Best diet for PCOS revealed by Kareena Kapoor’s dietician Rujuta Diwekar

Celebrity nutritionist Rujuta Diwekar reveals how to change your diet and exercise routine if you have polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). A dietician to A-listers, like Kareena Kapoor Khan, Rujuta is a fan of coconut, ghee and jaggery in treating skin problems caused by PCOS.

Polycystic ovary syndrome (commonly known as PCOS) is one of the most common hormone disorders, affecting an estimated one in every five women in India — which is why it’s surprising how many of us a) don’t know anything about it or b) find it so hard to find the information we need about it.

Kareena Kapoor’s dietician and celebrity nutritionist Rujuta Diwekar says coconut, ghee and jaggery help women suffering from skin problems caused by polycystic ovary syndrome. (Shutterstock)

On Friday, celebrity nutritionist Rujuta Diwekar shared the indicators you should look out for if you’re concerned you might have polycystic ovaries. Urging you to “use your natural intelligence and not AI or scales to gauge your health”, Rujuta shared the three most important and “real” indicators, “Energy levels through the day, sleep quality through the night and compliance to exercise plan”.

Superfoods and best diet for PCOS

The author, exercise science expert, one of world’s most-followed nutritionists and a celebrity dietician to A-listers, like Kareena Kapoor Khan, Shahid Kapoor, Varun Dhawan and Alia Bhatt, also shared that treating PCOS requires a balance of eating the right foods as diet can have a massive impact on PCOS.

One in every five women has polycystic ovary syndrome. But how much do you know about this disorder? (Shutterstock)

The best way to get PCOS under control is through lifestyle changes: Sleep, stress management, exercise, and most notably diet.

“A diverse diet is key to maintaining diverse gut bacteria which in turn helps with insulin sensitivity and regulates periods,” Rujuta wrote in the post that she shared with her 5.7 lakh Twitter followers, as well.

Even if there’s not one type of diet that’s best for everyone with PCOS, there are some general diet tips that everyone with PCOS can benefit from. Here are the main guidelines Rujuta recommends:

1. Coconut, ghee, jaggery and aliv seeds (or halu) that help with enlarged pores on the skin.

2. Raw banana, suran (or yam), and sprouted legumes that prevent PMS, migraine and spotting that goes on for days.

3. Nachni (or ragi), either as dosa, porridge or bhakri that prevents cramps and acne around the chin.

How to lose weight if you have PCOS

Symptoms of PCOS include ovarian cysts, irregular periods, high levels of male hormones, excess hair growth and acne. But one of the most notable symptoms of PCOS is weight gain, and difficulty losing weight.

Rujuta Diwekar says women with PCOS should weight train once a week to improve bone mineral density and muscle tone. (Shutterstock)

PCOS and obesity often go hand in hand, thanks to myriad reasons, such as an imbalance of hormones and a likelihood of insulin resistance. To make matters worse, losing weight is hard for women with PCOS and weight gain can make PCOS symptoms worse, trapping people in a vicious cycle.

But even though losing weight is notoriously difficult, it’s not impossible. According to Rujuta’s PCOS guideline that focus on nutrition and not diet, it may take a few lifestyle changes and some planning, but you can shed those unwanted kilos and finally get your PCOS symptoms under control.

“Weight train once a week to improve bone mineral density and muscle tone. Practice yoga asanas, especially the restorative posed like supta baddhakonasana (reclining bound angle pose) to ease pain during heavy flow,” Rujuta wrote.

How to relieve period pain

Calcium is a good cure for cramps. To help relieve period pain, Rujuta suggests that you, “Take a calcium and B12 supplement during the entire week of the period to keep cramps and head/ back aches at bay.”

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