Wednesday, June 20, 2007

Benefits of Juicing for PCOS

Previously I posted a recipe for cucumber juice. Now I want to explain just some of the reasons juicing is good for those with PCOS.

Essential Nutrients
Juicing is a great way to get your vitamins and nutrients in one simple and effective blast. This is even more important for PCOS sufferers, especially if you are on the contraceptive pill. Trials have shown that the pill can strip the body of nutrients and alter the vitamin and mineral levels of the body. The vitamins and minerals you should be most concerned about are vitamin B1, B2, B6 and B12, folic acid, vitamin C, Vitamin E and Zinc. Try juicing leafy green vegetables such as spinach and broccoli, carrots, and tomatoes.

Energy
Many people with PCOS suffer from energy lows and fatigue, partly caused by blood sugar levels dipping and the effects of insulin resistance, but also possibly from the effects of the other hormone inbalances. Raw foods are a great way to get your essential nutrients and boost your energy levels during the day, but not everybody can face plates of raw or lightly steamed vegetables. Juicing those vegetables (and some fruits) will help make those raw foods more palatable and easier to stomach!

Phytochemicals
These are naturally occuring substances that have numerous health benefits (but can not be stored in the body, so you need to eat them on a regular basis). Again, these are important for everybody's health because they are good for the skin and hair, as well as your heart, mental and reproductive health. They are especially important if you have PCOS because they help reduce the risk of heart disease, diabetes and reproductive disorders. Again, those green leafy vegetables are important, as well as tomatoes, blueberries and cranberries.

I hope this has given you just a "taster" of why juicing can be so beneficial to PCOS sufferers.

A word of warning, if you are Insulin Resistant, fruit juices will be quite high in natural sugars (remember it takes a few apples to make a small glass of juice) and will cause your glucose levels to spike. Try to stick to mainly vegetable juices with a little fruit juice mixed in. Secondly, juicing means you are not benefiting from the fiber you would normally get from eating fruit and vegetables so make sure you are getting your fiber elsewhere.