PCOS and protein
Dear GreenSmoothieGirl: I have PCOS and I have battled weight for years. I am currently 275 lbs and 5’10”. I believe that what we eat does impact our health dramatically. I was on a green smoothie a day for over a month and started to feel better. Then I was told that it was too high in carbohydrates by my doctor and that I needed more protein to combat insulin resistance that accompanies my PCOS. The recommendation: eggs, butter and meat. I had been eating a green smoothie consisting of 1 c carrot juice, 1 c collard greens, 1 c. kale, 1/2 c. spinach, 1 frozen banana, 1/2 c. frozen strawberries, blueberries, raspberries. I would sweeten with stevia if needed. They want me to cut out the carrot juice, the banana and the berries. I like greens but I need the fruit to cut the grassy taste.
I cannot believe that more and more dead animal and factory farmed animal product is better for me, but I am desperate to regain my health. Do you have any experience with PCOS or insulin resistance and can you offer me any hope or education about what to do?
Answer: I can’t advise you about specific health problems. Doctors, however, mostly don’t know that higher-protein foods aren’t limited to animal products. Higher amounts of legumes (beans, lentils, peanuts) and nuts will increase proteins and decrease any quick-to-the-bloodstream carbs. And in your green smoothies, you’re already using stevia for sweetener, but you may want to use the mixed berries (lower in sugar) and use lemon and very little fruit (maybe a small apple). As fruits go, bananas are very high in sugar.
Posted in: Green Smoothies, Whole Food
I also have PCOS and have smoothies all the time. Add a scoop of protein powder. I like “Aria” brand as it is sweetened with stevia and is low carb. The more ripe the banana is the higher glycemic it is. You can use a barely ripe 1/2 banana and berries are fine as they are low glycemic. I also add a tablespoon of almond butter sometimes.
You might also want to check out the non-pharmaceutical supplement – Insulite PCOS Systems. You can find out more at Insulitelabs.com. This program has helped me reduce my PCOS symptoms and lose weight. I also love Dr. Nancy Dunne’s book, The Natural Diet Solution for PCOS and Infertility. Her book is a great basis for a PCOS diet.
Read Colin Campbell’s The China Study; you will find it extremely enlightening.
I was misdiagnosed with PCOS a while ago. The doctor told me to watch what I ate, and I was thinking that I probably ate more nutrition than her on a daily basis. I am not as overweight as you are (I’m also 5’10”) though. Anyway, I don’t really trust doctors but it is up to you to decide if you do or not. I found that eating wholesome nutrition actually helped out my blood sugar (I’m hypoglycemic) despite all of the sugars in it.
I think the only think a lot of so called “doctors, dieticians, etc” think about these days is carbs, fats, and proteins. That is not all there is to worry about. I full heartily endorse the whole foods program from this website (not that I’m anyone famous or anything). I think Robyn is very well studied and doesn’t just give into the mass media diet fads. I have started reading “the China Study” and I would recommend you read that because the author was a huge part of the American health system and he talks about how it is failing us. Anyways, good luck to you!
Go to ecopolitan.com and read up on your disease if he has it there. You can always contact Dr. Tel-Oren & work with him to get your health back. He is amazing! Sign up for his The Truth About your Food series. It’s free and will blow you away what he has to tell you about sugars, fats, proteins, processed foods, supplements, and what 10 foods you should eat everyday! They are 6 different teleseminars to listen to at your leisure when they do them again.
I’m also diagnosed with PCOS and started drinking one green smoothie every morning for about 3 months. It actually made my PCOS symptoms flare up (acne, etc.) worse than ever before. This was very frustrating until I started to understand the glycemic issues surrounding the consumption of certain fruits, as Robyn is pointing out.
Check out a glycemic chart for fruits when deciding which fruits to add to your smoothie. I no longer drink my smoothies in the morning (fast through breakfast to help my insulin resistance) and instead try to combine a half smoothie with other foods such as vegetable stir frys or bean soup.
Bottom line, fruits are really good for you, but when you have insulin resistance (the underlying cause of PCOS), don’t eat more than one to two fruits with each meal. This is Dr. Fuhrman’s advice actually. He cured his wife of PCOS.
I hope this is helpful and good luck!
Great advice! PCOS cysters need to keep the insulin response LOW in everything we eat. Juicing or shakes can create an insulin response which will only exacerbate the flares. Keep portions 1/2 cup or smaller and more on the green side of things than fruits if you’re juicing or doing a shake. Don’t like the “grassy” taste of more greens? Add a straw and take your morning supplement with it and it’ll go down easier.
okay so I KNOW you have addressed already that the blendtec doesn’t have a 10,000 cycle max—but it’s in the phamplet that came with teh blender–that makes me nervous–I am going to call the company tomorrow-but it sounds like others have called and still got read the old pamphlet—is there proof in writing somewhere that I can rest assure that I don’t need to only go through 9 cycles a day for the three years?
I am WAY excited to have it–just want to clear this up. I would be bummed. thanks!
and did you email the price of what a group buy of the second container would be or did I miss that? THANKS!
It may help also if you drink red raspberry leaf tea (an herb not a tea) everyday. Apparently, rrl tea has something in it that helps to regulate blood sugar.
I do not have PCOS but I have read that many women who do have PCOS recommend drinking rrl tea. Just a thought. One place you can get it at wilderness family naturals.
Sandra
Actually, it is not at all clear that insulin resistance is the underlying cause of PCOS any more than it is a product of hyperandrogenism or other hormonal disruption. While it is important to address IR, to say that it is the underlying cause implies that once IR is addressed, PCOS is alleviated or eliminated. This is simply not true for at least 50% of women who suffer clinical signs of PCOS (most of whom are neither IR or overweight), including me.
In addition to digesting more nutrient dense whole foods, I would also look into possible gluten sensitivities, celiac disease, or other food sensitivities/allergies that compromise your digestive system and sometimes attack your immune systems.
My 19 year old daughter was just diagnosed with PCOS. I’m trying to read up quickly. She just finished h.s., was a VERY active athlete – always on the big side – but a very athletic body. After finishing her last winter sport season – her weight went crazy. My husband and I have been racking our brains on how to help her – thought it must be behav. – mode, emotional, who knows. She hasn’t had a reg. period in a few yrs. The pediatrician knew this, has been concerned about the weight – never even mentioned pcos. I am a Women’s International Summit on Health (WISH) listener and recognized my daughter in everythg speaker Alisa Vitti was saying. Got her tested and BINGO. She has probably gained 50 pounds this yr. She doesn’t have male patterned baldness or facial hair but all the other symptoms. I HAD NEVER EVEN HEARD OF THIS & it effects 1 in 6 to 10 women! We live near NYC where Ms. Vitti is, so I am trying to steer my daughter toward consulting with her. My daughter is 13 hrs away at college – cafeteria food – UGH!!!! Help! Any advise. I feel desperate to “save her life!”
my cycles went from 3 months apart to perfect 28 days when I stoped eating anything made from milk ,might been the fat in cheese or maybe something else in dairy which was causing the problem
but my mustache is still here ….I don’t know how to fix this cycles are regular thought and I’m ovulating with good progesterone level
So green smoothies are not an option for PCOS?