Q: Our daughter is 19yrs old and tends to binge eat when she is angry or upset.

She also has polycystic ovaries. I have read this can cause mood swings.  She also has a birch allergy to specific fruits and vegetables when eaten raw and all kinds of nuts. 

Can you please make any suggestions on diet that can help? She also appears to have an intolerance to milk which makes her sick.

A: Unfortunately at the moment your daughter is trapped in a vicious cycle.  The kind of food that she probably eats when angry or upset eg sweets, cakes, chocolate, biscuits etc are a major problem for women with PCOS as this causes more blood sugar imbalances which then exacerbates the PCOS. 

 

In each menstrual cycle, follicles grow on the ovaries. Within those follicles eggs develop, one of which will reach maturity faster than the others and be released into the fallopian tubes. This is known as ovulation. The remaining follicles (sometimes hundreds) will degenerate. In the case of polycystic ovaries, however, the ovaries are much larger than normal, and there are a number of undeveloped follicles that appear in clumps, rather like a bunch of grapes. Where the problem starts, however, is when the cysts cause an hormonal imbalance, leading to a series of symptoms.

 

There can be a tendency to be overweight, have no or very few periods, be prone to acne, grow heavy body hair, often on the face, breasts and inside of the legs, and be susceptible to mood swings.

 

Women with PCOS are more likely to have problems balancing blood sugar, and they can be insulin-resistant. Insulin-resistance happens when insulin levels are high but that insulin cannot transport glucose into the cells. This, in turn, leads to high levels of blood glucose (sugar).  Excess insulin leads to an increased appetite, which can cause overweight. The more circulating insulin, the more the ovaries produce testosterone and so the cycle continues.

 

The key to your daughter’s problem is to get her blood sugar in balance; this is explained in my book ‘Nutritional Health Handbook for Women’ and describes the foods to eat, what to avoid and supplements that can be useful.  There is also an ebook on Polycystic Ovary Syndrome available from www.naturalhealthpractice.com.   Your daughter may also benefit from speaking to a counsellor regarding how she reacts when she gets emotional in order to break the cycle of binge eating. 

 

 

 

Q: I have PCOS, am insulin resistant and showing symptoms of the menopause. I would also like to lose the fat around my middle.  Is it OK to combine the ‘fat around the middle’ supplements with ‘MenoPlus’ and ‘Black Cohosh Plus’?  I took the ‘fat around the middle’ supplements during last year and found them extremely effective so would very much like to use them again.  Also is it safe to take them for longer than the 3 months you recommend as my weight loss seemed to stall once I had stopped them?

– Anonymous, Oxford 

A: I am glad to hear that you found the ‘fat around the middle’ supplements useful last year and it is OK to take them for longer than three months.  As mentioned in the ‘Fat around the Middle’ book, you are aiming to use the Nutri Plus and Amino Plus along with the dietary and exercise recommendations, to get your waist to hip ratio lower than 0.8.  This may take longer than three months for some women as they may have more to lose.  But you are aiming at some point to not need the supplements and to maintain a good shape by eating well and exercising once you have reached your goal.

 

As regards the menopause, it is fine to take the MenoPlus and Black Cohosh Plus alongside the ‘fat around the middle supplements’.  You only need to take the herbs like black cohosh if you are getting symptoms and once they are gone you can stop the herbs.  The multivitamin and mineral (MenoPlus) is one you can stay on even when you have stopped the ‘fat around the middle’ supplements as this multi contains good amount of other nutrients like calcium etc which are important before, during and after the menopause for bone health.