nThe burning question: Are your hormones causing you to gain nweight?
I would love to answer with a simple yes or no, but as you will nread in the following article it’s a little more complex than nthat. The good news is: You can make some healthy changes that nwill not only go a long way toward loosing excess kilos but it nwill help to balance your hormones as well.
Let us Begin with Stress HormonesnnHormones are produced in your body in response to various ntriggers. One of these triggers is stress, which precipitates nthe production of Cortisol and Adrenaline. These hormones are nspecifically designed to get you out of danger (from sabre tooth ntigers and the like), get your mind clear and focused and run nfast! Cortisol increases your heart and respiratory rates so nyour muscles will respond quickly. This was very handy when nthere was sabre tooth tigers around. What happens after we have nescaped the imminent danger the adrenaline levels drop and we ncalm down, all is OK in the cave. The cortisol takes longer to nclear as it’s purpose is in part to get you ready for the next n‘tiger’. After you have run back to the cave and calmed down nCortisol makes sure that you refuel for the next tiger. Feed up non quick action foods to keep the muscles fuelled; I.e. ncarbohydrate and sugars.
We can see from this scenario that stress can trigger the nhormones that in turn urge you to eat certain foods. I know nthere are not many sabre tooth tigers around these days but nthere is plenty of stress.
This becomes a vicious cycle of stress elevated cortisol nfollowed by that lovely cookie you have to have. Which leads to:
Weight GainnnWhat's even more worrisome is the type of weight gain this cycle nencourages. Cortisol, along with adrenaline, travels to the nbody's fat cells, allowing them to open and release fat - what nthe body knows as fuel - into the bloodstream, to the liver and nthen to the muscles to use as energy.
Toxic Abdominal WeightnnIt has been found that fat cells deep inside the belly are nespecially good at attracting cortisol. Simply put, the cascade nof responses caused by stress encourages the accumulation of nexcess 'stress fat', the layer of fat below the abdominal muscle.n This creates "toxic weight" - or extra fat inside the abdomen - nwhich is the only type of fat on the body associated with death. nThis type of fat has been linked to heart disease, high blood npressure, stroke, cancer and diabetes.
HypothyroidismnnThyroid hormone deficiency can decrease metabolism of food, ncausing appetite loss and modest weight gain. Weight gain is nfrom fat accumulation and fluid retention caused by protein ndeposits in the body.
Symptoms of hypothyroidism can include fatigue, lethargy, nswelling of the face or around the eyes, dry, coarse skin, ndecreased sweating, poor memory, slow speech and hoarse voice, nweakness, intolerance to cold and headache.
Blood Sugar ImbalancennEating simple, refined carbohydrates can cause rapid nfluctuations in blood sugar levels. For example, eating nchocolate increases the amount of sugar in the blood. The nhormone insulin is released which causes sugar to be stored away nand blood sugar levels to be lowered, which can trigger cravings nfor more sweets in order to stabilize blood sugar balance.n nHypoglycaemia is a state of low blood sugar levels characterized nby sharp spikes in glucose after a meal followed by serious ndrops within an hour or two. The hypoglycaemic whose blood sugar nis dropping may experience dizziness, sweating, weakness, hunger,n irritability and nervousness. As the level continues to drop, nsymptoms increase to fatigue, tremors and palpitations, and nbelow a certain level (40 mg per 100 cc of blood; 80 to 100 mg nis normal) unconsciousness is likely to occur.
Unlike a diabetic, a hypoglycaemic must eat sugar and ncarbohydrate-rich foods regularly to keep blood-sugar balance.
Hyperglycemias occurs when blood sugar levels are too high nbecause either not enough insulin is being produced, or the nbody's cells are not accepting fuel with normal levels of ninsulin-they have become desensitized. Typical indicators of nhyperglycemias are increased hunger, thirst and urination, but nmay also include weight loss, blurred vision, fatigue and dry or nitchy skin.
Estrogen Lower levels of estrogen may cause a variety of nphysical side effects. First, because estrogen is stored in fat, nmany researchers believe that, when you enter menopause -- nwhether naturally or through surgery, your body responds by nholding on to fat cells in an effort to boost the lagging nestrogen levels. The result? It’s tougher to lose fat and much neasier to keep the pounds on. Second, as estrogen levels drop, nyour level of androgens -- the so-called "male" hormones -- nincreases in relation to the estrogen. Unopposed by the higher nlevels of estrogen your body used to have, the androgens produce nmale characteristics -- in this case, the shift in body fat from nyour hips, thighs and buttocks to your midsection, resulting in nthe "apple" shape that is more common in men and in npostmenopausal women (which, incidentally, also increases your nrisk of heart disease.) Third, low estrogen levels affect the nproduction of collagen -- which results in drier. thinner skin, nsagginess of tissue, and lack of muscle tone -- all of which ncontributes to a change in your body shape. Low progesterone nlevels (in relation to estrogen -- which is popularly called n"estrogen dominance") also cause a number of side effects. Among nthe more common ones: increased bloating and water retention -- nwhich may not be actual fat, but makes you look heavier, and nblood sugar fluctuations -- which can increase your appetite and nslow your metabolism.nnnThe Mood Connection. nn As you know, declining hormone levels can cause mood swings, ndepression, anxiety. This is because the levels of serotonins nand endorphins in your brain apparently drop in the face of nfluctuating hormones. What raises serotonin levels in your brain?n Certain foods, like chocolates. Often, when you go through npremature menopause, you notice you have food cravings -- much nlike you did when you had PMS. But unlike PMS, your hormones ndon’t bounce back to regular levels, so you may have food ncravings longer than in the past. . . and, unfortunately, cave nin and eat more of the foods you shouldn’t, like fats, salty nsnacks and sweets.
Eating in excess to the amount of energy you burn can and does ncause weight gain.
Diet - Reduce Processed FoodsnnOne of the best ways to combat stress and anxiety is to eat nfoods that give you long-lasting energy, such as whole grains. nAvoid foods that release sugar into the bloodstream too quickly, nsuch as highly processed foods made with white, refined sugars nand white starches - pasta, white rice, potatoes, and white nbread. These increase the amount of insulin, another hormone nthat plays an important role in weight gain and appetite.
Essential Fatty Acid DeficiencynnEssential fatty acids, such as in flaxseed oil, are good fats nthat are needed by the body to make hormones and maintain the nbody's metabolic rate. A deficiency may cause cravings, nparticularly for fatty foods.
The first signs of deficiency are often dandruff, dry hair and ndry, scaly skin. Deficiency is also associated with arthritis, neczema, heart disease, diabetes and premenstrual syndrome.nnnOther important elements to address when embarking on a weight nloss program are; Nutrients & herbal combinations to assist with nglucose utilisation. Put simply: natural ways to control blood nsugar balance. Nutritional support to overcome the growing nproblem of “overfed and undernourished’ this can be safely and nnaturally covered with the support of your trained natural nhealth practitioner (Naturopath)nnnnKatherine Sabathie-Edwards BHSc. ND. Naturopath and Health Coach nWhole life Vitality
Weight Loss program information can be found nat:nwww.thehealthnut.com.aunThe Whole Life Vitality
Weight Loss program covers the vital naspects of healthy weight loss with Katherine’s speciality of nhealth coaching which works to overcome the mental/emotional nobstacles to effective weight loss, building life long nnatural health and vitality habits.n Click here for more information
www.thehealthnut.com.au nnnnn