Three Things You Can Do to Manage PCOS

Are you experiencing hormonal acne, irregular periods, and not feeling like yourself? These symptoms are common of PCOS, although there are a wide range of symptoms associated.

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PCOS is estimated to affect 1 in 10 women of childbearing age and is one of the most common causes of infertility.

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There are a few important things to know about PCOS. First, not everyone's PCOS experience is the same - symptoms that you have may differ from that of a friend/colleague. Second, not everyone with PCOS will have ovarian cysts. These are both reasons that it can be difficult to diagnose, and why testing and looking at the constellation of symptoms is critical. Whether you have high or normal androgens (testosterone, etc), cysts or no cysts, ovulatory cycles or anovulatory cycles, it's important to manage PCOS by addressing the root cause which often looks like supplementation, nutrition, lifestyle, and stress management (although not limited to these)! 

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Here are three tips from our naturopathic doctors to help manage PCOS:

1. Increase protein & fiber intake. It is safe to say that protein is the most commonly underfuelled macronutrient, and it is especially important for folks with PCOS who metabolize differently and are at an increased risk for blood sugar regulation issues. Protein intake helps manage blood sugar levels and insulin response to prevent insulin resistance, which is directly related to PCOS. We see in studies and clinically that managing blood glucose regulation helps manage symptoms - there is a lot that we can accomplish with nutrition
   • Focus on having a source of protein with every meal and snack
   • Consider supplementing protein powder. Protein smoothies are great ways to pack in fiber - ways to modify a smoothie to be more satiating are less frozen fruit (approx 1/3 cup), flax and/or chia for fiber, hemp seeds for protein, soy milk for added protein, avocado for fiber and healthy fats, nut butter for healthy fats, handful of greens and/or frozen cauliflower for fiber.
   • Make half of your plate vegetables. This in combination with adequate protein is a simple way to eat in alignment with the Mediterranean diet, which has great evidence for helping manage PCOS and prevent common complications of unmanaged symptoms such as increased cardiovascular risk, increased risk of diabetes. This doesn't include starchy vegetables like potatoes and squashes - opt for the rainbow like leafy greens, root vegetables, broccoli/cauliflower/cabbage etc.
2. Eat walnuts and/or almonds everyday. A small handful of either per day has been shown to positively impact bloodwork, meaning that we are helping address internal contributing and downstream effects of PCOS. Fats, like protein, have the capacity to regulate blood sugar and provide satiety between meals. Quality of fats is a very important conversation - where nuts, seeds, avocado, olives, olive oil are all great sources of fats to reach for!
3. Find 20 minutes of movement per day. Any movement is beneficial! Previously, the data showed that too much strenuous exercise like HIIT workouts/running may be contributing to hormonal imbalance associated with PCOS and that shorter duration/lower impact workouts were ideal for this patient population. You'll likely still hear this, or have heard it before. Research updates in 2023 showed that ANY exercise is great exercise for improving PCOS symptoms and outcomes like improved menstrual cycle regularity. The studies explored HIIT workouts (high intensity interval training) and the data was recorded on smart watches, with most workouts being done outside, so this is very accessible!

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If you're curious for more information about PCOS and how to manage symptoms and overall health, we recommend downloading our FREE guide that provides supplements, lifestyle, and nutrition tips to help get you started! 

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Click here to explore our resources and build your health ecosystem! 

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Want to learn more about a naturopathic approach to assessing and treating PCOS? We have a 1.5 hour learning session with corresponding resources available for purchase! Email [email protected] with the subject line “PCOS Webinar” and our administration team will take it from there!