does the ingestion of raw fruit also affect this syndrome? Just curious
Thank you

Hi,

I think it affects your insulin and glucose levels, which in turn effects your hormone levels, which in turn effects everything else. I think it's about portion size and frequency. I love Bing Cherries, but unfortunately I cannot eat the whole bag like I would like to. I could be wrong though. Have you been diagnosed with PCOS?

Hi Suga
No, but during the time when i was a 100% raw vegan (mostly raw fruits & nuts) I had lost weight felt great EXCEPT for the fact that i noticed I had facial hair for the first time and also a fine sprinkling of small pimpls. I NEVER get pimples - my friends used to tease me about it in fact - so i was shocked. I also noticed my hair thinning out.

Since I stopped that WOE, everything has pretty much gone back to normal - so i was wondering if a diet high in natural fruit sugars would have the same hormonal impact as a diet high in refined sugars!!

Thanks for your help!!!

Your body cannot distinguish between refined sugars and sugar in fruit. Even if the fruit has fructose, it still will get converted to glucose. All of the foods with sugar, be it natural or otherwise, will affect your blood sugar. And it's the blood sugar that affects your insulin that affects your hormones.

So yes, fruit will definitely cause hormonal problems with women who are already insulin resistant. It's best to eat fruit with a source of protein to help temper the insulin spike and to limit fruit to only a couple of servings a day, each one with a few hours between them.

Hey SourDaisy,

How is that IR diet working for you? Your stats look great, and I have read about people who have had so much success on that program. I was wondering if it was worth checking out. My PCOS buddy said that it seemed too complicated for her to follow and the Atkins would probably work better, but other than that I have heard nothing but good things about the IR diet. What exactly is the difference between that and the general concept of the other LC programs?

Suga'

The IR diet is working awesome for me! I'm a slow loser and not taking glucophage yet, but still doing alright. I've been following the plan for 2 months now and have already lost 10 pounds.

I don't think the plan is complicated at all! It's so flexible that you should NEVER feel deprived

Here is the basic "rules":

1) You must eat at least 7g of protein for every 15g of carbs, not to exceed 30g of carbs in any one meal/snack.

2) The carbs you eat should be healthy carbs like whole grains and bread, though unhealthy carbs are not strictly prohobited.

3) You can eat all the meat, legumes, and veggies you need to feel satisfied. Dairy is permitted but you shouldn't go overboard. Lean meats are preferred over highfat meats.

4) You can have a couple of servings of fruit a day, as long as each serving is separated by at least 2 hours.

Essentially you can eat whatever you want as long as you link it with the protein and you don't exceed the 30g of carbs in a meal. They say, though, that if you have trouble losing at that rate, you may want to cut it down to 15g carbs a meal.

I average about 50g carbs a day and it's working well. I still eat my ice cream and the occasional piece of cake. I just make sure I keep the portion under control and eat it right after my dinner (that didn't have any carbs in it).

I tried Atkins before and just couldn't do it because I felt too restricted. I don't feel deprived at all with the IR diet and could easily do this for life. In fact, I often forget I'm even on a diet these days.