Polycystic ovarian syndrome affects many women world wide. My sister and I both have been diagnosed with the condition although I do not have any cysts on my ovaries, but I do have the symptoms. Apparently I have had it for a long time without realising it. Looking back I did have acne in my 20s and very irregular periods and at times a thinning scalp which I put down to over straightening my hair. There is no cure for PCOS but you can manage it very well with diet and exercise. You just have to be more determined and disciplined because if untreated it can lead to serious health issues like heart disease and diabetes. I have met many women who live normal healthy lives and have gone on to have babies. When I do not eat right my symptoms come back. When I am super healthy I feel great. So please do not feel that PCOS is a death sentence because it is not. With a healthy lifestyle you can go on to live a very happy and fulfilling life!
What is PCOS
Polycystic ovarian syndrome is when there is a hormonal imbalance in the body. Small cysts grow on the ovaries. These cysts are benign and do not carry health implications. They just cause hormonal imbalance and affect how a woman’s ovaries work. A women with PCOS will have high levels of male hormones known as androgens.
Symptoms of PCOS
Irregular periods
cysts on the ovaries
Abdominal pain
Acne
Weight gain
Excess facial and body hair
Fatigue
Depression
Anxiety
Hair loss
No ovulation
Aching joints
dizziness
Problems PCOS can cause
Infertility
miscarriages
Heart disease
Diabetes
Endometrial cancer
What can you do to prevent the above
Eat healthy
Exercise regularly
Avoid smoking and excess alcohol
Foods to Avoid
Lower your intake or avoid red meat, pork, salami, all cured meats, all animal fats, all full fat dairy.
Avoid all fried foods. Women with PCOS are at a higher risk of developing heart problems so very important to avoid all fats and fried foods.
Avoid all refined sugar as this disrupts hormones and places a strain on the liver. Avoid all sweets, cakes, croissants, pastries, white pasta, white bread, When shopping read food labels properly making sure there is no added sugar.
Avoid alcohol. If you really cannot then only have 1 glass of organic red wine with your meal.
Avoid drinking too much caffeine found in coffee, tea, fizzy drinks, and chocolate.
Avoid over loading the liver with toxins like painkillers, headache tablets and fatty foods. Looking after your liver will help balance hormones.
Foods to include into your diet
As mentioned previously you should look after your liver by eating smaller meals. If you look through my posts you can find a post I did on the liver and a liver detox diet. These would be helpful to look at.
You should eat everything baked, grilled or steamed. No fried foods or foods cooked in heavy sauces.
Introduce complex carbs into your diet like brown rice, sweet potatoes, millet. Complex carbohydrates help to regulate blood sugar levels reducing insulin therefore avoiding weight gain. The size of complex carbs should be the size of your fist.
Include good quality protein into your diet like fish, eggs, organic chicken or turkey without the skin, lentils, chickpeas, all beans, quinoa, nuts and seeds. Again protein intake per meal should be the size of your fist. Try not to eat too many animal protein. I tend to mix it up.
Include more vegetables into your diet. A good point to note is that half of your plate should always be vegetables, a quarter should be your complex carbs or protein. Good vegetables to include are the brassica family: cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts and watercress.
Include Omega 3 in your diet. Good sources are: flaxseeds, hemp seeds, wild salmon, sardines.
Try to eat organic as non organic fruit and vegetables tend to be sprayed more with pesticides. Meat should always be organic as non organic is injected with hormones and antibiotics. These are all things that contribute in causing a hormonal imbalance.
Useful advice
Avoid keeping food wrapped in cling film or stored in plastic containers. Never heat plastic in a microwave.
Get plenty of exercise. Join a gym or a class. You must exercise regularly to help with weight loss, cardiovascular health and keeping you in a good mood.
Take a good multi vitamin for women. Biocare do a very good multi vitamin for women.
B complex formula by Biocare.
Take a high strength probiotic.
I hope the above information is useful. For a bespoke nutritional plan email me. I do online consultations.