What to eat if you have PCOS?
Hi everyone, hope everyone survived the week and to those in Sydney, stay safe! We are still in lockdown and it's been hard to stay at home doing nothing!
I wanted to write about my PCOS diet and what works for me. I have been taking care of my diet for a long time now especially after being diagnosed with PCOS. I have been able to maintain a consistent weight over the past 10 years and having good diet has certainly helped me minimize some of the PCOS symptoms.
It's amazing how things like food never affected you growing up and is now the number 1 factor in your daily decisions and when you buy groceries for the week. What should I eat?
We all know that PCOS can also lead to serious health challenges, such as diabetes, cardiovascular problems, depression, and increased risk of endometrial cancer. We also know that having a good diet helps reduce the impact of PCOS and potentially some of these health issues.
For a start, these are some of the foods I have learned to avoid knowing that I have PCOS. After I started consuming less of these, I definitely noticed improvements in my mood, energy levels and having less breakouts.
Refined carbohydrates, basically anything that is white or made from white flour! White bread, pasta, cakes, sweets, snacks, instant noodles
Fried foods, such as fast food. Yes, it's time to cut down on McDonalds, KFC, Dominos, Pizza hut etc
Sugary beverages, such as sodas and energy drinks
Processed meats, such as sausages, and luncheon meats
Excess red meat, such as steaks, hamburgers, and pork
I started incorporating more of these foods below in my day-to-day diet and it's been a game changer! I am feeling more energetic, sleeping better and this diet have also helped regulate my periods.
I normally start my day with a nutritious and healthy muesli mix consisting of rolled oats, nuts, pepitas, and sultanas with a hint of cinnamon. I'll have this with a splash of almond or soy milk!
2-3 servings of fatty fish per week; my favorites are grilled salmon and canned tunas
3 servings of salad per week; my go-to are coleslaw, a kale mix salad and 4 leaves salad
Healthful fats, such as avocados. Yum!
A daily cup of spearmint tea. Research shows it helps lower testosterone levels and helps with hirsutism
Fruits of your choice. I love persimmons, cherries, oranges, berries and bananas
and...who said you can't have dessert? My favorite is Cadbury's Old Gold Dark Chocolate Almond
There you go folks! Let me know what you think and what are some of your healthy favorite food?