Polycystic ovarian disease, more commonly known as polycystic ovarian syndrome or simply PCOS, is a condition where the ovaries develop clusters of cysts along the tissue of the outer walls. When this occurs, an abnormal amount of androgens is produced within the female body, causing a change in menstruation, infertility and often obesity. The amount of insulin produced by the pancreas coupled with your body's usage of the hormone is a likely contributor to the development of this condition, potentially making your diet a very important part of treatment for polycystic ovarian syndrome.
Dietary Changes
While certain medications like progesterone, metformin and even finasteride are used to treat symptoms of polycystic ovarian syndrome, your diet also plays an important role in preventing problems associated with this disorder, so start off by watching what you eat in both calories and content.
However, diet alone isn't the most effective method of treating PCOS. You should also incorporate some sort of fitness regimen into your daily life. Biking, walking and swimming are all great options for physical pursuits, so try to do at least 30 minutes of exercise around five times a week.
Calories
Since this condition is associated with weight gain, cut your caloric intake. By cutting the amount of calories you eat each day, you should see an improvement in your weight. The number of calories eliminated from your diet is really dependent on the person, but most women experience a reduction in weight by cutting anywhere between 250 and 300 calories from their meals on whole. This should decrease your weight around one pound per week, which is a very healthy number.
To find out exactly how many calories you should eat to lose weight, talk to a physician, dietician or weight loss professional. Most people in the medical field can help you establish the exact number of calories required for your diet.
Content
Once you've cut your caloric intake down to a healthy number, take a look at the actual foods you eat. Simple carbohydrates, processed foods and products containing refined sugars are some of the worst things you can put in your body while living with polycystic ovarian syndrome, so eliminate these items from your diet. Lean more toward complex carbohydrates like pastas, cereals and breads made from bran, wheat germ, barley, buckwheat and oats, all of which are considered whole grains, as well as certain vegetables like peas, potatoes, yams, corn and legumes.
You also should include those foods that are high in fiber like most fruits and vegetables. Include spinach, kale, bok choy, broccoli, green beans, beets, apples, blueberries, raspberries, bananas and avocado into your diet regimen. By including more fiber in your diet (as well as complex carbohydrates), the process of digestion lengthens, helping to regulate the usage of insulin and bring your glucose level down. This should balance your hormone levels and thereby help treat PCOS and its associated symptoms.
While complex carbohydrates and high-fiber foods are ideal, you also should make sure that your diet is well-balanced, so incorporate lean meats like poultry and fish as well as low-fat dairy products into your eating habits. Though these products may not do a lot to treat the condition, it is important to continue to eat the food groups.
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