Episode #164: Balance Your Hormones with Omega-3 Power

Episode #164: Balance Your Hormones with Omega-3 Power

Episode #164: Balance Your Hormones with Omega-3 Power

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure and privacy policy.

Balance Your Hormones with Omega-3 Power-3

What you’ll learn in this episode:

Discover the powerful role that omega-3 fatty acids play in hormone health, inflammation, and PCOS symptom management. While supplements and superfoods are often overhyped, omega-3s stand out as a simple yet impactful nutrient you can easily include in your daily routine—either through diet or supplementation. You’ll learn how omega-3s reduce inflammation, improve insulin sensitivity, support hormone production, and even promote better mood, brain function, and emotional stability.



How Omega-3s Support Hormone and Insulin Health

Omega-3s help calm the chronic low-grade inflammation common in PCOS and act as building blocks for healthy hormone production. This episode explains how getting enough omega-3s helps your body better regulate insulin and blood sugar, which in turn helps to lower testosterone and support ovulation. You’ll also learn about the importance of healthy fats after decades of low-fat diet messaging and how these essential fats can help correct imbalances like low progesterone or estrogen dominance.

Getting Omega-3s Through Food and Supplements

We’ll explore both dietary and supplemental sources of omega-3s. You’ll learn practical tips for using foods appropriately to preserve their benefits and not destroy their omega-3 content. If you’re considering supplements, you’ll hear my recommendations and brand preferences, along with tips for choosing high-quality, third-party-tested products that avoid contamination from heavy metals. You can also download the free PCOS Supplement Guide for more detailed recommendations for PCOS supplements.

What to Expect When You Add Omega-3s

This episode breaks down the real-world benefits women with PCOS may experience after consistently using omega-3s, ranging from clearer skin and reduced bloating to improved ovulation, mood, and blood sugar stability. You’ll also learn how omega-3s can support hair health, especially for those experiencing thinning or limp hair due to hormonal imbalances. 

How to Start Incorporating Omega-3s

To help you take action, this episode provides easy ways to add omega-3s into your daily routine. Whether through diet or supplementation this episode outlines dosage suggestions and how to safely combine omega-3s with other key supplements like magnesium and vitamin D to enhance your PCOS healing journey.

Supplements like omega-3s help create an environment where your body can thrive, but they’re not a quick fix. If you’re ready to explore the supplements best suited to your unique needs, head to supplementsforpcos.com to grab your free guide.

Let’s Continue The Conversation

Do you have questions about this episode or other questions about PCOS? I would love to connect and chat on a more personal level over on Instagram. My DMs are my favorite place to chat more.

 

So go visit me on IG @nourishedtohealthy.com

 

Let’s Continue The Conversation

Do you have questions about this episode or other questions about PCOS? I would love to connect and chat on a more personal level over on Instagram. My DMs are my favorite place to chat more.

 

So go visit me on IG @nourishedtohealthy.com

 

rate the podcast

Spread the Awareness

If you have found this podcast helpful please take just a moment to rate it and leave a review. This helps apple, spotify or whichever platform you use know to share this podcast with other women. I truely appreciate your help supporting as many women as possible

Read The Full Episode Transcript Here

Hi, and welcome back to the PCOS Repair Podcast. In this episode, we’re going to dive into a simple but powerful nutrient that supports hormone health—omega-3 fatty acids. Now, I know supplements and so-called superfoods are thrown around a lot online. It can be really confusing to know which ones actually matter. But when it comes to omega-3 fatty acids, they’re easy to get naturally—without taking a supplement—and I’ve seen some really great benefits from this nutrient when it comes to PCOS symptoms.

We’ll get into which symptoms I’ve seen significantly improve both personally and with patients and clients. Whether you’re just starting your PCOS health journey or looking for additional support, this episode is a great way to learn more about nutrients that are important to include in your diet or supplement routine.

Why Omega-3s Matter

Let’s start with the benefits of omega-3s and why you might want to consider them. First, they’re strongly anti-inflammatory. As we know, chronic low-grade inflammation is a root cause for many women with PCOS. Even if inflammation isn’t your primary root cause, most of us with PCOS experience some level of inflammation—whether from insulin resistance, excess fat, or hormonal imbalances.

Omega-3s help calm that inflammation. Second, they are the building blocks of healthy hormone production. One of the biggest problems from the low-fat diet era was that we were told to avoid fat, and as a result, many women weren’t getting the healthy fats needed for hormone production. Our bodies need certain fats—like omega-3s and some cholesterol—in order to create hormones and maintain balance. Without them, we risk issues like dominant testosterone or estrogen, or low progesterone.

Third, omega-3s improve insulin sensitivity. They help our cells respond better to insulin, which helps regulate blood sugar and lower testosterone, supporting overall hormone health. Lastly, omega-3s support brain health and emotional regulation. If you’re dealing with anxiety, mood swings, or brain fog, omega-3s can help.

Now, they’re not a magic pill. If you’ve listened to this podcast for any length of time, you know it comes down to your overall environment—nutrition, movement, sleep, stress management—all tuned to your unique needs. Omega-3s are just one small part of creating a balanced environment where your body can thrive.

Sources of Omega-3s

Personally, I take a supplement. But not all omega-3 supplements are created equal—some taste awful. The two I like are from Nordic Naturals, which keeps their ingredients clean and processes above board. One is a gel capsule—large, but easy to swallow and doesn’t taste fishy. I avoid their green, phyto-based one—it smells like seaweed, and when I store it in my weekly supplement containers, the smell seeps into everything else.

Another option I don’t mind is their lemon-flavored oil. It doesn’t taste fishy at all, and it’s easy to take by the teaspoon.

If you want a full list of supplements I recommend for PCOS, you can grab my free PCOS Supplement Guide—I’ll link it in the show notes. That also gives you access to my Fullscript online dispensary, where you’ll find all the trusted brands I recommend. These are third-party tested and regularly updated by me based on availability and quality. You’ll also get a 20% discount through my link.

Dietary Omega-3s

You can also get omega-3s from your diet. Some of the best sources include:

  • Fatty fish like salmon, sardines, and mackerel
  • Flax seeds and chia seeds, as long as they’re raw and not cooked
  • Walnuts
  • Algae or seaweed-based foods

Keep in mind: if flax or chia seeds are cooked or heated—like baked into granola or stirred into hot oatmeal—they lose the omega-3 benefit. So sprinkle them on top instead of cooking them in.

Choosing a Good Supplement

If you’re shopping for a supplement, look for one with high-quality fish oil or algal oil. You want active forms of omega-3s—EPA and DHA—and a product that’s third-party tested for heavy metals. Fish oil supplements can have contamination risks, so choosing a reputable brand is essential. The same goes for sourcing your fish; the quality of the fish you eat matters.

How Much Do You Need?

In general, aim for 1,000 to 3,000 mg of EPA and DHA per day. You don’t need to worry about overdosing—if you eat salmon and take a supplement the same day, that’s totally fine.

What to Expect

How do you know if omega-3s are helping? Some women notice:

  • Clearer skin
  • Less bloating
  • Better mood and emotional regulation
  • More regular cycles
  • Improved ovulation
  • Fewer cravings
  • More stable blood sugar

These are supported by studies, but remember: if omega-3s are the only piece missing from an otherwise balanced lifestyle, you may see big improvements. But if other pieces are still off, the results might be less noticeable.

Omega-3s and Hair Health

One area I’ve seen a consistent impact is hair health. Women with hair loss, thinning, or limp hair often see improvements when they add omega-3s. That said, supplements aren’t a replacement for healthy habits. You can’t supplement your way out of poor sleep, chronic stress, or imbalanced blood sugar. But if you’re doing your best and still struggling with hair issues, omega-3s can help.

Even my hairdresser noticed the difference when she stays consistent with omega-3s—her hair feels fuller. Just keep in mind, this takes time. Think in terms of 3 to 6 months, not weeks.

Getting Started

Start by adding omega-3-rich foods to your diet:

  • Salmon once or twice a week
  • Ground flax seeds in a smoothie or sprinkled on oatmeal
  • A handful of walnuts as a snack
  • Chia pudding for breakfast or a snack

If you’re not getting enough, consider a supplement. And for even more benefit, omega-3s pair beautifully with magnesium and vitamin D—my top three supplement picks for PCOS.

You can find my full list and preferred brands in the free PCOS Supplement Guide. It outlines what each supplement supports, how to choose the right one for you, and includes the discount link to my dispensary.

Omega-3s are a simple, low-effort, but high-impact nutrient that supports hormone production, reduces inflammation, improves insulin sensitivity, and helps regulate mood. And the best part? You can start today with small changes to your meals—or explore supplementation if needed.

Before we wrap up, I want to emphasize: no supplement alone will fix PCOS. It takes a holistic, well-rounded approach. Nutrition, movement, sleep, stress management, mindset—and yes, smart supplementation—all work together. That’s the formula for lasting change.

So, if you found this episode helpful, head over to supplementsforpcos.com to grab your free guide. And make sure to hit subscribe on your favorite podcast app so you never miss an episode.

Thanks for listening, and until next time—bye for now!


Take The PCOS Root Cause Quiz

   What Do Your Symptoms Mean?

  Discover your current PCOS Root Cause

Start to reverse PCOS at the root cause. 

Results are not guaranteed. Please see Medical Disclaimer for more detail.

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Episode #163: Love, Boundaries & PCOS: Navigating Hormonal Shifts Together

Episode #163: Love, Boundaries & PCOS: Navigating Hormonal Shifts Together

Episode #163: Love, Boundaries & PCOS: Navigating Hormonal Shifts Together

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure and privacy policy.

Love, Boundaries & PCOS Navigating Hormonal Shifts Together

What you’ll learn in this episode:

In this episode of the PCOS Repair Podcast, you’ll discover how the relationships in your life, whether with your partner, friends, family, or coworkers, can significantly influence your PCOS symptoms. Emotional stress, social expectations, and even well-meaning gestures can trigger physical changes like fatigue, cravings, acne, mood swings, and weight gain. These effects are often subtle but impactful, creating pressure that worsens hormonal imbalances without you even realizing it.

Emotional Stress, Hormones, and Relationship Triggers

You will learn how emotional responses to seemingly minor events, like a coworker’s food habits or a relative’s intrusive questions, can create hidden stress that contributes to hormone disruption. Fertility triggers, expectations around social gatherings, or even challenges with intimacy in a relationship all feed into your body’s stress response. This chronic stress elevates cortisol, disrupts sleep and energy levels, and worsens PCOS root causes.

The Power of Boundaries and Communication 

This episode explores the importance of setting boundaries, not as a way to distance yourself from others, but to create space for your healing. You’ll hear examples of how small boundary shifts, such as opting out of a sugar-filled coffee run or responding gracefully to invasive fertility questions, can protect your energy and mental health. When boundaries are implemented thoughtfully, they preserve relationships while making room for your wellness.

Relationships thrive on clear communication, especially when navigating the complexities of PCOS. This episode highlights how to share just enough context with those closest to you so they can be supportive—even if they don’t fully understand PCOS. You’ll hear how explaining your needs clearly can help your partner or family support your efforts, even when they’re not making the same lifestyle changes themselves.

Creating Supportive Relationship Dynamics for Hormone Health

You will also explore how positive relationships increase feel-good hormones like oxytocin, boost progesterone, and reduce cortisol, creating a more supportive environment for PCOS healing. In contrast, strained relationships can trigger cravings, fatigue, irritability, and emotional withdrawal. The episode encourages taking small steps to reframe your interactions so that your social environment contributes to your healing instead of draining your energy.

This episode invites you to evaluate how your relationships impact your daily experience and your health. Your healing journey is personal, and your relationships can either support or hinder that process. With a few intentional shifts, you can make your social environment work for your hormonal health, rather than against it.

Let’s Continue The Conversation

Do you have questions about this episode or other questions about PCOS? I would love to connect and chat on a more personal level over on Instagram. My DMs are my favorite place to chat more.

 

So go visit me on IG @nourishedtohealthy.com

 

Let’s Continue The Conversation

Do you have questions about this episode or other questions about PCOS? I would love to connect and chat on a more personal level over on Instagram. My DMs are my favorite place to chat more.

 

So go visit me on IG @nourishedtohealthy.com

 

rate the podcast

Spread the Awareness

If you have found this podcast helpful please take just a moment to rate it and leave a review. This helps apple, spotify or whichever platform you use know to share this podcast with other women. I truely appreciate your help supporting as many women as possible

Read The Full Episode Transcript Here

Hi, and welcome back to the PCOS Repair Podcast. In today’s episode, we’re going to explore a topic that many of us are dealing with, often without realizing it—how the relationships in our lives interact with our PCOS health. Whether we’re talking about a significant other, friends, family, or coworkers, our relationships go far beyond the superficial. The emotional connections—or even emotional responses—we experience from others can impact our symptoms by increasing stress or fostering connection. These dynamics can either support or strain our PCOS health. Today, we’ll dive into emotional shifts, how our lifestyle can create space for emotional well-being, and how our relationships can either negatively or positively influence our PCOS symptoms. Let’s dive into this episode on navigating relationship dynamics so that the people around you contribute to more ease—not more stress—in your life.

So how do relationships affect PCOS, and how does this even show up? Often, it’s subtle and under the radar. You may not even be aware of how it’s impacting you. But things like fatigue, mood swings, and even a rise in symptoms like acne or weight gain can all be telling a deeper story—one that usually includes stress, and often that stress is tied to relationships. Of course, stress can also stem from money, fertility, or work. But much of it has to do with expectations—those of others, and the pressure we feel to meet them. For example, maybe your sister-in-law announces she’s pregnant. It’s not that you aren’t happy for her—or maybe you’re not, especially if she’s not particularly kind—but either way, it brings something you’ve been trying to ignore right to the surface. You weren’t planning on thinking about fertility today, but because of this relationship, now you’re forced to face it head-on. These kinds of situations create underlying stress.

Sometimes it’s more subtle. Maybe your coworkers expect you to join in on the morning coffee run, or the Friday potluck, or lunch at certain restaurants. There’s an expectation around how you participate in those relationships, and it can feel like you’re being pulled away from the healthier habits you’re trying to build. Or maybe it’s your partner—they’re not trying to sabotage you, but when you’re trying to avoid certain foods and they bring home your favorite treat to cheer you up, it doesn’t exactly help. Or they’re dealing with fertility stress in a different way, or maybe they’re less concerned about it than you are, which can also be emotionally difficult. So all these aspects of our relationships both arise because of PCOS and simultaneously worsen our PCOS symptoms due to the stress and emotional disruption they cause.

Maybe you’ve found yourself in situations like this: You’re trying to eat differently, but your family still wants pizza every night. Maybe you’re a mom with young kids or have extended family that always gathers on weekends and expects certain meals. You don’t want to cook separate meals, and it’s tough trying to bring a dish that you can eat and they’ll enjoy. Or maybe you want to feel close to your partner, but your libido has taken a hit due to hormone imbalances. Perhaps you’re feeling irritable, emotional, or like you’re on a roller coaster. You find yourself constantly apologizing or wondering why you don’t feel like yourself. This happens a lot, especially during hormone fluctuations—whether it’s starting or stopping birth control or just ongoing imbalances from PCOS.

Worsening symptoms like weight gain, acne, or hair issues can make you feel self-conscious. Even if no one else notices the changes, you do, and you interact differently with others because of how you feel. These are just a few ways that relationships and PCOS symptoms intersect. So what can we actually do about it?

What doesn’t work is when people try to reassure you in ways that feel dismissive. When someone says, “Just relax,” or “You look fine to me,” they’re trying to be encouraging, but it often leaves you feeling unseen. Or if a partner says, “You were just fine earlier. Where did that come from?” it can feel invalidating. You’re carrying emotional weight they may not understand, and sometimes it spills out. It’s not always easy to hold it together—and sometimes the emotions really do come out of nowhere. It’s confusing to them and to us. And when we don’t know how to talk about what’s going on, we might withdraw. People may pull away, or we pull away first, not knowing how else to deal with it.

This isolation can make things worse. It’s easy to feel like no one understands, like you’re the only one living this lifestyle or struggling with these emotions and symptoms. Some people naturally connect more when they’re struggling. That’s ideal. But not everyone is comfortable doing that—I know I’m not. So let’s start with boundaries.

Setting boundaries comes into play when others expect you to keep doing things the way you used to, but that no longer work for you. Maybe you’re skipping the coffee run or passing on the potluck. Maybe you handle family gatherings differently or don’t want to talk about starting a family with everyone.

Boundaries don’t have to be big dramatic declarations. You don’t need to draw a line in the sand. It’s more about creating the space you need to do what’s best for you. For example, maybe you’re skipping the morning pastry and coffee run—not because coffee is bad, but because you’re trying to reduce sugar or cut back on caffeine. You don’t have to explain this to your coworkers if you don’t want to. You can just say, “I ate at home today,” or “This sounded good to me today.” Most people stop asking after a few times. The key is that the boundary starts with you. Decide what works for you and go from there.

Family boundaries can be harder, especially when people ask invasive questions like, “When are you going to start a family?” or “Are you done having kids?” These questions often come from people who aren’t that close to you and don’t know your situation, which makes them all the more frustrating. You don’t have to answer them. You can respond with something like, “I hadn’t really thought about that,” and then change the subject. Or, if it fits your style, say, “That’s a pretty personal question.” You get to decide how much you share and with whom.

Sometimes, a little bit of information can help those closest to you better support you. For example, you might say, “I have PCOS, a hormonal condition that affects my mood, energy, and weight, so I’ve been more intentional with how I take care of myself.” That may be all they need to know. And for those you want closer to you, it can help them be more sensitive. If they don’t know you’re struggling with infertility, they may announce a pregnancy in a way that unintentionally hurts. Sharing—even just a little—can help prevent those moments and strengthen your support system.

The goal here is not to push people away with boundaries. It’s to create the space to take care of yourself and allow others the opportunity to support you. One of the hardest but most important relationships is often with a significant other. Men and women experience health and emotions differently, and irregular cycles and hormonal imbalances can feel foreign to many men. They may want to help but don’t know how. So it’s important to be clear. You might say, “I’m having a tough week with my symptoms. I just need to vent,” or “Can we please avoid going to that restaurant this week?” Be specific.

Sometimes your partner won’t want to join your lifestyle changes, and that’s okay. You can still ask for their support, even if they aren’t doing it with you. For example, ask them not to bring home certain foods or to keep them out of sight. Try to find compromises that meet both of your needs. Harmony doesn’t always mean full participation—it means finding a way to coexist while honoring each other’s boundaries.

To wrap up, healthy relationships are incredibly important for PCOS health. Positive relationships increase oxytocin, improve progesterone, reduce cortisol, and support emotional well-being. But strained or stressful relationships can increase cortisol, cravings, disrupt sleep, lower focus, and ultimately make it harder to stay motivated and disciplined. So focus on creating boundaries that respect your needs. Communicate to the degree you’re comfortable. Give yourself time and space to figure out what feels right. You don’t have to do this all at once. But remember, your relationships can be a powerful part of your healing journey if you give yourself the permission to shape them in a way that supports your health.

If you found this episode helpful, be sure to hit the subscribe button on your favorite podcast platform. And if you’d like more resources or to connect further, find me on Instagram @nourishedtohealthy. Until next time, bye for now.

 

Take The PCOS Root Cause Quiz

   What Do Your Symptoms Mean?

  Discover your current PCOS Root Cause

Start to reverse PCOS at the root cause. 

Results are not guaranteed. Please see Medical Disclaimer for more detail.

Similar Podcasts You Will Enjoy

Episode #167: Ozempic, Weight Loss Medications and PCOS: What You Need to Know

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Are GLP-1 medications like Ozempic the missing piece in PCOS care, or just another hype? In this episode, I break down what these drugs actually do, why they’re making waves in the PCOS world, and how to decide if they might be a helpful part of your hormone and weight management plan. You’ll walk away with a better understanding of GLP-1s, their benefits and limitations, and how to have a thoughtful conversation with your provider about whether they fit your personal root-cause healing strategy.

Episode #166: How Jasmine Rebuilt Her Relationship with Food and Hormones

Episode #166: How Jasmine Rebuilt Her Relationship with Food and Hormones

If you’ve ever felt like your body is working against you despite your best efforts, this episode is for you. I’m sharing Jasmine’s story, her battle with PCOS, burnout, and body image, and how everything changed when she stopped trying to force results and started listening to her body. You’ll hear how she rebuilt her cycle, energy, and confidence by nourishing her body and shifting her mindset. This episode is a powerful reminder that healing starts with support, not restriction.

Episode #165: PCOS Isn’t Just a Label: It’s a Clue to Better Health

Episode #165: PCOS Isn’t Just a Label: It’s a Clue to Better Health

In this episode of the PCOS Repair Podcast, you’ll learn how to reframe your PCOS diagnosis from a frustrating label into a valuable clue about what your body needs. Instead of seeing it as something to fix, you’ll begin to see your symptoms as your body’s way of guiding you toward hormone balance and better health. This episode helps shift the focus from confusion and self-doubt to clarity and confidence, offering practical ways to turn your diagnosis into a powerful roadmap for healing.

About Show

Welcome to The PCOS Repair Podcast!

I’m Ashlene Korcek, and each week I’ll be sharing the latest findings on PCOS and how to make practical health changes to your lifestyle to repair your PCOS at the root cause.

If you’re struggling with PCOS, know that you’re not alone. In fact, it’s estimated that one in ten women have PCOS. But the good news is that there is a lot we can do to manage our symptoms and live healthy, happy lives.

So whether you’re looking for tips on nutrition, exercise, supplements, or mental health, you’ll find it all here on The PCOS Repair Podcast. Ready to get started? Hit subscribe now

 Episode #162: The Science of Stress & What It’s Doing to Your PCOS

 Episode #162: The Science of Stress & What It’s Doing to Your PCOS

Episode #162: The Science of Stress & What It’s Doing to Your PCOS

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure and privacy policy.

The Science of Stress & What It’s Doing to Your PCOS

What you’ll learn in this episode:

In this episode of the PCOS Repair Podcast, the focus is on the intricate connection between stress and hormonal balance in women with PCOS. Drawing on insights from the research article Stress: Endocrine Physiology and Pathophysiology, this discussion explores how the body’s stress response is designed to protect survival, and how that same system can disrupt metabolic health, fertility, and hormone regulation when stress becomes chronic. You will learn exactly what happens inside the body when the sympathetic nervous system and HPA axis are activated, why cortisol plays such a powerful role in blood sugar regulation, and how ongoing stress magnifies PCOS root causes.

The Science Behind Stress and Hormonal Imbalance

You will discover how stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol affect blood sugar, insulin sensitivity, and reproductive function. The episode explains how cortisol affects hormones to prepare the body for a perceived threat, whether it’s physical or emotional, and why this process, when repeated too often, leads to insulin resistance. For women with PCOS, who are already predisposed to insulin imbalance, chronic stress compounds the problem by triggering more testosterone production, disrupting ovulation, increasing inflammation, and promoting weight gain, especially around the midsection.

Identifying Stressors That Impact PCOS

The conversation highlights both obvious and hidden stressors that keep the stress response system activated. Even perceived stress, where the body feels threatened despite no immediate danger, can have lasting hormonal effects. You’ll hear how these stressors contribute to HPA axis dysregulation, leading to symptoms like unrefreshing fatigue, cravings for sugar or salt, poor workout recovery, disrupted sleep patterns, low mood, and anxiety.

Rather than relying on quick self-care fixes, this episode reframes stress management as an essential part of hormone therapy. You will learn how to build a lifestyle structure that reduces unnecessary stress and equips the body to handle inevitable challenges. 

Stress, a Missing Piece in PCOS Healing

The key takeaway from this episode is that the endocrine system is always listening. Whether stress is obvious or subtle, it sends chemical signals that shift the hormonal network, impacting insulin, cortisol, and reproductive hormones. For anyone struggling with stubborn PCOS symptoms despite making changes to diet and exercise, this discussion encourages a closer look at the body’s perception of stress. Addressing and repairing the stress response can be a turning point in restoring hormonal balance, improving fertility, and feeling better in your body.

Let’s Continue The Conversation

Do you have questions about this episode or other questions about PCOS? I would love to connect and chat on a more personal level over on Instagram. My DMs are my favorite place to chat more.

 

So go visit me on IG @nourishedtohealthy.com

 

Let’s Continue The Conversation

Do you have questions about this episode or other questions about PCOS? I would love to connect and chat on a more personal level over on Instagram. My DMs are my favorite place to chat more.

 

So go visit me on IG @nourishedtohealthy.com

 

rate the podcast

Spread the Awareness

If you have found this podcast helpful please take just a moment to rate it and leave a review. This helps apple, spotify or whichever platform you use know to share this podcast with other women. I truely appreciate your help supporting as many women as possible

Read The Full Episode Transcript Here

Hi, and welcome back to the PCOS Repair Podcast, where today we’re going to get into a topic that we all feel from time to time, but we often don’t fully understand how it affects our hormones and what’s going on in our body — and that is stress. We’re not just talking about feeling overwhelmed or anxious, although that can play a part. We’re going to get into the actual science today of how the stress response system is wired to work with your hormones and how it often impacts the balance they’re already lacking when it comes to PCOS — specifically your metabolic health and fertility — and why it’s so important to understand this when it comes to healing your PCOS hormones, identifying your root cause, and ultimately feeling better in your body so it can work with you instead of against you.

In this episode, I’m going to be breaking down some fascinating research from an article titled Stress: Endocrine Physiology and Pathophysiology so we can better understand what’s actually happening in our body during stress, how our body perceives it, and how it can derail your hormone healing journey if not addressed intentionally.

This episode is going to be more scientific in approach. Sometimes we talk about mindset and action steps; today is about understanding the why — because until we grasp what’s happening in our body, advice like “manage your stress” or “take care of your emotions” can feel vague and repetitive.

What happens in the body during stress?

This article clearly outlines the endocrine stress response — your body’s survival system. When your brain senses a threat — whether it’s physical danger, an emotional trigger, or system overload — it activates two major systems: the sympathetic nervous system and the HPA axis (hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis).

Here’s what happens step-by-step:

  • Step 1: The hypothalamus sends a signal to the adrenal glands to release adrenaline and noradrenaline — the “fight or flight” hormones. These increase heart rate, raise blood pressure, and mobilize glucose into the bloodstream for quick energy. If you haven’t eaten in a while, your body breaks down glycogen from your liver so it feels like you just ate a candy bar — giving you a surge of energy.
  • Step 2: Pain receptors are dampened so you can keep going without being distracted by discomfort.
  • Step 3: The HPA axis activates. The hypothalamus signals the pituitary gland to release ACTH, which tells the adrenal glands to release cortisol — your primary stress hormone.

Short-term, these are helpful adaptations. But when stress becomes chronic, things start to go sideways — especially if you already have underlying hormone imbalances like PCOS.

Why PCOS makes stress more impactful

PCOS is a genetic predisposition that already tilts hormone balance toward irregularity. While everyone’s body experiences this stress response, women with PCOS are more susceptible to disruption because their baseline hormone regulation is already less stable. That means lifestyle and environmental stressors hit harder.

Cortisol, insulin, and PCOS — the critical connection

Cortisol plays a big role in regulating glucose. Under stress, it increases blood sugar so your body has quick fuel for a threat. The problem is that emotional stress doesn’t usually require this extra glucose, so your blood sugar spikes unnecessarily. Over time, this repeated spike makes your cells less sensitive to insulin — leading to insulin resistance.

For women with PCOS, who often already have insulin resistance or a tendency toward it, chronic stress and elevated cortisol add fuel to the fire. Elevated insulin triggers the ovaries to produce more testosterone, which disrupts ovulation, promotes weight gain (especially around the midsection), and worsens inflammation. Now we have a cycle where stress worsens insulin resistance, inflammation, and weight gain — all of which then worsen PCOS symptoms and add even more stress.

What counts as stress?

  • Physical: Sleep disruptions (new baby, shift work), chronic illness, injuries.
  • Mental/emotional: Work overload, school pressures, relationship conflicts, financial strain, an overbooked schedule.
  • Perceived stress: Over-restrictive dieting, sudden intense workouts after being sedentary.

Both short-term stress (a single busy week, an isolated conflict) and long-term stress (constant overcommitment, ongoing job strain, relationship turmoil) affect hormone health, but chronic stress is where the most damage happens.

Stress, the HPA axis, and hormone disruption

Constant fight-or-flight mode dysregulates the hippocampus, leading to:

  • Fatigue that doesn’t improve with sleep
  • Poor workout recovery
  • Sugar or salt cravings
  • Trouble falling asleep or waking too early
  • Low mood or anxiety

This happens because chronic cortisol disrupts almost every hormone system — blunting thyroid function, altering estrogen and progesterone, suppressing melatonin, and dulling hormone receptor sensitivity. Communication between hormone systems becomes sluggish, like trying to talk underwater.

Managing stress as hormone therapy

This isn’t just about self-care baths. The article emphasized lifestyle structure:

  • Nutrition that supports steady blood sugar and provides adequate nutrients
  • Movement that relieves stress rather than adding to it (walking, strength training, active recovery)
  • Consistent quality sleep
  • Daily rhythms that prevent constant urgency and allow recovery time

The goal isn’t to remove all stress but to set up your life so stress becomes manageable and less physiologically disruptive.

The key takeaway

Your endocrine system is always listening. Stress — whether big and obvious or small and persistent — is a hormone disruptor. If you’re doing “all the right things” for PCOS but still feel stuck, unpredictable, or like nothing works, stress may be a missing piece. The good news: your stress response system can be repaired, and it’s a powerful part of your PCOS healing journey.

If you found this episode helpful, hit the subscribe button on your favorite podcast platform so you get notified when new episodes drop. And if you want to connect or share your thoughts, you can find me over on Instagram at Nourish to Healthy. Until next time — bye for now.

 

So without further ado, let’s dive in. Insulin resistance is one of the most common causes of PCOS. Even in research, it’s shown that somewhere between 70% and 80% of people with PCOS have insulin resistance. Let’s take a step back and ask: what does it actually mean to have insulin resistance? Insulin is a healthy hormone. It’s something we want our bodies to have—it’s not the enemy—but it can struggle to function properly.

Here’s how it works: when we eat something, it turns into blood sugar in our bloodstream. That blood sugar signals our pancreas to release insulin. Without insulin, our blood sugar can’t be used by the body. So the food we eat becomes blood sugar, but it’s useless unless insulin tells our cells to open up and absorb it. That’s how our muscles, brain, and other parts of the body get energy. Without insulin doing its job, we feel depleted, low energy, and lethargic—similar to how we’d feel with low blood sugar, even though blood sugar is present but not being used properly.

Insulin sensitivity means our cells respond well to insulin. For example, let’s say you eat something, your blood sugar rises, and your pancreas releases insulin. If you’re insulin sensitive, your cells—like your muscle cells—get a little nudge from the insulin and open up to absorb the sugar. That’s a healthy, efficient system. But as we start to become more insulin resistant—and remember, this is a spectrum—it doesn’t happen overnight. It starts gradually. So what insulin resistance looks like is this: your blood sugar rises, insulin is released, but the cells ignore it. The pancreas pumps out more insulin, shouting louder to get the cells to respond. The more insulin it takes to get the job done, the more resistance you’re developing. Eventually, it takes so much insulin that you officially reach insulin resistance. We can test this through insulin and glucose levels. If blood sugar stays elevated, it’s a sign that insulin isn’t doing its job well enough.

Now, as insulin resistance worsens, we move along the spectrum toward diabetes. At the diabetic stage, your pancreas might not be able to produce enough insulin anymore. The cells aren’t listening, and now your pancreas is tired from all the work. That’s when both insulin sensitivity and production are compromised.

So how do we test for insulin resistance? We have a few options. Glucose tests and insulin tests can be done in fasting or non-fasting states. A fasting glucose test, typically done in a doctor’s office, tells us how effective insulin was at clearing sugar from the bloodstream. If fasting glucose is high, it means insulin didn’t do its job. High blood sugar damages our blood vessels, so this matters. We can also test blood sugar with finger pricks, especially after meals. This is more common in people managing diabetes and less often used in early PCOS, but it’s still a helpful tool.

Another option is a fasting insulin test or an insulin challenge test. The latter is similar to what’s done in pregnancy—you drink a sugary solution and your insulin and glucose are measured over time. This helps us see how much insulin is being produced and how well your body is responding. The problem is, if we only test glucose, we can miss insulin resistance until it’s already advanced. For example, blood sugar might look normal, but only because your body is releasing large amounts of insulin to keep it there. We don’t know how hard insulin had to work unless we measure it.

That’s where a continuous glucose monitor (CGM) can be incredibly helpful. CGMs don’t measure insulin, but they show glucose trends throughout the day—after meals, during sleep, and during stress. If you eat something sugary and get a big spike followed by a sharp crash, it likely means your body overproduced insulin. That’s a red flag for early insulin resistance, even if lab tests haven’t caught it yet. Your average blood sugar might be fine, but these swings can tell us a lot.

Most insurances will cover CGMs to some extent. Out of pocket, they may cost $75–$90, but insurance often brings that down to $30–$36. You don’t need to wear one all the time. I usually recommend wearing one for 4–6 weeks—two to three sensors, each lasting two weeks. The first week or two is just observing normal life and how food and routines affect your glucose. The second round can be used to experiment and implement changes.

If you see a spike and crash after eating something like an apple, it means your insulin likely overreacted. Your body overcompensated, removing more sugar than necessary, and now you’ve crashed. This shows that insulin resistance is creeping in, long before lab work might catch it.

This gives us a powerful tool to recognize early patterns. Labs like hemoglobin A1C are averages of blood sugar over three months, which won’t catch swings or early issues. The CGM shows how your body is functioning in real time.

Now, let’s talk about symptoms. Classic insulin-related symptoms include fatigue, sugar cravings, weight gain, and brain fog. You might feel a boost after eating and then crash—that’s a blood sugar rollercoaster. Cravings often follow because your body wants to repeat that sugar high. Insulin also signals the body to store fat, so weight loss becomes more difficult. Irregular cycles are another key symptom—excess insulin triggers more androgens, disrupting ovulation.

So how do we manage insulin resistance in PCOS? Nutrition is the cornerstone—it’s the most talked about and rightly so. But movement is also crucial. Exercise helps your muscles become more insulin sensitive. Active muscles respond better to insulin. If you’re sedentary, your muscles are sluggish and less responsive. Strength training and regular movement improve circulation and insulin sensitivity.

Sleep is another major factor. Poor sleep increases stress hormones like cortisol, which then raises insulin levels. This worsens PCOS symptoms. Certain supplements and medications can also help—inositol, berberine, chromium, and metformin are common options. These work differently for everyone. Some people find them too strong at first, experiencing symptoms like brain fog or feeling weak, especially if their body is used to higher blood sugar levels.

You may need to start with a low dose or take them every other day, ideally under the guidance of your healthcare provider. Using a CGM while starting supplements is a great idea—it helps you understand how your body is responding. You’ll know if your blood sugar is dropping too fast and whether that’s what’s causing your symptoms.

All these supplements—inositol, berberine, chromium, metformin—aim to lower blood sugar. Don’t take them all at once. Introduce one at a time, start with the stronger one, and work with your provider to see what works best for you.

Lastly, tracking your progress is key. That includes tracking your cycle, symptoms, labs, CGM data, and even body composition. All of it gives you a clearer picture.

I hope this episode helped you better understand how insulin works, where it starts to go wrong, and how to recognize the early stages of resistance. Even though we’ve talked about insulin many times, I know it can still be confusing. People often say, “My doctor tested me, and I’m not insulin resistant,” but they don’t realize the limitations of that testing. Even with a CGM, we’re making inferences based on blood sugar behavior—but it’s still a much clearer window into what’s really going on.

If you have follow-up questions, you know where to find me—over on Instagram @nourishhealthy. And if you found this episode helpful, please hit subscribe on your favorite podcast platform so you’ll be notified each week when a new episode is released. Until next time, bye for now.

 

Take The PCOS Root Cause Quiz

   What Do Your Symptoms Mean?

  Discover your current PCOS Root Cause

Start to reverse PCOS at the root cause. 

Results are not guaranteed. Please see Medical Disclaimer for more detail.

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Welcome to The PCOS Repair Podcast!

I’m Ashlene Korcek, and each week I’ll be sharing the latest findings on PCOS and how to make practical health changes to your lifestyle to repair your PCOS at the root cause.

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Episode #161: PCOS & Insulin Resistance: A Step-by-Step Guide

Episode #161: PCOS & Insulin Resistance: A Step-by-Step Guide

Episode #161: PCOS & Insulin Resistance: A Step-by-Step Guide

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure and privacy policy.

PCOS & Insulin Resistance A Step-by-Step Guide

What you’ll learn in this episode:

In this episode of the PCOS Repair Podcast, you will discover what insulin resistance really means, why it’s such a central root cause in PCOS, and how it shows up in ways that go far beyond weight or diet alone. Insulin resistance affects up to 80% of individuals with PCOS, and yet many women are told they don’t have it, simply because their lab work appears “normal.” This episode unpacks the science of insulin resistance in simple terms so you can better understand how your body uses insulin, where the process can break down, and what that means for your symptoms and long-term health.

How Insulin Resistance Develops and Why It’s Often Missed

In this episode, you’ll learn how insulin works, how resistance builds gradually, and why the typical lab tests often fail to detect the early stages. You’ll hear how insulin can be overproduced without raising red flags in basic glucose labs and how this silent dysfunction can lead to energy crashes, sugar cravings, brain fog, weight gain, and irregular cycles. You’ll also get an overview of the testing options available, with insights into what each method reveals and how to interpret the results through a PCOS lens.

Identifying and Managing Insulin-Related PCOS Symptoms

You will learn how to recognize the hallmark symptoms of insulin resistance, including fatigue, sugar cravings, stubborn weight, and disrupted ovulation. This episode explains the link between insulin and excess androgens, as well as why insulin issues can make weight loss feel impossible. You’ll hear why understanding this connection is essential for choosing the right lifestyle changes to support your body.

Taking the Next Step with Confidence

If you’ve ever been told your labs are fine, but you still struggle with fatigue, cravings, or cycle issues, this episode will help you connect the dots and better advocate for your health. You’ll leave this episode with a clearer understanding of how insulin affects your PCOS, what early signs to watch for, and how to take actionable steps toward balance, one habit at a time.

Let’s Continue The Conversation

Do you have questions about this episode or other questions about PCOS? I would love to connect and chat on a more personal level over on Instagram. My DMs are my favorite place to chat more.

 

So go visit me on IG @nourishedtohealthy.com

 

Let’s Continue The Conversation

Do you have questions about this episode or other questions about PCOS? I would love to connect and chat on a more personal level over on Instagram. My DMs are my favorite place to chat more.

 

So go visit me on IG @nourishedtohealthy.com

 

rate the podcast

Spread the Awareness

If you have found this podcast helpful please take just a moment to rate it and leave a review. This helps apple, spotify or whichever platform you use know to share this podcast with other women. I truely appreciate your help supporting as many women as possible

Read The Full Episode Transcript Here

Welcome back to the PCOS Repair Podcast. Today, we’re going to dive a little deeper into PCOS and insulin resistance. First of all, I know this can sound like a broken record—we talk about insulin so much here on the podcast—but it’s one of the key hormones that’s so dependent on lifestyle. And even beyond PCOS, this is a broader societal issue. But when it comes to PCOS, insulin resistance is such a root cause factor for almost everyone. The tricky thing is, it doesn’t have one specific look on the outside. It’s not just people who are overweight, or who eat a certain way. There are so many nuances to insulin resistance and PCOS, and that’s exactly what we’re going to talk about today.

So without further ado, let’s dive in. Insulin resistance is one of the most common causes of PCOS. Even in research, it’s shown that somewhere between 70% and 80% of people with PCOS have insulin resistance. Let’s take a step back and ask: what does it actually mean to have insulin resistance? Insulin is a healthy hormone. It’s something we want our bodies to have—it’s not the enemy—but it can struggle to function properly.

Here’s how it works: when we eat something, it turns into blood sugar in our bloodstream. That blood sugar signals our pancreas to release insulin. Without insulin, our blood sugar can’t be used by the body. So the food we eat becomes blood sugar, but it’s useless unless insulin tells our cells to open up and absorb it. That’s how our muscles, brain, and other parts of the body get energy. Without insulin doing its job, we feel depleted, low energy, and lethargic—similar to how we’d feel with low blood sugar, even though blood sugar is present but not being used properly.

Insulin sensitivity means our cells respond well to insulin. For example, let’s say you eat something, your blood sugar rises, and your pancreas releases insulin. If you’re insulin sensitive, your cells—like your muscle cells—get a little nudge from the insulin and open up to absorb the sugar. That’s a healthy, efficient system. But as we start to become more insulin resistant—and remember, this is a spectrum—it doesn’t happen overnight. It starts gradually. So what insulin resistance looks like is this: your blood sugar rises, insulin is released, but the cells ignore it. The pancreas pumps out more insulin, shouting louder to get the cells to respond. The more insulin it takes to get the job done, the more resistance you’re developing. Eventually, it takes so much insulin that you officially reach insulin resistance. We can test this through insulin and glucose levels. If blood sugar stays elevated, it’s a sign that insulin isn’t doing its job well enough.

Now, as insulin resistance worsens, we move along the spectrum toward diabetes. At the diabetic stage, your pancreas might not be able to produce enough insulin anymore. The cells aren’t listening, and now your pancreas is tired from all the work. That’s when both insulin sensitivity and production are compromised.

So how do we test for insulin resistance? We have a few options. Glucose tests and insulin tests can be done in fasting or non-fasting states. A fasting glucose test, typically done in a doctor’s office, tells us how effective insulin was at clearing sugar from the bloodstream. If fasting glucose is high, it means insulin didn’t do its job. High blood sugar damages our blood vessels, so this matters. We can also test blood sugar with finger pricks, especially after meals. This is more common in people managing diabetes and less often used in early PCOS, but it’s still a helpful tool.

Another option is a fasting insulin test or an insulin challenge test. The latter is similar to what’s done in pregnancy—you drink a sugary solution and your insulin and glucose are measured over time. This helps us see how much insulin is being produced and how well your body is responding. The problem is, if we only test glucose, we can miss insulin resistance until it’s already advanced. For example, blood sugar might look normal, but only because your body is releasing large amounts of insulin to keep it there. We don’t know how hard insulin had to work unless we measure it.

That’s where a continuous glucose monitor (CGM) can be incredibly helpful. CGMs don’t measure insulin, but they show glucose trends throughout the day—after meals, during sleep, and during stress. If you eat something sugary and get a big spike followed by a sharp crash, it likely means your body overproduced insulin. That’s a red flag for early insulin resistance, even if lab tests haven’t caught it yet. Your average blood sugar might be fine, but these swings can tell us a lot.

Most insurances will cover CGMs to some extent. Out of pocket, they may cost $75–$90, but insurance often brings that down to $30–$36. You don’t need to wear one all the time. I usually recommend wearing one for 4–6 weeks—two to three sensors, each lasting two weeks. The first week or two is just observing normal life and how food and routines affect your glucose. The second round can be used to experiment and implement changes.

If you see a spike and crash after eating something like an apple, it means your insulin likely overreacted. Your body overcompensated, removing more sugar than necessary, and now you’ve crashed. This shows that insulin resistance is creeping in, long before lab work might catch it.

This gives us a powerful tool to recognize early patterns. Labs like hemoglobin A1C are averages of blood sugar over three months, which won’t catch swings or early issues. The CGM shows how your body is functioning in real time.

Now, let’s talk about symptoms. Classic insulin-related symptoms include fatigue, sugar cravings, weight gain, and brain fog. You might feel a boost after eating and then crash—that’s a blood sugar rollercoaster. Cravings often follow because your body wants to repeat that sugar high. Insulin also signals the body to store fat, so weight loss becomes more difficult. Irregular cycles are another key symptom—excess insulin triggers more androgens, disrupting ovulation.

So how do we manage insulin resistance in PCOS? Nutrition is the cornerstone—it’s the most talked about and rightly so. But movement is also crucial. Exercise helps your muscles become more insulin sensitive. Active muscles respond better to insulin. If you’re sedentary, your muscles are sluggish and less responsive. Strength training and regular movement improve circulation and insulin sensitivity.

Sleep is another major factor. Poor sleep increases stress hormones like cortisol, which then raises insulin levels. This worsens PCOS symptoms. Certain supplements and medications can also help—inositol, berberine, chromium, and metformin are common options. These work differently for everyone. Some people find them too strong at first, experiencing symptoms like brain fog or feeling weak, especially if their body is used to higher blood sugar levels.

You may need to start with a low dose or take them every other day, ideally under the guidance of your healthcare provider. Using a CGM while starting supplements is a great idea—it helps you understand how your body is responding. You’ll know if your blood sugar is dropping too fast and whether that’s what’s causing your symptoms.

All these supplements—inositol, berberine, chromium, metformin—aim to lower blood sugar. Don’t take them all at once. Introduce one at a time, start with the stronger one, and work with your provider to see what works best for you.

Lastly, tracking your progress is key. That includes tracking your cycle, symptoms, labs, CGM data, and even body composition. All of it gives you a clearer picture.

I hope this episode helped you better understand how insulin works, where it starts to go wrong, and how to recognize the early stages of resistance. Even though we’ve talked about insulin many times, I know it can still be confusing. People often say, “My doctor tested me, and I’m not insulin resistant,” but they don’t realize the limitations of that testing. Even with a CGM, we’re making inferences based on blood sugar behavior—but it’s still a much clearer window into what’s really going on.

If you have follow-up questions, you know where to find me—over on Instagram @nourishhealthy. And if you found this episode helpful, please hit subscribe on your favorite podcast platform so you’ll be notified each week when a new episode is released. Until next time, bye for now.

 

Take The PCOS Root Cause Quiz

   What Do Your Symptoms Mean?

  Discover your current PCOS Root Cause

Start to reverse PCOS at the root cause. 

Results are not guaranteed. Please see Medical Disclaimer for more detail.

Similar Podcasts You Will Enjoy

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Are GLP-1 medications like Ozempic the missing piece in PCOS care, or just another hype? In this episode, I break down what these drugs actually do, why they’re making waves in the PCOS world, and how to decide if they might be a helpful part of your hormone and weight management plan. You’ll walk away with a better understanding of GLP-1s, their benefits and limitations, and how to have a thoughtful conversation with your provider about whether they fit your personal root-cause healing strategy.

Episode #166: How Jasmine Rebuilt Her Relationship with Food and Hormones

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Episode #165: PCOS Isn’t Just a Label: It’s a Clue to Better Health

Episode #165: PCOS Isn’t Just a Label: It’s a Clue to Better Health

In this episode of the PCOS Repair Podcast, you’ll learn how to reframe your PCOS diagnosis from a frustrating label into a valuable clue about what your body needs. Instead of seeing it as something to fix, you’ll begin to see your symptoms as your body’s way of guiding you toward hormone balance and better health. This episode helps shift the focus from confusion and self-doubt to clarity and confidence, offering practical ways to turn your diagnosis into a powerful roadmap for healing.

About Show

Welcome to The PCOS Repair Podcast!

I’m Ashlene Korcek, and each week I’ll be sharing the latest findings on PCOS and how to make practical health changes to your lifestyle to repair your PCOS at the root cause.

If you’re struggling with PCOS, know that you’re not alone. In fact, it’s estimated that one in ten women have PCOS. But the good news is that there is a lot we can do to manage our symptoms and live healthy, happy lives.

So whether you’re looking for tips on nutrition, exercise, supplements, or mental health, you’ll find it all here on The PCOS Repair Podcast. Ready to get started? Hit subscribe now

Episode #160: Rachel’s Fertility Breakthrough: A True PCOS Story

Episode #160: Rachel’s Fertility Breakthrough: A True PCOS Story

Episode #160: Rachel’s Fertility Breakthrough: A True PCOS Story

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure and privacy policy.

Rachel’s Fertility Breakthrough A True PCOS Story

What you’ll learn in this episode:

In this episode of the PCOS Repair Podcast, I get to share the inspiring story of Rachel, a 35-year-old woman who overcame fertility struggles by addressing a commonly overlooked root cause of PCOS: chronic inflammation. Her journey is a powerful reminder of how subtle, everyday inflammation, often without dramatic symptoms, can significantly impact hormone balance, energy levels, and the ability to conceive.

Recognizing the Hidden Impact of Inflammation

Rachel began working with me a few months after a frustrating doctors appointment. Despite exercising regularly and eating a clean diet, she felt fatigued, bloated, and stuck. Her OB-GYN dismissed her concerns, offering vague advice to lose weight without any guidance. But Rachel knew something wasn’t right. With irregular cycles and digestive discomfort, she suspected there was more going on beneath the surface. Functional testing revealed low-grade chronic inflammation and gut imbalances. 

A Tailored, Anti-Inflammatory Lifestyle Plan

Using the PCOS Detox protocol and a personalized healing plan, Rachel began to focus on anti-inflammatory foods, gut repair, and subtle dietary adjustments. She didn’t need to eliminate entire food groups, just identify and minimize the foods that quietly aggravated her system. Healing her gut became the foundation for improved digestion, better energy, and hormonal recalibration. Importantly, this process also helped her begin to lose weight without drastic measures.

Gradual Progress Toward Pregnancy and Hormone Balance

Rachel’s transformation unfolded steadily over several months. With improved digestion, reduced inflammation, and consistent lifestyle habits, her cycles regulated within four months, and she conceived naturally by month eight. She also lost 25 pounds over that time, not through restrictive dieting, but because her body began to function more efficiently. Her story illustrates how gentle, root-cause-based care can lead to profound results without perfection or punishment.

One of the most powerful elements of Rachel’s journey was her mindset shift. She stopped viewing food as the enemy and began to see it as a healing tool. Consistency mattered more than perfection. And above all, she learned to listen to her body. If you’re navigating similar struggles with fertility, inflammation, or feeling like your body is working against you, this episode will help you rediscover what it looks like to work with your body, rather than against it.

Let’s Continue The Conversation

Do you have questions about this episode or other questions about PCOS? I would love to connect and chat on a more personal level over on Instagram. My DMs are my favorite place to chat more.

 

So go visit me on IG @nourishedtohealthy.com

 

Let’s Continue The Conversation

Do you have questions about this episode or other questions about PCOS? I would love to connect and chat on a more personal level over on Instagram. My DMs are my favorite place to chat more.

 

So go visit me on IG @nourishedtohealthy.com

 

rate the podcast

Spread the Awareness

If you have found this podcast helpful please take just a moment to rate it and leave a review. This helps apple, spotify or whichever platform you use know to share this podcast with other women. I truely appreciate your help supporting as many women as possible

Read The Full Episode Transcript Here

Hi, and welcome back to the PCOS Repair Podcast. Today I’m excited because I get to share one of my favorite kinds of episodes, and that’s a real-life PCOS story. Today I get to share about one of my former patients, Rachel. Her story is especially powerful because it highlights one of the areas of PCOS that often gets overlooked—chronic inflammation. I specifically like her story because it deals with a very generalized type of chronic inflammation, and as you’ll see, it’s the type that most women probably encounter. We addressed it in a way that’s both accessible and effective, and probably the best fit for many people dealing with chronic inflammation.

When we think about root causes, we all have all of them to some extent. It’s just a matter of which ones are currently engaged and causing our PCOS to show up in disruptive ways. We all can have stress responses, increased inflammation, insulin dysregulation, and hormonal or nutritional deficiencies. The question is which of these are the most prominent in our current lifestyle.

All right, let’s get into Rachel’s story. Like all PCOS stories, hers includes a lot of frustration, but the key difference that really led to Rachel’s eventual success was her resilience and her patience with trying and fine-tuning what was going to work for her. She came to me when she was about 35 years old—just about to turn 35—and she had been trying to conceive for over a year without any success. She was beginning to really feel the stress and pressure of, “I’m 35, I waited to have kids thinking I could when I wanted to, and now I’m struggling.”

When she talked to her OB-GYN, they told her she needed to lose a little weight. She was about 50 pounds overweight, so they told her, “Lose around 30 pounds and you should be good to go.” There was no urgency, no real support offered. They didn’t take into account her age, even though she brought it up. The information was vague at best, and there was absolutely zero guidance on how to lose the weight or what ways might work best for her—just some vague reassurance that it was going to happen, that this was normal and she’d be fine.

After a few more months, Rachel just had this strong feeling that something wasn’t right and that she needed to get to the bottom of it. That’s when she and I started working together. She was having irregular cycles and felt like her digestion was a total mess. It was unpredictable—some days she was massively bloated, other days she seemed okay, but she still felt tired and bloated most of the time. In her words, she said, “I feel tired, but I’m not sleepy.” It wasn’t something a good night’s rest would fix. She said she slept fine, but still felt sluggish and weighed down every day.

She’d had some skin issues when she was younger, but they’d mostly calmed down. She mentioned that at certain times of year she would get eczema—usually around her cycle or during extreme stress—but other than that, she didn’t really have many symptoms of inflammation besides the bloating and fatigue. She was eating relatively clean. She said, “I’ve Googled everything, I’ve researched, I’ve watched people talk about how to eat clean.” She exercised daily—some days were better than others—but she always went for a walk or did stretching or yoga. She lifted weights three times a week and tried to get in some strenuous cardio twice a week. Despite all of this, she felt like nothing was working. And you could tell by everything she was trying that she was highly committed and motivated.

So our first step was to look beyond surface symptoms. We ordered some functional labs and reviewed her symptoms in more detail. What we found was interesting. She had elevated inflammatory markers. She didn’t show any food sensitivities, but she had a lot of gut imbalances. So we looked at ways to improve her digestion and reduce her low-grade inflammation. She had some chronic stress—who doesn’t, right?—and she had ongoing immune responses. She experienced seasonal allergies and caught every bug she came across. These things pointed to areas we needed to address.

Like with most root causes, the takeaway here was that her body was not thriving in her environment. Something was inflaming it. And when the body is inflamed and not thriving, it tends to shut down reproduction. Plus, when you’re a little overweight and dealing with insulin resistance just from that alone, it adds to the hormone imbalance and increased androgens. So it wasn’t just about fertility—it was an entire web of inflammation, stress, and weight that was keeping her stuck.

Because she was already doing a great job with her movement, we focused first on food. Based on her inflammatory markers, we did some elimination testing. I guided her through my PCOS Detox protocol, which you can find at pcosdetox.com. It helps you identify what foods support your body and which ones don’t. She didn’t find any foods she needed to cut out completely, but we definitely found ones to minimize. That can be harder to spot since the reaction is subtle—it’s not like lactose intolerance where the symptoms are obvious. It was more like, “When that food crept back in, I just didn’t feel as good.”

We focused on a very anti-inflammatory diet—making sure the foods she ate helped fight inflammation and didn’t contribute to it. Then we worked on gut repair. If you’ve been on birth control or antibiotics, even just once a year, and you’ve never worked to repair your gut, it’s time to address that. So we focused on probiotics, gut-healing foods, and supporting her microbiome. When the gut starts functioning better, everything else improves—nutrient absorption, energy levels, bloating—all of it starts to fall into place.

We also made sure not to overlook sleep and stress. Rachel began making time to quiet her mind and manage her stress. To give you a sense of timeline, we spent about a month assessing everything. Labs, food exploration, and some habit adjustments all happened pretty early on. Then we created a lifestyle outline tailored to her—what she liked to eat, how her day flowed, what she had time for—and implemented it gradually.

Once she was fully implementing her plan, it took a couple of months for her body to really settle in and start recovering. Around four months in, her cycle became regular, and at eight months, she became pregnant naturally. That’s a fairly typical path for this kind of approach.

What stood out to me about Rachel’s story—and why I’m so grateful she let me share it—is that she didn’t have any glaring food sensitivities or unusual test results. Her microbiome was simply off, likely due to birth control and a few courses of antibiotics, and her body was inflamed. Once we addressed that, she began tolerating foods much better, and as her body became less inflamed, she was able to start losing weight.

Around the two-month mark, we carefully reduced her calorie intake—nothing drastic. You don’t want to overhaul everything all at once. From months two to eight, she lost 25 pounds. That’s about four pounds a month—roughly one pound per week—which is a great, steady rate. Of course, it wasn’t linear. Some weeks she lost three pounds, some weeks none. That’s totally normal. But by the time she got pregnant, she’d lost between 20 and 25 pounds.

And the weight loss didn’t feel forced. She told me, “Once the inflammation was addressed, the weight just came off. Yes, I had to be mindful, but my body wanted to lose the weight.” That’s the shift we’re looking for—when your body is working with you instead of against you.

When I asked Rachel what her biggest takeaways were, she said, “Don’t ignore gut health.” For her, healing her gut made her feel like a different person. She also said she was surprised she didn’t have to be perfect. She didn’t have to cut out entire food groups forever. She just had to create balance—more anti-inflammatory foods, fewer inflammatory ones. Consistency mattered more than perfection.

And finally, she said food became something to enjoy again. Before, she felt like food punished her—it made her bloated and uncomfortable. But after healing, food became a way to feel better, to support her health and her body. That mindset shift was huge.

So as we wrap up, if you’ve been feeling discouraged—like all the things that taste good are “bad” for your PCOS—I hope Rachel’s story inspires you. Food can actually make you feel good. It can be healing, nourishing, and empowering. Whether you’re working on fertility or managing your PCOS symptoms, understanding what your body needs and giving it that support can feel like a massage from the inside. You can finally feel good in your skin.

Rachel’s story is proof that healing from the inside out is possible—and it doesn’t have to take forever. In just a few short months, she completely transformed her health. Every journey is different, but I hope this episode helps you feel supported and inspired.

If you found this episode helpful, please be sure to hit that subscribe button so you get notified each and every week when a new episode becomes available. And until next time, bye for now.

 

Take The PCOS Root Cause Quiz

   What Do Your Symptoms Mean?

  Discover your current PCOS Root Cause

Start to reverse PCOS at the root cause. 

Results are not guaranteed. Please see Medical Disclaimer for more detail.

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Welcome to The PCOS Repair Podcast!

I’m Ashlene Korcek, and each week I’ll be sharing the latest findings on PCOS and how to make practical health changes to your lifestyle to repair your PCOS at the root cause.

If you’re struggling with PCOS, know that you’re not alone. In fact, it’s estimated that one in ten women have PCOS. But the good news is that there is a lot we can do to manage our symptoms and live healthy, happy lives.

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Episode #159: PCOS and the Workplace: How to Protect Your Energy & Focus

Episode #159: PCOS and the Workplace: How to Protect Your Energy & Focus

Episode #159: PCOS and the Workplace: How to Protect Your Energy & Focus

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PCOS and the Workplace: How to Protect Your Energy & Focus

What you’ll learn in this episode:

In this episode of the PCOS Repair Podcast, the conversation turns to an often-overlooked but incredibly relevant topic: managing PCOS in the workplace, whatever your version of a workplace may be. Whether you’re working in an office, at home raising kids, attending school, or juggling multiple roles, your environment plays a big role in your energy, focus, and ability to support your hormone health. This episode explores how to create a daily routine that protects your energy, enhances your focus, and helps you build a lifestyle that supports your PCOS, even on the busiest days.

Understanding Daily Fatigue, Brain Fog, and Cravings

You will learn how daily routines, even when productive, can lead to subtle symptoms of burnout, low energy, mood swings, brain fog, and cravings that aren’t always hunger-related. This episode offers practical tips for noticing and reversing these patterns through better nourishment, emotional release, and intentional mental stimulation.

Designing a PCOS-Friendly Environment at Work

Protecting your energy isn’t just about physical habits, it’s also about emotional resilience. Discover how to check in with your emotional needs and use simple tools to decompress. These micro-adjustments can make a big difference in resetting your mood and creating space to respond more calmly and productively to life’s challenges.

Whether it’s creating boundaries around after-hours work communication or taking a short buffer period between job responsibilities and family time, these shifts help reduce stress and support hormone balance. You’ll hear examples of how setting these boundaries not only protects your energy but also improves your relationships and quality of life.

This episode also covers how to make your physical work environment more supportive of your health goals. You’ll hear actionable ways to make your workspace a place that encourages focus, nourishment, and long-term hormone health.

Bringing Self-Care Into Your Real Life—Not Just the Ideal One

Ultimately, this episode is about working with the life you have, not waiting for the perfect conditions to begin taking care of yourself. You’ll be invited to reflect on what’s currently draining your energy and how you can make small, supportive changes today. Whether it’s adjusting your environment, your habits, or how you engage with your daily responsibilities, this episode offers practical insights to help you thrive with PCOS right now, not just in an ideal future.

Let’s Continue The Conversation

Do you have questions about this episode or other questions about PCOS? I would love to connect and chat on a more personal level over on Instagram. My DMs are my favorite place to chat more.

 

So go visit me on IG @nourishedtohealthy.com

 

Let’s Continue The Conversation

Do you have questions about this episode or other questions about PCOS? I would love to connect and chat on a more personal level over on Instagram. My DMs are my favorite place to chat more.

 

So go visit me on IG @nourishedtohealthy.com

 

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Read The Full Episode Transcript Here

Hi and welcome back to the PCOS Repair Podcast, where today we’re going to be looking at PCOS and the workplace, with a primary focus on how to protect your energy and your focus. Whether your workplace is at home because you’re staying home with kids, whether you’re a student, or any combination of responsibilities—whatever it is that fills your day, think of that as your workplace. How do we protect our energy and focus so that we also have the time and capacity to take care of ourselves, especially when it comes to our PCOS health? With that, let’s dive in.

As we move through summer mode here, I like to think about some of the really practical things we can do when life gets busy. We tend to take more vacations and have less of a solid routine. That might be true for you, or maybe not, but regardless of whether this particular season has been difficult for you in terms of protecting your energy and focus, I think you’re going to find this episode helpful. It’s a chance to think about where the challenges are and how you can carve out time to get the daily habits in that you want to prioritize.

Let’s start with some of the common challenges we face. When we’re in the groove of our routine, it can be easy to feel fatigued or just a little blah—like we’re going through the motions. Our energy can feel low. Physically, we might be dragging, even hunched over a bit. We can experience brain fog when we’re not being challenged or stimulated. Cravings can creep in—not necessarily because we’re hungry, but just out of routine boredom. That alone can increase cravings.

We may also experience mood swings—not necessarily from hormonal imbalances or relationship issues, but just from the emotional strain of that daily grind. And while we may be holding it all together on the outside, inside we might be needing some kind of release. These are the hidden symptoms that come with a steady routine or being stuck in the same work environment day in and day out.

So what do we do with all that?

First, if we’re feeling fatigued, it’s usually for one of two reasons. Either we’re not getting enough sleep, rest, and recovery—or we’re stuck in a rut and need something to spark our creativity and motivation. Are we getting time in nature? Are we connecting with friends and doing the things that fill us up? Those can help with the mental fatigue.

When it comes to brain fog, we have to ask: Are we nourishing our body properly with sleep, food, and movement? Are we giving our brain something new and stimulating? Or are we just staring at a screen all day?

Cravings can come from boredom or habit. Maybe we always have a snack while driving or working at our desk. Sometimes it’s a simple matter of routine. But it can also be from missing meals—maybe you’re skipping lunch and find yourself craving everything by midafternoon. You may not feel physically hungry, but your blood sugar is crashing and your body is begging for a boost.

Now for the mood swings, stress, and emotional strain—how well are we processing our emotions? Or are we just holding everything in and trying to stay functional? One way to help settle your emotions is to go for a walk after a stressful day. Let your mind drift and settle. You don’t need to rehash every detail or dwell on the unfairness. Instead, try to let your thoughts simply process in the background as you walk and get some fresh air.

This helps take the edge off those fired-up emotions. After you’ve had some time, those thoughts might come back, but more calmly. You may be able to see what you could do differently next time or how to handle the situation better tomorrow. That clarity comes when we give ourselves that space.

Let’s talk about managing your energy.

Energy management starts with staying hydrated and nourished. But it’s also about avoiding things that sabotage us—like poor sleep or food choices that spike and crash our blood sugar. Stress can also zap your energy. Something that makes you anxious or nervous can drain you fast. So take breaks. Take a walk. Step away from your environment, even if it’s just to go to the bathroom and breathe. Step outside, drink some water, or deal with a different task. It can reset your brain and give you a second wind.

It’s also okay—and really important—to communicate your needs. Talk to your family, friends, coworkers, or your boss. No one else can guess what you need, and they aren’t responsible for solving your problems. So when you bring something up, try to include a specific ask or solution.

Maybe expectations at work have started to shift. Are you staying late more often than you should? Are work emails or texts creeping into your home life? Sometimes that needs to be addressed with a conversation. Other times, it’s a personal boundary—like deciding not to check your email after 5 PM. Maybe you need to let your boss know you’d prefer emails instead of texts after hours so you can fully relax and return refreshed the next day.

The same goes for home life. If you need a little space before diving into dinner, kids, or chores when you get home, that’s okay. My husband has a very intense job, and when he comes home, he’s in a much better mood if he goes for a quick run or gym session first. That 20 to 40-minute buffer helps him unwind so he can be present and enjoy the evening.

Even if you don’t have young kids or a busy household, demands still exist—like laundry, dishes, and tasks waiting for you. Taking a moment for yourself—whether it’s a shower, a hot bath, or a walk—can create a healthy buffer between your day and your evening routine.

Now let’s talk about creating a workplace that supports your health. If you sit at a desk all day, look at your posture and chair. Do you need better support for your back or neck? Blue light glasses may help with screen fatigue. Keep healthy snacks in your drawer to avoid grabbing sugary treats during the afternoon slump. Plan ahead so you have better choices available when cravings hit.

As we wrap up today, I want you to reflect on how you spend your day. Whether it’s in a traditional office, at home, in a hospital setting, or a long shift job—transitions between home and work can be difficult. One client I worked with was a 23-year-old student and part-time dog walker. She said she felt understimulated—she was either sitting or walking, and her days started to feel monotonous.

She found that turning on thought-provoking podcasts or audiobooks during walks completely changed her mindset. It wasn’t just background noise—it was something that inspired her and connected with her long-term goals. That little change brightened her whole day and reminded her why she was doing what she was doing.

That’s the kind of shift that can make all the difference. Whether you work a corporate job or walk dogs all day, how you fill your mind matters. The routine may stay the same, but when you feel inspired, you start to exude joy and purpose again.

So I hope you found this episode helpful. It’s a little different from our usual topics, but it gets into the real-life details of how to take care of yourself—your physical, mental, and emotional health—within the life you’re actually living. Not the ideal version of your life, but the one you’re in right now.

Ask yourself: What can I do today to make my environment more supportive, functional, and fulfilling? How can I make it feel good—not overwhelming—so I’m better equipped to care for my PCOS?

If you found this episode helpful, make sure to hit the subscribe button so you get notified each and every week when a new episode becomes available. And if you have any questions or thoughts about this episode, I’d love to hear from you over on Instagram. You can find me @nourishtohealthy. And until next time, bye for now.

day. Whether it’s in a salad, sautéed, or in a smoothie, get those greens in.

If the time is right, you can explore supplements. If you want help selecting a brand, head to supplementsforpcos.com. You’ll get a guide with my recommended brands and a link to my Fullscript dispensary where you can find high-quality supplements at a discount. Fullscript carries only trusted brands, and their site includes helpful info that sometimes even the brand websites don’t offer.

Also, remember magnesium works well with other nutrients—especially calcium, vitamin D, and potassium. Most people get enough calcium from food, but vitamin D is one we’ve talked about in detail before. I’ll link to that episode in the show notes. If you have kidney disease, low blood pressure, or are on medications that affect electrolyte balance, be sure to talk to your doctor before supplementing.

So there you have it, my friend! I hope this episode gives you a great starting point to consider magnesium and how it can support your PCOS holistically.

As we wrap up, remember that supplements like magnesium are not magic bullets. You can’t out-supplement an imbalanced lifestyle. A holistic approach combines lifestyle habits, medical insight, and targeted supplementation. Lifestyle remains the foundation—what you eat, how you move, sleep, and think. Medical tools like labs and medications provide important context, and supplements can support and enhance your progress when chosen wisely.

Magnesium isn’t a cure-all for PCOS, but it can help reduce cravings, support mood, boost energy, and create an internal environment where your body can thrive.

If you found this episode helpful, be sure to hit the subscribe button so you get notified of new episodes each week. And don’t forget to visit supplementsforpcos.com to grab your free PCOS Supplement Guide. It comes with the Fullscript link and discount. If you have questions or topics you’d like me to cover, come connect with me on Instagram @nourishtohealthy.

Until next time, bye for now.

 

Take The PCOS Root Cause Quiz

   What Do Your Symptoms Mean?

  Discover your current PCOS Root Cause

Start to reverse PCOS at the root cause. 

Results are not guaranteed. Please see Medical Disclaimer for more detail.

Similar Podcasts You Will Enjoy

Episode #167: Ozempic, Weight Loss Medications and PCOS: What You Need to Know

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Episode #165: PCOS Isn’t Just a Label: It’s a Clue to Better Health

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In this episode of the PCOS Repair Podcast, you’ll learn how to reframe your PCOS diagnosis from a frustrating label into a valuable clue about what your body needs. Instead of seeing it as something to fix, you’ll begin to see your symptoms as your body’s way of guiding you toward hormone balance and better health. This episode helps shift the focus from confusion and self-doubt to clarity and confidence, offering practical ways to turn your diagnosis into a powerful roadmap for healing.

About Show

Welcome to The PCOS Repair Podcast!

I’m Ashlene Korcek, and each week I’ll be sharing the latest findings on PCOS and how to make practical health changes to your lifestyle to repair your PCOS at the root cause.

If you’re struggling with PCOS, know that you’re not alone. In fact, it’s estimated that one in ten women have PCOS. But the good news is that there is a lot we can do to manage our symptoms and live healthy, happy lives.

So whether you’re looking for tips on nutrition, exercise, supplements, or mental health, you’ll find it all here on The PCOS Repair Podcast. Ready to get started? Hit subscribe now