Eating for PCOS
PCOS affects 12-21% of people who menstruate – approximately 70% of people with this condition remain undiagnosed!
What is PCOS?
Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome is a hormonal condition which can present with a combination of the following symptoms:
Irregular or infrequent menstruation
Lack of ovulation
Skin changes, specifically acne and darkening of the skin
Hair changes, specifically excessive hair growth and/or hair loss
Weight gain
Increased anxiety and depression
May have ‘cysts’ on the ovaries
Difficulty becoming pregnant
Sleep apnoea
Facts about PCOS
Hormone dysregulation is common for people with PCOS. High androgen levels affect 60-80% of women with PCOS, which can affect their ability to fall pregnant, as well as contributing to excessive hair growth and raised insulin levels.
These high androgen levels affect menstruation and ovulation, either by completely suppressing ovulation, or reducing the frequency.
PCOS is also often associated with high insulin levels. Insulin is a hormone which helps move sugar (glucose) from your blood stream into your cells. If you are insulin resistant, this means the hormone is getting less and less effective at doing its job; more insulin will be produced by the pancreas, and your blood glucose levels will still rise.
This can put you at risk of developing type 2 diabetes – lifestyle management in addition to medical management is vital with PCOS.
However, not all people with PCOS have insulin resistance.
Additionally, weight is not a cause of PCOS. I’m sure you’ve heard “lose weight and everything will be fine”, but this isn’t the case. Regardless of body size, PCOS and menstrual dysregulation affects people of all walks of life, and all should be treated in the same manner.
Nutrition and PCOS
This is the fun part! While no diet is the best for managing PCOS (there is no need to go gluten/dairy free! Or cut out carbs!), we can find what is right for you and your body.
Things to consider:
Eating lower GI carbohydrates to slowly release glucose into your blood stream.
Reducing high GI, refined or highly processed sources of carbohydrates! Potentially reducing carbohydrate portion sizes, or considering the spread of carbs across the day.
Following a Mediterranean Diet. This is often touted as the best for heart-health, brain-health and fertility-health.
Drink plenty of water!!
Get in plenty of fruits and vegetables each day. This is necessary for antioxidants, which are naturally occurring compounds that can manage inflammation and fight disease. Also, try to fit in some vegetable proteins in your week (think legumes, beans, tofu).
Don’t forget about omega 3’s. If you don’t like eating fish, consider supplementation.
Contact me if you want to get in control of your PCOS today!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Kimberly Lush is an Accredited Practicing Dietitian and Nutritionist. Kimberly specialises in reproductive health, with a focus on hormonal health.
Kimberly helps people take control of their hormonal health, reproductive health and menstrual health. If you wish to get in touch, enquire to work with Kimberly and book in a FREE 15-minute discovery call!