Almost Shouting with Excitement about the Book, but what about Garbanzo Beans?

by Laura
(Wilmington, DE, USA)

I just got the book in the mail and have begun reading. I'm on the verge of shouting with excitement and crying every time I read more - because it is talking about me and all my horrendous problems, but also how to start fixing them.

It's comforting to know I'm not alone in this and that someone took the time to write this book to literally save my life.

I was diagnosed with PCOS a week before my 21st birthday in 1999. Today, I'm 30 and have been trying to find something to help me correct all the imbalances in my body.

I'm the typical PCOS sufferer - overweight, can't seem to lose weight even with stringent diet/exercise, hair growth on my chin that I now have to shave!, and taking the pill and glucophage to try to cope. I'm a pretty girl and hide the hair growth well, but I can't hide the fat or the low self esteem.

But, I have renewed hope reading this book and I'll be cleaning out my pantry soon to start eating the way the book describes - and living the life of a 30 year old with more energy and less symptoms.

I have one question, though - the book mentions in one part that garbanzo beans are bad for PCOSers, and then says to eat them in another part. Which is correct? I love chick peas, but I'll give them up if I have to. Just need to know if they are okay or not.

Thanks for everything so far. Even the glimmer of hope that this new diet will work is enough to motivate me for a long, long while.

#############

Editor's Comments: I don't recall that we said garbanzo beans were "bad" for you. We did have some thoughts about soy products, which we covered in in chapter 4.4 of The Natural Diet Solution for PCOS and Infertility book.

What we said was that garbanzos (chickpeas) may be "possibly unhealthy" for some people, since it is relatively high in a carbohydrate called galactose. There is some evidence that galactose may be toxic to ovarian cells. Since you already have an ovarian problem, why annoy those cells with galactose?

On the other hand, garbanzo beans, like any legume, have their healthy qualities, too.

Chick peas and other legumes will affect different people in different ways. They may be OK for some people, but not for others. Beans contain "lectins", which are substances that act like Velcro in your bloodstream and make red blood cells clump (a very unhealthy development). It depends to some extent on your blood type.

So the answer to your question is "it depends".

We removed legumes from the Recommended Level of our diet, but I think it's OK to have them in moderation on the Maintenance Level. Again, it depends on the individual.

Frankly, there is no "one size fits all" diet for everyone. You will have to tailor our recommendations to fit your unique circumstances.

E-Books to Help You Manage PCOS