Metformin; Possibly the most underrated treatment for PCOS.

 As you may know from my previous posts, I have Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome. And being the aspiring nutrition journalist that I am, I have an unrelenting desire to find the answer to minimising the effects of the disease, or eliminating it altogether. Though I only suffer from the outward side effects such as adult acne, irregular periods, unstable weight and fatigue, it was the inward affect of carb addiction that was really getting me down.

I follow the low-glycemic way of living religiously, in addition to regularly exercising. But it seemed as though my body was unhappy with whatever source of fuel I fed it, and demanded more of anything. And if you are a ‘cyster’, then you would be familiar with the idea that excessive eating/carb consumption can only aggravate the condition.

Medically, I have tried and tested the A-Z of birth-control cures such as Yaz, Valette, LoLoestrin and Nuvaring, but they all gave me horrible side affects, and aggravated my acne, mood-swings, fatigue, and unstable weight. And if that wasn’t bad enough, LoLoestrin gave me several hypoglycemic episodes while I was studying abroad, which was an issue due to the fact that it was my first time living out of home, and I had trouble understanding how to deal with it.

I had always been recommended to try Metformin, but I was very wary of the side effects discussed on various PCOS forums. Having been on the medication for about 2 weeks now, my only thought about this drug was, why hadn’t I tried it sooner.

What is Metformin?

 

Metformin, or Glucophage is an oral drug, which is primarily used to treat Type II Diabetes, and Insulin resistance. The drug’s three main functions are as follows:

–  It prevents the body from absorbing the majority of the glucose found in carb-laden foods

– Reduces the production of glucose by the liver

And most importantly;

– It increases the muscle cells sensitivity to insulin.

 How does it help with PCOS?

Though the drug is somewhat controversial, (having been banned and only re-released on to the market in 1995), the majority of ‘cysters’ are prescribed the drug as an alternative to birth control, as BCP are considered to be a ‘Band-Aid’ for the symptoms, rather than a cure.

The theory behind the prescription is that by lowering the amount of insulin in the body, the ovaries are able to reduce its activity in enzyme production, which stimulates excess testosterone made by the ovaries. As a result of the drop in testosterone levels, symptoms such as acne, abdominal obesity, anovulation and menstrual irregularity begin to subside. (Slater, W. 2011)

So in other words, the drug can potentially restore regular menstruation, and make weight-loss easier for obese ‘cysters’. The drug has however been proven to work better in cysters with a healthy BMI. There is ongoing research into why this is.

It is recommended however, that women using the medication must follow a low-glycemic, or low-carb diet combined with exercise,  in order for noticeable weight-loss to occur. However some women have reported weight-loss without a change in diet.

What are the side effects of the drug?

Some users have reported little to no side effects at all. But for the majority of people, they find that the experience at least one of the following:

– G.I disturbances such as nausea, diarrhoea, more frequent bowl movements, vomiting, and more frequent bowl movements. However, the majority of women report that these side effects tend to subside after a few weeks.

– Loss of appetite

– Vitamin B12 malabsorption

– Anaemia

– Liver problems

– Hair loss (Although there is no medical evidence that this is caused by the drug itself)

Other things you may need to know about using Metformin/Glucophage

The drug is prescription only, and not for everyone. So make sure to discuss it with your doctor.

Also, if you aren’t willing to give up your sugary, carb-laden foods, be prepared to pay the consequences. ie, frequent visits to the bathroom, terrible abdominal discomfort etc

Why the drug has been my saviour

The drug has more or less eliminated my main concern, which was my carb-addiction. I am able to respond to actual hunger signals from my body, rather than the ones created by my ovaries. In addition to this, I seem to want to eat more proteins, rather than carbs, which disallows for any G.I issues. I have actually lost weight on the drug, due to the subversion in my overconsumption of carbs, and find that my obsessive thoughts about foods have gone, and I am slightly more lenient when it comes to what I put in my body.

As gross as it is, I must mention that as a sufferer from IBS, the G.I side effects have been wonderful. What would normally be diarrhoea for users, has just meant regularity for me, so my abdominal bloating has somewhat improved.

But the best part of all is that the drugs have definitely put my hormones back into balance, which can be a key issue in cysters. My mood swings and afternoon fatigue have significantly diminished, and my strange addiction to nuts has gone away, which is often a cause of hormone imbalance.

Once you get past a couple of side effects in the first few weeks, you may discover that being on the drug is well worth it.

(Metformin friendly) Recipe of the week

Oven-baked chicken tenders 

http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=404147

Slater, W. (2002-2011). PCOS and Metformin. Available: http://www.ovarian-cysts-pcos.com/glucophage-metformin-pcos.html. Last accessed 29th August 2011

GOOD Noodles for 55 calories? Yes please!

Before I give you the down-low on my recipe for  a low g.i pasta dish, which earned the Bentley seal of approval, (trust me, my family is a tough crowd) I just wanna highlight the wonder that is the amazing ramen noodle range by Spiral.

There’s Wholewheat, Buckwheat, or Brown Rice Ramen noodles to choose from, for 55 calories per 88g serving, 10.8g carbs, and 2g protein.

And they taste awesome.

Sound good to be true? It’s not!

I stumbled upon these delicious noodles, which give those squishy, stinky ‘miracle noodles’ a run for its nauseating money, in Kemeny’s; a grocery store on Bondi rd, Sydney. (You can also find them online here).

I was THRILLED to discover that these noodles tasted exactly like Maggi’s 2 minute noodles, a childhood favourite of mine.

They’re a little bit pricey I must admit, at $4.95 per serving. But if you used to be a noodle lover before having to go Low Glycemic, then you’ll probably see them as an investment. Or maybe that’s just me 😉

Tuna, cheesy vegetable pasta

serves 1

1x 88g packet of Spirals whole wheat Ramen noodles (available in buckwheat, brown rice)

2x John West light 98% fat free tuna tempters in spring water. (or a 112g serving, drained)

1 cup of mushrooms

1 cup of spinach

1 cup of cherry tomatoes, halved

Extra virgin olive oil spray

basil

85g tomato puree

Italian Herbs

2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees celsius

Cut up the cherry tomatoes, and spread them evenly throughout a baking dish. Spray lightly with extra virgin olive oil, and brush on some basil, or desired herbs. Bake for 15-18 minutes.

Put a pot of water to the boil, and add half a cube of stock if you want the noodles to have a bit of a salty flavour.

Get the tomato puree, and mix in some italian herbs. Line your serving dish with a bit of the puree. Set aside.

Place mushrooms and spinach into a microwave safe dish, and fill with water (enough to cover all of the vegies)

Once the pot is boiled, place the noodles in the pot for about 5 minutes.

Put your bowl of vegies in the microwave for about 2 and a half minutes.

Open and drain your can of tuna.

Take your tomatoes out of the oven and set aside.

Drain the noodles once they are cooked, and place them in the serving dish.

Place tuna on top of the noodles, followed by the vegies. Top off all of the ingredients with the puree, followed by parmesan cheese. Add chilli flakes if spiciness is desired.

Nutritional info:

Calories: 310

Protein: 30g Fat: 6g Carbohydrates: 26.5g

 

Recipe of the week:

Baked Salmon with Fennel and Tomatoes

The Insulin Resistant diet: Could this be the key to shaking those pesky pounds?

 

Fad-diets and ‘Quick fixes’ are all too common in Western society nowadays. It’s something about our fast-paced way of living that makes us think, “I wanna lose weight, and I wanna lose it now!”

But from what we have seen of the Kardashian’s, Oprah, and any other celebrities embarking on crash diets; if you want to permanently lose that weight, you’ve gotta put in the legwork. Literally.

I can’t promise a ‘diet’ solution that will work for everyone. But for myself, and a few of those around me, the Insulin Resistance way of living has been the light at the end of what has been a very bleak dieting tunnel.

Last year I was diagnosed with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome. This disease is a fairly common endocrine disorder found in up to 10% of women. Symptoms of the illness include obesity, diabetes, insulin resistance, adult acne, and infertility. Thankfully, I fall into the “lean cysters” category. But I do have fairly prominent adult acne, irregular periods, and struggle with mild insulin resistance.

How carbohydrates function in your body

When you eat any type of carbohydrate, your body breaks it down into glucose (sugars), and uses it for energy. But once its glucose stores are full, it creates insulin which helps your body to hold the rest as fat. If you are insulin resistant, or pre-diabetic, your body has trouble dealing with glucose, so it either fails to acknowledge its existence, or is unable to use the glucose efficiently, storing most of it as fat. If you do not address this issue properly, your body may shut down its insulin production altogether. This is when diabetes occurs.

Prior to embarking on the IR lifestyle change, I was CONSTANTLY craving carbohydrates, mainly because of my body’s partial glucose intolerance. This means that it struggles to acknowledge the fact that there are sugars circulating my system, and as a result, it doesn’t produce insulin to rid your blood of sugar. The horrible irony of all this, is that the hormone imbalance caused by PCOS made my body crave excess carbohydrates, furthering the damage. These two conflicting issues threw my body out of wack, merely promoting my body’s enthusiasm to store glucose as fat. So you can imagine how rapidly I was putting on weight, seeing as on a bad day I was ingesting hundreds of grams of refined carbohydrates!

What is the Insulin Resistant way of living?

To put it simply, the IR lifestyle involves pairing any carbohydrate with a protein to slow down its absorption, and to make sure that you eat every three hours, to maintain a steady blood sugar. But the best part of the lifestyle is that you don’t have to give up any of the foods that you love!

Sound good to be true? It’s not. And here’s why:

How it works

By pairing a carbohydrate-rich food like fruit, with a protein-based food such as nuts, the body takes longer to digest it, and burns more calories in the digestion process alone. The food is then slowly converted into glucose, producing a gradual rise in blood sugar and insulin production. This process promotes the use of sugars in the blood for fuel, rather than being stored as fat. In addition to this, constantly fuelling your body with small meals every 3 hours maintains a steady blood sugar, and keeps your metabolism running on high. Ultimately, sequential refuelling subverts any chance of your body going into Starvation mode.

And if that wasn’t good enough, eating foods which take your body longer to digest also means that you will be fuller for longer. So you won’t feel deprived on this way of living!

Carbohydrates encourage by the IR lifestyle

Certain carbohydrates are low on the glycemic index themselves, as they contain proteins and/or fibres. Such foods include:

– Wholegrain breads, Bran and fibre based cereals, brown rice

– Fruits

– Dark chocolate

– Vegetables

But if you want the complete benefits of the IRD, you need to pair these carbohydrates with sources of proteins, like

– Lean cuts of red meat

– Poultry

– Eggs

– Nuts

– Dairy products

– Whey protein powders

– Soy based products (soy milk, tofu)

– Beans, chickpeas

 

Shake that!

Exercise is an important part of diminishing insulin resistance, weight loss and lessening PCOS symptoms. Exercise makes your body more sensitive to insulin production, meaning that it produces less insulin in response to glucose, as it uses it for energy instead. After exercising, your body is more likely to store glucose in your muscles, and use energy to repair itself. Exercise also builds muscle, an active source of body mass. This means that your muscles burn more calories than fat; even when it’s at rest!

Benefits for people with IR and PCOS

Alongside the obvious weight loss benefits, this lifestyle diminishes spikes in blood sugar. This has been proven to lessen the severity of adult acne, regulates appetite, and restore regular menstruation in some women. In addition to this, it creates the ability for your body to be more sensitive to insulin production, often diminishing Insulin Resistance, and curing PCOS in some women!

Why you can still eat the foods you love

This diet isn’t about stopping you from enjoying your favourite meals. It just promotes pairing them with a food that will slow down its absorption. Diets which restrict you in any way don’t work in the long term, so you have to be realistic. But you’d be surprised how little you crave your favourite sugary treats whilst eating this way, as your blood sugar is no longer dipping, so your body doesn’t crave a quick fix!

But in the event that you do want to eat some candy, just add a protein alongside it. But remember to only eat it in moderation!

Recipe of the week (received my family’s seal of approval!)

IRD approved Nutty Chicken curry

External links

PCOS

Insulin resistance diet

Griffith, R. (2009). Low Glycemic Index. Available: http://www.healthandage.com/how-the-low-glycemic-index-diet-works. Last accessed 5th August 2011.