Following a healthy diet is always a good idea, but taking care of nutrition is especially important for women dealing with PCOS – Polycystic Ovary Syndrome. It turns out that inadequate nutrition makes the situation worse while practicing a healthy diet can help women combat this health condition that affects between 5% and 10% of women in the world.
Women dealing with PCOS experience a cycle of hormonal misbalance. Different hormones including Luteinizing hormone, insulin, androgen, and estrogen are going up and down all the time I women suffering from PCOS. According to many experts, one of the ways to ease, prevent and get rid of this condition is to introduce some changes in your lifestyle especially when it comes to your diet. In this way, women can bring back their good health and stabilize the levels of hormones in their body.
Problems associated with menstrual periods, resistance to insulin and obesity are just some of the health issues linked to PCOS. A healthy diet for PCOS together with adequate medication can significantly improve the health condition of any woman.
It is good to mention that PCOS doesn’t come with any specific signs and symptoms. This is one of the reasons why there is no universal diet specially designed for PCOS sufferers. Of course, there are some basic guidelines and tips from experts that can help women make some changes and make their diet healthy and useful.
Since the vast majority of PCOS sufferers have insulin resistance, there is a greater chance for them to witness the emergence of type 2 diabetes. That’s why it is crucial to follow a diet that doesn’t include many sugars and a diet that can help them stabilize blood sugar levels.
As already mentioned, obesity has been associated with PCOS too. Doctors recommend losing weight to many women dealing with PCOS to combat hormone imbalance and lower the chances of developing cardiovascular diseases. Besides regular physical activity, a good, healthy diet can contribute to the weight loss process. Scientific studies have confirmed that even a small drop of weight (3-5%) has the ability to reduce the levels of androgen and to stabilize menstruation. Women who are slim can benefit too because a healthy diet will help them maintain their weight and protect their cardiovascular health.
Women suffering from PCOS should create a diet adequate for their personal needs and characteristics. The diet should be healthy, but also easy to follow and satisfying. Keep in mind that this diet doesn’t last for a week or two, it should be designed to last forever. Many women make the same mistake and think that a diet equals starvation. This is wrong and women with PCOS may experience some serious problems if they are starving themselves. A healthy diet for PCOS means eating carefully and intelligently, adding foods that heal and nourish the body and mind in the menu and eliminating foods that bring fat and calories.
While we are talking about bad foods, a diet for PCOS should significantly reduce the intake of sugary products and certain foods like cereals, white bread, processed snacks, potatoes and replace them with healthy alternatives like legumes, whole grains, lean meats, fish, nuts, seeds etc. If you are looking for some specific suggestions, keep reading.
To start with, a healthy diet for PCOS should include green leafy veggies. These vegetables are loaded with different nutrients and have a low number of calories. They are known for the huge amount of vitamins they contain including vitamin C, B, A and K, and minerals. So, try to add some green salads on your menu.
Furthermore, eating whole grains and legumes is a great idea too. They are rich in protein and fiber which can be very helpful for those trying to regulate insulin levels. Consumption of fruits that are loaded with fiber and have relatively low sugar content like oranges, cherries and apples is also a good idea. As previously mentioned, you can also consume lean meats and fish and nuts and seeds.
Don’t forget that taking smaller meals for five or even seven times a day is a better option than having two or three larger meals.
Women with PCOS that are pregnant should be very careful and the same goes for breastfeeding moms with this problem. In order to avoid any dilemmas about your pregnancy and breastfeeding practice, you can always use the help of Miloo kits like the Miloo Alcohol Breast Milk Test and Miloo Pregnancy Test Kit.