December 3rd, 2012
Being overweight, which is closely linked with PCOS, brings with it the risk of having oxygen-starved fat cells, according to research.
Like all cells, the fat variety need oxygen to function. The more you have and the bigger they are, the more oxygen you need. The trouble is, if you are weighted down by too much fat, the less likely you to be physically active and thus breathe in enough oxygen.
As a result, your fats go into a state of distress called adipose tissue hypoxia or ATH. This condition produces substances that create heart-damaging inflammation which throws your hormones out of balance. For example, it can result in a condition called “leptin resistance,” which may affect PCOS problems like fertility and appetite control.
There are two things you can to fight back against ATH. Firstly, absorb more oxygen into your body with regular exercise. The more active you are, the more oxygen gets to your fat cells. This is one reason why physical activity and regular exercise is so very important for getting good health results.
Second, you can reduce calories in your diet. Every calorie you consume has to be processed by your body. In order to process that calorie, oxygen is required. The more calories you consume, the more oxygen you need. So if you reduce the caloric load in your diet, you also reduce your oxygen requirements.
But remember that all calories are not created equal and that there are good and bad ones. A bad calorie is one that has little or no nutrition associated with it. For example, soft drinks are all bad calories. Vegetables are all good calories.
October 22nd, 2012
Women with PCOS and suffering from insulin resistance as a underlying cause of their condition should never forget that the combination of both disorders puts them at greater risk of developing diabetes.
Doctors suggest that woman with PCOS get checked for pre-diabetes by age 30 at the latest, and regularly thereafter. A diagnosis of pre-diabetes is made when blood sugar levels are higher than normal but not yet elevated enough for type 2 diabetes.
Early preventative action, like weight loss via a balanced, nutritious diet and regular exercise, often not only reverses the symptoms of pre-diabetes but also improves the management of PCOS at the same time. If neglected, pre-diabetes can lead to the development of type 2 diabetes, which is irreversible in most cases and may require daily insulin injections to be managed.
Challenge yourself this next week and you’ll reap the amazing benefits of long-term health. A few ideas would be: drink more water, walk 20 minutes longer than usual, or eat an additional serving of veggies everyday.
October 16th, 2012
For those of us with PCOS, losing or controlling weight at any age is crucial for better management of our condition. And the same is true in order to enjoy overall good health in later life.
That’s because being fat in middle age may slash women’s chances of making it to their golden years in good health by almost 80%, according to a report which studied 17,000 American female nurses.
The women had an average age of 50 and all were healthy when the study began. Researchers then monitored the women’s weight, along with other health changes, every two years for 24 years.
For every one-point increase in their Body Mass Index (BMI), women had a 12% lower chance of surviving to age 70 in good health when compared to thin women. Researchers defined “healthy survival” as not only being free of chronic disease but also having enough mental and physical ability to perform daily tasks like grocery shopping, vacuuming or walking up a flight of stairs.
For every kilogram (2.2 pounds) gained since age 18, women’s odds of surviving past 70 dropped 5%. Women who were already overweight at age 18 and then gained more than 10 kilograms later in life only had about a 20% chance of surviving to age 70 in good health. The most commonly reported diseases were cancer, heart disease and diabetes.
The study was published online in the medical journal, BMJ.
October 15th, 2012
If you’re hooked on the Internet in your leisure time, you may need to avoid undoing all your good work from exercising regularly to control weight and improve the symptoms of PCOS.
It’s easy to lose track of time when you’re in front of a computer. So why not set an alarm clock for anything that keeps you sitting down, including watching TV? That way, you’ll know when it’s time to get up for some activity?
Set time limits that will allow you to enjoy your favorite web sites or TV shows while cutting out unneeded browsing or channel surfing that just keeps you off your feet.
The American College of Sports Medicine recommends that, to prevent weight gain, people spend 150 minutes per week exercising and 250 minutes per week if they want to lose weight. It’s a lot easier to get those 250 minutes of exercise if you cut back on your computer and TV time.
