PCOS & Our Bodies

One of the most unusual components in food cravings is … salt. People and animals both crave salt in times of stress and humans often resort to easy sources of sodium.

These include chips, pretzels and popcorn, which have crunchy textures that help relaxation and provide a way of getting rid of anger. Steak is another big source of salt, while eating starchesin saltybread and pasta can also boost a carb-craver’s mood in 20 minutes.

However, chocolate remains the most craved after food. As we reported last week, it contains mood-altering chemicals like phenylethylamine, levels of which rise when people are in love. Chocolate also has a mild stimulant called theobromine, as well as tyramine and tryptophan -antidepressant precursors that create a sense of calm.

Ice cream is another favorite craving, of course. As well as activating the brain’s reward circuit, ice cream’s fat content provides comfort and and its sugar gives off an energy boost.

There are no easy ways to resist the urge to give in to food cravings but try these suggestions:

Exercise for a quick fix of feel-good endorphins, instead of getting them from food

Identify the taste you crave. For example, if it’s chocolate you crave, have small piece of dark chocolate(85%+ cocoa content) after a meal because there’s evidence that the more you try to avoid a food, the more you crave it.

Take a quick whiff of peppermint or jasmine to distract your sensory circuits. Jasmine, for example, can occupy the same aroma receptors that are a key part of food cravings.

Sincerely,

Christine DeZarn Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome Association, Inc. (PCOSA)

Source: http://www.pcosupport.org/

Vegetables, like fruit, provide numerous health benefits to women with PCOS, thanks to their high fiber content and a rich supply of vitamins and nutrients. These benefits include: · improving blood pressure · lowering cholesterol · improving insulin · preventing cancer

Just like fruit, the more variety and color, the better. There are two classifications of vegetables: Starchy and non-starchy. Starchy vegetables have a higher content of carbohydrates, similar to that of whole grains and fruits; they need to be eaten with caution. Examples of starchy vegetables include corn, peas and potatoes.

Foods like broccoli, zucchini, squash, spinach, green beans, onions and peppers are non-starchy vegetables and contribute little to increasing insulin levels. Nonstarchy vegetables contain a lot of fiber and are low in calories, so you can eat them without caution to feel fuller and more satisfied with meals. Try to eat at least two to three non-starchy vegetable choices each day. In general, one nonstarchy vegetable serving is a half cup of cooked vegetables, 1 cup of raw vegetables or 1 cup of vegetable juice.

Despite the benefits of vegetables, many people like my client Laura, don’t know how to incorporate vegetables in their diets. Ask yourself: Are you getting enough vegetables in your diet? If not, why?

Below are some ideas for adding more vegetables to your diet. Can you think of ways to add more?
· Adding chopped peppers, tomatoes or spinach to an omelet
· Include lettuce, tomato, pickles and onions on your sandwich
· Have low-sodium vegetable soups as part of a meal or as a snack
· Munch on baby carrots or celery dipped in hummus
· Add your favorite assorted vegetables to a garden salad
· Aim to cover half of your dinner plate with vegetables
· Top a slice of whole wheat pizza with vegetables
· Toss in a stir-fry with your favorite meat or tofu
· Order an extra side of vegetables at a restaurant with your entree

Aim for at least one vegetable with your dinner. Sometimes taking a few minutes to think about your week and meals can be helpful. For example, on a weekend day think about your schedule for the week, when you will have dinner home and what you plan to eat. Consider what vegetables you would enjoy with your meals. Write them down as part of your grocery list for the coming week.

With a little thought and effort, vegetables can take center-plate in your diet. Your body will thank you for it later.

Copyright © www.PCOSnutritioncenter.com

SOURCE: http://www.pcosnutrition.com/index.php?pID=31

Because of elevated insulin levels and struggles with weight and body image, it is very common for women with PCOS to engage in binge eating. A binge is defined as eating (within a two hour period of time) an amount of food that is definitely larger than most people would eat during a similar period of time and under similar circumstances, and having a sense of lack of control during the episode. While bingeing once a month or less is not terribly serious, bingeing weekly is dangerous as it can contribute to weight gain, eating unhealthy foods, and can affect your physical and emotional health.

If you feel your eating is out of control, the following are some suggestions that may be helpful to you:

Be mindful. People who are conscious when they eat are more satisfied with their meals and less likely to want to binge or overeat. Conscious or mindful eating involves being in tune with your body and recognizing signs of hunger and fullness. Often times I will have my clients keep food journals in which they not only write down what foods they ate and when but also rate how hungry they were before they ate and how satisfied they were after. You can practice this yourself by using a rating scale from zero to 10 with zero being completely starving and 10 being the opposite extreme-thanksgiving dinner stuffed. Check in with yourself before a meal to see how hungry you are and throughout the meal to see how full you are. The idea is to stop eating when you think you have eaten enough food to get you though until the next meal or snack. Sitting down to meals and eating slow can help you do this.

Eat often. This means eating every three to five hours or eating 3 small meals and 2 to 3 snacks. The reason for this is to keep your insulin levels stable throughout the day. It is also important to add protein to all meals and snacks to fill you up and slow down the rate that carbohydrates are released in your bloodstream. Eating often can help keep you from getting too hungry and bingeing.

Pre-plan meals. We all have To Do lists where we write down our appointments, important dates, and schedule for the day yet few of us take the time to plan for our meals resulting in the repetitive “what’s for dinner” dilemma. Pre-planning your meals and snacks takes the stress and pressure off deciding what to have and can prevent overeating. It can also help you to stick to eating more healthfully. How many times have you found yourself stopping for fast food or buying unhealthy meals because you have nothing planned at home to eat or have not packed yourself a satisfying lunch? Instead, take some time maybe on a Sunday or the night before to think about what you will eat the next day, remembering to plan in snacks that include protein.

Click the link at source to read full article!

Source: http://www.pcosnutrition.com/index.php?pID=35

You may be wondering how fat fits into a healthy meal plan for PCOS. The good news: Dietary fat doesn’t require insulin because it doesn’t break down into glucose. The right types of fat used carefully in a healthy eating plan helps to improve insulin levels and protect your heart. The bad news: Eating the wrong types of dietary fat can make your PCOS worse. Diets high in omega-6 fats and saturated and trans fats contribute to insulin resistance and are the main contributors to high triglycerides and cholesterol. This article tells you what you need to know about getting the right balance of dietary fat to improve your PCOS and your health.

Why we need fat Fat gets a bad rap, but you need it. Dietary fat:

keeps us satisfied longer and prevents overeating

provides a unique mouth feel and palatability to meals that carbohydrates and proteins do not

diets containing too little fat can contribute to overeating or bingeing since they make you feel hungrier and less satisfied

slows the release of glucose, resulting in a lower glycemic-index and better insulin management

Source - Click to read the rest of the article: http://www.pcosnutrition.com/index.php?pID=41

I clearly remember the day I first learned aboutgenetically modified food. I was sitting in on one of my nutrition classes and my professor was informing us that the U.S. had begun to genetically alter our food crops. This meant that we could have larger, perfect tomatoes. We could feed more people on less land. We could grow food all year round that was immune to drought and increasing climate change. What wasn’t clear were safety concerns and what long-term effects were going to happen.

Now, 20 years later since the introduction of these foods, we know that GMOs impact our health. There are definite associations between consumption of GMO foods and the increases we are seeing in asthma, autism, allergies and sensitivities, skin eruptions, behavior problems and cancer (breast, prostate, colon). Yet, the USDA doesn’t require safety studies for GMOs. An alarming new study shows that a variety of corn engineered by Monsanto has been linked to mammary tumors, kidney and liver damage and other serious illnesses in the first ever peer-reviewed, long-term animal study of GMO foods.

Today, the majority of our food is genetically modified. Even foods we think are healthy (click here for some eye-opening ones). The most common are baby formula, corn (and all corn derivatives like corn syrup), soy, cottonseed oil, canola oil, and sugar.

How can you tell which foods have GMOs in them? You can’t unless they are marked “Certified GMO FREE” or are “ORGANIC.” The Institute for Responsible Technology provides a handy non-GMO Shopping Guide.

The U.S. government doesn’t require labeling of GMOs even though they’re clearly labeled in Europe and 40 other nations. This all could change in November as California has added Proposition 37 to its ballet. The California Right to Know Genetically Engineered Food Act would require food sold in California retail outlets to be labeled if it is genetically engineered, or if it contains genetically engineered ingredients. It also states food cannot be labeled as “Natural” if GMOs are present.

By voting YES for Prop 37, California would become the first state to require manufacturers to put a label on its products indicting if it contains GMOs. California could set the stage for other states to follow. Americans have a right to know what’s in our food. A label would allow us to have the choice to buy foods that contain GMOs.

If you think it sounds reasonable to get Prop 37 passed, know this: food companies have pooled together over $23 million to lobby against it. Why? Labeling food products that contain GMOs could hurt sales and reputation.

What can you do?

• Educate yourself on GMOs (see resources below)
• Urge anyone who lives in California, to make sure they vote YES on Proposition 37
• Boycott foods that contain GMOs

For more information on GMOs visit:
www.responsibletechnology.org
www.carighttoknow.org
www.SeedsofDoubtConference.com
www.nongmoproject.org
http://action.responsibletechnology.org
http://geneticroulettemovie.com
http://www.cornucopia.org/2012/08/prop37/