Diet: Stop Counting Calories and Start Losing Weight!

The Short Story About PCOS and Difficulty Losing Weight. We know you’re in a hurry!

Overview

Is weight an important part of PCOS?

Your Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome diagnosis has most likely been accompanied by some weight gain. For many women, weight gain is a symptom of the condition and is one of the most frustrating side effects that they have to endure (in addition to other symptoms of having polycystic ovaries). Carrying around extra pounds cannot only be exhausting—it can be embarrassing and can take a huge hit on your self-esteem. To make matters worse, you probably have not had too much success with trendy diets or even fad exercise routines. Women with this condition often react differently to certain foods, and for this reason it is crucial that you abide by a well-balanced and healthy diet when fighting PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome)

But weight gain is not the only reason that you should watch your diet if you have this condition. This syndrome is strongly influenced by Insulin Resistance , and PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome) can frequently be alleviated or even reversed by following the proper lifestyle, and the right diet is a huge component of treating the condition regardless of if you experience weight gain or not.

PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome) or PCOD (Polycystic Ovarian Disorder). is influenced by Insulin Resistance , which is when your body isn’t able to convert glucose into energy. This can lead to fatigue, high blood sugar, Type 2 Diabetes, and weight gain. To combat it, exclude processed foods, simple carbohydrates, and sugars and develop a PCOS Diet Plan includes complex carbohydrates, fruits, and vegetables. However, it’s a good idea not to jump right into it, as the excitement of a new diet may wear off and have you reverting to old ways. Instead, gradually introduce it; don’t force yourself to eat foods you don’t like, and find support from others who suffer from PCOS.

Causes

What is Insulin Resistance and How Does it Cause PCOS?

Insulin Resistance occurs when your body’s cells do not respond to insulin, which acts like a key to the cell that will then allow glucose enter the cell. Without the use of insulin, your body will not convert glucose into energy as it should, which can cause you to feel very tired and to have high blood sugar. In fact, for this reason, Insulin Resistance also presents a higher risk factor for developing Type 2 Diabetes.

Insulin is a hormone, and when the hormones in your body become imbalanced, they can create several different conditions. PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome) occurs when your body creates too many androgens, or male hormones, than it should. When this happens, you experience the many symptoms that are associated with this condition.

To make matters worse, having excess glucose floating through your body can cause the weight gain that you may be experiencing. Because this weight gain is not caused by inactivity, but is rather the product of your body’s interaction with certain substances in foods, it makes sense that simply exercising to lose the weight will not be as effective in the long run. When it comes to PCOS Weight Loss, sticking to a diet that reduces the effects of Insulin Resistance is imperative.

Obviously, then, what you eat is of key importance when combating Insulin Resistance and PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome) . By abiding by the right diet, you can minimize the amount of glucose that you consume, thus reducing the impact that your Insulin Resistance has on your wellbeing.

Symptoms

What are the signs of PCOS?

You might have noticed symptoms of polycystic ovary syndrome following the start of your first period or maybe health issues started later on in your twenties or thirties. These symptoms differ from woman to women but to be diagnosed with polycystic ovarian syndrome you need to have at least two of the following issues:

  • Male pattern baldness
  • Excessive hair growth
  • Irregular periods
  • Absent periods
  • Ovarian cysts
  • Heavy or prolonged periods
  • Infertility
  • Weight gain
  • Menstrual pain
  • Fluid retention
  • Darkening of the skin
  • Fatigue
  • Mood swings
  • Acne not associated with puberty

It is important to get an early diagnosis because PCOS can lead to type 2 diabetes, infertility, heart disease, endometrial cancer, high blood pressure and breast cancer.

Natural Therapies

What is the Best Diet for Someone with PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome)?

Your body is unique; it reacts to certain foods, vitamins, and other substances in its own way. This being said, it is only natural that finding the “perfect” PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome) diet will require a bit of trial and error on your part as specific foods can influence your metabolism and hormones. However, you are not on your own to figure out which foods you should attempt to avoid and which you should welcome into your diet.

Because Insulin Resistance is a key factor in many cases of PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome) , you will naturally want to avoid foods that require a higher level of insulin to digest. This means to cut down on the refined foods, the processed foods, and the simple carbohydrates, as well as any foods that are too high in sugar. Of course, cutting these foods out of your diet completely may be difficult, but at least making the effort to cut back on them can make a real difference in your health.

Foods to Avoid:

  • Processed foods. Fast food, already prepared meals, and other processed foods contain higher levels of preservatives, sugars, sodium, and often carbohydrates than fresh foods. Not only will scaling back your consumption of processed meals help your PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome) , it can protect your heart by keeping your cholesterol down. Since women with PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome) are at a higher risk for coronary heart disease than those that are not, this is a very important aspect of your diet.
  • Simple carbohydrates. When the body breaks down a carbohydrate, it turns the glucose of the food into energy, with the help of insulin. If you have Insulin Resistance , this process is inhibited by your cells, which will not allow insulin to perform their job. Simple carbohydrates are higher in sugars then their complex counterparts, thanks in part to the refining process. This being said, you should avoid the white bread and pasta and lean toward whole grain products. Replacing carbohydrates with protein also helps by improving weight loss and glucose metabolism, one study shows.
  • Sugar. You may think that sugar is necessary to keeping your energy level up, but this is a myth that many people have mistaken for fact. Sugar does not provide sustainable energy and will only make you feel worse when its effects wear off. Instead of consuming sugar to keep yourself going, which is counteractive to the battle you are waging on your PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome), you should maintain a well-balanced PCOS Diet Plan that provides the vitamins and minerals your body needs to keep going strong throughout the day.

Foods to Eat:

  • Complex carbohydrates. Full of fiber, complex carbohydrates can give you more energy, improve your digestion, help you lose weight, stabilize your blood sugar, and make you feel better about yourself and your body in general. A rule of thumb when choosing your carbohydrates is to look at the glycemic index. The lower the glycemic level, the better the food is for your PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome) .
  • Fruits. Naturally sweet and packed with vitamins, seasonal, fresh fruits are a great alternative to processed desserts. Anytime you want to satisfy a sweet tooth without sacrificing your PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome) -friendly diet, pick up a piece of fruit!
  • Vegetables. Fresh vegetables are a great source of both fiber and an array of vitamins. When incorporated into your diet, veggies can increase your overall wellbeing while helping you fight back against your PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome) .

Keep in mind the fact that fruits, vegetables, and whole grains all have carbohydrates, but that by choosing those lowest on the glycemic index you will be able to create a PCOS Diet Plan that can help you along your journey toward better health. Sticking to it — as well as exercising — will better manage your symptoms, especially when you “focus on fat quality and quantity and carbohydrate modification.”6 Overall, you are looking to create a diet that is low in fat, simple carbohydrates, and sugars while retaining moderate levels of fiber-rich complex carbohydrates, such as vegetables and some whole grain and fruit.

Tweaking Your New Diet
Battling PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome) with an arsenal of healthy foods is a motivating thought, and you may find it very easy to stick to your PCOS Diet for a few days or so; however, if you do not listen to your body and tweak your approach you will soon become bored with the foods you eat and dissatisfied with your attempt to revamp your lifestyle. The natural result of these negative feelings is to revert back to your previous diet, which will not help you in your fight for your health.

When tweaking your diet you should consider several things.

  1. Big changes are difficult. You may find it tough to overhaul your entire diet overnight, as it is a major lifestyle change. Instead of miserably adhering to your new diet, try to implement one change per week, gradually building your new lifestyle and learning how to choose and prepare the right foods along the way.
  2. You will not eat what you do not like. No matter how good a certain food is for your battle against PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome) , you will not continue to eat it unless you enjoy it. To expand your collection of recipes, try tweaking your favorites with new ingredients and incorporating the fruits and vegetables you love into recipes you may not originally care for.
  3. Support is your greatest ally. Finding a PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome) support group is the first step in surrounding yourself with women that understand your struggles and can help you through them. With the encouragement and advice of other women that are fighting PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome) you can learn more about your condition, about the foods you should be eating to improve your health, and about the best ways to overcome the challenges that you will undoubtedly face while adhering to your new diet.

Making Your New Diet Stick
The key to utilizing dietary and other lifestyle changes to combat PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome) is to be consistent. Shuffling back and forth between your old diet and your newer, healthier lifestyle will not help your body heal and it will make you physically and emotionally exhausted. Though making these big lifestyle changes can be difficult, it will be much easier to stick to your new diet if you have the support of loved ones and other Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome sufferers. By listening to your body and learning what works best to minimize the trouble that your Insulin Resistance causes, you will be able to succeed at implementing your new diet and fighting back against your condition!

Treatment Options

What are other treatment options for PCOS?

The management of PCOS can include medication if other treatments are not proving effective for you. There are many feasible choices with regard to drug treatment options so it is essential to examine the benefits, side effects and drug contradictions associated with each choice and discuss with your doctor what the best option is for you.

Some common treatment options for PCOS are:

  • Oral contraceptives: This can be the first and most common method used to regulate the menstrual cycle. These pills are available in a range of types that contain a combination of hormones, usually estrogen plus progesterone or just progesterone. You need to go over with your doctor precisely what you want to see when taking this drug before beginning a cycle.
  • Metformin (Glucophage): Metformin is a drug which was produced for type-2 diabetics which increases insulin levels while controlling blood sugar. Since Insulin Resistance influences polycystic ovarian syndrome this drug is utilized to treat PCOS also with successful outcomes. Metformin appears to minimize PCOS symptoms and frequently helps normalize male hormone levels as well as and the menstrual cycle.
  • Male hormone blockers: These are generally used in combination with birth control pills to minimize unpleasant PCOS symptoms related to high levels of androgens. Birth control must be used in combination with these blockers due to the fact the blockers can cause birth defects in male fetuses. Some common choices of male hormone blockers are flutamide, finasteride and spironolactone.

PCOS and Insulin Resistance
What is an influence of PCOS’s debilitating, variable symptoms such as weight gain, infertility, acne, baldness, and even trouble with breastfeeding? The answer is Insulin Resistance or IR. The key to improving your health is gaining an understanding of the underlying cause of PCOS, Insulin Resistance , and taking action to reverse it.

Want to learn more about Insulin Resistance and its effects on your body?

SUPPLEMENTATION OPTIONS

PCOS Treatment from Insulite Laboratories
Check out our other resources at Insulite Health. We are pioneers in natural, lifestyle?based remedies for PCOS and other conditions related to Insulin Resistance . You will find educational resources, blog, forum and support groups, and our natural PCOS System ? invaluable in your journey back to optimal health!

Insulite Health is committed to helping you feel better and possibly reversing your PCOS. We take this commitment very seriously.

Resources:

www.mayoclinic.com/health/polycystic-ovary-syndrome/DS00423/DSECTION=lifestyle-and-home-remedies

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22288821

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22158730

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21629269


Next Steps

  1. Take the PCOS Quiz!  Get your score and assess your hormone health risks.
  2. Join our Facebook Sisterhood Group Pose your questions to this group of like-minded women. Get the answers to your questions and the support you need.
  3. Checkout the Hormone Reset. Guided Practices to eliminate anxiety, lose weight and boost energy.

We are committed to helping women reverse their symptoms of hormone imbalance – a major cause of excess weight gain, adult acne, unwanted facial hair, depression, anxiety, and heartbreaking female infertility.

©Insulite Health empowers women with hormone imbalance to transform their lives through a process of healing with the Natural Hormone Solution  –a complete solution for helping women reverse the symptoms hormone imbalance..