How to fight inflammation for PCOS & infertility
Inflammation is a scary word… but it’s actually something that is a natural part of our bodies’ immune system and healing process. Too much inflammation can happen for a variety of reasons, and have a lot of different effects. When it comes to folks with PCOS and others who may struggle with infertility, targeting inflammation can help improve symptoms and fertility a lot!
In this YouTube video, I explain a bit about factors that can lead to inflammation, and some of the main concepts I work on with my clients to help battle inflammation in PCOS & infertility. Get ready with me and watch the video below!
The “Bucket O’ Inflammation”
In the video, I mention the “bucket o’ inflammation” graphic from my dietitian colleague Rachael Hartley - you can view that on her Instagram here.
This is a really helpful analogy when we think about the ambiguous concept of inflammation. As I mentioned above, inflammation is a natural and normal part of being a human. However, some folks are able to tolerate more inflammation than other people due to genetics. Folks with PCOS and other chronic conditions, and many people with infertility, may have a “smaller bucket” - meaning they can’t tolerate as much inflammation as other people might be able to.
What factors contribute to inflammation?
The main factors that contribute to inflammation that I see in practice are:
Inadequate energy intake
Excessive exercise
Stress
Inadequate sleep
Low dietary quality
Substance abuse
Trauma
Oppression (racism, fatphobia, homophobia, sexism etc.)
Social isolation
Some of these factors are in our control, and some aren’t - like whether or not we go through a trauma or live in a marginalized body. The mind and the body are intricately intertwined. It’s really helpful to work with a mental health therapist on issues like stress, substance abuse, trauma, oppression, and social isolation.
How do you help reduce inflammation for clients?
Within my scope of practice as a dietitian, one of the first things I do is help clients ensure they are eating ENOUGH food, reduce stress around food and body, and improving dietary quality. We do this by ADDING foods for fertility, not taking anything away. A restrictive diet often does the opposite of fight inflammation as it can lead to more stress, nutrient deficiencies, and inadequate energy intake. We also work on finding a level of exercise that matches their mental and physical needs. These are crucial steps to lowering inflammation and improving fertility and symptoms of PCOS.
What foods help improve inflammation for people with PCOS or infertility?
When we’re thinking about anti-inflammatory foods for people with PCOS or infertility, there are so many different biochemical processes to consider, and ultimately everyone’s body is a little different in what it might be needing. Overall we want to in foods that are rich in antioxidants like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts and seeds and foods high in omega-3 fats like seafood, olives & olive oil, avocado, nuts and seeds. From there, we also might look at certain additional supplements to help fight inflammation depending on what they’re dealing with.
If you’re looking for support in navigating the crazy world of fertility nutrition, I’d love to help you!
My program Fully Nourished Pregnancy is a self-paced online course and community that walks you through how to ADD foods for fertility and pregnancy without a restrictive diet so you can feel confident and empowered. Enroll in FNP today!
For those with PCOS or more complex conditions that want individualized support for fertility nutrition, I also take 1:1 clients. You can click here to learn more about 1:1 and couple's coaching and apply to work with me.