Pcos Diet Info
The Lowdown On Pcos Diet Info
There is a lot of information floating around on the Web purporting to be the definitive voice on PCOS diet info. The truth is, researchers have not found that any single diet is superior to all others for women with PCOS. Although PCOS diet info can be found in abundance, the bottom line is that each woman is an individual, and that no two women will respond to the same diet in the same way. In other words, there are a variety of paths to reach the same goal.
|
The Goal Of Pcos Diet Info
So, what is the goal of PCOS diet info? Basically, most women with PCOS have insulin resistance. This insulin resistance is a relative of Syndrome X, but can also be related to a myriad of other health issues that affect women with PCOS, such as hypertension and high cholesterol. Most PCOS diet info stresses the importance of eating a diet that is low in carbohydrates. This is because carbohydrates (especially refined carbohydrates, like candy, soda, and baked goods) quickly enter the bloodstream as glucose (sugar). Being insulin resistant means that the body has difficultly sending the glucose to cells to be used as energy, and instead triggers the pancreas to produce more insulin.
On the other hand, when you don't eat carbohydrates or you only eat carbohydrates that are low in sugar (such as beans, whole grains, and low-starch vegetables), there isn't a surge of glucose in the bloodstream and the pancreas isn't forced to overreact and produce excess insulin. Thus, PCOS diet info usually explores the various options for eating a diet low in carbohydrates, since a no- or low-carb diet will lessen insulin resistance and result in weight loss, normalization of blood sugar levels, and often even stimulate ovulation.
There are many different no-carb or low-carb diets available, and after consultation with a medical professional, you should choose the one that feels right for you. If you're new to the low-carb mindset, however, you should know that counting carbs is significantly different from counting calories or fat.
For example, in the low-fat world, an apple always wins out over cheese, but in the low-carb world, the cheese is champ every time. The USDA nutritional labels on packaged foods recommend 300 grams of carbohydrates for a 2,000-calorie diet. In contrast, the Induction Phase of the Atkins Diet calls for a net carbohydrate intake of only about 20 grams per day; even during the liberal maintenance phase of Atkins, dieters ingest only between 50 and 100 grams of net carbs.
Pcos Diet Info: Sugar By Any Other Name
Many packaged products have “hidden sugars,” often labeled as:
- Dextrose
- Lactose
- Maltose
- Sucrose
- High fructose corn syrup
- Molasses
- Invert sugar
- Malt syrup
Pcos Diet Info: Low Carb Continued
When making the decision to go low-carb, here are some things you should know:
- The Atkins Diet is the most severely restrictive of all low-carb diets. The goal of the first phase is to put dieters into ketosis, where energy is derived from stored fat rather than from dietary sources. A more moderate approach is taken by the South Beach Diet, which takes into account where foods rank on the Glycemic Index rather than their carb count.
- In a low-carbohydrate diet, “net” or “effective” carbs count. You determine the net carb count of a food by taking its total carbohydrate count and subtracting the grams of fiber. For example, whole wheat bread has more fiber than white bread, so it would have a lower carb count.
- To illustrate the difference between carb-counting and calorie counting, consider:
- One whole avocado has only 3.5 grams of net carbs, while one medium apple has 17.3 grams of net carbs;
- Butter has zero grams of net carbs, while one cup of low-fat yogurt has 17.2 grams of net carbs; and
- One-half cup of broccoli has 1.5 grams of net carbs, while one medium baked potato has 46.1 grams of net carbs.
- The South Beach Diet isn’t a low-carb diet per se; instead, it relies on the Glycemic Index to determine food choices. The Glycemic Index ranks foods according to the impact they have on your blood sugar level. Foods that are low on the Glycemic Index (a ranking of less than 55) don’t have much affect on blood sugar; moderate foods (55-69 on the index) have slightly more; and high glycemic foods (70 or more on the index) cause your blood sugar to spike. The goal is to eat foods that will avoid the peaks and valleys of blood sugar spikes.
- Examples of low-GI foods are broccoli, green beans, plums, green peas, bananas, grapes, and dried apricots. Some medium-GI foods are brown rice, raisings, pineapple, popcorn, and macaroni and cheese. High GI foods include watermelon, jellybeans, rice cakes, baked potatoes, and some boxed cereals.
- Low or moderate carb diets can successfully improve insulin resistance, but many women find that other dietary approaches work just as well, or even better. Often, simply losing weight –by whatever method – will trigger positive responses in many metabolic arenas. Keep in mind that the best PCOS diet info is what works best for you.