If watching contestants make decadent chocolate layer cake, violet macaroons or Croquembouche has inspired the Masterchef in you, add Sugar Artist to you repertoire with Couture Cake Classes.

Started by three passionate sugar artists – Sharon Wee, Louise Vansleve and Lilia Yap – Couture Cake Classes shows eager students how to create edible art that is almost too delightful to eat – but not quite!

See these three sweet artists create spectacular cakes at Masterchef Live at the Hordern Pavilion and Royal Hall of Industries, Moore Park, on 10-12 December. Couture Cake Classes will launch its new children’s classes at this event.

Couture Cake Classes currently runs cake and cupcake decorating classes in Sydney CBD and Wollongong, which make fantastic girl’s days out, hen’s days, corporate events and parties. Private classes can also be arranged.

The three talented women behind Couture Cake Classes pooled their skills to offer students the opportunity to learn from each of them, as well as running their own cake businesses – Sharon Wee Creations (Sharon), Cupcakes for Poppy (Louise) and My Sweethearts Bakery (Lilia).

“We are all very passionate about sharing our skills with others and get such a thrill when we see students’ delight at what they have created themselves. We each have a different style so students get the benefit of this combined knowledge,” Louise explained.

“Our classes are a fun way for women to spend some time with girlfriends and they are becoming really popular with hen’s groups.

“Each class is deliberately kept small so each student receives the attention they need, and this way we can cater for all skill levels,” she added.

Cake and Specialty classes start from $220 per person and Cupcake classes from $170. Tools and materials, including cakes and cupcakes, are included for each class, so students only need to bring themselves and their imaginations.

For more information visit www.couturecakeclasses.com.au.

I also had to throw in some information about going green, considering how many of us are thinking of eco-friendly alternatives.

I hope you enjoy the article and welcome your comments.

Read the article here (PDF format)

Media Release: For You My Queen

Valentine’s Day calls for romance on a grand scale and online boutique For you my Queen provides all you need for a truly seductive encounter.

Win a Cheeky Queen Valentine Gift Set by logging on to www.foryoumyqueen.com.au and signing up to the VIP Club to receive regular email updates exclusive offers. The Cheeky Queen Valentine Gift Set contains everything you need to seduce her on Valentine’s Day: silk strawberry cuffs, sexy blindfold, sterling silver and jade bracelet, make-up compact, bottle of Moet Chandon and a box of decadent Lindt chocolate.

Girls, your partner might need a gentle prod to encourage him to buy you something sexy for Valentine’s Day so tell him what he could win and you’ll get your way.

For you my Queen owner Angie Wood said the Australian boutique website launched just before Christmas and she had a special Valentine’s Day planned for online customers.

“We have added some exciting new bracelets to our jewellery range, just for Valentine’s Day. We know our customers will think these bracelets are perfect for giving… or to keep for themselves,” Ms Wood said.

“Valentine’s Day is an important day for us because our hand-made lingerie pieces and accessories make exceptionally personal gifts that we know will make every woman feel special when wearing them.

“We believe how lingerie feels next to the skin is just as important as how it looks, so we have gone to great lengths to source beautiful pieces hand-made from silk, French lace, satin and sheer fabrics. Valentine’s Day is the perfect opportunity for guys to make their partner feel beautiful with a unique gift from our selection.

“Our lingerie, jewellery, fascinators, make-up compacts and memo books have been individually crafted by Australian and UK designers. One of our brands – The Courtesan Collection – is a silk lingerie seduction apparel line that is only available in Australia at www.foryoumyqueen.com.au,’’ she said.

For you my Queen knows fashionable girls also need beautiful accessories to complete their outfits. With this in mind, Ms Wood has scoured the globe to find eye-catching fascinators encrusted with Swarovski crystals for racing carnivals or spring weddings, handcrafted jewellery to complete any outfit and hand designed make-up compacts and memo pads.

For you my Queen has a comprehensive FAQs section, as well as delivery and sizing information. Keep up-to-date with the latest collections and news via the For you my Queen blog and user polls to contribute feedback.

Visit www.foryoumyqueen.com.au to see the full collection.

Feature Article: Published in PANPA Bulletin

With daily newspapers the world over suffering circulation decreases, publishers have become savvier in a bid to attract the elusive market of young adult professionals. A host of free (or ‘lite’) stand-alone dailies or brand-extending versions of the existing product have been launched to reach the 30-something professionals of the planet. The gamble has paid off handsomely for many, providing an additional revenue source through new advertisers for their businesses.

The revolution started with the launch of Metro in Stockholm in 1995 and there is now a Metro newspaper almost every major city in the world. Metro International publishes 59 editions in 83 cities including New York, Hong Kong, Paris, St Petersburg, Prague and Santiago. There is also a Metro distributed in London and other major UK cities, but it is published by Associated Newspapers.

Australia’s Own Niche Freebies

Full-colour lifestyle publication mX was launched in Melbourne five years ago and eight months ago in Sydney. It is based on the successful model of the free daily metropolitan newspapers around the world, like Metro. Published by News Limited, mX covers important issues to both citys’ populations in a “concise, upbeat, funky, intelligent and sexy way,” said mX Melbourne editor Toni Hetherington. It has a circulation of 92,000 in each city and reaches at least 240,000 people in Sydney and Melbourne each day, Ms Hetherington said.

“mX follows on from commuter newspapers around the world and in Australia mX is unique.

“We rely solely on advertising as income, which is always difficult to live by in the newspaper world.

“We target a unique audience – our content focuses on 18-35 year-olds. This, and full colour, sets us apart. Advertisers recognise this and fully support the product.

“Advertising has never been better in Melbourne but there is always a fine balance to consider and you have to be mindful of costs. We have to create opportunities without compromising our readership,” she said.

mX is designed to be snappy and concise so readers can get through all the sections they love by the time they get to their stop.

“People commute so it’s easier to read [a paper like mX] in that environment. They can get through the lot by their station,” Ms Hetherington said.

Throughout Melbourne and Sydney mX is distributed by samplers who hand out the papers to commuters and via boxes, fixed in Melbourne and portable in Sydney, that are positioned at key points throughout the cities.

While many publishers were scared off free products thinking they may affect the paid publications, News Limited didn’t baulk at the prospect. When mX launched in Melbourne it had the support of News Limited, and still does, Ms Hetherington said.

“They made a full commitment to back and run mX and they are still tremendously supportive of it, especially now it is in Sydney,” she said.

“We have received additional backing in terms of advertising. mX hasn’t cannibalised the Herald Sun’s circulation at all. In fact it’s gone up. Maybe more people are enjoying reading newspapers now and are picking up the Herald Sun as a result.”

The objectives behind mX are to inform and entertain commuters and hold them on the way home from work.

“We keep them informed of the breaking news since they went to work that morning,” Ms Hetherington said.

“Our aim is to continue giving to readers a paper to use in everyday life, to help them utilise their city better and know what goes on in it.

“From news, sport and business through to features focusing on health needs, entertainment, gossip, travel and the latest in IT, mX is designed for getting the most out of life,” she said.

mX is targeted at an audience of highly influential and affluent young people who are time-starved and getting harder and harder to reach using traditional media. While the mX reader is primarily 18-35 years, the papers are also popular with readers aged between 12 and 80 years.

“We aim at the 18-35 demographic but think the others read mX because is keeps them young or makes them feel older because they are reading the same paper as a 20-year-old,” Ms Hetherington said.

“We are mindful of this when putting content in the paper.”

The typical mX reader enjoys life and is success driven. Their interests include bars/clubs, dining in restaurants/cafes, shopping or travelling and new experiences making their attention very difficult to catch. 

“mX has the mix just right, proving itself as the clear leader in its field in both content and popularity,” Ms Hetherington said.

“We will continue to bring readers more of the innovations that have become synonymous with mX.”

Metro Sets the Tone

Metro International has adapted its formula to suit different cultures and now has more than 15 million readers around the world, including a combined circulation of 5.1m in Europe. Metro targets young urban professionals that advertisers want and so has seen its revenues soar from A$13.2m in 1995 to $414m last year.

Metro has a standardised editorial style and design in all countries, ensuring each publication is homogenous for the advertisers’ benefit. Once distributed via public transport, Metros are now found where commuters are, such shopping centres, offices, universities, libraries and coffee shops. Distribution is modified to suit each market. There are 7m copies printed each night at 53 plants and then delivered by 500 trucks to 3200 hand distributors and 22,000 racks. Metro International managing director Pelle Tornberg describes his publications as “glocal”.

“Metro has the same editorial line, layout, template [around the world], but every Metro is perceived as being a local newspaper,” Mr Tornberg said.

Metro banks on the notion that news is free, like the Internet. Mr Tornberg believes paid-for newspapers will survive if they become niche publications with higher cover prices and accept smaller circulations. He predicted that while paid-for papers provided unrivalled opinion, comment and analysis, a time could come when readers picked up free papers during the week and only paid for a paper at the weekend.

After conquering most of Europe, Metro International has set its sights on the tough market of Germany, as well as China and more cities in Russia the US and South America. The company has ruled out Singapore and Australia as potential markets because of their restrictive foreign media ownership laws and the competitive markets.

Metro International expects profit in each market it enters within three years and in markets where it has been established for longer, the papers typically have a 22 per cent revenue growth and 10 per cent profit growth. The company is also looking at additional revenue streams, such as real estate and car supplements, and increasing its online presence.

When the Only Option is Going Free

After experiencing a 21 per cent drop in circulation one of London’s oldest paid-for titles, The Bromley Times, converted to a free publication. The Bromley Times’, which is published by Archant London, circulation was down to 2466, but the paper will now go out to 80,000 homes. It had an upmarket relaunch and will still be available as a paid-for paper priced at 50p. As a result of the conversion The Bromley Times replaced the existing free paper in the area, The Bromley Express.

As part of the relaunch the paper is now more issues-led with expanded news, business and travel in the city sections for commuters, as well as sports covering local teams and top London clubs. There are also more comment, opinions and letters pages.

Many paid London newspapers have had problems with circulation and Archant London managing director Enzo Testa’s plan is to turn some of the most problematic titles in to a mix of paid and free publications to reach a wider audience.

“We are not reaching the market and that’s why we’re doing what we’re doing. There’s no point in my guys doing a fantastic job and then a few thousand people buy the paper. That particular marketplace has changed and the existing titles are predominantly free,” Mr Testa said.

“This way we reach more people and saturate the Bromley market and also have it available for paid-for.”

The International Newspaper Marketing Association (INMA) has recognised the trend towards these new publications and published a report called “Free and ‘Lite’ Newspapers: The Answer For a New Generation?” It examines how these publications find their way into the lives of readers who often prefer the Internet to a newspaper, how they are distributed and how they are competing in the daily market.

INMA project manager James Khattak looks at more than 20 free and lite newspapers, explains their rationale, and focuses on what makes them unique in the report, which was released on February 14.

Case Study: Canberra’s CityNews

The free niche publication model has worked extremely well for Canberra’s weekly magazine CityNews. The free full-gloss news and lifestyle publication is now a joint venture between editor and former owner Michael Hawke and Macquarie Publishing chairman Ian Meikle, after Mr Hawke sold half his share in the business at the end of last year.

After looking at their product the pair decided to start the New Year with a fresh vision for the publication and increased the circulation by 14 per cent to 40,000. Its readership stands at 100,000+, which is very loyal and has a very supportive and solid advertising base, Mr Hawke said. While many other paid publications are suffering declining circulation figures, including the Canberra Times which dropped by three per cent between June and December 2005, Mr Meikle said it made good business sense to increase CityNews’ numbers.

“We were sick of seeing empty baskets,” he said.

“We have a dual approach to delivery. Half of the magazines go to inner north and south suburbs via letterboxes and the other half are distributed in government offices, shopping centres and real estate agents.”

CityNews has been revamped and this is paying dividends.

“We came into the year with a fresh approach and were rewarded by a higher level of interest. We have made a more conscious approach to presenting a more aspirational view of life to target our principal readership – the female market,” Mr Meikle said.

“In Canberra a high percentage of the workforce is smart, switched-on women and men.

“The cover is more aspirational, with pointers and is livelier and our content is targeted to an audience a little more aspirational than before,” he said.

With distribution to the city’s 28 highest socio-economic suburbs and throughout the business hub, the publication’s readership certainly has the means to spend on more desirable products. According to CityNews’ own Media Buyer’s Guide “Canberrans are paid well in excess of the national average and spend well above the national average. Full-time adult average weekly ordinary time earnings in the ACT are $1194.10, which is 16.7 per cent higher than the national figure.”

CityNews holds a very enviable spot as a niche publication with little competition as it is Canberra’s only weekly publication in full-colour gloss. Mr Meikle, who used to be the managing director of the Canberra Times, said the Times was a newsprint publication where CityNews was printed on glossy stock.

“That differentiates us and allows us to target a market that other publishers can’t provide,” he said.

“We don’t have any direct competition but live in differentiated harmony with the Canberra Times.”

Mr Meikle said the reason CityNews has succeeded so well as a business model was because of it’s differentiated position in the marketplace.

“It has an intimacy with the city of Canberra and is the accepted brand in town,” he said.

“I used to run the Canberra Times and it’s a fun business to be in. I don’t have to worry so much about circulation.”

CityNews was established in 1994 and is an independent publication in a similar vein to Melbourne Weekly Magazine, The Melbourne Times and Sydney’s Courier publications. It is published on Thursdays and delivered on Thursdays and Fridays. CityNews covers major issues affecting Canberra’s population, interviews with local identities, business announcements, as well as dining, arts, entertainment, cultural events, book reviews, fashion, sport, employment and property. Its dedicated sections are: CityProperty, TheCanberraReview, CityMotoring, CityTravel and CityFeatures.

Australian Bureau of Statistics census data reported that CityNews‘ demographic circulation area comprised educated, professional and high-income people including senior public servants, managers, business people and the tertiary educated. Independent market research has shown CityNews has a 95 per cent awareness level among its target audience, of which 93 per cent are readers of the publication. Like many publishers, Macquarie Publishing is exploring new revenue streams and readers who live outside the CityNews delivery area can subscribe to the magazine for $96 for 12 months (48 editions).

Monthly gloss magazine Queensland Retiree is another from the Macquarie Publishing stable to receive the New Year makeover. Mr Meikle said the company mostly concentrated on niche publications in the ACT but was “always looking for new things” to widen its audience.

Feature Article: Published in Natural Parenting

“I suggest if you want to have children you do something about it before you turn 30, and you will probably need fertility treatment.”

I was 23 years old when my gynaecologist said this to me and eight years later the words still send a shiver down my spine. There was no way I wanted to even contemplate that option for at least five years, but that warning haunted me from that day onwards.

The reason I had been given this news is that I have Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS), which is an endocrinal (hormonal) imbalance that can influence fertility and affects between five and 10 per cent of women of child-bearing age. According to the Australia Bureau of Statistics, there were almost five million women of child-bearing age in Australia in 2003, meaning around 500,000 women could be affected by PCOS.

PCOS presented itself to me in the form of no periods for seven months and irregular periods when I was menstruating. I was also very overweight and fast-approaching obesity, had excess facial hair, lost half of my scalp hair and had a sharp, jabbing pain in the right side of my abdomen. I didn’t know exactly what I should be doing to fix the problem; I didn’t even know what the problem was. All I knew was that I hated the shape I was becoming, having to wax my face and neck every five weeks and the constant worry of when, or if, I was going to have a period again.

Some days the pain and fear of the unknown were so bad that I came home to a dark empty house, took some pain medication and hibernated on the lounge for hours.

I had been seeing doctors and a long list of specialists including several GPs, urologist, allergist and endocrinologist about the symptoms listed above since I was 18. By the time my periods stopped, I was 22 years old and sick and tired of the medical merry-go-round. I was desperate for an answer. My GP was constantly making me take pregnancy tests just in case that was the reason for my non-existent period.

After several months of this I was referred to a gynaecologist and the syndrome that had previously been mentioned by the endocrinologist in passing was confirmed.

Labelling My Problem

After enduring several ultrasounds, two laparoscopies and many blood tests my doctor said I had PCOS. She also told me both of my ovaries were covered in tiny cysts and resembled two pin cushions. Subsequent ultrasounds have shown the classic PCOS ‘ring of pearls’ cyst formation around my right ovary. This ovary was three times larger than my left and there was also a cyst on my right fallopian tube. My tubal cyst was unrelated to PCOS, but was the most likely cause of my abdominal pain.

Not ready to travel down the parenthood road, I began seeing a naturopath at The Jocelyn Centre in Sydney to see whether I could ‘fix’ some of the symptoms and make myself more fertile in case I wanted children in the future. While I wasn’t ready to become a mother then I didn’t want to close the door completely. The program the naturopath devised for me included a low GI diet with herbal supplements and exercise and no caffeine. While I desperately craved chocolate, the change in lifestyle helped with my PCOS symptoms and empowered me to take charge of my life, instead of feeling sorry for myself and accepting my fate.

I followed this treatment for many years and after all the hard work I did to control my diet and do more exercise, I was rewarded with a regular menstrual cycle and increased fertility. I also lost weight, which helped my self-esteem.

When my partner and I decided we wanted a child I stopped taking the pill and we set ourselves up for what we expected would be months of heartbreak as my questionable fertility reared its head. Instead I was pregnant a month later. We were elated and somewhat mystified as to how we conceived our child so easily. I hadn’t needed fertility treatment.

After a trouble-free pregnancy our son was born and we feel awed by his presence every day.

Back to the Drawing Board

My PCOS symptoms were manageable for many years until resurfacing recently. My current doctor recommended I do a two-hour blood glucose tolerance test, the results of which showed I have very high insulin resistance. He said I was lucky to have conceived a child at all, let alone without fertility treatment. My inability to lose all the weight I needed to and my intolerance of too many carbohydrate- and sugar-laden foods was also explained by this latest symptom.

To control my insulin resistance and decrease the chance of me developing diabetes later on in life, he recommended I take Metformin as well as continue with my low GI diet and exercise. While I agreed to start taking the medication, I have also started looking further into what else I can do to help myself. I now feel I have a responsibility to myself and my family to ensure I am healthy and capable for as long as possible. The prospect of developing diabetes scares me, but I am confident I don’t necessarily have to travel down that path.

Now I have to decide whether to continue with the medication, see if natural supplements in addition to my diet and exercise will improve the condition, or both.

My search to find the best treatment for myself again led me to The Jocelyn Centre and one of its counsellors, Angela Hywood, who is a Naturopathic Gynaecological Specialist. Ms Hywood has been practising naturopathy for 14 years and spent the past 10 years focussing on fertility and women’s health. She also runs her own practice, Tonic Australia, in Sydney and lectures to medical and natural practitioners in Australia and the USA.

Ms Hywood said PCOS was formally classed as a syndrome, so many women had different symptoms.

“PCOS is quite an elusive disorder,” she said.

“What’s always fascinating is that PCOS is dumped into the gynaecological problems but it is a poly-glandular syndrome. The endocrine system is an entire system. We have to look at the interrelationships of all glands and hormones.

“The most damning link to PCOS is insulin resistance. Not all women with PCOS have insulin resistance, but the standard Western diet is extremely high in carbohydrates and baked goods, which has led to an escalation in diabetes in the past 50 years. Insulin has a profound impact on ovarian health,” Ms Hywood said.

Insulin Resistance

Insulin resistance is considered to be a pre-cursor to Type 2 diabetes. After years of increased insulin production, the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas can die, leading to insulin levels falling and then higher blood glucose levels and diabetes, endocrinologist Dr Warren Kidson and gynaecologist Dr James Mackenzie Talbot explain in their guide: The Polycystic Ovary Syndrome – a starting point, not a diagnosis. Women with PCOS are also at higher risk of developing gestational, or pregnancy, diabetes, Dr Kidson said.

The Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome Association of Australia (POSAA) states on its website that almost half of women with PCOS are diagnosed as insulin resistant or as having Type 2 diabetes.

“It’s been suggested that 40 per cent of PCOS sufferers will be Type 2 diabetic by the time they are 44 years of age,” the site stated on its Health Risks page.

The ability to process insulin gets worse with age, but women with PCOS can do something about this symptom before it gets out of hand. Regular exercise and sticking to a low GI diet can help control insulin levels and stop them from getting worse.

Low GI Diet

A diet containing foods with a low glycemic index (GI) is recommended, with plenty of whole foods and unprocessed grains and starches. Ms Hywood suggests a diet made up from 40 per cent protein from an organic source, as hormones in non-organic food can increase the oestrogens in the body. There should also be 30 per cent carbohydrate and 30 per cent from good, healthy oils. Of the carbohydrates, 80 per cent needs to be extremely low GI, like sweet potato, carrots and non-starchy vegetables that grow above the ground. Low GI fruit like berries, apples, pears, citrus and stone fruit should also be included in your diet, but starchy fruit like bananas should be avoided. The best oils are cold pressed olive oil, grape seed oil, and coconut oil and milk.

“You need to ask ‘is that food in its most natural form?’ For example can you see the grains in bread?” Ms Hywood said.

“Try and have lots of salads, enough protein and enough good oils and your blood sugar will be perfectly controlled. If you choose properly it’s certainly not a restrictive diet.

“Education through food is our most powerful medicine. Choose food wisely and your body will thank you,” she said.

Exercise

Practitioners recommend women with PCOS should exercise 30-40 minutes every other day. Good exercises are walking, yoga, belly dancing, or anything that gets the whole body moving.

“To many people exercise can be a chore because they don’t like it. They should do whatever they think is fun because this will make them want to do it. Belly dancing is great because it gets the pelvic energy moving,” Ms Hywood said.

Treatment

Ms Hywood recommended patients be assessed individually and their treatment developed for them personally, rather than provide a blanket solution for all PCOS sufferers. The practitioner can guide and coach the patient until they learn how to manage the symptoms and their diet and lifestyle themselves.

“Natural medicine is incredibly motivating and inspiring because we see great results with PCOS,” she said.

Natural supplements can also be part of PCOS treatment. Ms Hywood recommends inofitol, which is part of the B vitamin complex, and can improve sleep quality and reduce the effects of physiological stress on adrenal health and ovaries so ovulation can occur. Chromium helps the pancreas and iodine helps ovarian health by reducing cysts, and improving the thyroid condition, weight management and energy levels.

Researching PCOS

Professors Jennie Brand-Miller and Nadir R. Farid and Kate Marsh have researched PCOS for a number of years. The trio explained in their book The New Glucose Revolution Managing PCOS, that symptoms include hirsutism (excessive hair on face, body, upper lip, chin, neck and abdomen), increased testosterone levels, irregular or absent periods, infertility or reduced fertility, scalp hair loss, acne, obesity and polycystic ovaries. However, women can have polycystic ovaries without having the syndrome and many women can have several of the symptoms but think they are unrelated.

Dietician and diabetes educator Kate Marsh is currently studying for her PhD at the University of Sydney looking at the benefits of a low GI diet in the management of insulin resistance in women with PCOS. Ms Marsh practices in Sydney, chairs the DAA National PCOS Interest Group and has co-authored two books. She said PCOS could increase the risk of miscarriage and development of diabetes and heart disease.

Diagnosing PCOS

There are several different ways of diagnosing PCOS depending on the type of doctor you are consulting, but in 2003 guidelines were set for diagnosis of the syndrome, Ms Marsh said. Patients need to have two out of the three of the following symptoms before being considered to have PCOS:

1. Irregular or absent periods;

2.  High levels of male hormones or signs of (either diagnosed through a blood test or through the patient having excess facial hair and/or skin problems);

3. Polycystic ovaries as seen in an ultrasound.

“Some countries look at different factors to diagnose PCOS. These guidelines don’t include insulin resistance, but many doctors here look for it,” she said.

Once these symptoms are discovered many GPs will refer their patient to an endocrinologist or gynaecologist.

PCOS and Fertility

While having PCOS can compromise a woman’s fertility, it doesn’t mean she will never be able to conceive a child.

“Most women with PCOS can fall pregnant,” Ms Marsh said.

“Insulin keeps blood sugar under control. When you have a high insulin level it causes more testosterone to be produced and this can cause women not to ovulate properly.”

In many cases once PCOS has been diagnosed and the woman makes lifestyle changes, such as her diet and exercise patterns, she will start losing weight and her fertility will increase. If diet and exercise alone are not enough Metformin can be used to help women ovulate and fall pregnant. And if the combination of these things doesn’t work then another medication, Clomid, can be used to stimulate ovulation. If people need more intervention then it is possible there are other problems, ie the partner’s fertility, Ms Marsh said.

“By focusing on diet and exercise to bring insulin levels down the majority of people fall pregnant. I’ve seen really good success even in a short period of time. One of the factors of my study is people are not trying to fall pregnant and I’ve had four drop out because of that,” she said.

A common treatment for PCOS symptoms is to put the patient on the contraceptive pill, but Ms Marsh said this measure could be counterproductive.

“The pill only treats the symptoms, not the cause, and patients could still develop problems down the track. The pill settles down hormones and gives regular periods and helps with controlling skin and facial hair, but research suggests the pill increases insulin resistance,” she said.

By lowering insulin resistance and increasing fertility, a woman with PCOS is heightening her chance of becoming pregnant. If she does not want to have children other forms of contraception, or a very low dose pill could be considered instead.

Further Information

* The Jocelyn Centre: www.fertility.com.au

* Tonic Australia: www.tonicaustralia.com.au

* Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome Association of Australia (POSAA): www.posaa.asn.au

* The Polycystic Ovary Syndrome – a starting point, not a diagnosis by Dr Warren Kidson and Dr James Mackenzie Talbot. The guide can be downloaded from the POSAA website.

* The New Glucose Revolution Managing PCOS by Professor Jennie Brand-Miller, Professor Nadir R. Farid and Kate Marsh

* Understanding hormonal irregularities: The Diet Cure by Julia Ross

* Tools to help you manage food: www.westonaprice.org, Real Foods by Nina Planck and Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon