PCOS: A Natural Approach to Health

What diet and foods will improve symptoms of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome? Is it possible to treat PCOS naturally? Are there foods to avoid or make sure that you include? Host Dawn Davenport, Executive Director of Creating a Family, the national infertility & adoption education and support nonprofit, interviews Hillary Wright and Dr. Sunita Kulshrestha. Hillary Wright is a registered dietitian and Director of Nutrition Counseling for the Domar Center for Mind Body Health at Boston IVF and author of The PCOS Diet Plan: A Natural Approach to Health for Women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome. Dr. Sunita Kulshrestha is a Reproductive Endocrinologist with Shady Grove Fertility.

Listen

Hit the Highlights

What is PCOS and what are the symptoms?
How common is Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome?
Are women with PCOS always sub-fertile?
What are the other health risks associated with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome?
How is PCOS diagnosed?
Is it important to have a firm diagnosis of PCOS?
How does PCOS differ from insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome, pre-diabetes or diabetes?
What type of doctor does a woman need to see if she thinks she may have Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome?
Briefly, what are the medical options for treatment?
What role does diet and exercise have in controlling PCOS if the women is also on medication? What has research shown about how effective diet is in improving the symptoms of PCOS, or even curing it?
Is there a type of food that women with PCOS or insulin resistance crave?
You can’t pick up a magazine without reading about the diet wars—high protein or high complex carbohydrate or low fat or high fat. What type of diet is best for Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome?
Do a woman’s diet recommendations change if her main goal is to get pregnant?
Is it better to eat 3 square meals a day or spread our eating out throughout the day?
How does intermittent fasting affect insulin resistance and PCOS?
Importance of fiber
Glycemic Index
Carbohydrate distribution
Whole grain vs. processed grains
What about women with PCOS who are not overweight? Is this diet plan important for them?
Is there evidence that following this type of diet will increase a woman’s fertility?
Supplements for a woman with PCOS.
Effectiveness of other lifestyle changes, such as exercising, in improving PCOS.