Polycystic Ovary Syndrome or PCOS, is a common condition that affects how a woman’s ovaries work. The condition is due to elevated androgens (male hormones) in women. The condition is thought to arise following the result of a combination of genetic and environmental factors, although the exact reasons are uncertain. Some medics link the condition to obesity and a low level of physical exercise. There has also been a link to exposure from Bisphenol A, which is part of some types of plastics.
The three main features of PCOS are:
Irregular periods – a woman’s ovaries don’t regularly release eggs (ovulation).
Excess androgen – high levels of “male hormones” in the body. These can cause physical signs such as excess facial or body hair.
Polycystic ovaries – where the ovaries become enlarged and contain many fluid-filled sacs (follicles) which surround the eggs.
Because of many misunderstandings around the condition, Toronto-based writer Fiona McCulloch has penned a book on the subject. The book is titled “8 Steps to Reverse Your PCOS,” and it attempts to address a gap in the available literature on PCOS.
Another reason for the book, according to Dr. Fiona McCulloch is because “most women don’t even know they have it [PCOS] and are left feeling frustrated and alone.”
Dr. McCulloch is well-placed to discuss the subject, having been a PCOS sufferer herself. In the text, Dr. McCullough outlines the main signs are of PCOS and how a woman will know, after reviewing the signs, if she has it. There are also recommendations for the best diet that a woman with PCOS can adopt, and advice on those with the condition who are seeking to become pregnant. Here Dr. McCullough draws on her experience as the Naturopathic Doctor advisor to IVF.ca, which is Canada’s main online fertility community.
Explaining these key features further, Dr. McCulloch said: “8 Steps to Reverse Your PCOS is an encyclopedic-style book that has vast implications for PCOS, diabetes and weight loss, and it is the first book that introduces the idea of insulin counting.”
Expanding on this further, she adds: “Insulin counting involves the measurement of how much a portion of any given food we eat raises blood insulin levels which can, if implemented, change the life of about one out of every ten women in the world—the percentage who suffer in silence from PCOS.”
Importantly, Dr. McCullough takes a long-term approach when describing the condition. PCOS is not static and it changes through a woman’s lifespan. There are differences between affected teenagers, younger women and women who are in the post-menopausal stage.
