Saw this article today about PCOS and diet

PCOS Resources

Hello!

I thought I would pop a few links to some other resources and sites. So much research is going in to PCOS now and new info is being published regularly, so it's hard to keep up with all the new stuff.

The Centre for Research Excellence in Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome is funded my the NHMRC.  They aim to improve health outcomes and have heaps of research in the pipeline at the moment, including improving fertility for women with PCOS, post baby weight retention, and the incidence of post natal depression in women with PCOS.

The Androgen Excess and Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Society generates new information and aims to get the word out to medical professionals across the globe.  They don't just limit their research to PCOS, but also delve into other androgen excess conditions such as 

• Adrenal Hyperplasia

• Idiopathic Hirsutism

• Premature Adrenarche

The Jean Hailes for Women's Health Centre has a downloadable pamphlet on navigating the intricacies of PCOS. This site is also really good at keeping up to date with all the new info out there.Obviously, this post doesn't list all the available sites out there dedicated to helping women with PCOS, but I hope it will help you get started.
Cheers for now
Annie 

Coffee chocolate protein truffles

This recipe is great for when you have a really sweet tooth but don't want to spike your blood glucose levels.  Each truffle is about 80 calories and has 6 grams of protein and less than 1 gram of sugar!  Try making them for when you next have friends visit.  I used vanilla flavoured protein powder but if you're nuts about nuts, try using peanut butter flavour or choc/peanut flavoured protein powder.

Coffee chocolate protein truffles

Ingredients

½  cup carb free vanilla (or plain) protein powder

1 cup almond meal

½  cup cocoa powder

1 tbspn toffee or caramel flavoured stevia drops

1-2 shots fresh coffee

1 block Lindt 90% cocoa chocolate (melted) mixed with 2 teaspoons stevia powder

½ cup chopped peanuts and matcha powder for decoration

Method

Combine protein powder, almond meal, cocoa powder and stevia drops in a mixing bowl.  Add just enough coffee to combine ingredients so that the mixture is firm and can be rolled into balls.  Refrigerate or freeze for about an hour before dipping into melted chocolate then rest one side into the chopped peanuts or matcha powder for decoration and crunch then allow to set on a tray covered with baking paper until set.  Refrigerate again until ready to serve (makes about 20 truffles).

Coffee chocolate protein truffles

This recipe is great for when you have a really sweet tooth but don't want to spike your blood glucose levels.  Each truffle is about 80 calories and has 6 grams of protein and less than 1 gram of sugar!  Try making them for when you next have friends visit.  I used vanilla flavoured protein powder but if you're nuts about nuts, try using peanut butter flavour or choc/peanut flavoured protein powder.

Mocha protein truffles

Ingredients

½  cup carb free vanilla (or plain) protein powder

1 cup almond meal

½  cup cocoa powder

1 tbspn toffee or caramel flavoured stevia drops

1-2 shots fresh coffee

1 block Lindt 90% cocoa chocolate (melted) mixed with 2 teaspoons stevia powder

½ cup chopped peanuts and matcha powder for decoration

Method

Combine protein powder, almond meal, cocoa powder and stevia drops in a mixing bowl.  Add just enough coffee to combine ingredients so that the mixture is firm and can be rolled into balls.  Refrigerate or freeze for about an hour before dipping into melted chocolate then rest one side into the chopped peanuts or matcha powder for decoration and crunch then allow to set on a tray covered with baking paper until set.  Refrigerate again until ready to serve (makes about 20 truffles).

PCOS, cholesterol and eggs

For so many years the humble egg was vilified.  Nobody 

dared to eat too many each week in fear of increasing our blood cholesterol levels and increasing our risk of heart disease. However, we can begin to rejoice again and eat eggs to our heart's delight - literally!  Even the 2015 American Dietary Guidelines no longer restricts the number of eggs we should or shouldn't eat each week because new research shows eating dietary cholesterol has very little effect on our body's blood cholesterol levels.  Most of the cholesterol in our bodies is actually produced by the body!

Why are eggs good for someone with PCOS?  I'm so glad you asked.  Here's the scoop....

Firstly, eggs are packed full of pretty much everything our bodies need, from protein and healthy fats to vitamins and minerals to keep us healthy.  Just two eggs contain about 20% of your daily protein needs, have lots of healthy omega-3 fats to help reduce inflammation, and have about 10% of your daily iron needs (it's non-haem iron so having some vitamin C with your eggs will help absorption - eggs don't contain vitamin C).  You'll also find zinc, selenium and iodine in your eggs too, which, as I've mentioned before, is great for optimising your metabolism by keeping your thyroid functioning well.  Eggs contain no carbohydrates and no sugar so they have a very low glycaemic index (GI), which is great for keeping your blood glucose levels low, thereby keeping your insulin levels from spiking too.  

As you know, women with PCOS often find they have trouble losing weight so eating eggs has so many benefits to help you lose weight.  Firstly, because they're packed full of proteins and fats, they take their time breaking down in your body so you feel full for longer. Secondly, without the carbohydrate content to raise your insulin response (as I've mentioned in previous posts, women with PCOS are often insulin-resistant) you aren't putting your body into fat-storage mode.  Lastly, with all that iodine, zinc and selenium, you're optimising your thryoid health which produces the hormones for energy production so your metabolism won't be as sluggish which makes losing weight easier.  

And now we no longer have to worry about eggs raising our blood cholesterol levels and putting us at greater risk of heart disease (of course, if you already have high cholesterol levels, talk to your doctor first before eating eggs for breakfast, lunch and dinner!!).  You see, cholesterol isn't always the enemy in our body.  Every single cell of the body is encased in part, by cholesterol.  That's what helps the cell maintain its shape and stops it from collapsing.  We also use cholesterol to help us make our hormones and to make bile acid, which is used to aid fat and fat-soluble vitamin (vitamins A, D, E and K) absorption.  Also, new lab tests show we can't just label cholesterol as good (HDL cholesterol) or bad (LDL cholesterol) anymore.  In fact, LDL cholesterol is made up of different particle sizes and can be small and dense (they actually are the bad cholesterol) or light and fluffy (do no harm at all).  Did you know you can ask your doctor to include this test if you're having your blood cholesterol levels checked?  Research shows eggs can actually reduce the amount of small, dense LDL particles which gives us yet another reason to eat eggs!!  

So, there's just a few good reasons to regularly include eggs in your diet.  To get you started, here's a simple baseless quiche recipe you can try.  Add whatever low-starch veggies you like.  The recipe serves six.  Have it for dinner with your favourite salad or serve the leftovers cold for lunch the next day!

Vegetable Baseless Quiche

Ingredients

• 6 eggs (I always use free-range organic eggs because I feel sorry for the chickens)
• 300ml (approx) Carnation-brand cooking cream 

• 2-3 cups of chopped low-starch vegetables (I choose, spring onion, capsicum, broccoli, mushroom, beans and carrot)
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees celcius (fan-forced).  In a large bowl, whisk eggs, cooking cream, salt and pepper together until well combined.  
2. Place chopped veggies in a medium-sized baking dish and pour the egg mixture over until the veggies are well covered.
3. Sprinkle the top with the grated cheese and bake in the oven for about an hour or until the top is golden and the eggs are cooked through.  Serve hot or cold and enjoy!

*Hint - to reduce the amount of calories in this dish, omit the parmesan cheese.

Cheers for now

Annie

Fish en Pappilote (fish in paper) recipe

I love this recipe because it's so simple to make and there is no cleaning up afterwards! Just bake the fish wrapped in baking paper and put the cooked parcel directly on your dinner plate to serve.  Salmon is high in Omega-3 fatty acids which act to reduce inflammation in the body, which is good for heart health.  You can put a range of your favourite veggies in the parcel.  I choose veggies which are not starchy so I keep my insulin levels from spiking after dinner.  This recipe is great to make when you're super busy but still want to eat well. 

Ingredients (per serve)

1 piece salmon (100-150g)
2-3 large handfuls of chopped Asian greens of choice
minced garlic to taste
minced ginger to tast
chopped red chilli to taste
2 chopped button mushrooms
1/2 carrot, julienned
a dash of olive oil and a dash of lime juice
salt and pepper to taste

Method

On a large piece of baking paper (glad bake) place all vegetables, starting with Asian greens, and spices.Place salmon on top of vegetables and sprinkle with oil, juice and salt and pepper.Fold paper around ingredients to seal in moisture and place on a baking tray.Bake in oven at 180 degrees Celcius for about 20-25 mins.Transfer paper and contents to a plate to serve and enjoy!

Low Carb & Gluten Free Tabbouleh Salad recipe

This salad is so quick and easy to make.  You can hand grate the cauliflower or use the grating blade on a food processor.  The flavours intensify the next day so it's perfect for leftovers.

I like this salad because it doesn't contain wheat, which causes a lot of intenstinal issues for some people who have coelic disease or find they're senstive to gluten.  There's also a lot of veggies packed into one serve of the salad which is great for increasing fibre and vitamins, while filling up on foods that are low in calories.  The extra virgin olive oil also has proven benefits for heart health.

Ingredients

1/2 head of cauliflower, grated to resemble cracked wheat
4 ripe tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
2 spring onions, sliced
2 tablespoons mint, chopped (optional)
1 lemon, juiced
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 equal tablets or 2 teaspoons of an intense sweetener (if you use stevia, use 1 teaspoon)
salt and pepper to taste 

Method

In a bowl, mix together the cauliflower, tomatoes, parsley, spring onion and the mint if you are adding it.  In a glass jar, add the lemon juice, olive oil, equal tablets and salt & pepper.  Screw the lid on tightly and shake until the dressing thickens slightly.  Toss the dressing through the salad and transfer to a clean bowl to serve.