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Diet And Lifestyle Changes For Polycystic Ovary Syndrome

Understanding PCOS

PCOS or Polycystic Ovary Syndrome is a cluster of symptoms rather than a specific health condition. Women get PCOS when numerous small-sized fluid-filled sacs or cysts develop in their ovaries. Around one in ten women is likely to develop PCOS during their child-bearing age. Prolonged or irregular menstrual periods, excessive production of androgen (male hormone) leading to hirsutism (excess body or facial hair), mood swings and depression are the main symptoms of PCOS. Treatment includes medication, diet and lifestyle changes.

How does Diet Affect PCOS?

Diet plays a crucial role in managing PCOS symptoms. It impacts insulin production, insulin resistance and weight management to a great extent. Maintaining healthy levels of insulin through diet is paramount in PCOS because elevated insulin may contribute to aggravating PCOS symptoms even further.

Over 50% of women with PCOS get pre-diabetes or diabetes before they reach 40. Therefore, they should be watchful about insulin levels.

When a woman is diagnosed with PCOS, she should follow a balanced diet to accommodate her dietary needs. A PCOS diet should help her with weight management and promote healthy insulin in the body.

Food Plans Included in PCOS Diet

There is nothing called a scripted PCOS treatment diet. It depends on the nutritional requirements of a woman. 

  • A woman with PCOS should ideally intake 1800 to 2000 Kcal/day. 

  • The diet should comprise - lots of fresh vegetables, whole grains and proteins (plant-based) while avoiding trans fat, processed food and sugar.

A suitable PCOS treatment diet should include the following:

  • Total fat: 25 g

  • Calcium: 600 mg

  • Iron: 21 mg

  • Sodium: 1200 mg

  • Carbohydrate: 400 to 450 g

  • Protein: 50 to 55 g

  • Based on the overall health requirements, a woman can work with a licensed dietitian and adjust her PCOS diet plan.

Meal timing is also an important factor integral to a PCOS diet. Although it may vary from woman to woman, following a standard meal timing can help a lot. For example:

  • Breakfast within 9:00 AM

  • Mid-day snack at around 11:00 AM

  • Lunch at 1:00 PM

  • Evening snack at 4:00 PM

  • Dinner by 8:00 PM

Refer to the below chart for an example of a standard PCOS diet:

Let’s start with Sunday

Breakfast

Idlis - 2 to 3

Sambar - ½ cup

Tomato or green chutney - 1 tbsp

Mid-day snack

Sprouts (green gram) - 1 cup

Lunch

Roti - 2 to 3

Salad - ½ cup

Cabbage sabzi - ½ cup

Fish curry - 100 g

Evening

Fruit (Mango, Banana, Sapodilla, Jackfruit, etc.) - 1 serving

Dinner

Roti - 2

Tomato sabzi - ½ cup

Monday

Breakfast

Brown bread - 2 slices

Low-fat cheese - 1 slice

Boiled egg whites - 2

Mid-day snack

Fruit (Mango, Banana, Sapodilla, Jackfruit, etc.) - 1 serving

Lunch

Veg pulao or rice - 1 cup

Soya chunk curry - ½ cup

Buttermilk - ½ cup

Evening

Light tea - 1 cup

Wheat rusk biscuits - 2 pieces

Dinner

Roti - 2

Lady’s finger fry - ½ cup

Tuesday

Breakfast

Roti - 3

Green peas and potato curry - ½ cup

Mid-day snack

Black channa (boiled) - ½ cup

Lunch

Rice - 1 cup

Dal - ½ cup

Palak curry - ½ cup

Curd (low fat) - ½ cup

Evening

Fruit (Mango, Banana, Sapodilla, Jackfruit, etc.) - 1 serving

Dinner

Upma (broken wheat) - 1 cup

Green beans fry - ½ cup

Wednesday

Breakfast

Paratha (Meethi) - 2

Green chutney - 1 tbsp

Mid-day snack

Fruit (Mango, Banana, Sapodilla, Jackfruit, etc.) - 1 serving

Lunch

Rice - 1 cup

Chicken curry - 150 gm 

Salad - 1 cup

Evening

Brown rice poha - 1 cup

Light tea - 1 cup

Dinner

Dosa (wheat) 2 to 3

Karela fry - ½ cup

Thursday

Breakfast

Oats upma with veggies - 1 cup

Double toned milk - ½ cup

Mid-day snack

Yoghurt with veggies - 1 cup, or

Grilled veggies - 1 cup

Lunch

Rice - ½ cup

Roti - 2

Snake gourd curry - ½ cup

Rajma - ½ cup

Evening

Boiled chana - 1 cup

Light tea - 1 cup

Dinner

Roti - 2

Mixed veg - ½ cup

Friday

Breakfast

Poha - 1 cup

Double toned milk - ½ cup

Mid-day snack

Fruit (Mango, Banana, Sapodilla, Jackfruit, etc.) - 1 serving

Lunch

Roti - 2

Guar bean curry - ½ cup

Fish curry - 100 gm

Evening

Light tea - 1 cup

Biscuits - 2

Dinner

Roti - 2

Ridge gourd curry - ½ cup

Saturday

Breakfast

Cheela  - 2

Green chutney - 1 tbsp

Mid-day snack

Boiled chana - 1 cup

Lunch

Rice - 1 cup

Soya chunk curry - ½ cup

Bhindi sabzi - ½ cup

Low-fat curd - ½ cup

Evening

Fruit (Mango, Banana, Sapodilla, Jackfruit, etc.) - 1 serving

Dinner

Upma (broken wheat) - 1 cup

Green beans fry - ½ cup

 

Food to Avoid in PCOS

Women with PCOS should avoid or significantly reduce the consumption of certain foods. These include the following:

Refined carbs

Refined carbohydrates, such as white bread, mass-produced pastries, baked items, etc., are likely to spike sugar levels in the blood, which may aggravate insulin resistance. Moreover, their nutritional value is low.

High-sugar drinks

Sugary beverages, including carbonated and energy drinks, can increase insulin resistance, leading to increased blood sugar levels. So, women who have PCOS should avoid them.

Processed meat

Processed meats like hot dogs, luncheon meats and sausages are loaded with saturated fats. These are likely to increase inflammation in the body and lead to weight gain.

Solid fats

Solid fats, such as butter, margarine and lard, can lead to inflammation and exacerbate the signs and symptoms of PCOS. These foods also increase the tendency to grow insulin resistance.

Red meat

Red meats like pork, beef, hamburgers, etc., are high in saturated fats, sodium and nitrites. These are inflammatory food products and can also reduce the level of progesterone in the body while aggravating PCOS symptoms.

Other Lifestyle Changes with PCOS

Lifestyle changes are imperative for effective PCOS management. Studies say that when women combine their PCOS diet plan with regular exercise, they can expect the following benefits:

Weight loss

According to various researches, if a woman manages to lose even 5% to 10% of her weight through a PCOS diet and exercise, it can significantly reduce her symptoms.

Proper insulin metabolism

If the body utilises insulin properly, women can check insulin resistance and improve their PCOS symptoms.

Regular menstrual periods

Making small yet significant changes in lifestyle and diet can help women get regular periods with PCOS.

Reduction in cholesterol levels

Avoiding trans fats can help considerably in reducing cholesterol levels. 

Healthy levels of androgen and reduced hirsutism

A balanced diet along with regular physical activities can help achieve healthy androgen levels while checking hirsutism. 

When to Consult a Doctor

Women with PCOS should never ignore their symptoms as it can lead to further complications. They should make sure to pay a visit to their doctors if:

  • They are experiencing issues with menstrual periods

  • They are facing infertility concerns

  • Their hirsutism is worsening

  • There is an increase in male-like baldness

  • They have increased acne.

Conclusion

Like any other health condition, one of the best resorts to bank upon with PCOS is  - eating a well-balanced and nutritious PCOS diet and indulging in physical activities. So, whenever possible, go for complex carbs over refined, unsaturated fats over saturated ones and fresh over processed food - the holy grail for women with PCOS.