What to Do After Your PCOS Diagnosis
If you’ve recently been diagnosed with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS), it’s natural to feel overwhelmed. Recognizing you have this marks the beginning of a deeper understanding of your body and gaining control over your health. This blog aims to guide you through managing your symptoms and how a Low Insulin Lifestyle can improve your health and hormonal balance with PCOS.
Understanding Your Diagnosis
Receiving a PCOS diagnosis can be a mix of emotions. On the one hand, it’s validating to finally have an explanation for the symptoms that may have puzzled or troubled you for years. Symptoms like irregular menstrual cycles, weight fluctuations, and fatigue now have a name and, more importantly, a direction for management and treatment.
On the other hand, facing a condition requiring ongoing attention can be daunting. But remember, this diagnosis is a crucial step in the right direction. It’s the beginning of understanding your body’s unique needs and how you can take control to improve your health and quality of life. With the correct information and support, managing PCOS symptoms can become a manageable part of your journey towards wellness.
The Role of PCOS and Insulin Resistance
If you have PCOS, you’re genetically inclined to higher levels of insulin and androgens, like testosterone, which disrupt the average balance of hormones in your body. This imbalance leads to symptoms such as weight gain, irregular periods, and acne. High insulin levels, a critical factor in PCOS, increase testosterone production, exacerbating these symptoms. Moreover, being inherently higher in insulin means you may struggle more with weight and insulin resistance.
How to Effectively Manage Your PCOS Symptoms
Managing your symptoms involves a holistic approach, focusing on PCOS diet and exercise. Embracing a Low Insulin Lifestyle is central to this management strategy.
Following this lifestyle helps lower insulin levels, which, in turn, balances hormone levels, reducing symptoms like weight gain and irregular periods and improving overall well-being. Regular physical activity, consistent health monitoring, and seeking emotional support play significant roles. For more insights on managing your symptoms, consider reading our book, Low Insulin Lifestyle, by Dr. Ali Chappell, who offers guidance akin to a PCOS coach.
How to Lower Insulin Levels with a PCOS Diet?
Lowering insulin levels is crucial for PCOS and weight management, and it starts with your diet. But this doesn’t mean you need to count carbs or calories; you need to start eating foods that don’t spike your insulin levels, like non-starchy vegetables, fruits, lean meats, and healthy fats.
You should avoid added and processed sugars, unhealthy oils, starches, milk, and whey protein. These can spike your insulin levels. You can do this by checking the ingredients list underneath the nutritional facts. For a more comprehensive guide on the PCOS diet, read our blog on the “PCOS Diet: Top Foods That Lower Insulin Levels.”
Integrating PCOS Exercise into Your Low Insulin Lifestyle
When managing your symptoms, it’s important to note that a PCOS diet and exercise complement each other. While exercise is a component of weight loss, it’s not the sole answer—you can’t out-exercise a bad diet.
Exercise helps the liver clear excess insulin from the blood. It’s effective in lowering cortisol, the stress hormone, which, when elevated, can exacerbate your symptoms by increasing insulin and androgen levels.
When exercising, you shouldn’t focus on how many calories you are burning or what type of high-intensity workout you should do but on finding what exercise you enjoy and can maintain regularly. It can be as simple as walking, dancing, or yoga. The goal is to integrate enjoyable, consistent exercise into your lifestyle, leading to effective PCOS and stress management.
Monitoring and Managing PCOS Symptoms
Monitoring symptoms is critical in tailoring your PCOS management strategies. Regular tracking helps you see patterns and adjust your diet and lifestyle accordingly. Our Lilli Kits simplify testing insulin levels in the comfort of your home and save you a visit from the doctor’s office.
Also, our soon to be launched Lilli app has resources like low insulin food recipes, free educational content library, and the ability to log insulin test results, which offers a holistic view of your health journey and empowers you with the tools you need for effective symptom management.
Lilli Health: Your Guide to Effective PCOS Management
Embracing a Low Insulin Lifestyle, incorporating regular exercise, and diligent symptom monitoring are essential to effective management. You’re not alone in this journey. At Lilli Health, we’re committed to increasing PCOS awareness by providing the guidance, tools, and education you need to thrive.
A vital part of this support is staying informed. Sign up for our newsletter for the latest PCOS diet recipes, insightful articles, and updates about our products, including our Lilli Kits and app.
By staying connected, you’ll have access to a wealth of resources designed to empower you on your path to better health. Subscribe now and join a community committed to wellness and support!
Remember, your diagnosis doesn’t define you, it empowers you. Let’s journey towards a healthier life together!
