Why are certain foods addictive because of PCOS and why does changing those bad habits help?
Food is a healing mechanism for our bodies when they are stressed, or anxious, sad, nervous. What we fuel ourselves with is what helps control those emotions from taking over. PCOS has a way of making our bodies crave carbohydrates due to insulin resistance in the body and because of that we tend to reach for whatever we are in the mood for.
We don’t go oh i am sad let me snack on a salad! am i right? My favorite advice to give those who have such emotions tied into their hormone disorder is give yourself grace. Feed yourself your special comfort foods but also try some new foods that can be just as comforting or delicious as those you have constantly grabbed for in the past. These foods will not only satisfy your craving but will also help with PCOS inflammation, balance your glucose, give you good energy, help with that hormone brain fog. While also leaving you feeling good about what you eat. I came up with some alternative twists to recipes I found or have always loved to make them more friendly for my body.
Where people may have it wrong is that they have to restrict there foods they love. When really its about balancing our body in harmony. Pasta is okay, chips are okay, ice cream is okay, burgers are okay in moderation. When we fully restrict the foods we love that tend to not be the healthiest for us we will binge those foods and this will cycle into weight gain or other health conditions to spiral then we feel bad so we restrict again and it is a vicious cycle that is hard to break. Food does not have to look like a rice cake with peanut butter on it, or endless salads with no dressing, pasta without the noodles, or even recipes that call for no cream.
Its okay to make good food, satisfying food! and still reach your health goals. What is important is we learn balance, and healthy alternatives, starchy vegetables, high fat foods, heavy loaded sodium foods. We learn what is in our fruits and vegetables that help nourish our bodies, portion sizes, how to figure out when you are full and when you are just trying to satisfy your mind. This is why picking foods that you find tasty will help you in your health journey. This is why finding Meals I Love That Help Balance PCOS is so important.
My comfort foods are soups with grilled cheese, sandwiches, I absolutely love starch foods!. It has always been a must for me so I learned how to incorporate those foods into my diet without over doing it or restricting myself. The end goal should never be points on food, or counting calories every day, or restricting foods and swapping them for nutritional bland and empty caloric foods. The goal is to live and eat and enjoy life in a healthy balance.
Foods High in Protein and Low in Carbs 1/25/2024
These are some of my staple foods when I am in a hurry or have a craving for something sweet. Not only are they lower carb which helps stabilize our glucose instead of give it that spike afterwards. They are also high protein to give our body the feeling of fullness and satisfaction it was needing to curb any binging we might be prone to or even grabbing for a snack or meal that is not nutritionally dense.
Preperation is Key to Weight loss Success
I know for me when I haven’t prepared snacks or meals that i can just reach for in a hurry I will one hundred percent of the time grab for something that is not going to benefit me nutritionally and lead me to a food bender of bad choices which then triggers my PCOS symptoms.
Pick your Niche
It is good practice to find a staple meal wether it is a snack or full meal that is easy and quick and somethig you wont get tired of this helps youto have a back up plan when you have cravings or no time to make food. Salmon Salad or Tuna salad even chicken salad whichever your is your choice they make a great lunch or snack that is full of nutrients and high protein needs and low carb. Carbs are so essential for our bodies so completely ridding them like fad diets do is dangerous. This will lead to massive weight loss but all the weight comes back the minute you start eating carbs again.
My Suggestion?
Make these low carb high protein snacks, dinner or lunches because lower carb intake helps regulate our glucose and in turn also helps us lose weight with PCOS. This is a huge key to PCOS glucose control. We fuel our bodies with good carbs but in a slightly lower intake then we would normally see but we keep it balanced.
These recipes keep you full and satisfied without over indulging or causing glucose spikes as I mentioned and they help your body regulate for its needs. I always balance my day out such as I had some pasta for dinner I know for lunch I had a high protein low carb meal or vice versa. Depleting our bodies of fun and good food does more harm then good but learning to train your body and mind is key to helping manage PCOS.
I will Post the Recipes below so you can give them a try Please leave a comment with any questions or any tips for others following this page. Lets encourage our community to commit to a healthy mindset with PCOS.
Low Carb Buffalo Cauliflower Bites
One Head Cauliflower Chopped Up – One Cup Flour – Garlic/Pepper/Paprika to taste – One Cup Water – Mix all together coat cauliflower evenly place on pan covered with parchment paper. Heat oven to 400F and add cauliflower for 20 minutes turn and bake another 10 minutes. Take out toss in buffalo sauce throw back in the oven and cook five more minutes. Take out and enjoy with celery and your favorite dipping sauce.
Why Cauliflower is a great for Hormone Balance
Cauliflower has essential vitamins such as Vitamin C and K which helps decrease inflammation in the body, increased inflammation is a huge cause and factor in individuals with PCOS.
Cauliflower is a great source of folate; Folate helps support cell growth and can help increase chances of fertility. Cauliflower is fat free and low carb for those who are aiming to lower there simple carbs throughout the day.
Acai Bowl
Acai Bowls are a great way to pack in nutrients quickly and leave you full and satisfied. Making large baches and freezing them in mini containers to take on the go can help you stay on track with meal plans.
I will say smoothies and juicing have not been a good experiance with insulin reistance it has cause weight gain and it has always caused blood sugar spikes, However I noticed with small portioned out sizes for Acai bowl I am eating it slower and the overall eating it vs sipping it has not caused any blood sugar spikes.
This recipe can also help lower cortisol levels, decrease inflammation, curb cravings, and portion control all in one. With an endless combination of fruits and vegetables these carbs can fuel you with energy throughout the day without glucose spikes.
Insulin Resistance and PCOS
Insulin Resistance is always a big battle with PCOS and learning to balance our sugar intake will help alleviate glucose spikes. It will also help with those heavy carb cravings that leave you with a crashing feeling.
Insulin resistance happens when the cells that acquire insulin from the pancreas stop responding to all that insulin being fed to them. Fueling the body with needed nutrients like B12, C, D, Folate can help increase natural energy and sustainable energy throughout the day. We want to consume nutrients that is going to stop insulin resistance and balance out our hormones.
My Go To Acai Bowl
– Mixed Frozen fruit – Half A banana – Cinnamon, Turmeric, Ginger, and Cumin (Anti Inflammatory, Immune Boosters, – – – Helps control Glucose) – Protein Powder of your choice – Water not too much we want this thick consistency – Blend with your favorite fresh fruits !
Protein Why is it Important for Weight loss and Balancing Hormones?
Protein helps us stay full longer which helps us eat less and have less craving. Protein is also important for muscle recovery and growth.
It provides our bodies with essential amino acids these are like building blocks for our hormones. Because hormones help with our metabolism and reproduction this is essential for everyone but especially for those with hormone disorders like our own.
Protein Goals
I know it can be hard for some to meet there protein goals and that is okay. Some ways I find it easier to meet my goals each day is to automatically know each snack or meal I have needs to have a protein with it.
If I don’t have it I know I will still be hungry and start snacking. Or I will get hungry within an hour and start binging unhealthy snacks because our bodies go into a type of starvation mode.
When this happens our first thoughts are carbs give me all the carbs. This is because our body is so smart and knows carbs are a quick way to fuel our energy!
However a meal heavily loaded with carbs can cause a glucose spike and a bigger crash. Protein and simple carbs are processed at a slower pace which helps to not cause a sugar spike and they fuel your body with energy that helps last throughout the day.
Do not be afraid to have snacks giving yourself two snacks a day between meals is essential for lasting energy and can be beneficial for weight loss and low sugar that can occur with insulin resistance.
High Protein Peach Cottage Cheese Lunch
This is one of my favorite quick lunches to make and is easy to travel with for work. If you are not a cottage cheese fan due to the texture baking it is a game changer it gives it like a fresh mozzarella texture instead !
My Favorite Way to Eat this Peach and Cottage Cheese Meal
I love to add a balsamic glaze drizzle at the end to add that extra sweet and savory mix. I used focaccia bread though you could opt for a lower carb option depending on your macro count for that day.
I like to use regular cottage cheese not the low fat option because it does not bake as well and the taste and texture for me is just not the same. You can also eat those cold but I would definitely try it baked as well because it elevates the taste and really gives you a satisfying feel which we need to have in order for our brain and gut to both be satisfied and prevent cravings and over eating.
Added Protein
For added protein you could use some prosciutto slices on top it will give it a nice salty savory taste to it.
Here is a link to my weight loss and Hormones Page that goes over why protein is important when trying to not only lose weight but balance our hormones to help manage our PCOS and put it in remission. https://stephanielucille.com/programs/
Cauliflower Nachos
I know I know this is another cauliflower recipe that some feel ruins the traditional meal ! THis one is not one of those it as all the flavors toppings Traditional Nachos would have but it is lower carb and Guild Free what could be better.
I have found making meals that I originally love and creating a healthier version that works with my PCOS has helped me from binging unhealthier meals or over eating on foods that are only gonna worsen my symptoms and cause weight gain instead of weightloss.
If you are reading this blog or just here for the recipes you know by now that we dont sacrifice things we love but find alternatives. We do want to keep our overall goals in Mind when consuming foods that could make our hormone conditions worse though.
Cauliflower Benefits
Cauliflower has so many nutritional benefits for our bodies but for our hormones especially it is packed with indole-3-carbinol this acts as a plant estrogen and can help balance our hormones by regulating estrogen levels
Recipe Below
One Head of Cauliflower sliced in flat pieces
Preheat Oven to 425-450 Spread cauliflower out on the sheet bake until crispy and golden. 20-40 minutes
Cook ground beef or plant based meat crumbles while it bakes add cheese and meet to the pan and bake till cheese is melted. The farther apart you put the cauliflower the crisperier it will become when you bake it resulting in a more chip like texture !
FInally add all your favorite toppings I used plain yogurt and fresh guacomole I made prior, cilantro onions and tomatoes with fresh limes. I added a hot honey bbq drizzle to mine as well
5.5g-11g Carbs Per serving 20g of Protein 5g Fat
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