Eating for PCOS

First things first. No two people are the same..and so what works for someone else may not necessarily work for you and vice versa. Taking the time to find what foods work for you as opposed to against you, whilst trying to include as many food groups as possible is what you should be aiming for.

What I can say is - don't fear carbohydrates. Good quality whole sources of carbohydrates are good and beneficial for the body. Sugar on the other hand should be avoided (especially foods containing high fructose corn syrup). If diagnosed with insulin resistant PCOS, quit sugar. This means removing fruit juices, dates, sweetened yogurts and high sugar foods and aiming for about 25 gams of fructose or less per day. This smaller amount is healthy and actually improves insulin sensitivity. Avoid deserts– they contain too much fructose and wreak havoc on your blood sugars and insulin levels. Eat fruit instead, 3 pieces of fruit per day is the limit. I am not a huge fan of Stevia (sweetener) as there have been some studies to show that it can cause leaky gut syndrome, however if you have a serious sweet tooth - use Stevia temporarily.

If diagnosed with Insulin Resistant PCOS, quit sugar!

The Ketogenic Diet

There is some evidence that the Ketogenic diet has positive effects for those with PCOS.

What does this diet involve?

Lots of protein and fats and being quite restrictive on carbohydrates (you are essentially flipping your bodies main energy consumption from carbs to fat).

This approach can help with insulin resistance which is something that women with PCOS experience. It can however be very restrictive, and you will not be able to eat certain vegetables that have many other important nutrients and fibre necessary for a healthy diet. It can also cause unnecessary anxiety if you are constantly trying to eat in such a restrictive manner. This type of low residue diet may not get you the fibre that you need.

Why does this matter?

Fibre is so important for women and how we actually get rid of excess oestrogen. Don't underestimate a good 'poo'

Removing a lot of fibre can affect your gut microbiome and cause bad breath, nausea and constipation. Fibre is so important for women and how we actually get rid of excess oestrogen, therefore if you are not getting enough fibre - you are not getting rid of this excess estrogen. Most of us don't actually eat enough fibre so we're all guilty of it. Coffee and tea can make you poop more regularly leading you to believe that you may be getting enough fibre however, this is not the same and does not have the same positive affects on the body as wholesome fibre does.

If you have PCOS you are naturally more oestrogen dominant as you are not ovulating and not making progesterone. Fibroids and endometriosis are also driven by oestrogen and can contribute to pre-menstrual syndrome (PMS). It's important to help your body to eliminate these excess hormones and waste products - fibre does that for you.

Mediterranean Diet

This diet can be much easier to stick do. Nothing needs to be entirely avoided and it's a consistently achievable way to eat. It contains lots of different sources of healthy fats as well as whole grain carbohydrates and proteins.

Remember: Female hormones are all made from fats (cholesterol). Good sources are nuts, healthy oils and fish which can provide you with the building blocks necessary for healthy hormone production.

The low fat diet is actually not as healthy as some people are still led to believe, especially for women with PCOS. These low fat products often have additional sugars added which will actually affect your blood sugars and insulin resistance. Health fats are important as all female hormones are based upon fat (yes I know!). We used to be fearful of fats but ladies, fat is our friend. Healthy fat that is. Good sources are oily fish, nuts, avocados, chia seeds, olive oil and eggs. There are also lots of phytonutrients in different vegetables which are good for your health.

There is a spectrum of complications with PCOS. Endometrial cancer is associated with PCOS (a 2-3 times increased risk). If you are not shedding your lining this cancer risk is increased. With PCOS, the goal is to ovulate and shed the endometrial lining every month and having regular cycles. Small changes in diet can in fact influence the hormonal balance and re-start normal menstrual cycles and reduce this cancer risk. Therefore, diet is important and its affects should not be underestimated.

Tip: Keep sugar levels under control

~Remove refined carbs

~Remove highly caloric foods and nutrient poor foods (eg. fizzy drinks, cakes)

~Increase the amount of vegetables in the diet

~Increase healthy fats (nuts, avocados, oily fish)

It is more problematic to become a faddy dieter as this will cause 'yo-yo' eating (we don't want this) and cause even more problems with insulin and blood sugar levels. Find what works for you so that you will be able to sustain and be consistent for your over all health.

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