Table of Contents
Introduction xi
1 Understanding PCOS 1
How can I tell if I have PCOS? 1
A little history 2
PCOS is more common than you'd expect 2
Doctors have to suspect it to diagnose it 5
The insulin resistance link 6
What exactly is insulin resistance? 6
How does excess insulin cause PCOS? 7
How insulin causes excess body fat 9
Can you inherit insulin resistance? 10
Why is insulin resistance so common? 11
PCOS is a risk factor for further medical complications 12
Signs of the insulin resistance syndrome 13
Effective medical management of PCOS 14
A much-wanted pregnancy 17
Skin and hair 18
The longer term 19
2 All about Carbohydrates and the GI of Foods 21
Back to basics 22
PCOS and the insulin connection 23
What you need to know about your metabolism and the fuel hierarchy 24
Carbohydrate is nature's primary fuel 25
Top 20 sources of carbohydrates 25
What is carbohydrate? 26
Carbohydrate is brain food 28
What's wrong with a low-carbohydrate diet? 29
How much carbohydrate do we need? 31
Is a high-carbohydrate diet for you? 32
Is a moderate-carbohydrate diet for you? 33
The GI: the real deal on carbohydrates 33
The key to understanding the GI is the rate of digestion 36
What determines a food's GI? 37
The GI was never meant to be used in isolation! 37
The right kind of carbohydrate 38
The right kind of fat 40
Factors that influence the GI value of a food 41
Where do you find the good fats? 44
What about protein? 45
Chapter 2 in a nutshell 46
3 Four Steps to Taking Charge 49
The four steps 50
Managing your weight 51
Avoiding the dreaded yoyo dieting cycle 52
So, what's the healthy way to lose weight? 54
Eating well 58
How do I change my diet? 59
4 Get Active with PCOS 61
Why exercise matters 62
What type of exercise and how much? 63
Resistance training: not just for the guys 64
Interval training: getting the most out of your sessions 65
Our top ten ways to get moving 66
Building more activity into your day 69
How to stay motivated? That's not just your problem 71
5 Take Care of Yourself 73
Surviving stress 73
Sleeping soundly 77
Seeking support 79
Stopping smoking 81
6 Putting GI to Work in Your Day 83
I understand GI but what is GL and what does it mean? 83
The optimum diet for women with PCOS 84
Seven dietary guidelines for women with PCOS 84
The flavor on fluids 106
A quick guide to healthy low-GI eating 107
Putting it all together-a typical day the low-GI way 108
Snacks 112
Eating out 113
Your healthy low-GI shopping list 114
PCOS Kickstart Diet 117
Kickstart Menu 118
Kickstart Vegetarian Menu 120
Kickstart Gluten-free Menu 122
7 Recipes 125
Breakfasts 125
Quick-and-easy light meals 133
Main meals 146
Desserts and sweet treats 169
8 The Authoritative Tables of GI Values 177
Key to the table 177
The tables 181
Glossary 223
Further Reading 227
References 229
Acknowledgments 233
About the Authors 235
Index 237
