PCOD or Polycystic Ovarian Disorder is a terrible medical condition in women, which occurs due to hormonal imbalance in the body. This condition is also referred by the names PCOS (Polycystic ovaries syndrome) or Stein-Leventhal Syndrome.

According to studies, 1 out of 10 women has PCOD!

In this condition, multiple cysts develop in the patient's ovaries, which results in the enlarging of the ovary, causing it to stop ovulating and it also starts producing excessive amounts of estrogenic and androgenic hormones. This excess production of hormones, along with the absence of ovulation, causes infertility.

You can easily identify the signs of this condition, which includes irregular or excessive period, acne, pelvic pain, an outburst of facial hairs, and most important facing troubles in getting pregnant. There is no proven cure for this terrible condition, but you can surely get relief by decreasing or eliminating its symptoms, which can help you in eradicating the chances of PCOD. If you're facing any of the above symptoms, make sure you get yourself checked in time!

Though there is no cure for PCOD, but you can make some simple changes in your lifestyle to keep yourself away from this terrible condition. Given below are the ten most important things that you should consider to manage PCOD and its symptoms:

Water

Water is essential for our survival, but it plays a more important role in reliving the symptoms of PCOD. Water influences 100% of our body processes, which includes digestion, circulation, excretion, and also the formations of different hormones. Water is a great detoxifier and keeps the hormones more balanced by reducing stress and tiredness. Everything starts with our stomach and water keep it healthy too. It aids digestion and eliminates constipation by improving the bowel movement. It also helps in weight loss by making us feel fuller and consuming fewer calories, which in turn enhances our metabolism level. It is suggested that you should drink at least 7-8 glasses of water a day to get the best results.

Fiber

Adding fibre-rich foods such as wholegrain cereals, berries, oranges, peas, beans, pulses, nuts, and seeds, etc. is an excellent step for eliminating PCOD. The high fibre content of these foods helps in fighting with insulin resistance in the body by reducing blood sugar levels and slowing down the process of digestion, which is very beneficial for women having PCOD. Fibre-rich foods also help in enhancing the bowel movement and keep your stomach happy and help in weight loss.

Sleep

Learn to relax! It's true that a woman's life is hectic, and it’s difficult to get a sufficient amount of rest. This gives rise to the stress level, and it is one of the main reasons for PCOD. A good night's sleep of 6-7 hours is critical for women with PCOD as it is the time when the body relaxes and repairs itself. Getting good sleep strengthens our immune system and decreases stress with help in maintaining the hormone balance.

Work out

If you want to improve your insulin sensitivity and get your hormone level back on track, the workout is one of the best keys to work on. If you're taking a daily dose of exercises than it's good enough, but if you're missing out your workout sessions frequently, it may give you some bad results. You can include an hour of low-intensity workouts like yoga, Pilates, power yoga, or dance in your daily schedule to beat PCOD. You can also go for the HIIT or high-intensity interval training such as Tabata or CrossFit for 20 minutes, 4-5 times a week. Make sure you're not forcing your body for these exercises as it can increase the levels of stress hormones in your body and can again cause problems. Take it slow and let your body adopt these exercise patterns!

Fewer Carbs

Weight loss can help you a lot in overcoming the PCOD symptoms, and cutting down on carbs is the best way to get on the weight loss track. Not only it boosts the weight loss process, but it also improves the hormonal imbalance that is linked to PCOD. Less carb intake allows our body to produce energy by using the stored fats and breaking it down in simpler forms which directly helps in losing weight. Many studies have also shown that moderate reduction in carbohydrate in your daily can also reduce blood insulin level, blood sugar, and reduce appetite.

More proteins

Start eating plenty of lean proteins! Include meat, fishes, eggs, and dairy products in your diet. If you're a vegetarian, you can add pulses and green leafy vegetables such as spinach in your diet. Diet rich in proteins suppress ‘ghrelin,' hormone which is responsible for evoking hunger by making us feel fuller for a long time and reduces the insulin levels, both of which shows positive results against PCOD. It also helps in normalising androgen levels and fights against the nasty symptoms such as excess facial hairs, deeper voice, and irregular menstruation.

No processed and packaged foods

Junk food can worsen any condition. Processed and canned foods are also major causes of some symptoms of PCOD. These kinds of foods fill our body with unhealthy fats and sodium components, which is responsible for the hormonal imbalance in our body. The high amount of unhealthy fats makes your weight loss difficult. And therefore, you should totally cut out the processed and packaged foods from your diet.

No sugar

Limiting sugar intake also have a lot of benefits in treating PCOD symptoms. When you consume fewer sugars, the blood sugar levels will also decrease. This will have a direct effect on your insulin levels and will also help in eliminating the generation of male hormones in your body. You should try to cut sugars as far as possible to cut down the chances of PCOD.

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Lots of veggies

Add lots of green veggies in your diet. Vegetables are natural and rich sources of lots of nutrients such as fibre, proteins, and vitamins. All these nutrients are important for your body to fight with PCOD symptoms by opposing insulin resistance. Try to eat a lot of cruciferous vegetables such as cauliflower, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, etc. as it keeps the blood pressure normal and also keeps your bowel movement healthy.  

Supplementation

Supplements are not always bad for our health. Excessing on various supplements can cause health problems, but studies have shown that certain supplements can help you in easing the symptoms of PCOD. It is often seen that women suffering from this condition also face a Vitamin D deficiency, and therefore,, it is suggested to take Vitamin D supplements in this condition. Another important supplement that assists you in fighting PCOD symptoms is chromium that helps in boosting the action of insulin. Try to eat food rich in these nutrients instead of taking pills as it is more natural and free of any side effects.

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Women diagnosed with PCOD are vulnerable to more complex diseases such as type 2 diabetes, obesity, obstructive sleep apnea, cardiac diseases, and mood disorders. It is vital for you to minimise the symptoms of PCOD as far as you can. Follow the above steps and lead a healthy life!

If you have any more queries related to PCOD, its symptoms, and the cure to minimise them, do let us know in the comments section below!