PCOS Awareness Month 2020: How To Manage PCOS

How can you manage PCOS?

1. Talk To Your Doctor
2. Maintain a PCOS-Friendly Diet
3. Adaptogen Herbs
4. PCOS Supplements
5. Maintain a Healthy Weight

September marks the start of National PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome) Awareness Month. Puritan’s Pride values prompting more education regarding this serious, yet often misunderstood disorder. We want to help women navigate their way through it by providing some helpful tips on how to manage PCOS.

What is PCOS?

First, what is PCOS? PCOS, which stands for Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, is a hormonal, metabolic, and reproductive disorder that affects women. In fact, it is one of the most common disorders among women today. It is also the leading cause of female infertility. When PCOS is not properly managed, it can put you at risk for other serious conditions including obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and endometrial cancer. This health condition presents itself through a combination of troubling symptoms such as:

• Irregular period cycles or experiencing no periods at all.
• Difficulty conceiving
• Excessive hair growth (usually on the face, chest, back, or buttock) or thinning hair
• Weight gain
• Oily Skin
• Acne

Women who have PCOS know how it can be such a struggle to live with daily. Unfortunately, PCOS does not have a cure. However, there are ways to manage its symptoms to continue living your normal life and to reduce the risk of more medical conditions down the line. Ahead, we’ve rounded up a list of essential things to do for the management of common PCOS symptoms and your overall body.

Talk To Your Doctor

Before anything else, talk to your doctor. If you're experiencing the PCOS symptoms stated above, make sure you schedule an appointment immediately. Even if you haven’t been experiencing its symptoms, it's best to always schedule an annual checkup with your gynecologist. PCOS is a complex disorder, and its severity and symptoms vary from woman to woman. Some may not even experience any symptoms at all.

Maintain a PCOS-Friendly Diet

When you are diagnosed with PCOS, there are some diet changes you need to make. This is one of the most effective ways to successfully balance PCOS symptoms. Eat the appropriate foods and avoid certain ingredients. Here’s a quick rundown on how to make your diet PCOS-friendly:

• Consume whole and natural foods instead of meals with artificial sugars, hormones, and preservatives as these highly disrupt your endocrine system.
• Be mindful of your carbohydrates. Eating excessive amounts of unprocessed and high-carb foods will increase your insulin sensitivity. Aim for whole grains instead.
• Add in more anti-inflammatory foods such as fish, green vegetables, and nuts to minimize inflammation.
• If you experience heavy bleeding during your period, it is highly recommended that you increase your iron intake to reduce your risk of an iron deficiency or anemia.
• Lessen the dairy. Ingestion of dairy can lead to a boost in levels of insulin and can contribute to more acne.

Adaptogen Herbs

PCOS builds up significantly higher levels of androgen (male sex hormones) in your body. This is what mostly causes symptoms such as acne, hair fall or hair loss, oily skin, and irregular periods. Adaptogen herbs are perfect for this! These help your body balance hormones. Some even claim to ease specific symptoms of PCOS. Great adaptogen herbs you can try out are maca root, ashwagandha, turmeric, and matcha! Plus, it is fairly simple to add into your daily routine. You can add them to your meals or take them as a supplement.

PCOS Supplements

Supplements are a great addition to your daily routine. Apart from its capability to help ease specific symptoms, it also helps you stay in good shape. It can keep your health in check at all times. Here are the supplements from Puritan’s Pride that you can take for the most common PCOS symptoms:

• Zinc: To boost fertility and lessen excessive hair growth
• Evening Primrose Oil: To help with period pain, irregular mensuration, and acne
• Turmeric: To act as an inflammatory agent

Maintain a Healthy Weight

Regular physical activity is also one of the best methods to manage PCOS symptoms, especially for those who gain more weight. It also helps reduce insulin resistance, improves mood, and can reduce acne. Ensure that you get at least 30-minutes of exercises per day. However, make sure your exercise is moderate-intensity as high-intensity workouts can make symptoms of PCOS worse.

Key Takeaway

As we observe National PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome) Awareness Month this September, here are some helpful ways on how to manage PCOS symptoms. With these, you can live a normal life and lower your risk for even more serious medical conditions down the line.