A Balanced Approach to PCOS: 16 Weeks of Meal Prep & Recipes for Women Managing Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome

Though this book just came out, the moment I received it, I read it front to back. What I appreciate most about the author's approach is that she does not restrict foods and she recommends a whole, balanced diet. Living with PCOS for the last 10 years has been frustrating. Doctors telling me to take medications, lose weight, etc. but not really giving me the knowledge or tools how. Her book is a great tool and intro into understanding the "how". I can tell a lot of thought was put into the layout and break down of the book. Functional medicine is the primary backdrop of the content. She breaks down PCOS into 4 root causes which spell out what people with PCOS need to change in order to minimize their symptoms over time. This book breaks recipes into seasons and weeks. Each week comes with a set grocery list and a recommended prep day. I consider myself a novice cook and these recipes are easy to follow and delicious. Even my picky fiance has loved them!The reason why I think it works is because I live a very stressful lifestyle and each recipe has prep time and cook time which most are 30 min or less. I am currently beginning my PCOS lifestyle change journey after finally feeling fed up. I have not exercised in months and I currently work a 60 hour work week. After eating the PCOS recipes intermittently over the last few weeks, both in this recipe book and through Melissa's PCOS Root Cause Roadmap Program, I have lost 8lbs. and I feel great. My non-scale victories include having more energy and less stress. My future Mother-In-Law asked me about my successes, looked through the book and within minutes also ordered a copy. I cannot recommend this type of recipe book enough. It just makes sense.One last side note - read a review below and I want to point out one thing... eating one type of animal protein for an entire week is not 100% asinine. I eat chicken all the time and the author clearly states in the book that there are plenty of substitution options. I understand eating salmon multiple times in a week may not be ideal for some individuals, but there are other fish options like tilapia and shrimp that may be a great anti-inflammatory food substitute as well. Food for thought - pun intended!

I was diagnosed with PCOS 25 years ago. Until this point, no doctor or healthcare professional has really been able to help me. I’ve battled with symptoms my whole life. Melissa offers an evidence-based program that is sustainable and easy to follow! I love that all the meals are balanced in terms of carbs, protein, etc. I don’t have to think about how am I going to add protein to this or does this have enough fiber? The work is already done for you and what I’ve tried so far has been delicious! You will need to invest in some basics if you’re new to a healthier lifestyle like flax, almond flour, tumeric, hemp seed, protein powder, etc. Luckily many grocery stores now carry these items or you can order off Amazon! I have most of the items needed for the recipes in my pantry already which made it easier. I like that you can prep for the week and make several meals with the ingredients. Ignore the salmon comment above. There are a LOT of options in here- you don’t have to meal prep at all if that’s not for you. Make what you like! For me, I feel better eating these foods already. It’s worth the investment and worth reviewing the introduction as well. Lots of good tips for living with PCOS! So glad I purchased. It’s simplified my life already.

I absolutely love this book. I haven’t had it for very long (only 1 week so far) so I’ve only started with the first week of summer recipes. I really appreciate how simple this book makes it to eat healthily, with delicious meals incorporating ingredients I wouldn’t think to (eg radishes and green onions). I have a whole shelf of PCOS cookbooks and advice books, but I would say this takes number 1 because of the practicality. Gives a good list for the week and even a list of items to prep for the week to make to save you time & stress. Also most ingredients are things that I already have around the house, or even if I may not have had in my cabinets before (eg almond flour, collagen) they can be easily bought at food stores, Walmart, tj maxx, or even Amazon. Eating same meat during the week to me is actually a perk to save time and money! Though as it says in the book, could be easily substituted as you wish.100% would recommend

Overall, I really like this cookbook! It's been a helpful resource in thinking about ways to have more balanced meals and adding anti-inflammatory foods to my diet. I love that the book was written by a RDN! None of the recipes feel too extreme-- I'm familiar with almost all the ingredients and can get them at the regular grocery store. Each week has a helpful note about the benefits of specific ingredients. I also like that it's not restrictive or calorie focused. So far, I've enjoyed all the recipes I've made. It's definitely an adjustment to have lower sugar desserts, smoothies, and muffins (but haha that's the point!). My favorite recipes so far are the pear crumble & the breakfast salad.Other reviewers have mentioned this but, I agree that the serving sizes are not always accurate. For example, the pasta salad recipe made 3+ servings instead of the listed 2. The muffins often make more than 8. This wasn't a huge deal for me but, definitely something to be aware of. Similarly, the Pumpkin Cashew Protein Ball recipe consistency was completely off-- the mixture was far too liquidy to roll into balls. They tasted fine but, it def detracted from the recipe.I chose to pick and choose recipes that looked appealing instead of following the book as a comprehensive meal plan. The book is designed to be followed as a weekly meal plan so, sometimes it's a bit hard to find the recipe I want. It would be helpful if there were a comprehensive table of contents at the beginning or even at the beginning of each season/chapter.Although this doesn't detract from the quality of the information in the book, in some of the recipes, ingredients from the ingredient list aren't included in the recipe.