Here’s my story-

From as early as my teenage years, I never had a “regular” menstrual cycle. Month after month would go by and my period was nowhere to be found. My OBGYN recommended oral birth control, which I took for 7 years. In 2007, I was living in South Korea and decided to stop taking it with the hopes to get my period naturally, or in the least,  find a real explanation as to why I never had a regular cycle. But months passed and I saw no sign of a period.

So, I went to a medical doctor who did an ultrasound and found that my ovaries were covered in cysts. Blood work was next, confirming a PCOS diagnosis. This news was daunting. I remember feeling alone, looking online to get more information about the syndrome. And finding confusing, frightening information that left me with little hope.  I knew that I didn’t want to start oral birth control, and Metformin was not an appealing option either for long-term use (I was just 23 years old).

Since I always had a passion for nutrition, I started there. I had been a vegetarian for many years. I now know my diet at that time did not support my body’s needs.  None the less, I began making small changes in my diet and lifestyle. Experimenting, more than anything, with eating “warmer” foods as well as more animal products.

I also found a Korean Acupuncturist/Herbalist who was willing to take me as his patient. The language barrier was HUGE, but we communicated well enough and I received regular treatment for about 8 months. I took herbs 2-3 times a day and saw him every second/third day. It was intensive treatment! He would occasionally ask me what I had eaten for breakfast and I could tell he didn’t approve of my answers, but I didn’t understand why he disapproved. It wasn’t until I began studying Chinese Medicine that I understood.  While I thought I was making “healthy” food choices, I knew nothing of the energetics or temperatures of food and how that affects a person’s disease state.

After seeing how successful a natural approach could be, I went to acupuncture school and opened my practice in Langhorne, PA where I treat patients for a variety of conditions. I specialize in Women’s Health and have helped countless women suffering from PCOS. In my practice, I use nutrition, supplements, acupuncture, and a lot of education about how to prepare food for optimal digestion and nutrient absorption, taking into consideration the person’s constitution and energetics, as well as the temperature and energetics of the food/beverages I recommend they consume. Reducing stress, and regulating hormonal is crucial also.