Naturally Treat PCOS with Diet and Exercise

by Deborah Maragopoulos FNP | Feb 8, 2019 | PCOS | 0 comments

I would like to tell you about the natural treatment for PCOS. So, you can treat PCOS naturally and not actually have to be dependent on medications for PCOS. PCOS, or polycystic ovary syndrome, can be treated. What we need to focus on is a few different things.

PCOS is a metabolic syndrome. That means that you have much more inflammation in the body because you are not just your female hormones are out of balance, but your adrenal hormones are out of balance. Your hypothalamus which controls your ovaries, your adrenals, and your glucose metabolism, is actually responsible for getting this back into balance again. It is really critical that you try to help the hypothalamus do its job better. All in order for the rest of the body to get back into balance.

Hormone Healing Tip 1: Reverse Insulin Resistance

The very first thing you need to do is reverse your insulin resistance. Now, insulin resistance is a condition where insulin cannot carry the glucose into your cells. Your cells are actually resistant or blocking the insulin from getting in. And that happens when you have way too much glucose and insulin floating around in the bloodstream. It is a very common issue with polycystic ovary syndrome. It is what causes the inflammation. As well as the weight gain around the middle that we see with polycystic ovary syndrome.

Whenever you're insulin resistant, you're much less likely to have regular cycles or to be fertile. So it's really critical that you reverse insulin resistance. And you do that through diet and exercise. An insulin resistant diet with just basically a paleo, kind of the ketogenic diet, will help to reverse the insulin resistance. You're eating higher protein and fat, vegetables, and some fruits. As wellas very, very low starches and carbs. Also, exercise, particularly aerobic exercise on a daily basis, will help reverse your insulin resistance.

Hormone Healing Tip 2: Reduce the Stress Response

Number two, because polycystic ovary syndrome is an issue with the adrenals, you need to reduce your stress response. Your adrenal glands are responsible for producing your stress hormones. Because it is polycystic ovary syndrome, you do not produce enough progesterone from your ovaries, your adrenals do not have enough progesterone to produce the stress hormones and they tend to get fatigued and tired. You still produce lots of DHEA, which is very androgenic, meaning male-like. Which contributes to the high male-like hormones that cause acne and the hairiness or hirsutism that we see in polycystic ovary syndrome. That can be a huge issue if we do not reduce the stress response.

Now, we can support your adrenals with glandulars and with herbs. But the biggest way to support your adrenals is meditation and breathing exercises. Anything to reduce that stress response will actually help to calm down the adrenals. Also, calm down the inflammation that is caused by polycystic ovary syndrome.

Hormone Healing Tip 3: Balance your Hypothalamus

Number three, balancing your hypothalamus. Your hypothalamus is the maestro of all of these hormones. Your female hormones from your ovaries, your stress hormones from your adrenals, and your glucose metabolism. If it is out of balance, it doesn't matter how much you focus on your ovaries or your adrenals or your glucose metabolism. If your hypothalamus is out of balance, you are not going to reverse polycystic ovary syndrome. And it can be reversed.

You do not have to live with this forever. Balancing the hypothalamus is not difficult to do. I developed Genesis Gold to do this particulary. The amino acid blend in Genesis Gold ® is designed to balance the hypothalamus. The rest of the herbal blend and the super green foods is to support normal insulin sensitivity, normal adrenal stress response, and reproductive hormones. I have had many patients with polycystic ovary syndrome completely reverse the syndrome and even get pregnant using Genesis Gold®. Thank you.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Can your hypothalamus cause weight gain?

Yes. The hypothalamus is the master regulator of metabolism, controlling how your body stores and burns energy through its signaling to the thyroid, adrenals, and pancreas. When the hypothalamus becomes dysregulated by chronic stress, poor sleep, inflammation, or blood sugar instability, it defends a higher weight "set point" — causing the body to hold onto fat regardless of diet or exercise. This makes hypothalamic dysfunction an upstream root cause of stubborn weight gain.

What is a weight set point and why won't mine move?

A weight set point is the body weight your hypothalamus works to defend, calibrated over time by stress, sleep, hormones, and inflammation. When you diet, the hypothalamus perceives scarcity and responds by slowing metabolism, increasing hunger hormones, and suppressing satiety signals to return you to that set point. This is why most people regain lost weight within two to five years of conventional dieting — the set point itself was never recalibrated, only temporarily overridden.

Why do I gain weight under stress even when I'm not eating more?

Chronic stress raises cortisol, which disrupts blood sugar regulation, promotes abdominal fat storage, and signals the hypothalamus that the body is under threat. In survival mode, the hypothalamus defends fat stores and slows metabolism — so weight can increase even without any change in calorie intake. The stress chemistry, not the food, is driving the weight gain, which is why stress reduction is essential to any lasting metabolic reset.

Why do I regain weight after stopping GLP-1 medications?

GLP-1 medications work peripherally on appetite and gastric signaling, but they do not address the underlying hypothalamic dysregulation that sets your defended weight. Because the hypothalamic set point is never recalibrated, the body resumes defending its original weight once the medication stops — leading to significant regain. Long-term success requires restoring hypothalamic regulation so the set point itself lowers, rather than relying on appetite suppression alone.

How long does it take to reset your metabolism?

Genuine metabolic recalibration takes a minimum of 90 days, because the hypothalamus needs consistent signals of safety and sufficiency before it will lower its defended set point. This differs from a diet, which produces temporary suppression the body quickly corrects. A 90-day reset typically moves through three phases: stabilizing stress chemistry (days 1–30), rebuilding metabolic efficiency (days 31–60), and lowering the weight set point (days 61–90).

Why does my thyroid feel slow even though my labs are "normal"?

Under chronic stress, the body converts thyroid hormone into reverse T3, which blocks active thyroid receptors and slows metabolism at the cellular level — even when standard lab values appear normal. This means you can experience genuine symptoms of slow metabolism, such as fatigue, cold intolerance, and brain fog, while your thyroid panel looks unremarkable. Addressing the upstream hypothalamic and stress signaling often improves thyroid conversion and symptoms.

Is stubborn weight gain a willpower problem?

No. Stubborn weight gain is a signaling problem, not a willpower problem. The hypothalamus governs weight through survival mechanisms that operate below conscious control — defending its set point by slowing metabolism and increasing hunger when it perceives threat. No amount of discipline can override this system; lasting change comes from restoring hypothalamic regulation through reduced stress, balanced blood sugar, restorative sleep, and targeted nutritional support.

About the Author - Deborah Maragopoulos FNP

Known as the Hormone Queen®️, I’ve made it my mission to help everyone - no matter their age - balance their hormones, and live the energy and joy their DNA and true destiny desires. See more about me my story here...

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Last Updated: April 6, 2022