Polycystic ovary syndrome, also popularly known as PCOS, is a disorder that puts a fatal impact on the reproductive system of women. With this disease, small fluid-filled sacks are developed inside the ovaries of women. As a result, women experience menstrual cycle issues. Irregularity in the menstrual cycle causes reproductive issues or infertility. Almost 12-18% of women throughout the world suffer from this disorder. Among them, 21% of women face high health risks due to this disorder. Since PCOS is a complex condition, it cannot be detected through one to two particular symptoms. It is good if the disorder is detected at an early stage. You need to manage your weight if you are detected as a PCOS patient. You need to follow a proper diet plan for PCOS.
Facts about PCOS
Before going into the diet plan for PCOS, we need to learn some basic facts about PCOS. So, here are some important facts that one must learn about PCOS.
⦁ PCOS is one of the commonest hormonal disorders among women. Interestingly, many women tend to ignore this disorder.
⦁ PCOS has to be detected at an early stage otherwise it can lead to various physical complications, like type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, insulin resistance, heart disease, etc.
⦁ Seven out of ten cases of fertility issues among women are related to PCOS.
Causes of PCOS
Exact causes of PCOS are still unknown. Researchers are still working on the process of finding the causes of PCOS. Some of the causes are discussed below.
⦁ Family History: PCOS spreads genetically. That means if someone had this disorder in your family, you become vulnerable to this disease. However, not a single gene is responsible for this disorder. It is the aftermath of the involvement of multiple genes.
⦁ Insulin Resistance: The presence of insulin at a high percentage in the blood of a person can lead to PCOS. Glucose in blood makes a person vulnerable to this critical disease. You need to change your lifestyle and you should follow a diet plan for PCOS to avoid a high percentage of glucose in your blood.
⦁ Overweight: Overweight is a common issue for many women. Having body weight than permissible level can cause many physical complications. From diabetes to high cholesterol, many problems can happen. Along with these issues, PCOS can also happen to women, who are suffering from obesity.
Common Symptoms of PCOS
Before knowing the diet plan for PCOS, we need to learn common symptoms of PCOS. These symptoms are discussed in the following section of this article.
⦁ Irregular Menstrual Cycle: Irregularity in the menstrual cycle is not uncommon for women. However, when it happens for a prolonged time period, there must be reasons to worry. In a lot of cases, irregularity in the menstrual cycle happens due to PCOS.
⦁ Excessive Hair Growth: PCOS causes excessive and abrupt hair growth for women. Women may find excessive hair growth around the chin and upper lip area. This happens due to hormonal problems for the people who are victims of PCOS.
⦁ Hair Loss: Like hair growth, many women can also face hair loss due to PCOS. Abrupt hair loss may happen due to many reasons. Understanding those reasons is important. PCOS can be one of the reasons behind hair loss for women.
⦁ Acne: If you are suffering from acne frequently, then it may happen due to PCOS. Acne buildup is not unusual, but when it occurs regularly or frequently, you need to understand the reason. PCOS can be a reason in such cases. To deal with acne problems, you need to opt for the proper diet plan for PCOS.
Psychological Effect of PCOS
Apart from the symptoms, which are mentioned above, victims of PCOS can also undergo psychological issues or disorders. Psychological problems are a common thing for women who are suffering from hormonal issues. A lot of women face hormonal problems. The occurrence of PCOS further causes hormonal disruptions in the body. As a result, various psychological problems tend to occur. Some of the common psychological impacts of PCOS are discussed below.
⦁ Mood swing is a common symptom for women who are suffering from PCOS. They can get happy for no reason, and sometimes they get angry for no valid reasons.
⦁ PCOS affected women generally face fertility issues. As a result, they may become psychologically frustrated or depressed.
⦁ Infertility may lead to mental problems for many women. It further harms the relationship of a couple. The couple may face regular issues between them even for small or petty reasons.
To control psychological problems, it is important to find a good psychological expert. Apart from that, it is important to follow a proper lifestyle and a healthy diet plan for PCOS.
Proper Dieting – A Prominent Remedy for PCOS
PCOS leads to hormonal disruptions in our body. Moreover, it causes a high presence of glucose in your bloodstream. Due to the presence of high sugar and insulin, women tend to become victims of diabetes. Not just diabetes, you may face various other issues due to PCOS. Obesity is such a problem. Diabetes leads to obesity, and when your body weight becomes more than normal, you start facing even more physical issues or difficulties. Thus, PCOS patients should consult an experienced dietician to find the best diet plan for PCOS. A perfect diet plan can help such women to avoid various physical complications and live a healthy life despite being diagnosed with PCOS.
Preparations for a PCOS Meal Plan
To adopt a seamless diet plan for PCOS, you need to adopt a perfect meal plan. An experienced and certified dietician can help you in this matter. Apart from consulting an expert, you can follow the tips that are provided in the following section of this article.
1. The Basic Guide to PCOS Meal Plan
At the first stage, you need to get prepared for the basic meal plan for PCOS. You need to begin with the foundation of real and whole foods. The next step is to create a balance of the nutrition of the food items that you choose. You must take a small amount of carbohydrates. You should try to avoid saturated fat. Finally, easy to digest protein should be there on your plate. Apart from these things, your diet plan for PCOS weight loss should include the following types of foods.
⦁ You need to eat foods that come with a high percentage of natural fiber. Eating foods with natural fiber will help you to keep the body toxin-free. Nevertheless, you shall experience flawless bowel movement.
⦁ You need to eat foods that come with a high percentage of vitamins and minerals. Due to hormonal imbalance, vitamin and mineral deficiency often occurs.
⦁ You should find the foods that are enriched with important antioxidants. These antioxidants will help your body to fight with antibodies. As a result, your immune system will stay strong for a long time.
2. Foods That Come with Omega-3 Fatty Acid
PCOS victims should follow a proper diet plan for PCOS weight loss. For a perfect diet plan for PCOS, you need to learn about the foods that are important for your body. You should eat foods that come with a high percentage of Omega-3 fatty acids. This is known as good cholesterol. While bad cholesterol causes heart-related issues and blood pressure irregularity, good cholesterol leads to a healthy frame of the body. Your cholesterol level will stay normal and your heart will function properly when enough omega-3 fatty acid is present in your body. Moreover, it is important to adopt foods with Omega-3 Fatty Acid for diet plan for PCOS weight loss. Consumption of such foods will keep you away from obesity.
3. Load Your Stomach during Breakfast
To start your day healthily, you should not skip breakfast. Not just a healthy breakfast, you need a proper diet plan for weight loss in PCOS for the full day. However, breakfast is the most important meal that we consume. So, your breakfast items should include a lot of green vegetables. Eating salads of green vegetables is a good thing. You need to eat a lot of healthy things, avoiding a high percentage of oil and spices in your breakfast dishes. You need to fill your stomach properly at the time of breakfast, and that you should go minimal during the lunch. Your lunch should not be heavy, but healthy. For a diet plan for weight loss in PCOS, you should consult a dietician or nutritionist.
4. Lower down Carbohydrate Intake
For a proper diet plan for weight loss in PCOS, you need to minimize carbohydrate consumption. Consuming carbohydrates at a lower amount will help your body cells to utilize the accumulated fat to burn for producing energy. A low carbohydrate diet is always recommended for those who are already facing overweight issues. The occurrence of PCOS will enhance your weight further. As a result, your body will acquire several diseases. Organs will not function properly and bones will get weaker. So, you need to have a low carbohydrate diet plan for PCOS after consulting a dietician.
5. Avoid Overeating
When it comes to diet plan for PCOS, you should avoid overeating. Eating too much is not a good thing, as your digestive system cannot run the digestion process properly when your stomach is filled with a lot of foods. You should not keep your stomach empty, as that can lead to gastric problems. But, you must also practice the resistance against overeating. Certain foods, especially fast foods, trigger our appetite. This is a psychological thing, and you need to avoid this as much as possible. For a diet plan for PCOS to lose weight, you should avoid eating too much.
Foods to Eat for PCOS
If you have been diagnosed with PCOS, you need to follow a proper diet plan for PCOS to lose weight. So, first of all, you need to learn about the foods that you should consume. Certain foods are crucial to be consumed for PCOS victims. On the other hand, certain foods must be avoided, if you are a PCOS patient. At first, we should try to understand the foods that you can consume. Make sure that your diet plan for PCOS to lose weight should include the following food items.
⦁ You should consume the foods that come with a high percentage of natural fiber. Many vegetables have a good percentage of natural fibers. Apart from them, you should eat oatmeal for natural fiber.
⦁ You should consume foods that come with a high amount of omega-3 fatty acids. Such foods could be eggs, fishes, etc.
⦁ For a diet plan for PCOS, you should include various fruits in your daily dieting chart. Fruits are enriched with good nutrients, like vitamins, minerals, etc.
⦁ Green vegetables, like broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, Chinese cabbage, etc. should be consumed at large quantity.
⦁ Spinach has to be consumed regularly for acquiring important vitamins and minerals for your body.
⦁ Nuts will be good for the diet plan for PCOS. For example, you can consume nuts, like peanuts, almonds, pine nuts, etc.
⦁ Healthy fats, like olive oil and coconut oil, are good inclusions in your diet plan for PCOS.
Foods to Avoid for PCOS
For a diet plan for PCOS, you should also avoid certain food items. It is important to avoid the following foods at any cost when you are diagnosed with PCOS.
⦁ Packaged or frozen foods must be avoided by the victims of PCOS.
⦁ You should avoid the foods that cause physical discomfort, like acid reflux, heartburn, allergic reactions, etc.
⦁ Sugary beverages should be avoided as PCOS patients as they have the tendency to put on body weight in a short time span.
⦁ Excessive red meat consumption should be avoided by the victims of PCOS. Red meat causes heart problems, and PCOS patients have a natural tendency to face heart-related problems.
So, the final verdict is that PCOS is a disorder that can cause various psychical difficulties or complications for you. But, when you adopt a proper lifestyle and diet plan for PCOS, you can avoid certain risks. Proper dieting is important to stay fit and energetic.