All of us get terrified by the thought of following a harsh diet plan and working out rigorously to attain our ideal weight. And when we follow this mindset, we often forget that we’re also opting for a healthy lifestyle just by making a few changes.
PCOS stands for Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome. On average, almost 86% of women have PCOS, which includes multiple cysts causing irregular periods or no menstruation at all in some cases.
In order to alleviate PCOS partially, women need to take utmost care, as it can cause several problems including endometriosis and obesity.
You don’t necessarily need to follow a strict diet to cure PCOS; it can be helped with a happy mind too. If you keep your mind positive and optimistic, that will reflect in your actions. But you need to follow certain steps, if you want to be successful with your weight loss and even cure PCOS without taking medications.
Follow These Things to Cure your PCOS
Decrease Carbs
Lowering your carb consumption may help manage PCOS due to carbs’ impact on insulin levels. Approximately 70% of women with PCOS are insulin resistant, which is when your cells stop recognizing the effects of the hormone insulin and produce adverse effects on your body like obesity.
Insulin is necessary for blood sugar management and energy storage in your body. Research indicate high levels of insulin with increased body fat and weight gain in the general population and also in women having PCOS. A low-glycemic diet may benefit women with PCOS. The glycemic index (GI) is a measurement of how quickly a particular food raises blood sugar and consumes fruits and vegetables having low GI index like Apples, pears, plums, broccoli, yellow and red bell peppers, mushroom, and so on.
Eat Protein
Protein helps to stabilize blood sugar and increases feelings of fullness after a meal. Having a good amount of protein may also aid weight loss by reducing cravings, helping you burn more calories, and managing hunger hormones. In one study, women in the high-protein group lost an average of 9.7 pounds (4.4 kg) after 6 months — significantly more than those in the control group. Add food items in your routine having great protein content like chicken, eggs, fish, seafood.
Fiber, Fiber, Fiber
Fibrous food items can boost your immunity, and do wonders for your skin. Fiber plays a vital role for women having PCOS who want to shed weight. Follow a diet high in fiber as it may help reduce insulin resistance, body weight, and excess body fat.
Eat Fermented Food
Healthy gut bacteria may play a role in metabolism and weight maintenance. Scientific research suggests that women with PCOS may have fewer healthy gut bacteria than women without this condition. Eating foods like curd and greek yogurt that are rich in probiotics or taking a probiotic supplement may support your gut bacteria, thus aiding weight loss.
Exercise Regularly
While staying in shape is important, it’s equally vital to attain that goal by doing exercise daily. Women with PCOS lost less fat than those without this condition; the exercise regimen did result in loss of belly fat and improvements in insulin sensitivity.
Avoid Junk Food
Refined carbohydrates can cause inflammation, exacerbate insulin resistance, and should be avoided or limited significantly. These include highly-processed foods, such as white bread, muffins breakfast pastries, and sugary desserts, anything made with white flour. Pasta noodles that list semolina, durum flour, or durum wheat flour as their first ingredient are high in carbohydrates and low in fiber. These should be removed from your diet.
Conclusion
If you’re coping with PCOS or any of its symptoms, you may feel frustrated at times. Taking proactive steps regarding your health can improve your mood as well as reduce your symptoms. One of the best ways to do this is to create a good food/bad food list and stick to it. Just about every food that may aggravate your condition has a healthier, beneficial counterpart. For example, if you’re used to margarine and white toast for breakfast, try substituting high-fiber whole-grain bread and olive oil or avocado.
Anjali Joshi is a professional Content Writer at Web Ratna, an ardent cricket fan, and obsessed with books. An introvert who loves to binge American and Korean drama shows, she is fond of traveling and her biggest dream is to taste the ice cream of every country in a dying winter.
