Nutrition Science for PCOS Blog & Resources 

If you've noticed your weight creeping up since your PCOS symptoms began, you may be wondering what's actually causing it. Perhaps you haven't dramatically changed the way you eat, yet your clothes feel tighter around your middle. Maybe you're experiencing stronger cravings than you used to, feeling hungrier between meals or finding that maintaining your weight takes much more effort. It can be particularly frustrating when you're eating reasonably well and don't feel that yo

Why Eating Out Feels So Complicated with PCOS If you’ve ever felt anxious or stuck trying to make the “right” food choice at a restaurant, you’re in the right place. Eating out with PCOS can feel like a minefield - especially when you’re trying to manage blood sugar, cravings, weight or inflammation. Many of the women I work with want to eat out occasionally without undoing progress, feeling bloated for days, or spiralling into guilt. My article PCOS Meal Prep for Busy Women

Have you reached your 30s or 40s and feel like your body has suddenly changed? Perhaps you haven’t dramatically changed what you eat, yet the weight seems to creep on more easily. The methods that worked in your twenties no longer make much difference. You’re feeling hungrier in the evenings, your energy dips during the day and losing weight feels like an uphill battle. If this sounds familiar, you’re certainly not alone. Many women with PCOS tell me they feel as though they’

GLP-1 medications have changed the conversation around weight management for many women living with PCOS. For some, these medications can make it easier to reduce appetite, improve feelings of fullness and support meaningful weight loss. Many women also notice fewer food cravings and feel less preoccupied with food for the first time in years. If you've spent years battling constant hunger, yo-yo dieting and frustration because your weight won't shift despite your best effort

Green smoothies have become one of the most popular "healthy" breakfasts, but not all smoothies are created equal. Many shop-bought smoothies, and even some homemade recipes, contain large amounts of fruit with very little protein or healthy fat. They may look nutritious, but they're often little more than a fruit drink. Without enough protein and fibre, they can leave you feeling hungry again within an hour, making it much harder to manage cravings and stay satisfied until l

What Should You Eat in a Day With PCOS? One of the most common questions I hear is: "What should I actually eat in a day with PCOS?" After scrolling through social media, it's easy to feel confused. One person says to cut out carbohydrates. Another recommends intermittent fasting. Someone else claims dairy is the problem. The reality is that there is no single perfect PCOS diet. In my experience, most women benefit from stepping away from restrictive food rules and focusing o

If you have PCOS, you've probably spent years being told what not to eat. Avoid sugar. Cut carbs. Eat less. Try fasting. Follow this diet. Avoid that food. Yet one of the most common things I see in clinic is women focusing so much on what they should avoid that they overlook what they need more of. Protein is one of the most important nutrients for supporting appetite regulation, muscle health, energy levels and blood sugar balance. Yet many women with PCOS are not eating en

When women with PCOS try to improve their nutrition, fibre is often overlooked. Most conversations online focus on: cutting carbohydrates avoiding sugar fasting or following restrictive food rules. But one of the most supportive nutrients for PCOS may actually be: fibre. Fibre plays an important role in: blood sugar balance appetite regulation digestion gut health fullness after meals and overall metabolic health. Many women with PCOS are not eating enough fibre consistently,

Intermittent fasting is often promoted online as a solution for: weight loss insulin resistance inflammation and hormone balance So it is understandable that many women with PCOS wonder whether they should try it too. Some women do report benefits from fasting approaches. But for many others, especially those already struggling with: cravings fatigue stress emotional eating or inconsistent eating patterns fasting can sometimes make symptoms feel worse rather than better. This

If you have PCOS and often feel: hungry soon after eating exhausted by the afternoon constantly craving sugar or stuck in cycles of “being good” all day then overeating at night blood sugar instability may be playing a bigger role than you realise. Many women with PCOS are told they have “insulin resistance”, but are never properly shown: what this actually feels like in everyday life. Instead, they are often given: confusing diet advice lists of foods to avoid strict meal pl

If you have PCOS and feel like you’ve tried every “quick fix” under the sun, only to end up back at square one, you are in the right place. Many women describe the same pattern: starting a strict plan on Monday cutting back food, carbs or calories feeling in control for a few days then experiencing intense cravings feeling tired, irritable or overwhelmed overeating in the evenings or at weekends feeling like they’ve “failed” and starting over again Over time, this can feel ex

Why Is Protein Important for PCOS? If you have PCOS and often feel hungry soon after breakfast, struggle with energy crashes, or find yourself reaching for snacks by mid-morning, your breakfast may be part of the problem. Many typical breakfast foods such as cereal, toast, pastries and fruit juice are high in carbohydrates but low in protein. While they may provide a quick source of energy, they often don't keep you feeling satisfied for long. Protein helps slow digestion, su

Why sugar cravings with PCOS feel so hard to control Have you ever found yourself thinking, “I just need more willpower around sugar…” This is one of the most common things women say when they’re struggling with PCOS. Cravings can feel intense, persistent, and frustrating, especially when they seem to undo a full day of “eating well”. But in most cases, cravings are not about a lack of discipline. They’re a biological response. And once you understand what’s driving them, the

“I’m eating well… so why do I still feel stuck?” This is something I hear often. You’re trying to make better choices. You’re being more mindful with food. You might even be following what you’ve been told is a “healthy diet”. But you’re still dealing with symptoms like: Ongoing sugar cravings Energy dips throughout the day Stubborn weight gain that isn’t shifting Feeling like your body isn’t responding the way it should It can feel frustrating and confusing. Especially when

If you’ve been researching ways to lose weight with PCOS, you’ve likely come across the ketogenic diet more than once. It’s often positioned as the answer when nothing else seems to work. Rapid weight loss. Fewer cravings. Better blood sugar control. And if you’re feeling stuck with stubborn weight, constant hunger, or irregular cycles, it makes sense that something structured and “proven” feels appealing. But before you cut out most carbohydrates and commit to a highly restr

If you're reading this with a sinking feeling of recognition, eating salads, hitting the gym, tracking every calorie, yet the scales won't budge – you're in the right place. As a registered nutritionist specialising in PCOS weight loss and fertility in the UK, I hear this story daily. Women who are doing "everything right" according to traditional diet advice, yet their bodies seem to be working against them. The truth? When you have PCOS, the conventional weight loss rule bo

Do Women With PCOS Need Snacks? One of the most common questions I hear is whether women with PCOS should snack between meals. The answer is that it depends. Many women benefit from focusing on three balanced meals first, especially if meals are low in protein or leave them feeling hungry shortly afterwards. However, snacks can still have a place. A planned snack can be useful if: There is a long gap between meals You are physically hungry You have been active You are trying

If you have PCOS, you’ve probably heard that balancing blood sugar is important. But knowing what to do in theory and understanding how your body actually responds to food, stress and daily life are very different things. This is where functional health tests like DUTCH hormones cycle mapping, DNA and Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) can be a powerful learning tool. For many women I work with, especially those struggling with stubborn weight gain, cravings, energy crashes

If you’ve been avoiding fat to manage your weight, this could be holding you back Many women with PCOS have been told some version of: “Eat low fat” “Cut calories” “Avoid high-fat foods” So it’s no surprise that fats are often the first thing to go. But here’s what I see in practice, and what research supports: When fat intake is too low (or poor quality), it can actually make symptoms like: Cravings Energy dips Hormonal imbalance Weight struggles harder to manage. Healthy fa

If you have PCOS, it can feel like every week there is a new diet being recommended online. One day it is: low carb keto fasting cutting out dairy avoiding gluten or removing entire food groups For many women, this becomes exhausting. You try to “be good”, follow strict food rules, then life gets busy, energy drops, cravings increase and everything feels difficult to maintain. This is one reason more women with PCOS are becoming interested in a Mediterranean-style approach to