Polycystic ovarian disease (PCOD) has a constellation of symptoms. Therefore, it is also known as polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). Don’t get depressed, there is always a solution to every problem. Before you understand some tips on diet for PCOS, let’s first take a look at what it’s all about.
What is PCOD?
As the name suggests, the primary characteristics of this syndrome is the presence of numerous cysts in the ovary. This is caused by an imbalance in the hormone, due to excess production of androgen, although scientists are not very clear why this happens. Women who have PCOD normally have high levels of insulin in their blood. The rite diet for PCOS is thus very important.
What are the symptoms of PCOD?
The symptoms of PCOD are varied in different women and often is based on the severity of the condition. As androgen is typically a male hormone, many women develop some male characteristics in advanced stages of PCOD such as hirsutism (increased hair growth in the chest, back, fingers, toes, etc.) and male pattern baldness. Other symptoms associated with PCOD are:
| Infertility |
| Ovarian cysts |
| Infrequent periods |
| Painful periods |
| Insulin resistance |
| Acanthosis nigricans (presence of dark, thick velvety skin in body folds) |
| Obesity |
| Insulin resistance syndrome (poor blood sugar control) |
| High cholesterol |
| High blood pressure |
The significance of losing weight
There is a vicious cycle involved here. Women who have PCOD tend to put on weight and have difficulty losing it. In order to bring their hormone levels under control, they need to lose weight. The right diet for PCOS can work effectivly to cut down on weight, here are some tips on diet for PCOS
Diet for PCOS : –
The most important tip on diet for PCOS would be to cut down on simple sugars. Sugary foods bring about a surge in the blood sugar levels, which places undue stress on the body. In the long run, this leads to poor control of blood sugar and weight gain. Cutting down on sugary foods becomes very crucial when you have PCOD. The correct diet for PCOS includes complex carbs instead of simple ones. It is important to develop a taste for nutritious foods rather than eating junk. Here is a table that shows what to have and what to avoid in diet for PCOS.
| Include | Avoid |
| Whole wheat products | Refined flour products / maida |
| Whole grain / whole wheat bread | White bread |
| wholegrain / whole wheat pasta | white pasta |
| Barley, natural diuretic fruits | Fast foods |
| Oats, corn | Cakes, cookies, sweets, chocolates |
| Raw fruits and vegetables | High fructose corn syrup |
| Fresh fish | Sorbitol |
| Lean meats | Soft drinks and soda |
| Protein shakes | Bengali mithai, sweets , desserts |
Other than these tips on diet for PCOS, some lifestyle modifications will also help.
Other lifestyle modifications that help
1. Drink plenty of water: Drink at least 2 litres of water per day. Flavored water will help. In order to overcome this, try to drink one glass of water whenever the clock strikes the hour. This way, you can incorporate it in your daily routine and stay hydrated throughout the day. Regular intake of water will help with detoxification as well as avoid water retention in the body. You may feel bloated all the time, another reason for not wanting to drink water. But drinking more water will actually help you in flushing this accumulated water and feel lighter. You need to lose that water weight.
2. Exercise: Regular exercise will not only help you reduce weight, but will help lessen binge eating. The feel-good hormones (serotonin and dopamine) released with exercise will keep your stress levels also low.
3. Free your life of stress: The stressors will not vanish, but a daily 1-hour meditation is great to keep yourself from feeling stressed. There are other things that help you feel less stressed, like yoga, music, doing something you really love, and above all taking life a little less seriously. Since stress is a contributing factor of weight gain and PCOD, learning to unwind helps.
4. Quit smoking for good: Experts say that smoking stimulates androgen production, the main culprits of PCOD characteristics. So, kick the butt for good.
5. Say NO to alcohol: We all know that alcohol affects the liver function, which in turn affects hormone balance. Saying NO to alcohol will not only keep your liver healthy, but also check PCOD progression.
Whether it is to fulfil your motherly instincts, regaining your feminine charm, or improving your general health and well-being, progression of PCOD is something that needs to be checked sooner than later. These tips on diet for PCOS will help.
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Iam 27 Years old married .1.5yrs ihave pcod my docotor suggests me incyst -m and ovables tablets for me.what r the chances to conceive.what diet i have to follow .to conceive? My weight 54 ,.5.2 Height ..
https://www.dietburrp.com/indian-diet-plan-for-conceiving/
thanks for the advise… last week met with new gynecologist and started new treatment….. My AMH is 13..5… and last month follicular test that was 7mm max…. please advise still i need to try for natural way to conceive baby or go to directly IVF.
you can try for 5-6 more months …
Hello mam.
This is Mampi here and I have pcod from 4 years. Can you suggest me which one will be good for me. I have visited a homeopathy and a gyneocologist too.
And suggest me a diet plan as I workout every day but still my weight is 73. Height 5’5″.
you can take both simultaneously. Walking or exercising for 45 mins everyday will help you in a good way to lose weight. along with the exercise you also need follow a healthy regime. You can find some basic and important tips for weight loss in this article here – http://www.dietburrp.com/top-10-weight-loss-tips/ if you want me to analyse your regime and plan a diet plan personalized for you, please see this page. – http://www.dietburrp.com/diet-services/
Or You can try following the diet plan mentioned above in the article.- http://www.dietburrp.com/indian-diet-plan-for-weight-loss/ this is a general 1200 calorie diet plan and has helped many. it may be of help to you as well.
Hi, Mam myself Asha, i have pcod and cyst past from 1 year have not got periods only, after consulting doctor i got periods, but in my case if i take tablets, the periods come if not not periods, and i feed up of tablets, and i decided to go for Ayurveda, so now i am under Ayurveda treatment. i doing walking and Diet as well. please suggest me does Ayurveda helps me to come out of this problem. we are planing for baby since from 1 year bez of this i am unable to conceive… please suggest me what to do in this case.
Hi Asha ,
i know it is annoying. dont worry , based on my clients data base , we have observed that women who too homeopathy treatment for pcod , had better chances to conceive and that tratment suited most women … so may be you can consider it too
Hi mam,
I have fibroid/myoma for the past 10 years…due to it I exoereiebcd heavy menstrual pain, migraine…recently detected I have too many cyst in breast too and it hurts very much once in a while when am stressed…I am doing Zumba, step aerobics walking often, so I didn’t gained much weight except belly fat…like I have adrenal body type…I started Keto diet and came across your weblink…my question is should I follow Keto diet or it’s not necessary?? Is it enough just to follow the diet what you mentioned above for PCOS??
Hi Sheela, yes you can follow keto diet . just make sure you use the tips mentioned above too.
Mam I am 28 yrs and suffering from pcod but have no symptoms like hair growth etc…but yes after marriage last year till till year I gained 10 kg and for it I am using KG Low too. And I am being given Polisitol DC and elestra. May i know whats the difference between polisitol DC and polisitol OD . Regarding periods i hv regular period but why she gave me elestra which prevents pregnancy? How long will it take for me to conceive?
Hi Mercy .
I am sorry , but these are typical medical isues and a gyneac can help you better than i can in this issue .
Hi Maam,
in past 9 months i have had increased my weight around 10KGS. unable to understand i have a history of PCOD and Fibroids and Hypo thyroid as well
hVE YOU DONE ANY TESTS RELATED TO THE ISSUES LATELY ? WHEN DID YOU CHECK YOUR THYROID LEVELS LAST ?
Hi, I have mild PCOD. My doctor prescribed Normoz twice a day but I mistakenly took it only once a day. It’s been about a month now. My period is delayed by a week currently. Could wrong dosage of the medication be a reason for it? I have to go on a trip in 3 days which involves pool activities so I’m a bit concerned about getting down during this time. Please could you advise me on the best way to avoid it?
Hi Tanya ,
this is something beyond your control . there are medicines to delay chums , but i dont think this is a good idea for you . as it will worsen your pcod.
Hi – I have pcod for last 1 year, well i got to know about it then. Have been trying to conceive for more than an year but no results. Gynae prescribed ovabless tablets. I am also following a diet plan, but whenever i take ovabless i seem to gain weight. But on the internet it was stated that it helps to lose weight. Can you suggest whey this is so? Also any other way i can better my chances of conceiving ?
Hi Nenu ,
Although i cannot comment about the medicine , but you can check this diet – https://www.dietburrp.com/indian-diet-plan-for-conceiving/
Hi mam..I’m 25.i have pcod .We are trying to convince. My gynecologist put me on cycle of letrozole for 5 days from day 2 and an injection on 11th day for egg release. Mam i’am a working woman,please suggest me a diet plan preferably south Indian..so that I can follow it easily …thanks in advance
Hi Laxmi ,
here is the diet you can refer .. It is not a south indian diet , but you can take a note of the ingredients and with a little creativity , include them in your local cuisine .
https://www.dietburrp.com/indian-diet-plan-for-conceiving/
Hi Payal
I want to start a diet plan and have pcos. I have heard that milk will worse pcos. Is it true. And if you can help me with personalised diet plan . I live overseas. It will be great, thanks
Sumedha
Hi Sumedha ,
mailing you the details of personalized diet program .
Hi Mam,
I am 23 years old. i am diagnosed with PCOS. I am under medication.
Can you please suggest diet plan i should follow. I am trying to conceive from 1.5 years and also had a miscarriage once.
Please suggest some diet. My height is 163 Cm and Weight 52 Kg. I have gained lots of weight recently and lots to Acne on face.
Please Help.
Hi Tina ,
Because you are in your right weight , you can follow this diet plan .- https://www.dietburrp.com/indian-diet-plan-for-conceiving/ this diet provides a lot of folic acid and all other nutrients that you need to support pregnancy . when the body nutrients would be in support , you will be able to conceive faster.
Hello mam…I am an army officer wife..I am having hypothyroid and pcod…it’s been one year of our marriage..I got married on 4th Dec 2016….I have gained weight …..v r planning for baby….please help to give me right direction…..right diet to conceive…my height is 5:4, weight 75.
Hi Jeny ,
thank you for contacting dietburrp . Curig pod with diet is not possible . pcod is a hormonal dysfunction . i can suggest you diet that can help in maintaing your health levels . but curing is possible only with a combi of medicines , exercises and weight management and diet .
to conceive , check this plan – https://www.dietburrp.com/indian-diet-plan-for-conceiving/
Hi mam,my weight was 64kg then I gained weight 72kg height 5.6 and now it’s reduced to 5kg after diet and exercise.normally i used to get 3 days period flow but for some 8 months I get only 2 days periods.is this normal? doctor advised me to take normoz..I’m confused either it’s because of pcos or anemia..
Hi Janu ,
this is common in PCOS and hence Normoz was given to you. you should continue to workout and diet so that you can get to your ideal body weight
Hello,
I am 28years old, diagnosed with bilateral polycystic ovaries, I am planning for a baby and i am on homeopathy treatment. Please help
Hi Joe,
what is your current weight ? if you need to lose weight , i will suggest that you take 2-3 months off from planning a baby , and in these 3 months , workout really hard 2 times a day , and then follow our 1200 clorie diet plan (select based on your cuisine . – https://www.dietburrp.com/?s=1200+ ). keep a target of losing 3-4 kgs in a month . and once you lose these 10 kgs or 15 kgs , you can get going with the family planning again . this time with more confidence and better health .