In an already worrying time when ailments are disorders are afflicting the modern-day population owing to erratic lifestyles, unhealthy diets and increasing stress – another name in the list is gaining occurrence, especially in urban populations – PCOD/PCOS. This stands for Polycystic Ovary Disorder/Syndrome and as the name suggests, it is becoming a cause for worry among the women population. What further adds to its hazard is that it usually goes undiagnosed as the symptoms are subtle, though commonly related to other normal conditions such as hair growth, acne, etc. In addition to these, it can also trigger onset of early diabetes and infertility if not treated in time. For there is no exact sure of PCOD/PCOS as such till date, patients are usually prescribed a strict diet regime and lifestyle modification.

If one experiences irregular periods, excessive facial hair growth, hair fall, acne, sudden weight gain, mood swings, bouts of depression etc. without previous history, it is recommended to get blood tests done in order to obtain early diagnosis.

The bird’s eye view of the dietary changes recommended to the individuals is listed below for your ready reference:

Inclusion of Fruit & Vegetables, Exclusion of Dairy Products: It is recommended that large amount of fresh fruit and vegetables is added to routine diet and weightage on diary products is kept minimal

Diabetic-Like Diet: In many cases a diet similar to one administered to diabetic patients is suggested as it is low in glycemic index and rich in fibre content. Processed foods and high carb diet is also to be alleviated.

Sugar Ain’t Any Sweet: It is strictly recommended that sugary drinks and foods with high sugar content be avoided as it can trigger weight gain and cause intense damage, in case diabetes coexists.

Water Comes to Rescue: One is generally advised to drastically cut down intake of sodium and increase water intake in order to stay hydrated and eliminate toxins thus formed in body due to prevailing conditions.

Go Natural: Natural seeds including flax, methi (fenugreek), cinnamon, cumin, etc are added to routine dietary intake as these are natural sources of plethora of antioxidants and remedial nutrients.

Go Slow with Fast Food: It is time to bid adieu to fast food and foods containing MSG and trans-fat. Hence, diet experts very sternly advise that one sticks to home-prepared meals and avoid eating at places where high trans-fat oils are used.

Lifestyle and Discipline: It is essential to fix the time of meals and to eat healthy portion sizes varying as per body type and individual needs. A diet expert can help design a tailored plan to fit the requirement. Including a regular physical work-out is also important to burn excess fat and calories.

This is to be understood that symptoms and diet recommendations do vary from individual to individual hence under any circumstance, self-prescription of medication or diet should be avoided as it can do more damage than benefit. Reach out to your diet expert for discussing and understanding what your body will make the most from and shall help in faster control of symptoms and take you towards healing.

Happy and Healthy Living!