PCOS - Low Glycemic Load Ideas

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  • Shoebacha1
    Shoebacha1 Posts: 2,113 Member
    On a positive note. I AM diagnosed with PCOS and have been fighting it naturally with low GI diet. I started January 3rd at 218 pounds. I am down to 204 as of yesterday, going 3 weeks between lip waxings instead of 2, no more 2p slump fighting to stay awake, joints no longer hurt (this was long before the weight loss, low acidic diet helped feel a difference within the first week), have firm PREDICTABLE poos, and my mood swings have drastically decreased. I am not even being super strict. I still have days where my choices are not the best, and I do not work myself into the ground working out. I hope this thread helps some of you. I will be more committed to posting, sharing knowledge and recipes and motivation.
  • Shoebacha1
    Shoebacha1 Posts: 2,113 Member
    Please feel free to add me as a friend. My food diary is open to the public. Again, I am not perfect. Maybe some of my meals will help you stay creative and motivated.
  • Shoebacha1
    Shoebacha1 Posts: 2,113 Member
    Having PCOS increases the likelihood that further medical problems will develop over time. These include type 2 diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, fatty liver and cancer of the uterus. We also know that serious sleep disorders and depression are much more common in women with PCOS. Alarmingly, women with PCOS who do get pregnant stand a 40% chance of spontaneous miscarriage in the first three months of pregnancy. There is also an increased risk of gestational diabetes, multiple pregnancies and in later pregnancy, preeclampsia (A serious complication of late pregnancy that requires immediate medical attention.)
  • Shoebacha1
    Shoebacha1 Posts: 2,113 Member
    Insulin resistance is a condition in which the body "resists" the normal actions of the hormone insulin. The body's response to insulin is defective, causing the body to secrete more insulin than normal. The vast majority of women wit PCOS have severe insulin resistance and therefore very high insulin levels. (mine were 5 times what they should be after fasting).
    Being overweight or obese increases the degree of insulin resistance.
  • Shoebacha1
    Shoebacha1 Posts: 2,113 Member
    Whenever we eat, glucose and insulin levels in the blood rise and fall over the next few hours. Insulin drives the transport of glucose (from digested carbohydrates) and amino acids (the building blocks of protein) into our cells, as well as the storage of glucose in the liver and our muscles. Insulin can also suppress the use of fat a s a source of fuel and the capacity of the liver to make new glucose molecules. Think of insulin as a facilitator of energy storage.
    Beyond these roles in metabolism, insulin is important for optimal functioning of many other hormones and enzymes. While insulin has many functions, carbohydrates metabolism is the only one that is affected by insulin resistance.
  • Shoebacha1
    Shoebacha1 Posts: 2,113 Member
    I have tried it and it is good. It is in a power blend I eat on wraps all the time. It is considered a super food! I can see why.
  • Shoebacha1
    Shoebacha1 Posts: 2,113 Member
    Like a lock and key mechanism, most body cells have special receptors for insulin Once the lock is engaged, insulin attaches itself to the receptor. The gates open, allowing glucose to flow into the cell. The higher the concentration of insulin receptors, the more insulin sensitive you are. If you are insulin resistant, such as PCOS, your cells are compromised and lower in number causing your pancreas to secrete more insulin, working extra hard. The pancreas has a limited capacity to do this before it's own cells burn out and cant supply enough insulin to meet demand, leading to prediabetes or the full-blown diabetic state.
  • Shoebacha1
    Shoebacha1 Posts: 2,113 Member
    The receptors for insulin in the ovary are different from those in other tissues, in that when blood insulin levels are high, the ovary does not turn down insulin receptor numbers or reduce their activity. The action of insulin continues unabated in ovarian tissues, causing the cells to grow and multiply and increasing their metabolic activity. This causes excessive production of both testosterone and estrogen sex hormones. Excessive stimulation of the ovary overwhelms it and prevents it from converting testosterone into estrogen like normal, causing abnormal testosterone levels in the blood. This is what brings out the male characteristics in PCOS positive women, such as facial and dark body hair, male pattern hair loss, deepening of voice, weight gain in belly...etc.
  • Shoebacha1
    Shoebacha1 Posts: 2,113 Member
    Excess insulin and sex hormones work together to stimulate the hypothalamus in your brain, making it pulse more frequently than normal. This induces the pituitary gland causing increased secretion of luteinizing hormone that stimulates the ovary's hormone production even more. This vicious cycle reduces the level of the protein that binds testosterone in the blood. This makes this active hormone more available to your tissues. Testosterone is an anabolic hormone because it is involved in building up new tissues, especially muscles. That is why men tend to have more muscle mass than women, and why PCOS women have masculine features.
  • Shoebacha1
    Shoebacha1 Posts: 2,113 Member
    Had cabbage steaks for dinner they were amazing. Took a head of cabbage, cut it in 1/2 inch slices, coated the skillet with olive oil no stick spray, fried each side till nice brown. Put shredded taco cheese, salt and carraway seed on each side and fried til cheese was toasted. Delicious.
  • Shoebacha1
    Shoebacha1 Posts: 2,113 Member
    Fat cells and their precursor cells in different parts of the human body are not all the same. Those around the midriff and inside the tummy are particularly sensitive to the effects of insulin compared to the rest of the body. Insulin's inhibition of release of fat as a source of fuel is what causes PCOS women to accumulate fat around the belly area.
  • Shoebacha1
    Shoebacha1 Posts: 2,113 Member
    The cornerstone of managing PCOS is lifestyle modification wit a healthy low GI diet and exercise. These changes need to be initiated right from the start, even before the use of insulin-sensitizing drugs.
  • Shoebacha1
    Shoebacha1 Posts: 2,113 Member
    If you have PCOS, your body has a hard time bringing blood glucose levels down after eating. The organs and tissues that should respond to even a small rise in insulin remain unresponsive, causing the body to try harder by secreting more insulin. This is why ANY insulin sensitivity improvement is beneficial, including drugs and weight loss. Research in women with PCOS showed that even if everything else in your diet stays the same, a diet based on low GI breads and cereals improved insulin levels and regulated menstrual cycles, as well as greater weight loss than a traditional low fat diet.
  • 1991lexi
    1991lexi Posts: 24 Member
    Anyone on here also given up dairy? I've heard it can be helpful...but really think I'd struggle to get anywhere near my calories without it...i often have to use custard to top up...and based on how I've felt since giving up the high GI carbs and generally cutting my carbs right down I'm not sure where I'd get the calories from...I'm already terrified that I'm going to really struggle when I go back to maintaining after I finally kick the weight! I mentioned to my OH earlier and his reaction is "what WOULD you be able to eat??" I'm thinking if I do go for it I'd have to go step by step this time...like quit all but cheese and natural yoghurt first...then take out the next item etc...unfortunately most substitutes are too expensive for me on my current salary.
  • Shoebacha1
    Shoebacha1 Posts: 2,113 Member
    Everything I have ready says dairy is a necessity, and they suggest to go whole and not skim. Dairy is very beneficial and yogurt and cheese are highly recommended. They are low GI and are healthy fats. Where did you hear that giving up dairy could be helpful? That is the first time I heard this, but I still have 4 books I have not finished. Might be a new development?
  • weirdingwayward
    weirdingwayward Posts: 10 Member
    Shoebacha1 wrote: »
    Yes, it is a real disease. Google it. I have over 30 books on it. I have been diagnosed by two different doctors. There is even a variation to the disease that affects men.

    So interesting! I was diagnosed with PCOS five years ago, and it's a journey, for sure.

    What's the masculine equivalent?
  • Shoebacha1
    Shoebacha1 Posts: 2,113 Member
    They havent really given it a name in what I read, only that the same hormone issue happens in men. The guys with the big gut, but thin everywhere else are a tall tale sign. Belly fat is the last place PCOS'ers and men with the hormone issue lose weight because your body stores everything. Now I know I got this from my dad. He was just diagnosed with diabetes last year because his was left untreated.
  • AniaKlaudia
    AniaKlaudia Posts: 6 Member
    Hi all,

    PCOS is a b$@#!, but I find that having yummy desert options helps resist those terrible terrible urges to binge, and of course it helps when they're made from things that will help keep your mental state happy :)

    Don't let PCOS take over :)

    This is my favourite thing to make lately! It's incredible how easy, delicious, and macro friendly it is!

    In a food processor (or blender) blend:
    2 large sweet potatoes
    1 cup fat free greek yogurt

    Once smooth, add:
    4 scoops chocolate protein powder
    1 scoop dark cocoa powder
    1/4 cup extra virgin coconut oil

    Blend till smooth and mixed completely.

    Spread 1/2 the mix into a large baking tray lined with wax paper (the mix should be about 1 inch thick).
    Spread the other 1/2 of the mix into another tray, and cover it with cellophane wrap.

    Brownies should bake for about 20 min at 180C / 350F, but depends on the thickness of your mix, so check on it every few min after the 18 min mark.

    When finished baking, take out and let cool outside of the baking tray. Only cut when room temperature (will still be too soft to cut when hot).

    Cut into 2 inch squares, and layer with the chocolate ganache (that was cooling in the fridge).

    Enjoy!


    B) Feel free to add me as a friend! <3 I love motivating others and helping them succeed . :smiley:
  • Shoebacha1
    Shoebacha1 Posts: 2,113 Member
    This sounds fantastic! I cant wait to try it. Thanks!
  • Hobbesfan89
    Hobbesfan89 Posts: 3 Member
    So glad to see a PCOS thread. If no one has, try reading dr Glenville PCOS book. Gives advice on everything from exercises best for PCOS to supplements that are best of you don't want to take the medication route to diet and explaining why our bodies work the way they do.

    I now know why I get hungry more often than most people, why I'm always so bloody tired, and why I constantly have carb and sugar cravings.

    Really great read.

    I would really like to not have to use Metformin as the older I have become the worse the side effects get when I start taking it again so then I stop because I can't take feeling so ill. Thanks for this thread. Going to check out the recipes and things :D
  • Hobbesfan89
    Hobbesfan89 Posts: 3 Member
    mimismommy11 wrote: »
    Shoebacha1 wrote: »
    Before I read about it in the PCOS for Dummies book, I always thought it was just a problem with me....but knowing that PCOS is what is causing this urge to binge eat on occasion helps me ignore and control it. Now instead of feeling like I have piss poor self control and am a self-sabatager, I understand the urge is actually chemically induced. Lets me feel I am in control of myself again, and helps me know the hunger pains are not really me being hungry, but my out of whack system telling me lies. I will continue to eat as normal and increase my water intake, and give the finger to these lies from my tummy.

    I had no idea that PCOS made us more likely to binge. I would probably be in a normal weight range if I could control my binges and self sabotage moments. :# I might have to look into that book!



    Yes it does. The way your body uses the sugar means it will require more of it quicker. Our bodies do not process sugars the way it should. But the longer you go keeping your binges in check and your blood sugar to a normal level the easier it will get to handle sugar cravings. Eventually you won't really have them.

    Stay away from anything with 'ose' at the end of it haha. Lactose, fructose, sucrose etc. If you want sweet things organic honey, xylitol or stevia are good but try to stay away from conventional sweeteners. I mentioned a book in my above post but the way I found that book was I was desperate to find anyone who knew how I felt and Typed PCOS into youtube. Came across a lecture video by Dr Marylin Glenville. It's about two hours. But I highly recommend it. Gave me such an aye opening experience on what I am dealing with. Better than any dr I have ever had. My Dr's just give me Metformin and when I ask to be referred for more options I just get told 'we don't refer pcos patients'

    It's pretty disheartening.
  • 1991lexi
    1991lexi Posts: 24 Member
    Shoebacha1 wrote: »
    They havent really given it a name in what I read, only that the same hormone issue happens in men. The guys with the big gut, but thin everywhere else are a tall tale sign. Belly fat is the last place PCOS'ers and men with the hormone issue lose weight because your body stores everything. Now I know I got this from my dad. He was just diagnosed with diabetes last year because his was left untreated.

    There's a male version? Do you have any info on this? My dad carries weight the same way I do...I'm wondering if he may just not know?

    PCOS diet support on Facebook and a couple of other groups on here there have been whispers. (I found it really helped a skin issue I have so am considering it anyway...if I'm finally starting to take care of my body I may as well go all out)
  • daneejela
    daneejela Posts: 461 Member
    Hello beautiful PCOS ladies :)

    I am myself struggling with PCOS since I was 15 years old.

    I read a lot about insulin sensitivity and related stuff, but today I have come across something new and opposite to everything I've learned so far:

    Calorie restriction does some great stuff for our bodies (for us overweight folks), but low protein diet affects our hormones, particularly IGF-1. Low protein diet lowers IGF-1, which then raises SHBG, which binds to androgens thus lowering free androgens.

    For years I was convinced that low carb high protein is way to go, but I have been eating that way most of my life and still have severe PCOS.

    I might be happy to soon, it might be just another internet bs* and hype, but somehow it did gave me a little hope..


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