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      Skimmed milk also has the benefit of protecting against high blood pressure.¹²

      PROTEINS FOR VEGETARIANS AND VEGANS

      People choose a vegetarian diet for religious, ethical, health or environmental reasons. A vegetarian diet generally contains less total fat, saturated fat and cholesterol, and includes more dietary fibre. And vegetarians tend to have lower rates of some cancers, cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure and Type 2 diabetes.

      Adopting a healthy vegetarian diet means substituting meat with a vegetarian protein source, and eat a varied diet including around 30 g of nuts and seeds a day and around 3 or 4 soft boiled eggs a week. The advice below should help you make sure you meet your daily nutritional needs.

      Vegetarian Sources of Protein

      Eggs

      Cheese

      Milk

      Yoghurt

      Vegan Sources of Protein

      Leafy green vegetables, including spinach

      Legumes – beans, lentils, peas, peanuts

      Nuts – almonds, walnuts, cashews, etc.

      Seaweed – kelp, spirulina, etc.

      Seeds – sesame, sunflower, etc.

      Soy products – tofu, tempeh, soy milk, etc.

      Grains – quinoa, rice

      Green superfoods – spirulina, Klamath Lake blue-green algae

      Complete Protein

      The only problem with plant sources of protein, with the exception of soybeans and quinoa, is that they aren’t complete proteins because they don’t provide all the amino acids. You should eat food combinations which form complete proteins, such as:

      Legumes + seeds

      Legumes + nuts

      Legumes + dairy

      Grains + legumes

      Grains + dairy

      Chances are you already eat complete proteins without even trying. Here are some tasty and healthy complete protein combinations:

       Cashew stir-fry with quinoa

       Beans on toast

       Cereal/muesli with milk

       Corn and beans

       Granola with yoghurt

       Hummus and pitta bread

       Nut butter with milk or wholegrain bread

       Three-bean chilli with cheese

       Rice and beans, peas or lentils

       Rice with milk (rice pudding)

       Split pea soup with wholegrain or seeded crackers or bread

       Tortillas with refried beans

       Veggie burgers with rice and peas

      Make sure you guard against any nutrient deficiencies with fortified cereals, or have Marmite or Vegemite to get vitamin B₁₂. Try to eat a large portion of green leafy vegetables each day, and half a pint of skimmed or soy milk to ensure your calcium intake. Dried fruits, pulses, green veggies, dark chocolate and whole grains are good sources of iron, and choose butter fortified with vitamins D and E.

      SAMPLE PROTEIN BOOST MENU

       Breakfast: Poached egg on granary toast

       Mid-morning snack: Cashews and raisins

       Lunch: Lean chicken or hummus, salad and crunchy vegetables (carrots, lettuce, radish, peppers, broccoli, spring onions); sprinkling of toasted pine nuts

       Mid-afternoon snack: Glass of skimmed milk; apple

       Dinner: Tofu or seaweed stir fry with soy, ginger and vegetables (baby corn, mange tout, onions); berries and chocolate soya

      9) ANTIOXIDANTS – ARE YOU GETTING ENOUGH?

      We’re on the home stretch now, and you should find the final two changes relatively easy. This is because if you’ve been following steps 1 to 8, chances are you’ll already be doing them without realizing. But the health benefits for women with PCOS of these final two suggestions are so powerful that we’ve decided to highlight them.

      Let’s begin with antioxidants – a group of vitamins, minerals and unique compounds with special health benefits that are fantastic for women with PCOS.

      WHY?

      Our bodies are actually battlegrounds for infection and diseases. Simple body functions such as breathing or physical activity, and other lifestyle habits, such as smoking, produce substances called free radicals that attack healthy cells and arteries. Without intervention, free radicals wreak havoc at a cellular level and make you more susceptible to heart disease, certain types of cancers and signs of premature ageing (including wrinkles).

      Antioxidants in your body work to counteract the action of free radicals, and for women with PCOS research¹³ has shown them to be extremely beneficial for long-term health and daily vitality.

      HOW?

      Make sure you’re getting plenty of antioxidants in your diet every day by eating lots of fruits, vegetables and wholegrains – ideally five portions of vegetables and three portions of fruit a day.

      A vegetable portion is a mug-full of raw vegetables or a small cup of cooked. A fruit portion is one medium banana, orange or apple. (Remember, when you eat your fruit always have some protein at the same time, like some low-fat cheese or a handful of nuts.)

      Fresh-pressed juices, smoothies, soups and frozen vegetables all count towards your portions, and you can maximize their antioxidant power by eating them raw. The next best thing is to steam or stir-fry rather than boil. If you must boil, keep the nutrient-rich water or stock to use in soups or casseroles.

      Antioxidant Power

      Beta Carotene: Beta carotene is one of 50 carotenoids in foods that convert to vitamin A in the body. It’s usually found in red- and orange-coloured fruits and vegetables and in some dark green ones. Food sources include red, orange, deep-yellow and some dark-green leafy vegetables, carrots, sweet potatoes, broccoli, apricots, cantaloupe, mangoes, red and yellow peppers. You may also have heard of the carotenoid lycopene, found in tomatoes and which appears to protect against many diseases, including cancers.

      Vitamin E: Helps protect the body from cell damage that can lead to cancer, heart disease, and cataracts as we age. Vitamin E works together with other antioxidants, such as vitamin C, to offer protection from diabetes and heart disease. Food sources include cold-pressed vegetable oils, wheat germ, wholegrain products, seeds, nuts and oily fish.

      Vitamin C: The most famous antioxidant is vitamin C. Vitamin C is also known as ascorbic acid. Besides being an antioxidant, vitamin C plays an important role in fighting infections and keeping the walls of blood vessels firm, and gums healthy. Vitamin C is water soluble and is not retained in your body, so try to top up your levels every day with citrus fruits (oranges, grapefruits, tangerines), sweet peppers, strawberries, kiwis, broccoli and potato skins.

      Selenium: If you eat a variety of grains from various

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