5 Foods To Avoid In A PCOS/PCOD Diet

Poly cystic ovarian syndrome also called pcos / pcod is hormonal disorder that causes lot of problems. One best thing we can do is follow a pcos diet plan that is low in sugar, processed foods and sugar and high in fiber and nutrients. Some of the common symptoms of poly cystic ovarian syndrome are irregular periods and small cysts in ovaries (which is very common in most women and hence the name).

Also excessive bleeding and pain during periods, excessive hair in the body and face, difficulty getting pregnant, weight gain, hair loss are also common. Some of the more serious problems include high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes and depression so it is important that we treat it as quickly as possible.

# Sugar

If we are suffering from pcos, it is important we limit our sugar intake. Many of us know that white sugar is bad but where we go wrong is consuming natural sweeteners like jaggery and honey in excess thinking they are good for us. All sugars, irrespective of whether it is natural or refined comprises of fructose and glucose.

Fructose does bad things to our body and is especially bad for people suffering from poly cystic ovarian syndrome. Though substituting refined sugar with natural sweeteners is good, we should really pay close attention to how much sugar we consume everyday.

# Trans Fats

Though many countries have banned the usage of trans fats completely now, it still being used as it is way cheaper than other fats and as it also helps improve the shelf life of the product. Trans fats are highly toxic and messes with our hormones so I would suggest avoiding it completely.

# Soy Products

For most of us, soy products especially un processed soy products in moderation rarely causes any problems unless you are allergic to soy products. But if you are having pcos, I would suggest eliminating soy products completely as it exhibits estrogenic activity. The two main compounds in soy that are responsible for the estrogenic activity are genistein and daidzein.

# Refined Products

It is best to avoid highly processed refined products completely from our diet. Refined flours like maida, refined oils, processed junk food filled with color and preservatives and processed meat all play havoc with our hormones and will worsen the symptoms of pcos.

If you want to consume refined products, do so once in a while as a treat and not on a day to day basis. Since weight gain is already a problem with pcos, consuming processed foods filled with sugar and trans fats will make us gain weight even more so try your best to stay away from refined products.

# Caffeine and Alcohol

One of the big problems of pcos is the psychological problems that accompanies it like depression, anxiety and sleeplessness. Consuming caffeine in the form of cool drinks, coffee and tea often on a daily basis will aggravate these problems even more. It will also make it very difficult to get a good nights sleep as they never help us rest well. So try your best to limit caffeine intake.