PCOS Guide for Teens:
PCOS Nutrition Guide
Eating a well balanced diet is the key to a healthy lifestyle for young women with PCOS. Some teens with PCOS are average weight, but many are overweight and have trouble losing weight. This is because young women with PCOS often have higher levels of insulin (a hormone) in their blood. Insulin's main job is to control blood sugar, but insulin can also signal your body to store fat. This guide was created to help you understand how your body uses the food you eat and what foods work to keep your insulin level down. Knowing the right foods to eat as well as the kinds of food to limit can improve the way you feel and help you to lose weight, too. Losing even a small amount of weight if you are overweight can help improve PCOS symptoms.
What do I need to know about insulin and carbohydrates?
The insulin level in your blood goes up after you eat. It goes up the most after you eat or drink something that contains carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are found in grains (bread, pasta, rice, cereal, and potatoes), vegetables, fruits, most snack foods (like chips, cookies, and candy), and drinks like soda and juice.
Are all carbohydrates the same?
No. If you eat 2 foods that have the same amount of carbohydrate, they may have a different effect on your insulin level. This effect has a lot to do with the type of carbohydrate the food has. Carbohydrate foods with fiber are usually the best to eat if you are trying to keep your insulin level down. Carbohydrate foods with a lot of sugar cause insulin levels to go up and make you hungry right after you eat them, or several hours later. Try to choose high-fiber, low-sugar carbohydrate foods most of the time.
| Instead of: |
Choose: |
|
| Sweetened juice, canned fruit in heavy syrup,
or sweetened applesauce |
 |
Fresh fruits or frozen/canned fruit without added sugar, or unsweetened applesauce |
| Starchy vegetables like potatoes, corn, and peas | |
Non-starchy fresh vegetables or frozen/canned vegetables like broccoli, spinach, and carrots. |
| Refined grains made with white flour like white bread, pasta,
bagels, and white rice |
|
Whole grains like whole wheat pasta, brown rice, and whole wheat bread |
| Sugared cereals like Lucky Charms®, Fruit Loops®, or Frosted
Flakes, and other sweetened grains like cereal bars (Nutrigrain
Bars®), breakfast pastries (Pop tarts®), and donuts |
|
High fiber cereals like Kashi®, shredded wheat, or All Bran®. Try to have a cereal that has at least 5 grams of fiber per serving. Sprinkle 1/2 cup of bran cereal or unprocessed bran on a low-fiber cereal to increase the fiber |
| Sugary drinks like soda or juice |
|
Sugar free drinks like water, diet soda, Crystal Light®, Fruit2O®, Minute Maid Light®, and seltzer water |
| Sugary foods like cookies, cakes, and candy | |
Sugar free foods like Jell-O®, popsicles, yogurt, and pudding |
Do I need to buy special foods?
No. You don't need to go out of your way to buy special foods! Just like with any healthy diet plan, your meals should include mostly vegetables, fruits, whole grains, lean meats, and healthy fats. Most foods fit into a healthy diet for PCOS, but you should read food labels to help you pick out the best choices. Look for high fiber grains rather than low fiber grains like white rice, pasta, or white bread.
Don't be fooled by fat-free treats. They usually have a lot of added sugar. Look for brands that have the least amount of sugar and the most fiber. It is also important to know that some sugar-free foods (like baked goods) can raise your insulin levels because they have other high carbohydrate ingredients like white flour. Other sugar-free foods have no affect on insulin because they are also carbohydrate free. These foods (like sugar free Jell-O, diet soda, Crystal Light, and sugar-free popsicles) make great additions to a PCOS diet.
Are “carbs” unhealthy?
No! Carbohydrates give your body needed energy. Some people think that eating carbs will make them gain weight, but carbs will get stored as fat only if you eat too many of them. Many other important nutrients come from carbohydrate foods, so eating no carbs is not a good idea. Because high-fiber carbohydrates foods help you feel full longer than sugary carbohydrates, it is best to choose these as much as possible.
What’s the deal with food labels that claim to be low in carbs or low in net carbs?
You may see a lot of foods labeled as low carb. The FDA (Food and Drug Administration), which regulates food labels, is currently working on a definition of low carbohydrate foods. In the mean time, food companies have come up with the term “net carbs” to promote their low carb foods. Net carbs are calculated by subtracting carbs that don’t have a major impact on blood sugar — like fiber and sugar alcohols (e.g. manitol and sorbitol) — from the total grams of carbohydrate. Food companies put net carb labels on their products to attract low carb dieters and many companies will add sugar alcohols to their products to keep the net carbs low. Over eating sugar alcohols should be avoided because they can cause a laxative effect.
What about non-carbohydrate foods like fats and proteins?
Non-carbohydrate foods include protein foods like meat, chicken, fish, egg, beans, nuts, peanut butter, and vegetarian meat substitutes, and fats like oil, butter, cream cheese, and salad dressing. Combining foods that contain protein or fat with a carbohydrate will help to slow down the absorption of the carbohydrate and keep insulin levels low. For example, have peanut butter or hummus on bread rather than just plain bread.
Keep in mind that some fats are much healthier than others. Healthy fats are found in olive oil, canola oil, nuts, avocados, and fish. Choose healthy fats and proteins over butter, margarine, mayonnaise, full-fat cheese, and red meat.
Do I need to follow a diet that is extra high in protein?
No. Really high protein diets (like the Atkins diet) are not a good diet option for teens because they can be low in some important nutrients such as fiber, the B vitamins, and vitamin C. It is also important to remember that even if you limit your carbohydrate intake, overeating fat or protein can cause weight gain. You should aim for a diet that has a balance of protein, carbohydrate, and some fat.
What’s does low glycemic index mean?
Glycemic index is sometimes used to describe how a food affects blood sugar-the higher a food raises blood sugar, the higher the glycemic index. High-fiber complex carbs have a lower glycemic index than simple carbs. Combining a carbohydrate food with another food can lower the glycemic index because it allows your body to absorb the carbohydrate more slowly. For example, if you add peanut butter (protein) to toast (carbohydrate), your blood sugar will go up more slowly than if you eat the toast by itself.
If I choose the right foods, do I need to be worried about my portion sizes?
Yes! How much you eat has a big effect your insulin. For example, your insulin will go up much more if you have 3 cups of pasta than if you have 1 cup of pasta. This means it is usually better to have small meals and snacks during the day than it is to have 3 large meals. This will keep your insulin level lower throughout the day. If you are still hungry, it is a good idea to eat more of the foods that don't affect your insulin as much (like vegetables or meat).
Is it important for me to exercise?
Yes! It is really important that girls with PCOS exercise because exercise brings down insulin levels and can help with weight loss. Exercise can be especially helpful in bringing down insulin after a meal. So, if possible, go for a walk after you eat a large meal. Any increase in exercise helps, so find an activity, sport, or exercise that you like to do. If you aren't doing a lot of exercise now, start slowly, and build up to your exercise goal. If you exercise sometimes, try to exercise regularly. Work towards exercising at least 5 days a week for 60 minutes. The more the better!
Things to remember if you have PCOS:
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Next: PCOS Meal Assessment |
Updated 1/9/2008
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PCOS Nutrition Guide
