Top 10 Strategies For PCOS Management
A PCOS diagnosis can feel very overwhelming…
So much info online — where do you begin to research? So many opinions online — whose do you believe?
Can’t it just be simple? The good news is that it can be simple. Here are 10 super easy & very implementable strategies to manage your PCOS.
WALKS AFTER EACH MEAL
If you follow me online, I’ve trademarked this as the PCOS Doc Walk. If you take a 10-20 minute walk after each meal, this can mitigate the surge in glucose after meals. It can help stabilize your blood sugar and energy levels throughout the day and can help to improve or prevent insulin resistance. The next time you have a meal, whether it’s a light lunch or a heavy dinner, take a 10-20 minute walk to help support PCOS and blood sugar.
HAVE PROTEIN-CENTERED MEALS
Eating a meal rich in protein (I aim for 20-30g of protein per meal) can help boost metabolism, control appetite, improve blood sugar, and temper the insulin response. I am a big proponent of red meat. Good quality, local, grass-fed beef can be a great source of B12 and iron, which can be of assistance in your PCOS journey. On almost any given day you can find me enjoying red meat and cruciferous veggies for breakfast, lunch, or dinner!
DAILY SAUNA THERAPY
Sauna therapy is one of my favorite biohacks. I have a portable infrared sauna that I love because it feels like the spa is right in my living room. It seems like sauna therapy can help with everything, but here are my favorite benefits: increased detoxification, decreased inflammation, increased circulation, pain relief, increased calorie burn, improved sleep, immune enhancement & promotes overall wellness, mitochondrial support & enhanced energy, increased nitric oxide & redox molecule production, anti-aging benefits like collagen production & cellulite reduction & more! Now you understand why I love sauna therapy. Here’s my favorite one, use code THEPCOSDOC for 10% off.
FOCUS ON GUT HEALTH
The gut microbiome is made up of the microorganisms that are in your GI tract, it is responsible for many different roles in the body including: assisting in the digestion & absorption of food, supporting the immune system, managing inflammation, producing vitamins, balancing hormones including insulin, and producing neurotransmitters which impact mental health. Depending on your diet & environment, there can be an imbalance in the ratio of good and bad bacteria in the gut, this is called dysbiosis. Dysbiosis can lead to a variety of health complications, that’s why we want to ensure we are focusing on & protecting our gut health. To find out more about your gut health and work with a holistic GI expert, book a call with the PCOS Doc Team gut expert Dr. Jake Roland here.
PRIORITIZE SLEEP & REST
Sleep & rest are extremely important. We have four cycles when we sleep, 3 non-REM and 1 REM cycle. Each cycle is responsible for the rest & recovery of different areas of the body. During non-REM, our brain waves begin to slow and muscles relax so we can support growth, muscle repair, immunity, and memory consolidation. 30% of adults get less than 6 hours of sleep per night when we should ideally be sleeping 7-9 hours. Poor sleep can cause an imbalance in hormones, an increase in cortisol, and increased cravings for sugar and processed foods. All of these negatively affect our journey with PCOS.
REMOVE TOXINS & ENDOCRINE DISRUPTORS
A majority of products we use as women contain toxins & endocrine disruptors. From makeup, hair products, body & skincare, and even feminine products. Most of the time, when we use these products, we apply them directly to our skin from which they are directly absorbed into our body and bloodstream. Endocrine-disrupting products affect our body’s ability to produce hormones effectively. Check out my favorite non-toxic makeup here and my favorite non-toxic household products here.
TAKE TARGETED SUPPLEMENTS
While supplements aren’t the quick fix, they can be a very beneficial piece of your puzzle to supplement vitamins, minerals, herbs, and more that you aren’t sufficiently getting from your daily diet. Some of my favorite PCOS-specific supplements are a Complete Prenatal (even if you aren’t trying to conceive), Super Omega, NAC, Liver Support, and Glucose Support. Read more on why I love these supplements for PCOS here.
REMOVE INFLAMMATORY FOODS
Typically women with PCOS have increased levels of inflammation, so we want to ensure the foods we are putting in our bodies are not adding to that inflammation. Those foods can commonly be gluten & grains, dairy, processed foods & sugars, and inflammatory oils like canola, vegetable, safflower & sunflower, corn, and others.
EAT BREAKFAST DAILY
Starting the day with a good breakfast helps to balance hormones, prevent energy dips & reduce sugar cravings by kickstarting your metabolism and managing blood sugar. I suggest consuming your first protein forward meal within 60 minutes of waking! We also want to make sure we aren’t starting the day with a breakfast high in carbs as that will cause a spike in blood sugar. Enjoy a breakfast rich in protein and healthy fats like steak & eggs with a side of avocado.
GROUNDING, MORNING SUNLIGHT & REGULAR TIME IN NATURE
Nature truly is so healing. Grounding offers many benefits including improved sleep, reduced inflammation, improved tissue & cell repair, enhanced blood flow, increased heart rate variability, and improved electrical activity in the brain. Walking barefoot on the Earth also releases endorphins which is one of our happy hormones. Direct sunlight in our eyes before 10:00 am helps to naturally regulate our circadian rhythm and assists in the production & release of serotonin which is the precursor to melatonin. Spending time in nature exposes us to natural sunlight which provides Vitamin D. Nature provides a sense of calm, fresh air, and a place to reconnect with the Earth which is the best medicine.
Your PCOS diagnosis doesn’t have to weigh you down, love. You can thrive with PCOS and it starts with managing it with easy strategies like these.
