• Danielle Gallan has long suffered from PCOS and a high risk for developing type 2 diabetes
• This Aussie mum lost 3.2 kilos and improved her overall health
• In 2022 she made a decision to quit sugar for her health
• The mum-of-three shared the program recipes with her family

Australian mum Danielle Gallan joined the IQS 8-Week Program to combat her chronic pain and kick her sugar habit to the curb after dealing with growing concerns around insulin resistance and her long-standing PCOS condition.

The 39-year-old has dealt with painful and disruptive symptoms of PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome) for around 2 decades. With debilitating pain, her symptoms resulted in missing school, university and work, along with putting dangerous health issues like insulin resistance, weight gain and type 2 diabetes on the map.

“I suffer from irregular and heavy periods, significant period pain, hormonal breakouts, and increasing insulin resistance as I get older,” she said.

Danielle had been struggling with weight gain and insulin resistance as a result of her PCOS, which then raised the mum-of-three’s health risks for other chronic diseases. Danielle says one of her biggest reasons for taking the plunge to quit sugar was to reduce her risks for diabetes.

“Over the last few years, I have realised that my insulin resistance is getting worse and that diabetes is a real risk for PCOS so I have tried to reduce my sugar intake,” she said.

But Danielle says her excess weight was another major motivator to quit sugar as the sweet stuff was fuelling her serious health issues.

“It impacts my skin and my insulin resistance, that band of abdominal fat that I couldn't shift, that had become its own organ and was worsening my insulin resistance.”

After joining the 8-Week Program, Danielle started to notice some significant changes to her health – including achieving the weight loss goals she had been hoping for.

“I have noticed the cm loss of my waist,” she said. “That’s the thing that I really wanted to reduce, so that all that fat store would reduce my insulin resistance and for it to not be a new organ in my body, sending me signals that I needed these foods.”

The Australian mum-of-three says she’s also enjoyed sharing the meal plans and recipes with her family.

But it’s not just Danielle who has reaped the benefits of the program, the mum of 3 says it’s made a difference for her family too.

“It has made me more aware of the sugar that is in foods that I cook for my children, so I have started making different choices for them, and to move away from easy foods to foods that might take a few more minutes to cook, but aren't processed.”

DANIELLE’S FAVOURITE BREKKIES

• Avocado and strawberry toast
• Savoury muffins
• Paleo bread

“I was surprised about the avocado and strawberry toast and I would say probably that, but closely followed by the savoury muffins and paleo bread,” Danielle shares. She says she enjoyed the convenience of the baked brekkies on the program.

“I found they worked with my busy mornings the best, prep on the weekend and very little prep in the morning but not skipping breakfast.”

What’s next for Danielle? She says she’s keen to continue living life on her terms – happily and healthily.

“To continue to maintain my health into my 40s and make my kids as healthy I can. I really want them to make good choices with food and understand food and what impacts the food we eat has on our ongoing health as we age.”