Welcome to the PCOS fertility health podcast, where you will learn how to boost your chances of getting pregnant. You are in the right place. If you have PCOS and you are struggling to get pregnant, you were tired of getting dismissive information, like just eat better and stay on birth control. And you want fertility answers.

[00:00:23] Join me, your host, Dr. Angela Potter to learn key steps to optimize fertility with PCOS. I am the creator of the PCOS fertility protocol. Have also shared the stage with leaders from companies like Microsoft and Google. So get ready for another powerful episode about boosting fertility with PCOS. Let's dive in.

[00:00:47] My family and I have this tradition of going to this beautiful lake every year, and I have been going to this lake since I think I was about five months old. [00:01:00] So this is like, in my blood, and when I was young, we would go a lot. And now with everyone's different schedules, it doesn't happen every year.

[00:01:11] But one year about, I don't know, it was probably about four years ago, we were up there, and this is a beautiful lake up in the mountains, and it's a huge lake. It's, um, you know, probably from across our cabin, it might be like two miles. To look across. Um, but then the lake is like 14 miles from north to south.

[00:01:38] And so it's up in the mountains and we get really big storms. As a kid, I remember thunderstorms coming through and crashing and we would all huddle together in the same bed, um, cause it was fricking scary. And then, you know, we would, um, if we were brave enough to look out the window, we would see the lightning hit.

[00:01:58] The lake [00:02:00] and so big storms and this particular one just four years ago was in the middle of the afternoon. And so we could look across the lake and actually see these huge storm clouds rolling in. And we knew that, okay, we got to go inside. We got to, you know, bring the sand toys inside, all those things.

[00:02:21] And so we were inside. Um, waiting for this storm and sure enough, you know, the rain starts drenching everywhere. And then we look out towards the lake and the boat that's tied, the speedboat that's tied to the dock has broken away from the dock. One of the lines, right, because there's two lines holding a speedboat to the dock, one of the lines had.

[00:02:49] broken and the, the boat was drifting away from the dock and then starting to hit the side of the dock, which is not good for the dock and not good for the [00:03:00] boat. So my dad and I immediately run out down to the lake. We are in our, you know, regular clothes and we run into the water and try. pushing the boat, trying to figure out how to get it away from the dock, but then also not, you know, up to safety on the beach.

[00:03:20] But the waves were crashing. My mom had run over to the neighbor's house to get some help because they had a big group at that house. And so a few of them came running down to the water and were helping push the boat because We had to kind of, the way that the dock was situated in the lake and the way the waves were hitting it, we had to push the boat into the waves that were really strong to then pull it up towards the shore.

[00:03:50] So we finally got it up to the shore. We tied the boat to, I think a tree branch or something up on the shore so that it would [00:04:00] stay right there and it wouldn't move for the rest of the storm. And it was fine by the time the storm or once the storm ended, we were able to push the boat back out and get it tied up on the dock again.

[00:04:11] And all was good. These waves are like blood sugar. Okay, so, you know, on a, on a beautiful day at the lake, even when it's bright and sunny out, no storms, you still get a little bit of waves. Those waves are just, you know, super. It's super small, but they're just lapping at the shore very quietly, and there's this really small, just up and down movement of the water.

[00:04:43] That's what you want for a normal, healthy blood sugar rate, just something that goes up and down because our blood sugar goes up and down every day. It's supposed to do that. Blood sugar. [00:05:00] Issues, insulin resistance, are like when that storm comes up, okay? So blood sugar is like those waves. There's so much sugar running around your body, and it's just creating all this havoc, and insulin is like the rope keeping the boat to the dock.

[00:05:20] It's trying to hold on, but there's too much blood sugar, too many waves coming in, and so it just... It breaks, and it doesn't work as it's supposed to, and so then you've got all this issues in the body when the rope breaks, when insulin can't keep the blood sugar levels regulated, and that's when you get issues with fertility.

[00:05:48] Um, you know, of course, we're here talking about fertility, but having those irregular blood sugar issues also, you know, creates mood problems, you know, [00:06:00] irritability, anger, energy issues, fatigue and sleep issues, even. Uh, imbalance blood sugar levels are a, one of the most common reasons that people wake up in the middle of the night and aren't able to go back to sleep.

[00:06:17] Is that familiar to you? Blood sugar is super important and that is why we are here talking about this and why I am going to share with you my top five steps to help keep blood sugar regulated throughout the day. Okay? So now you understand what blood sugar is with this boat analogy and the lake, but let's dive into a little bit more of the science so that you can further understand what blood sugar is.

[00:06:47] So blood sugar, it basically regulates energy and growth in the body. So when you eat food, that food gets broken down into sugar [00:07:00] and then gets put into the bloodstream. Your cells need that sugar for energy. And so then insulin helps that sugar to get into the cells. And for somebody who doesn't have any blood sugar issues, like I was mentioning earlier, They're still going to have a little bit of rise and fall in their blood sugar, right?

[00:07:22] Because they're going to eat food that blood sugar is going to rise and then it's going to go into the cells So it's going to fall and that just naturally happens all throughout the day But if you have a lot of blood sugar coming in if you have blood sugar issues or insulin insulin resistance or pre diabetes, diabetes type 2, then your body is getting a lot of sugar into the bloodstream and it's so overloaded that insulin just can't keep up and it, so then that sugar can't come into the cells.

[00:07:56] It's staying in the bloodstream. Um. [00:08:00] Once insulin does kick in and draws that in, that sugar into the cells, that's when you get that blood sugar crash because all of a sudden it's not in your blood, not giving it that, you know, that boost and you get that blood sugar crash. There's a spectrum of blood sugar issues.

[00:08:19] Okay, so you can have blood sugar imbalance where your blood sugar is just rising and falling higher and lower than it really should be for optimal health. And you're getting some of those symptoms like maybe blurry vision or headaches or irritability if you're going too long without eating. If that is going on for too long, that's when you step into this insulin resistance.

[00:08:49] Then when the body is not responding to that insulin, it's not getting the sugar out of the blood like it's supposed to be. And then that, over time, if that [00:09:00] just keeps going in the body, that sets you up for pre diabetes, which is really... Diagnosed based on your blood work, you fall into a certain number, um, before you're actually in diabetes type 2, but then the next spot would be getting into that diagnosis of diabetes type 2.

[00:09:23] Now, type 2 diabetes is different from type 1 diabetes, so I'll, you know, make that important distinction. Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune condition. Um, it. Originally was called, you know, uh, young diabetes, um, because it was affecting children, but we know that even adults can get type 1 diabetes. It's an autoimmune condition that's affecting the pancreas and for people with type 1, they need insulin.

[00:09:55] It doesn't have to do with. the food that they're eating on a [00:10:00] daily basis. Um, totally different story, but for type two diabetes, right? You can control it with food changes and diet and lifestyle changes. But if you do move into that type two diabetes, you most likely will need some medication to regulate insulin as you're making some other changes to help balance blood sugar levels.

[00:10:24] So, how does blood sugar affect fertility? Well, we know really strongly that foods that have higher sugars in them, that are, you know, white flours, white sugars, more processed, refined foods, actually, for people who eat a higher amount of those types of foods, that actually lowers their fertility rates.

[00:10:50] What's happening is that when insulin rises, that shuts down ovulation. It's also pushing the testosterone pathway, increasing [00:11:00] testosterone, which again shuts down ovulation. So elevated insulin, blood sugar, big blood sugar swings are no good for fertility. Insulin resistance is one of the PCOS types. Not everyone with PCOS has insulin resistance, and that's a common misconception with PCOS because we think or, you know, there's this often this image created with PCOS being like, oh, well, insulin resistance is always an issue with PCOS.

[00:11:34] And that's not the case. Okay. There's lots of people who are not struggling with insulin resistance, and that's why it's so important to get to know your PCOS type, right? Because if you don't have any insulin resistance or any blood sugar issues at all, then why would you need a plan that helps balance your blood sugar, right?

[00:11:56] Okay. So, but [00:12:00] insulin resistance is 1 of the most common types of P. C. O. S. and just, you know, because of our modern diet, oftentimes we're very used to eating foods that do spike. and then create that crash of blood sugar, then really is needed more of those types of foods that are needed, and that's leading to some fertility issues.

[00:12:27] So let's jump into these top five tips for blood sugar balance. Tip number one is to eat regularly throughout the day. So I have people actually set up a food schedule for themselves, even put timers on their phone, so that they know, okay, I should be eating right now. This sets you up for good blood sugar balance because you are not getting to that place where your body is crashing.[00:13:00]

[00:13:00] You're keeping your blood sugar nice and steady. If you go for a long time without Eating a meal like if you skip a meal your body, you're just falling further into that blood sugar crash and from a survival mechanism, you need food and so what your body is going to do to tell you is that I need sugar.

[00:13:27] I crave sugar because your body is, has that instinctual response to get you energy, get you sugar in your body so that you raise your blood sugar levels. That's what happens when you get into a blood sugar crash. Okay. And so if you find yourself thinking, okay, I'm going to, you know, skip a meal because I'm trying to lower calories and lose some weight.

[00:13:54] But then you find yourself just scrounging around for any cookies or sugar [00:14:00] around, that's because it's your body's survival mechanism shouting at you saying, I need sugar. So it's better to just eat. Regular meals throughout the day to help keep that those blood sugar levels just nice and steady rising and falling.

[00:14:18] Just really nice and steady as they're supposed to be throughout the day now, intermittent fasting is. Really popular right now, and a lot of people are just talking about all of the amazing benefits of intermittent fasting. Perhaps it has benefits for certain conditions, but for fertility, I just do not see people thriving on that sort of a eating because of this blood sugar crash.

[00:14:52] Because fasting for 18 plus hours... It just puts you into this really low [00:15:00] state of blood sugar, and for fertility purposes, you don't want to be putting yourself into that place. So tip number two is to exercise, okay? Yahoo! I mean, you don't even have to change any... foods, right? You can just get out there and move your body.

[00:15:21] So when you're moving your body and exercising, your muscles need glucose, your brain needs glucose. So your body is able to adjust and to actually overcome that insulin resistance. Um, you know, studies have found that insulin sensitivity increases at least 16 hours post exercise. And that glucose, glucose is another word for sugar, actually, um, the uptake into the cells increases after exercising because your body is like, Oh, wow, like, we're moving faster.

[00:15:58] We, we need all this extra [00:16:00] sugar. So let's figure out how to get it into the cells and your body does that. And so getting your body moving and exercising helps to keep blood sugar levels balanced. Tip number three is to eat breakfast. Okay? And this goes along with that first tip about eating regularly throughout the day.

[00:16:23] And so eating breakfast first thing in the morning is really important to set your body up for a full day of balanced blood sugar, because most likely you haven't eaten since dinner. And so that was. probably at least 12 hours ago. And so you want to be replenishing your blood sugar with something that sets you up to keep blood sugar levels regulated, right?

[00:16:54] So preferably not something really sugary because that's going to skyrocket your [00:17:00] blood sugar levels, and you have to spend the whole day catching up on your blood sugar levels if you start by like, just keeping them super spiked. And so if, again, with that intermittent fasting and not eating until lunchtime, well, then you're just, you're in this.

[00:17:22] blood sugar low that is keeping your energy low, your mood irritable, and it's not setting you up for actual blood sugar balance in order to help with fertility. Because your body is going to give you some very distinct signs like irritability, feeling hangry. Does that ring a bell? Um, headaches, blurry vision, feeling shaky.

[00:17:54] Those are all signs that your blood sugar has fallen too low and you need to [00:18:00] bring it back up right away. and you want to avoid getting to that place of feeling like your blood sugar is crashing because when it is then you have to overcompensate to bring your blood sugar back up and then you're just stepping closer to that insulin resistance pre diabetes picture, okay?

[00:18:24] You want to, on a daily basis, just be working on keeping those blood sugar levels regulated. Because the more that they're regulated, the more that the body knows how to work in that, that state. When your blood sugar levels are dysregulated or you're moving into insulin resistance or pre diabetes, that's your body's normal.

[00:18:48] And so you have to work really hard to reverse that. It can be done for sure, but you have to be actively making changes in order to bring your body back [00:19:00] to that nice regular rhythm that your body wants to be in. So tip number four is to eat protein, and I recommend that people eat protein at each meal and each snack because we actually see that the higher the protein intake, that helps to regulate blood sugar levels and not create that super high high and super low low.

[00:19:29] It just helps slow down that insulin response so that the body can react as it's supposed to in order to keep blood sugar levels regulated. And so, you know, eating protein throughout the day can look like a variety of different things for you. Um, nuts. cheese, yogurt, uh, of course, meats, um, beans, those are all really good sources of protein [00:20:00] that you can play around with to help keep blood sugar regulated throughout the day.

[00:20:07] And then tip number five is to eat whole grains. You're probably familiar with this, but whole grains, they... Just help keep blood sugar levels regulated because they aren't as full of sugar as white grains, white sugar, processed grains are. So what happens when you eat, say, a processed white sugar is that you're going to get a lot of sugar right into the bloodstream and then the body has to crank out that insulin in order to help get that sugar into your cells.

[00:20:45] And so while the, the sugar is in your blood, you're going to like have this, all this highs. And then once insulin kicks in, it brings that blood sugar, that sugar into your cells. Then you're going to have that crash. Okay. Which then leads to what we've been [00:21:00] talking about here. You know, over time that'll lead to that insulin resistance, prediabetes picture.

[00:21:07] If you choose a whole grains. Let's go on the sugar example again is that if you're choosing a raw, unrefined, unprocessed sugar, well, your body, then it's not that huge spike in sugar into your bloodstream. So it's a little bit lower of a spike. And then the body has enough time to Get that insulin out into the cells to say, Hey, sugar, come in.

[00:21:41] And so it's a much more, much more natural, much more rhythmic exchange than if you're eating processed sugar. I shared on my Instagram account a couple days ago about these cookies that I baked and I was sharing because [00:22:00] I baked them in a way that actually really supports blood sugar balance. So, you know, if you do have a sweet tooth and you want to be eating some things or you enjoy baking, there's a way to do it that doesn't keep your blood sugar just out of balance all the time.

[00:22:19] And so what I do is I'll use whole wheat flour in my cookies. Sometimes I'll use 100 percent whole wheat flour. Sometimes I'll use half whole wheat flour, half white flour, just because that white flour does create that softness. Um, but having that whole wheat flour in there is really good. It's a whole grain to help keep blood sugar levels balanced.

[00:22:44] I also add in oatmeal. Another whole grain again to help keep the blood sugar balanced. And then I use raw cane sugar, which won't spike the blood sugar as high as white sugar will. [00:23:00] And so choosing those types of shifts with baking in particular can help you to enjoy some sweets without having that super high, high and super low crash in blood sugar from the white sugar and white flour.

[00:23:18] But you know, there's other whole grains. It doesn't have to just be about sweets and baking. You know, you can be choosing whole grains like quinoa and brown rice. Oatmeal, those things, adding them for your breakfast or in with dinner and lunch are really great ways to be adding in whole grains throughout the day to help regulate blood sugars.

[00:23:42] Thank you so much for being here. I hope you enjoyed today's episode. If you are loving this podcast, can you please head on over to Apple podcast to give me a positive review because reviews are what helped fuel this podcast and they also help [00:24:00] people who haven't gotten access to this podcast to be able to find it.

[00:24:04] So, thank you so much. And I hope you have a beautiful day. If nobody has told you this yet, you are amazing and you have incredible gifts to share with this world.

[00:24:15] Thank you so much for being here. It is such an honor to be on this platform with you and to have you in this community. So thank you. As we wrap things up today, I want to share the legal language with you. This podcast is for informational purposes only. It should not replace the medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment given to you by your doctor.