I attended the free PCOS Symposium in Atlanta, GA this past Saturday. This particular event was put on by PCOS Challenge. The specialists that were presenting were very knowledgable about PCOS and how it affects our physiology, mental and emotional state, and our relationships with both people and food. The event kicked off with Sasha Ottey presenting a portion of her story with PCOS and how she (as many of us have been told) needs to take some birth control pills and lose weight and she’ll be fixed. This, unfortunately, is not the answer to this syndrome.
Through Google Hangout, Gretchen Kubocky, Psy.D. gave some insight into the mind of what many PCOSers and those dealing with infertility are struggling with. She informed us that women with PCOS have a propensity toward depression, anxiety, and suicide. She did, however, balance this information with steps that can be taken to help alleviate many of these issues. Self- care. Self- care is extremely important because you have to be able to do what is necessary to lead yourself toward more positivity. Some of the things she suggested were doing things that made you feel better about yourself; whether that mean diet and exercise, wearing things that make you feel attractive, or seeking professional counseling if necessary.
Rachel Brandeis, R.D. gave a lot of information regarding diet and nutrition specific to the PCOS population. She gave a well rounded presentation of the plan of attack for managing PCOS. She calls it the ‘3 Stool Approach.’ Like a 3 legged stool, if one method is missing, it will break down. The methods (nutrition, medical management, and exercise) all work in conjunction with one another. She also gave many helpful tips as to what out daily consumption of food should be to manage our condition.
Last but certainly not least was Dr. Mark Perloe from Georgia Reproductive Specialists in Atlanta, GA. He explained the importance of lifestyle with regards to the development of PCOS. So, in order to have the best chances at conception, it’s a good idea to begin to diet, exercise, and take any prescribed medications consistently in order to set the foundation for a healthy pregnancy.
Overall, the symposium put on by PCOS Challenge was very well rounded. They gave information pertaining to diet and nutrition, exercise, fertility, mental health, and self-care. It ended with an extensive question and answer session. There were tons of questions asked by some newly diagnosed PCOSers. I thought this was pretty awesome because it gave them some powerful tools to attack their diagnosis with from the very beginning.
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