Struggling with PCOS? Here are best tips for PCOS Management

Before we get into how you can manage your PCOS, we would like to establish that having PCOS is NOT YOUR FAULT. It isn't something you are cursed with. Your body is unique and is still loyal to you. You just need to be patient and consistent to get to the other side of the spectrum.

Polycystic ovary syndrome, unlike common belief, isn't the same for everyone. Before you delve into solutions, step 1 is to understand the kind of PCOS you are diagnosed with and then chalk down solutions that target your specific concerns. Once you understand your PCOS, there are multiple things you can do to manage and potentially even reverse it!

Understand the cause to treat it effectively

PCOS may be caused due to different reasons, it is necessary to understand what caused it to tackle the symptoms effectively. You could get PCOS due to stress, low-grade inflammation, excess androgen, genetics or excess insulin, which contrary to belief also affects leaner women.

Once you identify the cause, you can adopt a holistic approach to potentially reverse your PCOS.

Treat Insulin Resistance

Did you know that almost 70% of women diagnosed with PCOS struggle with insulin resistance which needs to be addressed.

Insulin is a hormone made by the pancreas that helps glucose in your blood enter cells in your muscle, fat, and liver, where it’s used for energy. During insulin resistance, cells fail to respond well to insulin, and too much sugar remains in your blood. The pancreas senses this and sends even more insulin to push the sugar into the cells, causing the overall baseline increase of insulin.

High insulin levels also cause your ovaries to produce more androgens that make the symptoms of PCOS worse. Hence, treating insulin resistance is of utmost importance when managing PCOS.

Nothing, and we repeat, nothing is more helpful here than a healthy, balanced diet. Choose to eat more soluble fibre, avoid refined carbs and cut down on sugar to help reduce your blood sugar levels. Choose options like The Basics' Herbal PCOS tea that has powerful herbs like cinnamon that can help regulate your insulin levels and make them a part of your daily routine. Again, consistency is key.

Manage your thyroid

Women with PCOS should be more mindful of checking their thyroids since hypothyroidism can aggravate PCOS. Hypothyroidism is a common condition where the thyroid doesn’t create and release enough thyroid hormone into your bloodstream. It can cause an increase in ovary size, aggravate cyst formation, and can interfere with ovulation.

The symptoms of hypothyroidism may include hair fall, weight gain, dry skin, constipation, and poor memory and concentration.

Apart from prescribed medication, you can choose natural methods like including iodine, selenium, zinc, ashwagandha, and gum guggul to your diet.

Understand that PCOS management is not one size fits all and get personalised care

Everybody is different, and PCOS management rituals should be sculpted to best suit your body, not the other way around. Programs like The Basics' PCOS management program, help you approach polycystic ovary syndrome management holistically, giving you personalised diet plans, supplements and professional help that can be sustained in the long run.

Detoxify

No, we don't mean adding lemon to warm water every morning. We suggest Dr Fiona McCulloch's version of the term which is targeted liver detoxification.

Some nutrients and foods help the detoxification pathways in the liver known as phase 1 and phase 2, increasing the rate at which the liver can process and eliminate toxins.

To manage PCOS more efficiently, this detoxification process includes reducing toxin exposure and adding foods that induce phase 1 and phase 2 detoxification. To amplify detoxification, cut out all alcohol and over the counter medication, drink plenty of water, and increase dietary fibre with foods like broccoli, bok choy, root veggies, etc.

To support phase 1 detoxification, include vitamin C and B complex vitamins. Whereas for phase 2 support, add sulphur rich foods like onion, garlic and kale to your diet.

Manage your stress levels

When they said that stress is a silent killer, they were 100% right!

Stress majorly affects hormones in women. How? When you’re stressed, high levels of cortisol, the stress hormone, can directly increase the androgen levels in your body. Stress can also worsen insulin resistance, making it the absolute worst when it comes to dealing with PCOS.

Managing your stress levels must be right up there on your list of things to do to manage your PCOS. Small life changes like 20 minute walks or ten minutes of meditation in the morning can help reduce your stress levels.