PCOS -Weight Loss Diet
PCOS – Weight Loss Management (Fertility Programme) PCOS – Polycystic ovary syndrome is the most common hormonal disorder in women of reproductive age. It affects about one in 10 women and usually starts from puberty and can continue through to menopause. PCOS can cause multiple problems, including infertility, acne, excess hair growth, period irregularity and excess weight. Why does PCOS make it difficult to lose weight? PCOS has a link to multiple issues. What does the clinical evidence say for PCOS and Fertility? Many large studies across the world have shown that women who were overweight were able to lose weight before getting pregnant significantly improved both their fertility treatments and pregnancy outcomes. This is why international guidelines have recommended that weight loss should be the first line treatment for women living with obesity before undergoing fertility treatment or planning a family. How can a 121 Dietitian weight management programme help you? There is no one size fits all regime for losing weight, nor is there one specific fertility diet. Furthermore, women who are overweight with conditions such as polycystic ovary syndrome can find weight loss particularly difficult.All of the recent evidence has indicated that crash diet/exercise regimes tend not to work and can even cause harm, in other words, weight management does not mean starving yourself! The best approach is to have a sensible and achievable long-term plan to reduce weight and keep it off for GOOD. Who is this plan for? • Women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) experiencing difficulty losing weight• Women who are over or underweight experiencing a delay in achieving a pregnancy• Women who want to achieve weight and lifestyle improvement before trying for a baby• Men who have modifiable risk factors with diet and weight. Weight management for PCOS The aims of the weight management and or fertility programmes we offer are: • To achieve a realistic goal. We, therefore, focus on a 5-10% body weight loss over 4-6 months as this has been shown to improve fertility treatment outcomes.• To achieve sustainable weight loss – not just short-term gain• To provide a personalised dietary and exercise programme with appropriate psychological support – this has been shown to be the most effective way to achieve sustainable weight loss as well as improve quality of life – helping you to feel good about yourself• To empower you to help you feel more in control of everyday life so that you can avoid returning to unhealthy lifestyle behaviours. We haven’t forgotten the men in your lives…. Men can contribute to infertility issues also. Our programmes allow for both or either partner to be treated for infertility. How does our PCOS and Fertility plan work? You will meet a specialist dietitian throughout a period of a minimum of 6 months….Prior to an appointment, you will be asked to complete a 121 Dietitian – 7 Day Food Diary and Diet Plan Questionnaire. These will be assessed by Gillian Killiner RD, specialist Dietitian, and an appointment will be arranged to discuss the findings and begin the best nutritional programme bespoke to you. This can be via our online secure portal or face-to-face at our Holywood clinic. Week 1 – At this initial appointment Gillian will include nutritional information, motivation and lifestyle changes. A nutritional programme, recipes and shopping list will be written up for you to follow with SMART goals. Nutritional optimisation is the goal and this will include assessment of gut health/mental health/bloods and corrected with diet and supplements as required. Week 4 –6 – at this dietetic review Gillian will reassess the recommendations and assist you with setting further achievable goals. If you are wishing for a reduction in weight you will be aiming for 1kg/2lb weight loss as a steady and manageable reduction each week. Week 12-15 – Review with Gillian – you will be asked to forward a new food diary prior to this, the appointment is online/phone call &/or email. Week 22 -28 – Final appointment with Gillian – reassessment of weight and medical and general health parameters in conjunction with your fertility team. Partners together weight management fertility package £800 Either Partner weight management fertility Individual programme £600 Weight Loss for PCOS For women with PCOS who wish to lose weight only, our programmes will be tailored specifically to your requirements. PCOS weight management programme £500
Menopause Diet: The Top Nutrients You Need To Know About
Learn all about the top nutrients to help minimise the symptoms of menopause, assist with it and also maintain healthy bones. Key nutrient are important to consider if you are going through the menopause. Whichever menopausal symptoms you experience, the change in the balance of your hormones is the cause. A well-balanced menopause diet is essential because it helps the body adjust to the hormone changes. Symptoms of the menopause can include any of the following; Tiredness Depression Low libido Vaginal dryness Hot flushes Bladder weakness Dehydrated skin Hair loss Insomnia Weight gain There are a plethora of nutrients that help minimise the symptoms and even assist the passage of menopause and also help you maintain healthy bones. Menopause diet – nutrients that you can consider: B Vitamins B Vitamins are known as the “stress vitamins”. This is because symptoms of B-vitamin deficiency include tension, irritability, poor concentration and anxiety. Fatigue – a common symptom of menopause – makes women feel deeply exhausted even though they haven’t done much physical activity throughout the day. B Vitamins help reduce the amount of stress on the adrenal glands, which are required to produce oestrogen during the menopause. They can be useful if you are suffering from reduced energy levels. It is important to take a complex and a formulation that you can absorb with no nasty fillers. Vitamin C Vitamin C is essential to the manufacture of collagen. Collagen provides skin its elasticity. It helps prevent and treat vaginal dryness, a painful condition which develops when the vagina loses some of its ‘stretch’. Vitamin C can be easy to miss out on if you are watching your weight and possibly on a keto or restricted diet. Vitamin D This vitamin plays a very important role in the prevention of breast cancer, heart disease, type 2 diabetes and osteoporosis. We don’t get it naturally from food in sufficient amounts so the sun or a supplement is required. Again, you really need to ensure you take a balanced amount along with other key nutrients and select the active form, Vitamin D3. Vitamin E Vitamin E is also helpful for vaginal dryness and has been proven to help reduce hot flushes. It can dampen the immune system which can be beneficial for some ladies as a short term assistant for hormonal balance. Iron Iron is required to help your red blood cells transport oxygen to the rest of the body. Men store more iron compared to women and the loss of blood each month during menstruation means that women require more iron than men. A deficiency of iron will result in anaemia, which makes you feel sluggish and tired all the time. It is really important to have a blood test to check your iron and ferritin levels as you do not want to take a supplement and potential cause iron toxicity. Omega 3 Fatty Acids Symptoms of a deficiency in Omega 3 fatty acids can include dry skin, lifeless hair, cracked nails, fatigue, depression, dry eyes, aching joints, and breast pain. Omega 3 supplements have been shown to reduce the frequency of hot flushes and improve depressive symptoms in menopausal women. Magnesium Magnesium plays a vital role in 300 different enzymatic functions. It is essential in maintaining optimum bone health, which is increasingly important during the menopause. Known as “nature’s tranquiliser”, magnesium supplementation assists mood and anxiety. Picking the correct formulation for your symptoms is critical for success. Calcium Calcium is needed by the body to maintain bones, teeth, nails and hair. It is also required for healthy heart rhythm and blood pressure. To minimise the symptoms of menopause and maintain healthy bone mass, make sure to supply your body with these nutrients throughout the day. Dairy foods have become increasingly common to be eliminated from the diet of women for various reasons which can unfortunately leave ladies in deficit. Kale, spinach and tofu, are some examples of calcium rich non-dairy foods. These nuggets are just a few simple suggestions for a menopause diet. Dietary and lifestyle changes are integral in the stages of menopause. If you wish to explore this further Gillian Killiner is a dietary expert and lifestyle coach. She has helped thousands of women over her 22 years as a Dietitian. She would be delighted to help you… For more medical information on the menopause If you are unsure of how to change your eating habits, or need help optimising the foods you eat please do contact us. We would love to help you or your family and friends with any nutrition related queries big or small. In the meantime do please check out our 121Dietitian Shop If you have enjoyed this blog we would love you to share this with your family and friends on your social media channels. Why not visit our YouTube Channel for more on keeping your health optimal. How can a Dietitian help Book a consultation via our Online Portal About Gillian Killiner Check out our tailored dietary programmes Gillian x [instagram-feed] Revised 27th December 2022
