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2 years ago

Dear Amitha P T, Thank you for the question

Polycystic ovarian disease (PCOD) is endocrine disorder in women of reproductive age, which leads to reproductive, hormonal and metabolic abnormalities. Follow a healthy balanced diet with low fat intake, good amount protein and fibre for ideal weight management.

Here are a few tips to help manage PCOD
- Eat regular meals with balanced diets including all food groups
- Low Glycaemic Index (GI) foods have proven to be effective when managing PCOD. Some of the Low GI include green leafy vegetables, carrots, green beans, apples, orange, pear, millets, lentils etc.
- Limit intake of deep fried and high fat foods.
- Engage in regular physical activity.

Sustainable weight management requires a holistic approach which involves lifestyle management which includes Dietary modification, Physical activity, hydration, and stress management. With any weight loss plan changes take time to reflect as your body requires sufficient time to adapt to the changes in order to show results.
An ideal weight loss meal plan should include calorie deficit diet with appropriate exercise regime followed under professional guidance.

However here are few objectives to be considered when planning to start with a weight loss program.
Count Your Daily Calories
• It is recommended to consume 500kcal less than your average, daily, current dietary intake of calories to target on 2-3kg weight loss per month (ideally 0.5kg per week).
• This target is a healthy& sustainable way of reducing and then maintaining the weight loss.
• The first step hence is “counting your daily calorie intakes”. Counting your daily calorie intake is proven to be effective when on a weight loss diet. You can use applications/apps freely available, that will help you count your calories to keep a track on your daily calorie intake and physical activity levels.
• These apps will also help you to track your hydration & sleep patterns which also impact your weight.
• Ideal body weight for an individual can be calculated using the Broca Index (BI) which is: Ideal Standard Weight (kg) = Ht (cm) – 100
• WHO has given different BMI (Body mass index) classifications to categorise adults into different weight categories. BMI is a simple index of weight-for-height. It can be considered as a 2nd level indicator of overall health.
It can be calculated using a simple formula of BMI = Weight (kg) / Height (m²)

Following is the WHO BMI Classification
18.5 to 24.9 - Normal
Less than 18.5 - Underweight
25 to 29 - Overweight
Above 30 – Obese

General Dietary Guidelines for weight loss that can be considered:

- Eat a healthy balanced including all the 5 food groups (cereals, pulses, fruits, vegetables, milk & milk products).
-Try to include whole grains like wheat, millets and multigrain in your diet as they are a good source of fiber and other nutrients.
- Do not skip your meals. Have small quantity of meals at regular intervals.
- Choose healthy snacking options in between your meals and practice portion guidance.
- Fiber in your meals can potentiate satiety and help suppress excess hunger. Fruits and vegetables, whole grains, multigrain, millets etc., are good sources of fiber.
- Include healthy fats from nuts and seeds.
- Consume fresh, seasonal fruits as they contain many essential nutrients and are good sources of fiber.
-Limit intake of carbonated beverages and alcohol.
- Deep Fried foods to be restricted. Method of cooking like baking, grilling, boiling, steaming is preferable over deep frying with excess fat/ oil.
- Minimum of 8 glasses of water should be consumed to keep yourself hydrated.
- Have your last meal at least 2-3 hours before Bed time.
- Try to follow a good sleep regimen term of both quantity and quality.

Some Physical Activity Tips:
Engage in at least 30-45 minutes of physical activity of moderate intensity such as walking for at least five days a week.


Here are a few tips to manage healthy hair
- Protein deficiency can result in hair changes that include hair thinning and hair loss. Some of the sources of high protein include pulses, lentils, milk, paneer, soybean, eggs, lean meat, nuts & seeds etc. Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) of protein foe females is 46g per day
- Inadequate intake of iron may also cause of hair loss, The richest sources of heme iron in the diet are lean meat and seafood and non-heme sources include nuts, beans, dark green leafy vegetables, and fortified grain, milk, whole grains, legumes and dry fruits etc.
Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) of Iron for women is 29mg per day
- Zinc is a mineral that plays important roles in immune function, protein synthesis, cellular division. It’s necessary for hair follicle function and helps protect against hair follicle shrinkage. It also helps promote hair follicle recovery Plant products such as – whole grains, legumes such as chickpeas, groundnuts, lentils, Nuts & seeds like cashews, pumpkin seeds, almonds etc. Animal products such as- meat, seafoods (fish, prawns, crab, chicken, eggs, milk and milk products. Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) of Zinc for women is 13.2 mg per day
- Omega -3 & omega-6 fatty acid may help promote hair growth by enhancing follicle proliferation Some of the most common sources of omega 6 are Fish, nuts and seeds such as walnuts, almonds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, etc

For further assistance you can book a call for free dietitian consultation on our website. https://www.callr.live/aashirvaadexperts/Book-Appointment.
For a customised and personalised meal plan for specific conditions please contact your Health care professional or any registered dietician.
Hope we have answered your query.
Wishing you a great day ahead.

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