PCOS & Nutrition: Unveiling the Magic and Mayhem of Mealtime To Manage Symptoms

Tricia:

Welcome, Mealtime Magic and Mayhem listeners. We are here for another episode. And today, I have a special guest. Her name is Maggie Connolly, and she's a registered dietitian, nutritionist, PCOS expert, and culinary nutritionist. She helps individuals make sustainable, long lasting nutrition and lifestyle changes that balances hormones, reduce PCOS symptoms, increase energy levels, improve fertility, and achieve the weight that is right for them. She holds a master's of science in dietetics and a bachelor's of science in dietetics from Deauville College in Buffalo, New York, and she also received her BS in hospitality from UCF. I am so excited to have you here, Maggie. And, you know, I'm really curious and interested to talk to you about PCOS because I honestly just didn't know there was a connection between nutrition and PCOS.

Tricia:

So welcome.

Meggie:

Thank you so much. Thank you for the introduction. Thank you so much, Trisha, for having me on. I love talking food. So anytime I could talk to anybody about food and PCOS, my 2 passions, I'm excited to do that.

Tricia:

I it's beautiful that you've been able to link two passions into something, though,

Meggie:

and I

Tricia:

think Yeah. It's so cool that we have the opportunity to do that, especially right here in this online space.

Meggie:

That's what I love because all my life, you know, my dad always told me, do what you love, And I'm finally following his advice.

Meggie:

So here we go.

Tricia:

Yeah. So we're gonna start with a fun question, and I use these table Topics questions all the time for Okay. I use them on date night, around the family table. I love to use them in interviews. I just think they give you a a different layer insight into people. So your question today Okay. Whose autograph would you most like to have?

Meggie:

Oh, Julia Childs, for sure. Same. Yeah. For sure. I would love her to sign my cookbooks. I've been in love with her since I was, like, 3rd or 4th grade.

Tricia:

I just recently bought this little book. I wish I could remember the name of it, but it's a book of Julia Child quotes.

Meggie:

Oh, man. I'm gonna have to write that down.

Tricia:

I will. I'll put the name of that and a link to it in the show notes, but I will definitely get that to you. It's just lovely. And some of them are short and long, funny. You know? They're just it's perfect. I just love it so much.

Meggie:

Yeah. That just make yeah. I really want that book because I feel like I scribble that around my house, like, in content. Yeah. Exactly.

Tricia:

And that's why I bought it. I was like, oh, those could be quote, an email or, you know, social media graphic or just to make me smile.

Meggie:

Yeah. Just to make you smile.

Tricia:

When you're having a crappy day.

Meggie:

Yeah. Just to, like, post it on the front of your microwave, and then when you look up, you see something happening.

Tricia:

Yeah. Okay. Let's get started I can't wait to dig in here. So tell us more about your journey into the world of nutrition and culinary nutrition, And, really, how did you come to specialize in PCOS, like, within that world?

Meggie:

Yeah. I've always been a food lover. Like, that's just been since I was, like, 2 years old when I started, like, making salads, my mom said. So I've always loved food, and I went to school for hospitality and started working in, like, restaurant management, things like that. And I realized that my passion was really more of nutrition, and I went back to school to become a dietitian. And when I was also diagnosed with PCOS myself in my Early twenties and kinda was told, like most individuals with PCOS, that you just come back when you wanna get pregnant and hear some birth control and just, like, go on your way. You're really fine. When I was in school to be a dietitian, we studied medical nutrition therapy.

Meggie:

So we look at how nutrition can help manage medical conditions, and we talked about PCOS. And my mind was really blown because no one, none of my doctors had ever told me that I could manage my condition and also the symptoms associated with my condition with nutrition and lifestyle changes. So that's when I kinda got a little angry at first that no one had told me and that I had suffered with Acne and weight gain and mood swings and hair loss and all the symptoms of PCOS for so long, and then I could actually do something about it. So I dug into the research, and I ended up writing my master's thesis on the perceived risk of developing 2 type 2 diabetes in women with PCOS. And then it just kind of snowballed, and I've just been passionate about this community because there's a huge percentage of the population that does have PCOS. They estimate about 13 to 20% of women have PCOS worldwide. But the information isn't there, and the education is not there, especially from our frontline health care providers. They're just not really knowledgeable about PCOS.

Meggie:

Besides, it's a fertility condition, which it's not a fertility condition. It's a endocrine and metabolic disorder that can have reproductive consequences.

Tricia:

Interesting. So for those listening who may not be familiar, tell us what does PCOS stand for? What is it?

Meggie:

It's polycystic ovarian syndrome. And most women with PCOS will struggle with infertility, but that's a side effect of the imbalance in sex hormones. So the role of nutrition when it comes to PCOS is really improving insulin resistance, which most women do have when they have PCOS, Decreasing inflammation and improving gut health. And that will help balance the hormones so you're not experiencing the symptoms where we have, like, irregular or absent periods, Infertility, weight gain, trouble losing weight, complications related to high insulin levels, hair loss, acne, excess hair growth, Anxiety, depression. There's a high rate of eating disorders. It's really, like, a complex condition. That's why it's called a syndrome because it affects so many different parts

Tricia:

of the Interesting. I had no idea. And, yes, I've only ever heard of it as it relates to fertility.

Meggie:

Yeah. Infertility does affect a lot of women with PCOS, but just because you have PCOS does not mean that you cannot conceive and conceive naturally as well. But one of my missions is to make sure women understand that, you know, PCOS is a lifelong condition, and we are at increased risk of developing diabetes. So 50% of women with PCOS will have diabetes or prediabetes by the age of 40, and we're at a 7 times increased risk of cardiovascular disease. So it's a serious condition that we're kind of just gets brushed under the rug by doctors usually. And yeah. But there's a lot that we can do. It's not like it sounds, like, so, like, negative, but there's a lot that we can do to improve our PCOS and our quality of life too.

Meggie:

Like, that's important. So that's my mission.

Tricia:

Well and isn't it mostly discovered as well when you're already having fertility issues? Like, that's where it comes up most frequently. Right? And that's how it's become associated with that.

Meggie:

Yeah. Because most it's not something that's generally, like, screened for. So usually, when after a woman's been trying to conceive for about a year, they get Get diagnosed with, like, infertility, and then they start getting tests done, and it will they'll be like, oh, you have PCOS. It's not I think it's a little bit more common to get now screened when you're younger because other symptoms that providers might see, like irregular periods or Weight gain. They might be like, maybe we should screen for it. But, generally, I think most people do get diagnosed once they kind of experience some infertility. That's really interesting. It feels like a big miss on the medical side of things.

Meggie:

Yeah. Yeah. Like, for me, personally, I suffered with, like, acne since a very young age, And all my symptoms, like, I didn't even realize that they were tied to PCOS when I was diagnosed. Because, I mean, I was diagnosed a long time ago, so We didn't have social media. They tell us all these things. So I didn't realize that all these symptoms, like my anxiety, my My excess hair growth, my acne, my hair loss in my twenties was all related to my PCOS. It was really a surprise.

Tricia:

So your focus you said you really discovered a passion for more of the nutrition side within your culinary studies. Share some examples of how You found that improving cooking skills and confidence can really positively impact someone's health, especially in the context of of managing PCOS.

Meggie:

Yeah. So as a dietitian, I know I worked with people in a lot of settings, and it's really about new when it comes to nutrition and counseling people, it's really helping them with, like, behavior change. And if you're not confident in that kind of skill, so if you're not confident in cooking or don't know how to chop an onion or don't are scared of the kitchen, like, you're not gonna be able to implement these nutrition recommendations that could help you manage a condition. So many times, I think, like, old school Nutritionist, dietitians would just hand you, like, a list of foods, but that doesn't work. Like, a list of foods is not helping you implement that information. So culinary nutrition helps you take the information and make it actionable, makes you help you implement it into your life, And also takes into the fact, like, realistic circumstances. Like, you know, if I was to give you a meal plan, but you've never cooked a day in your life, like, that's not gonna work. So looking at people's skills, their confidence in the kitchen, access to food, food preferences as as well.

Meggie:

Like, that's all really important when it comes to nutrition care. And since I love food, I just want people to enjoy food, and not be scared of it. So that's why I got into the culinary nutrition space.

Tricia:

I love that. So many similarities between what we do. Only Minds doesn't have the nutrition focus, but it really is about building that confidence. And because you're right. I can give you 5,000 recipes or a great meal plan, but if you don't feel confident Or if you're not excited about the foods that are on it or know what to do with them, it's absolutely pointless. Yes. And then you add in the fact, you know, Not just preferences, but our bodies all react so differently to different foods. Yeah.

Tricia:

And there are so many I feel like there have been so many over the years, you know, diet programs I've been on or at meal plans or processes. And you get all that restrictive language going on of the can't haves, and here's what you can have. But you're right. Nobody actually says now here's what to do with it. Mhmm. The how of it is really important because that confidence is a huge piece. The more confident you get in those skills, the more confident you are even in making those Decisions even if it's not about cooking. Right? It's just another layer of confidence and that I can do this.

Tricia:

And I think that's huge.

Meggie:

Yeah. And how it transfers into other areas you realize realize, oh, I can do this. Because nutrition is healthy food doesn't matter if you don't consume Right. Right. It's one thing what you said about diets and restrictive diets. And as I've kind of worked with clients, I first, I realized, like, You know, I have to teach them how to prepare healthy foods that taste good to get them to eat it. Mhmm. And then I realized, I was working more with clients, that So many people have disordered eating patterns from so many years of dieting, especially in my population that I work with.

Meggie:

So a lot of what I do, I incorporate, like, mindful eating This is and it's kinda like what you do because you would like build that connection and joy back into food and cooking, which is what I do too with these individuals because They've been told they have to eat, like, no carbs, no fruit, no dairy, no gluten. Like, all these restrictive diets that really are no fun end up causing more stress in your life, and then they end up not knowing what to eat, getting frustrated, and then binging or something like that. So The restrictive diets, they don't work, and it doesn't make you happy.

Tricia:

So and then, like Yeah.

Meggie:

Hopefully the reason to follow it.

Tricia:

Right? Right? I see so many synergies between both of our businesses, and I really love the focus that you have on it because and I'm kind of probably beating a dead horse, but It's not talked about. It's not known that nutrition can be the catalyst for helping manage this syndrome. Right? Yeah. And so, Again, it's changing the conversations around food and restriction, and I just I think that's so important because they're Everything gets so labeled as good or bad or and what's good or bad for you is not necessarily gonna be good or bad for me. Right? So Yeah. I love that you're really helping them with the behavior changes. I think that's a a critical piece of it a critical piece of it.

Meggie:

Thank you.

Tricia:

So You emphasized and we talked about the restricted diets don't work. How do you bring in a more balanced approach to nutrition that leads to those sustainable health improvements?

Meggie:

Well, I really do a lot of education around kind of the root causes of PCOS in the sense of the drivers of the symptoms because they don't

Tricia:

know the exact cause of PCOS, but we have some ideas. But we know

Meggie:

that certain that cause a PCOS, but we have some ideas. But we know that certain symptoms are associated with maybe, like, insulin resistance or inflammation or gut health. So we I do a lot of education around that and then, you know, show them that their symptoms are linked to that. So if they want to improve their symptoms, Then we need to make adjustments to the diet. Less anti or,

Tricia:

like, kind of anti inflammatory foods, if you will.

Meggie:

Yeah. Like, anti inflammatory foods, or we need to balance Blood sugar is a little bit better, so we're not getting, spikes in insulin and then having that weight gain or trouble losing weight or having skin tags or things like that. Because once we get the insulin levels and balance, then it won't trigger more testosterone to be Made by the body, and then you won't have all the symptoms associated with high testosterone. Okay. So it's kinda like a little, like, a little vicious cycle that happens with PCOS. So I do a lot of education about, like, what foods will help improve those root causes, and then work on how we can incorporate that into their to their life. I mean, it's when you look at, like, what a PCOS diet, it's really like a Mediterranean diet, DASH diet, low glycemic index diet. It's kinda like a mix all that.

Meggie:

K. Okay. We focus a lot on, like, fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean meats, seeds, nuts, colorful fruits and vegetables, herbs, and spices. We're really looking at adding a lot of fiber and a lot of antioxidants, omega threes, like healthy fats, and protein to help balance those blood sugars.

Tricia:

So I would assume then you're really talking about the combination of those foods. You know, if you're gonna eat something sugary, then, you know, maybe have a protein, or something with will it to balance out those blood sugar levels? So really kind of combining those things.

Meggie:

Yep. We look at combining the food. So when you're looking to manage blood sugars, whether you have insulin resistance, PCOS, diabetes, whatever, or just general health, you always, I always tell my clients, like, at least combined a high glycemic index carb or, like, a really sugary food or carb with a protein, and a healthy fat. And that slows down that digestion of the carbohydrate in your body so it doesn't spike your blood sugar, so then you don't have a really big insulin response It's afterwards. Okay. It also helps keep you full and satisfied longer, eating you know? Like, I don't know. I always joke, like, a bowl of cereal is like an appetizer for breakfast. Yeah.

Meggie:

Eat a bowl of cereal, and you're, like, hungry an hour later because there's really not a lot. It depends on what cereal happening. I mean but Most people you know, if you're gonna eat a high sugar cereal, it's not gonna be really filling or satisfying for a long time. So we need to add an extra fiber and Protein and fat to balance that meal out. So then that you can, you know, go every 3 to 5 hours having a meal or a snack, and then you don't have those carbohydrate cravings that are with PCOS and low blood sugar. So, basically, yeah, we talk about a lot about combination of foods and how to incorporate their favorite foods into their life. Because if you told me I could never have another cookie, I would be very I wouldn't listen to you. No.

Tricia:

No. Because then you're right back in the I mean, the the quickest way to get me to want something is to tell me I can't have it. Right?

Meggie:

We're just wired that way. Yeah. I always tell my clients it's you go restrict, restrict, binge, like, no matter what. So you tell yourself to have a cookie, you're gonna think, oh, I really want that cookie. I really want that cookie. I really want that cookie. And then you're gonna end up eating, Like, healthy things around your house, like dessert. I'm using air quotes of, like, 8 healthy foods.

Meggie:

I call them dietitian dessert recipes because they're generally not that satisfying, and you

Tricia:

need to be an example of 1.

Meggie:

Like, a black bean brownie or something. Like, I used to make these Black bean brownies in college all the time, and I would end up eating the whole pan because it wasn't satisfying. It wasn't giving me that that that pleasure from the sugar and the yummy fats. And I ate the whole pan, which ends up needing more calories than if I just ate 1 brownie that had regular sugar, or regular butter, like, things like that.

Meggie:

Yeah.

Meggie:

So when you restrict and you try to fill in with things that are not as satisfying to you. It doesn't really, I think, do you a lot of good.

Tricia:

And that's kind of, like, 100% agree. Like, just give me the freaking brownie already. I won't eat Four of them, but, like, give me one really good brownie. Exactly. I can move on.

Meggie:

Exactly. Eat it. Enjoy it. Enjoy that and move on. I teach a lot of my clients. Like, we use principles from intuitive eating. I don't know if you've, heard of that, those principles, and then mindful eating Because we wanna enjoy the food we're eating, but I want them to do it intentionally. Like, enjoy the brownie and savor it and realize that it's delicious and then move on.

Meggie:

But if your blood sugars are out of control and you're having cravings throughout the day and you're not you don't really you're not intentionally in choosing to enjoy that brownie, but you're stopping at Chick Fil A and getting a milkshake and a brownie because you're exhausted and you need energy. Like, you're not really making that Choice intentionally and enjoying it, if that makes sense. Right.

Tricia:

No. That totally makes sense. And when you can eat with all of your senses and really be what you wanna call it, mindful eating or intuitive. Like, using all your senses and really being present in that process, you you're really I was amazed as a chronic yoyo dieter my entire life. Amazed at, yes, how much how much faster you get full or satiated. Right? Because You're kind of absorbing all of the experience, and I find that, you know, you don't eat as much at that. I guess maybe it's not full faster, but you don't end up not eating as much than if you're just, like, shoveling it in because you're in a hurry. Right? That really slowing down, it it makes a huge difference.

Tricia:

Yeah. It also really helps you appreciate the food and where it came from and the processes it's been through.

Meggie:

Yes. Definitely. Yeah. Because I think in a lot of times, we just eat food, and we don't realize, like, what exactly are we eating or where it came from, and we don't appreciate it at every step. Like, I don't think we're appreciating, like, beautiful tomatoes in the summer or strawberries. I live in Florida, so our strawberry season is, like, February, January, February. So But, well, like, when I get one of those beautiful strawberries, it's like, oh my god. These are so good.

Meggie:

I just bought plums the other day, and I was like, oh my god. When was the last time I had plums? Like, I was so excited about the seasonal fruit that I don't put soy all the time, and it was something special.

Meggie:

But

Tricia:

yeah. Many people don't realize the benefits of eating in season. And that those foods, though, that produce is at the highest of its nutritional peak at that point. Right? Not to mention, it's There's a plethora of it, and so it's it saves you money. The flavor's better. The nutritional valve the nut you know, packs more of a punch, if you will. And so I do I've done 2 of them. So this is the 1st season of the podcast, but I've done 1 on summer produce and 1 on fall flavors.

Tricia:

And I just really love bringing those ideas to the forefront to say, don't forget, like, this is the season. Like, go enjoy Joy all of those things, and here are different ways that you can combine them with other foods and flavors to really saver the season, if you will. And so I I love that because they taste so much better. Like, the strawberries are just juicier and sweeter and So much better than Yeah. When you buy them out of season, you're like, wow. That just tastes bland.

Meggie:

Right? You can get strawberries

Tricia:

year round, but there's just nothing special.

Meggie:

Yes. Yeah. I agree. And it I think it's it's slowing down and appreciating it and realizing because I think so much we just we just add, like, oh, add sugar to the strawberries or something like that to make them is better, but I love that you do that because I love celebrating seasons even though we don't have them here in Florida. But it's like The produce and the flavors can help you celebrate just like if you were to celebrate, like, different holidays and decorations and things like that. It's like, Oh, summer corn season. Like, you know, I love fresh corn and, like, watermelon here because we we have watermelon farm down the street from my house, but I'm like, oh, I can't eat this watermelon, and now this watermelon doesn't taste like anything. Right.

Meggie:

It it it's true. They are so much more flavorful and nutritionist.

Tricia:

Yes. You'll have to check out episode 5 is summer flavors. And when did we do fall flavors? Not I mean, it was just recently. Why can't I find it? That was kneelers ball. I'm definitely checking that out. Episode 14. Yeah. 5 and 14.

Tricia:

And there's a ton of recipes, and there's a link to, like, an ebook in the show notes for both of those episodes. One of my favorites. And we'll talk some of the food, and then we'll get into your upcoming challenge that you wanna talk about. But one of my favorite recipes in there was a fried goat cheese over salad with some grilled peaches. Like, just

Meggie:

That sounds amazing.

Tricia:

So good. And if you've never grilled peaches, like, you just have to.

Meggie:

Mhmm. Yeah. I think it totally game changes the peach or pineapple or things like that. Yeah. Yeah.

Tricia:

Yeah. Yeah. It really doesn't. And grilled pineapple with a little bit of Shredded coconut could be an amazing dessert, especially with a little splash of rum on it, but it's still healthy Delicious. And delicious. Right? Little brown sugar on that pineapple, grill it, top it with that coconut, and a little splash of rum. Oh, so good. Yeah.

Meggie:

A little frozen yogurt or ice Cream or

Tricia:

Yeah. Yeah. That'll be delicious.

Meggie:

Yum. Whenever I grill, I always make sure I have fruit to grill too because it just transforms it, and it just It's something special. So it's like, if you're gonna fire up the grill, you might as well just grill a whole bunch of stuff.

Tricia:

I know I know we're in fall now, but all of a sudden, I'm like, oh, yeah. And then there's grilling watermelon And there's

Meggie:

That's okay because my grilling season's finally starting because it's been so hot that I don't grill in the summer because it's don't wanna be outside. Yeah. I've I'm, like, grilling in January here.

Tricia:

Oh, yeah. The grilled watermelon with the feta on top and balsamic vinegar. See, I can Gets a little excited. So what's your favorite? So we've talked a lot about the nutrition side. So let's talk about the fun side of food for a minute as we have been about produce, but, like, What are some of your very favorite things to cook that maybe one of your clients could expect to see, you know, them starting to work into their schedule lifestyle cooking Yeah. Habits. Oh, man. For me this morning.

Meggie:

No. It's okay. I love to cook, so I love to experiment, and I love to, like, challenge myself while I look in the fridge and be like, oh, what can I create? But I've realized that not everybody loves that,

Meggie:

and not everybody loves cooking.

Meggie:

So clients, like, kinda, like, tailor their recipes and guidance depending on, like, their level of comfort. Mhmm. But things that I'm always cooking that I love to cook Is I love whole grains. Like, I love, like, farro. I love barley. I just love, like, the chew of it. Makes a fabulous furoto, the risotto made with

Tricia:

far with farro is so good. Yes.

Meggie:

I have a cooking course, and I have a mushroom furoto, Like a,

Meggie:

baro

Meggie:

risotto recipe in there. So I love whole grains. I love that you can add them to soups and salads. I do a lot of, like, Roasted vegetables and, like, grains. So my go to is always, like, some roasted vegetables, some whole grains, Usually some feta and then some, like, freshness with, like, herbs or scallions and things like that. Those are my kinda that's, like, my quick go to salad. I do love, like, a chickpea salad. That's pretty common to be, like, a lunch.

Meggie:

Cucumbers, tomatoes, chickpeas, feta, and then you can add a protein more protein if you want. I love doing I love making, like, quick pasta dishes because I have a a 3 year old, so my style of cooking has changed.

Meggie:

You know?

Meggie:

Because before I had a kid, I would make all these elaborate meals, and all my side dishes would pair perfectly with my entree. I was crazy. Now I'm like, okay. What would I make in 15 minutes?

Meggie:

Uh-huh. Yeah.

Meggie:

So I do a lot of sheet pan meals, and I do a lot of, like, pasta, and added a lot of veggies and proteins to that because it's like a way to I think of pasta as like a way to deliver more nutrition. Yeah. I make a lot of energy bites My daughter loves them. She'll take, like, oats and flaxseeds, hemp seeds, chocolate chips, peanut butter, maple syrup, cinnamon, and we just, like, mix them up I make little balls.

Tricia:

Oh, maybe you could give us, a few recipes for the show note, like for those energy bites. You know? I I have so many clients and people that are just looking for time saving recipes. Right? Now I'm gonna caveat that with, I can give you all the time saving recipes in the world. Are you gonna change the behavior about how you plan to cook them and incorporate it into your life. Right? I mean, nobody ever cooked more or saved time because they had 100 more recipes. So at the crux of it, something deeper. Like, if you're not getting to that and you're still not enjoying cooking or not feeling like you can take that step forward, There's something else deeper there. Right?

Meggie:

Yeah. I agree because I'll have clients that are like, well, I don't wanna cook and I don't wanna eat vegetables, But I want to improve my PCOS. I'm like, okay. Well, when it comes to you know, we have the choices of things. It's like either we have invest time, money. I don't know. It's like one other thing. Yes.

Meggie:

With with nutrition, unless you have someone creating all your food or eating. You you have to you have to invest some kind of time into it if you want the outcome. So that's where I I use, like, motivational interviews because then it'd be like, well, what's your main goal? And it we kinda get down to what that is, and then we kinda backtrack and add The behavior is around that.

Tricia:

Mhmm.

Meggie:

Because if you want to prepare meals for your family, that you're sourcing the ingredients, you know what's in the food, you're taking the time to enjoy, we have to invest some of that time in there. If we want to make sure we're preventing afternoon crashes, you know, and low energy slumps, But you don't take the time to plan and prep for that at one point. Like, you're gonna have to be prepared to purchase expensive snacks, and things like that. Yeah. So if you don't have that income and who wants to spend, like, the pot I have individually packaged bars are, like, 3 or $4 each. We do have to spend time in the beginning of the week sometimes prepping up a little bit of things. But the energy bites, I love them because they're you can freeze them. So I usually scale the recipe to, like, 2 or 3, and then I make them I mean, my daughter helps me.

Meggie:

She's 3. And then we put them in the freezer, and then we always I can pull out 1 or 2. I keep them in my bag. So when I my emergency snacks, I call them

Tricia:

The mom bag?

Meggie:

Yes. But, yeah, In

Meggie:

time saving recipes, I mean, I think of it as, like, what do you wanna spend your most time with when you're cooking? So sometimes you could do, like, easy 15 minute meals Or is time saving to you? Things that you stock up and put in your freezer Mhmm.

Meggie:

So you can just pull, or do

Meggie:

you wanna cook, like, once a week and then have meals for the whole week? Yeah. And in my programs, we also talk

Tricia:

a lot about, like, I love sheet pan meals. Right? Other people love cooking with the slow cooker or the Instant Pot. I do think there's an element of experimentation to find out. Like, a lot of people say, I just hate cooking. Well, there's a reason that you hate cooking. And so What have you tried that didn't work, right, that you didn't like? And then what is it that you really don't like about it? And so we'll go through sheet pan meals. Maybe it's a slow cooker. Maybe it's figuring out freezer meals or meal prep.

Tricia:

It's really about figuring out, like, oh, wait. I again, it goes to that building that confidence of Mhmm. You probably don't like slow cooker meals because for whatever reason, they didn't taste good to you, and so then you don't wanna cook them. And they're so often that, like, that's the time saving option that's toted so much, right, is the slow cooker.

Meggie:

Yeah. And But I never have time in the morning to put that together.

Tricia:

So no. That's where freezer meals come in.

Meggie:

Right? I

Tricia:

mean, I would rather do a freezer meal and an Instant Pot any day over the slow cooker.

Meggie:

Yeah.

Tricia:

But I think that there are different styles that You just have to figure out what really feels good to you and feels comfortable and then lean into that, right, to build that confidence. And so to say that I think anybody can actually enjoy cooking or enjoy something about cooking. Right? It's just finding it. And and, like you said, being willing to put in the time, but then there's also recognizing that there is a level of acceptance of failure, that they're not all gonna be winners, and that's okay. It doesn't mean you're a shitty cook. It just means that maybe it was a bad recipe.

Meggie:

Yeah. Exactly. We put so much that's so interesting because we put so much emphasis on, like, my god. I'm a horrible cook. It's like maybe you're just choosing bad recipes. Like, if I don't know. If you're going to Pinterest and you're looking for recipes, like, that's probably the problem.

Tricia:

But they're not created equal.

Meggie:

Yeah. They're like, how do you why how are you why is everything you make so good? I'm like, I go to really good sources for recipes.

Tricia:

Well, that and then I've been cooking long enough that I know how to take a recipe. And if I don't love the flavor profile of it, I know how to change it up so that I do. It doesn't mean that it was a a waste. Right? Yeah. And so I work a lot with my clients too on okay. So Take this recipe. Cook it the way it is. Now cook it again and change out 1 ingredient.

Tricia:

See if that makes it better. Right? Like, maybe you think it's like It goes back to I like I use quite a bit of salt in my food because Yeah. Salt makes things taste better.

Meggie:

Everything taste better. But there's some

Tricia:

people that don't like a lot of salt. Right? And so, again, it's you have to get comfortable being I think to lean into the joy of cooking, you have to be comfortable making both adjustments and playing with it. But it took me a long time to get to that space where I was willing to accept failure as an option. Yeah. Right? And so I cook something different every night of the week. Like, I don't I don't think I ever for the 1st 10 or 15 years I cooked, I don't think I ever cooked the same recipe twice. Oh Oh my god. Because I was

Meggie:

That's literally me. Like, I would tell people. I'm like, why would you wait cook the same thing twice when you have new flavors that you could just

Tricia:

feel like try the next night? Right. Well, because I worked all day, and I now I have a 3 year old. And you know what? Like, tacos sound really good and really easy right now. But it's amazing how long it took me to get to the point where I'm like, okay. I can have tacos once a week. Mhmm. Or whatever the I can't you know, I get bored really easy with food, but so I'm not great at leftovers. I have to repurpose them into something else or they won't get eaten.

Meggie:

And that's great too. That's a great strategy too for, like, meal planning and prepping too for people that don't wanna cook every day. Time constraints or something like that is to cook, Like a meat that then you could use in a variety of ways.

Tricia:

Mhmm. Absolutely. Okay. So you mentioned that you have a 5 day challenge from chaos to calm. Another fellow fan of alliteration I see.

Meggie:

I saw what you think to Yeah.

Tricia:

So tell us more about your challenge and how people can participate.

Meggie:

Yeah. It's called from chaos to calm. That's a 5 day PCS meal challenge. It's 5 days of emails. It's a email challenge that you can start at any time, but it does had spread over, like, 10 days. So you can head over to my website, and I'll give the information in the show notes. It's be balanced nutrition r d. You can sign up there.

Meggie:

But it's Every day, it's like a new topic that's talking about, like, meal planning and meal prepping and, like, one of those barriers that we have.

Meggie:

Mhmm.

Meggie:

Because we have all these different barriers to the habits of what we want to achieve. So, like, let's say we wanna, you know, increase the vegetables that we're consuming or we want to increase the Type of proteins or have certain proteins or more plant based proteins or whatever it is. So each day talks about a different strategy when it comes to meal planning and meal prepping, And then you get 3 recipes and video recipes as well as the PDF. So you'll get the information one day, and then I'll give you a couple days to, like, go out and buy the ingredients and apply it. It's definitely like an actionable challenge.

Tricia:

Mhmm.

Meggie:

And then you'll get another email with some more recipes to try out with another topic. And then that way, at the end, You'll have a collection of recipes, things that you've tried. And like you had said before, we have to start trying new recipes and getting them into our repertoire, and then you can adjust After you feel comfortable because you wanna be able to have some, like, recipes in your back pocket that you know that you can kinda go to, especially if you don't feel comfortable in the kitchen or confident you You don't like meal planning. We need to get comfortable with sir some recipes so you can easily, you know, make a dinner that night, basically.

Tricia:

I love it. I might have to steal that idea shamelessly.

Meggie:

No. Yeah. It's good.

Tricia:

I love that idea. Yeah. You know, I haven't thought about trying to deliver something, like, via email, And that sounds like an awesome challenge, and I think breaking it down in actionable steps that one in every day is so much more approachable. You know, I've done some challenges in the Facebook group that I ran for a while, and I love challenges.

Meggie:

Mhmm.

Tricia:

But To get people to show up every day is you know, that can be difficult because all of our lives are busy. Yes. And we forget about it or whatever. And so So an email is really on their time. There's no place they have to go. It just it's just there, and that makes it really, really easy and accessible. So So

Meggie:

if it takes you

Meggie:

5 months to completely challenge, that's okay. Right. At least you're trying the, you know, you're trying the recipes, and it gives you A bunch of options. You're always gonna have, like, a couple recipes you can choose. And then there are a couple days where we talk about, like, culinary skills. So there's, like, knife skills, videos in there as well, like, how to because, like, the people don't realize, like, how to cut a bell pepper or how to cut an onion, and that might be one of the barriers that they have, to cooking because sometimes the knife is scary.

Tricia:

So Well, it is. And sometimes recipes just have words that are not They don't sound like they're from the English language, or they're like, I don't even know. What what does that mean? Like, what is a julienne? I'm like, think matchsticks. Right? So, like, there are, like There's even, I think, a a lesson to be had in how to read recipes so that you know what you're getting into. Right? And I

Meggie:

yeah. Like, yes, reading the recipe, reading how to prepare the ingredients because they always change, like, you know, whether it's 1 cup of Chopped onion or 1 onion chopped. You know, like, what the measurement of it that is. Yeah. And that's why I like the video component so they can watch All the recipes being made. Mhmm. Because sometimes a a food might seem really complicated or scary when you look at it. And then when you watch the recipe, you're like, oh, I That's not that hard at all.

Meggie:

You know? Like, making a dressing, that's one that's one of the things I love making is dressings too. But making a dressing can be super simple. So it depends on what kind of learner that you are. You know?

Tricia:

Yeah. Yeah. It's I have loved talking food with you, and It's so fun to meet and connect with people who are doing things along the same lines, but with a different perspective. I think we can, you know, learn from each other, and it's just great to know that, you know, women out there have a plethora of resources depending on, You know, who speaks to you? Who do you feel the most comfortable with, and what are the challenges you're trying to overcome? And so the more resources we can get in the hands of Women to get them confident more confident in the kitchen, whatever that looks like, the better. Right?

Meggie:

That's awesome. Yes. Exactly it.

Tricia:

So, are there any other resources, that you offer that could be beneficial for our community that you wanna share before we sign off? Or Yeah. Anything else you want to cover? On

Meggie:

my website, be balanced nutrition r d, I have a blog where I give lots of freebies away. So I have meal plans, like a 7 day PCS meal plan, anti inflammatory meal plan, grocery list, breakfast list. I just a bunch of ideas and recipes on there. How about with the meal plans? They're just a guide. It's just to kinda get you an idea from the conversation you might realize, like, I'm not a dietitian. It's like, oh, here's a meal plan. Follow it, and that's what you need to do. But Sometimes people need a guidance, and then there are recipes that you can utilize.

Meggie:

And you could also sign up for the free challenge, and I am on Instagram. I do do cooking demos quite often. So I'm at your.pcus.dietitian. And then I in the next few months, I'm releasing a new membership. It's still in the works, but it's the PCOS meal prep membership. So it's really designed to help you get those PCOS friendly meals on the table without all the stress associated with it because it is very stressful. So if you sign up for my newsletter or the course, you'll get information as it kind of rolls out.

Tricia:

It's just so funny because I just launched a membership called the Cook, Connect, and Conquer Club, and it's all about coming together and doing a cook along and preparing a meal together and then having discussions about food. So, like, somehow, it's like we're sharing a brain wave or something.

Meggie:

We offer those same things like you said about, like,

Meggie:

you know, Eat a meal twice. Like, I could go

Meggie:

ask my husband. I said the same thing. Yeah.

Tricia:

Well Yeah. Well, the last thing I'm gonna say about that, because we've talked about meal plans a lot, is, you know, There's nothing wrong with a Done For You meal plan. But, again, it is a guide. So take it. Follow it. And if you're finding that it's hard to follow and you're still not getting the results that you want, that's really when you need to reach out to Maggie or I for assistance and check out our services. Because If the meal plan and the recipe resources that you have aren't doing the trick, I bet one of us has something that will help you. So don't hesitate to reach out in the comments on our social media pages.

Tricia:

We're here to help. So, Maggie, thank you so much. We are definitely gonna stay in touch. And Yes. Thank you so much. A great rest of your day. Listeners, I will see you or talk to you on the next episode.