Wednesday, December 26, 2012

Supplements


Supplements
By: Tabitha Norvell  insuliteangel29@gmail.com

   Over the past 7 months I have taken a lot of different supplements trying to find the ones that worked best for my body and my PCOS. I found that some worked better then others did for me. I have had people ask me what I am taking and if I have been able to get pregnant yet.

 I want to clear some things up first before I answer those questions. My husband and I have not really been TTCing the last 7 months. Yes we have fun in the bedroom but it is not about trying to make a baby. It has been about us, strengthening our relationship and getting to know each other again. He used to work out of town all the time so we really did not get to see each other or do anything together. Now that he has a new job we are learning what it is about each other that we truly love. We are growing together as a couple just the two of us with out taking care of someone else's kids (which we have spent a lot of our relationship doing, and we do not regret that at ALL and will become foster parents again here in the near future) and with him being home more. I have been concentrating on getting my PCOS on track as well as losing weight and becoming healthier then I am. So our journey was not about having a baby right this minute it was getting our bodies healthy enough to have a baby down the road. So there is a lot that needs to be taken into consideration when you think about my TTC/PCOS journey.

 Not everything that I am taking or have taken in the past is going to work for every woman who has PCOS. What I take is something that works for me, for my body, and for my PCOS. I want to share what works for me in hopes that what I have found might work for somebody else. I want to help all of you that are on a PCOS journey right now and might need suggestions or other possibilities that might work for you that the doctors may not tell you about. Today I am going to share with you what I have taken, and what I am taking now. What I have my husband on and what is working for him.

 To give you a little back ground my hubby has had multiple surgeries through out his life and has a low sperm count. We have struggled with this as well as my PCOS to try to have a baby. We tried for 6 years and decided it was time to make ourselves healthy first and then try again. Still having fun in the bedroom, but not stressing out about taking temps or opks or anything else like that.

 So here is what I am taking everyday and it works for me. I get my periods on time every month. The few times that I have seen the doctor to verify that I am ovulating the tests have shown that I am ovulating. Please keep in mind that this may not work for everyone:
Per Day:

1350 mg of Holy Basil (3 pills)
5000 IU Vitamin D3 (1 pill)
6000 MG CLA ( 2 pills 2x a day)
500 MCG Chromium Picolinate (1 pill)
1500 MG Evening Primrose Oil (1 pill every other day and 2 pills on the other days)
2000 MG L-Taurine ( 2 pills)
4000 MG Insotitol ( 2 pills 2x a day)
10,000 MCG Biotin (1 pill)
2000 MG Acetyl L- Carnitine (1 pill 4x a day)
100 MG 5HTP (1 pill)
Magnesium (2 pills per day, I dont know the exact MG because I am currently out of them until tomorrow)
Vitamin C (2 chewy tablets, I am unsure of the exact MG because I am currently out of them until tomorrow)
1000 MG Calcium ( 2 gummies)
800 MG Folic Acid ( I get 400MG from my Womans Daily Vitamin and 400mg from my B Complex)
Vita Fusion B Complex ( 1 Gummie)
1500 MG Royal Jelly (3 pills)
Adrenalize (1 pill 2x a day for weight loss and energy)
Tone ( 2 pills 2x a day for Omega 3's and weight loss)
Prebiotic Fiber Pills ( 5 chewy tablets)
Woman's Daily Vitamin (1 pill)

 Those are all the supplements that I am on. So far I have lost 17 pounds and feel better then I ever have. I do not have the anxiety, mood swings, depression or anything of the other issues that come with PCOS as long as I take these everyday. I find that if I miss a day I am ok for the most part but a little bit of the anxiety kicks in. I am enjoying life again and remembering what it is to truly live your life with your partner.

  I will write another blog tomorrow that explains what my husband is taking.

 As of right now I do not know if I am pregnant. The signs are there that say yes I am, but as anyone with PCOS knows it is not something to get your hopes up over until you know for sure. This seems to be the year that many women are beating PCOS and finally getting pregnant. I am hoping that I can say I am one of those, but if not that is ok, at least I know I am on the road to becoming healthier and when it is my turn I will have a healthy body to grow the precious miracle in :)

Thank you,
Tabitha

Monday, October 29, 2012

Why I chose Naturopathic Medicines for my PCOS

 I have a lot of women ask me why I chose to go the natural route rather than stick with traditional medicines and doctors. This was a personal choice for me, I had seen many MD's in my PCOS journey who would tell me there was nothing that they could do other than having surgery or taking birth control pills.

 I tried it all. I have had cysts removed off my ovaries, I have tried almost every kind of birth control and all it did for me was make me gain weight. This was not an option for me any more. I was pushing 300 lbs and decided to take my life back. I chose to do the research speak with a naturopathic doctor and see what she had to say about supplements and natural medicine.

 When my doctor told me what she recommended I automatically did my own research. Between me and a close friend we have found information that supports both sides of each of the supplements that I am currently taking. We spent hours upon hours doing research to make sure that what we were about to take would actually benefit the issues that we were dealing with. Yes I said we, there are a lot of the supplements that I am taking that my close friend is also taking. We have found that there are a lot of things that help us both out. We both have PCOS, we are both overweight to the extreme sense of the word and we have both dealt with regular doctors and decided to take things into our own hands.

 This decision was not something that I chose to do lightly. Like I said I did research and more research on what a naturopathic doctor had to do in order to get licensed as a doctor, I did research on each of the supplements before taking them, I made sure that I had all the knowledge that I needed good and bad in order to make an educational decision for me.

This has to be a decision that you make for yourself. I am not here to push natural supplements on anybody. I will support you no matter what decision you decide is right for you. All I want to do is share the information and knowledge that I have gained with those that want to hear it.

Lots of love and support to you all!!!
Tabitha

Monday, October 22, 2012

Losing you Hair, due to PCOS

Losing your Hair, due to PCOS
By: Tabitha Norvell insuliteangel29@gmail.com

I have seen so many posts and have talked to so many women who are suffering from hair loss due to PCOS. I am one of them that deals with it. After taking a shower my hair falls out in handfuls. Scares me and worries me. There are some who have told me they have problems with their hair growing, it hits a certain length and then it stops, so I decided to do some research and figure out what we could do or take to make this better.

So the research that I found talked about taking Biotin which is a natural supplement that your body produces. You can read more about it here 
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/natural/313.html
I ordered it and started taking it. I have been on it now for two weeks and LOVE this product! My hair is no longer falling out by the handfuls, instead I have 4 or 5 stray hairs that come out when I shower, when I brush my hair there is a lot less hair in my brush. 

Its easy to take and easy to use. You take one small pill first thing in the morning and you are good to go. It doesnt taste bad and it really works.

I hope that this helps you out with this annoying thing that PCOS has done to us.

http://www.pcos.insulitelabs.com/PCOS-and-Hair-Growth-or-Loss.php

Thank you,
Tabitha

Tuesday, October 16, 2012

The Benefits of L-Carnatine


There is another natural supplement that I was introduced to recently and have started using myself.  L- Carnatine has many benefits that I found helpful to me.  Hopefully you will find it beneficial to you as well. According to http://www.algaecal.com/multivitamins/l-carnitine-tartrate.htmlthe  following are some great benefits of L-Carnatine:

Muscles

·                                 Increases strength and endurance

·                                 Relieves physical and mental fatigue

·                                 Promotes and maintains new development of muscle mass

·                                 Reduces muscle injuries and sore muscles

·                                 Accelerates regeneration

Heart

·                                 Increases cardiac output

·                                 Lowers the heart rate under stress

·                                 Reduces the intensity of cardiac infarction

·                                 Reduces symptoms of heart failure, angina pectoris

Recovery from Surgeries

Experts recommend L-Carnitine for surgeries that may be accompanied by blood loss because it promotes formation of red blood cells and strengthens your immune system, aiding recovery.

Immune Cells

·                                 Supplies energy to immune cells

·                                 Increases activity of immune cells under stress

·                                 Doesn't strain the immune system

Brain Nerves

·                                 Slows aging of brain, dementia, Alzheimer's disease

·                                 Improves cognitive abilities like concentration, memory, and ability to learn

·                                 Accelerates renewal of tissue

Liver

·                                 Improves liver function

·                                 Reduces problems of fatty liver

·                                 Accelerates renewal of liver tissue

Sperm

·                                 Improves activity of sperm

·                                 Enlarges amount and number of sperm

·                                 Increases fertility of sperm

My husband and I have been taking this for a couple of weeks now and we feel great.  Check it out and see if it is right for you.  ~Tammy

 

 
 
 
 

 

 

 

 

Monday, October 15, 2012

Benefits of 5-HTP


There are many natural supplements out there that I have found beneficial to myself and my husband.  5-HTP is by far the best for me of any natural supplement I have discovered.  Every single benefit of 5-HTP looks as though they were specifically geared toward all of my conditions.  In my personal opinion, I feel as though every single woman out there with PCOS should be taking this supplement. 
had the following to say about 5-HTP:

5-HTP converts directly into serotonin in the brain.  Serotonin has many profoundly important functions, including a role in sleep, appetite, memory, learning, temperature regulation, mood, sexual behavior, cardiovascular function, muscle contraction, and endocrine regulation.

5-HTP CAN RESTORE SEROTONIN LEVELS AND HELP IMPROVE:
  • General mood1
  • Depression2
  • Anxiety3
  • Insomnia4
  • Weight loss5
  • PMS6
  • Chronic headaches7
  • Migraines"8
  • Fibromyalgia9

I found another very interesting fact about 5-HTP at http://www.herbwisdom.com/herb-5-htp.html
 
Clinical studies have shown that supplementing with 5-HTP produces positive results in weight loss, anxiety and depression. It improves sleep patterns and reduces carbohydrate cravings in those on low carbohydrate diets (such as The Atkins Diet). Anyone using a weight loss program similar to the Atkins Diet could experience a reduction in serotonin levels due to the fact that carbohydrates stimulate serotonin production in the body. Serotonin release is triggered by a carbohydrate load (sugar etc.) and it is thought that's why we often crave Carbohydrates under stress as we want to stimulate this serotonin release. When the brain produces serotonin, tension is eased. Conversely when the brain produces dopamine or norepinephrine (noradrenaline), we tend to think and act more quickly and are generally more alert. Therefore eating carbohydrates seems to have a calming effect, while proteins increase alertness. Taking 5-HTP supplements can stop this craving for fats and carbohydrates.

Can any of you see how 5-HTP could be so benefitial to women with PCOS?  As you look at all of the benefits listed above how many of them do you suffer from?  The answer for me is all of them.  Also, one major thing I have noticed while taking this is such a new mental clarity.  It is almost difficult to describe.  I feel as though I can think clearly for the first time in a very long time.  It helps me remember things and just concentrate better on important things.  Please take the time and actually research this for yourself.  It truly is a wonder drug that us women with PCOS should never do without.  ~Tammy

 

 
 
 
 

 

 

 

Thursday, October 11, 2012

Benefits of CLA


I have been sharing a lot of the natural supplements that I use with you lately and today I am going to share one with you that I really think you are going to like and want to add to your daily regiment.  It is called Conjugated Linoleic Acid or CLA for short. 

According to http://thyroid.about.com/cs/dietweightloss/a/cla.htm there are several benefits CLA offers us.  These benefits are as follows:

Increases metabolic rate -- This would obviously be a positive benefit for thyroid patients, as hypothyroidism -- even when treated -- can reduce the metabolic rate in some people.

Decreases abdominal fat -- Adrenal imbalances and hormonal shifts that are common in thyroid patients frequently cause rapid accumulation of abdominal fat, so this benefit could be quite helpful.

Enhances muscle growth -- Muscle burns fat, which also contributes to increased metabolism, which is useful in weight loss and management.

Lowers cholesterol and triglycerides -- Since many thyroid patients have elevated cholesterol and triglyceride levels, even with treatment, this benefit can have an impact on a thyroid patient's health.

Lowers insulin resistance -- Insulin resistance is a risk for some hypothyroid patients, and lowering it can also help prevent adult-onset diabetes and make it easier to control weight.

Reduces food-induced allergic reactions -- Since food allergies can be at play when weight loss becomes difficult, this can be of help to thyroid patients.

Enhances immune system -- Since most cases of thyroid disease are autoimmune in nature, enhancing the immune system's ability to function properly is a positive benefit.

The biggest benefit that stood out to me was the lowering of insulin resistance.  That is the main thing that I and I think most women with PCOS deal with.  I have been on this for about four days and have lost five pounds along with my diet.  This is one that I highly recommend that you add to your daily regement. ~ Tammy

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tuesday, October 2, 2012

Finding the strength and the energy

By: Tabitha Norvell   Insuliteangel28@gmail.com


 Having PCOS has a tendency to pull the life out of us everyday. How do you find the strength and the energy to move forward, take care of the things that need to be done everyday, and make sure that your family is taken care of? These are questions that I deal with everyday.

 For me it was all about a change in supplements and a change of attitude. If I feel tired and just dont want to do anything I make myself get up and do something. Even if its just vacuuming the floor or doing the dishes. Once I tell myself "ok I have to do something even if its something little" I find that I am not thinking about not having the energy to do it, I start thinking about the things that I need to get done and find that I just keep moving forward. An hour or two later I sit down to catch my breath and take a break and realize that 90 percent of what needed to get done is done. I feel better and know that I have accomplished something. It is not always that easy to do the mind over matter thing, it takes a change in diet and supplements as well.

Losing weight with PCOS is also a huge thing that drains the energy away from your body, I have found what works for me and is helping me lose the weight slowly and healthy. Each of us has to find what works for each one of us and use it to our advantage. For me it was eating things that made me feel good, when it came to the foods that I crave I sit down before I eat them and I ask myself, "is this really what I want? How is it going to make me feel after I eat it? Is it really what my body is craving, or does it just sound good because its something that I really shouldnt have?". Once I have answered these questions I decide what it is I really want. Then I make the right choice and move forward. I want to feel good, not crappy. So I try to stay away from all of the bad stuff and keep myself healthy and happy!

Best of wishes and warm thoughts to all of you!

Thank you,
Tabitha

Friday, September 28, 2012

Fruit VS No Fruit


Everyone always says, "Just eat your fruits and vegetables and everything will be alright."  Will it?  As a woman with PCOS I know that ALL the sugars I eat will turn to fat.  That means ALL.  Natural sugars that are in all fruits will store as fat for me.  I have talked  to many women with PCOS and without and some can eat fruits just fine and they are beneficial to them, but some cannot. 

I am one of those that cannot.  I love apples and oranges and bananas, but they don't like me.  It is unfortunate, but it is reality.  What about you, fellow PCOS women?  Can you eat fruits and not gain weight?  Do you even care?  Maybe you just like those fruits so much that it is worth the sacrifice.   Please share you thoughts with me.  ~ Tammy

 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thursday, September 27, 2012

I Will Do It Tomorrow


I sit here and feel like I am lazy and a major procrastinator.  Maybe I am a little bit, okay maybe I am a lot, but in my defense as a woman with PCOS the lack of energy I have plays a major role in that.  I have been taking lots of  B12 and yes it helps some, but not enough.  I sit here in my chair and think about how nice it would be to get up and do some dusting or vacuum the floors and don't get me wrong that gets done often in my house, but not as often as I would like. 

I sit and think about how great it would be to paint the house, but then I think of what I would rather do today.  Unfortunately, what I would rather do is nothing anywhere near painting a room in the house.  My husband bless his heart does not have PCOS, but is so close to my likes and dislikes after 17 years of marriage and kind of puts things off a bit too.

I even think sometimes about how nice it would be to go to St. Louis and see the arch.  I have so many sites I could see right here in my back yard, but I am a procrastinator.  I put it off and put it off and put it off.  Maybe one day I will do that, maybe one day.  To all of those fellow PCOS women out there, yeah you, I need a little help.  What do you do for your energy?  How do you get the drive to do anything?  I want to do lots, but this darn PCOS feels like it is holding me back a lot of times from doing what I want to do and what I need to do.  HELP!!! ~ Tammy

 

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

 

Sunday, September 23, 2012

Healing Depression and Anxiety the Natrual Way Part 3


There is a way to heal your depression and anxiety the natural way.  I am doing it with Holy Basil, L-Theanine and L-Taurine.  http://depressioncure4u.com/taurine.html had the following to say about Taurine:  What is Taurine? Taurine is another brain's inhibitory (soothing) neurotransmitter. It's an amino-acid similar in function and structure to GABA , which provides similar anti-anxiety effect, helping to balance and calm over-excited brain. It plays significant role in regulating electrical activity of nerves, stabilizing the heartbeat and acts as a powerful protector of the heart. Taurine is needed for normal functioning of the brain, gallbladder, cardio-vascular system and eyes (in fact, taurine is the prevalent amino acid in retina). It also supports immune system.

What is Taurine used for?

Due to its soothing and calming properties, Taurine is used as a natural cure for depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety, stress, insomnia, agitation, restlessness, irritability, obsessions, hypertension, arrhythmias, migraines, epilepsy, atherosclerosis, alcohol dependency, congestive heart failure and diabetes. It also has antioxidant and detoxifying properties and acts as a cardio tonic.

Taurine will help you to unwind after a hard day, promoting natural and healthy relaxation, comforting the body and pacifying the mind.

Dangers of Taurine deficiency

Taurine deficiency can develop for different reasons and may cause serious problems, such as depression, anxiety, poor brain function, hyperactivity, impaired vision, epilepsy, weight gain, hypertension and kidney problems. Taurine deficiency weakens the heart muscle, what may result in the heart failure. 

So with these three natural supplements I have found a way to beat my anxiety and depression and not be on all that junk the doctor prescribes that has all the side effects.  I hope this helps you in your battle with depression and anxiety.

~ Tammy

 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 

 

 

Thursday, September 20, 2012

Healing my depression and Anxiety the Natural Way Part 2


Depression and anxiety can plague many of us, but there are natural ways to fight it.  Holy Basil is one thing that I take that works great.  Another is L-Theanine.  L-Theanine has multiple benefits, but the main on is for anxiety.  http://l-theaninebenefits.com/  had the following to say about L-Theanine: Research on human volunteers has demonstrated that L-Theanine may create a sense of relaxation in approximately 30-40 minutes after ingestion (at 1000 mgs) via at least two different mechanisms. First, this amino acid directly stimulates the production of alpha brain waves, creating a state of deep relaxation and mental alertness similar to what is achieved through meditation. Second, L-theanine is involved in the formation of the inhibitory neurotransmitter, gamma amino butyric acid (GABA).

GABA influences the levels of two other neurotransmitters, dopamine and serotonin, producing the key relaxation effect.

L-theanine has an effect on the release or reduction of neurotransmitters like dopamine and serotonin, resulting in improved memory and learning ability. L-theanine may also influence emotions due to its effects on the increased release of dopamine. L-theanine reduces brain serotonin concentration by either curtailing serotonin synthesis or increasing degradation in the brain.  Stayed tuned for part three of this blog for the final natural supplement that helps me with my depression and anxiety.  ~ Tammy

 

  

 

 

 
 

 
 

 

 

Healig my Depression and Anxiety the Natural Way Part 1


Depression and anxiety can be the most terrible thing that most of us will deal with in our lives.  I have been on Zoloft, Paxil and Prozac, just to name a few.  Did they help me, yes and no?  They did take some of the feelings away, but in reality they just put me in a fog.  They made me feel like I did not know what I was doing half of the time.  Not to mention Zoloft makes you gain weight.  Funny how the doctor never told me that when he prescribed it to me.  Like I need to gain any more weight.   All of these prescription drugs for anxiety and depression have an unbelievable amount of side effects that I can do without. 

 I decided one day that I wanted to be off of all that junk.  I knew there had to be a way to heal my depression and anxiety the natural way.  I started taking three natural supplements that have really been combating all of the depression and anxiety for me.  The first one is Holy Basil.  Holy Basil has and unbelievable amount of benefits according to http://www.herbslist.net/holy-basil.html.  The benefits of Holy Basil are the following:

·        Reduce stress, depression and anxiety

·        Treat panic attacks

·        Promote mental relaxation

·        As an adaptogen

·        Treat convulsions

·        Treat cancer

·        Increase strength, stamina and endurance

·        Utilize oxygen more efficiently

·        Promote proper protein synthesis

·        Aid digestion

·        Boost the functioning of the immune system

·        As an aid to meditation and spiritual growth

·        Promote cerebral circulation

·        Improve memory

·        Promote clarity of thought and focus

·        Treat diabetes

·        Treat ADHD and ADD

·        For faster wound healing

·        As a pain reducer

·        Treat kidney stones

·        Treat high cholesterol

·        Treat heart disorders

·        Treat mouth infections

·        Treat headaches

·        Treat poisoning

·        Balance hormones

·        Maintain healthy cortisol levels

·        Maintain proper blood sugar levels

·        Treat inflammation

·        Treat colds, sore throat and coughs

·        Treat snakebite and scorpion stings

·        Resist bacterial and viral infections

·        Treat malaria

·        Reduce fevers

·        Maintain respiratory health

·        Treat asthma, allergies and bronchitis

·        Treat arthritis

·        Relieve gas and stomach cramps

·        Protect vision and eye health

·        Protect against radiation

·        As a powerful antioxidant

·        Protect the liver and kidneys

·        Maintain dental health and reduce bad breath

·        Treat insect bites and skin problems

As you can see Holy Basil is unbelievable.  Stayed tuned to my next blog for the second natural healer for depression and anxiety. ~Tammy

 

 

 

 
 
 

 
 
 

 

Tuesday, September 18, 2012

Rollin with the Punches


Something happened to me recently.  I won't go into a lot of detail, but this was a bit of a disappointment.  It is something that may be temporary or it may be permanent.  I don't know.  This is something that will negatively affect me.  I know your dying to know what it is, right?  Sorry, can't share the details, but it really got me thinking of how life changes so often.  It can change on a dime.  You can plan everything out ahead of time and map out your path, but life just happens sometimes.

How do we deal with these changes?  Well, we could whine about it.  We could get all bummed and depressed about it, but why?  We need to learn to roll with the punches.  Things happen, life happens.  We need to remain positive.  I heard a saying once and its great.  We need to plan for the worst, but expect the best.  This way we are being positive and optimistic, but we are covering ourselves in case something bad happens. 

There are so many changes in life.  Changes in general and especially changes with our PCOS.  Okay, things happen and they flat out suck sometimes, but why get all down in the dumps.  We need to learn to roll with the punches.  We need to learn to prepare  for the worst and expect the best.  ~Tammy

 
 

 

 

 
 
 
 
http://www.pcos.insulitelabs.com/overweight_but_fit.php