Ok, this post has been a long time coming. I want to go more in depth later with this, but it’s part of our fertility journey & it’s quite a big part actually. Let’s rewind to when I was 25 four years ago. I was diagnosed with PCOS. It was scary, it was alarming, it was devastating, & it was confusing. I had no idea what PCOS was & still to this day I’m confused by the diagnosis. I blogged a whole lot about my PCOS [HERE] for those of you wondering more about it. But in all fairness doctors really don’t know a whole lot about it either. It’s incurable, it’s a very different experience for everybody, & each case needs to be treated differently as such. Ok, so after that diagnosis I was seen by many doctors who all didn’t really know how to approach my PCOS & none of them really had great solutions for me, but one doctor highly recommended that I go gluten free. That was some of the best advice I had ever gotten in my entire life. Right after the doctor recommended that Jose and I quit gluten cold turkey & it’s now been almost 5 years with no gluten & it really has changed my life for the better. In short the reason I was given that doctors recommend going gluten free when you are diagnosed with things such as cancer, PCOS, & other diagnoses, is because when we consume gluten our bodies have to work extra on .so it takes time away from those areas that need the work. Also gluten acts as an estrogen hormone in most cases which our bodies are already hormonally imbalanced as PCOS patients so we do not need to disrupt that more. [This was a very dumbed down explanation that I was given…. please talk to your doctor about going gluten free as I am clearly not a medical professional.. but I can decorate your home like a mad woman ;)] Anyways, since going gluten free my body has acted more normally & Jose and I have seen some great benefits. Another thing to note is that when we both consume any gluten now on accident we both get reactions from breakouts, rashes, & tummy issues that are not pleasant. The one issue with being gluten free? It’s a lot of work & as a busy woman it’s hard to be on the go & GF. Over time I have found some ways to help me & I wanted to share a few small tips with you today & some companies that I have found to help you with not only eating gluten free, but just healthy in general…
- Xoby Organics.Xoby is an organic grocery delivery service that is one that I found recently & have been falling in love with. I have been using this service for snack/breakfast/drink delivery. The thing about grocery shopping when you are gluten free it is so hard to do research on items and find them in the store to make sure they are for sure gluten free. With this service you can search “gluten free” and be reassured that every item that pops up is certified gluten free & it takes the searching for hours and guessing out of it. Basically on Xoby.Com you can create certain boxes for example I have one labeled “liz’s snacks” & you can can get that box delivered monthly or as needed. My “Liz’s snacks” box has items like peanut butter [it’s my favorite I have ever had before so glad I found it through this], cereal, pasta, & other items like that. My favorite thing about xoby is that once a month I get these snacks and other items delivered that forces me to eat at home, organic, & gluten free so that I don’t go out to eat everyday & also so I’m not researching for hours at the grocery store looking for gf snacks that are also organic. Oh, & who doesn’t love the convienence of free shipping & groceries delivered to you? I’m hooked!
- Shipt.Shipt [HERE] is a delivery service connected to your local grocery store. Ok, this one I have been using for a few months now & it has been life changing. I get everything from toilet paper, food, mouse traps [don’t ask], to toiletries, groceries, and more. I’m not sure if Shipt is available in all areas, but I believe most larger cities now have some sort of grocery delivery service available. This one goes something like this… It’s $99 a year [They offer deals on this once in a while] for the membership & it’s free grocery delivery service [you can do multiple deliveries a day above a certain price point which is $25 I believe]. This makes my gluten free life so much easier because with a simple “gluten free” search on the app it pulls up all of the gluten free items up from our local grocery store at once. It’s that easy. No questions on whether or not anything I’m getting is gluten free or will make me sick. Shipt makes it so that in my busy schedule, like Xoby, I don’t have to deal with going to the grocery store & everything is just delivered to my front door when I want it 24 hours a day. Shipt forces me to eat healthy at home & not have the excuse that I couldn’t go to the grocery store. It’s amazing, life changing, & has truly changed my eating game. You can check out Shipt & see if it’s in your area [HERE].
- Sun Basket.Sun Basket is one of the things that has gotten me back in the kitchen & made me fall in love with cooking again. Between busy schedules, moving, & gutting our kitchen in the past few years I fell out of love with cooking & truly had no drive to cook. I thought a dinner subscription box would be such a great idea, but every single one didn’t offer a “gluten free” option until I found Sun Basket where you can select preferences like “gluten free” “vegetarian” and more. So every meal we get is gluten free & delicious. What Sun Basket [HERE] is is a meal delivery service that delivers all the ingredients easy gourmet meals from the spices to the meat to the fresh vegetables to then sauces. They include every single ingredient needed in the right portion so there is no measuring needed. Our dinners are never boring & we get to explore recipes we would never have thought of trying before. It’s been so fun to get back in the kitchen & eat fresh food. It’s also a fun thing for Jose and I to do together. There are options on the website where you can choose the next weeks meals & you can select how many you want for the month. You can also select how big your family is & all of those things. It’s honestly amazing & I wouldn’t recommend it if I didn’t love it. You can sign up for Sun Basket [HERE].
Gluten free isn’t an easy journey, but it’s part of our fertility journey & I think it has made a huge difference. Mind you we have lost seven babies & have not had a successful pregnancy yet, it still has made my body function better & has done wonders for Jose as well. I TRULY HOPE that this helps someone out there that is struggling with a gluten free diet or just eating well in general. All of these things can help anyone eat healthier & not necessarily for gluten free & a great diet is a huge step in helping your fertility. I am by no means saying my diet is great. I have gained weight, not made great choices, & I haven’t always been kind to my body, but these things have been helping a ton. Let me know what you guys think in the comments below, find me on Facebook, & chat with me on Instagram. As always, THANK YOU for stopping by my little blog it means the world to me to share every aspect of this journey we are on from the fixer upper to the fertility. xx
Thanks for taking us along on the journey, Liz! I always enjoy reading your posts. I wonder if you’ve heard of the Trim Healthy Mama way of eating? I have read many (dozens?) testimonials on their Facebook page from women who struggled with PCOS and infertility. It might be worth looking into. Even if you don’t decide to follow the THM plan, their products may be of interest to you. They have a terrific gluten-free baking blend among other things and a couple of cookbooks I’ve found helpful. Hope this helps!
Have you considered a Keto Diet? You could remain gluten free too. Last year I followed Ideal Protein for weight loss and MANY dieters become pregnant after infertility. They call them IP babies.
I second the recommendation for THM (Trim Healthy Mama). Life changing for many, many ladies with PCOS, insulin resistence, hypothyroidism, etc. Being gleuten free is a huge part of the plan and has brought great success for many of us. I have read of many, many ladies who have had successful pregnancies following years of interfility after changing their eating in accordance with THM. Thanks your for your Blog! It’s a blessing!!!
Howdy,
I was diagnosed with PCOS when I was around 12. I remember feeling devastated when the doctor told me I’d have trouble having kids. I’ve been to multiple doctors over the years and never could get help until this fall when I discovered a naturopath in my area (I HIGHLY recommend her if anyone is in Northwest Arkansas). I am so so glad I’ve found someone who actually knows about PCOS! Before coming to her, I never knew diet stress and how much fat you have can affect your hormones so much. I also never knew soy harms women with PCOS (soy is in SO MUCH FOOD BTW). I feel like for the first time ever my eyes have been opened!
I’ve known many women who’ve changed their diet, lost weight and in the midst of it all, found out they were pregnant. I have faith God will bless you with a little one when you least expect it. 🙂
I hear you on the issues of having PCOS. I too have an autoimmune condition; mine is Hashimotos Thyroiditis/adrenal fatigue/leaky gut etc. I had endometriosis in my 20’s and 30’s. It took me until I was in my 60’s to get diagnosed. Honestly, the day I was FINALLY diagnosed was the best day of my life. Now I knew what I was dealing with and then I just needed to figure out what I need to do about it. I am now gluten, dairy, sugar and all grains fee. For the past two years I am on an elimination diet called Autoimmune Protocol and this protocol has helped me tremendously. As you likely know, this is a healing diet whose goal is to lessen inflammation. inflammation is an issue in almost all autoimmune conditions. I see the most fantastic Functional Medicine Physician, Dr. Ann Auburn, who practices in Grandville, MI just one exit past the exit of your shop. She diagnoses from blood work and symptoms. She is the best! Both my husband and I see her and she has definitely helped us both. I feel that we are so lucky to have her practicing close to us.
Natural Health Improvement Center PC Master
Dr. Ann M. Auburn, DO/MD
4466 Heritage Ct. SW Unit D, Grandville, MI 49418
PHONE: 616-301-0808 FAX: 616-301-7887
Practicing integrative functional medicine.
Hi there! I am a writer working on an article for MedShadow about using diet (with or without meds) to manage PCOS. I saw your blog and this post, and thought maybe your insight would be helpful to our readers! I have to say that I too have PCOS, but when I was diagnosed 13+ years ago there wasn’t as much information about diet (or cool services such as grocery delivery!!!) Anyway, I know diet helped me out – and so finally I found editor willing to let me write an article about it. Anyway, if you would be willing to talk to me about the dietary changes you are making, before Jan 2 (!), please let me know!
Just want to say- I found your blog last year when I was going through the hardest time of my life. After 5 years of infertility , I become pregnant but lost my baby at 21 weeks. I was devastated but reading your posts on infertility helped bring me out of the darkness I was in. The positivity that you exude throughout your experience was truly inspiring. Thank you for sharing your journey. I am now 4 months pregnant and just want to say that I believe changing both my husband’s and my diet to a strict Whole 30 plan is what helped me become pregnant.
Have you ever considered having Myofascial Release to include blasting your fascia, especially in your abdomen area? I know some ladies on Ashley Black Guru’s fasciablaster (https://www.fasciablaster.com) website have had success in getting pregnant after using the blaster. Just a thought…. best of luck to you as you continue on your journey.