5 PCOS Risks That Everyone Woman Should Know

PCOS risks are something that you need to discuss with your doctor.  Truthfully, most of us only view polycystic ovarian syndrome in light of today’s issues.  We think of PCOS and we only think of the cramps, the weight issues, the infertility, or that annoying facial hair.  However, it’s really important to look at PCOS through a long-term lens if we want to really understand the effects that it can have on our bodies.

If you have been diagnosed with PCOS, then you need to understand the health risks that are associated with this disease. The common PCOS risks will impact almost all sufferers and they can affect them for the rest of their life. It is important for women with PCOS to have their health checked and monitored regularly by a doctor who specializes in PCOS (find a reproductive endocrinologist pronto!). Even after a woman goes through menopause and symptoms of PCOS lessen, she still needs to see a doctor periodically.

PCOS Risk #1: Infertility

One of the PCOS risks is infertility. This is usually because women have irregular menstrual cycles and sometimes never ovulate at all. Many women have no idea they have PCOS until they go to the doctor to be checked to see why they are not getting pregnant.

PCOS Risk #2: Pregnancy Complications

Many women with PCOS deal with ovarian cysts that can also cause complications with and in pregnancy. Women with PCOS not only have trouble becoming pregnant, but they often have higher rates of miscarriages or preterm labor.  If you have read my personal PCOS story you know that I had two miscarriages and my son was born two months premature. 

PCOS Risk #3: Endometrial Cancer

 Another PCOS risk is Endometrial Cancer. Most women from their teen years until menopause have build up of their endometrial lining in their uterus and each menstrual cycle sheds that lining. Women with PCOS have infrequent or non-existent menstrual cycles, which cause them to not shed their endometrial lining effectively, and some doctors believe this can increase the risk for cancer over time.  Hormone imbalances could also be a contributing PCOS risk factor for endometrial and uterine cancer.

PCOS Risk #4: Cardiovascular Disease

One of the most common PCOS risks is cardiovascular disease. Women with PCOS are at a higher rick of developing heart disease. Because women with PCOS have a higher tendency to be overweight, this will also make cardiovascular problems arise.  Many women with PCOS have high cholesterol and high blood pressure, which both contribute to heart disease over time.

PCOS Risk #5: Diabetes

Many women with PCOS symptoms also are at a high risk of Diabetes. Insulin resistance is very common with PCOS and this can lead to women with it to become diabetic much younger and faster than a healthy woman would. By age 40, up to 40% of women with PCOS begin to have high insulin levels, which lead to Diabetes.

PCOS risks need to be known and understood by women with PCOS. This can help these women to know what is to come and what they need to do to be healthier and have more control over their symptoms. PCOS risks can be alleviated with a healthy diet and exercise. They can also be helped with medication and procedures to give women with PCOS a more normal life.

Which of these 5 risks are most concerning to you? 

Have You Tried the Paleo Diet for PCOS?

Are you sick of being fat, hairy, and generally unhappy? Join the club... the club of polycystic ovarian syndrome sufferers.  The symptoms we suffer on a daily basis are MISERY until they are finally under control. If you have PCOS, you might have already heard about a new trend called the Paleo Diet.  You might be surprised to know that you could find some major relief from your symptoms by trying the Paleo Diet for PCOS. This is a diet that not only helps women with PCOS feel better but also lose weight as they battle insulin resistance and stubborn hormone imbalances.

The Paleo Diet for PCOS is changing the way women eat and live their lives. The Paleo Diet is about choosing foods that were options for our hunter-gather ancestors. This means foods that were around before the inventions of agriculture. This includes fresh vegetables and fruits, nuts and fresh eggs and meat. It even includes avocados, coconuts, and olives. 

If you haven’t already heard of the Paleo Diet for PCOS, prepare to get excited. I’ve been reading several books about the Paleo lifestyle and I’m quickly seeing that this is really a good option for all women with PCOS, regardless of whether you are trying to get pregnant or just trying to lose some weight. If you have never heard of the Paleo way of life, let me give you a quick overview and then we’ll talk more about why it works so well to help lose weight with PCOS.

Basically, Paleo eating is all about becoming a caveman. Perfect, right? We are already slightly hairy with PCOS! (Only kidding… kind of!) Seriously though, the premise behind this diet is that you eat natural foods and eliminate all the processed garbage. It’s also a gluten-free option and I explain why that is essential in my book. The hugest contributing factor to my own personal weight loss has always been my intake of grains. Whether it’s whole wheat bread or white bread, brown rice or white rice, grains make me fat. On the Paleo Diet, there are no grains so it’s an instant match!

On the Paleo diet, you eat plenty of lean proteins and an abundance of fresh fruits and vegetables. Imagine a plate of yummy Italian grilled chicken and a variety of colorful vegetables. Plus, you can even enjoy your old comfort foods as long as you revamp them to fit the Paleo lifestyle. Yes, there are even ways to have a big bowl of pasta from time to time. Who said you couldn’t make pasta from vegetables, anyway?

After doing a little research, there are thousands of Paleo diet recipes available for free online. Pinterest is a good place to start, but you can also just do a quick google search. You will also find that the Overcome PCOS meal plans are mostly Paleo-friendly, although I do incorporate some dairy so you will want to remove those items if you are going to be strictly following the Paleo principles.

If you have PCOS, the chances are good that the Paleo Diet will work for you too. Many of us already have insulin resistance and you might even be taking huge doses of Metformin (or Glucophage) to combat this unfortunate symptom of polycystic ovaries. The good news is that you can potentially get off of your Metformin if you drop some weight and eat a diet that is custom built for the PCOS body.

The foods that the PCOS Paleo Diet excludes are processed foods, grains, dairy, seed oils and sugar. Many of the elements of the diet cut off carbohydrates. You will get all the carbs you need in the fruits and vegetables. Any type of rice or pasta is off limits if women with PCOS want to get rid of the symptoms that they are having.

The Paleo Diet can be very beneficial for women suffering from polycystic ovarian syndrome. Changing your diet and lifestyle can be a great way to see the results that you really want. Losing weight is so difficult with having PCOS so finding a diet to help with that is key.

Fair Warning: Changing your carbohydrate intake like the Paleo diet suggests can cause side effects until your body gets used to this new diet. Many women feel nauseas, dizziness, and fatigue with the beginning of the Paleo diet. Once these side effects go away, the Paleo diet is easy to live by and will give women with PCOS great results. 

So to sum it all up, this week’s big PCOS lesson is that Paleo works. I’m going to shift into a stricter Paleo eating plan during the month of October and see how it impacts my body. Anyone else want to go Paleo for PCOS this month? Leave a comment and we can cheer each other on along the way!

Eating clean foods like this diet suggests can reverse many of the symptoms of PCOS.  I’m living proof of that. So what do you think?  Have you ever tried the Paleo Diet for PCOS?