Generally speaking, potatoes should be avoided, by women with PCOS, due to their high carb content and high GI (1). This means that a potato can increase your blood sugar higher than a cup of tea or coffee with sugar. On the flip side, a Spanish Omelette is not only tasty, but has enough eggs to give you the right ratios of protein and chorizo to give you a good ratio of meat based fats.
Replacing regular potatoes with sweet potatoes turns this tasty, popular, dish into a PCOS friendly breakfast or lunch. Sweet potatoes are considered a medium-GI food (1) and research has indicated that extracts from sweet potatoes can significantly increase blood levels of adiponectin. Adiponectin is a protein which is produced by our fat cells and is involved in regulating glucose levels (2). Steaming the sweet potatoes first works best for locking in the adiponectin, as well as reducing the GI (3). The dietary fiber in a sweet potato also serves as a digestion aid, which is a bonus for regulating blood sugar.
Here’s the Fertility Chef’s PCOS friendly Spanish Omelette:
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 200g chorizo sausages, cubed
- 4 shallots, chopped finely
- 1 medium sweet potato cut in small chunks & lightly steamed
- 6 eggs
- 2 to 3 leaves of fresh basil. Hand torn.
- Sour cream, to taste.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large frying pan, preferably with a thick base. Add the chorizo and fry for 4-5 minutes until crisp.
- Remove the chorizo from the pan and pat dry with kitchen towel. Pour the chorizo fat into a heatproof bowl and wipe the frying pan.
- Put the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil and 2 tsp of the chorizo fat into the pan. Add the shallots and fry for a couple of minutes, then drop the potato chunks in the pan and cook over a medium heat, stirring occasionally, for about 6-7 minutes or until both are turning brown. Cover the pan with a lid and continue to cook on a low heat for a further 4-5 minutes, or until the sweet potatoes are tender but still holding their shape.
- Beat the eggs in a bowl. Return the chorizo to the pan with the potato, then pour in the eggs and add the basil. Stir all the ingredients lightly so they get mixed evenly. Then leave it to cook over a medium heat for 4-5 minutes or until you see that it is starting to set and the bottom of the omelette is golden.
- Put the pan under a grill, on high, for 2-3 minutes to cook the top of the omelette.
- Serve the omelette and add a spoonful of sour cream to the top of the omelette, if desired, to make up your fat ratios.
References
- health.harvard.edu
- nih.gov
- Ahmad MH, Morrison EY, Asemota HN. Food processing methods influence the glycaemic indices of some commonly eaten West Indian carbohydrate-rich foods. Br J Nutr. 2006 Sep;96(3):476-81. 2006.
