September is PCOS Awareness month. PCOS (Polycystic ovary syndrome) is a serious genetic, hormonal, metabolic and reproductive disorder. The leading cause of female infertility, it also leads to obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and endometrial cancer. While there is no cure, the symptoms of PCOS can be managed by adopting a clean and holistic lifestyle.
Plant-based foods are a great way to manage PCOS and also for overall health. Ashwagandha and tulsi both help in correcting irregular menstrual cycles, obesity, infertility, blood sugar, and weight gain by decreasing the cortisol levels in the body. Another important component is green tea. This is highly beneficial because of its anti-inflammatory properties.
Additionally, cinnamon and curcumin are both soothing and useful as cinnamon regulates the menstrual cycle and reduces insulin resistance while curcumin, an active pigment in turmeric, is highly anti-inflammatory and also improves insulin resistance.
Make sure to consume at least 1-2 servings of whole fruits and vegetables daily. Also, make sure to eat foods rich in omega-3 such as walnuts, flax seeds, chia seeds and healthy fats such as olive oil, mustard oil which help in reducing the inflammation caused by insulin resistance and obesity.
1 in 5 women in India currently has PCOS! It is more widespread than diabetes! But still many men and women don’t know what this is, how common it is and what to do about it.
This PCOS Awareness month, let’s encourage conversations, normalizes PCOS, spread awareness and bring the community together.