How to take a holistic approach to Polycystic Ovary Syndrome management
By Sophia Boothby RD of The PCOS Collective
When we look at how to manage PCOS there can be conflicting information and all the advice on social media can make it feel confusing.
PCOS can affect our metabolic health, reproductive health and fertility and psychological health. It can seem confusing to understand where to begin, let’s start from the beginning and find a holistic approach to support your PCOS management.
What is PCOS?
Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) is a hormone disorder that affects approximately 1 in 10 women. It can take on average 2 years for a person to receive the diagnosis of PCOS. As an endocrine (hormone) disorder, PCOS has reproductive and metabolic consequences.
Can PCOS be cured?
There is currently no cure for polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), and this condition does not disappear on its own.
If PCOS cannot be cured, how can it be managed?
The aim of treatment is to alleviate the associated symptoms, improve quality of life and prevent complications associated with it (such as insulin resistance, infertility or raised cholesterol levels).
Medication
Discussions regarding medication to manage your symptoms should be had with your doctor. These are individual to you. What may work for one person with PCOS, may be different to yourself so it's important you discuss your specific symptoms so you get the appropriate potential treatment.
This may include metformin, which is an insulin sensitiser (helps your body use the hormone insulin more efficiently), anti-androgens and different birth control options.
Supplementation
There are different supplements recommended for PCOS management with different research behind them. As you may have searched about already, many recommendations will come up. Key supplements for PCOS begin with inositol, omega-3, magnesium and omega-3 fish oils but working with a PCOS professional like a Registered Nutritionist or Registered Dietitian is key.
Gentle Nutrition
The principles of introducing gentle nutrition is to allow you to make food choices that honour your health and are pleasurable whilst making you feel good. This is the last principle of learning to be an ‘intuitive eater’ as it encourages curiosity, not judgement to see what sort of foods helps you feel your best.
We are removing ‘label’s around food and using gentle nutrition principles as a tool to manage your PCOS by focusing on regular meals throughout the day, whilst including balanced meals, pairing carbohydrates with proteins and fats.
Joyful movement
Regular movement can help with the symptoms of PCOS, particularly insulin resistance. Other benefits also include both physical and mental health wellbeing. When we discuss ‘joyful movement’ specifically, consider what movement you enjoy doing, in fact, what brings you ‘joy’.
As when we reframe our thoughts of exercise, if you had the choice of the movement you did independent of body aesthetics, what would you do? This could range from movement you enjoyed as a child or perhaps something new. International PCOS guidelines mention this includes daily activities like walking, household chores, and being active at work.
Improved sleep and stress management
Prioritising sleep and rest and aiming to manage your stress levels as much as possible has probably been advice you’ve heard before.
This is because PCOS is associated with a chronic proinflammatory state. Stress hormones like cortisol can influence our whole body and cause an inflammatory response, which can exacerbate symptoms.
Supporting our bodies with good sleep and reducing stress as much as possible can help symptoms of PCOS like carbohydrate cravings, insulin resistance and fatigue. Often when we are sleep deprived and/or in a state of high stress this can have an impact on our food choices and our mental health, which can then can perpetuate a detrimental cycle.
Key takeaways: managing PCOS without dieting
There are many areas of managing PCOS that are not based around the food we are eating. Although our dietary habits can play a part, and often it can be a focused area when speaking with healthcare professionals.
We can look at our approach holistically and see how we can support our overall well being on a day-to-day basis. This may change over time and priorities can differ. Let’s see if we can implement positive approaches the majority of the time whilst being gentle and compassionate to ourselves.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Sophia Boothby
Registered Dietician
Sophia Boothby is a Registered Dietitian. She currently works as a Specialist Community Dietitian within a London NHS Teaching Hospital specialising in gut health such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and the low FODMAP diet, type 2 diabetes, PCOS, cardiac rehabilitation, and individuals experiencing unintentional weight loss and/or reduced appetite related to a clinical condition or unknown cause.
Sophia aims to support individuals in managing their health without requiring restrictions on their way of eating unless clinically indicated. Sophia has recently developed her practice incorporating a non-diet and weight-inclusive approach to nutrition with individuals presenting with disordered eating and restrictive eating behaviours, particularly alongside IBS. She is passionate about empowering individuals to improve their relationship with food and stepping away from the diet mentality.
Website: https://pcoscollective.com/