Dealing with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome in your daily life

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common hormonal disorder among women of reproductive age. The name of the condition comes from the appearance of the ovaries in most, but not all, women with the disorder — enlarged and containing numerous small cysts located along the outer edge of each ovary (polycystic appearance).

(The Mayo Clinic)

Much like diabetes, obesity and lower backache, PCOS is now a disorder that’s part of our daily conversation. In India, alone, several studies have shown that as of 2015, one in 10 Indian women has PCOS.

The first sign is an abnormality in your menstrual cycle. If you find that your periods are irregular or, even, that you skip one or two and are not pregnant. Another fairly sure sign of PCOS is acne, and hirsutism. If your period cycle is now inexplicable to you, and you haven't had pimples of this kind since you were 13, I would recommend you get yourself examined.

Because PCOS could lead to a variety of disorders, starting with weight gain and risk of obesity. A woman with PCOS is more likely to be diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes, gestational diabetes, high blood pressure, irregular cholestrol and lipid levels, sleep apnea and uterine bleeding. While medical monitoring and a regular course of drugs do help, everyone in the know agrees that PCOS is best handled via diet and exercise.

A woman with PCOS must work out. Every day. Mix it up to keep it interesting – walk, join a yoga class, sign up for Zumba or some other form of dance-exercise to smile and sweat, get a gyj membership or swim. Make sure you move your body at least five days a week.

PCOS is also aggravated by stress, which is, unfortunately, the state of being for most of us today. Add in at least 15 minutes of quiet time or meditation to your routine. It’s easy to feel like you don’t have the time to do that because of any or all of these reasons: you have a job/you run the house/ your kids take up every bit of time and mindspace you have/ your family is demanding, etc.

But the truth is that we make time for what we find important, and it’s important that you make time for yourself. So either wake up a bit early and sit quietly with a cup of herbal tea. Or listen to your favourite music in the car, and don’t take any calls. There are several excellent guided meditations available on the internet, ranging from two minutes to two hours! Choose what works for you.

With PCOS, the important thing is to eat right, move your body and take deep breaths. Get your check-ups done on time and stay in touch with yourself.

(Box) WHAT TO ADD TO YOUR DIET

Fibre:

Whole grains such as ragi, jowar, bajra, rajgira

Eat fruit instead of drinking it and leave the peel on

Leafy vegetables

Nuts and seeds – almonds, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds

Omega-3 & Essential fatty acids

Oily fish

Flax seeds and flaxseed oil

Soya beans and soya bean oil

Sunflower oil

Olive oil

Almonds , walnuts, brazil nuts, soya nuts

Pumpkin seeds

Kidney beans, navy /haricot beans

Berries such as raspberries and strawberries

Cauliflower

Green beans

Tofu

(BOX) Resources

[add meditation links + links to books]