“The path to great health in Ayurveda lies in the simplicity of two steps: doing less, being more.”
I remember talking with my friends one day and casually we spoke about PCOS. I was surprised to see 2 of my friends going through the same problem and wanted to know natural ways to heal PCOS. In recent years, I observed how PCOS is becoming an uninvited, unwanted member of almost every household. So I got up and researched more and was shocked to learn that 1 in 4 women were suffering from PCOS.
Now that is quite a lot!
The endless ingestion of pills and the amount of stress that came along with it made me think and research an alternative path. Then Ayurved came into my mind and I dipped my toes further to understand their exhaustive study.
What is Ayurved?
Ayurved is a traditional practice which was and still is practiced in India. It is a holistic system of medicine that concentrates on a person’s physical, mental, and spiritual well-being.
Ayurved concentrates on eliminating the root cause of disease and is inspired mainly by Mother Nature. And just like a mother, Ayurved also believes in nurturing a person rather than treating them.
Now let’s understand what really PCOS is!
Simply put, it is the formation of multiple cysts on the outer layer of the ovaries. As they are multiple in number, it then sends a signal to the endocrine system, of a woman which in turn leads to excessive production of hormones (male hormones)
That’s easy to understand. But how do these multiple cysts form?
These abnormal hormone levels caused by PCOS prevent follicles from growing and maturing naturally to release egg cells. Instead, these immature follicles accumulate in the ovaries, which then does not let the ovaries to release the egg.
The waste matter – let us call it toxins, gets accumulated and then gets stored in the ovaries.
Symptoms of PCOS
The thing about the symptoms of PCOS is, it varies from woman to woman but it is largely categorized into these:
Acnes
The horrible acne nightmare! Almost every woman with PCOS struggles with stubborn Acnes. Biologically, the breakouts are due to the hormonal imbalances. That is the decrease in the female hormones (estrogen and progesterone) and the increase of the male hormone (testosterone). This increase in testosterone makes the skin oily because of excessive oil production and then hello breakouts!
Irregular periods
Every woman’s terror! Untimely, scanty, or heavy periods, even writing this makes me cringe with discomfort. Again, hormonal imbalance is to blame! A drop in Estrogen and an increase in testosterone confuses the body. It signals the ovaries not to release the egg timely which eventually leads to changes in the ovulation period
Fertility problems
Getting pregnant is another battle for women suffering from PCOS. This is because of irregular periods which in turn would lead to untimely release of egg from the ovaries or a lack of it.
Excessive facial and body hair
Not appealing, isn’t it? I do not have a problem with facial and body hair which is natural. Rather, I embrace what nature has given us. But the excessive growth which is unnatural due to hormonal imbalance is another thing.
How to remove facial hair naturally
Hair loss
The male balding pattern at the center of the head region.
Obesity and Insulin resistance
This is another condition that many women suffer from. Here insulin sends a message to the ovaries to produce androgen more. This leads to the excess of androgen production. These androgens then turn to fat deposition in the body, mainly near the tummy region.
Why has PCOS become more common nowadays? To find an answer, I researched and found majorly it is a lifestyle disease that people are living now.
- Sedentary lifestyle – no or minimal exercise.
- Increase in consumption of processed/junk foods
- Major use of plastic for food storage in day-to-day life.
Ayurved and PCOS
Ayurved believes in understanding a disease. It concentrates on taking out all the accumulated toxins from the body to make it disease-free. Ayurved reaches the root cause of a disease before curing it.
Other treatments jump automatically on the symptoms of a disease and heavily rely on taking medicines. Consuming these medicines, further only suppresses the disease deep within the body. They never eliminate it completely.
According to Ayurveda, there are 3 imbalances that lead to PCOS in women
Aarthava Kshaya
Ayurved says due to certain circumstances in the body, decrease and increase of menstrual flow leads to PCOS. Few women experience heavy periods while some experience very less. This also comes with a lot of abdominal pain.
Kapha Imbalance
Ayuved says an imbalance in kapha leads to PCOS. In layman’s terms, kapha is anything and everything to do with the body structure. Any change in the body structure (majorly obesity) due to overeating, eating the wrong foods, or highly processed junk food leads to a change in the structure of the body.
Dosha Imbalance
Ayurved strictly says to maintain a proper balance in these doshas. Any imbalance in the doshas will lead to any disease which also includes PCOS
Ayurvedic ways to heal PCOS
Change in diet
Ahaar also called diet plays a very important role in the well-being of a person. We all know how we need to eat a balanced meal to maintain our body and mind. Simply, Aahar plays a very crucial role in curing PCOS. Majorly, the following points should be kept in mind:
- Reduce salt intake
- Stay away deep-fried food
- Red meat should be avoided completely
- Processed/Junk food are a big no no
- Eat more green leafy vegetables and fruits
- Limit Dairy products
- Include Indian superfoods like fenugreek, ginger, and dates helps largely to minimize the effect of PCOS. But it is important to keep in mind that everything in a limit is a golden hand rule of Ayurved.
Physical changes to heal PCOS
Move, Move and move.
Walk, move, dance, run, hike, or go to a gym. Just make it a point to move. Move around a lot. Make it a habit. Women who suffer from PCOS need to move much more, simply because the tendency for fat storage in women is much faster.
Yoga asanas to heal PCOS
Bharadvaj Asana
Chakki Chalanasana
Supta Baddha Konasana
Changes in Mental and spiritual journey to heal PCOS
Meditate
I know what you are thinking, it is probably the most used word in today’s time. The art of meditation is something that even years of practitioners still struggle with. But hear me out, learning the art of being present in the moment takes some time but it does come eventually.
Meditation is food for the mind. The aim is to avoid all the negativity and stress from the body for the mind to thrive.
Pranayam
The famous various breathing techniques open the heart, mind and soul. There are various types of Pranayams.
From many, Kapalbhati , Anolom Vilom and Bhramri pranayam are a must. The idea is to start slow but to be consistent. Dedicating even 10 minutes to each pranayama is a game changer.
Panchkarma
The ancient ritual of panchkarma helps in taking out all the toxins stored in the body. The main procedures include Virechana (purification), Uttar Vasti (uterovaginal enema) and Vasti (colonic enema).
Powerful Ayurvedic herbs which help to heal PCOS
Some herbs are extremely powerful and potent which helps to heal PCOS. These are:
- Shatavari
- Ashwagandha
- Turmeric
- Cinamom
- Triphala
- Guduchi
These potent herbs are mighty in nature and should not be taken without a doctor’s prescription. I see people popping these like candies. They do not ask before taking these which eventually leads to side effects.
Ayurved always advocates taking a middle path. Never to go on extremes. It educates us to always keep everything inside and around us in balance.
To start anything is difficult. It takes discipline, consistency, and sheer mental strength to form a healthy habit. But once it becomes a habit, it becomes a part of us.
In the end
In a busy lifestyle like today’s, it is very common to lead an easy sedentary life, party on weekends, binge drink, and eat excessive of consumption of junk/processed. Simply because it is easy!
To lead an idealistic life, a need for correct dincharya(lifestyle), a change in diet (aahar) is the first step. Meditation, yoga, and exercises along with the combination of herbs by a prescribed Ayurvedic doctor goes a long way to cure the root illness of PCOS. Keeping the mind stress-free by practicing mindfulness and understanding the power of meditation calms the person.
PCOS is not a deadly disease but it affects women’s mental, physical, and spiritual levels. It is important to lead a healthy lifestyle just because you owe at least this much to yourself.
As Ayurved says, your body is a temple- treat it as such!