Carb Fear
Notice the rice in my lunch bowl above? Even just a year ago, I would have never ordered that as my base.
Carb fear is real with PCOS (Polycycystic Ovarian Syndrome)! Over the years, since being diagnosed in my early 20’s, I’ve had several doctors say things to me like “watch your carbs,” or “try a low carb diet.” As a perfectionist, I did just that. The idea that carbohydrates, in any form, were something to be avoided became ingrained in my mind. Diets like “Atkins,” “Paleo,” and “Keto” becoming mainstream, just fueled the fire.
Last year, when it became time to really get serious about my fertility and preparing for pregnancy, I continued to eat a very low carb diet and do daily strenuous exercise. I thought I was doing everything right, and I was puzzled as to why I was still struggling with PCOS symptoms. I just felt “off” and knew something wasn’t right in my body.
Even though I had seen traditional physicians for my reproductive health, fertility, and PCOS, my instinct told me something was missing (or was being missed!). My bloodwork indeed showed some hormonal imbalances that would make it difficult to conceive, but my regular physicians told me the path was to try for six months on our own and then decide what route to pursue from there (IUI, IVF, etc.). While I understood this logic, my intuition told me there was another way. I wanted to figure out the WHY behind my results.
That’s when I turned to functional medicine, which focuses on identifying the root cause of disease rather than just masking symptoms with medications and treatments. After a lot of research and consideration, I decided to join The Moday Center, a functional medicine practice in Rittenhouse Square. Dr. Moday and her staff administered several tests beyond the scope of my regular physicians. These tests helped illuminate the root cause of my symptoms and hormonal imbalances — adrenal fatigue.
Adrenal Fatigue is when the adrenal glands function below necessary levels. It’s usually associated with periods of prolonged stress, and can include extreme fatigue, inability to handle everyday stress, dizziness, digestive issues, missed periods, and other symptoms. In my case, the prolonged stress on my body was what I had thought was “perfect eating and exercise.”
My adrenal fatigue was not only making me exhausted, but also affecting my hormone levels. For years, I thought I was being my healthiest self by pushing through daily workouts and limiting sugars and carbs, but it ended up being too much for my body to properly function. Dr. Moday’s team helped me implement changes to my routine, including:
Take more rest days
Limit very strenuous exercise
Opt for exercise like yoga, Pilates, walking, and light weights
Eat more complex carbs and fruits
Eat more regularly throughout the day
improve sleeping environment
Limit household toxins
Take adaptogenic supplements (note: discontinued during pregnancy)
After six months under Dr. Moday’s guidance, I felt more energetic, balanced, and happy. I also gained weight. For transparency, this change had started before I signed on with Dr. Moday, when I decided to stop some migraine and hormonal medications that would no longer be safe if I became pregnant. Also, being 100% real, I struggled A LOT with the thought of gaining weight. Being in sports like gymnastics growing up and continuing in the fitness realm as an adult, I put a lot of pressure on myself to have a certain type of body. With a lot of work, and continued support from my care team, I finally realized that fighting my body’s natural shape for the sake of aesthetics was not worth the hurt it was causing me internally. All my physical efforts were actually making it harder for my body to do its job and keep me healthy — healthy, not simply defined by outward appearances, but truly healthy from the inside out.
Now, I am so grateful for this journey because it helped me understand how important it is to show my body compassion, understanding, and unconditional love. In doing so, I allowed my body to soften and become a mother. As I grow through this pregnancy, I feel so grateful to gain weight, to protect and support my baby, and to love my body in its natural state so my daughter can love hers unconditionally as well.
Plus, I’m able to mentally enjoy eating carbs again, feel more energetic (even during pregnancy), and don’t suffer from constant caffeine and sugar cravings!
Have you struggled with carb fear? Let me know in the comments below!
