Eating for PCOS

Let’s talk about PCOS. Not everyone is fluent in the acronyms and disorders of Infertility. They may know what it stands for but not what it does. Hell, even I don’t understand what all it does and I have it! I’ve talked about the individual drugs but lets talk about what they are trying to treat, because right now they are treating the symptoms, not the disease.

What is PCOS? Quite simply it is a metabolic disorder that affects 5-7.5% of women. The number one cause of infertility.

What are the risks? Endometrial cancer, heart disease and diabetes.

What happens? To break it down, it messes with the balance of hormones in your body throwing your body into chaos and the natural order of it into a malfunctioning time bomb. New research shows that insulin is one of the key hormone players that it screws with which causes all the other hormones to be out of whack. Insulin is released by the pancreas in response to food (like carbs). It acts as a vehicle to get the sugar out of the blood, into the muscle, fat and liver cells to use as energy or store it. Women with PCOS have a defective system. Imagine it is a Toyota. Over acceleration causing mass pile ups, government summits, recalls and investigations but so far nothings being done but bloating and expansion of problems. That is your body with PCOS.

Facts: 50-60% of PCOS sufferers are obese. Losing even 5% of body weight can lead to an improvement of symptoms. They try low calorie diets that usually consist of high levels of carbs which are their enemy and GAIN weight. A more apt diet plan would be a low glycemic index diet but few people know that if they haven’t been diagnosed correctly.

On the proper diet, you will have decreased cravings, increased energy levels, better skin and more regular menstrual cycles. HOW GREAT WOULD THAT BE? Well, I happen to know its true. I still fight with carbs but I go after foods that are unprocessed and I’ve dropped a lot of weight. Just look at my McFatty Monday posts! When I do go for carbs I never eat them alone. I combine them a protein or fat. (cheese counts, so stfu). I drink a TON of water and have reduced my intake of red meat.

If you are suffering from some of the symptoms of PCOS or have been diagnosed here are some suggestions for you: (but I recommend doing the research and talking to your doctor).

*Select foods that are unprocessed like bran cereal, whole grain breads, fresh fruits and veggies, lean meats like skinless chicken, olive oil, low fat milk and fish.

*Exercise regularly ( I get a big fat fail at this).

*Take a multivitamin with minerals including at least 400 mcg of folic acid

Positive PCOS Foods
Red Grapefruit-reduces cholesterol
Vegetables
Chilli-aids in insulin resistence and weight loss
Fiber/Fibre-controls blood sugar
Vinegar & Pickles-reduces spikes in blood concentrations of insulin and glucose
Cinnamon-the MHCP in it lowers blood glucose levels
Blueberries-increases sensitivity to insulin
Raspberries-ellagic acid is an anti-cancer agent plus they have vitamin c and soluble fiber
Calcium-involved in eg production in ovaries (www.diabetesincontrol.com)
Good Protein- lean chicken, beans, cheese, eggs, fish, milk, yogurt, veggie burgers
Ginger-anti inflammatory agent
Acceptable Carbs-whole wheat breads and pastas, bran cereals, fruits, vegetables, yogurt
Good Fats- avocado, cheese, eggs, hummus, nut butters, oil-based salad dressings, olive oil

Stay away from refined sugars and white pastas.