Episode #152: The Dynamic Duo: Berberine & Chromium for PCOS

Episode #152: The Dynamic Duo: Berberine & Chromium for PCOS

Episode #152: The Dynamic Duo: Berberine & Chromium for PCOS

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

Episode #152 The Dynamic Duo Berberine & Chromium for PCOS

What you’ll learn in this episode:

This episode of the PCOS Repair Podcast,  explores two popular supplements, berberine and chromium, and how they compare when it comes to managing insulin resistance and supporting hormone balance in PCOS. While both supplements have gained attention on social media and within the wellness space, this episode takes a research-based look at their effects, how they work, and when they might be appropriate for someone with PCOS.

How Berberine Supports Blood Sugar and Hormone Health

In this episode, you’ll learn why berberine’s multifaceted benefits make it especially helpful for those dealing with metabolic dysfunction, irregular cycles, and hormonal imbalances. You’ll also discover how berberine’s effects compare to pharmaceutical options like metformin and why its dosing schedule matters for effectiveness.

What Chromium Can Do for Insulin Function in PCOS

Chromium is a trace mineral with a more targeted role in insulin regulation and carbohydrate metabolism. While it may not directly impact inflammation or cholesterol, chromium is a powerful tool for improving blood sugar control, especially for those with fewer complicating factors. In this episode, you’ll hear how chromium supports insulin function at the cellular level and when it might be the right fit, especially for women focusing primarily on glucose balance without broader metabolic concerns.

Choosing the Right Supplement for Your PCOS Needs

This episode provides guidance on how to decide between these two insulin-supportive supplements.  You’ll hear why it’s important to consider your personal root causes, health history, and what other medications or supplements you’re using before adding either berberine or chromium to your routine. This thoughtful comparison gives you the tools to evaluate which supplement might align best with your current PCOS management plan.

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

Hello and welcome back to the PCOS Repair Podcast, where today we’re going to be discussing two supplements in our supplement highlight episode. These two supplements do fairly similar things and have fairly similar benefits. So in today’s episode, we’ll talk about them together, compare and contrast where they may differ, and help you determine if either of them would be a good fit for you—and if so, which one.

Because they do similar things, I’m not recommending that you take both. The goal is to help you figure out which one may be better suited to your needs, if this category of supplements is appropriate for your PCOS health journey.

And as always, whenever you’re considering starting a new supplement, be sure to check with your physician to make sure it’s a good fit for you and doesn’t interact with anything else you’re currently taking.

All right, so today we’re talking about berberine and chromium, specifically for PCOS—how they can be beneficial and when they may be worth considering.

These two supplements have gained a lot of attention, especially in the media and on social platforms—more so than in scientific literature. Some people even recommend taking them together. I want to make it very clear upfront: I do not recommend taking them together.

Both berberine and chromium support blood sugar balance, insulin sensitivity, and overall metabolic health—key concerns in PCOS. But when we’re thinking about blood sugar, we want to be cautious. While we don’t want high blood sugar, we also don’t want to go too far and cause hypoglycemia.

That’s really the key issue with PCOS. Most women in their 20s, 30s, and 40s haven’t developed type 2 diabetes yet—though some do at a younger age—but many are dealing with insulin resistance, or at least have insulin as a hormone of concern. So our focus is on improving insulin sensitivity to maintain healthy blood sugar levels. We don’t want to push blood sugar too low, as that can lead to fatigue, lethargy, and even more serious health risks.

Whenever we use something that can lower blood sugar, it’s important to take a systematic approach. Start with one supplement at a moderate dose. If you’re not seeing improvement, or if it seems to help but not quite enough, your healthcare provider may increase the dose or add another agent.

For example, if you’re on metformin or another medication that affects blood sugar, you should be monitoring your blood sugar levels—either at home or through your provider—before adding in something like berberine or chromium.

While some people benefit from taking both, because these supplements act in the same pathways in the body, you don’t want to go from doing nothing to taking both at high doses. That could be problematic. So I want to be clear right from the start that today’s episode is not meant to suggest you rush out and buy both. Listen all the way through and evaluate which one, if any, might be right for you.

 

First Up: Berberine

Berberine is a natural compound found in plants like goldenseal, barberry, and Oregon grape. Here in Oregon, I see Oregon grape everywhere when I’m hiking, although I wouldn’t know how to harvest or use it myself!

Traditionally, berberine has been used to treat infections and support gut health. But modern research shows that it has powerful effects on metabolism—particularly blood sugar regulation. And since metabolic dysfunction is a major part of the hormonal imbalance in PCOS, berberine can be a valuable tool.

Berberine helps improve insulin resistance, enhances glucose utilization, and supports healthier insulin levels. As a result, it has been shown to lower androgen levels, particularly testosterone. This, in turn, can help normalize LH levels and support more regular ovulation and menstrual cycles.

It may also improve lipid metabolism, reducing triglycerides and improving cholesterol. And as a bonus, berberine has some anti-inflammatory properties—another helpful benefit, given how inflammation contributes to metabolic dysfunction in PCOS.

Clearly, this supplement touches many of the root causes of PCOS. If you’ve taken the PCOS Root Cause Quiz, you might find that this supplement aligns with your root cause and is worth exploring.

Berberine Dosing:
The doses used in studies are typically 500 mg two to three times per day, totaling 1,000–1,500 mg daily. It has a short half-life, so splitting the dose throughout the day helps maintain its effectiveness. Personally, I prefer twice a day, as three times isn’t sustainable for me—but do what works for you.

And again, talk to your healthcare provider before starting it to make sure it doesn’t interfere with anything else you’re taking.

Who should not take berberine?
Berberine is not recommended during pregnancy or breastfeeding, mostly because it hasn’t been well studied in those situations. Many women with PCOS are trying to improve their fertility, so it’s important to think ahead.

Personally, when I was trying to conceive, I tracked everything closely. I tested for pregnancy early and planned when to pause or stop certain supplements. Everyone’s comfort level is different, but planning ahead helps reduce stress.

And just as a reminder—when I was first diagnosed with PCOS and trying to get pregnant, metformin was considered unsafe during pregnancy. Now, it’s often used to help prevent miscarriage in the first trimester. Things change as research evolves, but that doesn’t mean everything is safe for everyone. Always talk to your doctor.

 

Next: Chromium

Chromium is not plant-based—it’s a trace mineral essential for human health. Its role in insulin function was discovered in the 1970s when patients receiving IV nutrition developed severe diabetes, which was reversed when chromium was added to their diets.

Chromium supports blood sugar control, insulin sensitivity, and carbohydrate metabolism—specifically how your body processes carbs, which are the main driver of blood sugar spikes.

Chromium doesn’t do as much for inflammation, gut health, or cholesterol directly. So if those areas are a concern for you, berberine might be the better fit. That said, better blood sugar control often leads to better cholesterol over time, even if it’s not a direct effect.

So while chromium might not have an immediate impact on lipids, improving insulin resistance may lead to a gradual improvement in cholesterol as well.

Chromium Dosing:
Most studies use 200 micrograms per day of chromium picolinate, with some using up to 1,000 micrograms. That’s a wide range, so again—you’ll want to start low and work with your provider, especially since anything that affects blood sugar carries a risk of hypoglycemia if misused.

Final Thoughts & Choosing Between the Two

When managing PCOS, improving insulin sensitivity is key for nearly everyone. Some women also have inflammation or stress response as a dominant root cause, but insulin is almost always involved.

Remember, no supplement will fix everything on its own. If your diet is high in refined carbs and processed food, no supplement—berberine or chromium—can override that. These supplements are tools, not magic pills.

That said, they can be very helpful in jumpstarting progress, especially if you’re also working on nutrition and movement habits. When we combine lifestyle changes with supportive supplements, that’s when we start seeing major improvements—and those improvements feed off each other to create momentum in the right direction.

So which one to choose?

Personally, I would lean toward berberine, because of its broader benefits—including inflammation and lipid support. It’s also a great option for people who don’t tolerate metformin well. Keep in mind, though, that metformin is usually stronger, so if you tolerate it, it might work faster or more effectively.

But if you’re looking for an over-the-counter alternative with fewer side effects, both berberine and chromium can be helpful. Just start low, monitor your response, and talk with your provider before combining with anything else you’re taking.

If you found today’s episode helpful, I hope you’ll hit that subscribe button so you get notified each week when a new episode of PCOS Health becomes available.

Until next time, bye for now.

 

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Episode #151: The Evolution of PCOS Care: Survey of Nutrition History

Episode #151: The Evolution of PCOS Care: Survey of Nutrition History

Episode #151: The Evolution of PCOS Care: Survey of Nutrition History

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

he Evolution of PCOS Care Survey of Nutrition History

What you’ll learn in this episode:

In this episode of the PCOS Repair Podcast, you’ll explore the dramatic increase in PCOS diagnoses over the last decade and what may be driving this trend. While increased awareness and improved testing play a role, today’s discussion goes deeper,  looking at how shifts in lifestyle, dietary habits, and everyday routines may be contributing to the rise in PCOS and metabolic health issues overall. This episode reflects on how body sizes, children’s health, and nutrition culture have evolved over the last 30 years, setting the stage for a broader conversation about food quality and hormone health.

How Food Culture Has Evolved—and Its Effect on PCOS

The food environment has shifted significantly over the past thirty to forty years. This episode highlights how changes in how often families eat out, the rise of food delivery services, and the  use of sugar may be influencing the development of PCOS symptoms. These lifestyle shifts are not about personal blame but about understanding the environment around us that makes hormone balance harder to maintain.

How Busier Lifestyles Are Undermining Health

We will explore how packed schedules and a rise in extracurricular activities are making nutritious home-cooked meals and consistent movement harder to prioritize. You’ll consider how changes in both childhood and adult routines, from after-school sports and less work-life balance to sedentary jobs and longer commutes, have made it more difficult to stay active. These societal shifts have gradually pulled people away from the kind of lifestyle that supports metabolic and hormonal health. 

From Root Cause to Lifestyle Shifts: Building a New Normal

You’ll be challenged to think not just about your PCOS root causes, but about how modern living may be activating them. By stepping back and looking at how diet, movement, stress, and environmental factors have evolved, this episode helps you identify meaningful, individualized changes. Whether it’s more daily steps, better hydration, or simply being more mindful of what’s in your meals, these small changes can lead to big improvements in your PCOS symptoms and overall well-being.

What has changed in your life, your habits, your food choices? How does that affect your hormones? Rather than pushing drastic change, this conversation invites you to consider one small thing you can do today to better support 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

Welcome back to the PCOS Repair Podcast, where today we’re going to take a little walk through the history of nutrition. One of the things that is very evident with PCOS is that the numbers have been on the rise. When I was first diagnosed with PCOS just over 10 years ago, the numbers were about one in 10. Then over the next five years, people started saying maybe one in eight. Now, the recent research I reviewed a few weeks ago on the podcast was saying 18% of women of reproductive age have PCOS.

So those numbers have just skyrocketed over the last 10 years. There are multiple reasons why that is. As awareness grows, more women go and get tested. As awareness grows, more practitioners are looking for it. But even if we just look at the general population, we can see that health has changed.

If you’re somewhere in your 30s or 40s, when you were a child, the average child size was smaller. Now, it’s not uncommon to see children maintaining that so-called “baby weight” into their growth spurts and then regaining that baby weight. If we think back and look at pictures of kids in the ’90s and early 2000s, most of the kids had little toothpick legs and a very different body composition. So, when we look at the general population and see that obesity is on the rise—and that PCOS, a metabolic disorder that affects younger women, is also on the rise—it’s important to look at what’s going on and what has changed.

That’s why today’s episode is so important. Hopefully, it will give you some great insights into what’s been changing in nutrition and how we eat as a community. This can help us understand where we could make some changes to improve our health, improve our PCOS, and not just improve our body composition, but also our hormone health.

I’m not saying there’s a correct body size—that’s not what I’m trying to get at here. But when we start to see that body sizes are shifting, and we think about the fact that we didn’t necessarily have a strong emphasis on health or nutrition in our country in the past, something has clearly changed. People were just going about their lives, and now something is no longer working for our bodies.

That’s what we want to take a look at today. All right, let’s get started.

So first of all, how has dietary intake changed over the last several years?

The basic changes are that fast food serving sizes and packaged convenient options have increased exponentially. Just from my own personal standpoint—and let me know on Instagram if this was the same for your family—but growing up, we ate out maybe once a week. I remember there were times where we had something once a week, and that one time we could each order one item at Taco Bell. Then we would go home, and my mom would add it to whatever fruits and vegetables we had—kind of like Taco Bell was the main dish, and that was a special treat. We could each choose one item. That was for a couple of years of my childhood.

But for the most part, we didn’t eat snacks. I remember every once in a while we would have some fruit snacks or a cup of cereal or something like that. But generally, we ate breakfast, lunch, and dinner. We might have an apple or some crackers here and there, but unless we were on a car trip or couldn’t have a meal at the regular time, we didn’t eat a lot of snacks.

Now, my mom was a health nut. She was very conscientious about eating lots of vegetables. She wasn’t great about getting enough protein in for us, but for the most part—and especially for the time—she was conscious about health. She may not have been super up-to-date on the latest nutrition science, but she focused on whole foods, healthy foods, organic foods, and things like that. And honestly, that was pretty similar to my friends. They had more junk food than we did. I know they had more interesting snacks than we did, but still, there wasn’t a lot of eating out. Eating out was special.

The amount of convenient food was also a lot less. You just didn’t have as much at your disposal in terms of packaged foods. Now, we can get almost anything delivered. With the start of things like Grubhub and DoorDash, we can have any food delivered to us at any time.

I remember when I was in high school, there was news coverage about how big portions had gotten. It was in the news because fast food restaurants and other places had to start providing calorie counts on their menus. And it blew people away because they hadn’t realized how many calories they were consuming in a typical restaurant meal. One of the chains that got called out was The Cheesecake Factory. Some of the rolls and appetizers had more calories than what we should eat in an entire meal, if you’re trying to base your day around 2,000 calories. Then people would order an entrée and dessert—eating three or four days’ worth of calories in one sitting.

That really stood out to me.

Now, raising children myself, I watch them and their friends. I see what’s put in their lunches and notice that kids are going days without being required to eat a vegetable. I’ll send a sandwich, some fruit, and various things in my kids’ lunches, and if I’m not paying attention to what’s coming back at the end of the day, I won’t realize that, oh—they didn’t eat the cucumbers I packed, or they didn’t eat the carrots.

It’s really easy for kids to just pick and choose what they want to eat because there’s so much food around. They’re getting candy at school for good grades or good behavior. There’s always something going on at school. Just recently, they had a jog-a-thon, and for raising the money they were aiming for, the reward was a Kona Ice day.

There’s always something being offered as food or a treat. And with that, kids can kind of navigate around the less appetizing, plain whole foods and instead eat more of the treats and processed, packaged foods. That’s something that has drastically changed over the last 20 to 30 years, and it’s something we’re going to take a closer look at.

Another thing that’s changed is how much busier we’ve become. Think about how social media has shaped our world, the rise in competitiveness. On the academic front, it used to be that you went to school, did your best, took the SATs or PSATs, applied to whatever you wanted to do after high school, and moved on.

Now, a lot of people are paying for prep programs. This started to become a thing when I was in high school—taking classes for the PSATs because scoring high could mean getting scholarships. And now the scores are higher across the board, so it almost feels necessary to take a prep class. That takes time—time after school, multiple nights a week. So now, after school, you’re going to your prep course.

Sports have changed, too. I’m watching this with my own kids. A lot of my friends didn’t even start playing sports until middle school. But now, in some circles, if you haven’t played a sport like basketball or soccer by fifth grade, you’re already behind—because some kids have been doing it since kindergarten. Their footwork, dribbling, and strategy skills are more advanced—not because they went to elite camps, but because they’ve just played every season, building that experience.

And then they move on to the next sport and the next. By fifth grade, they’re well-rounded little athletes. They may not go on to play in college, but they’re good at what they do. So it becomes difficult for someone new to join when everyone else has been doing it for years.

Of course, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try, but it can be discouraging. I coach my second-grade basketball team, and even at that level, I see kids who have been playing since kindergarten, while others are just starting in third grade—and there’s a big gap. The new kids struggle and sometimes feel like they don’t like it, because they’re behind. Their peers get frustrated, too, when the newer kids fumble the ball.

Even by third grade, kids can feel left out or behind. Again, this isn’t a judgment—just an observation of how our society has changed.

So, instead of kids going to school, coming home, and playing—riding bikes, running around, playing in the street—we now have an after-school culture filled with extracurriculars. Gymnastics, sports, music lessons, tutoring… families are spending their evenings in the car, running from one thing to the next. Dinner becomes something picked up on the way home. There’s less time to cook, less time to sit together for meals, and less time for kids to just play freely outside.

We used to come home from school, eat dinner around 5 or 5:30, do some homework, maybe help with chores or get ready for the next day. Now, it’s about getting everyone to their activities, eating late, and staying up late to finish homework. Adults are more sedentary, too. Jobs have become more sedentary. We commute longer distances, or we work remotely, sitting at desks all day. The digital age has made our lives even less active.

We’re not moving as much. We’re not walking and talking in community spaces as we once did. We’re on Zoom, Skype, or phone calls. And all of this change has taken place gradually over the last 25 to 30 years. It may not seem dramatic in the moment, but it adds up.

So, when we think about how different our lifestyles are today compared to a couple of decades ago, it’s clear just how much things have shifted. I encourage you to reflect on your own experience—how your parents did things, how your household ran growing up, what meals looked like, and how all of that compares to how things look today.

Now, how has the diet industry changed?

This one is huge—and it seeps in under the radar. There are so many supplements and recommendations out there. They’re numerous, and often they contradict each other. This creates overwhelm, confusion, and that shiny object syndrome where we’re constantly chasing the next new thing. We think, “Oh, that must be what I need to do,” or “That must be what I’m doing wrong.”

If we think back to how nutrition advice used to be, it was very simple: eat less, move more, lose weight. But now we understand there are nuances. And a lot of those nuances come from preservatives and packaged foods.

The nutrition industry has evolved to cater to convenience, to flavor, and to shelf life. Restaurants want their food to taste good, and even convenience foods from places like Costco can be tricky. I recently picked up some chicken enchiladas from Costco. On the one hand, they were packed with chicken—great protein content. But when I read the nutrition label, I saw a long list of preservatives and added ingredients that I’d never use if I made enchiladas at home.

So, while the macros looked good, the inflammatory components of the meal were high. That’s the trade-off we often make when choosing convenience—less time and effort, but more processed ingredients. And then we see influencers showing what they buy at Costco, and we think, “Oh, they’re thin, they look how I want to look. Maybe if I eat that, I’ll look like that too.”

So we try it. Then it doesn’t work. So we follow someone else. Then that person recommends a supplement, so we think, “Okay, I just need to track my macros and take this supplement, and then I’ll look like them.” But it doesn’t work like that.

The truth is, the solution is actually quite simple. And it’s not your fault. It’s not that you’re doing anything wrong. But without the education to understand what your body needs and how nutrition really works, it’s easy to fall into the trap of copying what seems to work for someone else.

We do this with everything—outfits, paint colors, makeup. We see something we like, and we copy it. And sometimes it works. But with nutrition, exercise, and health, it’s never that simple… and it’s also not that complicated either.

We don’t need as many supplements as social media suggests. We don’t need 15 different gummies for sleep, muscle gain, cravings, and focus. We just don’t need that much.

Think back to when people were, on average, thinner—not necessarily healthier in terms of lifespan, but their bodies often functioned better, had more energy, and just looked more vibrant. Of course, every generation has its issues, and pictures from the past don’t tell the whole story, but we can see that over time, we’ve overcomplicated nutrition.

We now have more supplements, more dietary trends, more influencers telling us what to do—and yet, we’re making less progress. So what if we simplified things? What if we looked at what started to go wrong in the first place?

Back when we first started talking about PCOS, say 10 to 15 years ago, the blame was often placed on the patient. Doctors would say things like, “Your excess weight is the problem,” because they knew that excess weight was tied to metabolic issues. But no one stopped to ask what was causing the weight gain in the first place. No one looked at the root causes or how our environment and lifestyle were contributing to PCOS symptoms.

That lack of insight led to shame. Women with PCOS felt like they were doing something wrong, and that created a trauma response. So we started seeing message boards and forums and programs all trying to figure out how to lose weight, and in that pursuit, we lost sight of understanding what was actually going on inside the body.

That’s one of the reasons I started the PCOS Repair Podcast—to help bring clarity and education, so you can actually understand what’s going on in your body and work with it instead of constantly feeling like you’re doing something wrong.

So when we talk about the evolution of PCOS, it’s not just about identifying your root cause, taking a quiz, and following some steps. It’s about understanding how your body functions, what it needs, and how your environment has shifted—often in ways you didn’t choose or even notice.

These changes aren’t necessarily things you did. They’re changes that happened all around us. But once we become aware of them and understand how they relate to our root causes, we can start to respond differently. When we think historically—about how our genetics evolved, how our ancestors lived and ate—they were used to whole foods. They weren’t exposed to preservatives, dyes, and inflammatory ingredients made in manufacturing plants.

Now, with those things so prevalent in our diet, we’re seeing a rise in gut health issues, inflammation, blood sugar problems, and insulin resistance—all of which are major contributors to PCOS symptoms.

When we recognize how these things connect to the root causes of PCOS, it becomes clear that this is about more than just nutrition. It’s about the entire food environment we’ve created over the last 30 years. It’s not just the nutrition industry changing—it’s how we use it. It’s how we shop at places like Costco, loading our carts with processed, packaged foods, and maybe throwing in a few vegetables to feel better about it.

Ideally, our carts would be filled with meat, fresh produce, eggs, and simple staples like rice or beans. But instead, we often end up buying food that’s quick, convenient, and heavily preserved.

We’ve been sold solutions like “just lose weight and your PCOS will go away,” or “cut out carbs and you’ll be fine,” or “keto is the answer.” But that’s not enough. We have to look at why our body is struggling—whether it’s insulin resistance, inflammation, or a chronic stress response. We need to ask what’s going on in our environment and lifestyle so we can make individualized changes that actually work.

And we need to shift our mindset. You didn’t do this to yourself. It’s like we’re all floating in the same river. Once you realize where the current is taking you, you can start to paddle, redirect your course, even jump out and choose a different river entirely.

But it starts with awareness, not blame.

We’re beginning to wake up to this. There’s more awareness now. People are starting to look for cleaner ingredients and better options. But even that can be confusing because marketing grabs onto those terms, too. As soon as people start looking for “cleaner” foods, companies begin labeling things as “clean protein” or “high-protein snacks”—even if the item only has 7 grams of protein. Compared to another muffin, maybe that’s high-protein, but in reality, it’s not enough to be considered a true protein source. You’d have to eat so many that your calories would go through the roof.

Sure, it might be better than the alternative, but is it really good nutrition—or is it just a marketing tactic? These buzzwords lure us into thinking we’re making a healthy choice, but they often distract us from what our body actually needs.

So as we become aware of these patterns, the shift starts with asking, “What can I do better today?” If you want a full plan—what to eat, how to eat, understanding your root causes—that’s exactly what I walk you through in the PCOS Root Cause Bootcamp. Inside the Bootcamp, I provide step-by-step guidance, meal suggestions, recipes, examples, and tools to help you individualize your approach and build your personal PCOS path to health.

But even without all of that, the mindset piece is crucial. What’s one thing you can do today? One step you can take in a better direction? What area can you improve just a little? That’s where it starts—awareness. Awareness of what’s changed over the last 25 to 30 years. Awareness of what’s changed since you were a kid. Awareness of how those changes have impacted your habits, your nutrition, and your PCOS.

If you’re in your early twenties and listening to this, you may not even remember a time before all of this convenience. You were born into it. Into a world where highly processed foods are the norm—foods that look like food, taste like food, but are far removed from how food is actually grown or found in its natural form.

So now, the question becomes: how can I nourish my body better today? How can I move more today? How can I start to bring in those habits that align with how our bodies were designed to thrive?

I used to think I was a fairly healthy person. I bought whole wheat bread, I bought vegetables—that seemed healthy. But when I really looked at what I was eating in a day, I realized I wasn’t eating that many vegetables. And I was eating a lot more pure carbohydrates than I realized. So while trends like cutting carbs might seem extreme, they’ve at least helped us become more aware of how much of a certain macronutrient we’re actually consuming.

That said, just tracking macros doesn’t tell the whole story. It doesn’t account for food quality. It doesn’t always help you see your overall intake clearly, especially when your focus is on hitting protein numbers. Until you understand how to meet those needs in a sustainable way, you might miss the full picture.

So the takeaway I want you to have from all of this—because yes, today’s episode is kind of a survey of big shifts—is just to start noticing. Start becoming aware.

What do you eat in a typical day? Is it coffee for breakfast, a sandwich for lunch, takeout for dinner? Where is the real nutrition coming from? How many servings of vegetables did you have? Not just a tomato slice and a piece of lettuce on a sandwich—that barely counts as a cup.

Think about it: where did the nutrition in your day come from?

This is why it’s so important to become aware of what we’re actually consuming. The same goes for movement. Maybe you don’t wear a smartwatch, but your phone likely tracks your steps. If you don’t have a wearable step tracker, even using your phone as a rough estimate can be eye-opening. People often throw out the 10,000-step recommendation—it’s a good benchmark. But it’s hard to reach unless you’re intentionally building movement into your day.

I move around a lot, and even with that, I have to go out of my way to get those extra steps in. So chances are, unless you’re actively trying, you’re probably getting closer to half of that. That’s something to consider—just how sedentary most of our lives have become, how much time we spend sitting, commuting, or standing in one place without much real activity.

This episode isn’t about giving you one specific action step—it’s more about building awareness. Think about how things were in the 1950s. Not that we want to go back there, but just to ask: what was different?

My mom was born in 1957, so she grew up in the 60s. She remembers that dinner was always some kind of meat or fish, a vegetable, and you had to eat your protein and your veggies. That was a fairly typical meal.

Now, meals tend to be fancier, but often with less real nutrition. So ask the people around you—your parents, or anyone a bit older—what meals looked like when they were growing up. Reflect on your own childhood. What did you do all day? How much did you move? What did meals look like? How often did you snack?

Did you live on granola bars or what we now call “protein bars”? These have become convenient staples but often lead us astray. Sure, they might have the right macros, but they’re full of inflammatory ingredients. They can make us bloated, mess with our cravings, and include an over-sweetened flavor profile that leaves our bodies confused.

So, as we wrap up today, I want you to think about your root cause. When you take the PCOS Root Cause Quiz and identify your primary root cause, also think about how your environment has shifted—how our society as a whole has changed.

What would it look like to start shifting your lifestyle back to something more natural? A way of eating that’s whole-food-based, that includes more daily movement, less sitting around, and more time outdoors. Something that supports your body from the inside out.

Take time to ground yourself. Go outside, breathe in fresh air, get some sunshine. As we head into summer, ask yourself: what can I do to help my body feel more nourished, more present, more alive? Maybe it’s drinking more water. Maybe it’s swapping just one convenience food for something more nutrient-dense. It doesn’t have to be perfect—it just has to be intentional.

Coffee isn’t bad. Protein bars aren’t evil. But when they crowd out whole, nourishing meals, it’s worth questioning the norm. Are you hydrating enough? Are you eating in a way that aligns with how your body actually functions best?

So with that, I hope you found this episode helpful. The goal wasn’t to overwhelm or to make you feel like you have to change everything overnight. It was to open your mind—to start questioning what’s become “normal” in our society, and whether it’s really serving your health.

Some of it might be great. Some of it might just be autopilot. And some of it might be tripping you up without you even realizing it.

If you found this episode helpful, be sure to hit the subscribe button so you get notified each and every week as a new episode becomes available. And if you’re ready to go deeper—if you want the full plan for what to eat, how to support your root causes, and how to make it all work for your life—the PCOS Root Cause Bootcamp is where I walk you through every step. Meal ideas, recipes, guidance—it’s all in there.

But even without that, the first step is awareness. What’s one small shift you can make today?

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

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

In this episode, you’ll uncover the truth about insulin resistance in PCOS, how it can exist even when your lab work appears “normal” and why it’s one of the most common yet overlooked root causes. You’ll learn how insulin resistance develops, the hidden ways it impacts energy, cravings, weight, and ovulation, and why recognizing it early can make all the difference in your hormone health. Plus, I’ll share practical steps to spot the signs, understand your test results, and start restoring balance with simple, targeted lifestyle changes that work with your body.

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

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

In this episode, you’ll hear Rachel’s inspiring story of overcoming PCOS-related fertility struggles by addressing chronic inflammation, a root cause often overlooked. Learn how simple, targeted changes to her diet and lifestyle helped her heal her gut, restore regular cycles, and conceive naturally, all without extreme restrictions.

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

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

Your daily environment, whether it’s an office, a classroom, or your own living room, can have a huge impact on your PCOS symptoms. In this episode, you’ll discover how to protect your energy, reduce brain fog, and create simple routines that support hormone health in the middle of your real life, not just in a perfectly curated one. Learn how to reset your focus, manage cravings, and build a daily flow that helps you feel better, even on your busiest days.

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 #150: PCOS and Diet: The Latest Research of Crafting the Optimal Nutritional Strategy

Episode #150: PCOS and Diet: The Latest Research of Crafting the Optimal Nutritional Strategy

Episode #150: PCOS and Diet: The Latest Research of Crafting the Optimal Nutritional Strategy

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

PCOS and Diet The Latest Research of Crafting the Optimal Nutritional Strategy

What you’ll learn in this episode:

In this episode of the PCOS Repair Podcast, discover insights from a recent research review titled “Nutrition Strategy and Lifestyle in Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome.” This comprehensive article explores the latest research on dietary patterns, supplements, and lifestyle changes shown to support PCOS symptom relief. You’ll learn why tailored strategies matter more than one-size-fits-all solutions and how to apply the findings to your own health journey.

The Variety in PCOS Presentation

This episode highlights the wide variability in how PCOS presents itself. While one woman may struggle with acne and irregular cycles, another may be more affected by weight gain or fertility challenges. Yet underneath these symptoms, the same key root causes are to blame: the insulin effect, chronic inflammation, and oxidative stress. These root causes create hormonal imbalances, which drive the array of symptoms that make PCOS so challenging to diagnose and manage.

Genetics and Environment in PCOS Development

While PCOS has a genetic component, lifestyle factors heavily influence how and when it shows up. Nutrition, movement routines, stress, and exposure to ultra-processed foods—especially during childhood—can activate genetic vulnerabilities. Understanding this interplay empowers you to make choices that can calm your symptoms and possibly reverse them altogether.

Approaches for PCOS Symptom Management

The reviewed article explores a range of nutrition strategies, many of the recommendations seem contradictory, so finally this episode will help you will get clarity as to why and what to follow for your specific PCOS root causes and unique self. 

This episode highlights research-backed supplements that support hormone balance, insulin regulation, ovulation, and inflammation reduction. Herbal supports were also reviewed, with several natural compounds showing promise for improving PCOS symptoms. However, the importance of individualized plans and safety especially during pregnancy is underscored.

Be sure to check the show notes for the full research article and subscribe to the PCOS Repair Podcast to stay up to date on new insights and actionable guidance for your PCOS journey.

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, where today we’re diving into a research article review. This article is titled “Nutrition Strategy and Lifestyle in Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome: A Narrative Review.” It covers a variety of lifestyle approaches, including dietary strategies, supplements, and other adjustments that have shown promise in managing PCOS.

Before we get into it, I want to share a couple of caveats. This article is a survey of research—it looks at what’s being done in lifestyle management for PCOS and what results are being observed. That’s exciting! It’s amazing that this is being studied and published so that both practitioners and women with PCOS can stay informed. But it’s important to remember that what works for many doesn’t always work for every individual.

Just because something works in a study doesn’t make it the right approach for you. And even when something works—say it helps someone go from 200 pounds to 150 pounds—it might not be what helps them maintain that weight or reach a different goal. The key takeaway here is that health interventions must be tailored. Research gives us broad insights, not specific prescriptions.

The article starts with an overview of PCOS. It notes that up to 18% of women of reproductive age may be affected. That number keeps climbing—older estimates put it at 6%, then 8–10%. And PCOS symptoms vary significantly. One woman may struggle with weight, another with excess hair, another with acne or irregular cycles, while others might not show any of those signs. This variety is one reason why diagnosis and treatment can be so elusive.

What overlaps, however, are the root causes. This article frames PCOS as a metabolic condition, with hormone imbalances resulting from insulin resistance, chronic inflammation, and oxidative stress. On this podcast, we talk a lot about the insulin effect—even before full-blown insulin resistance—and how inflammation and stress responses play a role. These all contribute to hormone imbalance, which then drives PCOS symptoms.

The hormone disruptions in PCOS often involve imbalances in LH and FSH, throwing off the typical menstrual cycle—no clear ovulation in the middle, just a kind of hormonal chaos. Insulin and excess body fat both amplify inflammation and hormone disruption. The article also highlights how genetic tendencies and metabolic pathway issues make certain people more vulnerable when exposed to particular environmental stressors—like poor diet, low activity, or high stress—especially if those patterns start in childhood.

And that’s a growing concern. Kids today are exposed to a lot of ultra-processed foods—school snacks, classroom rewards, celebratory cupcakes, fast meals between sports. These habits affect long-term health and may contribute to higher rates of PCOS by activating those genetic predispositions.

The article describes how inflammation, insulin resistance, and oxidative stress create a vicious cycle. These three not only make it easier to gain weight, but excess weight then worsens all three, disrupting gut health and nutrient absorption, and accelerating hormonal issues. But the good news is: all of these things can be improved.

Ovulation and fertility are impacted not only by hormone levels but also by oxidative stress and inflammation, which reduce egg quality. This perfect storm of internal stressors highlights how addressing even one root cause can have a ripple effect, calming the entire system.

Next, the article explores dietary strategies. It highlights low glycemic index diets, ketogenic diets, high-fiber diets, and reduced saturated fat intake. Now, I’ll point out—some of these recommendations contradict each other. For example, a ketogenic diet is typically high in saturated fat, so it doesn’t align with reducing saturated fat.

What I take from this is that different dietary strategies work for different people. That’s why my approach is to pull from multiple models—emphasizing whole foods, low-glycemic options, healthy fats, high fiber, and plenty of protein. That combination tends to be sustainable and effective.

Have I ever recommended ketogenic diets to clients? Yes, but only short term, and only when appropriate. It’s not an ideal long-term lifestyle for most people. Research can’t always capture nuance. Studies need strict parameters—like “low glycemic” or “ketogenic”—but in real life, balance and sustainability matter more.

Then there’s exercise and sleep—two critical lifestyle pieces. Exercise is essential for improving insulin sensitivity, body composition, and ovulation quality. Despite some PCOS communities warning against intense exercise due to cortisol, the research shows that aerobic and resistance training are highly beneficial. Cortisol does matter, but avoiding exercise isn’t the solution. The goal is to build a smart, gradual routine.

Rather than going all out and burning out, a better approach is to build in 8–10 week training cycles. Gradually increase intensity or weights, then pull back for a week before building again. This protects your body, reduces injury risk, and supports muscle growth and hormone balance—without burnout.

Now, this doesn’t mean doing only intense workouts. Power walking counts. It just means raising your heart rate and building strength in a way that fits your life and capacity.

Sleep is another huge piece. Poor sleep worsens insulin resistance, raises inflammation, and disrupts hormones—including cortisol. Many women with PCOS also have low melatonin levels, particularly during the follicular phase. Supplementing with melatonin might help improve sleep and egg quality, but that’s something to discuss with your healthcare provider. We’ve covered melatonin in a previous episode if you want more detail on that.

The article also looked at supplements. Some of the standouts include:

  • Vitamin D – supports insulin sensitivity, reduces inflammation, and may help regulate cycles.
  • Myo-inositol – especially in the correct 40:1 ratio with D-chiro-inositol (like in Ovasitol). It can improve ovulation and blood sugar, with fewer side effects than metformin.
  • CoQ10 – supports cellular function and reduces inflammation, especially useful for some women with PCOS.
  • Zinc and selenium – help regulate insulin, support ovulation, and reduce oxidative stress.
  • Berberine – works similarly to metformin, improving insulin sensitivity and ovulation, though caution is needed to avoid combining too many blood sugar-lowering supplements.
  • Omega-3 fatty acids – help reduce inflammation and androgen levels and support mood.

Now, herbs were also discussed, though research in this area is limited. Some that showed potential include:

  • Spearmint, licorice root, green tea – to reduce androgens
  • Vitex, flaxseed – to support ovulation
  • Milk thistle, dandelion, black cumin – to support liver function and reduce inflammation
  • Berberine, cinnamon, turmeric – for weight and insulin regulation

Important note: many herbs and supplements are not safe during pregnancy. Always speak with your healthcare provider before starting or continuing them, especially if you’re trying to conceive.

Finally, the article touched on gut health. The gut microbiome plays a growing role in our understanding of metabolic and hormonal health. It’s not the only factor in PCOS, but it’s an important one—especially related to inflammation.

Fiber, prebiotics, and probiotics are all beneficial. They help improve insulin sensitivity, reduce inflammation, and support a healthier appetite. As your gut heals, your cravings and hunger often become more manageable. You’ll also start to notice improvements in energy and mood. Your physiology starts working with you instead of against you, and even your mindset around food begins to shift.

Many women I’ve worked with—including myself in my 20s—feel like food has control over them. That’s often due to dysregulated hunger hormones, blood sugar crashes, and underlying inflammation. But with time, as you eat better, heal your gut, and improve insulin sensitivity, those overwhelming cravings and energy slumps start to fade. You begin to feel more satisfied, more in control, and more energized.

The biggest takeaway from this research review is how interconnected everything is: metabolism, inflammation, gut health, genetics, lifestyle habits, and hormone regulation. When we take a root-cause-based, whole-person approach that includes nutrition, movement, sleep, stress management, and targeted supplements, we start to see massive improvements. Not just in one area—but across the board.

And best of all, as your body feels better, it helps you make even more progress. You’re not fighting as many battles—whether it’s cravings, energy dips, or stubborn symptoms.

That wraps up the highlights from today’s article. I’ve included the full study in the show notes if you want to read it for yourself. It’s exciting to see lifestyle strategies gaining so much validation in research. We are finally seeing evidence that what we’re doing—what you’re doing—makes a difference.

If you found this episode helpful, be sure to hit that subscribe button so you’re notified each week when a new episode of the PCOS Repair Podcast is available.

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

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

In this episode, you’ll uncover the truth about insulin resistance in PCOS, how it can exist even when your lab work appears “normal” and why it’s one of the most common yet overlooked root causes. You’ll learn how insulin resistance develops, the hidden ways it impacts energy, cravings, weight, and ovulation, and why recognizing it early can make all the difference in your hormone health. Plus, I’ll share practical steps to spot the signs, understand your test results, and start restoring balance with simple, targeted lifestyle changes that work with your body.

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

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

In this episode, you’ll hear Rachel’s inspiring story of overcoming PCOS-related fertility struggles by addressing chronic inflammation, a root cause often overlooked. Learn how simple, targeted changes to her diet and lifestyle helped her heal her gut, restore regular cycles, and conceive naturally, all without extreme restrictions.

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

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

Your daily environment, whether it’s an office, a classroom, or your own living room, can have a huge impact on your PCOS symptoms. In this episode, you’ll discover how to protect your energy, reduce brain fog, and create simple routines that support hormone health in the middle of your real life, not just in a perfectly curated one. Learn how to reset your focus, manage cravings, and build a daily flow that helps you feel better, even on your busiest days.

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 #149:Inherited Battles: Understanding the Genetic Roots of PCOS

Episode #149:Inherited Battles: Understanding the Genetic Roots of PCOS

Episode #149:Inherited Battles: Understanding the Genetic Roots of PCOS

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

Inherited Battles Understanding the Genetic Roots of PCOS

What you’ll learn in this episode:

In this episode of the PCOS Repair Podcast, we’ll explore the role genetics play in PCOS. While PCOS does have a genetic component, it doesn’t follow the straightforward hereditary patterns seen with eye color or height. Instead, it involves gene variants that affect how the body handles insulin, hormones, inflammation, and reproductive function. Not everyone with a genetic predisposition will develop symptoms, and how those genes are expressed can vary widely, even within the same family. These variables are what we will discuss in this episode.

Why PCOS Symptoms Can Look Different in Every Family

Many women wonder why they have PCOS when other family members don’t. This episode explains how previous generations may have had undiagnosed PCOS or related symptoms like irregular periods, fertility issues, or type 2 diabetes that were never linked to PCOS. You’ll hear how increased awareness and testing today are revealing more about how PCOS can run in families, even if it didn’t look like classic PCOS symptoms in the past.

How Lifestyle Plays a Role in PCOS Development

A key takeaway from this episode is how lifestyle factors influence whether PCOS symptoms appear, how severe they become, and more importantly can they be reversed? Even with a genetic predisposition, your environment, such as diet, exercise habits, stress, and overall health, can either trigger or help suppress those genes. You’ll learn how past generations may have unknowingly protected themselves with simpler diets and more physical activity.

The genetic involvement in PCOS is what is termed epigenetics, meaning they’re highly responsive to lifestyle changes. You’ll discover how you can “turn down” the expression of these genes and reverse symptoms such as irregular cycles, inflammation, cravings, fatigue, and more by addressing your root causes and making consistent, targeted changes.

Final Thoughts on Genetics, PCOS, and Taking Control

This episode offers hope and encouragement for anyone feeling stuck with their PCOS. Genetics may set the stage, but they don’t have to determine the ending. With a deeper understanding of where PCOS comes from and how to support your body, you can move forward with freedom from PCOS.

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

Hello, my friend, and welcome back to the PCOS Repair Podcast. Today, we’re going to dive into some questions I’ve been getting around what causes PCOS and whether it runs in families. Is it genetic? How come some people say you can “cure” it, while others say you can never get rid of it? And what does it really mean to reverse symptoms? So, lots of questions about—where is this coming from?

Why do I have this? How can I figure out what’s going on? And does that play into what my root cause is? So with that, let’s dive in.

If you’ve ever wondered, “Is it just me?” or “How did I get this?”—you’re not alone. Maybe the rest of your family seems fine, or you’re struggling with fertility, and everyone else had no trouble getting pregnant. Or maybe you do notice a pattern through generations, and you’re wondering if your daughter might have it. Is it genetic?

And what influences PCOS to show up in the symptoms we experience?

First of all, yes, PCOS does have a genetic component. But it’s not the same as the kind of genetics we think of when we talk about hair color, skin tone, eye color, height, or body type—traits that are very visually clear in families. Maybe there’s a “family nose” or a particular leg shape that everyone seems to have. That kind of inheritance is different from what we’re talking about with PCOS.

Instead, we’re talking about certain genes that influence how specific systems in our body function—our metabolic system, reproductive system, and endocrine system. These genes may have variants, and not everyone will have them turned on or expressed in the same way. So even if multiple people in a family carry these genetic tendencies, it won’t always show up the same way, or at all.

There are genes related to insulin sensitivity, hormone regulation, ovarian function, and chronic inflammation. For example, someone may have no insulin issues until later in life when they develop type 2 diabetes. That might not look like PCOS, but the tendency is there. Likewise, certain genes can affect how sensitive your body is to hormonal fluctuations, how your ovaries respond, or how easily your body becomes inflamed.

Now, awareness of PCOS has grown significantly in recent years. Many of us in our 30s didn’t have mothers who were diagnosed with PCOS, simply because it wasn’t something that was being tested for or treated much back then. Those of us in our 40s may now have daughters being diagnosed with PCOS, so we’re starting to see more evidence of a genetic link. But it’s not that our moms didn’t have any symptoms—it’s just that it may not have been identified as PCOS.

That brings us to lifestyle. Even if you inherit a genetic predisposition, whether or not PCOS shows up—and how severe it is—can depend a lot on your environment. Previous generations had different diets, lower levels of processed foods, and often more physical activity built into daily life. So even if the genes were there, the symptoms may have been milder or hidden.

If your mom wasn’t diagnosed with PCOS, ask yourself—did she have irregular cycles? Gestational diabetes? Thyroid issues? Fertility struggles? Did she gain weight easily or develop type 2 diabetes as she got older? These could have been signs, even if they weren’t labeled as PCOS.

And lifestyle habits tend to be passed down, too. Think about how you learned to cook, what kinds of meals were typical in your house, whether your family was active, if sports or recreation were part of your life, and whether exercise was prioritized. These patterns become part of your own habits as an adult. Maybe your family was active and you weren’t, or vice versa. And sometimes, as life gets busier—college, work, adult responsibilities—we move away from those healthy patterns.

For some people, that’s when their PCOS becomes more noticeable. That was the case for me. I had signs of PCOS after puberty—hair growth on my neck and sideburns, a unibrow, and hair on my toes. My periods were regular but extremely heavy, and I struggled with my weight despite eating a healthy diet and being active. Thankfully, my mom was really supportive with nutrition, and we were a fairly active family. We didn’t do formal workouts, but we moved our bodies, got outside, and stayed busy. Back then, formal fitness wasn’t pushed the way it is today, so while I was healthy, I probably wasn’t exercising enough to suppress all my PCOS symptoms.

Still, that healthy environment helped keep things in check until I tried to get pregnant in my late 20s. That’s when birth control threw things off, and my PCOS became much more apparent. So sometimes, your environment can hold your symptoms at bay—until it doesn’t.

And here’s the cool part about genetics. The kind involved in PCOS are what we call epigenetic, meaning they’re strongly influenced by your environment. So yes, PCOS has a genetic predisposition, but whether it’s turned on—and how severely—depends on your lifestyle.

Even if your genetics have been triggered already, by changing your environment and how you care for your body—how you nourish it, move it, manage stress, and support emotional health—you can reverse the expression of those genes. You can turn down the symptoms and, in many cases, eliminate them altogether.

That doesn’t mean you’ve erased your genetic predisposition—it’s still there. But the symptoms go away. So someone who was once struggling with irregular periods, infertility, cravings, acne, low energy, and weight gain can discover their root causes, adjust their lifestyle, and reverse those symptoms.

Your labs—low progesterone, elevated insulin, and inflammatory markers—can return to normal. You could walk into a doctor’s office, and if they didn’t know your history, they might say, “No, you don’t have PCOS.”

Now, if you go back to your old lifestyle, those symptoms can come back. Your genes haven’t changed. But your body—this living, dynamic system—responds to its environment. And while we can’t change our eye color or height much (outside of a small window during growth years), PCOS-related genes are much more flexible.

With consistency, you can quiet them down so much that they don’t show up at all. The degree to which this is possible varies from person to person, and a lot depends on how much you prioritize your health and your goals.

For example, if your goal is a certain fitness level, you’ll need to put in effort to reach that. Some people start out just wanting to lose ten pounds, then surprise themselves by falling in love with fitness and going much further. But most of us will get where we intend to go—no more, no less—based on how much effort we’re willing to put in.

That said, most women with PCOS, barring other underlying conditions, can reverse their symptoms and create a life where their body feels great. Some things, like excess facial hair or hair loss, may take longer to resolve. You may need support like laser hair removal or other interventions. But the point is, once your hormones are balanced again, that hair isn’t going to grow back unless your hormones become imbalanced again.

So I hope this helps clear up some of the confusion around PCOS, genetics, and reversing versus curing. If you have more questions about your PCOS, I’d love to hear from you over on Instagram—that’s where I get so many great questions and ideas for episodes like this one.

If today’s episode helped you understand what’s going on beneath the surface—even beneath your root causes—please hit that subscribe button so you don’t miss future episodes. I release new ones every week.

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

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

In this episode, you’ll uncover the truth about insulin resistance in PCOS, how it can exist even when your lab work appears “normal” and why it’s one of the most common yet overlooked root causes. You’ll learn how insulin resistance develops, the hidden ways it impacts energy, cravings, weight, and ovulation, and why recognizing it early can make all the difference in your hormone health. Plus, I’ll share practical steps to spot the signs, understand your test results, and start restoring balance with simple, targeted lifestyle changes that work with your body.

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

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

In this episode, you’ll hear Rachel’s inspiring story of overcoming PCOS-related fertility struggles by addressing chronic inflammation, a root cause often overlooked. Learn how simple, targeted changes to her diet and lifestyle helped her heal her gut, restore regular cycles, and conceive naturally, all without extreme restrictions.

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

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

Your daily environment, whether it’s an office, a classroom, or your own living room, can have a huge impact on your PCOS symptoms. In this episode, you’ll discover how to protect your energy, reduce brain fog, and create simple routines that support hormone health in the middle of your real life, not just in a perfectly curated one. Learn how to reset your focus, manage cravings, and build a daily flow that helps you feel better, even on your busiest days.

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 #148: Navigating PCOS and Eating Disorders: A Teen’s Story to Better Health

Episode #148: Navigating PCOS and Eating Disorders: A Teen’s Story to Better Health

Episode #148: Navigating PCOS and Eating Disorders: A Teen’s Story to Better Health

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

Navigating PCOS and Eating Disorders A Teen’s Story to Better Health

What you’ll learn in this episode:

In this episode of the PCOS Repair Podcast, I get to share the inspiring journey of Annie, a former client who overcame PCOS symptoms, found healing, and reached her weight loss goals, all while honoring her mental health and navigating a history of disordered eating. Annie’s story is a powerful example of what can happen when you take a compassionate, root-cause-driven approach to managing PCOS.

The Emotional Side of Health Goals

This episode highlights the emotional weight of health journeys, especially when past struggles with body image or disordered eating are involved. Annie had previously done the work with therapists to address her eating disorder, but when she gained weight due to PCOS, she wanted to be cautious in her next steps. She recognized the importance of approaching her weight loss from a place of self-awareness, healing, and mental wellness.

Rather than diving into restrictive diets or fast fixes, Annie chose a slower, steadier pace that protected her emotional wellbeing. With continued support from her therapist, Annie and I worked together with a root-cause PCOS plan. 

Why This Story Matters for Your PCOS Journey

This episode encourages you to rethink and personalize your approach to weight loss, health goals, and PCOS healing. Annie’s story demonstrates that sustainable results come from understanding your root causes, building nourishing habits, and protecting your mental and emotional wellbeing along the way. Whether you’re just starting or looking to recalibrate, this story offers hope and actionable insight for a more empowered path forward.

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

Hello, my friend, and welcome back to another episode of the PCOS Repair Podcast. Today, I get to share a really inspiring story of one of my clients from a few years ago. We were recently emailing, and I was reminded of how amazing her transformational story has been. She graciously granted me permission to share it with you in today’s episode.

Something I love about my client, whose name is Annie, and her story is that it touches on some very important key aspects that often go unconsidered or undiscussed as we search for a new path toward better health. Of course, here on the podcast, we focus on PCOS health, but this applies to anyone exploring fitness programs, nutrition plans, or just wanting to lose a few pounds—especially as we head into summer.

Whatever health goal we’re pursuing, we don’t want to overlook how that journey may impact our mental health.

So today, I’m excited to share Annie’s story: how she overcame her PCOS struggles, found her path to healing, reversed her symptoms, and lost the weight she wanted to lose. But more importantly, how she did all of this while also managing a previous history of eating disorders. She was able to move forward in a way that nourished her physical health, her mindset, and her emotional well-being.

Let’s dive in.

Annie was about 24 years old when we started working together. Throughout her teens, she had struggled at various times with eating disorders. At the time, she didn’t know she had PCOS—she hadn’t been diagnosed yet—but she felt the pressure of social norms and the expectations for a certain level of fitness, for fitting into specific pant or dress sizes.

Like many teens and young adults who are not well-informed about how to properly care for their bodies, she used methods within her control to try and meet the expectations she felt surrounded by. Before we started working together, she had already worked with therapists and had done the work to get her eating disorder tendencies under control.

However, she had gained about 35 pounds and wanted to lose the weight. She was very aware that although those issues were behind her, they could potentially resurface if she pursued weight loss without the right mindset or structure. She wanted to incorporate both PCOS health and weight loss into her routine without triggering past problems.

At the time, she was pursuing her PhD in Florida. The hot and humid climate felt particularly challenging for her, especially with the extra weight. She said it brought down her energy and made her feel uncomfortable—physically and emotionally. Living in a place where shorts and swimsuits were common year-round only added to her discomfort and self-consciousness.

She was ready to make weight loss a big priority in her life—but she wanted to do it the right way. She wanted to feel better, reach a healthier weight for her, and do it all without compromising her mental health.

Let me pause here for a second. As we dive into today’s rather sensitive topic, I just want to acknowledge that this may be triggering for some of you. Please proceed with discretion. If you have a history of disordered eating—or even just a difficult relationship with food—this may hit close to home.

In today’s culture of social media “inspiration,” before-and-afters, fast fixes, trendy diets, and even medications like Ozempic being popularized, it’s easy to fall into the mindset of doing “whatever it takes” to achieve your goals.

But any time you want something so badly that you stop considering the bigger picture, I encourage you to pause. Take a breath. Give yourself time to calm down around the issue and look at your options more clearly before diving into something that might not be the right move for your overall health.

One of the things I love about Annie’s story is that she was willing to do it differently. She came into the process ready to take a slower path if needed. She understood it might be harder. She knew she’d have to grow into a lifestyle she could sustain. And she was ready to do it that way.

One of the agreements we had when we started working together was that she would continue working with a therapist to manage her mental health and eating disorder recovery. That part of her care was supported by someone qualified to handle those aspects, while we focused on building her physical health and PCOS care plan.

Ultimately, it was her mindset and approach that made all the difference.

So how did Annie’s journey look different from what I usually talk about on this podcast?

In many episodes, I talk about identifying your root causes, nourishing your body, and finding a sustainable rhythm. All of that still applies. But when someone has a history of disordered eating—or even just a pattern of failed attempts, guilt, and frustration around food—it’s essential to approach things differently.

For Annie, that meant shifting her mindset, redefining what success looked like, and creating a data-driven plan rather than reacting emotionally to every small fluctuation.

Weight loss is incredibly emotional. There’s confidence when things are working, and there’s disappointment and even despair when they’re not. And let’s face it, most of us are terrible at measuring progress.

If I get on the scale in the morning and it’s up half a pound—even if I ate well and exercised the day before—it can feel like everything I did was for nothing. But that’s just not how weight works. Hydration, salt intake, hormones, time of the month—it all impacts the scale.

Annie knew that about herself. So we created a plan with spaced-out weigh-ins and a clear expectation of what success would look like over six-week intervals. We aimed for 0.5 to 1 pound of weight loss per week—no more.

So, for example, what if after six weeks she had only lost two pounds? That might seem discouraging on the surface, but we had already talked through that possibility. She acknowledged that at the beginning, she might still be learning how to implement the changes, so slower progress was okay.

As long as she wasn’t gaining, or stuck in place, we would call it a success. And that’s exactly what she did.

See, when we let ourselves get emotionally caught up in short-term results, we tend to throw out all the good we’ve done just because it didn’t meet some unrealistic goal. We get discouraged and revert to old habits. But Annie avoided that trap by focusing on steady, sustainable change.

We also made sure she was working on her root causes and structuring her meals in a way that supported her mindset and avoided triggering old patterns. For her, that meant regular meals—breakfast, lunch, and dinner—with snacks as needed. We gave calorie ranges, not strict targets, to allow for flexibility while still being mindful of balance and consistency.

That structure helped her avoid extreme hunger and overeating later, which can be a slippery slope for someone with a history of binge-restrict cycles.

So fast forward to now—four or five years later. Annie is nearly 30 and just had a baby. She recently emailed me because she wants to lose some postpartum weight. She told me she’s going back to the tools we built together and wanted to check in about updating her plan.

What really stood out to me was how calm, empowered, and self-aware she sounded. She has maintained her weight, supported her PCOS health, and is now re-entering the weight-loss phase with clarity and confidence. She owns her health journey.

And I think that’s what makes her story so inspiring.

We all have moments in our past that didn’t go the way we wanted. Maybe we’ve failed at sticking to a plan. Maybe we’ve developed unhealthy habits or even just discouraged ourselves into inaction. But those experiences don’t have to define us. They can inform us. They can help us approach our health journey in a more intentional, compassionate, and sustainable way.

Annie brought her full self to the table—her history, her lessons learned, and her commitment to long-term health. She used her past to guide her future, not to limit it.

So as we wrap up today’s episode, I want to remind you that PCOS, although frustrating, can also be a gift. It forces you to care for your body in a way many people never have to think about. In a world where poor energy, excess weight, and declining health are everywhere, PCOS can be a wake-up call—a push to make meaningful, lasting changes.

And if you’re in the thick of it, struggling with symptoms or feeling overwhelmed, I hope Annie’s story gives you hope. You are not alone, and there is a way forward.

If you’d like to continue the conversation, you can find me over on Instagram at @nourishtohealthy. And if you found today’s episode helpful, be sure to hit that subscribe button so you’re notified each and every week when a new episode becomes available.

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

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

In this episode, you’ll uncover the truth about insulin resistance in PCOS, how it can exist even when your lab work appears “normal” and why it’s one of the most common yet overlooked root causes. You’ll learn how insulin resistance develops, the hidden ways it impacts energy, cravings, weight, and ovulation, and why recognizing it early can make all the difference in your hormone health. Plus, I’ll share practical steps to spot the signs, understand your test results, and start restoring balance with simple, targeted lifestyle changes that work with your body.

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

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

In this episode, you’ll hear Rachel’s inspiring story of overcoming PCOS-related fertility struggles by addressing chronic inflammation, a root cause often overlooked. Learn how simple, targeted changes to her diet and lifestyle helped her heal her gut, restore regular cycles, and conceive naturally, all without extreme restrictions.

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

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

Your daily environment, whether it’s an office, a classroom, or your own living room, can have a huge impact on your PCOS symptoms. In this episode, you’ll discover how to protect your energy, reduce brain fog, and create simple routines that support hormone health in the middle of your real life, not just in a perfectly curated one. Learn how to reset your focus, manage cravings, and build a daily flow that helps you feel better, even on your busiest days.

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 #147: Lifestyle by Design: Creating a PCOS-Friendly Life

Episode #147: Lifestyle by Design: Creating a PCOS-Friendly Life

Episode #147: Lifestyle by Design: Creating a PCOS-Friendly Life

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

Lifestyle by Design Creating a PCOS-Friendly Life

What you’ll learn in this episode:

In this episode of the PCOS Repair Podcast, you’ll discover what it really means to live a PCOS-friendly lifestyle—and more importantly, how to design one that fits your unique needs. While the phrase “PCOS-friendly” gets thrown around a lot, it can often feel vague or even overwhelming. This episode offers a clear framework to help you stop guessing and start building a lifestyle that actually supports your body and your goals.

Understanding the Foundation of a PCOS-Friendly Lifestyle

A PCOS-friendly lifestyle isn’t about following a rigid formula or cutting out everything you enjoy. Instead, it’s about giving your body the nourishment and support it needs while also making sure your lifestyle works with your real life—not against it. Whether you’re dealing with shift work, family obligations, food sensitivities, or just a packed schedule, your PCOS lifestyle has to be sustainable for you.

The Four Areas You Need to Know

In this episode, you’ll learn how to create that sustainable lifestyle by first understanding your PCOS root cause. This is essential for knowing which habits will actually move the needle for you. You’ll also reflect on your current health goals—whether it’s energy, fertility, weight loss, or something else—as well as what your current life priorities allow for. From there, it’s all about taking aligned action to support your body in a way that feels doable, not overwhelming.

The Four Pillars of Hormone-Friendly Living

We will break down the four core pillars of a PCOS-friendly lifestyle: nutrition, movement, stress management, and emotional well-being. Each of these plays a crucial role in hormone balance and symptom relief. Rather than aiming for perfection, the goal is to build habits that are both effective and realistic for your daily life. You’ll hear why small shifts in these areas can lead to big improvements over time.

Making It Personal and Sustainable

This episode also walks through how to personalize your routine without falling into the all-or-nothing trap. You’ll learn how to start small, adjust as you go, and find the rhythms that feel natural and energizing. This isn’t about following someone else’s version of a “healthy lifestyle”—it’s about creating one that supports your health while also honoring your current capacity and real-life responsibilities.

Actionable Next Steps to Get Started

You’ll walk away from this episode with practical next steps, including taking the PCOS Root Cause Quiz, clarifying your main health goal, identifying your current priorities, and choosing a few simple habits to begin supporting your body today. This is the same framework I use with my own clients, and it’s one that can grow with you as your life evolves.

If you’re ready to stop following generic advice and start creating a lifestyle that works for your hormones, your body, and your life, this episode is a must-listen. Be sure to hit subscribe so you don’t miss upcoming episodes—and if you haven’t yet, head to the show notes to take the PCOS Root Cause Quiz and begin building a lifestyle that truly supports your PCOS healing journey.

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, where today our topic is all about creating a PCOS-friendly lifestyle. What does that even mean? I talk about it a lot here on the podcast, so I wanted to dive in and give you a framework for what it actually looks like. Because we throw around these buzzwords, and sometimes I get asked, “Am I going to have to give up this?” or “What does that mean exactly?” Is there a set formula for a PCOS-healthy lifestyle?

Hopefully today’s episode will help clear that up.

What Is a PCOS-Friendly Lifestyle?

When I talk about a PCOS-friendly lifestyle, I’m referring to two key things:

  1. It supports and nourishes your body. It helps you create an environment where your body can thrive because you’re giving it what it needs.
  2. It works for you. Meaning, it’s tailored to your individual life circumstances. What works for one person might not work for someone else. Maybe you work nights, have food allergies, or are juggling three picky eaters at home—you need a lifestyle that fits your life.

Let’s look at the four areas you’ll need to consider when creating your unique healthy lifestyle:

1. Know Your Root Cause

If you don’t know your PCOS root cause yet, start with the PCOS Root Cause Quiz. It’s a quick quiz that gives you a solid starting point, and inside the PCOS Root Cause Bootcamp, I walk you through a more in-depth assessment. This helps you figure out what’s driving your symptoms—whether it’s insulin resistance, inflammation, hormone imbalance, or something else.

2. Know Your Health Goals

What do you want from your health? For some, it’s more energy and vitality. For others, it’s about fertility—maybe they didn’t even think about health until struggling to get pregnant. For some, it’s about weight. They feel stuck in a constant yo-yo of dieting, gaining weight back, and never feeling at peace in their body.

You might have multiple goals, but it’s helpful to identify your main focus. This will help you structure your lifestyle around the area that matters most to you right now.

3. Know Your Current Priorities

We all have limited bandwidth. You might want to lose 30 pounds, but maybe you’re also applying to grad school or working long hours. That doesn’t mean you can’t make health a priority—it just means you may need to adjust your timeline or expectations.

Being honest with yourself about your current priorities helps you avoid unnecessary frustration. If weight loss isn’t your main focus right now, don’t beat yourself up if it’s not progressing as quickly. Instead, acknowledge that you’re laying the groundwork and making small changes that will pay off later.

4. Start Taking Action

This is where you begin doing the actual work to nurture your body back to health—and eventually maintain that health. Yes, it takes effort at first, especially while you’re learning and adjusting habits, but once you get into a rhythm, it becomes more manageable.

The Four Pillars of a PCOS-Friendly Lifestyle

Here are the core components:

  1. Nutrition
    If we’re not fueling our body with the right foods, it’s hard for it to thrive. Nutrition looks different for everyone depending on root causes, and we dive deep into this in the PCOS Root Cause Bootcamp.
  2. Movement
    Movement is essential for everyone, but what it looks like will vary. It could be intense workouts, walking, or anything in between. Start where you are and build from there.
  3. Stress Management
    We live in a fast-paced world with constant demands, and PCOS adds another layer of stress. Managing stress isn’t about eliminating it—it’s about building resilience so stress doesn’t control your day.
  4. Emotional Well-being
    This goes beyond self-care. It’s about giving yourself space to feel, process, rest, and rekindle joy. It’s learning to be gentle with yourself while creating time to recharge.

Personalizing a Sustainable Routine

To create a routine that actually works:

  • Start small. Don’t try to change everything at once.
  • Focus on one area at a time—maybe it’s breakfast or 15 minutes of movement each day.
  • Pay attention to what works. If a meal takes two hours to prep, it’s probably not realistic long-term. If your workout leaves you exhausted instead of energized, it might not be the best fit.
  • Let it evolve. Life changes—so should your routine. Whether you’re transitioning from school to full-time work, entering a new season of life, or adjusting to new challenges, your lifestyle should grow with you.

Action Steps for Today

  1. Take the PCOS Root Cause Quiz
    (Link is in the show notes)
  2. Write down your root cause
  3. Identify your #1 health goal
    Is it pregnancy? Weight loss? More energy? Write it down.
  4. List your top life priorities
    Health, career, school, finances—whatever is currently taking your time and energy.
  5. Pick 10 small habits
    Choose habits that support your goal—like a specific breakfast, 20 minutes of walking, or a short journaling session. Start with one. Add more over time.

This is the exact framework I use in my own life and when working with clients. I revisit it often—when my schedule shifts, when my needs change, or when I simply need to refresh my routine.

Your lifestyle has to work for you. You can get guidance and support, but you have to participate in designing it. Because if you don’t, it’ll be built around someone else’s life—not yours.

So while it takes some effort and ongoing tweaking, it’s not nearly as complicated as it may seem. You just need the right foundation—and this is it.

If you found this episode helpful, be sure to hit subscribe so you get notified each week when new episodes go live. 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.

Similar Podcasts You Will Enjoy

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

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

In this episode, you’ll uncover the truth about insulin resistance in PCOS, how it can exist even when your lab work appears “normal” and why it’s one of the most common yet overlooked root causes. You’ll learn how insulin resistance develops, the hidden ways it impacts energy, cravings, weight, and ovulation, and why recognizing it early can make all the difference in your hormone health. Plus, I’ll share practical steps to spot the signs, understand your test results, and start restoring balance with simple, targeted lifestyle changes that work with your body.

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

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

In this episode, you’ll hear Rachel’s inspiring story of overcoming PCOS-related fertility struggles by addressing chronic inflammation, a root cause often overlooked. Learn how simple, targeted changes to her diet and lifestyle helped her heal her gut, restore regular cycles, and conceive naturally, all without extreme restrictions.

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

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

Your daily environment, whether it’s an office, a classroom, or your own living room, can have a huge impact on your PCOS symptoms. In this episode, you’ll discover how to protect your energy, reduce brain fog, and create simple routines that support hormone health in the middle of your real life, not just in a perfectly curated one. Learn how to reset your focus, manage cravings, and build a daily flow that helps you feel better, even on your busiest days.

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