What is the best diet for PCOS?, I have PCOS what diet should I be following?, I have PCOS what should I be eating now? These are all very common questions asked by women when they are diagnosed with PCOS.
What is PCOS?
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common endocrine system disorder among women of reproductive age. It is a condition where the female sex hormones estrogen and progesterone are out of balance.
Causes
As I have mentioned in my first Steemit post the exact cause of PCOS is still unknown (https://steemit.com/health/@despina/what-is-polycystic-ovary-syndrome). Research suggests that it is hereditary, however, others suggest it is down to diet and lifestyle.
There are three possible causes:
- GMO Chemical Food's- There is a sac around the egg, this makes androgens. These are then supposed to be converted to estrogen. However, a chemical called Glyphosate found in GMO foods is blocking the enzyme aromatase, which is meant to aid in the conversion, in turn causing an excess of androgen.
- High insulin-an excess of sugar, in turn, triggering a high level of IGF-1 (IGF-1 is a hormone made by the liver that helps you regulate sugar when you are not eating, and insulin regulates sugar when you are eating). Therefore, when you have too much insulin you are going to have a spike of IGF-1 and this is IGF-1 stimulates the production of androgen. All women have a small amount of testosterone in their body. However, women who suffer from PCOS may be producing high levels of androgens (such as testosterone) from the ovary and this is associated with insulin resistance.
3.Excess of stress. Just like the ovary makes some androgens, so does the adrenal gland and having an overactive adrenal, in turn, produces more androgens from stress.
So what should your diet look like if you have PCOS and is there a specific diet?
There is no standardized or set diet that can help you because all of our bodies respond differently.
What Should you do?
Get out of the diet mentality
Change your mindset and change your lifestyle. Making changes to your life to aid your PCOS is what is required, but they do not need to be drastic changes. Any small changes you make will benefit you in the long-term.
We have all gone through stages where we do not want to eat because anything we eat just seems to not agree with us. But remember, it is not healthy to restrict or avoid certain food groups. It is important that you live a balanced lifestyle to avoid putting unnecessary stress on your body.
Diet is about Good Nutrition
Good nutrition is the foundation to living a healthy lifestyle. It is crucial that we eat whole foods, foods that have nutritional benefits and make us feel good.
So what does that mean?
Whole foods are foods that have been minimally processed and are close to their natural form. These are the foods that are nutrient dense, such as;
✔Eggs
✔Beans and Legumes
✔Fruits and Vegetables
✔Meat, Fish, Poultry
✔Nuts and Seeds
✔Oils
✔Wholegrains
Macronutrients
Your meals should always include the 3 macronutrients; protein, carbohydrates and fats, as well as your micronutrients (vitamins and minerals). They should not be one macronutrient dominant. Too much of anything is not good for you.
It is suggested that women who suffer from PCOS should reduce their carbohydrate intake and be aware of the carbs they eat, in order to manage the insulin in their body. Reducing your carbohydrate intake is perfectly fine, as long as you are not eliminating them completely and eating a sufficient amount.
Cutting out carbohydrates entirely is not the answer. When it comes to carbs complex carbohydrates are a healthier option, instead of simple carbohydrates, these take longer to digest and offer a slow release of energy. A further option is to eat gluten-free, as research indicates gluten is a hormone disruptor.
Fat is not the enemy just like carbohydrates are not. Fats do not make you fat. Fat is a key macronutrient in our diets, they regulate the production of sex hormones, they aid the body to use vitamins and they are a source of energy.
It is also important to remember what worked for one person may not work for you. Therefore, it is crucial that you stop looking at what everyone else is doing and eating and start listening to your body. Become in tune with your body, find out what your body responds to and does not respond to well.
If you would like to find out more about PCOS check out my website ==> https://www.pcosoracle.com
https://www.pcosoracle.com/i-am-on-steemit/
Author Despina, owner of PCOS Oracle
https://www.pcosoracle.com is an educational, informative and motivational website. The main focus of the website is for women who suffer from PCOS. The blog is dedicated to offering information on how women can heal their body and how PCOS can be managed. The content is full of information on nutrition for women with PCOS, to an array of recipes that are healthy and PCOS friendly but also motivational and inspirational posts. However, the website also offers further educational information on other health and fitness topics that are beneficial for anybody and everybody that is interested or looking to understand and learn about nutrition.