The Imperfect PCOS Podcast

Ever wonder how these women in their late 40’s successfully get pregnant completely naturally when the odds are completely stacked against them? Girlllll me too! As it turns out, our mindset can unlock the potential for SO many things, including getting pregnant beyond what doctors would consider the “ideal age.” Meet Rosanne Austin, two-time bestselling author and fertility expert who helps type-A, high-powered women around the world actualize their dreams of becoming mothers later in life. Rosanne spent years as a successful prosecutor, only to realize her highly ambitious, “go-getter” personality was actually standing in the way of her dreams of becoming a mom. She spent seven years failing one fertility treatment after the next. It wasn’t until she really started to dig deep into her body, mind, AND soul she realized her biggest roadblocks were her own beliefs about what was possible, and what was in the cards for her. Through this work, and adding in a whole lot of vitamin J (joy) she got pregnant with her son naturally at 43! Join us on this episode to learn how Rosanne completely transforms her clients’ outlooks and shapes them into actually becoming receptive to motherhood, rather than going through the motions and crossing things off a “to-do” list. Rosanne has helped so many women finally get pregnant, even into their late forties and beyond. From unexplained infertility, to dodging IVF, to working on the male side of things…Rosanne has seen and done it all. I hope this episode inspires you to do the tough mindset work if it feels like time! Connect with Rosanne:  Website | https://frommaybetobaby.com/ Podcast | https://open.spotify.com/show/4iTs0G53IdOtUkSoJzvVdH?si=88b7f03cabde4be6 Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/rosanneaustinfertility/ Connect with Cory:  Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/thewomensdietitian/ Website | https://thewomensdietitian.com/

There is so much noise and misinformation out there about GLP-1 medications (aka Ozempic) when it comes to weight loss and PCOS. Today we have the pleasure of sitting down and separating some of the facts from fiction with Merris Taylor, a Registered Dietitian who also has PCOS and has been on both sides of the weight loss struggle. She has had her own journey with GLP-1 medication and has had truly incredible results! She’s taken her own personal experience and combined it with her clinical background in nutrition and science to bring us evidence-based insight and strategies to help the medication work better and more efficiently for us. In this exciting episode, we review how the media tends to only focus on the negatives of this medication, but we see so many promising benefits to our health and longevity, including reducing rates of addiction. We read these in clinical trials, but also in the stories of thousands of women with PCOS currently taking these medications. We dispel some of the myths of using GLP-1s, like they’re the “easy way out” and weight regain is “100% unavoidable” after coming off them. On the contrary, Merris reveals how these medications can be a catalyst to healthier habits we can maintain far beyond the point of discontinuing the meds.  We also chat through how GLP-1 medication can quiet food noise and cravings, and really help those with Binge Eating Disorder. And yes of course, we go over some of the potential side effects, but also explore why they’re not always a reason to avoid trying a medication like Ozempic or Wegovy.  Come hang with Merris and I as we delve into the big wide world of GLP-1 medication! Connect with Merris Taylor:  Website |  Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/glp1.weightloss/ Connect with Cory:  Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/thewomensdietitian/ Website | https://thewomensdietitian.com/

Jackie has lost over 65 pounds and kept it off for over 14 years. She struggled with food noise, cravings, mindless eating, you name it, and landed herself with a Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Diagnosis at the young age of 19. After that, she decided everything about how she viewed and used food for comfort needed to change. Instead of falling victim to one of those ultra-restrictive yo-yo diets, Jackie took her weight loss journey into her own hands. She discovered the power of mindful eating, and now is ready to teach us how to do the same. Learn with us about “the power of the pause” and implementing “speed bumps” to reroute ourselves into healthier habits with food. Jackie explains how to rewire the way we talk to ourselves, and how this easy strategy can completely transform the results we’re looking for when it comes to weight loss. Jackie taps into our psyche to help us dust off the hunger and fullness cues that came to us so innately as children: eat when we are hungry and stop when we’re full. Sounds simple, but the power of it is immeasurable.  From figuring out how to effectively lose weight using our own internal motivators, to busting through weight loss plateaus, to leaning on an accountability partner, this episode is going to open your mind to new weight management tools you have likely never implemented along the way.  Pull up a comfy chair and let’s do this! Connect with Jackie Kirschen:  Website | [email protected] Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/the.mindful.nutritionist Connect with Cory:  Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/thewomensdietitian/ Website | https://thewomensdietitian.com/

When Dr. Harper first started practicing medicine, she realized how many women were coming to her with issues surrounding their sexual health. Complaints like “sex hurts so bad” or “I don’t care if I never have sex with my partner again.” She began to see how many tools and resources we have out there for men, and yet the complete lack of quality support women have access to.  In fact, Dr. Harper has found around 43% of women have a sexual health concern, and this is totally missing from our healthcare experience! So, Dr. Harper created Rosy! Rosy is a digital health platform giving women the education and tools they need to advance their sexual health and wellness. Rose has worked with over 250,000 women and serves a wide variety of needs when it comes to sexual pain, low sexual desire, perimenopause, menopause, PCOS, and migraines.  This fascinating episode explores the gaps we face in women’s healthcare when it comes to our sexual health, reveals many of the disparities of care between genders, delivers supportive tactics and tools to advance our knowledge base, and elaborates on how the Rosy platform can help you NOW.  I am so pumped for this one!!  A gift from Dr. Harper and Rosy: Click this link: https://meetrosy.com/promo?code=IMPERFECT and use the code “IMPERFECT” for one month FREE inside Rosy’s Silver Membership! Connect with Dr. Lindsey Harper:  Website | https://meetrosy.com/ Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/meet_rosy/ Connect with Cory:  Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/thewomensdietitian/ Website | https://thewomensdietitian.com/

Acne is a MAJOR issue for so many of us with PCOS. Meg Gaic, leading acne expert, is no stranger to dealing with the frustrating, embarrassing, and not to mention expensive implications of cystic acne and endless breakouts.  The number one reason we can get acne with PCOS is elevated androgens, but when these levels are “normal”, there are SO many question marks that can pop up. Let’s explore potential alternative contributing factors! According to Meg, the core pillars of acne healing are mindset, emotional support, getting to the root cause of “why” and fixing it naturally with food and supplements, and proper skincare. Let’s learn from Meg and let her walk us through how to approach each of these to finally heal your skin. So what do we eat?! Meg is also a holistic nutritionist! According to Meg, we don’t need to eliminate any one food! Instead, making sure we’re focusing on gut and liver health, fiber intake, minerals, and getting back to basics is SO much more important than just randomly taking out a ton of foods we love. In this episode, we go into supplements for acne, optimizing digestion for better skin health, balancing “perfect skin health” with realistic dietary strategies, and your new perfect acne tincture recipe,   I can’t wait for you to hear this one! Connect with Meg:  Website | https://www.getglowmethod.com/ Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/getglowmethod/?hl=en Connect with Cory:  Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/thewomensdietitian/ Website | https://thewomensdietitian.com/

PCOS and thyroid issues often go hand in hand, and who better to break it down for us than Amanda Montalvo, a women’s health dietitian who has both?? Grab a cup of coffee (or tea) and let’s chat with Amanda as she uncovers some of the mysteries of the thyroid. What big red flags should we be looking for symptom-wise to see if we might have thyroid problems? What labs are actually helpful to have run to explore the right treatment protocol? Which minerals are most important to get in your diet?  Amanda debunks the myth that adrenal cocktails will solve all your thyroid problems (shocker!) and delves into the incredible impact stress can have on our bodies. She also uncovers for us which medications are most helpful for our thyroid symptoms. This is alllll the info you wish your doctor gave you, but never did. Of course, we can’t talk about thyroid health without talking about minerals! Amanda is an expert on minerals, and if you’ve ever been interested in mineral health testing, the controversy surrounding iodine, and how things like the copper IUD can impact our health, you’re in the right place! I absolutely love this episode, and have wanted to pick Amanda’s brain on this for so long. Don’t miss this special episode to help you better understand your thyroid and overcome associated problems. Connect with Amanda:  Website | https://hormonehealingrd.com/ Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/hormonehealingrd/ Connect with Cory:  Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/thewomensdietitian/Website | https://thewomensdietitian.com/

There’s no way to skirt around this one: dairy has gotten a really bad rap in the health and nutrition space.  But why? And how do we know that what we’re hearing from so-and-so “influencer” on social media or watching in documentaries on Netflix is, in fact, true? I am so ready to dive into the inner workings of our agricultural industry here in the United States, and who better to guide us than Lauren Twigge, who is not only a Registered Dietitian, but actually grew up on a dairy farm and knows the ins and outs of this whole world firsthand? Lauren reminds us that farming and the dairy industry is a lot more nuanced than our current food culture portrays, that dairy can absolutely be part of a healthy diet, and that just because something is “gluten and dairy free” does not mean it’s inherently “healthy.”  In this episode, Lauren does NOT hold back in uncovering some of the biggest nutrition hypocrisies out there surrounding the science behind dairy and inflammation, organic versus conventional farming, and raw milk. And let me tell you, I am so here for it. Pull up a seat and lend your ears to Lauren’s expertise and highly personal connection to this sensitive, and often misinterpreted topic.   Connect with Lauren:  Website | https://www.laurentwiggenutrition.com/ Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/nutrition.at.its.roots/ Connect with Cory:  Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/thewomensdietitian/ Website | https://thewomensdietitian.com/

How many of us have heard that weight gain causes our PCOS? Yep, me too. It’s time to bust this myth, and so many others alongside none other than hormone queen Dr. Jolene Brighten. If you’ve been hanging around the women’s health space, you’ve very likely heard of Dr. Brighten. She marries the science and biochemistry behind hormones with her appreciation of nutrition and lifestyle components to create insightful, very clear hormone health advice so many of us need.  Dive into sensitive subjects like PMDD, ADHD, the “band-aid” birth control effect inside our hospitals and women’s healthcare clinics, PCOS and calorie restriction, weight loss drugs, painful sex, faking orgasms, and how BMI is complete BS with us on this jam-packed, information-rich episode.  Dr. Brighten is truly a wealth of knowledge in almost every area within the women’s health space; come learn alongside me today as she helps teach us all the things about our bodies we never learned growing up. It’s time to have the tough conversations; are you ready?! Connect with Dr. Brighten:  Website | https://drbrighten.com/ Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/drjolenebrighten Connect with Cory:  Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/thewomensdietitian/ Website | https://thewomensdietitian.com/

So many of us silently struggle with s*xual pain. Not only can it lead to a loss of libido, it can cause s*xual fear and s*xual distress. If we can’t even admit our issues to our parents or our partners, who can we talk to?! Meet Janelle Howell, Doctor of Physical Therapy and CEO of The Vagina Rehab Doctor. Dr. Howell is no stranger to diving into these topics in depth to erase the shame and stigma, and guide her clients into finally experiencing more comfort, more control, painless s*x, and pleasure.  If you’ve been told to “just kegel!” learn why this is incorrect, lazy, and misguided advice and finally understand what’s driving your pelvic floor struggles, including prolapse, urinary leakage, and tightness along with what you can do to make improvements.   Diet, stress, mindset, emotions, and muscle control are so integral to our healing journey. I know you’re going to LOVE this episode; Dr. Howell’s passion for these topics shines through in everything she does. Pull up a chair and let’s get it going! Connect with Dr. Howell:  Website | https://www.vaginarehabdoctor.com/ Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/vaginarehabdoctor/?hl=en Connect with Cory:  Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/thewomensdietitian/ Website | https://thewomensdietitian.com/

If you’ve ever wondered about how your body will change during perimenopause and menopause (or if you’re currently in the thick of this and struggling), this episode is going to be your new audio bible. From crappy sleep, to mood changes like deeper depression and anger, to thinning hair, to just feeling “blah” - we’re sitting down with expert Dr. Carrie Jones to help us understand exactly why we change so much, and what we can do to navigate and optimize this delicate time in life.  Dr. Jones explains that there are over 100 different menopause-related symptoms out there (ever heard of itchy ears? Yeah, that’s a thing!) BUT, she affirms that there is SO much we can do to mitigate these unwanted side effects of aging as women.  She also spills the tea on our gut microbiome and how it affects our hormones (like helping boost our mood), how to actually impact it to help bring about changes in how we experience our hormones, how testosterone and estrogen changes where fat is deposited and our metabolism, and the 411 on using bioidentical hormones. Let’s get into it! Connect with Brooke:  Website | https://www.drcarriejones.com/ Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/dr.carriejones Connect with Cory:  Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/thewomensdietitian/Website | https://thewomensdietitian.com/