Ask the expert: what's a good diet for PCOD?

I have polycystic ovarian disease (PCOD) and my doctor has advised me to go vegetarian and avoid a carbohydrate-heavy diet. But now I am hungry a lot as all I eat is fruits and baked vegetables. Could you suggest a good diet for my condition?

If you have PCOD, managing your insulin levels should be a priority. Chances are your fasting insulin levels are high and your blood sugar levels are fluctuating a lot through the day, which explains the constant hunger or the need to eat carbs all the time. Eating good-quality protein and healthy fats is one of the best things you can do right now.

If you are already following a vegan lifestyle, there are ways to time your carbohydrate intake and tweak food combinations to give you a better blood glucose response. But if you eat meat, eggs and fish, it will only work in your favour.

A diet rich in meat and eggs will always trump a vegan diet for caloric efficiency, quality of protein and the effect on insulin.

Start your day with eggs, focus on good carbs like brown rice or sweet potato along with meat or lentils and veggies during your big meals, and snack on good fats like avocado and nuts to keep your sugar levels stable.

Add in an omega-3 2,000mg tablet every day post-lunch for better hormonal health.

Keep off processed foods since they are always loaded with too many nasty ingredients, and you don’t want your body to deal with those.

Finally, treat your body to some resistance training three times a week.

Make all these changes gradually, and you will feel healthy – and empowered.