Women with PCOS deserve to enjoy what they eat, but not suffer because of it. Food gives us freedom, joy, and can also relieve us from some of our most debilitating PCOS symptoms!
What do we mean by this? The right food gives us energy, health, and can improve PCOS symptoms like cravings, hair loss, fatigue, and much more! And, weight loss too, for so many of you looking for a way to shed pounds with PCOS.
In this episode, we’ve compiled a list of PCOS fighting foods that you can use to create healthy and tasty meals. Meals that’ll keep you feeling like yourself while reversing and losing weight with PCOS!
For a full breakdown of the list, check out our blog!
Join us in The Cysterhood, a community of women learning how to manage PCOS & lose weight, Gluten and Dairy Free!
While Tallene is a Registered Dietitian and Sirak a Personal Trainer, this podcast provides general information about PCOS. It is not meant to serve as fitness, nutrition or medical advice related to your individual needs. If you have questions, please talk to a medical professional. For our full privacy policy, please click on the following link: (bit.ly/PCOSPrivacyPolicy)
Links included in this description may be affiliate links. If you purchase a product or service with the links that we provide, we may receive a small commission. There is no additional charge to you! Thank you for supporting our channel so we can continue to provide you with free content each week!
Do you like eggs but aren’t sure if they’re good for PCOS?
Well don’t worry…eggs are a great component to a balanced diet with PCOS due to their high protein, healthy fats, and nutrition content. Even better is that they can fit into any meal whether it’s a PCOS friendly breakfast, lunch, or dinner.
But there has been recent conversations about eggs and whether they are inflammatory for PCOS…so in this episode we dive into the world of deviled eggs and give you the inside scoop!
Join us in The Cysterhood, a community of women learning how to manage PCOS & lose weight, Gluten and Dairy Free!
While Tallene is a Registered Dietitian and Sirak a Personal Trainer, this podcast provides general information about PCOS. It is not meant to serve as fitness, nutrition or medical advice related to your individual needs. If you have questions, please talk to a medical professional. For our full privacy policy, please click on the following link: (bit.ly/PCOSPrivacyPolicy)
Links included in this description may be affiliate links. If you purchase a product or service with the links that we provide, we may receive a small commission. There is no additional charge to you! Thank you for supporting our channel so we can continue to provide you with free content each week!
Those who suffer with PCOS can experience ovarian cysts, weight gain, irregular periods, infertility, and a whole lot more.
But one of the most debilitating symptoms isn’t one often regarded as serious or severe: chronic fatigue.
Experiencing chronic low energy levels is anything but an insignificant symptom. When you’re overly tired, you lack motivation, you miss out on important events, and you’re robbed of joy.
PCOS directly affects your energy, but how? Today, we’re discussing all things fatigue. You’ll learn where the low energy comes from and how to relieve the symptoms. Let’s get into it!
Join us in The Cysterhood, a community of women learning how to manage PCOS & lose weight, Gluten and Dairy Free!
While Tallene is a Registered Dietitian and Sirak a Personal Trainer, this podcast provides general information about PCOS. It is not meant to serve as fitness, nutrition or medical advice related to your individual needs. If you have questions, please talk to a medical professional. For our full privacy policy, please click on the following link: (bit.ly/PCOSPrivacyPolicy)
Links included in this description may be affiliate links. If you purchase a product or service with the links that we provide, we may receive a small commission. There is no additional charge to you! Thank you for supporting our channel so we can continue to provide you with free content each week!
Whenever we open social media or a magazine, we’re bombarded with altered images of perfection. This unattainable image can be particularly disheartening for women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome.
PCOS causes a hormonal imbalance that affects the body in a number of ways. High levels of androgens (otherwise known as ‘male’ hormones) lead to a host of symptoms, including insulin resistance and weight gain. Excess androgens also cause increased sebum production, leading to acne and oily skin. The best PCOS skincare tips + products for healthy glowing skin!
When treating PCOS acne, masking the symptoms with traditional acne treatments may not be the answer. Acne is an outward manifestation of inflammation in the body combined with elevated levels of androgens, such as high testosterone levels.
To treat and reverse acne caused by PCOS, we need to understand the root issue that sparks a flare-up.
It’s not about understanding your ‘skin type’, washing your face more, or buying expensive creams to reverse your symptoms. It’s about supporting your hormonal imbalances and making healthy, sustainable lifestyle changes. After all, healthy skin starts from within.
Check out this episode where I talk about my top PCOS-friendly skincare tips to calm your breakouts and have a healthy glowing skin!
Join us in The Cysterhood, a community of women learning how to manage PCOS & lose weight, Gluten and Dairy Free!
While Tallene is a Registered Dietitian and Sirak a Personal Trainer, this podcast provides general information about PCOS. It is not meant to serve as fitness, nutrition or medical advice related to your individual needs. If you have questions, please talk to a medical professional. For our full privacy policy, please click on the following link: (bit.ly/PCOSPrivacyPolicy)
Links included in this description may be affiliate links. If you purchase a product or service with the links that we provide, we may receive a small commission. There is no additional charge to you! Thank you for supporting our channel so we can continue to provide you with free content each week!
Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is a condition that affects around 10% of women in their reproductive years and can interfere with fertility and pregnancy.
In today’s episode, Dr. Loriana Soma joins us to talk about PCOS & pregnancy including fertility, gestation, and postpartum.
If you’ve recently been diagnosed or gotten pregnant, you might be wondering how PCOS will affect your pregnancy and how you’ll feel after having your baby.
While Tallene is a Registered Dietitian and Sirak a Personal Trainer, this podcast provides general information about PCOS. It is not meant to serve as fitness, nutrition or medical advice related to your individual needs. If you have questions, please talk to a medical professional. For our full privacy policy, please click on the following link: (bit.ly/PCOSPrivacyPolicy)
Links included in this description may be affiliate links. If you purchase a product or service with the links that we provide, we may receive a small commission. There is no additional charge to you! Thank you for supporting our channel so we can continue to provide you with free content each week!
PCOS & the Progesterone hormone with Dr. Samina Mitha
Many PCOS women deal with low progesterone which can lead to symptoms like long cycles, heavy periods, trouble sleeping, miscarriages, and more.
On today’s episode, Dr. Samina Mitha joins us to talk all about Progesterone. We talk about what Progesterone is, how it is produced, and how low levels of progesterone can affect PCOS symptoms.
You’ll learn:
– Natural ways to support Progesterone
– Why Progesterone is important for overall health and TTC
While Tallene is a Registered Dietitian and Sirak a Personal Trainer, this podcast provides general information about PCOS. It is not meant to serve as fitness, nutrition or medical advice related to your individual needs. If you have questions, please talk to a medical professional. For our full privacy policy, please click on the following link: (bit.ly/PCOSPrivacyPolicy)
Links included in this description may be affiliate links. If you purchase a product or service with the links that we provide, we may receive a small commission. There is no additional charge to you! Thank you for supporting our channel so we can continue to provide you with free content each week!
Many women with PCOS experience hirsutism, which is excess facial and body hair growth. A lesser-discussed symptom of PCOS is hair thinning and hair loss, otherwise known as female pattern hair loss.
Hair loss can be an upsetting and unsettling experience for anyone, regardless of gender. But it doesn’t have to be all doom and gloom!
Let’s explore the reasons why PCOS hair loss happens and our 15 tips to grow your hair back with PCOS!
While Tallene is a Registered Dietitian and Sirak a Personal Trainer, this podcast provides general information about PCOS. It is not meant to serve as fitness, nutrition or medical advice related to your individual needs. If you have questions, please talk to a medical professional. For our full privacy policy, please click on the following link: (bit.ly/PCOSPrivacyPolicy)
Links included in this description may be affiliate links. If you purchase a product or service with the links that we provide, we may receive a small commission. There is no additional charge to you! Thank you for supporting our channel so we can continue to provide you with free content each week!
You’re probably here because you’ve discovered that what you eat is a pivotal part of reversing your PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome) and lessening (or completely eliminating!) your symptoms.
Create sustainable, hormone-balancing eating habits with this list of pantry must-haves for a healthy PCOS-friendly diet. For a full list of your grocery shopping pantry guide, scroll to the end of this post, enter your email, and we’ll send it straight to your inbox in a handy downloadable format.
Symptoms like cramping, bloating, acne, an irregular menstrual cycle, and weight gain can be managed — and even reversed to help aid weight loss. It’s also important to remember that your diet and lifestyle go hand in hand. In addition to eating plenty of fruits and vegetables and upping your physical activity, your diet should be varied, so you’re getting a broad spectrum of macronutrients and feel satisfied after eating.
If you want to listen to this topic on our podcast A Cyster & Her Mister, listen here:
In this blog, I want to help you be able to quickly and easily go to the grocery store, shop, and have a stocked pantry with yummy, easy, and efficient essentials to make nutrient-rich foods that manage the symptoms of PCOS without feeling like you’re giving up the joy that a delicious meal can bring!
“But Tallene, where do I start?” – I hear you!
Sirak, my husband and PCOS personal trainer, and I, a Registered Dietitian, are here to help! Let’s start by stocking up your pantry with your PCOS essentials.
It’s time to eat the food you love, which loves you back – PCOS style!
Things like cramping, bloating, acne, irregular menstrual cycle, and weight gain can be managed — and even reversed to help you lose weight. It’s also important to remember that your diet and lifestyle go hand in hand. You should be able to quickly and easily go to the grocery store, shop and have a stocked pantry with yummy, easy and efficient essentials to make fully nutrient rich foods that manage the symptoms of PCOS without feeling like you’re giving up the joy a delicious meal can bring!
Healthy Eating for Breakfast
What makes a recipe PCOS-friendly? We’ve got a few suggestions to try: dairy-free, gluten-free, and high in protein, fiber, and healthy fat!
Women with PCOS know that breakfast is super important when it comes to improving insulin levels. We want meals that are filling but low in sugar and high in protein! Breakfast sets us up for blood sugar stability for the rest of the day by having the proper ratio of nutrients.
Oatmeal
Oatmeal is an amazing breakfast that doesn’t have to be boring! It has a low glycemic index, which helps to regulate blood sugar.
I love adding things like chia seeds and chocolate protein powder to my oatmeal to make it extra yummy!
Chia seeds are a great source of fiber – which helps to slow down the absorption of carbs, helping you avoid a big swing in blood sugar. I have them every day.
Protein powder also helps to stabilize blood sugarand adds a sweet kick without the sugar. Watch out for proteins with added sugars or sweeteners, like stevia. Studies show that these can trick our body into thinking we’re eating something sweet, and pump up our insulin. As you may know, high insulin triggers more testosterone. Another thing I like to make sure of when it comes to protein powder is that it doesn’t have ‘whey’ protein. This is actually dairy – so opt for a dairy-free option, like hemp protein, if you are living that dairy free life.
Spearmint Tea
Alongside a filling breakfast, spearmint tea is a PCOS super-drink. Research has shown that three cups of spearmint tea a day can decrease testosterone and improve PCOS symptoms like excessive hair growth (known as hirsutism).
My sip of choice is the Pique spearmint tea (5% off code THECYSTERHOOD) – no more toxic plastic tea bags that seep into my hot water and disrupt my endocrine system. Pique tea has cold-pressed, triple toxin screened teas. I love how I can mix it in cold or hot water, that way I can have ice tea or hot tea depending on what I feel like. It’s also caffeine free, which is key for me to manage my stress hormones.
PCOS Friendly Lunch
Just because we’re not eating processed foods, freeze-dried foods, gluten or dairy doesn’t mean we can’t have carbs or fun foods like chicken tenders! Once you know your PCOS type, you can learn how to eat the right amount of carbs for your body so that you feel good after your meal, and you’re not craving snacks. Here’s a delicious and satisfying lunch that I love…
Chicken tender salad
Light, delicious and doesn’t make you feel sluggish in the afternoon: What’s not to love?
This is one of Sirak’s top 10 meals. Sirak likes to make chicken tenders for dinner, making them a great lunch the next day. He likes to double layer the chicken tenders in gluten-free breadcrumbs! First, he dips strips of chicken tenders in a mixture of 2 tbsp mayo, 2 tbsp mustard, and 1 egg. Then, he’ll dip it in the breadcrumbs, before dunking it again in the mixture, adding more breadcrumbs…and then boom! He’s ready to bake it at 400F for 25-30 minutes.
Healthy Fats for Dinner
Who doesn’t love a pizza? My favorite is caramelized onion and squash pizza. The key with gluten and dairy-free pizza is to have some bomb toppings. The combination I’m about to share with you is diabolical! This is a fun dinner to make on a Friday night and eat while watching a good movie. To keep it PCOS-friendly and within my carb tolerance, I like to have a couple of slices of pizza with a hefty side kale salad. If you’re a plant-based Cyster, simply leave out the mozzarella and the sausage and replace with chunks of avocado or dairy free cheese for a delicious vegan-friendly meal.
Combine the butternut squash with olive oil, chili powder, cumin, and cinnamon. Bake for 30 min at 375F.
Meanwhile, sauté the onions until caramelized, adding a splash of balsamic vinegar and a sprinkle of salt. Then, add the Italian sausage and fully cook.
Assemble the pizza, first add pizza sauce, then dairy free Violife cheese, then the squash, sausage, and onions. Cook it in the oven for as long as the crust’s packaging says. Meanwhile, sauté the sage and pumpkin seeds in olive oil (but make sure you don’t burn them!)
When the pizza is done, top it with the sage and pumpkin seeds!
This is a top-secret recipe from inside The Cysterhood! Enjoy it and join us to find out more!
Fatty Fish
Yes, we’re talking about the ‘good’ fats here! Fatty, high-fiber fish including tuna, salmon, sardines, and mackerel are packed with omega-3s and anti-inflammatory properties, which help to regulate insulin resistance and lower inflammation and blood pressure. Omega-3s are also linked to improving hair and skin quality, which is a plus for PCOS Cysters who may be struggling with acne or PCOS-related hair loss.
Tacos
I just love tacos – they are SO versatile! (And great for making guest-friendly gluten and dairy-free dinner!).
Fish tacos are always a big hit with our friends and family – you can find out how we make them here! The essential item? Corn tortillas, or if you like wraps, gluten-free tortilla wraps! Fill them with your favorite proteins and veggies or dish them up ‘family style’ so guests can fill their own.
Mac & cheese
Busy day? Craving some comfort food? We stock up on our number one mac and cheese that’s color, preservative, and artificial flavor-free! Whip up some ground beef and a side salad and you’re good to go in less than 15 minutes! You’ve got your protein from the ground beef, carbs and fat from the pasta, and your fiber from the veggies. Sometimes I even like to mix in some small, diced, and roasted zucchini!
Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) is a common hormonal condition affecting women of childbearing age. An imbalance of reproductive hormones causes a host of symptoms, including irregular ovulation, weight gain, infertility, acne, hair loss, excess body hair, and an irregular menstrual cycle.
Although reproductive health is the most common concern for women with PCOS, the condition can impact various areas of their life.
If you’re a PCOS Cyster, this probably comes as no surprise to you. The good news is that you can manage your symptoms with lifestyle adjustments: a key one being exercise.
Regular physical activity can combat several PCOS-related issues, such as weight gain, glucose metabolism, and fatigue. Exercising can also aid quality sleep, reduce stress levels, and lower androgen levels in the body, which can help to regularize periods, improve your fertility, and ease symptoms like acne, hair loss, and unusual facial hair growth.
Let’s take a look at the exercises that are helpful for PCOS Cysters and how you can integrate them into your lifestyle.
Please note this blog post is not a substitute for official medical advice. If you are concerned about your PCOS symptoms, suspect you have an underlying health condition, or wish to make dietary/lifestyle changes, please consult your doctor first.
Slow Weighted Workouts
A tell-tale sign of PCOS is insulin resistance. This iswhen cells in the muscles, fat, and liver don’t respond well to insulin and can’t use glucose from your blood for energy. To compensate, the pancreas makes more insulin. And over time, your blood sugar levels increase. This can lead to obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and type 2 diabetes.
Slow weighted workouts can help regulate insulin levels. Lifting weights helps you build muscle, which keeps your metabolism moving even after your workout.
What’s more, slow weighted workouts can reduce the ‘stress hormone’, cortisol. Having high levels of cortisol for a prolonged period can increase insulin. So it’s important that PCOS Cysters manage their stress levels through a combination of sleep, nutrition and physical activity.
Intense strength training or resistance training isn’t necessary; just 30-45 minutes of slow weighted workouts, 3-5 times a week can be a game-changer in keeping stress at bay!
Yoga
There’s evidence to suggest that yoga can improve anxiety, hormones, menstrual cycles, and metabolic parameters in women with PCOS – more so than some intense exercises like HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training).
As mentioned above, stress is known to exacerbate PCOS symptoms. Yoga is widely known for its relaxation benefits, making it an ideal mind-body workout for PCOS Cysters.
As well as its stress-busting powers, yoga is perfect for muscle strength and stretching, which aids weight loss and builds muscle mass in a holistic way.
Check out these five yoga poses for beginners:
Mountain pose
Forward fold
Plank pose
Downward-facing dog
Child’s pose
Try an online exercise class or a beginner’s class at a gym near you and see how you feel!
Pilates
Much like yoga, pilates is a great way to relieve stress. It’s also a very light form of resistance training, which helps you burn calories, maintain healthy body weight, and build lean, strong muscles.
Women with PCOS are prone to low moods and fatigue. Doing both yoga and pilates regularly can regulate hormone and energy levels due to the relaxation benefits that both activities have on the body. They are uniquely rejuvenating exercises as they balance energy levels, promoting both energy and rest.
If you’re new to yoga and pilates, check out some beginners’ classes on YouTube to limber up!
Light Cardio
Moderate exercises like jogging, brisk walking, swimming, and cycling are all activities that help manage PCOS symptoms. These exercises can reduce insulin resistance and the associated risks of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes.
Doing just 30 minutes of light cardio a day can aid weight management, alleviate symptoms of anxiety and depression, boost energy levels, and improve the frequency of ovulation and menstrual cycles.
Before you engage in any kind of workout, make sure you:
Are well rested (i.e. have gotten enough sleep)
Are hydrated
Have eaten
Have the right clothes and footwear
Do a quick warm-up
Walking
If you’re not a regular exerciser, the prospect of launching into an intense exercise routine may be overwhelming. It’s important to note that exercise needn’t be strenuous and draining to be effective; it should be an activity that you can seamlessly weave into your daily routine.
Walking is arguably the most effective form of exercise out there. Whether it’s around the block or on a treadmill, just 30 minutes of walking per day can cut down the risk of chronic diseases and improve your cardiovascular health.
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Although PCOS can’t be cured, you can live a symptom-free life through a combination of weight management, quality nutrition, and regular exercise. Exercising daily for 30-45 minutes is one of the best ways to stay healthy and manage the side effects of PCOS. For more tips on PCOS diet dos and don’ts, check out our podcast, A Cyster and Mister, and our handy blog posts over on PCOS and Chill.
While Tallene is a Registered Dietitian and Sirak a Personal Trainer, this podcast provides general information about PCOS. It is not meant to serve as fitness, nutrition or medical advice related to your individual needs. If you have questions, please talk to a medical professional. For our full privacy policy, please click on the following link: (bit.ly/PCOSPrivacyPolicy)
Links included in this description may be affiliate links. If you purchase a product or service with the links that we provide, we may receive a small commission. There is no additional charge to you! Thank you for supporting our channel so we can continue to provide you with free content each week!
