As per data from Statista, 33% of women in India suffer from PCOD. While there is no single cause of PCOD, there is a typical pattern seen in all the patients is that they develop insulin resistance. Insulin is the primary growth hormone of the body, and any fluctuation in insulin also fluctuates other hormones, such as estrogen & progesterone, the primary female sex hormone which brings changes in the body such as irregular menstrual cycles, extra weight & acne. Insulin resistance is the body's adaptability to not accept insulin due to increased glucose intake over a long period of time.
This blog will cover some lifestyle changes that will help you cure insulin resistance and reverse your PCOD.
Include whole grains, fruits & vegetables, lean proteins and good fat in your diet
The objective of eating these foods is to make sure that the glucose is released slowly into the blood, so as to secrete less insulin & keep us full for a long time. Whole grains like Jawar, Bajra & Brown rice are high in glucose & fibre. The high fibre slowly releases the glucose into the blood and keeps us full for a long time. Vegetables and fruits are high in fibre and have lower glucose than grains. Because of the high fibre, they slowly digest and keep us full for a longer time. Proteins & fats are nutrient-dense, and do not spike up blood glucose. Food rich in protein and fat helps lose weight and provides sustainable energy levels.
Follow a low-refined carbs diet
Foods made of Maida and sugar, such as cakes & biscuits, have a lot of refined carbohydrates. These foods spike blood glucose, which secretes insulin to transport the absorbed glucose, and repeated eating of these foods exposes the body's cells to insulin and high blood glucose levels. A low-refined carbs diet will help control your blood glucose and insulin levels. Everything in moderation is healthier than banning a food item.
Practice Intermittent fasting
Intermittent Fasting (IF) helps manage PCOD and insulin resistance. When you fast, the body switches its primary energy source from glucose to fat. Since the body does not have any food coming in, it starts to utilise the body fat for energy needs. This switching of the primary energy source reduces insulin secretion.
Here are 3 fasting methods you can start following:
16:8 fast: In this type of fasting, you have to eat for 8 hours and fast for 16 hours. You can tweak the number of eating and fasting per your convenience, but make sure you're fasting for 12 hours or more to get the benefits.
Alternate day fast (ADF): In ADF, you can fast every alternate day. You only need to eat 25-30% of the food the body needs during your fasting days.
5:2 fast: In this fast, you need to fast for 2 days of the week. You can have foods that are easy to digest, such as fruits or tapioca, during the fast.
Stress management
Patients having PCOD have some form of mental stress in their lives. Mental stress has various implications on the body. When we are under stress, our body secretes cortisol, which increases glucose in our blood to keep us energetic and absorb the glucose; insulin is secreted. If we are continuously under stress, more insulin will be secreted. It is terrible for our mental health, but it also affects us physically. Therefore, managing stress in our own way is important.
Exercise & Yoga
PCOD is a metabolic disorder, and physical exercise helps in improving our metabolic rate, managing stress, and improving insulin resistance. You can start doing strength training or yoga. These exercises help reduce the fat tissue and build new muscle.
The only cure to reverse PCOD is incorporating healthy lifestyle changes. If you want a personalised regime to reverse your PCOD, we at CureDiab run a PCOD reversal program where we help people get healthy through a holistic, low-medicine approach. You can book a consultation with us here.
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