PCOS Management: Nutritionist Tells Why You Should Consume Healthy Fats If You Have Polycystic Ovaries

Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is a condition that affects women during their reproductive age. PCOS can lead to symptoms like weight gain, irregular periods, acne, hair fall and more. If not managed well, PCOS further leads to infertility, mental health issues and increased risk of conditions like type-2 diabetes and heart disease. It is important to make necessary changes in diet and lifestyle to beat the complications linked with PCOS. Maintaining healthy body weight is one of the major prevention steps that need to be followed along with making healthier choices. In this article, here are some PCOS management tips you should know.

PCOS management: Follow these tips

Celebrity nutritionist Munmun Ganeriwal took to Instagram to share some tips. She mentions about the vital role of lifestyle modifications in her post. She further adds that lowering body fat and better insulin-sensitive also improves this condition. Here are some other tips the nutritionist shared-

1. Diet changes-

Eat a nourishing diet that is loaded with seasonal and fresh homemade meals.

Add foods with a low glycemic index to your diet. Foods with a low GI help in ensuring better blood sugar levels. Highly processed carbs generally have a high GI score. So, eat rotis, doa, rice, paratha and other less processed forms of carbs.

Also read: Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: 5 Superfoods Which Can Help You Fight PCOD Effectively

Add healthy fats to your diet. "Adding fat to a carb-rich diet lowers the overall GI of a meal. Fat slows stomach emptying, delaying the process of converting food to blood sugar. More the fat, the slower the sugars ('carbs') are digested and lower is the GI. Spread a generous amount of white butter on roti/ parathas, don't miss coconut chutney when eating idli/ dosa and do add a spoonful of ghee to hot, fluffy rice," Ganeriwal writes.

Protein should also be a part of your PCOS diet. Adding protein to the above-advised meal further reduces the GI impact of the carbs you are consuming. The right combination helps the body slow down the rate at which the body releases sugar from the food consumed. Example- eat a bowl of curd with butter paratha, sambar with idli chutney and dal or egg curry to rice and ghee.

2. Exercise-

The nutritionist has stressed on the benefits of strength training several times. She mentions that it can also help patients with PCOS. Add strength training to the workout regimen to improve insulin sensitivity. "Strength training improves how the body uses insulin and allows glucose to get around the body better. Weight training at least twice a week brings about hormonal vibrancy."

Also read: PCOS Diet: Do's And Don'ts You Must Follow

3. Fix your sleep cycle-

A healthy sleep cycle promotes hormonal balance. Exercising will also help you ensure better sleep. Fix a sleep schedule to regulate your wake and sleep cycle.

(Munmun Ganeriwal is a Nutritionist, Fitness Expert and Yoga Teacher at Mumbai)

Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.