PRACTICAL STRATEGIES FOR PCOS-FRIENDLY NUTRITION Martha McKittrick, RD, CDE, CHWC Registered Dietitian Certified Diabetes Educator Certified Health & Wellness Coach
Learning Objectives Overview of Nutrition for PCOS Top 18 Nutrition & Lifestyle Tips for PCOS Top 17 Practical Strategies for Implementation
Knowing What to Eat?
How to Implement It?
Part One: Overview of Nutrition for PCOS
Keep in mind Insulin resistance Inflammation Gut health Weight management Increased risk of diabetes Increased risk of heart disease Carb cravings Increased mood disorders & depression Higher prevalence eating disorders
6 Pillars in Treating PCOS: Nutrition Physical activity Sleep Stress management/emotional health Supplements Meds
Diet for PCOS - Genes - Microbiome - Metabolism - Activity level - Food preferences - Concurrent medical issues - Lifestyles - Food preferences
PCOS Nutrition in Nutshell
Top 18 Nutrition / Lifestyle Tips 1 2 3 Select low glycemic carbs and limit added sugars to decrease insulin & inflammation Add protein (plant & animal) to meals to stay full longer & aid in wt loss Add fat to meals to stay full longer & slow rise of blood sugar. Select heart healthy fats
Low Glycemic Carbs
Protein content of foods Meat, fish, poultry 20-25 gm (3 oz cooked) Greek yogurt, plain, 8 oz 23 gm Cottage cheese, 4 oz 14 gm Cheese, 1 oz 8 gm 1 large egg 6 gm Protein powder, 1 scoop: 20-25 gm Beans, 1 cup 15 gm Lentils, 1 cup 18 gm Edemame, in pod, ½ cup 8 gm
Protein content of foods Tofu, 3 oz Nuts, 1 oz Nut butters, 2 T. Sunflower seeds, ¼ c. Quinoa, ½ cup Barley, ½ cup Oatmeal, steel cut, ½ c Chia seeds, 2T: Veggies, cooked, 1 cup * grains are cooked 10 gm 6 gm 8 gm 8 gm 4 gm 3.5 gm 3.5 gm 6 gm ~ 5 gm
Top 18 Nutrition/Lifestyle Tips 4 5 6 Fill up on fiber to aid in satiety, slow rise of blood sugar, lower cholesterol & aid in gut health Calorie control if trying to lose weight Increase anti-inflammatory foods/decrease inflammatory foods
High Fiber Foods
Increase Anti-inflammatory Foods Including fatty fish, dark green leafy greens, orange vegetables, garlic, tea, berries, shitake mushrooms, ginger, turmeric, nuts, EVOO, beans Decrease Inflammatory Foods Including added sugars, processed refined carbohydrates, trans fats, red meat, and vegetable oils rich in omega 6 fats including soybean, corn, safflower and specific foods you may be sensitive to
Top 18 Nutrition/Lifestyle Tips 7 8 9 Eat for gut health (pre/probiotics) Avoid highly processed foods à higher glycemic index, more sodium/sugar/additives Limit dairy especially if acne (but you don t need to avoid it totally if you like it!)
Top 18 Nutrition/Lifestyle tips 10 11 12 Assess food sensitivities as they may increase inflammation Avoid endocrine disruptors found in some canned goods & plastic bottle Meal timing: 3 meals + 2 snacks may be best but this is VERY individual
Top 18 Nutrition/Lifestyle Tips 13 14 15 Eat fewer calories/carbs later in the day helps with weight loss, lowered blood sugar & insulin Choose hormone free, organic meats, poultry dairy when possible Adequate sleep
Top 18 Nutrition/Lifestyle Tips 16 Physical activity: cardio (try HIIT), resistance training, steps, less sitting 17 Stress management 18 Emotional health
Part Two: Tips to Implement PCOS- Friendly Nutrition
Top 17 Practical Strategies 1 2 Collect data by journaling (time, food, hunger level, emotion, who you are with, how you feel physically, etc.) Analyze data to uncover problem areas notice patterns.
Common problem areas Not planning meals Eat meals/snacks on the run à unhealthy choices Wait too long to eat à get over- hungry Carb cravings Tempting foods in your environment Not enough veggies Eating out a lot Snacking at certain times of the day Not enough protein at meals
Top 17 Practical Strategies 3 Make yourself a priority 4 Stock up on a PCOS-Friendly Kitchen 5 Remove problem foods from your environment
Top 17 Practical Strategies 6 7 8 Plan your meals for the week Meal prep/cook on the weekends. Make extra food for dinner + freeze leftovers for other meals Take advantage of pre-washed or frozen veggies
Top 17 Practical Strategies 9 Eat breakfast at home (fiber rich carb, protein, fat) 10 Plan snacks for during the day 11 Pack more lunches from home (veggies, protein, fat, high fiber carb)
Top 17 Practical Strategies 12 13 14 Find healthy take out options for lunch and dinner as a backup when you can t cook Don t let yourself get too hungry! Get support from family, friends, significant others, coworkers
Relatively Healthy Take-Out (~ 500 cal) Rotisserie chicken, 6 oz, side of veggies Japanese: 1 sushi roll with brown rice, 4 sashimi, ½ order edemame Mexican: chicken fajita, 1 tortilla, chicken + veggies, salsa + little guacamole Chinese: steamed protein, veggies, ½ cup brown rice Burger, 1/2 whole grain bun, side of steamed veg Veggie burger, ½ whole grain bun, 2T.hummus, veg Salad with 6 oz grilled chicken, veggies, 2 T. dressing
Top 17 Practical Strategies 15 Plan ahead for potential problem situations 16 Learn from what went wrong - don t beat yourself up 17 Write a weekly goal list. Start with 1-2 small goals a week
Website: Martha McKittrick Nutrition Facebook: PCOS Nutritionist Martha McKittrick Twitter: McKittrickRD Free e-book download: 30 Nutrition Tips for PCOS available on my website (on PCOS section) & FB page