Polycystic ovary syndrome
(PCOS) and Nutrition
What is insulin?
Insulin is a hormone. It helps the body to use sugar as energy.
What is insulin resistance?
Insulin resistance happens when the body does not respond to insulin properly. When this happens, the body produces more insulin to compensate. This causes the level of insulin in the blood to become higher than normal.
A high amount of insulin in the blood may make it a little harder to lose weight (however, weight loss is not impossible). It also increases the level of testosterone in the blood. Testosterone is a hormone which naturally occurs in small amounts in all women. But in people with PCOS, testosterone levels are higher than normal due to insulin resistance. High levels of testosterone in the blood cause symptoms of excess hair, irregular
periods, acne, and difficulty in conceiving.
Insulin resistance becomes worse when we gain weight, or are over weight.
The symptoms of
PCOS are caused by
imbalances in hormones
and insulin resistance.
Insulin resistance can be made worse by:
l Poor diet
l Lack of exercise l Smoking
l Carrying excess weight around your waist
weight = insulin resistance = PCOS symptoms weight = insulin resistance = PCOS symptoms
Insulin resistance can be improved by: l Losing weight
l Regular exercise
l Eating a healthy diet and
following a regular meal pattern l Choosing lower GI foods where
possible (see page 6)
REMEMBER: Just losing 5% of your
weight can improve symptoms of PCOS
Body not responding to insulinproperly Weight gain
May encourage fat storage and increase cravings for sweet foods
Body produces more insulin to compensate
Higher levels of insulin in the blood
More testosterone produced
Symptoms: Excess hair, acne, irregular periods, difficulty in conceiving
Other health problems
Having PCOS means that you are at higher risk of developing heart disease, diabetes and some forms of cancer. Losing weight and making simple changes to your lifestyle can reduce your risk.
Don’t forget exercise!
There is a wealth of evidence to support the benefits of physical activity in people with PCOS including: helping to reduce insulin resistance, helping achieve weight loss, improving mood, protecting against developing diabetes and heart disease.
If you don’t do much exercise currently, remember - any exercise which is more than you would normally do is a great start.
So what can I do to lose
weight, manage my PCOS
symptoms, and reduce my
risk of developing other
health problems?
l Eat regularly - never skip meals. Aim to have 3 regular meals per day with low kcal snacks in between if required l Aim to have a small amount
of starchy foods such as bread, potatoes, pasta, rice, breakfast cereals at every meal. Try to opt for low GI options where possible (see
page 6)
l Aim to eat 5 portions of fruit and vegetables per day
l Drink plenty of low kcal fluids l Ensure portion sizes are
appropriate
l Limit high fat high sugar food and drink
l Keep alcohol intake to a minimum as it is high in calories
Low Glycaemic index (GI) Foods
l GI is a measure of how quickly starchy carbohydrate (i.e. bread, potatoes,
pasta, rice, grains, noodles, breakfast cereal) is broken down into sugar and absorbed by the body l A starchy carbohydrate that
is classed as low GI means it is broken down into sugar slowly. This means your blood sugar levels are less likely to rise and fall sharply l Low GI does not mean that the food is low in calories or fat
l Adding protein or fat to a carbohydrate will slow down its absorption e.g. adding tuna or beans to a baked potato (high GI) will result in a medium GI meal
l All types of beans, lentils,
chickpeas and pulses have a low GI
l It is not necessary to limit
any fruit and vegetables as long as you control your portion size
l Limit sugary food and
drink such as sweets, cake, sweet biscuits, fizzy drinks, chocolate etc
l Pure fruit juices are high
in natural sugar and are therefore high in GI. Drink no more than 1x small glass per day
l Don’t add sugar to hot drinks or food. Opt for sweeteners instead
l Alcohol can increase blood
sugar levels if drunk in large quantities. Sugary alcoholic drinks such as cocktails, or drinks with sugary mixers (fizzy pop, fruit juice etc) will increase blood sugars even in small amounts
Food OK Better Best Bread
Potatoes
High fibre white Wholemeal White Bagels Baguette
*Foods high in calories therefore should be limited if you are trying to lose weight
French fries* Mashed Baked/microwaved Instant Pitta bread Croissant, plain* Crumpets Poppadum Rye bread New potatoes Potato crisps*
Mixed grain e.g. granary/multigrain Pumpernickel
Chapattis
Fruit loaf/Raisin bread Sourdough Sweet potato Yam Roast potato* Pasta Rice and other grains Milk and dairy Biscuits and crackers Breakfast cereal Noodles Instant rice White/brown rice Millet Tapioca Semolina Rice crispies Cornflakes Weetabix Puffed wheat Coco pops Bran flakes
Instant porridge, made with water
Basmatic rice, white Cous cous Taco shells Gnocchi
Ice cream*
Rice cakes
Plain scone* RyvitaArrowroot biscuits* Plain scone Special K Muesli Granola Rice noodles Most pasta Ravioli, meat filled Basmatic rice, brown Bulgar wheat Pearl barley Quinoa Buckwheat
Milk and soya milk Low fat yoghurt Full fat yoghurt* Rich tea biscuits Oatmeal biscuits Digestive biscuits* All Bran
Porridge oats made with milk Noodles
Vermicelli
For more information regarding low GI foods, visit: www.glycemicindex.com
Meal and Snack Ideas
Use herbs and spices freely to flavour your food. These will not affect GI or calorie intake.
Low GI Breakfast ideas:
l Porridge made with semi skimmed milk
l All bran with semi skimmed milk
l 2x slices of toasted multi-grain / pumpernickel / granary bread with low fat spread
l Baked beans or poached eggs on 1x slices of toasted multi-grain /pumpernickel / granary bread
Low GI Midday meal ideas:
l Jacket potato and salad with
n Tuna mixed with low fat mayonaise
n Baked beans
l Baked beans on 2x slices of toasted multi-grain /
pumpernickel / granary bread l Low fat soup made with
beans or lentils with 2x slices of toasted multigrain / pumpernickel / granary bread l Tuna or chicken with salad
and low fat salad dressing with 1x wholemeal pitta bread
Low GI snack ideas::
l 2x rich tea biscuits l 1x toasted multi-grain/
pumpernickel/granary bread with low fat spread
l 2x ryvita with:
n Sliced boiled egg
n Lean slice of cooked meat
n Low fat houmous
n Cottage cheese / low fat cheese spread
l Low fat yoghurt
l Small handful of unsalted nuts l 1x slice of fruit loaf or raisin
bread with or without low fat spread
l 1x portion of fruit:
n 1 apple / 1 orange / 1 pear / 1 small banana / 1 peach
n 2 plums / 2 kiwi
n 7 strawberries
n 10 grapes
n 15 cherries
n 1 inch slice of melon
Pure fruit juice - limit to 1x small glass per day (approx. 150mls)
Low GI evening meal ideas:
l Fish or chicken with new potatoes or sweet potato and vegetables
l Chicken or fish or sea food with brown pasta and tomato based pasta sauce with extra vegetables l Chilli con carne made with
beans and vegetables (with or without meat) with brown rice
l Stir fry chicken or fish with vegetables and noodles l Fish or chicken with brown
rice and vegetables or salad l Brown rice OR chapattis with
tomato based curry
Please contact us on:
weightmanagement@srft.nhs.uk
healthwise@salford.nhs.uk Weight Management Dietitians,
Department of Nutrition and Dietetics,
Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust, Stott Lane,
Salford, M6 8HD
Weight Management Team,
Salford Community Health, Sandringham House, Windsor Street, Salford, M5 4DG
Weight Management Dietitians
Weight Management Team
0161 206 1223
0161 206 6000
Useful websites
www.verity-pcos.org.uk www.nhs.uk/Conditions/ Polycystic-ovarian-syndrome www.glycemicindex.comNotes
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