The Gut-Hormone Connection for PCOS with Dr. Robin Rose!

Our gut microbiome is super important for our health—even more important to our health than Sirak and I originally thought! (Which is saying something, because we both focus a lot on gut health.) What Dr. Robin Rose discusses with us in this episode is how PCOS healing can start with the gut! Listen for all the details on how women with PCOS can start reversing their symptoms by naturally restoring their gut health. 

Many of our PCOS symptoms, including fatigue, poor immune health, food sensitivities, skin problems, brain fog, bloating, gas, constipation, diarrhea, abdominal pain, and more are linked to the gut. However, it goes even deeper than that. Poor gut health can be the root issue leading to hormonal imbalances, inflammation, and insulin resistance—the three problems at the core of all your symptoms! 

Who Is Dr. Robin Rose?

Dr. Robin Rose is a board-certified specialist in gastroenterology and internal medicine, with a focus on functional medicine. She originally was a conventional medicine doctor who got her bachelor’s degree in Behavioral Neuroscience with Honors from Lehigh University and her master’s degree in Neuropsychology from New York University. Then she received her medical degree from the New York College of Osteopathic Medicine and graduated with honors to be inducted into the Psi Sigma Alpha Osteopathic National Honor Society. (Take a breath, I’m not done!) 

However, she was unfulfilled in practicing conventional medicine and felt like she wasn’t serving her patients in the best way possible. She became interested in pursuing functional medicine as well and got her post-graduate training in Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology & Hepatology at Beth Israel Medical Center in New York City. She’s now listed as a functional medicine provider with the Institute for Functional Medicine. So, she’s an incredibly qualified doctor who understands both conventional medicine and natural medicine of healing!

She is the founder and CEO of Terrain Health, where she helps people reach their health goals by healing the gut. Her expertise is in how the gut and brain interact, and instead of just providing her patients with prescriptions, she also provides them with a holistic healing plan to get to the root cause of her patient’s problems. Dr. Robin Rose sees many PCOS patients and autoimmune patients, and her go-to phrase is, “all roads lead to and from the gut.” It’s so true! 

Gut Health And Hormones 

In this episode, Dr. Robin Rose discusses how, while studying the gut and the brain, she uncovered that the gut talks to the brain more than the brain talks to the gut. So, when the gut microbiota is in poor health, the neurotransmitters and the HPA axis in the gut can’t communicate properly with the rest of the body. 

This leads to an overreaction of the immune system (inflammation), a rise in insulin resistance due to cortisol imbalances, and a host of other hormonal imbalances. Your body can’t work together like it’s supposed to, because a crucial hub of health and communication isn’t functioning optimally!  

How do you fix this? Dr. Robin Rose first recommends you get hormone testing done with Microgenesis, the female-run biotech company that helps women discover the root issues of their problems. They’ve treated PCOS, autoimmune disease, infertility, and so much more! Once they help you determine your needs, they’ll set up a restoration program to get you back on track. 

A lot of the restoration protocol will come down to adopting the right diet, exercise habits, supplement regimen (like probiotics), and other natural lifestyle changes that will provide REAL healing rather than just mask symptoms. 

Diet For Gut Health And Hormone Balance

Dr. Robin Rose gives us some guidance on diet changes you can make to restore your gut health. Below, we’ll outline some of her recommendations as well as ours! If you want to go deeper, here’s how to reverse PCOS with diet—and don’t forget to download The Cysterhood app for resources, support, workout routines, and PCOS-friendly meal plans. 

• Consider an elimination diet to figure out your food sensitivities (or take a food sensitivity test.) 
• If you eat a lot of soy, ensure it’s organic and non-GMO.
• Eat probiotic foods like kombucha, kimchi, and non-dairy yogurt.
• Prioritize fiber, complex carbs, and healthy fats. 
• Discover your carb tolerance before diving into a PCOS diet. 
• Consider cutting dairy and gluten. 
• Eat 3-4 meals a day and don’t skip. 
• Ensure you stay hydrated. 
• Avoid processed sugars. 
• Reduce your caffeine and alcohol intake.
• Aim for 30 grams of protein per meal. 

Heal your gut to heal your PCOS! 

It’s time to get serious about gut health! Listen to this episode of A Cyster and Her Mister to get all of Dr. Robin Rose’s recommendations and hear what Sirak and I have to say about PCOS gut health. Poor gut health can trigger a vicious cycle that triggers many (if not all) of your PCOS symptoms. Stop the cycle, by balancing your gut bacteria and improving your overall digestive health! Here are some more resources to check out for PCOS gut health:

• Gut Health and PCOS
• Improve Your Gut Health with Probiotics 
• Supplements for Bloating and Gut Health 
• How Gluten Affects Gut Health

Did you know that gut health may play a bigger role in PCOS than was ever previously considered?

Dr. Robin Rose joins us on this episode to talk about the connection between the gut microbiome, hormonal imbalances, and the connection to PCOS!

Dr. Robin Rose is a board-certified specialist in gastroenterology and internal medicine. She takes pride in addressing the root cause in all her patients through the practice of precision medicine. At her practice, Terrain Health (www.terrainhealth.org), she creates a treatment plan unique to your biochemical and diet and lifestyle needs. You can also follow Dr. Robin Rose on Instagram (@dr.robinrose) & (@goterrainhealth) for more resources!

Join us in The Cysterhood, a community of women learning how to manage PCOS & lose weight, Gluten and Dairy Free!

Follow us on Instagram for daily PCOS tips at (@PCOS.Weightloss) & (@A.Cyster.and.Her.Mister)!

While Tallene is a Registered Dietitian and Sirak a Personal Trainer, this podcast provides general information about PCOS. It is not meant to serve as fitness, nutrition or medical advice related to your individual needs. If you have questions, please talk to a medical professional. For our full privacy policy, please click on the following link: (bit.ly/PCOSPrivacyPolicy)

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