PCOS Diet in Dubai

PCOS Diet for Women

Polycystic Ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a prevalent health condition worldwide. An analysis of relevant data between February 2016 and April 2022 was conducted by the UAE Health Future Study (UAEHFS) to understand the prevalence where one thousand forty women in the age group 25 to 67 years were studied. The prevalence percentage was 25.9% which is relatively high. It was also found that certain medical conditions like high cholesterol and asthma in the early years increased the risks of PCOS in later years.

A healthy lifestyle and a nutrient-rich diet impact PCOS or, at the least, keep the symptoms under control. This article will provide all details related to this health condition and how dietary changes can make a difference.

What is PCOS?

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome is primarily a health disorder in women and is related to their reproductive organs. The condition results in the formation of ovarian cysts that create hormonal imbalances. As per statistics, one lady out of every five globally suffers from this condition. What is alarming is that almost 50% of the patients are unaware of the issue, so the disease remains undiagnosed.

What causes Polycystic Ovary Syndrome?

The medical community is still baffled by the exact cause of this condition. Research in this field suggests that genetics probably has a role to play. Other than that, obesity is an influencing factor. Some women have higher androgen levels or male hormones that prevent the release of eggs in the ovaries, causing irregular menstruation.

What are the risks?

PCOS is one of the main reasons for women’s infertility. It is associated with severe pain, cramps, stress, depression, anxiety, fatigue, acne, inflammation, hair loss or excess growth, insulin resistance, and more. In addition, it affects the body’s cardiovascular system, resulting in heart-related issues, Type 2 diabetes, thyroid, high blood pressure, weight gain, eating disorders, and poor confidence levels due to low body image. Another serious medical issue that can arise is the incidence of endometrial cancer.

Can PCOS be Managed With Dietary Changes?

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome can be primarily managed through weight management and insulin production. The latter has a significant role and can be controlled with the proper diet. Besides, what we eat and our weight are closely associated. Therefore, diets that help keep the weight under control or encourage weight loss works out best for patients.

Insulin, an important hormone, is required to convert sugar or glucose into energy. The pancreas produces insulin. When the body does not have adequate insulin, it causes the blood sugar levels to rise. Women suffering from PCOS have been found to have insulin resistance.

Insulin resistance is a medical condition where the body produces higher amounts of insulin to control sugar levels in the blood. Higher insulin production can stimulate the ovaries to increase androgen production.

Foods that are rich in starch or sugar can promote insulin resistance. Thus, PCOS patients can benefit if they take care of what they eat and when they eat.

What is a PCOS diet?

Though there is no standard diet for Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, medical experts believe that a diet free from refined carbohydrates and sugars can help people manage it well.

In this context, three kinds of diets are recommended.

Low GI Diet

Foods that are low in the glycemic index or GI is suitable for people with PCOS. These include nuts, seeds, whole grains, fruits, legumes, and low-carb and unprocessed foods. Even starchy vegetables are a good choice. Low-GI foods are digested slowly. Hence, they do not trigger a rapid rise in insulin levels.

DASH Diet

DASH or Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension is another recommended option for patients. These meals are rich in fruits, fish, whole grains, veggies, poultry, and low-fat dairy products. Ingredients rich in sugar and saturated fats are a no-no in DASH. Thus, it helps deal with spikes in insulin levels as well as is good for a healthy heart.

A study in 2015 found that overweight women with a DASH diet were able to reduce insulin resistance dramatically within eight weeks compared to women who were on a regular diet.

Anti-Inflammatory Diet

Natural fruits and vegetables are rich in antioxidants and are best at fighting inflammation. Consumption of such ingredients helps fight PCOS symptoms like fatigue.

In a nutshell, patients with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome should avoid processed and low-fiber food items. Instead, they should consume more natural, unprocessed, high-fiber foods.

Other eatables include dark leafy greens like kale and spinach; fatty fish like tuna, sardines, and salmon. Cauliflower and broccoli are good too. Spices like cinnamon and turmeric, nuts, olive oil, coconuts, avocados, lentils, and periodic dark chocolates can help too.

PCOS Meal Plans in Dubai

Meal plans have become tremendously popular in Dubai in the last few years. Boxed plans in eco-friendly bags are delivered to your doorsteps for as many days as you subscribe for. Meal plan companies cover breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snack time. You can opt for plans that align with your health and fitness goals. You can mention your allergies, preferences, etc., for the meals to be tuned accordingly. For example, if you are into vegan eating, you simply need to mention the same, and the company will take care of the rest.

There are licensed nutritionists on board who can be consulted before you start with the plans. The good part is that if you suffer from certain conditions like PCOS, you can have the nutritionist tweak the meals to suit your individual nutritional requirements.

Most healthy meal plan companies curate hormone-balancing meals that help their women customers struggle with PCOS. Such plans consist of fiber-high and low-in-carbs foods with the correct percentage of proteins.

Meal Plan Companies that provide PCOS Diet

VMeals

It is one of the leading meal plan delivery companies in the UAE. All meal plans by VMeals are created sustainably. The VMeals PCOS diet has multiple benefits, due to which weight loss is initiated effectively. The diet is designed so that only low-carb, high-fiber macronutrients are included, resulting in the consumption of lesser carbs. More on the lines of a keto diet, the body is encouraged to burn the fat in the body.

VMeals has the reputation for delivering tailor-made meal plans across across UAE. Meals are delivered for breakfast, lunch, dinner, drinks, and snacks. The plans are all well-balanced, nourishing a healthy body while ensuring taste and authenticity. While the meal company addresses a definite health condition like PCOS, care is also given to taste and customer choices, with multiple cuisines and dishes woven into the plans.

Basiligo

Each nutrient in preparing meals in Basiligo is picked and used to meet the hormonal needs of individuals. To help improve and maintain insulin levels, high-fiber, low-carb and low-GI foods are served in the plan. Also, it is taken care that the dishes are dairy-free and gluten-free. Additionally, the ingredients are rich in anti-inflammatory properties. The objective of the meals is to promote sustainable weight loss, which contributes to addressing PCOS and improving fertility.

The meals are delivered for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and PCOS Seed Cycling. Sample dishes include: a mushroom omelet with broccoli for breakfast, specially-created pumpkin seed balls, chai-spiced flaxseed for morning snacks, and Moroccan Chicken Tajine served with Cauliflower Cous Cous for lunch.

Energy Meal Plans

Energy Meal Plans follow a Mediterranean diet, which is low in carbohydrates and high in fibers, and with the required dose of protein. PCOS diet by the company provides calories between 1300 Kcal and 1500 Kcal per day. In addition, the plans comprise fruits and vegetables with a low GI. The meal plan comes with three meals, one drink, and one snack.

Inspired by the ketogenic diet, the plans aid weight reduction by reducing hunger pangs and increasing metabolism. Both keto and Mediterranean diets are low in carbs; therefore, stored fats are converted into fatty acids and ketones.  Thus, resulting in weight loss.

Freshly Meals

When you order from Freshly Meals, you are bargaining for locally-sourced foods with macros counted and portion-controlled items. There are 50+ dishes with a choice of cuisines like Arabic, Mediterranean, Indian, and Pan-Asian. The calories served in a PCOS meal plan range between 1200 and 1400.

The meals contain protein-high nutrients with complex carbs that provide the right kind of nutrition to a woman for the effective control of PCOS. As a subscriber, you must first choose your plan, schedule the deliveries, and have freshly-cooked meals delivered right to your doorsteps.

How to improve PCOS with diet?

The quintessential thing about diet and Polycystic Ovary Syndrome is to eat food in its natural state, also termed as eating ‘clean.’ Consuming processed and refined foods are harmful to your hormone levels.

PCOS is a condition that has no cure. However, making dietary and lifestyle changes is the only way to heal the condition so that hormones like insulin, progesterone, testosterone, and estrogen do not play havoc. Keeping these essential hormones under control is the best way to manage the symptoms. The truth is that diet can even help improve fertility, reduce weight, and subsequently, make you confident about your body.

Eating right is not enough; you must follow certain do’s and don’ts. So what are the things that you need to take care of? Here are the answers.

Only Fresh foods

The things that work best for your body are nothing but fresh and natural ingredients. Clean eating is the mantra. Choose fruits and veggies, dairy products, nuts, and seeds. Stay away from processed foods entirely.

Food Types to Eat

Keeping PCOS symptoms under control is crucial to enjoying life. Your condition is directly associated with insulin sensitivity. Therefore, you must pay attention to what foods you consume. Here are the tips –

• High-fiber foods like vegetables, fruits, lentils, etc., help slow digestion, which is most important for combating insulin resistance.
• Lean proteins like fish, tofu, etc., are good for appetite control. Consumption of such eatables helps reduce cravings and also maintain blood sugar levels.
• Whole grains instead of processed grains are great for your metabolism. These include barley, oatmeal, corn, 100% whole wheat, brown rice, and so on.
• Keep your system hydrated, and water is the best choice. At least 2 liters of water should be consumed daily. Alternatively, you can have lemon or mint water or add berries and cucumber to the water and drink it.
• Fatty fish contain healthy omega-3 that help slow down cholesterol absorption. Women suffering from PCOS can significantly benefit by having salmon, herring, or sardines twice a week. If you are a vegetarian, you can mix ground flaxseed into smoothies and yogurts for omega-3.
• Another nutrient that is highly beneficial in PCOS is soy protein. It can be obtained from foods like soy nuts, soy butter, soy milk, tofu, etc. 25 g of soy protein is excellent for enhancing metabolism and cardiovascular health.

What to Avoid Eating?

There are many eatables, unfortunately, that are not recommended for your body. Some of these are –

• High-sugary juices, soda, and energy drinks.
• Refined carbs like cookies, desserts, white bread, cakes, muffins, etc., can create havoc with your system. Avoid them.
• Hydrogenated and trans fats are bad for your health, and you need to stay away from these consciously. Always check the labels on food packages to make informed decisions.

Do’s & Don’t

• Replace the traditional three meals daily with smaller healthy meals once every 3-5 hours.
• Try and avoid having more than 2,300 mg of sodium each day. One effective way is to stop consuming processed and canned foods completely.
• Daily consumption of alcohol is a strict no-no. Occasional indulgences are fine. A glass of red wine is recommended for occasional drinking.
• A trick to ensure that you are eating healthy is to keep a balance between protein intake and carbs. For example, you can combine a complex carb with a lean protein, like nuts and a slice of turkey, at every meal. Or have yogurt with a few cheese pieces.
• If packing your tiffin and lunches, always focus on carrying the right snacks. This will help you from starving while ensuring you are eating nutritious food. Alternatively, you can register with a meal plan company offering PCOS meal plans and indulge your taste buds guilt-free.

Conclusion

Taking care of your diet is one part of the story. The other part is to ensure you inculcate healthy lifestyle habits like taking regular walks, jogging, cycling, or swimming. Such physical activities will help in reducing insulin resistance. Also, keep your mind destressed with yoga and meditation.

Frequently Asked Questions

How to treat PCOS with diet?

PCOS is mainly related to insulin resistance, which in turn, is related to diet. One of the most effective ways of insulin resistance is to have high-fiber food. This kind of food helps slow digestion, which in turn, helps address the effect of sugar levels in the bloodstream. High-fiber content is found in cruciferous vegetables like cauliflower and broccoli. Even red and green peppers, red-leaf lettuce, berries, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, almonds, beans, and lentils are high in fiber. If you love to eat meat, go in for fish and chicken to ensure proper nutrition.

Is keto or low carb better for PCOS?

PCOS symptoms can be controlled with a ketogenic or low-carb diet. Keto is a restrictive diet with a lower percentage of carbs. As a result, fats are low, too, while protein intake is maintained at an average level. The result of going ketogenic is weight loss for most people. Weight management, as we have seen earlier, is a way to control PCOS symptoms.

The other reason why a low-carb diet helps is because of insulin resistance. Women with cystic ovaries are usually found to have higher insulin resistance, whether thin or obese. Insulin release is directly connected to carbohydrates. With a low-carb keto diet, insulin sensitivity in PCOS patients has been shown to improve phenomenally.