S09 E04_Nutrition for PCOS: Audio automatically transcribed by Sonix

S09 E04_Nutrition for PCOS: this mp3 audio file was automatically transcribed by Sonix with the best speech-to-text algorithms. This transcript may contain errors.

Intro/Outro:
Hi, I'm Kristyn Hodgdon, an IVF mom, proud women's health advocate, and co-founder of Rescripted. Welcome to From First Period to Last Period, a science-backed health and wellness podcast dedicated to shining a light on all of the women's health topics that have long been considered taboo. From UTIs to Endometriosis, we're amplifying women's needs and voices because we know there's so much more to the female experience than what happens at the doctor's office. With From First Period to Last Period, we're doing the legwork on your whole body so you can be the expert in you. Now, let's dive in.

Kristyn Hodgdon:
Hi everyone, and welcome back to From First Period to Last Period. I'm your host, Kristyn, and I'm so excited to be here today with Cory Ruth, aka the Women's Dietitian. Hi, Cory.

Cory Ruth:
Hello. Thanks for having me.

Kristyn Hodgdon:
Of course, we were just saying that you and I have been internet friends from afar for a long time, and I love your content about what to eat for PCOS and all of your recipes. I've been following and using some of them myself. So, thank you for all the resources you provide to women for free and for just busting the myths. I'm excited to bust some of the myths around how to eat for PCOS and all the different lifestyle changes you can make, as well as chat about PCOS with two women who get it.

Cory Ruth:
Definitely, yeah. Yeah, same; there's so much to say, and there's just a ton of misinformation out there on this topic of diet, nutrition, and PCOS. So, I'm grateful to be here and to be able to share some actual facts, evidence-based, science-backed tips, and advice, so yeah.

Kristyn Hodgdon:
Love it. We're all about science-backed information. So, just for those who don't know Cory, she is known widely on socials as The Women's Dietitian. She is a PCOS registered dietitian and women's health expert. After struggling for years with her own PCOS symptoms, she now uses her platform to educate and empower women to take back control of their health, weight, and vitality to finally become the boss of their PCOS. So welcome, again! I'd love to start by talking a little bit about our own journeys with PCOS. I'd love to know how your personal journey influence your approach to nutrition, lifestyle, and getting into this field of work.

Cory Ruth:
Yeah, definitely. So I'll wind the clock back to a long time ago, and I remember in high school, we had a very minimal amount of sex education, right? I think it was taught by, like, our high school football coach or something horrible, and it was just so lacking. And I remember learning that everyone, every woman we got, we're supposed to get a period every 28 days, and we ovulate on day 14, and that's that. And I remember reading that textbook and listening to this dude talking about this, thinking, oh my God, what is wrong with me? That is not the case for me. I had no idea if and when my period was going to show up, or how long she was going to stay around, and there were just so many unknowns for me. And I also remember being in the locker room at school at that time and listening to my girlfriends talking like, oh, my period's coming this Friday. Oh, mine, too. And I remember thinking, how do you know that? That is so amazing that you're just able to predict that. That prediction, that regularity again? Just felt like I was a freak of nature. Like I was just an outcast and feeling I wasn't, I don't know how to say that, but it made me feel less feminine, and I was less of a woman and just very isolated, because I felt like, at the time, nobody shared that same struggle. No matter who I talked to, what book I read, who I was listening to Jabberin on about periods. Anyway, that led me always to have these beliefs that were wrong. My body was broken; my body was failing me. I would never be a mother.

Kristyn Hodgdon:
We talk about that all the time at Rescripted, just about how sex ed is broken. And I have to say, I am surprised your sex ed even taught you about periods because mine was just like, if you have sex, you will get pregnant and die.

Cory Ruth:
You will not die yet, and so maybe there's that.

Kristyn Hodgdon:
Yeah, but I was similar. I never got my, I got my period like three times a year. And I weirdly, like your locker room anecdote, like it totally took me back because I remember having a thought process being like, wait, what's going on? I just kept being told by doctors that I was an athlete, and it was normal to have, like, really spaced-apart period because I was so active. I was like, it was always in the back of my head, though I think we all have that, like a gut instinct that, yeah, oh, this doesn't feel right, because then everyone else around me is talking about.

Cory Ruth:
Totally. Yeah, yeah, yeah, the athlete thing is so real for so many of us. I was never an athlete. I was just like a nerd. But anyway, yeah, so I went to school, I went through school, and I became a dietitian. I started learning about blood sugar regulation and how much that had an impact on certain things like hormones and PCOS. And so when I opened up my own private practice, I said, the one thing I'm never going to do is specialize in PCOS. It's way too complicated. It's way too complex. The more I thought about it, the more I got into it. I was like, you know what? I'm the perfect person right here. I am a registered dietitian who knows about blood sugar management, diabetes, and insulin resistance. And here, I have all this information and knowledge about PCOS, and I have PCOS. I'm the perfect person to step into the space, so I did. I've never looked back. I'm so glad I did.

Kristyn Hodgdon:
Yeah, that's so interesting. Who better than you who has turned her own life around with PCOS from your learnings? I'm curious about the blood sugar because I thought I'd been doing this for a long time. Like I've always been educating myself about my PCOS, but I think I thought that if you don't have insulin resistance, then the blood sugar thing isn't a factor, but I've learned it's not correct. And so, can you clear that up a little bit?

Cory Ruth:
Totally. Yeah. So, insulin resistance can be a main driver for the vast majority of women who have PCOS. But not everybody has classically defined true insulin resistance. However, blood sugar regulation is crucial for us even if we don't have that stamp diagnosis of insulin resistance on paper. Even if we're not pre-diabetic, we think about blood sugar, and we always think about diabetes. Blood sugar is actually really important for hormones in general, even if you don't have PCOS, even if you're just somebody working on their fertility journey or not, even if you're just a woman out there, if they're so important to it's so important to how our hormones are managed. So, even if you don't struggle with that, you should focus on keeping your blood sugar nice and happy because it impacts your hormones. Here's a really good example. When our blood sugar is dysregulated, and we don't, we might not even necessarily be aware, right? If you read the list of diabetes symptoms, so many people who have diabetes are like, yeah, I never experienced that. So sometimes it's more silent. It's been the background. But anyway, when our blood sugar is out of whack, it sends messages down to our ovaries. This is really in layman's terms, but if we have PCOS to pump out more androgens like testosterone. Testosterone can drive period irregularities, facial hair, acne, hair loss, weight gain, and all these things. So there's a direct connection for you between how and what we're eating, along with movement and stress, and how our PCOS is showing up for us. If you're unsure what blood sugar management looks like, you're not sure why it's important. I really encourage you, if you have PCOS, to work to learn and understand that because it's the most basic fundamentals for living with PCOS and managing it.

Kristyn Hodgdon:
Yeah, no, absolutely. I won't even eat an apple anymore without some almond butter. I have to pair it with that, and protein has to pair it with that. So those two might be due to blood sugar regulation and unsure where to start. What are some tips to just get off the ground?

Cory Ruth:
Yeah. So, if you think about it, and I'm just saying this because I am American, living in America, the standard American diet, the way that our food, society, and culture have shifted now is very based on eating for taste, flavor, and convenience. We're not focusing on fiber. We're not focusing enough on protein and healthy fats. We've shifted to focusing a lot on carbs and added sugars. These things are not necessarily evils, but they should definitely be considered and should be paired down because of protein, healthy fat, or protein, fats, and fiber, PFF, I call it my PFF formula, is what stabilizes blood sugar, carbs, and sugar, throw it out of whack. So that's one of the core pieces of working on blood sugar, which is to focus on managing it and incorporating more of those three macros. Fiber isn't technically a macronutrient, but I consider it one—three of those nutrients and then paring down carbs and sugar. So making sure that when you are eating things like carbs or, you know, something that has some sugar in there, you've got some protein in there, hopefully maybe some fiber, and you've also got some fats in there because that helps to negate a blood sugar rise. And when your blood sugar is chronically high, what happens is that's what can lead to things like insulin resistance and type two diabetes. Your body basically stops saying, like, registering that, and it basically stops putting out insulin, and we need that to regulate things. Anyway, I'm not going to get into the weeds there. But yeah. So more protein, more fiber, more fats, less carbs, and less sugar is what we always come back to.

Kristyn Hodgdon:
Something I've been trying to do for the past year or so has been to focus on, I think, just growing up in the 90s, diet culture, like so many of us millennial women, is focused on acting from our plate versus adding to it. And I've had IVF failure, and I was working with a dietitian on sort of a hiatus from IVF. And I like honestly, the number one thing I did was just like, focus on adding versus subtracting, like eating enough and getting those nutrients, adding those fats and proteins versus just like having plain oatmeal or plain yogurt, adding those different omegas, fruits, nuts and all that stuff. Honestly, I think some people worry about weight gain, but I feel healthier even if I don't think I gained anything from it. But it is an adjustment, i think, mentally more than anything in the beginning because you're like, oh, I'm eating much more.

Cory Ruth:
Yes, so true, so true. Yeah, of course, if you're working on weight management, portions and calories matter, but macros also matter because macros are more there for your hormones. Calories are more there for weight. So I'm marrying the two together. You can accomplish both better hormone balance and weight loss. You can do both. If you're not working on weight loss specifically, you're just managing. Yeah, just really shifting to focusing on the additions and macro balance can be super helpful to make sure that you are getting the nutrients that you need. And even if you are working on weight loss, working on macros can ensure that you're losing weight without, like you mentioned, subtracting and not getting the nutrients that you need because you can lose weight by eating three French fries a day. Is your body going to be happy, or are your hormones going to be happy with you? No, both pieces matter depending no matter where you are in either weight loss, weight management, or even weight gain.

Kristyn Hodgdon:
Yeah. That's a great point. I was actually going to ask next. I think a lot of women with PCOS are told by healthcare providers just to lose weight, and it'll solve all their problems. And what you would say to a client or someone that came to you about this is what I just keep being told.

Cory Ruth:
Yeah, totally. So gosh, there's so much to unpack here. First of all, telling someone to lose weight without then following it up with the proper tools is easy healthcare because you can tell someone to do this, but if you're not giving them the steps, it's like it falls on deaf ears because we don't know how to navigate it. So there's that, but I also think we have lots of research about weight loss, when warranted, being helpful for restoring ovulation, but that's true for everyone. For example, if someone is living with a smaller body size and that's what they're thinking will fix their PCOS, that's not necessarily going to be helpful. And we have plenty of women with PCOS who are living in larger body sizes, who get regular periods, and who are super fertile. So it's not one size fits all; however, it can be. This can be helpful for many of us. I've seen it so many times. I've been doing this for so many years, seeing clients and program members who do lose weight, even a small amount, and their ovulation gets more regular, and they can get pregnant. So, it is on a case-by-case basis, but this weight is not great advice because it doesn't fit everyone. We also need to be given the tools to carry that out in a way that doesn't lead to restriction. There are healthy ways to lose weight, and there are unhealthy ways to lose weight. And there are all kinds of reasons that women are working towards this goal. It's not always vanity-based or aesthetic-based. Some of us want to feel less joint pain. Some of us want to pursue IVF when otherwise we're told we can't. I also want to strip the shame away from that pursuit because of their wants. It's so multifaceted, but just losing weight is lazy advice. And that's where I want to help. Because if that's something that you want to go for, let's do it healthily. That still pumps your body full of the nutrients that you need, doesn't leave you in deprivation mode, doesn't leave you in starvation restriction mode, and still allows you to feel good throughout the process.

Kristyn Hodgdon:
Absolutely. You mentioned earlier that stress and nervous system regulation play a role. Like for example, I was working out on an empty stomach in the morning, drinking coffee before eating, and doing all of the wrong things in the name of being quote-unquote healthy. I had to turn that all around because in thinking about being healthy and quote-unquote skinny, I wasn't taking into consideration that if you're not nourishing your body if you're not focusing on nervous system regulation, your hormones are not happy. It's different when it comes to fertility, specifically in ovulation; your body needs more. It needs that nourishment.

Cory Ruth:
Yes, it's so true. There's such a big connection between stress, adrenal health, and PCOS. For so many of us, now we see higher rates of we see three times higher rates of things like anxiety and depression. We see more insomnia. We see more as a result than fatigue and inability to bounce back and cope. And then, we have the trauma component that can potentially exacerbate PCOS. It doesn't cause PCOS, but there are all kinds of things that can play a role, and it's really important to know that about yourself. Am I somebody whose symptoms get worse when I'm in this really heavy stress state? That's not true for everyone, but for those of us who know it's true, that is a huge sign. That's something that your body is asking you to prioritize better. So it's always good to be reflective and think about what my triggers are, what's driving my unique symptoms, and what I can optimize.

Kristyn Hodgdon:
Yes, absolutely. More rest days, sometimes, walking instead of yoga can be great, but there's a point where you can be overdoing it, too.

Cory Ruth:
Yes, yeah, there's a sweet spot. We don't want to be underdoing it, and we don't want to be overdoing it.

Kristyn Hodgdon:
Yeah, we want to strike a balance for sure. Let's talk about the inflammation.

Cory Ruth:
I feel like that's such a healthy buzzword.

Kristyn Hodgdon:
What actually is it? And do you have to give up gluten and dairy if you have PCOS to quell inflammation? It's just I think there's so much misinformation out there, and I want to clarify that for our listeners.

Cory Ruth:
Totally, yeah. So, inflammation can be a pretty vague buzzword. Inflammation is not all bad, right? If we think about acute inflammation, if we cut ourselves, we need that because it's our body sending signals and repairing itself. The problem is when we are stuck in this chronic state of inflammation, and we have tested women with PCOS and looked at certain blood markers, we have higher levels of them in our inflammatory markers, among others. So it does matter, and it is something to consider. Inflammation, again, is something that not everybody experiences outright symptoms of. Sometimes you can see it pop up in skin issues like eczema, rosacea, and sometimes joint pain. There are instances where we can feel it, but sometimes, it's just humming along in the background. All we can do is fight against that, and one of the best ways to do that is to change how you're eating. Food is such a powerhouse of anti-inflammatory nutrients. As long as we're tapping into the right things again, that goes back to that conversation of setting up how we eat, which can be super beneficial from a blood sugar standpoint and also from this inflammatory connection standpoint. So there's lots we can do there.

Kristyn Hodgdon:
And so, what is your take on gluten and dairy and food elimination?

Cory Ruth:
Yeah, I want to talk about this kind of in the broader context because I think that I know that the claim of removing things like dairy and gluten, even soy, even sugar, all processed foods, the claim that this and I'm thinking specifically about gluten and dairy will magically fix your PCOS is very misleading. We just don't have the research to back that up. We have zero research studies proving that women with PCOS should be eliminating gluten and dairy. Gluten, and dairy, I don't recommend eating any one food all day long every day. So I'm not telling you to go drink like a gluten smoothie and then eat a sandwich. And I don't even know what that is. And they ate the sandwich, then pasta for dinner, and followed it up with a glass of milk. That's not what I'm talking about. But you can still have these foods and reach every single one of your PCOS health goals, including pregnancy and weight loss. Because it's not these nutrients themselves, these foods themselves, it's the habits surrounding them. So here's a good example. Say somebody is like, oh, gluten, dairy-free. I'm going to do that. I'm going to try that. I hear that it works and the foods and say, there's somebody who goes out to eat a lot all of a sudden at the restaurants that they love, the choices on the menu are drastically reduced, because I will tell you this, having tried this. A long time ago, both of them separately and together, gluten and dairy are in so many things, especially if we're eating out or fast food or convenience eating whatever it is. So, all of a sudden, there's barely anything left on the menu for us to eat; maybe what's left is a salad with chicken. That's a better choice for your hormones, so you could even do that. You could do that anyway and still make good traction. Because of that, your body is going to register that so differently than a plate of creamy pasta without any protein in it, or vegetables like chicken or pasta Alfredo or something like that, or veggie lasagna. Your body's going to just treat that so differently. So, it's the habits built around these foods that make the biggest difference. So if someone all of a sudden our menu, our restaurant choices are drastically reduced, we're seeking out healthier restaurants. That helps our blood sugar, that helps our weight, or we're going out to eat less because it's not as fun. We don't have choices. Therefore, our calorie load goes down. We lose weight. Probably, our macros are more on point. We're cutting out things like crackers, pastries, different cereals, and ice cream, which are foods that we love. And maybe we're finding healthier substitutes, but we're probably finally, or for the first time, looking at ingredient lists where all of a sudden, we're looking at nutrition labels. That habit will always be good for you. And just by being more conscious and looking at the label, all of a sudden, we can reduce our intake of carbs, and sugar, and even calories. So it's the habits around that can lead to changes, not the actual gluten, the little piece of bread itself. So, I hope that helps clarify. You don't have to remove these foods. The only exception here is dairy. If you are somebody who is predisposed to acne, removing dairy may potentially be helpful, and you could try that for a few months. But dairy doesn't cause acne, right? I'm somebody who's never really dealt with acne. If all of a sudden I have some cheese, I'm not going to wake up and be like, have a full face of cystic acne, that's not how it works. But if you are going to struggle, you could try taking dairy out to see if it's helpful for your acne.

Kristyn Hodgdon:
Okay, that's a really good point. What about supplements? I know you have your own line of supplements. What are some of your favorite supplements for PCOS? Just going to start from the basics, I think, because there's so much noise out there about what you should be taking.

Cory Ruth:
Yeah, there are so many. There are so many good ones, but I'll just review a few. Asitol is one of the most well-known, and inositol is most effective when it's present at what's called a 40 to 1 ratio of myo to d-chiro-inositol. It is one of the best for PCOS. It is so helpful for your blood sugar, which we've talked about, and can have direct benefits for PCOS in terms of period regulation, symptom remission, and appetite craving control, all of these things we can struggle with. That's a really good one. You just want to make sure you have that ratio of 40 to 1 because if you're just taking myo, you're really not going to be the same. It's not going to be as impactful. A lot of us struggle with high testosterone, but the majority of us do. So, taking a supplement that helps to encourage lower levels of that can be super helpful. I make a blend that has things like zinc and saw palmetto and stinging nettle and all kinds of stuff, and that blend together, it's like my best seller for a reason and it's so great for testosterone. Then there are things that can help with our adrenals. I love different adaptogens to help us cope better with stress and sleep. Better sleep is protective against stress and things like anxiety and depression. So, we want to make sure we're supporting that. Magnesium is another great one, great for mood, which we often struggle with mood swings and digestion, and really great for sleep, so there's that. There are other forms of that. I like citrate personally, but glycinate is also a good one, omega-3 fatty acids.

Kristyn Hodgdon:
Is TCC in pregnancy safe?

Cory Ruth:
Yeah. So all of these I always say they're fine. Yeah, TCC is safe. Once you get pregnant and you get a positive pregnancy test, there are some to discontinue. Inositol, every doctor has a different opinion on that one. So I always have to default to say ask yours. Mine was fine with it until the second trimester, but every doctor has a different take on that. So that's how I always default to that one. Yeah, but other ones, like the androgen blockers and adaptogens, those ones are not pregnancy-safe. So I don't recommend, though, that if you're trying to conceive and these are helpful for you from a period standpoint, from a stress standpoint, from a hormone standpoint, to stop them while you're trying to conceive because those can help you get pregnant. But once we get pregnant, the reason why we say that about supplements is that we just don't have the evidence. We can't run clinical trials on pregnant women, so we always just have to say they're not safe. So it's safe to take them until you get a positive test and then discontinue. Magnesium, you can take it throughout pregnancy. Omega-3 fatty acids are pregnancy-safe as well. Omega-3 fatty acids are the best for lowering inflammation. If you're not somebody who does a lot of seafood fatty fish in their diet, I really recommend one because you're really missing out on those anti-inflammatory benefits. That's another good one. Lastly, what's the last one? I was going to say, oh, a high-quality prenatal if you're trying to conceive and when you're pregnant, even breastfeeding and beyond, I always recommend a prenatal. We can often find them the same, just more nutrients for the same price as a multivitamin. So why not get the extra hair, skin, and nail benefits? The little extra bits and pieces and pay the same price as a multivitamin? So you're going to want to ensure you're taking a high-quality, third-party-tested supplement prenatal supplement as well.

Kristyn Hodgdon:
Love it. Are there any sort of misconceptions or myths that you find yourself addressing all the time with your clients about style changes or nutrition for PCOS?

Cory Ruth:
I hear a lot about soy and how we're wary of eating soy for hormones, but that's a huge myth. Soy has phytoestrogens. These are very different than harmful xenoestrogens. Those are the ones that we see, when we're talking about things like endocrine disruptors. So very different. We have so much research about soy being beneficial for hormones, specifically breast cancer. I have worked for an oncology and a dietitian who has specialized in oncology for many years, and we did so much great work around soy and hormone health. So don't believe that myth. You can absolutely have soy. I just recommend it in more whole food sources. Like tofu, tempeh, and edamame, not necessarily eating like a bunch of vegan hot dogs or chicken nuggets or whatever. We have weirdo stuff to go to the store. So that's a big one. A huge one that I hear a lot is that you shouldn't do intense exercise with PCOS. You should stick to slow, weighted workouts. That is also a myth. Cortisol, your cortisol can spike for many reasons because the benefits of exercise far outweigh any temporary cortisol shift that happens during exercise, and what that does, what that myth does is it scares women into not exercising. That is hugely detrimental. Humans are made to move, and what we're doing right now is not what we always should be doing right now. We should be moving our bodies, walking. Now, we drive our cars everywhere. We don't walk anywhere. We work at home; we work desk jobs. So moving is so important, and you can still get intense exercise. I don't recommend, of course, that high-intensity HIIT workouts, CrossFit, or whatever seven days a week for multiple hours on end, but you could totally do a HIIT workout. You can get an intense bike ride and you can get your heart rate up. That feels good. It's great for your metabolic health, so helping you avoid things like heart disease. It's great for reducing your risk of diabetes. It's so great, and I really fight against that myth all the time. Weighted workouts have their time and place, but that's not the only workout you can do.

Kristyn Hodgdon:
Love that. Yeah, I feel like that's been everywhere on social media or HIIT workouts. ... Cortisol, and it's, but those are my favorites.

Cory Ruth:
Yeah, that's okay, though. Your cortisol is going to come back down.

Kristyn Hodgdon:
Everything is in moderation, right?

Cory Ruth:
Yes, yeah.

Kristyn Hodgdon:
So, any other advice for someone who might be trying to conceive with PCOS? It's so frustrating. The difficulty is when you have a regular period then you just cannot pinpoint ovulation. And I know all of the things that you already mentioned, but anything any other advice there?

Cory Ruth:
Yeah, I would say, I always come back to starting with getting labs done and getting a bunch of different tests run. I recommend that vitamin D can cause and contribute to, I should say, irregular periods. Women with PCOS are chronically deficient in vitamin D can also affect their mood and can even impact hair loss. Get your labs run, make sure vitamin D is included in that. Because if you're like, my testosterone is normal, my a1c is normal, what's going on? Look at your vitamin D and see if you need a supplement or add more. A lot of us aren't outside getting sunshine every day; it is just what it is, especially in the winter. So get that lab run and see if that's potentially a contributor to irregular periods. But honestly, figuring out what's driving your lack of ovulation is always key, as seeing if any hormones are out of whack and adding in a supplement based on that, but first and foremost, starting with diet and nutrition and movement and stress, these three things are at the bottom. Nutrition is the most important. But if you think about your health and ovulation as a pyramid, you think about the little food pyramid back in the day with the grains at the bottom. Diet nutrition is at the bottom. That's the base. That's the core. Make sure you're eating foods and eating in a way that supports blood sugar regulation. We talked about getting in movement. You do not want to be sedentary. You don't want to be overdoing it. You want to have that sweet spot, finding some movement that you enjoy several times a week and being consistent with that, making sure you're on top of your stress levels, especially if you're prone to feeling burnt out and your adrenals are frazzled. You're living in this frazzled state all the time. Supplements are at the top of the pyramid, so don't reach for the supplement first, bypass everything else, and then wonder why it's not working. Start at the bottom, work your way up, and add a supplement based on what labs come back abnormal. Is your vitamin D low? Is your testosterone high? Is your a1c high? Then, find that supplement that, for example, the androgen blocker I make, an inositol supplement like I make, or an omega-3 fatty acid for that inflammation piece if you get your CRP tested. Supplements can be helpful, but don't start there. Try to find the root of what's causing your lack of regular, consistent ovulation, and work from the bottom of that pyramid upwards to try and tackle the components that are feeding into that.

Kristyn Hodgdon:
Absolutely. Are there any supplements that you've seen marketed to women with PCOS that you don't think women with PCOS should take?

Cory Ruth:
Yeah, there are a lot I'm not going to name names, but what I see a lot are these like catchall hormone balance supplements. And sometimes there are things like DIM, CDG, or Vitex, and I'm like, whoa, I give these out in very specific circumstances. If you are, maybe you're someone who has PCOS and hyperbolic amenorrhea, and your estrogen is in the toilet. I don't want to give you CDG and dim, so you must be careful about these blends. What hormones do this catchall hormone balance supplement? What hormones are you balancing? We all have different hormones out of us.

Kristyn Hodgdon:
Yeah. No, that's that's why I brought it up. Because they think. Yeah, there were some supplements that my registered dietitian did not recommend for me. And then I saw them in certain hormone balancing, and I was like, oh no, people are buying this.

Cory Ruth:
And it's, yeah, that's scary for sure. Yeah. And pricey ones. Some are basically glorified Ovasitol, like they have, oh, 2000mg of myoinositol, then they have de-Cairo in 50 micrograms. That'd be great. But then they're adding in a little bit of B vitamin and a little bit of, I don't know, whatever vitamin C. And then they're marketing it for 90 bucks, and I'm like, oh my gosh, you could get a prenatal or a multivitamin and use something like another inositol product, and you could be getting so much more and paying less. They prey on us. And I say us because I am part of this community, everyone listening, I am you, and so I am sensitive to that. That's why I wanted to make supplements that were high quality, that we know what's in them, that they work, and that we're not charging an arm and a leg.

Kristyn Hodgdon:
About the way people think about PCOS specifically, maybe someone who's just been diagnosed and feels overwhelmed or discouraged. What would your sort of advice be, or how do you wish people thought about the diagnosis?

Cory Ruth:
Yeah, that's a good question. I think we've covered a lot of what I would say, but I think it's worthwhile to make sure that you're building up a team. You are building up a team of people who are qualified experts with licenses, credentials, and degrees. And there are a lot of, especially on social media, just people giving advice based on their own experience, and that's what we call anecdotal evidence in science, and it's not reliable. So make sure you're building a team, but you've got a primary care physician or gynecologist or reproductive endocrinologist if you're going that route or just an endocrinologist. And then you've also got the nutrition piece, a registered dietitian, somebody who specializes in this condition, because there is such a huge link between diet and PCOS. Make sure you have a team that cares, that's giving you science-backed and evidence-based advice. You could also go into something like adding in a therapist, acupuncture, or whatever you find helpful. But really, finding your tribe and finding people who are understanding and supportive of this journey can make all the difference.

Kristyn Hodgdon:
Absolutely, yeah. And if a provider doesn't listen to you, get a second opinion.

Cory Ruth:
So true. Yes, 100%.

Kristyn Hodgdon:
Awesome. This was wonderful, Cory. I feel like I learned so much, even though I feel like I've been trying to learn for years, but I always learn something new about PCOS and what I should be doing every day. So, I appreciate your time, work, and everyone.

Cory Ruth:
I mostly hang out on Instagram. My handle is at the Women's Dietitian. You can also find me on TikTok with the same handle. YouTube is the same. My website is WomensDietitian.com I also have a podcast, and I'd love to have you on as a guest. Then, I have a supplement line, VITA PCOS, which is connected to my website. And then I do have a book coming out, hopefully in about a year and some change, which is an actual evidence-based guideline book for women with PCOS who are struggling with different components, whether that's fertility symptoms, weight, and all of those things.

Kristyn Hodgdon:
Amazing goals. Cory, this is awesome.

Cory Ruth:
Thank you.

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