PCOS Program FAQs

How do I know if I have PCOS?

Read about the diagnostic criteria here. You can also take our self-assessment quiz:

Will I have to change my diet?

Probably! You may already know that the best way to take charge of your PCOS is through food. However, you don’t go on a “diet” in this program. Instead, you learn a flexible approach to eating, to reverse your PCOS for life. We teach you our 3-point eating approach to heal PCOS:

1. Anti-inflammatory
2. Microbiome supportive
3. Hormone balancing

We guide you through these changes in easy steps. First you learn about beverages, then breakfast, snacks, lunch, and dinner. One step at a time.

Do we all have to eat the same foods or meal plans?

No! We recognize that women have different needs and tastes. We accommodate these. We teach you about these. We help you figure out your best foods, and in what combination. You can be Paleo, AIP, Vegan, Keto, or none of these. We personally do not like going on one-size-fits-all food plans because they are not tailored to the individual.

We do ask that for 7 days of the program, you leave out a few foods. This is for a learning purpose. When you temporarily remove foods that may mess with your hormones and cause inflammation, you’ll feel different. Then you can intentionally reintroduce them by testing them. You learn why we ask this, and how to test.

Wait, what foods are you talking about temporarily removing?

In this program, you gradually weed out gluten, dairy, added sugar and alcohol. This is gradual and not for life. It’s for a highly effective 7-day hormone re-set.

Our participants get great results, without hunger – they reverse insulin resistance, regulate blood sugar, reduce bloating, change constipation and diarrhea, lose weight and inches, clear up skin, and much more. After the temporary removal, we’ll teach you how to re-integrate these foods.

What if I can’t eliminate those foods?

We only ask for 7 days. If you absolutely cannot eliminate gluten, dairy, alcohol and added sugars for 7 days, ask yourself what your obstacles are. Remember, you do this gradually, and you learn absolutely delicious, healthy, and satisfying alternatives. You learn simple approaches to assembling foods you like.

If you cannot eliminate these foods for 7 days, you are still welcome! You have the option to keep them, or some of them, perhaps in reduced amounts. However, you simply will not get the same benefits of the 7 day hormone reset. Plus, these are caveats:

1. Do not take this program if you have an active, uncontrolled eating disorder, such as anorexia nervosa, bulimia, or compulsive overeating. It’s fine if you are in recovery.
2. Do not take this program if you are an alcoholic not already in recovery, or if you cannot go without alcohol for 10 days.

How much time do I have to put into this every week?

We designed this program to fit busy lives. You can absorb the daily topics in about 10 minutes per day.

The daily action steps are clearly outlined, and ask you to do things such as move your body, plan and prepare your food, take 5-10 minutes to relax, and get enough sleep.

The bonus parts of the program are optional and you can absorb them at your leisure. These include handouts, extra resources, and our closed Facebook group.

What if I can’t keep up with the pace, or have a trip in the middle?

We give you 3 months for this 6 week course. That means you can stretch it out. 3 months gives you more time to get results with symptoms that take longer to change, such as hair growth patterns and cycle regulation (although many women get a period during the program, after missing it for many months).

What about exercise?

We want you to move your bodies. However, we want you to do it in a way that supports your hormone balance. We want you to exercise in the right way to reverse your PCOS. So you will learn what that is for you. Believe it or not, some of you may actually reduce the amount of time that you exercise. For those of you who don’t move much, you’ll incorporate ways to move more.

All of our movement guidelines are geared towards the subtypes and drivers of PCOS, and you will learn how to customize your balance of movement according to your drivers.

Will I lose weight?

If you need to lose weight, it will probably happen during these 6 weeks. In fact, the area that will shrink is that stubborn abdominal weight. We ask you to measure your waist at the level of your belly button and weigh yourself on day 1. At the end, you can actually document your results. We tracked these results the first year of this program (2018), and 100% of those who reported their weight and waist measurements lost both pounds and inches, including the ones who were not trying, or did not have weight loss as a goal.

For those who do not need to lose an ounce, you will benefit by the balanced blood sugar and insulin approach without the weight loss, which is a huge metabolic benefit, and essential to reverse PCOS.

What if adrenal stress is my driver? How do I even know this?

For adrenal stress driven PCOS, you take action steps to change this. Besides nutrition and movement, you’ll learn how to relax, take self-care breaks, reduce stress, deal with stress in better ways, and improve your sleep and energy!

Most women with PCOS have some aspect of adrenal hormone imbalance, and will benefit from these parts of the program. We give you assessment tools so you can identify your level of adrenal stress. At the end, you re-assess.

What about supplements?

We teach you the bare-bones basics of PCOS supplements at the get-go. Throughout the program, we make suggestions for specific issues like sleep problems, stress, and constipation. During the last week, we cover specific supplements for any remaining PCOS symptoms that were not 100% resolved with the program alone.

What’s special about this program?

Drs. Anita and Laura are licensed medical practitioners, with over 40 combined years treating PCOS. They have learned much about this condition from working with women of all ages, from teenagers to postmenopausal women. They take a functional medicine root-cause approach. You learn there’s a variety of types and drivers of PCOS, not just 1 or 2 types. You discover your drivers, and how you can reverse your type of PCOS.

What if I have questions or need help?

Program co-creator Dr. Laura Paris is available to answer your personal written questions inside this program. We absolutely encourage you to take advantage of this!

What kind of results can I expect in 6 weeks?

In 6 weeks you can expect:

• Weight loss, looser clothes, and a smaller waist
• More stable and even-keel moods
• A reduction of constant hunger or food cravings
• Much better energy, that is consistent throughout your day
• Clearer skin
• Higher quality sleep
• Less stress in your life, more relaxation and fun
• A new sense of empowerment
• A deep understanding of the root causes of your PCOS, and how to deal with them

You may also see:

• Changes in your menstrual cycle
• Improved lab markers (androgen hormones, triglycerides, glucose, and more)

These are all things that can change in 6 weeks.

We can’t guarantee it, but your chances for getting pregnant will increase, so take precautions if you don’t want to get pregnant.

Is it really possible to reverse PCOS?

Absolutely! You can normalize all markers and symptoms of PCOS so that you no longer fit the diagnosis. However, once PCOS genetics are expressed, you do have a greater susceptibility for relapse, and the things you will learn in this program will prevent that.

Isn’t PCOS just a temporary fertility problem?

Nope. Although it is a leading cause of infertility, it’s a hormone imbalance that affects women far beyond reproduction. Untreated, it increases your risks of uterine cancer, diabetes, high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, high cholesterol and triglycerides, stroke, miscarriage, sleep apnea, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, and autoimmune thyroid disease.

By treating your PCOS now, you will normalize these risk factors for your future!