Blog

Dietician Sheela Seharawat

pcod diets

If you are suffering from PCOD and having no clue how to get rid of its challenging symptoms then get back to your diet as it the best resort to heal your body, improve your condition and move ahead in life.

As you know PCOD is a disease that disturbs the balance of hormones, insulin, cortisol, testosterone, progesterone, estrogen and thyroid and as they come to a normal level the PCOD symptoms start to come to an end and body becomes normal.

Healthy eating during PCOD means consuming food in its most natural state as processed and refined food can affect the hormonal levels of your body. However, the first challenge is to know and diagnose PCOD with one single test as symptoms can vary from woman to woman. Early diagnosis is important in order to save yourself from the incurable diseases or health challenges such as insulin resistance, Type 2 Diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol level, heart disease, etc.

As doctors have no idea about its origin and the way it gets into the body so it is very difficult to think about its complete cure but based on the symptoms and tests this disease can be predicted and so treatment is there in order to control its further growth when possible.

Diet and lifestyle change that includes exercise and healthy eating are some of the most important ways to treat and control this disease.

Actually scientists and doctors are working and trying to connect the bits and pieces in order to understand the body condition when this disease is possible and that can surely leave you in havoc and help you to understand the severity of this disease.

But before that let us have a look at some noted facts that have put this disease to the central attention of the world:

It can start with the early puberty as a girl starts to see the sexual changes in her body.
It gives no symptoms and can remain in the body at the early stage.
Gradually, it changes and affects your whole body and can increase the chance of getting several incurable diseases.
It is the biggest reason for infertility in women. Nearly 18% of Indian women are suffering from this disease.
This disease goes long undetected as nearly more than 5 million women just in the USA are suffering from it and some of them are still undetected.
It makes drastic changes in the mood of a woman. It further adds depression.
It follows the heredity i.e. if mother once had it then there is a chance that her daughter can also have this complication.
There is nothing like only obese women can have this problem, in fact, a slim looking woman can also have this problem. However, 80% of PCOD patients are obese. In nearly 40% of cases, patients were fat at the abdominal.
There is nothing like fixed symptoms however there are several symptoms. That is why it varies from women to women, case to case. And these symptoms are so subtle that people can ignore them very easily and consider them as something very normal at this young age – for example, oily skin, too much dandruff.
As it is very difficult to predict who the patient of PCOD is or not so scientist needed to take out-most care and their studies have found that if a certain medical condition is prevailing in the body they can lead to PCOD, which are:

Formation of cysts in the body; there are several types of cysts in the body and most are not dangerous but polycystic formations are the dangerous ones.
Fatty Liver:
Abnormal vaginal bleeding
Uterine cancer
Blood Pressure
Insulin resistance
Obesity and childhood obesity
Dandruff
Miscarriage etc.
Only detailed tests and medical history can help you to know the exact state of disease and according to that, your diet plan can be created. Diet is one of the most dependable ways of controlling and minimizing the symptoms. It is very important to check your obesity as it is important to remove it. You require a well planned low GI weight loss diet, regular exercise, and active lifestyle.

As women are insulin resistant or have endocrine dysfunction during PCOD so weight gain is a very natural side effect. The simple 1200 calories weight loss diet plan is not effective. It is very important to take care of glucose levels while the patient is taking their food as high insulin levels promote fat storage in the body.

Their diet plan includes green leafy vegetables and fruits. Such vegetables are rich in calcium, iron, potassium, magnesium and also have vitamins such as K, C, and E. Vitamin B especially B2, B3, b5, and B6 helps your sugar and fat metabolism, improves thyroid functions and helps in keeping hormonal balance and improving fertility.

It is also important to include colorful vegetables as they are full of antioxidants that reduce the harmful effects of oxidative stress in women who have PCOD. The best examples are red and yellow bell peppers, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, carrots eggplant, etc.

Fruits are definitely the most important part of your diet plan however insulin issues can crop problems in your glucose level so intake will be there but small quantity as it is a rich source of phytonutrients, vitamins, minerals, and fibers. The low GI fruits such as lime, strawberries, apricot, grapes, cantaloupe, guava, pear, oranges, watermelon, blueberries, nectarines, apples, kiwi, etc. are a good source of protein too and don’t increase the sugar level in blood.

Like that there are many such eatables which they can eat still there are some which they can’t like dairy products. PCOD patients ought not to take milk. They are supposed to avoid milk as it can increase testosterone levels and that can be risky, so they need to avoid cheese, yogurt, butter, and other milk products as much as possible.

There are many things that your dietitians and nutritionists know and understand well and can guide you well. Our dietary teams and dietitians are well experienced in helping many patients with PCOD and anyone who likes to know more can contact us and get our help.