Naturally Battling Hormones

**This post first appeared on the All in a Drop website in 2015**

Anyone that follows my instagram feed will know that eight months ago I was diagnosed with PCOS - Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), also called hyper-androgenic anovulation (HA), or Stein-Leventhal syndrome. It is one of the most common endocrine disorders among females. PCOS has a diverse range of causes that are not entirely understood, but there is evidence that it is largely a genetic disease. For me, this has provided answers to my continual struggle with weightloss and erratic hormones.

We have been trying to conceive for almost 18 months now and this diagnosis helped to provide answers to the 'why can't we?' However, it has certainly not been plain sailing. Knowing the cause is one thing, but sorting the effects of it is completely different. As I've said one of my problems is that I really struggle to lose weight, but this situation is exasperated by my PCOS. Needless to say it has really brought me down but this post is not all doom and gloom. 

A friend introduced me to Young Living Essential Oils a few months back and I can't tell you how much they have changed my family's life. We have taken a big leap forward with one of our kids bed wetting, I've managed to get better sleep due to stopping Tom's snoring and I've started to change all the harsh cleaning chemicals over to oils without worrying about the kids getting hold of them.

But here's a change that I can actually measure:

Back in March my hormones were tested through a blood test and my LH and FSH were recorded at 13 and 26. The 'normal' range is between 1&9 and 1&12. As you can see these results were far from normal - typical of someone with PCOS. I had another blood test at the beginning of this month and  got the results yesterday - they are at 6 and 7 respectively!!!!! I can't tell you how AMAZING this is, I've basically got normal hormones level again!

Now you're reading this thinking that's all well and good but how did you get there?

My answer is extremely simple. I changed my diet, cut out gluten and refined sugar, basically a primal diet, I started to lose weight, overall about 1.5st in three months. That sounds good, right ? but my weight loss really tailed off after about 7 weeks, with minimal weight loss since. I decided in August that something else needed to changed, so I switched to full-on Paleo. This has been tough, a complete mind over matter daily challenge. I used to be a prolific tea drinker, luckily no sugar but plenty of milk. This was and still is the hardest thing not to have. It doesn't help that we still have tea in the house for when people come round and also Tom still drinks tea, so it's not 'out of sight out of mind'.

I haven't succumbed to the temptation yet.

If you know of any good paleo friendly alternatives, please do shout!!

These changes have led to a further weight loss of 1.5 stone in 8 weeks - brilliant. I'm so pleased with myself. However, weight-loss alone like this would not bring my hormones back to normal so quickly. I mentioned essential oils earlier and I have found two that I believe have truly helped to balance my hormones. They are Endoflex and Progessence Plus. The first is for help with the endocrine system and the second is a form of progesterone derived from wild yam. I've used these each day for the last seven weeks (ish) and have seen changes to other horrible PCOS symptoms, including  facial hair !

I used to be plucking every 3-5 days, terribly self conscious of my face.

However, I have now not taken a set of tweezers to my face in almost 4 weeks...I'd say that's bloody brilliant!

These oils are truly amazing and the fact that they're entirely natural makes me all the more confident to use them.

UPDATE: They did come back after five weeks of no plucking, not as many as before and five weeks is amazing! 

Now, I haven't got the baby to show for all this hard work my body and I have been doing, but I am confident with the results I've seen both at home and from medical professionals that I'm totally on the road to having one soon! If I was drinking alcohol I would totally be raising a glass to my oils right now!

*UPDATE: In February 2015 my husband was diagnosed with a chromosomal abnormality, which has led to us not being able to conceive.*

I have written an eBook 'Balancing Hormones: Ten Natural Ways'. You can get this by joining our free Facebook community.

If you're interested in using essential oils for you and/or your family then read 'this, to start your Wellness Toolkit or feel free to contact me and start your journey to cleaner living.

What are your natural ways of dealing with your symptoms of PCOS?

You can also watch my Essential Oil and PCOS video here:

Thieves

W H Y  T H E  N A M E  T H I E V E S ?

It is rumoured that during the 15th century, a band of robbers stole from the dead and those dying from the plague without contracting the disease. When captured, they were asked to reveal their secret for staying healthy in exchange for a more lenient punishment. The thieves had been slathering themselves with a blend of these oils, hence the creation of Thieves oil. Fascinating!

Thieves is a blend consisting of Clove, Cinnamon Bark, Lemon, Rosemary and Eucalyptus oils; because of the Cinnamon and Clove, Thieves is considered a "hot" oil & should be diluted with a carrier such as coconut, olive oil, v-6, grapes, etc.

Thieves should be your number one go to oil in the fight against germs, while working to support healthy immune function too. This is an exceptional oil to use at any time of year, but particularly at the change of seasons.

Diffusing for thirty minutes each day is recommended during the 'germy' season since when tested at Weber State University, Ogden, Utah, thieves was found to have a 99.96 percent effective rate against airborne bacteria.

Diffusing daily will help to keep the house germ-free, but it doesn't mean you'll never get ill (unfortunately!).

Another great preventative is to make a Thieves roller and apply to the family's feet before putting socks on in the morning. This will help them remain germ-free during the day.

When someone's immune system is compromised remember consistency is vital to boosting it with essential oils. Up the amount of drops of thieves in the diffuser to around ten and diffuse around the clock.

This week on All in a Drop is thieves week so we'll be discussing the full range of thieves products which are great for becoming a chemical-free home and keeping everywhere and everyone as healthy as possible.

Have you got Thieves in your Wellness Toolkit yet ?

Sharing is Caring

Testimony is a powerful thing. Testimonies speak to us because they are personal, they let us know that we're alone and they promote hope. 

Part of the oily family I belong to have Testimony Tuesdays on, you guessed it, Tuesday's ! 

Here's the one I did. I hope you find it personal. I hope it helps you know you're not alone and I hope it shows you there is always hope. 

YOU ARE AMAZING

YOU are amazing.
YOU have been created in an amazing way.
YOUR body is amazing.
YOU are unique.
YOU have special gifts and abilities.

You happened when one sperm (out of a possible 250million or more) fertilised one eggs (out of, potentially, hundreds of thousands of eggs). Therefore, the chances of you being you were astronomical.

YOU are a winner! You were from the start.

So, you starts life as a fertilised cell in one of your mother's Fallopian tubes. During the weeks from your conception to your birth, this one fertilised cell became a staggeringly complex organisation of millions of cells. Each cell, as it divided, exactly copied YOUR unique code, so that each cell would be uniquely YOU!

Your heart began beating and pumping blood around five weeks into your mum's pregnancy. YOU were less than 1cm long.

At around 40 weeks, you were ready to be born.

You are one in 1 in 7 billion!

There is NOONE else in the world like you.

Nobody else has your voice pattern, your iris pattern, your tongue print or your fingerprints.

YOU are unique.
YOU have wonderful gifts and abilities ready to be explored and developed.

YOU ARE SPECIAL. You have something only you can give to the world. 

PRODUCE WASH

Have you heard of the Dirty Dozen?

Not the film but the twelve fruits and vegetables most contaminated by pesticides.

    ▪    Peaches

    ▪    Apples

    ▪    Sweet Bell Peppers

    ▪    Celery

    ▪    Nectarines

    ▪    Strawberries

    ▪    Cherries

    ▪    Pears

    ▪    Grapes (Imported)

    ▪    Spinach

    ▪    Lettuce

    ▪    Potatoes

Eurgh! I so don’t want to put pesticides in my mouth. Gag.

So, how can we get rid of them without cutting these foods?

Most people just wash fresh fruits and veggies in regular old tap water. However, now that we know so much more about chemicals, pesticides and all the junk coming in contact with our produce, we should be more particular about how we clean everything. 

Simply add 2 drops of Lemon oil to your bowl of water and fruit.  Let it sit for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Rinse off then enjoy (clean) food !

Which step will you take first ?

CREEPY CRAWLIES BE GONE

Use a bottle of essential oil spray around skirting boards, windows and the entrance of your home.  Spray 1-2 times per week and any time you see a creepy crawly.  Using this instead of conventional bug killer, will take away the risk of harming your family with harsh chemicals.  

Combine any of the following oils in a spray bottle, mixed with Witch Hazel:

    •    Peppermint

    •    Citronella

    •    Cedarwood

    •    Lavender

    •    Geranium

    •    Tea Tree

    •    Purification

    •    Lemongrass

    •    Rosemary

FRESH LAUNDRY ?

CONFESSION TIME

I consider it a real achievement if laundry makes it out of the washing machine before mildew sets in ! Instead of wasting a tonne of water on doing a full-on rewash, add a capful of Thieves cleaner with two drops of Purification to your detergent drawer and put on a quick wash.

Changing detergents takes some getting used to.  If you’re used to the “fresh” smell of laundry, then you’re breathing in chemicals.  If you don’t want to make your own detergent, you can buy the Thieves Laundry Soap!  You can even add a capful of Thieves household cleaner to your load, to get them really clean. 

If you have clean linens that take on the smell of a musty drawer or closet, use the linen spray below to keep them fresh.  You might also want to put some purification on a cotton ball in drawers and cabinets to keep the entire area fresh.  

Fresh Laundry Spray:

    •    4 ounce spray bottle

    •    10 drops Lavender

    •    Witch hazel

Combine in spray bottle and use as needed.