Learn how you can lose weight, gain energy, and improve your quality of life through dietary improvements . Small changes can make a big difference in living with PCOS. Start your journey with our FREE guide and see what else we have to offer!
If you have been diagnosed with PCOS, an improved diet can help relieve your symptoms:
Each case of PCOS is different and its causes are not fully understood.
Your doctor will administer tests to determine if you have PCOS. If you are diagnosed with the condition, work with your doctor and a nutritionist for PCOS to make lifestyle changes to continue to live a normal life.
If you are looking for the quick and dirty on a PCOS diet, here are the key facts Nutritionists for PCOS want you to know
PCOS is a condition that causes a hormonal imbalance in women of reproductive age. Each woman's PCOS symptoms are unique. Many studies have explored the link between blood sugar, insulin, and PCOS. Here's what science has taught us:
Team up with your Primary Care Physician, OB/GYN, Endocrinologist and Nutritionists for PCOS!
Start with your Primary Care Physicianand OB/GYN. Be prepared to discuss your signs and symptoms, as well as your family's reproductive medical history.If they believe that your condition may be PCOS, ask them to refer you to an endocrinologist. Endocrinologists specialize in hormone-related disorders.
Your Primary Care Physician, OB/GYN and Endocrinologist will conduct a symptom assessment and review your blood work to check hormone levels and make a diagnosis. Your OB/GYN may also perform an ultrasound on your ovaries to detect cysts or follicles symptomatic of PCOS.
If it turns out that you do have PCOS, consider working with a nutritionist for PCOS to build an eating routine that will alleviate symptoms. Whether it be for increasing your energy, losing weight, or infertility linked to PCOS, a dietitian is a valuable part of your care team.
Take your reading on the go and download the PDF, then grab your 7-day meal plan complete with easy-to-follow recipes and shopping lists, and if you would like more delicious and nutritious PCOS recipes check out our "PCOS More Than Just Recipes Book".
Working with a dietitian for PCOS to promote healthy eating habits can alleviate your PCOS symptoms.
Research suggests lifestyle change to be the FIRST line of treatment for women dealing with PCOS. Women who achieve weight loss of as little as 5-10% of their body weight experience a significant improvement in ovulation rates. Before speaking with our PCOS dietitians to build a PCOS Diet, discuss your specific diagnosis and treatment plan with your doctor in detail. Bring all of this information to our PCOS dietitians so that we can build a PCOS Diet tailored specifically to you. We may also incorporate PCOS supplements into your plan. Our recommendations will vary depending on the presence and severity of your specific symptoms.
Click HERE to learn more about high quality carbohydrates, and how to use the Glycemic Index to choose carbohydrates that will help stabilize your blood sugar.
Vitamins and Minerals Important for PCOS Symptom Relief and Food Sources
Many people try fad diets as a way to alleviate their PCOS symptoms. But should they?
People who suffer from inflammation caused by lactose, gluten, or soy will find advantages to following dairy-free, gluten-free, or soy-free PCOS diets. However, in regards to a PCOS diet, no scientific data currently exists to support restricting or avoiding entire food groups or specific items to improve symptoms.
We know that to improve PCOS symptoms, it helps to lose 5-10% of your body weight and and exercise regularly. Your dietitian will be able to work with you to determine a specific PCOS diet to optimize your health.
Vegan diets consist of eating grains, vegetables, and fruits. If following a vegan diet for PCOS symptom management is an option for you, it is imperative to include high quality carbohydrates that do not exceed 45% of your daily food intake.
Because vegan diets consist of vitamin- and mineral-rich whole foods, it can be tremendously useful in alleviating PCOS symptoms. Research has shown that following a proper vegan diet can improve ovulation, regulate menstruation, and reduce risk for future conditions associated with PCOS, such as type 2 diabetes. Speak with our dietitians and nutritionists to ensure you are eating a nutritionally sound vegan diet to reduce weight and manage PCOS symptoms.
The Ketogenic Diet, (Keto) is a special high-fat, low carbohydrate diet designed to control seizures in individuals diagnosed with epilepsy. In recent pop culture, the Keto diet is viewed as a quick weight loss solution. Because the Keto diet is an extremely strict, nutritionally unbalanced diet, we do not recommended it for PCOS management. In order to create a lifetime of nutritionally sound habits, follow the advice of your dietitian to manage you PCOS. Avoid the Keto diet.
We do not recommend Intermittent Fasting for long term PCOS symptom relief. If you have PCOS, it is very important to consume multiple small meals throughout the day. This approach will allow your insulin levels to self-regulate and remain balanced. If you are intermittent fasting, your large meals cause Hyperinsulinemia (excess insulin in blood). Hyperinsulinemia increases androgen production, increasing the clinical effects of PCOS!
