Carbohydrates for fertility
Lots of talk going on in the web recently about carbs and fertility! Women’s health ftw!
Paul Jaminet: Higher Carb Dieting Pros and Cons
Chris Kresser and Chris Masterjohn: Cholesterol, mostly, also: Telltale signs you need more carbs
Cheeseslave: Why I ditched low carb
Paleo Diet News: Sort of rehashing Paul’s argument
Julianne: Okay, People, Carb’s Don’t Kill
Melissa McEwen (always a badass on women and fertility): What the bleep do we know about carbs
While you’re at it, go read Melissa’s post on Why Women Need Fat. Now.
Hey. I haven’t emphasized this enough on this blog. Hypothyroidism can be induced via a number of mechanisms. One is a low carbohydrate diet. If hypothyroid, or even subclinical thyroid, is at all a part of your PCOS pathology, consider eating a high carb (at least 100 g/day, IMHO). Really. Do it. Reading the links above will give you helpful insight into the mechanisms.
My quick anecdote:
Since adding carbohydrates to my diet– call me crazy– I’ve been less sickly. The acne scars on my face heal much more quickly than they used to. My acne itself is way better, though my meds, in part, can account for that. I sleep much much much much more peacefully. Most importantly, my breasts and hips have gotten larger, and my thighs a bit I guess, but my stomach has stayed flat flat flat. How nice is that? (But I would still be healthy if I had some tummy fat!) Clearly my estrogen profile has changed.
(Note: I am also on a diuretic, so this makes it easier to have muscle definition, especially in the abdominals, but– well, I’ll take what I can get. I’m not giving up carbs again.)
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What type of carbs are good to eat for PCOS?
Safe starches.
Would root vegetables and white rice be okay?
Absolutely
Hello again. I’m glad to see you are doing better. We had a lengthy discussion before pertaining to your PCOS post. I’m glad to hear you are considering your thyroid health moreso and the deleterious effects of estrogen. Keep it up and don’t forget some fruit. I like citrus, melons, and berries (no grapefruit though as it can be estrogenic). I would also remember that eating more carbs decreases your PUFA exposure by replacing some animal fats as well as some calories from things like nuts. Great stuff.