Medicosnext
PCOS can be managed with our Nepali way of eating. Yes, in our own kitchens! Core solution to PCOS is a paradigm shift in lifestyle habits, and when you go about doing that, make sure to bring a change in your cultural eating habits.
Before it’s too late, figure if you are at a risk of PCOS—polycystic ovarian syndrome. Up to four out of ten ladies have PCOS, yet many are not aware about it. PCOS can cause infertility and increase the danger of developing diabetes and coronary disease; however, it can be managed by bringing lifestyle changes.
What is PCOS?
PCOS is a hormonal disorder whose symptoms may differ from woman to woman. These include:
1. Irregular menstrual periods
2. Hirsutism (excess hair growth on areas like chin, chest, and abdomen)
3. Androgenic alopecia (male pattern balding)
4. Infertility or reduced fertility
5. Acne
6. Obesity
7. Risk of miscarriage
Many women look for treatment for these indications, yet wait for a while without being diagnosed, as they don’t believe their symptoms to be connected, rather looking for treatment for them one at a time.
For instance, a client of mine faced major hair fall issue. She just thought that she was losing her hair due to her being overweight, but that was male pattern balding due to hormonal imbalance in the body, and she was diagnosed with PCOS.
Causes of PCOS?
Exactly why this syndrome develops remains unknown, and there may be a number of different reasons. But, for the majority of women, it is caused by high levels of insulin in the bloodstream. This condition, known as insulin resistance, is due to insensitivity of a person’s body to the hormone insulin, which is produced by the pancreas to help regulate blood glucose levels. Because the insulin they’re producing does not work effectively, their body needs to produce increasing amounts to keep the blood glucose levels under control.
Unfortunately, these high levels of insulin circulating in the blood can cause many health problems, including PCOS. This is because high insulin levels act on the ovaries to increase production of male hormones, which disrupt the normal ovulation cycle and cause many of the symptoms of PCOS. This link also means that women with PCOS are at an increased risk of developing health problems like impaired glucose tolerance (pre-diabetes), gestational diabetes (diabetes during pregnancy), type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. The good news is that, by improving insulin resistance, many of the problems of PCOS are resolved, or at least improved. And, lifestyle changes can go a long way towards improving insulin resistance.
Why are women with PCOS likely to gain weight?
A recent study found that women with PCOS had a significantly lower basal metabolic rate (BMR) than women without PCOS, meaning they burn less energy, even at rest. This could explain why women with PCOS are more likely to be overweight and seem to find it harder to lose weight.
Managing PCOS
For women with PCOS, it has been found that treating insulin resistance can significantly improve all or most of the symptoms associated with PCOS by reducing male hormone levels and restoring ovulation. Treating insulin resistance will also help to reduce the long-term risks of diabetes and heart disease. Insulin resistance can be improved with lifestyle modifications, including diet, exercise, and weight loss. Medication may also be needed, but is only effective if used in combination with lifestyle changes. Lifestyle changes with even small amounts of weight loss have been shown to:
1. Reduce insulin levels
2. Improve menstrual function
3. Reduce male hormone levels
4. Improve symptoms of hirsutism and acne
5. Restore ovulation
6. Increase fertility in women with PCOS
Your healthy eating plan should be combined with regular exercise, aiming for at least 30 to 40 minutes of activity on most days. It is best to include a combination of both aerobic exercise (such as walking, running, or dancing) and resistance (lifting weights). A number of studies have now shown that lifting weights and doing high intensity interval training can improve insulin sensitivity and assist with weight loss.
What to do?
You can do improve this with lifestyle modifications—changing your diet, starting or increasing exercise, and losing excess weight. Medication may also be needed, but is only effective if used in combination with healthy living. Metformin, a drug commonly used by people with type 2 diabetes, is now being widely used to treat women with PCOS.
What you eat is the key!
The impact of weight loss on reducing PCOS symptoms is significant—a reduction of just 5−10 percent of bodyweight has been shown to reduce insulin and testosterone levels; improve hirsutism and acne symptoms; improve menstrual function; and restore ovulation and increase fertility. Also, when insulin resistance is the underlying problem, women with PCOS need to focus on lowering their insulin levels and improve their body’s sensitivity to it. The best eating plan to do this is to include food low in saturated fat and high in fiber, as well as carbohydrates that have a low glycemic index (GI).
How to eat well to manage PCOS through Nepali way of eating
A.
Limiting intake of saturated and trans fats choosing lean meats and poultry, eating more fish and legumes, choosing low fat dairy products, and avoiding high fat snack foods and fast foods.
Like:
1. Chicken curry
2. Fish curry
3. Chicken choila
4. Channa chuira with eggs for snacks
5. Maash ko daal
B.
Choosing healthy fats from foods.
Like:
1. Walnuts
2. Almonds
3. Homemade ghee
4. Egg yolks
5. Buttermik (mohi)
c.
Basing meals around high-fiber, low GI carbohydrate foods.
Like:
1. Phaphar ko roti
2. Kodo/ makai ko dhido
3. Gau ko chyakla
4. Fiber- chamsur, rayo ko saag
5. Gedagudi
D.
Balancing your plate at meals with half non-starchy vegetables and salads, one-quarter lean protein, and one quarter low GI high fiber carbs, including whole grains, legumes, and starchy vegetables.
E.
Eating small regular meals and snacks across the day, and avoiding eating big meals to prevent large rises in blood glucose and insulin levels.
F.
Adding antioxidants and anti-inflammatory foods like pinch of cinnamon and turmeric to your food.
PCOS is a chronic disease and represents a major health and economic burden. No one is quite sure what causes this syndrome. It is a result of both genetic and environmental factors. PCOS refers to the enlarged ovaries that contain tiny cysts. Women dealing with the challenges of PCOS should banish negative self-talk and self-critical thoughts and start treating themselves as a worthwhile person to improve self-esteem. Stop taking too much of stress, which could be a main cause of PCOS. Overall, further research is necessary for this complex condition. Scientists are trying to better understand this disorder, which is defined as excess production of male hormones, irregular ovulation, and cyst.
When it comes to being on a certain meal plan, it’s also a calorie in and calorie out game. The key to betterment is eating in moderation and being consistent with your lifestyle.
