How to Manage PCOS Naturally

By Your Health Magazine

Your Health Magazine

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How to Manage PCOS Naturally

Managing PCOS can be challenging, especially if you have been recently diagnosed or have struggled to manage your symptoms previously. With so much conflicting advice online and from medical professionals, it can be challenging to know who to trust, leaving you frustrated and overwhelmed. That’s where naturopathy comes in, offering clear guidance on natural remedies to help manage your PCOS and help you feel comfortable and energised in your body. Today, our brief guide walks you through how you can manage your PCOS naturally through naturopathic treatments.

What is PCOS?

For those who need it, let’s start with a brief recap. PCOS, or Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, is a hormonal and metabolic condition that impacts how a woman’s ovaries function. PCOS can cause abnormalities in how your body processes oestrogen and testosterone, negatively impacting ovulation and causing irregular menstrual cycles. PCOS can cause a variety of different symptoms, with no two women having the same experience. Common symptoms include:

• Cysts on the ovaries
• Insulin resistance
• Blood sugar imbalances
• Infrequent or prolonged periods. For some women, their periods stop entirely
• Extra hair growth on the face, neck, stomach, chest, and thighs
• Hair thinning and hair loss
• Acne on the face, back, and chest
• Fatigue
• Mood changes
• Weight gain
• Lowered sex drive
• Infertility

Diagnosing PCOS can be done by a doctor who will carry out blood tests, a physical exam, and ultrasounds if needed to ensure you have PCOS and make treatment recommendations. Many women choose to treat their PCOS naturally, incorporating naturopathic methods to ensure their symptoms don’t disrupt their daily lives.

How to Manage PCOS Naturally

While medical intervention can help to diagnose PCOS, there are many natural methods that naturopathic doctors can recommend to help you manage PCOS naturally. How you manage your PCOS will vary, depending on the symptoms you experience, but typically, a naturopathic doctor will recommend some of the following:

Move to a Plant-Based Diet

Moving to a plant-based diet is often recommended for PCOS, focusing on brassica vegetables that can help to clear excessive oestrogen and restore hormonal balance. Eating fresh, organic vegetables like kale, Brussel sprouts, cauliflower, cabbage, and broccoli can help, as can sticking to three meals a day. It is often recommended to reduce snacking between meals to control your blood sugar levels better, avoiding spikes or crashes.

Each meal should also include protein to anchor blood sugar levels, prevent post-meal sugar spikes and keep you fuller for longer. You can add nuts, chickpeas, seeds, beans, lentils, and quinoa to your meal to enjoy plant-based protein.

For some, intermittent fasting can also help with PCOS. Intermittent fasting involves eating only during specific time windows in 24 hours and can help protect new cell growth, reduce inflammation, improve insulin sensitivity, and increase weight loss.

Increase Your Fibre

Increasing your fibre intake can also help to manage your PCOS. Eating more vegetables, fruits, whole grains, seeds, and nuts will help to maintain healthy blood sugar levels. Doing so will prevent insulin resistance, help promote healthy digestion, and keep bowel movements regular. All of this aids hormonal balance and detoxes metabolised oestrogen from your body.

Reduce Sugar and Refined Carbohydrates

Reducing or cutting out sugar and refined carbohydrates can also help manage your PCOS. Foods like bread, pasta, pastries, and pizza can have a high glycaemic index that can trigger your PCOS. Swap these for low-GI foods, like leafy greens, berries, nuts, legumes, and seeds, to keep your blood sugar levels balanced.

Exercise

Exercising can be tricky when you have PCOS, but regular exercise can help manage your symptoms. Regular exercise will help burn excess fat and calories, as well as regulate hormone production. Exercise can also help to build muscle mass, reducing insulin resistance.

Adopt a Healthy Sleep Routine

Sleep is for allowing your body to rest and recharge, helping to manage your PCOS. A lack of sleep similarly impacts your body in a way similar to stress, causing your body to produce extra cortisol, which can worsen your PCOS symptoms. You must build a healthy sleep routine, ensuring you get 7-8 hours of sleep each night.

You can relax before bed, limiting your screen time to about an hour before you go to bed. You can also consider sleepy herbal teas to help you unwind, or try establishing a routine of reading, practising meditation, or doing some basic yoga stretches before bed to help you sleep.

Learn More About PCOS Management with a Naturopathic Clinic

Incorporating some of these management tactics can help to keep your PCOS under control. When managing PCOS, we recommend speaking to a naturopathic doctor who can create a tailored plan to ensure you are taking the proper measures for your specific needs. Experts, like those at Floralia Wellness, can provide you with PCOS support to ensure that you can enjoy your life without being ruled by your symptoms.