Benefits of meditation for PCOS

We believe it or not Stress plays a key role in maintaining our health.It has a huge impact on our mind and overall health.

Thats the reason yoga and meditation has become so important in maintaining health and calm mind these days.

Studies have shown that meditation effects your brain in so many positive ways leading to a overall positive impact on mind as well as body.So here i am discussing a few of them with you.

Significant drop in inflammation

Doing meditation on regular basis helps in controlling stress which if you do not know is one of the common reasons of inflammatiom and inflammation leads to many health problems especially if we talk about women with pcos.

Inflammation by itself leads to pcos so by reducing inflammation helps in treating pcos if you have inflammatory pcos.

Reduces anxiety and depression

Pcos comes with many mood swings the most common of which is anxiety,stress and depression.

Meditation helps to calm the body and mind and helps to manage stress in a better way.

It decreases the cell volume in amygdala that is responsible for stress,anxiety and fear thus helps in managing these emotions.

Helps in controlling Blood Pressure

After a period of doing meditation you will observe a significant change in your BP as it brings back the BP levels to normal.

Physically effects brain

Meditating effects the brain in many ways that help us control our daily life emotions,behaviour and other necessary skills such as learning ,writing etc.

Meditation improves our learning ability by increasing the size of left hippocampus.

It also effects other parts of brain like TPJ temporo parietal junction thus increases empathy for others and cingulate cortex that helps the way our mind thinks.

Helps to focus 

Increases the time period of focusing on a task without wondering about other things thus helps in concentrating better.

Slows down Aging

Studies have shown that meditation can protect the length on telomeres.

Telomeres are basically a part of our chromosomes that are associated with aging,as their length decreases with advanced age the process of aging speeds up.

Thus by protecting their length it slows down the process of aging.

Conclusion

There are tons of more benefits of meditation in our lives and we need it nowadays so much more than our parents and grand parents because we have such a small amount of time for ourselves in this world full of hustle bustle.

So make sure to spare some time for relaxing your body and mind and make meditation a crucial part of your daily life.

5 best yoga poses for PCOS

 Diet and exercise go hand in hand.We can not achieve the goal of a healthy and fit life just by following only one of these two.

So today i will talk about 5 best yoga poses that will help you with pcos and your overall health maintenance

1- Butterfly Pose or Baddhakonasana

2- Reclined Butterfly Pose or Supta Baddhakonasana

3- Camel Pose or Ustrasana

4- Locust Pose or Shalabhasana

5- Wide Legged Forward Bend or Prasarita Padottanasana

Now i will briefly explain the steps and benefits of all these...

Butterfly Pose

1-Sit on the ground with your feet held straight in front of you.

2-Bring the soles of your feet together.

3-Hold your each foot with hands properly and make sure to keep your elbows against your inner thighs.

4-Make sure to sit straight, inhale and as you exhale lean forward from your hips until you feel the stretch.

5-Hold for 15-30 sec and repeat 2-4 times.

Benefits

Helps in preparing for delivery.

Improves digestion.

Stretches your inner thighs and knees.

Relieves menstrual discomfort.

Improves blood circulation in lower body.

Reclined Butterfly Pose

1-Follow the first 2 steps of the butterfly pose described above.

2-Maintaining this position lie back on a bolster or you can keep anything that can match the height of bolster.You can keep your knees a bit above ground.

3-Make sure that your head neck and upper back is resting on bolster.

4-Place your hands on your belly or keep them on sides.

5-Stay in this position for 5-10 breaths and repeat 2-4 times.

Benefits

Relieves stress.

Alleviates upper and lower back pain.

Stretches shoulders,triceps,groin,abductors,hamstrings and chest.

Camel Pose

1-Keep your knees on the ground as you are standing on your knees with your legs parallel and behind your body.

2-Keep your back straight.Do not bend hip joint.

3-Now place your hands to your lower back with fingers pointing downwards and elbows facing backwards.

4-Gently arch your back in such a way that a backbend forms.

5-Lift your chin up as you are looking towards the ceiling.

6-Push your chest forwards and upwards as pressing against the ceiling with the hands in the same position as described in step 3.

7-Do not do any step beyond your limits.

8-Stay for several breaths and repeat 2-4 times.

Benefits

Posture improvement

Relieves back pain

Expands abdominal region thus improving digestion.

Improves respiration as it opens the chest.

Strengthens shoulders.

Reduces thigh fat.

Locust Pose

1-Lie down on your stomach with arms on the side of your body.

2-Rest your forehead on the ground/mat.

3-Now slowly inhale and raise your head,arms and shoulders up and look forward.

4-Now by staying in the same position lift your legs towards to ceiling without bending the knees.

5-Widen your chest across collar bones.

6-Hold for 30sec to 1min and repeat.

Benefits

Sretches belly, chest, thighs and shoulders.

Improves posture.

Improves muscle of spine,buttocks and back.

It strengthens core.

Wide Legged Forward Bend

1-Stand straight on your mat.

2-Place your feet several feet apart.

3-Make sure that your heels are slightly more apart than toes.

4-Make sure that your back is straight and your belly is pulled in towards your spine.

5-Bend forward and hinge at your hips not waist.

6-Place your hands on mat directly below your shoulders.

7-Keep your neck,head and back straight and look straight on floor.

8-Stay for several seconds and then repeat.

Benefits

Open hips.

Relief from backaches.

Relieves stress,anxiety and depression.

Increases the circulation to pelvic organs.

Conclusion

Make sure to not exceed the limit of your body for a posture as it can harm your body.

Make sure to gradually do each step avoiding jerks.

Your body flexibility will increase with time so do not force your body for a certain stretch as it can harm muscles.

Body hair in PCOS

 A lot of us are facing the problem of unwanted dark,coarse hair on body and face due to PCOS,and this condition is called as Hirsutism.

Cause

The main reason of hirsutism is abnormal increase in the level of androgens(testosterone) in female body that leads to excessive hair growth on face and body.

How to manage this condition...

• First thing first that you have to control the excessive testosterone in the body by medication or home remedies,both ways are equally effective but we all know that natural ways to control a problem are more long lasting.

• By balancing the hormones in your boy you will see a drastic decrease in your body and facial hair growth.

Supplements

Few supplements that will be helpful are...

• Fish oil

• Magnesium supplements

• Calcium with Vit D

• Inositol

• Spearmint tea

But make sure to always consult a doctor without taking any supplement.Make sure yo check this if you want to know about best supplements for Pcoshttps://pcostreatment323.blogspot.com/2020/08/essential-supplements-for-fertility-in.html?m=1

Methods to remove excessive hair

1- Laser Hair Reduction

Advantage

This method works very well and the advantage is that when hair regrow they are much thinner ,softer and less visible than before.

Drawback

But the major drawback of this condition is that it is extremely expensive so not everyone can afford it.

2- Waxing

Advantage

We all are aware of this method of removing hair.It is long term with much slower hair growth.

Drawback

If not done properly then it may cause ingrowths so make sure to contact a professional.

3- Shaving

This method is super convenient and cheap and does not cause any thickening of hair.

4- Hair Removing Cream

It is also very convenient method but its not long term.

5- Threading

This is the most cheap of all and also works very well but its not that convenient to do threading on certain parts of the body.

Conclusion

I hope you find these simple techniques helpful and make sure to love yourself.

Its not just with you every woman with pcos is fighting this condition so remember that you are not alone in this journey.

Is dairy good for pcos?

 This is the question that comes in the mind of almost every woman who suffers from PCOS

Are dairy products good for health of women with pcos?what harm does it cause?what are the better substitutes? 

I am gonna talk about dairy effecting women with PCOS.

How dairy effects women with PCOS

Dairy products such as milk do raise IGF that is insulin growth factor and androgens such as testosterone that are not good for women with pcos as their androgens level are already extremely high.

Substitues

Best substitute for women with pcos is Almond Milk.

Some others are 

Coconut milk

Oats milk

Cashew milk

Soy milk

How to make Almond milk at home

1-Simply soak a cup or two of organic almonds overnight.

2-The next morning throw away the water in which they were soaked and do not peel them off

3-Now add 3-4 glasses of water in a blender,add in the soaked almonds and blend it well till it comes to a milky consistency.

4- You can always add some salt,vanilla extract in it for some flavour.

5-And thats it your very own organic homemade almond milk is ready

6- You can follow tha same steps for making cashew,coconut,soy milk etc..

Conclusion

Dairy effects differently in different cases of pcos so make sure to know that what exactly happens to your body on consuming a specific kind of food.

But we all want to be on a safe side right?So try to add a little dairy in your diet and substitute for what is more beneficial for you.

RISK FACTORS OF PCOS AND THEIR MANAGEMENT

If you have pcos you should know that it comes with several impacts on our overall health.It can cause many problems to our body if not treated or controlled.Here you will be able to know the risk factors that come in hand with pcos along with their management.

 • Risk Factors of Pcos

   1- Type 2 Diabetes

     Hyperinsulinemia,one of the cause of pcos,causes insulin resistance which leads to chances of type 2 diabetes.Their body is able to make insulin but their cells are unable to use it to move glucose in them.

     Thus you have to make sure to watch your blood glucose levels,don't eat such food that spike your blood glucose as it will harm your body and cause even severe insulin resistance.

   2- Depression

    Hormone imbalance also lead to mental health issues mood swings,depression,anxiety and mood swings.

   3- High Cholesterol

   There is still no accurate proof that how pcos causes high cholesterol levels,but about 70% of women with pcos have hypercholestrolemia.

   Their lipid profile is effected as..

- high triglycerides level

- decrease in HDL level(which is healthy/good fat)

- high LDL level(bad cholesterol)

- increase VLDL

  Also apolipoproteins B, that metabolizes lipids and carry fat around the body,is raised and apolipoprotein A1 ,which is the major protein component of HDL,decreases.

   4- Sleep apnea

   First of all what is sleep apnea?Its a sleeping disorder in which you snore while sleeping and breathing starts and stops repeatedly.

   Hyperandrogenism and increased fat deposition disturbs our sleep signals thus leading to sleep apnea.

  

   And thats not all,your sleep deprivation causes tiredness,difficulty losing weight,hypertension and even insulin resistance thus further exacerbating the condition.

  5- Obesity

   As discussed earlier pcos leads to type 2 diabetes in which the cells become insulin resistant leading to high blood sugar levels that causes weight gain as the blood glucose is not utilized by the cells for their function.

   Also increased cholesterol in pcos also plays a role in weight gain and leads to obesity.

  6- Infertility

   If not managed properly pcos can cause infertlilty.But remember it can be cured if you take care of your health and diet and exercise regularly to shed those extra pounds, it will help alot in reversing this condition.

   Remember if you are able to lose weight in pcos,it increases your chances of conceiving.

  7- Non-Alcoholic Fatty liver

  NAFL is also linked with insulin resistance and obesity.About 25-30% of the population is influenced by it.

    • Management of Pcos

    

  1- Weight Management

     Maintaining an ideal weight is the key to pcos management.

     Always remember that in case of pcos you have to lose weight by eating right food not less food.

           

        -  Low GI Food.  Always prefer food that has low glycemic index,as they do not cause spike in blood sugar levels as we ingest them,as it is very harmful especially in insulin resistance case,rather they slowly increase the blood sugar levels.

        - Fibre.  Food high in fibre keep you full for longer period of time.The main benefit we get here is that it not only lowers cholesterol levels but also controls blood sugar levels.

        - Omega 3 fatty acids. Food rich in these fatty acids help reduce testosterone levels in pcos.Nuts(almonds,walnuts etc),seeds(flaxseeds,chia seeds),fish especially fatty fish,plant oils(canola oil,flaxseed oil) are some food items that are rich in omega 3 fatty acids.

        -High Protein food. Are more filling and also reduces insulin levels both of which have positive impact on pcos.

  2- Exercise

     Exercise should be the crucial part of your life if you are suffering from pcos.There are tons of benefits of exercise..

    - it improves insulin sensitivity thus preventing chances of type 2 diabetes

    - helps to manage weight

    - lowers cholesterol levels

    - produces serotonin hormone which improves mood,sleep and appetite.

  3- Proper sleep

    8 hours sleep is crucial for healthy body and mind.Lack of sleep decreases insulin resistance,increases hunger and ofcourse affects your mood which by now you are well aware is not good for someone who is suffering from pcos.

  4- Reduce Stress

   I can not emphasize it enough.Though it does not seem to cause a big deal,stress can definitely intensify pcos,so follow these extremely simple steps to improve your mood.

      -Meditate

      -Keep yourself busy

      -Do things that make you happy

      -Do not overthink

  

  • Conclusion

    I hope by know you know the mandatory steps that you need to take to manage this condition.See your doctor and run some tests to see if you have any of the risk factors mentioned above.Make healthy diet and exercise your weapons to fight this condition and always remember to stay happy because you can do it.