In working with eating disorders and PCOS for over 15 years now, I continue to be struck by how many people get pulled off the healthy path they genuinely desire with a simple, seemingly harmless move — going vegan.
In fact, it is so common for women with PCOS whose diet diaries I analyze to have a period of time in their lives where they either were or are vegans, I've begun to think that a lot of women with PCOS are"vegans gone wrong".
The main problem with a high percentage of vegans is that they tend to focus on what NOT to eat. That part is the easy part, it's pretty simple, if it breathed and ate at any point in its life, you don't eat it. What to eat instead is a lot more complex and problematic.
Protein is really important to get enough of. Without it, blood sugar rises and falls creating mood instability and energy fluctuations. That can encourage emotional eating in an attempt to raise blood sugar levels. A high ratio of carbohydrate to protein in the diet also encourages insulin production. Over time that can encourage hyperinsulinemia, the very first step toward PCOS.
It's a problem that's been going on for years, and it's complicated by the fact that soy, which used to be a popular vegan protein source, has fallen out of favor for its potential effect on thyroid and its sources becoming increasingly genetically modified.
That is why I'm so excited to be partnering with a company that just launched the perfect product for women genuinely wanting to eat more vegan protein but feeling shut out of options. Growing Naturals recently launched an organic, raw, vegan, brown rice protein powder isolate with a protein content that is 96% equivalent to whey protein.
Their tagline is understandable: "Finally, food for all people". Of course there is going to be the occasional person who cannot tolerate this product, but for the most part, it's a protein source that removes the barriers to protein consumption that the majority of my clients have presented with over the past 30 years.
Growing Naturals offers its rice protein isolate protein powder (24 grams per serving) in original, chocolate, and vanilla blast flavors, as well as a vanilla blast-flavored rice milk powder. Unlike most rice milks, which have almost no protein, this product provides 8 grams per serving, comparable to cow's milk.
Growing Naturals is the title sponsor for our Craig Ramsay fundraiser in Marina del Rey and they also support the Power Up for PCOS Walk-a-Thon in New Hampshire tomorrow. They are active with many health groups, including the Celiac Disease Foundation and the Japanese Tsunami Relief Effort. They are all about making the world a better place on a variety of levels, and we're excited to be partnering with them!
Click here for ordering information.