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Angela is an internationally recognized nutrition and health expert on PCOS. She was recently named one of the Top 10 incredible RDs making a difference by Today’s Dietitian. She is the author of The Dietitian’s Guide to Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, The PCOS Workbook and The PCOS Nutrition Center Cookbook. Angela is the owner of the PCOS Nutrition Center where she provides nutritional counseling to women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome.
And in today’s show, we talk about the connection between eating disorders and PCOS, and how to recover and regain fertility after struggling with an eating disorder.
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Topics discussed in today’s episode
- What are the different types of eating disorders?
- What is the connection between PCOS and eating disorders?
- Why having PCOS actually increases the risk of having an eating disorder
- The complexity of managing the suggested dietary restrictions and/or changes associated with PCOS while recovering from an eating disorder
- How does disordered eating impact a woman’s menstrual cycle and her fertility?
- How can a woman overcome the emotional aspects underlying her eating disorder?
- Can she do it alone, or should she seek support?
- How long does the recovery process take?
- How do women address the negative body image they have developed alongside the eating disorder?
- Dealing with the physical body changes that happen during pregnancy
- How does the media influence our ideas about what an “ideal body” looks like?
- How to support a friend or a loved one who has an eating disorder
Connect with Angela
You can connect with Angela on her website, and on Facebook and Twitter.
Resources mentioned
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Music Credit: Intro/Outro music Produced by Sirc of (The Nock)
Hi Lisa. Having not tuned in to the podcast for a few weeks, this evening I listened to three recent episodes, one after the other: first I took you and Dr Cowan along on a twilight walk around my neighbourhood, then I listened to your discussion with Clare about massage therapy while making dinner and finally I heard the PCOS and eating disorder interview with Angela while I knitted the last few rows on a baby blanket project that’s been hanging around for the past year! I really felt compelled after that to pop on over here and let you know (again!) how very grateful I am for your podcast and the wisdom that you share with this community. I first found you late last year when my husband and I embarked on trying to conceive our first baby. I compulsively listened to many of your episodes over that period and, armed with all the knowledge I gained, learned how to understand and chart my cycle. I’m happy to report that we conceived after only two months of trying and I’m now five months pregnant! I had wondered whether – now that my main objective was satisfied – I would continue to listen to the podcast. While I haven’t been listening during every spare moment as I did before, whenever I do listen, I’m astounded by how fascinating I find every one of your podcasts and how much new information I find out. I took a lot away from Dr Cowan’s discussion of how conventional medicine focuses on diagnosing symptoms while failing to recognise the inherent ability of the body to manifest its own healing practices. In the interview with Clare, I really loved how she talked about menstruation as a positive sign that the female body is doing what it is designed to do. And while I’m fortunate to not suffer from either PCOS or any form of eating disorder, I found so much value in your discussion with Angela around body positivity, especially during and after pregnancy. As my pregnancy progresses and I’m finding I’m having to pull back on my usual exercise routine because my body can’t manage it, I’ve been struggling a bit with the idea that my body is going through such dramatic change and that once the baby arrives I’m not going to “bounce back” or be able to physically do everything I’ve been used to doing. But your words around honouring our bodies for having given birth have really resonated with me and I’m determined to embrace that for the remainder of my pregnancy and beyond. We’ve found out that we have a little girl on the way and I’m so excited to think about sharing with her everything I’ve learned from your podcast and this community about living positively as a woman. Wow – that was longer than intended! The main thing I really wanted to say is thank you so very much, Lisa.
Hi Fiona!
Thank you so much for your comment. It made my day! (Although it did take me a few days to respond) First of all congratulations!! That is amazing news, and I am so happy for you! Before you know it your little girl will be here! I am happy to hear that you are still enjoying the podcast, and I very much appreciate your kind words. Messages like yours always remind me of why I started the podcast in the first place! 🙂 Wishing you the best!