Polycystic ovary syndrome and type 2 diabetes are endocrine disorders that share a common feature called insulin resistance. Insulin resistance is responsible, at least partly, for the hormonal imbalance causing irregular periods, weight gain, depression, acne, excessive facial hair and fertility problems affecting women with PCOS. In type 2 diabetes, it contributes to the high blood sugar levels that ultimately lead to the development of cardiovascular disease, renal failure, blindness and amputations. In both of these conditions, the right diet can help manage insulin resistance and the associated conditions.
Insulin Resistance
Insulin resistance is the failure of your body to respond appropriately to normal levels of insulin. Insulin is usually secreted by the pancreas following the ingestion of carbohydrate-containing foods to deal with the resulting increase in blood sugar concentrations. Insulin is able to take the extra sugar in your bloodstream, remove it from circulation and put it into your cells where it is either burned for energy or stored as fat. However, if you are insulin resistant, your cells have become insensitive to its action. Consequently, your pancreas starts producing more and more insulin to compensate, which explains why insulin resistance is associated with hyperinsulinemia, or high blood insulin levels.
Controling Your Insulin Levels
A low-fat diet is usually not the right option if you have PCOS and diabetes, because of its high carbohydrate content. Carbohydrates trigger the release of insulin, and high levels of insulin contribute to insulin resistance. The only way to control hyperinsulinemia is to reduce your carbohydrate intake. If you eat fewer carbohydrates, your pancreas will produce less insulin, so your insulin levels will be reduced. Being physically active, such as walking for 30 minutes most days of the week, and losing weight can also help reduce insulin resistance by helping your body become more sensitive to insulin.
Carbohydrates
Most Americans eat more than 300 g of carbohydrates a day, which can correspond to 100 g or more of carbohydrates per meal. To prevent your blood insulin levels from rising too much, improve your blood sugar and diabetes control, and reduce your PCOS symptoms, lower your daily carb intake to fewer than 180 g a day, or about 60 g of carbohydrates per meal, based on a 1,800-calorie diet. This is a good starting point, but most diabetic women with PCOS need to further reduce their carb intake to notice improvement. Slowly decrease your carb intake until you find the level that helps you get your blood sugar levels within target and have regular periods. The right carb intake for your condition will usually range between 40 g and 150 g a day.
A Healthy Diet For PCOS and Diabetes
In addition to finding the right amount of carbohydrates that help you manage both your PCOS and diabetes, eating the right carbs is also important. Avoid refined grains, starchy vegetables, fruit juices, soft drinks, desserts and sweets. Get most of your carbohydrates from nonstarchy vegetables, fruits, milk, yogurt and limited servings of whole grains. Track your daily carb intake to stay on track and try to spread your carbs evenly throughout the day for best results. Always accompany your meals with a 4-to-6-oz. serving of protein, whether it is eggs, poultry, fish, seafood or meat, and 1 to 2 tbsp. of healthy fats from olive oil, canola oil, nuts or nut butter or slices from a quarter to half an avocado.
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