PCOD Diet Plan for Females: Lose Weight and Improve Your Health

Are you experiencing acne outbreaks along with menstrual irregularity? Is excessive hair growth hampering your appearance? If that’s so, you might be suffering from PCOD. Polycystic Ovarian Disease (PCOD) is a health condition resulting due to hormonal imbalance and genetic tendencies. It impacts ovaries in females leading to the formation of cysts. The resulting hormonal imbalance makes the body produce more male hormones than normal. PCOD may lead to conditions such as menstrual irregularities, acne, excessive facial hair growth, obesity, and infertility. One in every ten women happens to suffer from PCOS worldwide. Although there are medications to treat the condition, you can also manage PCOD with a diet naturally and safely with no side effects. A well-planned diet helps you promote hormonal balance, manage weight, ease PCOD symptoms, and improve fertility. Including certain healthy foods in your PCOD diet chart for weight loss and staying away from unhealthy foods can help you lose weight and manage the condition effectively. So, you might be wondering what foods you should consume and what foods you should avoid when following a PCOD diet plan, aren’t you? Discover all about the PCOD diet by reading this blog below.

7 Healthy Foods to Eat When Managing PCOD:

India’s ancient medical practice – Ayurveda holds great significance for Aahar i.e. diet for losing weight, managing PCOD, and improving overall health. Losing those extra pounds with PCOD can be challenging for PCOD sufferers. However, including the right foods in your diet can help you get in shape, meet your nutritional needs, strengthen the immune system, and manage PCOD effortlessly. Here is a list of foods that you should add to your PCOD diet plan.

1. Fresh Vegetables Rich in Fibre:

Several women with PCOS happen to suffer from diabetes and obesity. Eating vegetables abundant in fibre helps slow down digestion, reverse insulin resistance, and maintain blood sugar levels. So, add broccoli, carrots, spinach, cauliflower, and mustard greens to your PCOD diet plan.

2. Nutritious Fruits:

Fruits are rich in antioxidants, fibre, and nutrients. Being sweet, fresh fruits helps satisfy cravings for sweet food. So, you should include fruits, such as berries, guava, melon, bananas, pineapple, papaya, pomegranate, and apples in your PCOS Indian diet plan. However, be sure you eat fruits in moderation as a high content of carbohydrates in them can cause a spike in blood sugar if you consume them in excess. These fruits provide you with not only antioxidants and fibre for weight loss but also minerals and vitamins. Eat apples along with their skin for added benefits.

3. Whole grains:

Whole grains contain high fibre and nutritional content. It takes a longer time to digest them and this helps manage blood sugar levels. So, prefer to have whole grains instead of refined grains in your diet. Go for whole wheat, barley, brown rice, quinoa, buckwheat, and oats.

4. Seeds and Nuts:

Seeds and nuts provide you with healthy fats and work wonders for PCOD sufferers. So, add flax seeds, almonds, sesame seeds, and hazelnuts to your PCOS Indian diet plan.

5. Pulses:

Pulses are high in fibre and protein and low-glycemic food. So, they help regulate insulin levels in PCOD sufferers while managing weight. This is why pulses are healthy options when battling PCOD. Have chickpeas, green moong, chana dal, soybeans, split peas, and lentils in your PCOS weight loss diet plan.

6. Lean Protein:

It is important to have adequate protein intake when managing PCOD and trying to lose weight. Protein stimulates digestion and metabolism. It has a crucial role in the synthesis of hormones, such as insulin, estrogen, and testosterone. Proteins are also beneficial for your muscles and organ health. So, include lean protein, such as skinless chicken, fish, such as tuna, shrimp, and cod, and egg whites, in your PCOD diet chart for weight loss.

7. Spices and Herbs:

Indian spices and various herbs are quite effective in regulating insulin levels in PCOD sufferers. Also, they help soothe various symptoms of the condition. Some of them also provide you with antioxidant benefits. So, it is advisable to add cinnamon, Tulsi, cloves, turmeric, ginger, and fenugreek to your PCOD diet plan.

9 Foods to Avoid for Managing PCOD:

While you should eat the healthy foods listed above, you should also refrain from consuming certain foods which could worsen the symptoms of PCOD. The foods that women with PCOD should avoid include:

1. Starchy Vegetables:

PCOD sufferers should limit the intake of starchy vegetables, such as sweet potato, squash, corn, and peas. These vegetables contain high carbohydrate content that can cause a spike in blood sugar levels and cause hormonal imbalance.

2. Vegetable Oils with high Omega-6 Fatty Acids ratio:

Highly processed vegetable oils can be inflammatory for women with PCOD. They contain a high ratio of omega-6 fatty acids. The intake of these processed vegetable oils containing high omega-6 fatty acids content is linked to serious conditions, such as diabetes, cancer, obesity, and heart disease. So, you should avoid them in your diet for PCOD. Instead, go for healthier oils such as olive oil, avocado oil, and coconut oil.

3. Sweets and Sugary Foods:

Savouring sweets and sugar-filled foods impacts PCOD sufferers adversely. They contain high-calorie content and excessive sugar that raise your blood sugar levels, which is not good when managing PCOD. So, refrain from eating cakes, cookies, desserts, and various sweets loaded with sugar.

4. Fried Foods:

Most of us love relishing fried foods; however, they are not healthy foods for PCOD sufferers. Fried foods are packed with hydrogenated and saturated fats. These unhealthy fats can boost estrogen production and cause hormonal imbalance in women with PCOD. So, avoid eating samosas, fritters, and pakoras when managing PCOD.

5. Dairy Products:

IGF-1 hormone in dairy products may mimic insulin and cause a spike in blood sugar levels. This may worsen PCOD symptoms in women. Also, dairy products could be affected due to the antibiotics and hormones that are commonly fed to the animals. So, such dairy products may interfere with hormonal balance in PCOD sufferers. So, it is recommended to avoid dairy products in your PCOD diet chart for weight loss.

6. Canned Fruit and Processed Fruit Juices:

Processed fruit concentrates and canned fruits have a high content of added sugar that can boost your blood glucose levels. Also, fruit juices have high sugar content and lack fibre. So, eliminate them from your PCOS weight loss diet plan. Prefer to relish fresh fruits, as they are rich in nutrients and fibre.

7. Processed and Refined Foods:

Processed and refined foods lack nutrients. They are deprived of fibre and nutrients. As they lack fibre, you end up eating them in excess and gaining weight. So, when battling PCOD, you should avoid white bread, white pasta, white rice, and rice cakes. Prefer to eat brown rice and whole foods which have their nutritional content intact.

8. Red Meat:

The consumption of red meat can worsen hormonal issues in women with PCOD, as it is high in saturated fats and cholesterol. Also, processed meat has high sodium content, as they are treated with various additives and preservatives. So, avoid red meat in your PCOD diet plan. Refrain from eating mutton, pork, salami, bacon, ham, beef, and pork.

9. Caffeine and Alcohol:

Excess intake of caffeine can increase anxiety and trigger stress hormones which can boost insulin levels in PCOD sufferers. Heaving drinking (alcohol) can increase the risk of liver disease and obesity. So, it is wise to limit or avoid the intake of alcohol and caffeine when battling PCOD.

Now that you know what to include and exclude in your diet when battling PCOD, develop and follow a diet accordingly. Consulting certified dieticians and nutritionists at Health Total can help you receive a customised PCOD diet plan to help you achieve the best health outcomes. Our diet plan not only helps manage PCOD but also meets your nutritional requirements, manages your weight, boosts your immunity, and prevents or lowers the risk of potential health issues. So, hurry up, reach out to us at Health Total and obtain relief from PCOD naturally with a personalized PCOD diet chart for weight loss.

Sign up for a FREE consultation with Health Total experts to get more tips for balancing your hormones, weight management, and addressing PCOD with diet or managing any other health condition. Call toll-free at 1-800-833-171709 and Book Free Consultation!