I’m sorry I haven’t been posting for the last couple of months.
I have been working on a book to answer all your PCOS related questions.
If there is anything you’d like to know about PCOS, please let me know. I’d love to answer any questions you might have and include all topics you really need help with.
Let me know!
LOW GI (Glycaemic Index) is super important for someone with PCOS. It’s important for controlling insulin resistance and will help you lose weight and decrease (or get rid of!) your PCOS symptoms.
To give you a little bit more idea of what a low GI diet is, keep reading!
The way in which carbohydrate foods are rated according to the effect they have on glucose levels in the blood is called glycemic index. This is more generally known as GI.
High GI foods are rapidly absorbed and bring on a swift rise in blood pressure and blood glucose levels. Low GI foods, work in the opposite way by breaking down in a more gradual manner and stabilizing blood glucose levels. This is important as it helps to avoid the seesaw effect, which may lead to a constant hunger, as well as mood and energy swings. Because foods low on the GI take longer to be digested they release energy into the bloodstream at a slower and steadier rate and this supply of energy helps to prolong that “full” feeling. We all know that if we feel satisfied for longer amounts of time, we are less likely to snack in between meals.
On the other hand, however, foods high on the GI can promote wildly variable blood sugar levels, which can cause the pancreas to over-produce insulin and this, in turn can lead to illnesses like Syndrome X, hypoglycemia, and type II diabetes. Research has also shown that there is evidence to suggest foods lower on the GI can help to improve the good cholesterol levels and this is know to lessen the risk of heart disease.
The majority of low GI diets don’t insist you only eat low GI foods, but they do encourage you to add more foods with a low GI as part of your healthy eating regime. By simply including a low GI food in your meal, it will have the effect of lowering the glycemic index for the complete meal. People who have an active lifestyle should use an equal balance of low and high GI foods to ensure they have the necessary energy to carry out their exercise
High glycemic index foods include many carbohydrates such as baked goods, bread, cereals, pasta, and rice whereas low glycemic index foods are more about fruits, legumes vegetables, and whole grains. Nonetheless there are differences within these broad categories. For instance, both bananas and potatoes would be considered to have a mid ranging GI. How food is processed and cooked also has an influence on the GI levels. Instant oatmeal has a higher GI than traditional rolled oats because the processing lets the starch be more effortlessly exposed to digestive enzymes.
While heightening the amount of low GI foods in your diet can bring on weight loss and improve your general health and well-being this is not the only thing that should be taken into consideration. An example of this is chocolate which is a low GI food but full of energy with little nutrients so it is not going to help anyone lose weight. However, on the whole, GI is a useful tool for identifying foods which have low levels of saturated fat and are rich in nutrients.
Kevin Sinclair is the publisher and editor of My-Personal-Growth.com, a site that provides information and articles for self improvement and personal growth and development.
Dr Bill Ledger (Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the University of Sheffield and Honorary Consultant at the Sheffield Teaching Hospitals Trust) has conducted a study of 40 obese women.
The Times Of India reported the following:
“A new study has suggested that minor weight loss in obese women could boost their chances of getting pregnant. Weight loss ‘ups fertility’ in obese women (Getty Images)
Professor Bill Ledger, from the University of Sheffield, and colleagues said conducted a three-month study of 40 obese women who were not ovulating.
Many of them suffered from polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).
The group’s average age was 29 and their body mass index (BMI) was around 40. Health service guidelines do not recommend IVF treatment for women with a BMI of above 30.
The women were given weight loss drugs to help them lose 5 percent of their body weight over a three-month period.
The weight loss of 5 percent was connected with a 19 percent rise in blood flow to the womb.
This increase in flow could assist an egg’s release from the ovaries and help with embryo implantation.
The researchers stated that the increase in blood flow worked like a “switch” to stimulate the ovaries.
Testosterone levels – which are higher in PCOS sufferers – also decreased as the blood flow picked up.
Ledger said that requesting that women lost 5-10 percent of their body weight was a ‘modest target’.
“The message for women with PCOS is don’t think you have to lose half your body weight. This could also encourage moderately overweight women to lose 5-10 percent,” the BBC quoted Ledger as saying.
Women with PCOS, which is one of the most common causes of infertility, tend to put on weight because of their condition and struggle more than other women to lose it through diet and exercise.”
We know you have so many questions about PCOS. There are large information gaps about PCOS. I saw a patient recently who was having some health issues. After going through her history, I asked her if she had heard of PolyCystic Ovarian Syndrome. She told me her GP has mentioned the name maybe. Not blood tests were done, no pelvic ultrasound was performed, and she was told nothing could be done anyway. This patient is 17years old. She has not yet developed major symptoms, and has been given incorrect information that may effect her future health!
If you have any questions, let me know. I can’t stand to see decisions made on incorrect info that will impact on your life.
Keep reading like you are, keep researching, and more importantly, don’t forget to implement what you discover!
Some quick tips to help you treat your PCOS can be found at
http://www.ehow.com/how_5115878_treat-polycystic-ovary-syndrome-naturally.html
Goodluck!
To control your PCOS you need to control your insulin resistance.
So let me give you some tips to do this!
- low GI diet
- reduce refined carbs ie white bread, white sugar
- some herbs that can help are:
* Gymnema Sylvestre
* Bitter Melon
* Chromium Picolinate
* Essential Fatty Acids
- Exercise
Goodluck!
I recently spoke to a medical specialist named Dr Allen Gale. He is a consultant physician and has a great interest in Insulin Resistance, and as you well may know by now, this is very important in PCOS!
His website is www.agale.com.au There are many links on this site to Insulin Resistance and some for PCOS. You should take a look at:
http://www.agale.com.au/PCO.htm
http://www.mja.com.au/public/issues/nov16/kidson/kidson.html
http://www.agale.com.au/IR.htm
Dr Sandra Cabot is both a medical doctor and a naturopath. She specialises in female fertility, weight loss… PCOS.
She has a team of specialised naturopaths who can help you via the internet.
Her site has some great info at http://www.weightcontroldoctor.com.au/index.php?page=az&subpage=polycysticovariansyndrome
There are also some interactive quizes to help you identify if you have PCOS, Hormonal Imbalances, Weight Issues, Underactive Thyroid, Fatty Liver and advice to follow to help with these health concerns.
While scouring the net I came across a book written by a medical doctor about naturally treating PCOS and infertility.
How exciting! The testimonials are impressive.
I have my own copy ordered and on the way 
Check the book out at:
http://www.ovarian-cysts-pcos.com/pcos-book-res.html#order
Goodluck!
If you have PCOS, sometimes the high male hormonal levels can cause the hair on your head to fall out.
Not nice… But you can see your doctor about blood tests to see if your free androgens (those male hormones) are too high. There are also medications that can help decrease these excess male hormones.
However, zinc and iron deficiencies can also cause the hair to fall out of your head.
Just because you have PCOS, don’t forget other health issues can also cause symptoms you may attribute to PCOS.
