I wrote a post on my PCOS story (diagnosis and what it means) on another one of my blogs you can read both posts here. I'm sure I missed some information, but I did my best to gather my thoughts and provide you with, at the very least, the basics.
Basically, PCOS stands for Poly-Cystic Ovarian Syndrome. There are many symptoms. It is more common among women starting at puberty age (some cases have been developed later on in life, from 20's and older) but men can also have a version of it called Stein-Leventhal syndrome.
For women (main focus) it is considered an endocrine disorder. It can cause severe hormone imbalance, irregular menstrual cycles, cysts on the ovaries, hirsutism, acne, male pattern baldness, thinning hair, thyroid problems, obesity, insulin resistance, pre-diabetes/diabetes and can lead to ovarian or cervical cancer. In my other posts I do my best to define many of the symptoms because things seem to be better understood when they're spelled out for us.
How do I tie this topic in with this "Natural" blog? Well....the topic of Diet is a conflicting one when it comes to PCOS.
Many recommend some form of Ketogenic/Low Carb High Fat diet (such as Atkins) to be the ideal diet, especially for those that need to or want to lose weight. Why? Mainly because, white carbs/sugars are bad and they make us fat (among other things). What is Keto/Low Carb? These can be a bit all over the place in terms of numbers. Some say Low Carb is aiming under 100-150 grams of carbs per day. Many aim under 50. Some argue that you don't enter Ketosis until you're under 20 grams. It really all depends on your body and what is best for you. You can always add or take away carbs tomorrow. Sometimes it is about trial and error.
There are several reasons why a Ketogenic diet works for those with PCOS, especially if you are insulin resistant. Basically, when you are insulin resistant (you produce too much insulin for your body to use/absorb). When you consume foods/drinks that are high in carbs and sugars your body doesn't respond well to them. The sugar is turned into fat and instead of your body burning the sugars and fat, you produce more sugar resulting into more fat and leading to being overweight because your body holds onto that fat.
By going Low Carb (High Fat)/Keto and limiting your daily Carb intake - for example to 20 grams per day, then your body has LESS carbs to turn into fat (less of a spike in sugar..limiting the amount of sugar that's turned into fat). Going into Ketosis is normal (think metabolism) and when you go into Ketosis (by going very low in Carbs) you basically starve the fat of more carbs and when you don't have carbs to turn into sugar/fat/or to burn - you start to burn fat instead. It's almost like your body gets bored and needs to burn something - so it burns the fat...right? Kinda? It's the best way I can explain it. I apologize if things don't make a ton of sense, I am a tad bit tired.
But how can all of this be tied into a Natural blog? I've read conflicting stories that say because of the hormone imbalance that PCOS can cause (and in my case/other cases it can cause too much testosterone) many Soy based products just aren't good. Then there's caffeine, dairy...I think I've seen red meat thrown in an article or two..I could be wrong though.
I love cheese, which can be consumed pretty regularly on a LCHF (Low Carb High Fat) 'diet'. But dairy like Milk and yogurts are just too high in carbs and have too many grams of natural sugars.
I couldn't see myself ever going Vegan, mainly because of cheese (and sometimes yogurt). I also do like eating meat..sometimes. I haven't been entirely turned off of meat. I haven't been completely grossed out or disgusted by it (though I probably should), but there are just some things that have gotten me by on rough days..like lunch meat or pepperoni. Also, eggs. I really enjoy eggs.
So in many ways I can see leaning more Vegetarian because I would already consume a Nut 'milk' and would have the freedom of using cheese..but I do crave a good burger or some chicken. Many of the meat substitutes that are popular use Soy, which they say is a no-no for PCOS, but there are brands that are soy-free...just probably not Low Carb. But I am sure there is a way that someone can be a Low Carb Soy-free Vegan. I'd be interested in finding out how it's possible.
I also..really..really..really enjoy coffee..caffeine. If I have a crampy cycle, it helps me out a lot. I just couldn't see myself going completely cold-turkey..but I could switch to tea..I have hundreds of different types I need to use up.
For the most part, this post is a little bit all over the place. There's a lot to talk about and mention. It also is proof that I'm conflicted in this journey..both journey's..the PCOS one and the Natural one. But I know there are benefits if I can learn to adapt to certain ways. I just have to be patient with myself.
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