The only thing that naturally stops or hinders the menstrual cycle is pregnancy. Unfortunately, there is a disorder that affects women of conceiving age and creates irregularities in the cycle. It is called PCOD (Polycystic Ovary Disorder) and the symptoms include irregular cycles, troubles conceiving, miscarriages, uncontrolled weight gain, etc. and the treatment remains in lifestyle change. Out of all the PCOD symptoms, the one that troubles women the most is the uncontrolled weight gain. If you too are troubled by weight gain due to PCOD or any other condition, we’re listing down some tips that might work as home treatment for the issue-
- Eat less carbs Excessing carbs is one of the main reasons for weight gain in most women. Especially in women with PCOD, carbs lead to uncontrolled weight gain as a symptom. Carbohydrates, and especially the processed carbs that you get from the supermarket, have adverse effects on the hormone insulin. Insulin is the hormone which is responsible for sugar level management in the body. It helps the body recognise when and when not to store energy. Hormonal imbalance is one of the main PCOD symptoms and it also stops cells from responding to insulin surge as well. When this happens the body never gets a signal to stop producing insulin. The excess of insulin thus leads to weight gain and high sugar levels, making you susceptible to diabetes. Reduce the amount of carbs you take in a day and stick to fibrous carbs such as sweet potatoes and whole wheat bread.
- Eat more fibre
- Eat lots of proteins
- Eat healthier fats
- Eat fermented foods
- Be mindful of how much and what you eat
- Stop eating processed foods and sugars
- Try inflammation reducing diets
When your meal is less on fibre it doesn’t help your metabolism in any way. Food has one main motive and it is to drive your gut juices efficiently. When fibre is missing from your diet, you keep feeling hungry very frequently. In turn, eating multiple meals in a day causes bloating and fat production. The only way to control your hunger and the amount of fat it produces is to eat lots of fibre and get your stomach used to it. Digesting fibre takes time and it sucks out all the waste from the gut like vacuum, keeping it cleaner and preventing constipation. It was seen in a study that women with PCOD have a better metabolism and weight control when eating more fibre as a treatment for obesity. Foods like apples, pears, bananas, green leafy veggies and pulses are high on fibre.
Proteins are the most important nutrition for the body and cannot be neglected. Moreso when your body is going through a health issue. PCOD being a health issue requires a lot of protein for the body to be able to regulate the functions. PCOD weight gain can be reduced if you take good amounts of proteins along with your fibre and unprocessed carbs. Protein is essential for regulating the blood sugars that cause insulin disbalance and help in burning more calories from your daily tasks. Try adding cottage cheese, chickpeas, grams, and whole pulses to your meals.
Now fats might have a lot of bad rep but not all of them are bad for your health. There are bad processed fats and then there are good natural fats that regulate a lot of bodily functions. These fats are those which contain a lot of good cholesterol which controls the heart rates and keeps the liver healthy. In turn reducing insulin production in the body. Healthy fats will make you feel satisfied after meals and you will automatically have a reduced calorie intake. Nuts, milk, avocados, olive oil, etc. are full of healthy fats.
Just like fat, not all bacteria are bad for health. All living beings have a set of bacteria that helps their metabolism. Similarly, our guts require healthy bacteria too. Healthy gut bacteria are responsible for dissipating the food properly and improving metabolic rates which help in better digestion and fat burn. Eat yoghurt and curd to increase the health of gut bacteria.
Since PCOD has hormonal disbalance as the main symptom, women suffering with it are generally binge eaters and tend to develop eating disorders. Mindful eating practices are a way to tackle that. Be mindful of your eating habits and make sure you don’t allow food to be your comfort zone when feeling emotional. It keeps your gut in check and you can slowly regulate the amount and times of meals.
Processed food is one of the main reasons for obesity around the world. Even if someone doesn’t have PCOD, processed sugars and meats lead to uncontrolled obesity for which there are very few treatments. With obesity as an added PCOD symptom, it is critical for you to not have any kind of processed sugars in food like ice-creams, doughnuts, wafers, pastas, cheese, etc.
Inflammation in the body doesn’t mean you’ll have high temperatures or feel like your skin is burning. Inflammation can be a response of the body to any infection but is also caused by a lot of sugars and excess of glucose. Inflammation causes the body to retain fats and water which leads to obesity. Try diets that reduce inflammation and its effects on the body. The mediterranean diet, for example, which includes more fruits, whole vegetables, grains and pulses, has all the components to reduce inflammation. PCOD has some tests for diagnosis but it certainly doesn’t have a proven treatment which can reverse the effects quickly. The disorder can only be reduced with lifestyle and diet changes. There are, however, certain ingredients and herbs which are able to focus on the hormonal disbalances leading to PCOD. Namyaa Arthava Kshaya is a tablet consisting of similar herbs like sahastravedi, pippali, neem, aloe vera, varuna,kultha, kanchnar, etc. Try it to defend yourself against PCOD and its symptoms.
