Many women of reproductive age suffer from PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome), caused by the imbalance of reproductive hormones. Symptoms like an irregular menstrual cycle, acne, excessive facial hair, infertility, and weight gain can prevent you from living a healthy, happy life.
What’s great is that you can get your hands on high-quality natural supplements like a S’moo PCOS supplement to help you better manage the symptoms of PCOS. Of course, you must consult your doctor as well. However, it’s also essential to make some lifestyle changes for PCOS, which we’ll discuss in this article.
Include Exercise in Your Routine
Of course, not all women with PCOS are overweight, but most are. It can lead to many health complications, including infertility and diabetes.
Therefore, you should include exercise in your daily routine. Cardio exercise can allow you to burn calories and lose weight. Exercise isn’t only limited to hitting the gym, but you can also go jogging, cycling, brisk walking, and swimming.
This way, you will enjoy losing weight and decrease insulin resistance and testosterone levels in your body.
Incorporate a Well-Balanced Diet
You should definitely avoid processed food and sugary drinks like soda as they won’t help you lose weight, and your PCOS-related symptoms may aggravate.
Instead, it’s essential for you to incorporate a well-balanced diet and keep yourself well-hydrated.
Since women with PCOS have insulin resistance, they are at risk of diabetes. Increased insulin levels in your body can also lead to increased androgens.
Dietary fiber – Incorporating fiber-rich foods can help you prevent insulin resistance. Some food examples are beans, chia seeds, lentils, nuts, green peas, and broccoli.
Whole grains – Since carbs are also part of a nutritional meal, you should add them to your diet. However, make sure they aren’t refined carbs but whole grains like whole-wheat bread, oats, quinoa, and brown rice, as they are high in fiber.
Anti-inflammatory foods – Women with PCOS have a certain kind of inflammation that triggers their ovaries to produce androgens. Hence, anti-inflammatory foods like olive oil, blueberries, oranges, strawberries, green leafy veggies, salmon, and almonds may help you greatly.
Fatty acids – Fish oil and vitamin E may also help women with PCOS reduce insulin levels.
Manage Stress
Yes, stress also has an impact on the symptoms of PCOS. When you get stressed out, your adrenals get activated by the stressors and start over-producing androgens.
Since high androgen levels are associated with PCOS symptoms, you may start experiencing them even more. Therefore, it’s essential for you to manage your stress levels.
Working out can help you release happy hormones as well as lose weight. Talking to your family members or friends, meditating, yoga, or journaling are also ideal for managing stress.
If you’re extremely stressed out and unable to manage stress regardless of all the techniques, visiting a professional therapist may greatly help.
Get a Good Night’s Sleep
Poor sleep quality can elevate your risk of obesity and insulin resistance, which are closely associated with PCOS.
When making lifestyle changes to manage the symptoms of PCOS better, you should pay attention to the quality of sleep. Try getting 7 to 8 hours of quality sleep every night. Get rid of any distractions that prevent you from sleeping better at night.
Ensure your bedding is comfortable and noise or light doesn’t disrupt sleep. Having chamomile tea before bed can also help induce sleep and relax you.