signs of impending ovulation (exciting!), but I will also not be surprised if it doesn't happen this month. It is so lovely to be connected to my body. Katie Singer wrote a beautiful article about this.
It can take up to four months for changes to diet and lifestyle to fully register on the cellular and molecular level in your body. It hasn't even been one month of all the above changes. However, I feel better than I ever have in my life.
I started this journey to re-awaken my fertility, but in doing so I have also discovered the most nourishing diet to feel my best. I am so excited to see where this takes me.