I clearly remember how overwhelmed I felt when my doctor said, “You have polycystic ovarian syndrome”. As a naive teenager, I thought that living with this disorder is going to be the end of the world. However, as I grew up, I realised that PCOS is one of the common hormonal disorders among young women. There are a ton of different treatments out there but which one is actually worth trying out? If you go to a doctor, chances are they’ll opt for the standard treatment—the pill. So, is there really an “ideal” solution or should we just learn how to live with the misery that is PCOS?

A few days ago I had the fortunate opportunity to interview Neha Ranglani, a nutritionist, lifestyle influencer and a plant-based food coach. What made me so eager to have a conversation with her is the fact that she believes that a healthy lifestyle can reverse and prevent diseases. Popping pills may seem like a quick fix, however, in the long run, your body ends up being dependant on medication. Hence, adopting a few healthy habits and being consistent with them is much better for you in the long run. If you’ve been looking for natural ways to heal PCOS, then you’re in the right place. Here are the healthy lifestyle practices that Neha recommends:

1. Eat Whole Foods

Paleo, keto, Atkins are just a few of the fad diets out there. It’s very easy to eliminate a few food groups (I’m talking about you, low-carb diets) to see faster results, but this diet is not going to be sustainable in the long run. Neha suggests that we should concentrate on eating whole foods instead of following fad diets. Initially, you should start off by cutting down on processed foods and then work your way up to including plenty of fruit and vegetables in your diet. Making improvements to your diet is what is going to have the most amount of impact on your health while dealing with PCOS.

2. Get Moving

PCOS tends to cause excess weight gain and insulin resistance. Hence, having an active lifestyle is of vital importance when you’re dealing with this condition. Find a physical activity you love doing, something that you will look forward to doing every day. What really works for me is weight training and HIIT classes. There’s no “ideal” exercise that’ll work for everyone. So do a little bit of exploring and find out what type of workout will work for you.

3. Make “Me Time”

It’s a known fact that stress wreaks havoc on your health, hence you should find a way to deal with it. While chatting with Neha, she mentioned that one way to look at PCOS is “please check on self”. She says that having “me time” is very important. Doing something just for yourself is a great way to deal with stress. Even simple activities like baking or reading a book is a great stressbuster. So make some time for yourself to take a breather to keep stress at bay.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B2u0D0Mpa-f/

Join Malini’s Girl Tribe on Facebook to be a part of such conversations!