A vegan diet is one of many vegetarian diets. In a vegan diet, a person refrains from eating meat, poultry, fish, dairy products and eggs. The focus of this diet is on vegetables, fruits, grains and healthy oils. Since this kind of diet is particularly low in fat, it may be particularly helpful to people with conditions such as polycystic ovary syndrome.
PCOS and Conventional Dieting
Polycystic ovary syndrome is a condition marked by an increased level of insulin and an over-secretion of the luteinizing hormone, which is found in the pituitary gland. This condition causes women to have increased facial hair, irregular menstrual periods and weight gain. Complications that may arise from this condition is heart disease and Type 2 diabetes. The increased insulin levels associated with this condition makes weight gain easy, but weight loss hard. Some women go on conventional weight loss diets, but they are virtually useless. For this reason, doctors often suggest women with this condition to go on low-glycemic index diets or even vegetarians diets. These diets not only promote weight loss, but also insulin control and may reduce or prevent some symptoms of PCOS.
Vegan Carbohydrate Options
It is possible to be a vegan and still follow a low-GI diet. The first step is to become familiar with the two main carbohydrates, which are simple and complex. Simple carbohydrates are carbohydrates that are digested quickly. These carbohydrates are likely to cause weight gain, since the sugars in them are rapidly absorbed by the body and stored as fat. This happens mainly in simple carbohydrate options that contain lots of calories, such as candy, cake, chocolate and white bread. These foods normally rank high on the glycemic index. Complex carbohydrates are normally low on the glycemic index, since they cause little change in insulin levels. These carbohydrates also take longer to digest, so they will not cause weight gain. Examples of foods that contain complex carbohydrates are millet, oats, brown rice, apricots, oranges, pears, yams, corn, black beans, garbanzo beans and dill pickles.
Healthy Vegan Snack Options
If you want to stick to a diet that benefits your PCOS, you will need to stay away from snacks that contain bad fats such as saturated and trans. These fats can increase the risk of developing heart disease and high cholesterol. It is also wise to steer clear of snacks that contain simple carbohydrates and sugar; this includes simple carbohydrates, which increase insulin levels rapidly. Increased insulin can aggravate existing PCOS symptoms such as irregular menstrual cycle and facial hair. Instead snack on foods that contain dietary fiber, which works to balance blood sugar levels and lower cholesterol.
Meat Substitutes
There are many meat substitute products available that look and taste like meat, but are made from soy or vegetable protein. These options are fine for women with polycystic ovary syndrome, so long as they do not contain simple carbohydrates or bad fats. Carefully read the labels however, because some of these meat substitutes contain egg or dairy products.
