February 1st, 2012
Do you ever feel confused by contradictory information in the media about whether or not nuts are good for you and your PCOS Health?
Some are so high in fat and calories that they’re to be avoided at all costs. But other kinds are packed with vitamins, minerals and antioxidants and should – in 1.5 oz handfuls – be part of a healthy Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome diet.
But aren’t they still full of fat? Well, yes, but often it’s the monounsaturated and polyunsaturated kind, which, in small doses, is good for heart health. These fats have been shown to lower LDL “bad” cholesterol as well as having an anti-inflammatory effect.
Not just any nut will do, however. Brazils, macadamias and cashews, for example, have relatively high levels of saturated fat, which over time can clog arteries and lead to heart disease.
So which are healthiest nuts? In the first half of a two-part guide, we focus here on the case for nuts. More next week.
WALNUTS
Walnuts are very rich in the plant-based omega-3 fatty acid ALA. This type of fatty acid isn’t as effective as the kind found in fish but a recent study indicates that ALA decreases inflammation, which can damage arteries, and may help reduce the breakdown of bone. Studies have also shown that walnuts can increase levels of HDL “good” cholesterol while lowering the LDL variety.
Add walnut oil to salad dressing or use crushed walnuts to make a pesto sauce. Saute chopped walnuts and mix into taco meat for added crunch.
One ounce = 14 halves, 185 calories, 4 g protein, 19 g fat.
ALMONDS
Fiber in almonds actually blocks some of the nut fat from being digested and absorbed. One serving of almonds provides 35% of the Daily Value (DV) for vitamin E, a powerful antioxidant that may help protect against the onset of the cognitive decline known as Alzheimer’s Disease.
Add almonds to your breakfast cereal or yogurt. Mix into chicken salad or indulge in a few dark-chocolate-covered almonds for a double boost of antioxidants.
One ounce = 23 nuts, 163 calories, 6 g protein, 14 g fat.
PISTACHIOS
These tasty, little green nuts are high in lutein, an antioxidant typically found in dark leafy vegetables that’s been shown to protect eyes from macular degeneration. In one recent study, participants who ate 1.5 ounces of pistachios every day lowered LDL cholesterol levels, while participants who ate three ounces a day saw an even more dramatic drop.
Sprinkle pistachios on shrimp or scallops (or on ice cream for dessert). Add crushed pistachios to meat loaf in place of some of the beef or bread crumbs.
One ounce = 49 pistachios, 158 calories, 6 g protein, 13 g fat.
A balanced, nutritious diet can help reverse an underlying cause of excess weight and obesity, namely the imbalance of blood glucose and insulin called Insulin Resistance, which decreases insulin sensitivity. By reversing Insulin Resistance, it is possible to facilitate PCOS weight loss.
January 31st, 2012
People with PCOS depression have a higher risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes than non-depressed individuals, according to a new study.
The findings, in the Journal of the American Medical Association, indicated that the relationship between Type 2 Diabetes, which is closely linked to obesity and a sedentary lifestyle, may be somewhat like a two-way highway. Not only can Diabetes lead to depression, but the latter can also lead to Diabetes.
U.S. researchers led by Dr. Sherita Hill Golden of Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore tracked an ethnically diverse group of about 5,000 men and women between ages 45-84 for three years.
They found that people with symptoms of depression were 42% more likely to develop Diabetes by the end of the study than those without such symptoms. They also found that the more serious the symptoms, the higher the risk of Diabetes.
The researchers statistically accounted for factors including obesity, smoking and lack of physical activity, finding that the risk for Diabetes was still 34% higher in patients with depression.
“When we looked at the people in our study who had elevated symptoms of depression, they were more likely to eat more calories, they exercised less and they were more likely to be current smokers. And as a consequence, they were also more obese,” said Dr. Golden, who added that depression also pushes up the levels of stress hormones such as cortisol.
This latter hormone can impair insulin sensitivity and encourage belly fat – risk factors, in their own right, for the onset of Diabetes.
The study also measured the risk for developing depression among people who already had Type 2 Diabetes. Researchers discovered that people who had been treated for this condition were 54% more likely to develop depression symptoms than non-Diabetics.
Regular exercise combined with a balanced, nutritious PCOS diet can help reverse an underlying cause of depression-linked excess weight and obesity, namely the imbalance of blood glucose and insulin called Insulin Resistance, which decreases insulin sensitivity. By reversing Insulin Resistance, it is possible to facilitate PCOS weight loss and improve mood.
January 30th, 2012
As you get older, regular exercise becomes, if anything, even more important if you want to stay PCOS healthy and self-reliant. It’s easy to understand why because exercise improves strength, balance, flexibility and endurance.
Always bear in mind that it’s never too early or too late to incorporate regular exercise into your Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome daily regime. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) recommend four types of exercises for older adults, which have multiple benefits, especially for the heart:
Strength exercises to build muscles and increase your metabolism, which helps to keep your PCOS weight and blood sugar in check.
Balance exercises to build leg muscles, which helps to prevent falls. According to the NIH, American hospitals have 300,000 admissions for broken hips each year, many of them seniors. Falling is often the cause of those fractures.
Stretching exercises can give you more freedom of movement, which will allow you to be more active. Stretching exercises alone, however, will not improve your endurance or strength.
Endurance exercises are any activity – walking, jogging, swimming, biking, even raking leaves – that increases your heart rate and breathing for an extended period of time. Build up your endurance gradually, starting with as little as 5 minutes of endurance activities at a time.
January 27th, 2012
The excess weight that some people with PCOS carry around their middles could be making them fatter than ever, researchers have discovered.
A Canadian team found abdominal fat tissue produces a hormone called NPY, which also prompts the development of cells that turn into fat. High levels of NPY in the brain produce constant feelings of hunger.
Abdominal fat is known to be the most dangerous form of excess weight because it increases the risk of Pre- and Type 2 Diabetes, heart disease and some cancers.
The researchers, from Lawson Health Research Institute linked to the University of Western Ontario, carried out tests on rats which showed that abdominal fat, as well as the brain, produces NPY – also called Neuropeptide Y. It is thought that excessive production of NPY in the brain is one of the main reasons why overweight people eat more food than they should.
But the scientists found NPY in abdominal tissues increases fat cell numbers by stimulating the replication of fat cell precursor cells, which then change into fat cells.
Lead researcher Dr Kaiping Yang said: “This may lead to a vicious cycle where NPY produced in the brain causes you to eat more and therefore gain more fat around your middle – and then that fat produces more NPY hormone which leads to even more fat cells.”
The team will now look at whether NPY produced in the abdomen is released into the body’s circulatory system and therefore affects hunger messages in the brain.
