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

by Melissa Groves Azzaro

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a metabolic disorder that is common among women of reproductive age. Diet and lifestyle changes have been shown to balance hormones and promote better overall health. Although dietary changes have been proven to be effective, they can often seem too restrictive, resulting in women finding it difficult to sustain the diet or finding their health further diminished because their diet falls out of balance, and cutting out certain foods or food groups has caused them to become deficient in key nutrients.

In her new book, A Balanced Approach to PCOS , Melissa Groves Azzaro, RDN, LD, an award-winning integrative registered dietitian, offers women a new approach to treating PCOS that is sustainable, all-inclusive, and provides proven results. Melissa’s approach is straightforward and sensible—perfectly balanced, nutrient-dense meals that are designed to address the root causes of PCOS. Each meal features a perfect ratio of protein, fat, and fiber that will help improve symptoms without feelings of deprivation. Melissa’s recipes are customizable and target the primary factors contributing to PCOS: insulin resistance, inflammation, and hormone and gut imbalances.

A Balanced Approach to PCOS includes:
• A guide to identifying and understanding the symptoms of PCOS
• An explanation of each food group and how it helps alleviate the symptoms of PCOS
• 16 weeks of meal prep recipes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner for busy women
• Bonus smoothie, snack, and dessert recipes
• Time-saving tips, shopping lists, and more!

Melissa is for all women looking for a long-term plan to manage PCOS. She is a thought-leader and nutrition expert who has already helped hundreds of women improve their symptoms without spending hours in the kitchen or sacrificing the foods they love.

Genres: Health, Cookbooks, Cooking

304 pages, Paperback

Published August 25, 2020

About the author

Melissa Groves Azzaro, RDN, LD, known as The Hormone Dietitian, is an award-winning integrative registered dietitian and owner of Avocado Grove Nutrition & Wellness, an in-person and virtual private practice specializing in women's health and hormone issues, including PCOS and fertility. She uses a functional medicine, food-first approach that combines holistic lifestyle changes with evidence-based medicine.

Melissa is a second-career dietitian, having worked as a copywriter and editor in medical advertising in NYC for 15 years before going back to school for nutrition. She has a BA in English and Dance from Hofstra University and completed her BS in Nutrition/Dietetics and Dietetic Internship at the University of New Hampshire.

She is a regular contributor to online magazines and food and nutrition blogs. She serves on the Dietitians in Integrative and Functional Medicine board as Social Media Chair and Incoming Chair-Elect (2020-2021) and on the New Hampshire state board as Professional Development Chair (2018-2020). She is the recipient of the 2019 Emerging Professional in Women's Health Award and a recipient of a 2019 UpwaRD™ award given to up-and-coming dietitians in communications.

She can be found on Instagram @the.hormone.dietitian.

Reviews

[Sav · Rating 4 out of 5]

navigating this new diagnosis has been really tricky for me so I appreciated how simply everything was broken down here!! I also like the diversity in recipes

[Marcy Jynx · Rating 4 out of 5]

I definitely recommend this for folks who have PCOS for a few reasons:

1. The overall advice and guidance provided is attainable and reasonable. Unlike other dietary books aimed at PCOS, this one does not suggest extreme exclusions/lifestyle changes (i.e., fasting and Keto) but rather promotes moderation.

2. The recipes are organized in such a thoughtful way. The recipes are organized by week (focusing on a particular set of ingredients for the week), and by season. I appreciate the author's effort to provide a shopping list and also food prep tips to help you with the week ahead.

3. The author took into consideration the affordability of her recipes. By organizing the recipes into seasons, she attempted to include ingredients that would be in season and, therefore, less expensive. Again, so thoughtful!

4. She recognized that some folks may have specific dietary needs. For example, she acknowledged that some folks who exercise a lot may need more carbs, so she always included a note on how to increase the carb load in any meal. Again, this is not something you always see in PCOS-related material.

[Lizzy · Rating 5 out of 5]

These recipes are easy, healthy and delicious. This is the first recipe book that suits all of my needs. 1- PCOS friendly. 2- Assistance with meal prep. 3- recipes are easy to follow and not complicated. 4- The recipes that I have tried are delicious and this inspires me to stick with a healthy lifestyle. The cook book takes a balanced approach to PCOS and doesn’t omit any food groups. However, it does give options for reducing or increasing certain ingredients like dairy or carbs. It’s flexible, and I greatly appreciate that.