PCOS | Life Hacks

PCOS life hacks are a must for any girl in my shoes. From acne and insane mood swings, to weight gain and fatigue; we get the worst cards in the deal. Personally, my PCOS physical symptoms are not too obvious, however my hormonal imbalance causes a horrendous internal battle with anxiety and stress. I was diagnosed with PCOS two years ago, but I have been living with it for much longer. Over the years I have been struggling to get to grips with the condition; me and my body lost touch and completely fell out of sync.

When I first started making noise about PCOS a few weeks ago I discovered it was more common than I had first realised. Through actively discussing PCOS with others I found comfort in knowing that I am not alone. As corny as it sounds, the ultimate life hack to anything is to talk about the problem.

Discovering Higher Love

One beautiful soul introduced me to an incredible lady who has cured her PCOS naturally. We were lucky enough to get a couple of hours face-to-face talk time with Megan from Higher Love and I now have my eyes open to what I am callling “PCOS Life Hacks”. I highly recommend you take a look through what Megan has to say, give her a follow on Instagram or even reach out to connect with her. Her positive outset on life is contagious, her tips are stellar, and she knows her sh*t.

Doctors are so quick to dismiss PCOS and prescribe contraceptive pills and hormonal manipulators. This is the WORST thing you can do. Your body is already giving you the red flag with PCOS, so why upset yourself even more with false treatments? I am still figuring out what works for my body. One key point to remember with natural remedies is we are all unique and our bodies need different balances to work efficiently.

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I was hit by a double whammy…
PCOS hair thinning + crappy Bali water = dying hair

I lost all the length I used to love, my hair was so dry and it was falling out in clumps. It sounds like I’m being a princess, but I was seriously becoming self conscious and so affected by the condition of my hair. After trying several different supplements I finally decided to listen to some advice from someone who knew what they were talking about…

“go natural.”

I preach this to everyone, not only those living with PCOS. High street hair care is full of chemicals: hairdressers even recommend to use Pantene if you want to strip a colour out. Swapping over to a natural shampoo and conditioner was the right decision for me. It took about one week to get used to less bubbles, but now my hair is luscious again and is even growing.

I use the hydrating range from Sensatia Botanicals, a local Bali company. This along with an argan oil based product has been my miracle.

However, there are some things I cannot use natural products for. One of the worst PCOS peeves I battle with is the blemishes and acne flare ups. My skin can leave me looking like an awkward teen depending on what my hormones spontaneously decide to do. When this happens I struggle to even leave the house… I get so embarrassed, ashamed even. I try witch hazel, tea tree, and every homemade natural potions out there, but nothing works. (Megan has recommended using apple cider vinegar as a toner at bedtime which I am yet to try.) The only effective treatment that works for me is Duac gel – Clindamycin-Benzoyl Peroxide. Go ask your doctor and thank me later.

Vamp up your diet.

“You are what you eat.”

It really is as simple as that. All the good that goes in your body is absorbed while all the bad is pushed out either in fats, oils or toxins. Again, every body is different so you need to do a bit of trial and error until you discover out what works best. One of the best changes I made was cutting a large portion of meat out of my regular diet: I feel lighter, less bloated and have more energy. My main diet consists of veggies, fruit and fish. Occasionally I give in to a meat craving with a salami pizza or British Roast. By living in the tropics I am blessed with fantastic healthy food that is easily available.

Some PCOS life hackers recommend going for a brutal change to cut out all dairy, carbs, sugar and caffeine; so basically all of the good stuff.

I have made a simple promise with myself to just try to be healthy and not get obsessive with my food. When I eat crap, I feel crap… so don’t eat crap. Listen to your gut, as the saying goes, and do right by your body.

Look after yourself and it will shine right out of you.

This line is a little bit obvious but sometimes we just need a reminder. I have always turned to exercise when I have been feeling down. I used to be a horse rider and runner, now I surf. Some people use the gym. However ladies, did you know too much exercise at the wrong phase of your cycle can be bad for you? If you turn to exercise to handle stress then this could actually increase the stress hormone cortisol and then promote more toxins to circulate the body.

As it turns out, I can get quite stressed without even realising. Megan suggested I practice yoga more regularly. This would help prevent the negativity in my mind instead of turning to yoga as a cure for the emotions. I won’t lie. I need to work on this some more…

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Essentially, what I have discovered is that a little bit of self care can reach this “higher love” and lead to a re-balance inside your body. In order for these PCOS life hacks to work we need to reconnect with ourselves, get back in sync and jump back onto THE cycle our bodies yearn for.

Do you have PCOS?

I would love to hear your own PCOS life hacks. Leave a comment or reach out to me privately for a chat about it all.

Are you practising self love?

LOVE YOURSELF ENOUGH – Cleo Wade. “A love like this moves mountains.”

Did someone say stress…

Can you give me any tips to keep the stress at bay? Why do I care too much about everything?

PCOS Life Hacks Achieved
Self love
Healthy diet
Stress control