A Special Apple Smoothie Recipe for Women with PCOS

PCOS is a condition where the hormones in your body are produced in abnormal levels. More specifically, the levels of male hormones tend to increase significantly which results in problems like weight gain, acne, etc.

Now the levels of insulin in your body are also responsible for controlling the levels of the male hormones indirect proportionality – meaning the levels of Insulin are reduced then the levels of male hormones in the body will also reduce. Thus, lowering these levels is a good approach to control symptoms of PCOS.

This is why the low GI or glycemic diet comes to play. This diet involves the avoidance of foods that are high in sugar and consuming the ones that are moderately lower apple smoothie for PCOS. By doing so, eating less sugar results in lower blood glucose levels which in turn lowers the levels of insulin.

However, it would be unreasonable for most women to completely cut off such foods and ignore their cravings. This is when low GI food products like apples act as an effective substitute.

Apples, Credit: Pxhere

Apples are very popular in the PCOS diet plan. Not only are they delicious but they have some major health and other benefits besides having a low GI index.

They include:

1. Rich in vitamin C and other vitamins

2. Rich in minerals and antioxidants

3. Fat-free and cholesterol-free

4. Prevent cholesterol buildup

5. Improves metabolism and gut health

6. Promotes weight loss

7. Extremely filling but only contains 80 calories per apple.

Note: It is very important to eat apples with the skin on for maximum and effective health benefits.

Apple Smoothie, Credit: Flickr

Apples Smoothie: Great Way To Enjoy Apples!

People commonly get confused by the difference between a smoothie and shake, so let’s break it down.

A shake is mainly a milk based drink that has added fruits and other ingredients for flavour. On the other hand, apple smoothie for PCOS is a combination of ingredients such as fruits, nuts, vegetables, etc. blended into a  mixture with added milk and crushed ice to make the blend “smooth”.

In conclusion, the milk is not the hero ingredient of a smoothie, unlike a shake.

Serving: 1

Ingredients

1. 1 apple (green or red). Chopped with the peel on.

2. A handful of acai berry

3. 3-4 thin slices of pineapple

4. ¼ cup of rolled oats (quick oats will also do)

5. ¼ cup of almond milk (or any nut milk)

6. 1 teaspoon of cacao powder

7. A handful of crushed nuts of choice

8. 1 tablespoon of peanut butter

9. ¼ teaspoon do ground cinnamon

10. Optional: 1 teaspoon of natural vanilla and maple syrup.

11. A handful of crushed ice

Instructions

1. Add the apples in the blender along with the remaining ingredients.

2. Blend until smooth.

3. Add a small handful of crushed ice and blend again.

Optional:

1. For a thicker smoothie, one can add more ice and blend.

2. For a thinner smoothie, you can add more milk to the blend.

3. Once the desired consistency is achieved, sprinkle some cinnamon and nuts on top and enjoy!

Low GI index foods, Credit: Pixnio

Additional Information

On combining proteins like nuts, peanut butter, oats, etc. with the fruit blend, it helps absorb all the instant sugar and glucose that such fruits release in the body. Thus, it plays a major role in further decreasing the blood sugar levels in your system.

Moreover, the additional fruits mentioned above like pineapples and berries, also have a low GI index.

Thus, the combination of all these ingredients that goes into the smoothie is truly and highly customized to benefit such women as they are some of the best foods for PCOS!