Lifestyle diseases are on the rise of late and PCOS is surely one of them. Now, the easiest way to reverse a lifestyle disease is by changing what we do in our day to day lives. Our diets play a huge role in determining our overall health and this applies especially in the case of women who suffer from PCOS.
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We recently reached out to Ms Neha Premjee, the Founder and Creator of Ayurvedic Body Transformation to understand what a PCOS diet plan should look like. Here’s a lowdown:
What Is PCOS?
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PCOS is a very common hormonal disorder where people suffering from it get irregular or prolonged periods and an excess of male hormones. In this disorder, the ovaries get filled with a fluid which results in failure to release eggs at a regular interval. PCOS can affect a woman’s daily lifestyle. Apart from having irregular and painful menstrual periods, some symptoms also consist of acne-prone skin and the excess growth of facial hair. It raises the risk for a lot of other diseases such as diabetes and high blood pressure. Some women can also find it hard to get pregnant.
Having a proper PCOS diet plan is very important as it helps to keep weight and insulin production in check. But before that, here’s a list of foods that you should include and avoid in your PCOS diet:
Foods To Add (& Avoid) During PCOS
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Those looking for a PCOS diet plan for weight loss should start by researching a list of foods that are vital along with foods that need to be avoided. Here’s a list of foods that are always included in the best PCOS diet plans:
High Fibre Foods: High Fibre foods are very important to add to vegetarian PCOS diet plans. They help fight insulin resistance and reduce the effect of sugar on the blood. You need to focus on vegetables like cauliflower, broccoli, brussel sprouts, lettuce and all other sorts of green leafy vegetables. All of them are anti-inflammatory which makes them well-suited for PCOS patients.
Lentils: Lentils, pulses, beans, and legumes are very rich in fibre as well and need to be a part of your PCOS diet plan.
Nuts And Dry Fruits: Almonds, cashews, walnuts, pine nuts, pistachios, etc. are needed to add good fats to your diet. The overall focus should be on natural, unprocessed foods.
Fruits: Berries, sweet potatoes, blueberries, strawberries, grapes, cherries, apples, plums, etc also help a lot when it comes to fighting PCOS.
Fishes, meat, and seafood: Fatty fish and meats like sardines, seenghala, Mackerel, chicken, tofu, etc, are very nutritious.
Natural Spices: Indian Spices are antiseptic in nature. They have a plethora of health benefits, and hence turmeric, cinnamon, garlic, cardamom, etc are totally suggested to be a part of your PCOS diet plan.
What you eat makes a lot of difference when it comes to PCOS. Thus, while we should know what needs to be done to feel better, we should also be well-versed with things not to do when you have PCOS.
Avoiding some food items is also necessary for living a healthy and better life. This is why bread, baked cakes and cookies, crackers, pasta, and food items made from refined white flour are strictly prohibited in PCOD diet plan, Indian or otherwise.
PCOS Diet Plan
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Here’s a detailed PCOS diet plan designed specially by Ms Neha Premjee, an Ayurvedic weight control expert:
Meal 1(After Waking Up)
Add grated Amla in one glass of water and make juice out of it. It will work as an antioxidant and will help in building nutrition in the body.
Meal 2 (30 mins after meal 1)
A handful of nuts including almonds, walnuts or pistachios (10 pieces).
Exercise for 10 minutes
Meal 3 (After the Exercise)
Have sugar less masala tea. It is an antioxidant and contains nutrients which are beneficial for heart health, and bone health and increase overall body health.
Method– Have 1 cup of tea with 2-3 smashed bits of ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, and clove. Do not mix sugar.
Meal 4: (After 30 Minutes of Having Tea)
Eggs + Green Leafy Vegetables such as broccoli, bell peppers, mushrooms, etc. + Fruits like Pomegranate, citrus fruits, apples, etc.
Meal 5 (Lunch)
You can have 1 cup rice + 1/2 cup Dal + Palak sabzi + 1/2 cup curd (no salt) and chopped cucumber.
Meal 6 (Evening snack)
A cup of Chai (without sugar and milk) + brown rice flakes (Poha) ¼ cup+ 10-12 peanuts.
Meal 7 (Dinner)
1 bowl of Chicken stew + 1 bowl of Mixed Vegetables + 1 bowl of Mixed Salads + Curd.
Also Read
Difference between PCOS and PCOD: Here is everything you need to know about the most common lifestyle diseases, their symptoms and the difference between PCOS and PCOD.
Lastly, do not forget to drink tulsi and ajwain water between and after your meals while following this diet plan for weight loss. Try this PCOS diet plan and let us know how it worked out for you.
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