Self-Treatment at Home

 
This is an important area to focus on. 

• A primarily whole food high fiber, paleolithic, low glycemic, diet (http://www.glycemicindex.com) focusing on reducing portions if necessary is of utmost importance when optimizing fertility and restoring hormone balance.
• Ask your practitioner whether how much raw food is right for your body type.
• Include cruciferous vegetables of the Brassica genus. Some of these vegetables include broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, collards, cauliflower, kale, kohlrabi, mustard greens, rapeseed, and root vegetables such as turnips and rutabagas. These foods help the liver detoxify and restore hormonal balance.
• Eliminate foods that may be causing inflammation and candida. Start by eliminating gluten, dairy and sugar (especially white refined, glucose-fructose, or high fructose corn syrup). Consider doing an anti-inflammatory dietary cleanse such as Mediclear Plus by Thorne Research. This is an ‘elimination-reintroduction’ style of cleanse which can help determine foods you may be sensitive or allergic to, i.e. the foods that are causing problems.
• Emphasize: dark leafy greens (spinach, kale, collards), complex carbohydrates high in fiber such as non-starchy veggies, small servings of whole grains (with cold pressed extra virgin olive oil sprinkled on top), lean meats/poultry or seafood (crab, mussels, clams), and organ meats, fresh fruits, bananas, and foods fortified with B12.
• Reduce or eliminate coffee and alcohol intake. These have both been associated with increased risk of miscarriage and elevated homocysteine levels.
• Eat good fats – Good fats are in foods such as fish (salmon, sardines), avocado, nuts, seeds, and olive oil. Bad fats are in foods such as dairy products, meat, cookies, pastries, processed foods, some margarines. Good fats contain omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids, these are essential and must be obtained from the diet. It is easy to get omega 6 fats, but less easy to get omega 3 as they are mostly in fish. Omega 3 fats have anti-inflammatory effects. You can also get some omega 3 from flaxseed oil or from a mixture of nuts and seeds.
• Local organic foods should always be a focus.
• Drink Spearmint tea to help lower androgen levels.
• Learn to use buckwheat, it is gluten free and high in D-Chiro inositol
• Add apple cider vinegar to your daily intake as it helps rid the blood of excess sugars.
• Use extra virgin cold pressed olive oil on your grains or starches to lower the glycemic index.
• High fiber intake aids the body in eliminating excess hormones and helps manage blood sugar levels.
• Add Cinnamon to anything you desire to aid in regulation of blood sugar levels.
• ELIMINATE high fructose corn syrup and all its derivatives (also called glucose-fructose in Canada). This man-made sweetener acts differently than regular sugar; 1. it by-passes the body’s normal function of knowing when it has enough food in the gut, 2. it is stored in the liver as triglyerides and fat, 3. it is chemically similar to alcohol so it can damage liver function.
• Ensure the following ‘Dirty Bakers Dozen’ foods are always organic; celery, nectarines, apples, grapes, strawberries, peaches, bell peppers, spinach, cherries, pears, lettuce, potatoes, and ALL animal products.
• Chew food sufficiently.
• Relax when eating.
• Drink enough water.
• Avoid processed foods (shop on the perimeter of your grocery store).

IMPORTANT: it is recommended that women not participate in a ketogenic diet as the impact on hormones can negatively affect reproductive health. Despite this, if you do decide to utilize the ketogenic diet to help lose weight or for other health benefits, it recommended that you do genetic testing [above] and determine through the comprehensive health report whether you are suited for a higher fat diet. Many people possess gene variants that could result in a worsening effect on blood sugar, insulin resistance, and weight gain [diabetes] if a higher saturated fat diet is consumed.

If you have PCOS you must focus on diet.  There are 6 fundamentals to tend to when utilizing diet to help lose weight, restore hormonal balance and insulin sensitivity to regulate ovulation and improve chances of getting pregnant and carrying to term;

1. 1. Time restricted feeding / fasting
   2. Chinese food cure
   3. Anti-inflammatory diet
   4. Carbohydrate reduction
   5. Fasting Mimicking Diet
   6. Ancestral basics

It may also be beneficial to closely monitor your blood sugar. Begin using a glucometer (available at most drug stores) or the Freestyle Libre [https://myfreestyle.ca/en/products/libre] for the next 3-6 months to help establish a better understanding of blood sugar levels in order to adjust diet accordingly, increase insulin sensitivity, lose weight, restore ovulation, and reduce the incidence of future metabolic conditions such as diabetes.

Further reading: What should I eat during my IVF cycle?