When you think about following a diet, do you think of a fancy list of ingredients? Or a fad diet that will give you a restricted set of ingredients? The truth is — your diet does not have to be complicated. When you focus on wholesome, fresh food instead of processed or packaged food, you automatically switch to a healthier diet. While following a healthy diet is important regardless, it becomes even more important when it comes to managing your symptoms of PCOS. Following a balanced diet helps lose or maintain weight, manage insulin resistance, keeps your hormones balanced while preventing the risk of developing long-term complications such as diabetes, heart disease and infertility issues.
While there are plenty of diet plans online, where do you get started? First, it is important to understand that there is no ‘one-size-fits-all’ plan when it comes to PCOS. This is because PCOS symptoms vary among women and depending on your symptoms, your diet should be customised. However, it is important for you as a patient to be aware of what choices you have and why certain food items are better for PCOS. Since planning your own diet involves a lot of trial and error and can be time-consuming, we have charted down a non vegetarian diet plan and which food items are recommended as opposed to others!
What does a PCOS diet look like?
While a non vegetarian diet has plenty of options for protein, there are certain sources that are healthier and packed with essential nutrients. Not just protein, your diet should be well balanced and consist of sources from all four food groups mentioned below. Always choose the foods in green as they are great for women with PCOS. The foods in yellow can be eaten once in a while, and the foods in red should always be avoided. Fruits marked with the green dot have a low glycemic index (GI), a characteristic you should look for in the food you eat. Additionally you should always choose complex carbohydrates that won’t spike your blood sugar instantly and good amounts of healthy fats.
Overall, choose foods with a low GI, that are rich in complex carbohydrates, proteins and unsaturated fats like omega-3-fatty acids.
Below you can find a sample Indian non vegetarian diet plan for PCOS that will help you get started and give you some direction in making healthier choices.
Changing your diet to include foods like these will help reduce your insulin resistance, balance out your hormones and prevent inflammation. These foods will, of course, also provide you with the right vitamins, antioxidants and nutrients required for the healthy functioning of your body.
PLEASE NOTE: This is a sample, generic plan for PCOS. For a more detailed and personalised plan a nutritionist can be of great help to understand your body, dietary triggers, and customize a plan for you.
As you can see, your diet does not have to be complicated. In fact most of the ingredients required in a PCOS diet plan might already be a part of your pantry! At Veera Health we help women like you to make smart and sustainable choices for managing PCOS symptoms in the long run. Book a free appointment with us today!
Disclaimer: Content on Veera is provided for informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice, or as a substitute for medical advice given by a physician
