Amy Medling - Healing PCOS

This book contains advice and information relating to health care. It should be used to supplement rather than replace the advice of your doctor or another trained health professional. If you know or suspect you have a health problem, it is recommended that you seek your doctor’s advice before embarking on any medical programme or treatment. All efforts have been made to assure the accuracy of the information contained in this book as of the date of publication. The publisher and the author disclaim liability for any medical outcomes that may occur as a result of applying the methods suggested in this book.

The names and identifying characteristics of certain individuals discussed in this book have been changed to protect their privacy.

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FIRST EDITION

Text © Amy Medling 2018

Cover design by Laura Beers Design

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The Alan Cohen quotation in Chapter 7 is from A Deep Breath of Life © 1996 by Alan Cohen, used with permission from Hay House, Inc., Carlsbad, CA.

The Mark Nepo quotation in Chapter 7 is from The Book of Awakening © 2000 by Mark Nepo, used with permission from Red Wheel Weiser, LLC, Newburyport, MA, www.redwheelweiser.com.

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Source ISBN: 9780008302382

Ebook Edition © May 2018 ISBN: 9780008302399

Version 2018-04-16

I met health coach and PCOS Diva Amy Medling online when she invited me to speak on a PCOS Diva podcast. I had heard wonderful things about her from my patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), who praised Amy’s inspiring website and coaching. I was delighted to finally meet Amy in person in Atlanta at the 2016 PCOS Challenge Conference. Amy is a serene and peaceful woman who radiates love and intelligence.

According to the Androgen Excess and PCOS Society, PCOS affects 5 to 15 percent of women worldwide. PCOS is associated with multiple symptoms ranging from irregularly spaced menstrual periods to hair loss, weight gain, and elevated blood pressure. In spite of the wide array of symptoms, PCOS is commonly regarded as a reproductive disorder, and most women with it are prescribed the birth control pill. However, no birth control pill can prevent metabolic problems or the development of type 2 diabetes. Furthermore, the role of a healthy lifestyle cannot be underestimated. American medicine is not equipped to provide the support for a healthy lifestyle in the broadest sense with regard to nutrition, movement, and spiritual health.

Derived from her own experience, Amy’s approach to PCOS stems from a health-based point of view rather than the disease-based paradigm of conventional medicine. Where conventional medical treatment is designed to pursue the enemy with a well-aimed bullet, Amy coaches about the fundamentals of self-care and the importance of eating well, moving regularly, and maintaining a positive mindset. This is not to say that medication can’t help PCOS, but without self-care the effect of medication is minimal.

Healing PCOS is an informative and inspiring step-by-step guide to learning to cherish yourself. Before you jump into changes in diet and exercise, Amy asks you to be mindful, create goals, and change the way you talk to yourself. With love and acceptance, she reminds readers that powerful women are not victims.

Amy Medling and I share the same mission: to help women with PCOS optimize their health and take control of their lives. If you are among them, we want you to feel strong, vibrant, joyful, and self-assured so that you can achieve your personal goals. I’m confident that reading Healing PCOS and following the plan Amy outlines in it will help set you on a path to health and healing.

Like Amy, I also have PCOS and had to travel my own path of self-discovery to find my way to health and joy. I experienced many of the same letdowns she did and had to self-diagnose, despite seeing “world-class” doctors at a major university medical school. Now we both take an integrative and holistic approach to the treatment of PCOS.

As a physician, board certified in both OB/GYN and Integrative Medicine, with a special expertise in PCOS, I order an array of tests to evaluate my patient’s inflammation, immune, and nutrient status; food allergies and sensitivities; gut microbiome; epigenetics; heavy metals and toxic load; and hormonal levels. But all the fancy tests in the world will have no real value for you if you do not address stress control, adequate and quality sleep, proper nutrition, and regular movement and fitness. In addition, embracing the concepts of living in the moment and having self-love is absolutely crucial for optimal health. The advice contained in Healing PCOS is the very foundation of care for women with PCOS, offering you the tools to take control of your health, your body, and your life.

I wish I could see you a month from now, after you have completed Amy’s program. I know you will feel better, with renewed joy and optimism. All best wishes on your journey!

One evening about ten years ago, my husband and I were at a steak house for dinner. As I placed my order, I asked our server some questions about the loaded baked potato that came with my meal.

“Does it come with butter?” I inquired.

“No, it comes with margarine,” the waitress replied.

“I can’t have margarine,” I told her. She made a note to substitute butter for the margarine.

“Can I have a sweet potato instead of a white potato?” I continued.

She said that would be fine and asked if I wanted cinnamon sugar.

“No, thank you,” I said. “I’ll have straight cinnamon.”

“No, we only have cinnamon sugar,” she replied.

This back-and-forth went on for some time, as I tried to order an unadulterated sweet potato and broccoli with olive oil.