Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is a serious health condition that impacts 1 in 10 women of childbearing age. Not only are the symptoms that accompany this hormone imbalance difficult to deal with, but the condition also increases your chances of developing other serious health issues, like heart disease and diabetes. However, there are several natural ways that you can manage your PCOS.
What Is PCOS?
PCOS is a hormone imbalance that can cause cysts to grow on the ovaries. It often leads to weight gain, irregular periods, and fertility issues. Furthermore, this hormone imbalance can cause fatigue, mood swings, acne, and irritability. Although some women only experience mild PCOS symptoms, the condition and its secondary health issues debilitates other women.
How Diet and Supplements Can Help
While PCOS is a serious health issue that often requires medical attention, your diet can help you reduce your symptoms. Foods that are high in sugar, refined carbs, and saturated fats cause inflammation in your body and throw off your hormones. Therefore, you should reduce your intake of these foods. Additionally, you should increase your intake of nutrient-dense foods, like fresh fruits and vegetables.
If you struggle to eat healthy foods, though, you can include daily supplements in your diet to increase your intake of certain vitamins and minerals. Supplements and herbs like inositol, chromium, cinnamon, turmeric, and zinc can all boost your immune system and hormones and reduce inflammation and insulin resistance. However, there are many supplements on the market, so consult reviews of Thrive and other brands before you choose a specific company to purchase from.
Why You Need To Prioritize Sleep
Believe it or not, sleep is also a major factor in maintaining a healthy hormone balance. Your body processes and creates hormones while you sleep, so sleep disruptions can impede your body’s hormone production. While it may not always be easy to get a full eight hours of sleep every night, you can take steps to improve your sleep hygiene which in time will improve your sleep quality.
Strike the Right Balance With Your Exercise
Exercise is important for everyone. However, those with PCOS may need to approach their workouts a little differently because exercise releases cortisol, but PCOS causes a cortisol sensitivity. Intense, overly strenuous workouts ca Therefore, find workouts that energize you but don’t exhaust you. For example, yoga and tai chi allow for movement and stretching without straining your muscles, so these practices can be particularly important for those with PCOS.
Although polycystic ovarian syndrome is a life-long health condition for many women, you can still and reduce the severity of your symptoms. If you eat a balanced diet and add the right kinds of exercise to your daily routine, you can help reduce your PCOS symptoms.
Feature Image by Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels
