To increase fertility if you have PCOS, one popular option involves eating a specifically designed PCOS fertility diet. Polycystic ovary syndrome, or PCOS, can play a significant role in infertility, particularly by a condition known as insulin resistance. By creating this resistance, PCOS encourages the body's levels of insulin to rise, which in turn can keep the body from ovulating normally and the eggs from maturing properly. All of this can clearly affect fertility and a woman's ability to conceive.
Issues with insulin can increase a woman's chances of miscarrying. Additionally, insulin-related problems associated with PCOS can also make it difficult for the embryo to attach to the uterus, and they can serve as indicators for the potential emergence of type 2 diabetes. As frightening as this might sound, the good news is that many of these problems can be avoided by simply making the change to a PCOS fertility diet.
By making the decision to switch to a PCOS diet, women can increase their rate of spontaneous ovulation, improve the overall environment of the uterus, fight off diabetes, and decrease their overall risk of miscarriage. Here are 9 steps any woman can take to make the switch:
1. Balance proteins and carbohydrates - Maintaining this balance can help prevent issues with the body's insulin levels. By eating a balanced amount of proteins and carbohydrates, insulin levels are kept balanced.
2. Eat foods that are low on the Glycemic index - These types of carbohydrates break down at a slower rate in the body, making sure that insulin levels don't go through such dramatic spikes and drops.
3. Eat lots of fiber - Foods like broccoli, celery, whole grains, and apples are all great sources of fiber. By eating lots of fiber, individuals with PCOS can slow the digestion of sugars as well as removing the excess estrogens in the body.
4. Make mine 5 - Keep the metabolism working all day by eating 5 times a day. A light snack in between larger meals is usually the best approach to take - as long as the snacks are healthy.
5. Keeps those acids fatty - Including fatty acids in the diet can help individuals lose weight, keep their hormones balanced, and prepare the body for conception. For a great source of fatty acids, consider adding fish oils and evening primrose oil to the diet.
6. Exercise every day - It can be a hassle sometimes, but a diet plan that does not involve exercise will often fail. Generally, individuals participating in a PCOS diet should exercise five times a week for 30 minutes each day. Consider walking, jogging, or even lifting weights as components of the exercise plan.
7. Go organic - Organic foods contain more vitamins and minerals in comparison to non-organic foods. Since the PCOS diet is high in protein, it is essential that participants consume organic animal proteins that come from animals that have not been treated hormones.
8. Quit the coffee fix - Caffeine can cause levels of certain hormones to rise, which can in turn negatively affect the body's ability to produce viable follicles during ovulation.