The Importance of a healthy diet
Diet – What you eat – plays an important role in PCOS management. There is no one diet – a low carbohydrate diet or high protein diet that has been shown to be more successful in weight management for women with PCOS. Research shows that eating an overall healthy diet that results in weight loss has been shown to be more successful that any specific diet.[1]
The focus of diet is weight maintenance, and the first step is preventing weight gain, and over time losing some excess weight, if you are overweight.
Nutrition tips for eating healthy with PCOS
Eat well-balanced meals and snacks – with some protein, moderate amount of good-quality with low glycaemic index (GI) carbohydrate and healthy fats. [2] TheGI in carbohydrate is important because low GI produces a slower sugar rise in our blood after food is eaten as opposed to high GI carbohydrates which cause a spike in sugar level.
Protein: lots of real, unprocessed meat, fish and poultry. For example, lean beef, chicken, fish and eggs.
Carbohydrate: eat unrefined high-quality carbohydrates, such as wholegrain cereals/bread, legumes, brown rice, oats and starchy vegetables (sweet potato, pumpkin). Avoid refined carbohydrates such as white bread/rice/pasta, lollies, biscuits and soft drinks)
Fats: limit saturated fats (e.g. butter, cream, cooking margarine, coconut oil, palm oil), but replace them with healthy fats such as avocado, extra virgin olive oil, nuts and seeds in moderation.
Vegetables: Include plenty of green leafy and colourful vegetables which provides nutritious vitamins and minerals.
Snacks: choose healthy snacks such as fruits, a small handful of unsalted nuts, a small tub of no added sugar yoghurt, carrots, celery and cucumber sticks with hummus.
Avoid: sugar and processed snacks such as biscuits, cakes, pastries and potatochips.
Reducing your overall caloric intake and eating a nutritious and balanced diet will help you maintain a healthy weight and improve fertility. In the long-term, a healthy diet not only prevent weight gain, but also reduces the risk of related health conditions – such as type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. [2, 3]
Seek professional help
Support is available from your doctor and health professional, such as Dietitian, to help you find the best approach to healthier eating.