Permanent Solution for PCOS/ PCOD: Ayurveda

Before anything else, the most important thing for you to understand is that PCOS is permanently curable. Irrespective of what you may have heard from doctors and various sources, there is a permanent solution for PCOS.

However, if you want complete freedom from PCOS, you must eliminate it from its roots. You must work on all aspects that lead to PCOS.

Most of us wish to have a pill that can provide complete freedom from PCOS while we continue living the way we are. That’s not going to happen. PCOS is a lifestyle disorder. Suppose you wish for complete freedom from this problem. In that case, you will have to incorporate structural changes in your diet and lifestyle along with the medication.

The PCOS Cure Equation is very simple: Healthy Diet+Healthy Lifestyle Changes+Ayurvedic Herbs

However unbelievable it may seem, these three things together can provide a permanent solution for PCOS. Even if you have struggled with PCOS for decades, you can get freedom from it by incorporating this equation into your life.

Ayurveda doesn’t recommend doing something extraordinary. It is simply the science of eliminating bad things from your life and adopting healthy practices. This chapter will help you understand how a few simple changes can provide complete freedom from PCOS.

Healthy Diet

These days, healthy diets only mean an inclusion of some specific superfoods and specific elements. The western concept of healthy diets is over-reliant on some or another element. Keto, Atkins, DASH, and other similar diets only focus on one specific health aspect. They don’t see health as a holistic concept. That’s the major cause of the problem.

In Ayurveda, diet is a complete health concept. However, it doesn’t bind you with some specific things only that can be eaten. On the contrary, it gives you complete freedom to eat all seasonal things in moderation.

Prohibitions in Ayurveda are usually specific. These are the things you can’t eat. Besides those, you can pretty much eat most of the things in moderate quantities.

Things to Avoid

You must avoid these 4 things completely from your diet. These things shouldn’t be consumed even as an exception if you want complete freedom from PCOS.

Processed and Junk Food: We all know that processed food has several chemicals and preservatives. These chemicals and preservatives harm the hormonal balance in our bodies. Junk food is usually deep-fried and very spicy. It is bad for our digestion system and very unhealthy. Therefore, junk food, processed food, and all packaged food must be avoided to get complete freedom from PCOS. You must not make any exception to this rule.

Milk and Milk Products: Milk is an integral part of the Indian diet. Milk and milk products are a part of almost all Indian delicacies. However, consuming milk and milk products can aggravate PCOS. These days milk is a highly commercialised product. There is an ever-increasing demand for milk but a limited supply. To bridge the gap, dairy farmers all over the country give prolactin injections to the cattle to increase milk production. It is a hormone that percolates into the milk too. This hormone can affect your egg growth and increase PCOS chances.

Besides the fear of PCOS, in Ayurveda, milk is considered a hard-to-digest food product. PCOS is a result of poor digestion. In such circumstances, consuming a hard-t0-digest product will only put extra pressure on the digestive system. That’s another reason to avoid milk and all milk products. Even sporadic use of milk products must be avoided.

Non-vegetarian Food: The use of hormonal injections to enhance meat is a common practice in the meat industry. It is especially rampant and overused in poultry farming. The chicks are given several hormones and antibiotics to speed up their growth and size. Consuming these can affect your health adversely and aggravate the PCOS problem. Even chicken and eggs can create hormonal imbalances in your body. Therefore, these must be completely avoided, even if they are marketed as farm-raised or free-range products. Even if we leave the fear of hormonal pilferage aside, Ayurveda considers non-vegetarian food, even eggs, hard to digest. Keeping your digestive system disengaged should be your first priority if you want to prevent PCOS. Hence, avoiding non-vegetarian food is in your best interest.

White Sugar: Insulin resistance is a general threat in PCOS. Women with PCOS usually struggle with high blood sugar levels. In such circumstances, it is inadvisable to consume sugar anyway. However, the problem with white sugar is even greater. Although it is prepared from sugarcane juice, it goes through so much refining that what you get as the end product is 99% chemical. It is very hard to digest and will cause more and more problems. Avoid white sugar and use jaggery, honey, or similar alternatives.

Things to Include

While your body needs nutrients, the gut microbiome is different. It is made up of healthy microbes that help your body process food. The fibre in your food helps these microbes flourish.

You must include more fibrous food in your diet to improve your gut health and digestion.

The things that are full of fibre are:

Whole Grains: Include more and more whole grains in your diet. Many women think that multigrain bread and whole wheat bread fit this category. They are misled by the marketing gimmicks. Even these have a lot of refined flour or maida. Eat multigrain flours with the husk present in it. Do not throw out the husk. Our digestive system cannot break this husk. It comes out as it goes. However, it scrubs your digestive tract and intestines clean throughout its journey. The gut microbes also thrive on different kinds of fibre. Therefore, whole grains are great for your digestive system.

Fruits: Fruits fulfil the sweet quotient that might be missing due to limited sugar intake. They are also full of soluble fibre. Therefore, the inclusion of fruits in your diet is very beneficial. However, women must eat fruits as a whole and not as juice. The pulp goes out when you consume fruit juice, and you only get the sugar part. It will only raise your blood sugar level and do no good.

Vegetables: Indian cuisine is highly dependent on fresh vegetables. Seasonal vegetables are inexpensive and healthy. They are full of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that can contribute to your health greatly. Besides, they also provide a lot of fibre to your gut to help digestion.

It is very important to understand that Ayurveda isn’t restrictive. It simply tries to bring you back closer to nature. The more you increase your dependency on seasonal fruits and vegetables, the greater health benefits you’ll feel. Your focus should always be on eating things that are easy to digest. In PCOS, digestion is the most affected process. Improving digestion can help in improving your condition fast.

Healthy Lifestyle Changes

Proper Sleep Cycle: These days, sleep is the most elusive and easily compromised asset. We seldom think twice before sacrificing our sleep for an extra hour of internet surfing on our smartphones. Whenever women face any difficulty in falling asleep, they turn to their smartphones, and hours pass without notice. However, while doing so, we ignore the crucial fact that sleep is a very important asset. Insufficient or disturbed sleep can be disastrous for our health. It increases the production of stress hormones and fatigue. The overall functioning and performance of the body gets affected by inadequate sleep.

Adequate sleep is just not about completing the number of hours in sleep. Timing is also equally important. Our body functions as per the circadian rhythm. It follows the 24-cycle of the sun and the earth. Our natural processes respond to the light and dark, respectively. Therefore, waking up at sunrise and sleeping after the sunset is very important. If you don’t follow this routine or alter it, there will be problems. Many women think that even if they have stayed up till late at night, they’ll make up for the loss of sleep by sleeping during the day. It isn’t the same for the body. Eventually, your sleep disruptions will affect the Ama formation in your body and accelerate PCOS changes.

To prevent such things, you must follow the simple rules:

• Sleep Early at Night: Make it a habit to sleep early at night. If your smartphone or TV keeps you awake, switch them off or keep them out of your bedroom. Once you don’t have the option, you will learn to fall asleep early.
• Wake Up Early in the Morning: Rising before sunrise is a healthy habit. Even if you are not an early riser, try to bring that into your lifestyle as it will help you in many ways.
• Never Sleep During the Day: Sleeping during the day is the cause of several problems. It slows down your metabolism and increases the risk of several lifestyle disorders. It must be avoided at all costs.

Disciplined Meal Cycle: Our eating patterns have changed drastically over the years. Earlier, three meals a day were the most people used to get. However, with the advent of packaged food and modern appliances, the accessibility and availability of food have increased a lot. Sadly, it hasn’t added much to our health. Earlier, food was only available at fixed times; hence, the munching and snacking never existed. Sadly, that’s a reality of this age. It leads to excess calorie consumption and puts much pressure on digestion. This can be prevented through disciplined eating.

• Eat at Fixed Timings: Modern lifestyle has changed our eating habits. While earlier meals used to be at fixed timings, now they have become random. People eat whenever they like. Unfortunately, the digestive system must pay a big price for this flexibility. The digestive tract releases digestive juices at your usual meal timings. When you bring too much variation in your meal timings, this digestive juice release goes to waste. It will lead to acidity and acid reflux too. The digestive juice release will be slow when you eventually have your meal. This affects the overall digestive process and leads to indigestion. You must make it a habit to have all three meals, i.e., breakfast, lunch, and dinner, at regular timings.
• No Snacking or Munching Between Meals: Eating between meals has become a habit. Packaged food is so easily available and inexpensive that we seldom think twice before picking a package and eating something. You must avoid snacking between meals. Whatever the health claims printed on the package, they must be avoided. You must try to stick to three healthy and balanced meals a day. If you must, then have some fruits and salads occasionally.
• Excessive Calorie-Restriction Isn’t Healthy: Unfortunately, dieting and calorie restriction have become synonymous. Women trying to lose weight often follow severe calorie restrictions without considering the health consequences. It is a misconception that depriving yourself of a few calories can help you lose weight. On the contrary, it may slow down your metabolism and make weight loss even harder. To lose weight and stay healthy, you must have a balanced diet regularly without skipping your meals.

Exercise Routine: Exercise is important, and we all understand this fact. It plays a crucial role in improving our metabolism. So, if you want your digestive system to work smoothly and your metabolic processes to run seamlessly, you should exercise regularly. However, while many women know the need to exercise, very few understand how to do it. Some women exercise a lot while others do very little. Their benefits are also undermined by the ill-timing of their exercise.

• Exercise in Moderation: Never exercise a lot. Whether it is eating or exercising, moderation is the key. You shouldn’t burn yourself down. It will only affect your routine and ability to exercise the next day. That will be much more harmful. You must always exercise in moderation to get the most out of it.
• Exercise Between 6-8 in the Morning: Exercising between 6-8 in the morning has the highest impact on your fat-burning abilities. This is ‘Kapha’ predominant time. Working out during this time will kickstart your metabolism, preventing sluggishness. You’ll feel fresh and energized throughout the day.
• Exercise Regularly: The most important thing is to exercise regularly. Even if you exercise less, you must do it regularly. Exercising a lot for one day and not doing at all for others will not help even a bit. On the contrary, even mild to moderate daily exercise can give you a great health boost.

Stress management: In India, people don’t give due credit to mental stress. Besides its psychological impact, mental stress also has a severe physiological impact. High stress is a dominant reason for weight gain. No matter how hard you try, if you are suffering from excessive mental stress, you will not be able to lose weight. During high stress, the adrenal glands secrete the cortisol hormone. This stress hormone can interfere with the overall functioning of your body. It raises insulin resistance and stalls any weight loss effort. Stress also harms your digestive system. You might have experienced stomach upsets when you are under great mental stress. Stress management must be your priority if you want to overcome PCOS effectively.

To manage your stress:

• Timely Sleep: Timely sleep can play a crucial role in keeping stress at bay. Most of our stress comes from delayed sleep or sleep deprivation. You must ensure that you are sleeping on time at night. If you find it difficult to sleep early, please try to reduce your screen time.
• Regular Exercise: Physical exercise induces positive stress that helps in timely sleeping. It also balances your mental stress and helps you relax. You will also find that regular exercise makes you feel lighter and more positive. So, to bring down stress, exercise daily.
• Light and Fresh Food: Heavy and stale or frozen food can make you feel stressed and sluggish. Ayurveda recommends fresh and easy-to-digest food to lower stress.
• Yoga and Meditation: Daily yoga and meditation can be great stressbusters, even if done for a few minutes daily. Yoga and meditation relieve stress and make you feel positive. You must practice ‘Pranayama’ and ‘Dhyana’ every day.

Ayurvedic Herbs

Diet and lifestyle changes prevent the formation of Ama in the body. However, in the case of PCOS, there is already excessive Ama present in the body. Elimination of Ama is crucial for curing PCOS. Ayurvedic herbs are the most effective tool for that.

Ayurvedic herbs perform several crucial functions ranging from clearing Ama from the body to enhancing ovary function. From restoring the hormonal balance to the dissolution of ovarian cysts, Ayurvedic herbs play the most important role in the treatment. More than 40 herbs are used in the treatment of PCOS.

The PCOS cure through Ayurvedic herbs is primarily focused on 5 areas:

• Digestion and Metabolism Improvement
• Ama Removal from the Body (In General)Ama Removal from the Ovaries (Specifically)
• Ovary Function Improvement (Egg Growth & Ovulation)
• Recovery from Insulin Resistance
• Dissolution of Ovarian CystsHormone Balancing

Most Notable Herbs In the Treatment of PCOS and Their Intended Roles

Digestion and Metabolism Improvement

• Trikatu: This combination of three powerful herbs can treat all digestive irregularities. This concoction balances the three doshas and calms your system. It has immense digestive and weight loss benefits.
• Heeng: You can get uminaginable health benefits from Heeng, especially related to your digestive system. It relieves bloating and prevents acidity.

Ama Removal from the Body

• Triphala: Ama removal from the fat tissues in the body is one of the biggest challenges. However, that is accomplished easily by Triphala. It detoxifies your blood, muscle, and fat tissues.
• Haritaki: This is another herb that plays a crucial role in detoxifying the body and clearing Ama toxins. It will also bring down your hunger pangs and cravings. It also has a laxative effect that reduces morbidity.

Ama Removal from the Ovaries

• Pippali: This is a very effective herb in clearning Ama. It detoxifies the ovaries and makes PCOS treatment possible.

Ovary Function Improvement (Egg Growth & Ovulation)

• Aloe Vera: Aloe vera is known as a very powerful plant. It is very helpful in PCOS. Aloe vera supports ovulation. It is a part of the PCOS treatment plan.
• Dashamoola: This is an Ayurvedic formulation of ten herbs that helps in egg growth and ovulation.

Recovery from Insulin Resistance

• Karela: Karela or bitter gourd is known for its anti-diabetic properties. It lowers blood sugar level and improves insulin sensitivity.
• Methi: This is an effective herb for the diabetes treatment plan. It helps in lowering blood glucose.
• Neem: It can improve glycemic control and lower insulin resistance in the body.

Dissolution of Ovarian Cysts

• Kanchnar: This herb is highly effective in reducing the size of the cysts and preventing their further growth.
• Varuna: This herb helps in clearing the ovarian channels and facilitates the reduction of ovarian cysts.

Hormone Balancing

• Ashwagandha: It acts as a hormonal stimulant and restores balance. The benefits of ashwagandha are innumerable, from regularizing periods to countering other hormonal imbalances.
• Shatavari: This is a health tonic that can help balance the hormones that lead to PCOS complications.

As mentioned above, Ayurvedic treatment to permanently cure PCOS involves 40 plus powerful herbs. An intricate balance of all the herbs and the other two steps promises complete recovery from PCOS and a 100% result.

PCOS is curable. Ayurveda has the cure for It. However, everything must be precise, from the quality of herbs to their quantity. Generally, people don’t pay attention to this aspect. They expect similar results from any treatment.

When taking Ayurvedic PCOS treatment, you must remember the following things:

• The herbs must be pure. Impure or poor-quality herbs cannot provide all the intended benefits.
• The herbs must be processed as per the classics. Treatment of every herb needs to be different. If herbs are treated poorly, they may lose their effect. Hence, proper treatment of herbs during preparation and handling is important.
• Mixing in precise dosage is another very important area. All the herbs need to be mixed in precise proportions.
• You must complete the whole course even if you start feeling better early. This is important as many women may start feeling relief from the initial treatment itself. You shouldn’t stop your treatment midway, which can lead to relapse and recurrence. You must complete the whole course to ensure the complete elimination of Ama from your body and recovery of your ovaries.

A healthy diet and lifestyle are the support pillars of PCOS treatment. Even when taking the medicine course, following a healthy lifestyle and the Gyanovedic diet is important. You must not ditch healthy lifestyle practices and diet even after you recover from PCOS, as that would prevent the relapse or recurrence of the problem