Your High Estrogen Levels Are Expanding Your Fat Cells
Although estrogen is responsible for making women uniquely women, its also the hormone that can be the most troublesome in the fat department. At normal levels, estrogen actually helps keep you lean by goosing the production of insulin, a hormone that manages blood sugar. When estrogen gets thrown off, though, it turns you into a weight-gain machine.
Heres how: When you eat, your blood sugar rises. Like a bodyguard, insulin lowers it by escorting glucose into three different places in your body. When insulin is in good working formnot too high and not too lowit sends a small amount of glucose to your liver, a large amount to your muscles to use as fuel, and little to none for fat storage.
If youre healthy and in good shape, your pancreas produces exactly the right amount of insulin to have your blood sugar softly rise and fall within a narrow range . But when your estrogen levels climb, the cells that produce insulin become strained, and you can become insulin resistant.
Thats when insulin starts to usher less glucose to the liver and muscles, raising the levels of sugar in your bloodstream and ultimately storing the glucose as fat. Your fat tissue can expand by as much as four times to accommodate the storage of glucose.
What About Fruits And Vegetables
Now you might wonder which fruits and vegetables are best for hormonal health. Rich in beta-sitosterol, avocado should be a staple in your diet because it helps to lower inflammation, restores low DHEA, and keeps cortisol levels within normal limits.
Cruciferous Vegetables
Tip : What You Eat Says It All Reality Cannot Be Concealed
It is vital to get a little serious with your diet when you know that an imbalance in the hormones has led to weight gain. What you eat will show on your weight and say it all. Thus, take a look at the foods to eat and avoid.
Foods To Eat To Lose Weight
- Eat Protein foods so that it keeps you full to avoid unnecessary cravings
- Eat Fiber foods, this also helps in bringing down the estrogen levels in the body
- Eat Sources of Omega-3fatty acids, one of the best is fatty fish
- Eat whole grains
- Keep your body hydrated with sufficient water and the other healthy drinks
- Add two tsp of apple cider vinegar in water, it helps in keeping the blood glucose levels in control
- Drink warm green tea, it helps in removing all the toxins from your body as well as keeps your skin fresh
Foods To Avoid To Lose Weight
- Avoid eating processed foods
- Do not eat too much sugar, have honey as a substitute, drink juices as they are without adding sugar
- Avoid drinking alcohol
- Avoid eating unhealthy fats
Thus, eating the right food is one way of keeping your hormones balanced and when you can balance your hormones by keeping control on your food, you are good to go, in time you would lose weight.
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Factors That Influence Body Weight
Body weight depends on a variety of factors. Some people are naturally slim just because of a different body/mind type. Others struggle with obesity their entire lives. Besides your genetic makeup, these are the factors that influence your weight:
- Certain health conditions
For example, cinnamon, hot peppers, and protein-rich foods raise your core temperature and metabolism.
Physical activity, especially strength training, builds muscle and increases metabolic rate. Exercise also stimulates the release of certain hormones to help your body burn energy more
What Else Can You Do To Promote Hormone Balance
There are some other ways to treat hormonal imbalance outside of diet. Heres how to balance hormones with your overall health:
- Take care of your gut health by eating a variety of high-fiber plant foods that dont cause you inflammation .
- Exercise regularly by moving your body in accordance with the fluctuations in your menstrual cyclefor example, doing light movement like yoga during your period and saving more high-intensity cardio workouts for other higher energy parts of your cycle, like ovulation.
- Prioritize good quality sleep by going to bed and waking up at regular hours .
- Manage stress as best you can, by using mindfulness practices like meditation and journaling when you do feel stressed, overwhelmed, or anxious, and seeking out mental health help where possible if you need more tools to cope with anxiety or depression.
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Processed And Refined Food
Gluten and sugar are the worst of all possible pairings, and they enhance vulnerability to autoimmune illnesses by increasing inflammation and stressing the adrenal glands.
Cookies, crackers, and bread are all unhealthy, and they gain weight, which causes a severe hormonal imbalance, and affects testosterone levels. Processed foods also mess up hormones.
Sausages, ready-to-eat meals, and instant foods are high in sodium and preservatives, causing an electrolyte imbalance in the body and disrupting hormonal health.
The Basics Of Boosting Your Metabolism
Scientists, influencers, and doctors alike throw around the word metabolism but what do they actually mean when they say it, and is there a way to boost metabolism?
Your bodys metabolism is based on three things:
Weight loss happens easily when we target all three of these factors. So lets start with how to increase calorie burn at rest.
In our bodies, we have trillions of tiny powerhouses called mitochondria. These mitochondria reside within our cells, and theyre responsible for producing ALL of our bodys energy. Mitochondria take the food and water we eat and turn it into fuel for the body.
In Ayurveda, the force responsible for controlling metabolism, strength, and digestion is called agni, and its known as the main digestive fire .
So robust and healthy mitochondria, or a freely flowing agni, means a calorie-burning metabolism and plenty of energy for the body. If agni is restricted or if our mitochondria are damaged, well experience slow metabolism, inefficient energy, and more weight gain.
So how do we naturally boost your metabolism to increase calorie burning and stoke your digestive fire? Heres what you need to know.
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How Does The Hormone Diet Work
Phase one consists of a two-week detox in which several food groups are eliminated. These include gluten, cow dairy, various oils, peanuts, sugar, artificial sweeteners, red meat, citrus, alcohol, and caffeine. During this phase, you also are required to take supplements such as fish oil, anti-inflammatories, and probiotics.
Phase two has you adding back some foods while detailing your body’s reaction to each food type. This phase is still restrictive as it has you avoiding so-called “hormone hindering” foods. These foods include fish thought to have high mercury levels, meat, and coffee that are not organic, dried fruit such as raisins and dates, peanuts, and high fructose corn syrup. Other foods off-limits during this phase include anything processed, artificial sweeteners, nitrates, and refined grains.
Phase three adds physical activity, including cardiovascular exercise and strength training, and continues the same diet from phase two.
What Is Hormonal Imbalance In Women
Hormonal Imbalance is a condition when few hormones do not get produced or they are either released too much or too less in the body. The very basis of the hormones are disturbed.
It would make a difference on the body if the hormones are not produced or released efficiently because these hormones take care of three functions, metabolism, fertility and the overall growth of the body.
Additionally, for the hormones to control and perform its functions it needs to receive messages from the pituitary gland and then accordingly pass on the same messages to the rest of the body. During this course of passing on messages if the hormones fail to perform their function correctly, it will lead to an imbalance in the hormones.
This imbalance in women usually occurs when there are physical changes happening in a womans body. The changes could be menstruation, pregnancy, breastfeeding and menopause. It is during this time that the hormones lose track and there is an imbalance in the hormones and this ends up making a woman healthy.
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Overcome Thyroid Problems And Burn Fat
There are several things that you can do to stimulate your thyroid, which will activate your metabolism and help your body burn fat.
- Avoid Foods That Cause Inflammation
Avoid foods that trigger systemic inflammation. Processed foods, refined sugar, and refined oil can increase inflammation in the body. Furthermore, food intolerances can cause inflammation. The top food intolerances include soy, corn, gluten, and dairy products. By eliminating these foods from your diet, you can help heal the thyroid gland and rev up your fat burning capabilities.
- Iodine Consumption for Improving Thyroid Health
Iodine is your best friend. In order for your thyroid to function properly, you need to include iodine in your diet. Iodine is a mineral that is used by the thyroid gland to make T3 and T4. Most people know that seafood, seaweed, and saltwater fish like tuna and cod are rich in iodine however, many people do not realize that dairy products, cereals, and breads all contain ample amounts of iodine. Iodine deficiency can lead to development of goiter or hypothyroidism
- Eat Small Meals Frequently
If you have high levels of toxins, your thyroid may not be able to function properly. Toxins are found in groundwater, nonorganic foods, mercury laden fish, and oral fillings. Following a detoxification program can help pull toxins and heavy metals from the body and improve thyroid function.
- Nutritional Deficiency
How To Keep Estrogen At Optimal Levels
To balance estrogen levels naturally and prevent the weight gain that happens with an estrogen imbalance, youll want to do the following:
- Commit to a regular exercise routine. Many studies, including this 2012 one, published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, explain how exercise lowers estrogen levels in obese women.
- Eat your fiber. Fibrous foods help decrease elevated estrogen levels.
- Eat veggies in the cruciferous family. These include broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, kale, and bok choy. Anything green and leafy is always a good idea, too!
- Reduce your exposure to endocrine disruptors. Endocrine disruptors are chemicals that interfere with our natural hormones. Avoid plastic containers, cans, or water bottles made with BPA. Never microwave plastic.
- Choose organic foods when possible, and choose phthalate-free cosmetics and personal care products.
- Consider bioidentical hormone replacement therapy, which uses plant-based hormones identical to those produced naturally by the human body to keep hormones balanced.
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Intermittent Fasting Increases Autophagy
While intermittent fasting might seem like a fad, it actually has a wealth of tradition and research supporting its benefits. Autophagy simply means that your cells work to become more efficient, cleaning up old or damaged parts, and optimizing their mitochondria.
There are different kinds of intermittent fasting, but they all function by promoting healthy blood sugar balance, supporting proper hormone function, and increasing autophagy .
The most common type of intermittent fasting is 16:8, and its actually pretty easy to start. This how-to guide will help you get started with intermittent fasting safely.
What You Need To Know About Leptin Resistance
When your body becomes resistant to leptin, leptin levels become too high. In fact, overweight individuals who get their leptin levels tested typically find their leptin levels to be as high as four times the normal level. Whats more, its really difficult to balance leptin levels once theyve become resistant.
With leptin resistance, communication between the brain and leptin is impaired, so that your brain doesnt understand that its full, and tells your body to keep eating. Its as if your brain thinks youre starving when in reality, youre just leptin resistant.
To reverse leptin resistance or prevent it from happening to you in the first place, lets talk food, drink, and supplements. Everything in your body impacted by what you put into it, and leptins no different. Sugar, in particular, can cause leptin levels in your body to skyrocket, so youll want to eat less sugar. Other ways to prevent or reduce leptin resistance include:
- Committing to a regular exercise routine
- Getting truly restorative sleep on a regular basis
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How To Take Hormone Balance Supplements
Learning that your hormones are out of balance can be worrying, especially if youre concerned about long-term health issues like diabetes, but you can regain your equilibrium with a little help. One simple way to bring them back under control is with supplements, but even with the best hormone balance supplements, there are certain tips you should consider to make the most of them.
The active ingredients in these supplements vary greatly depending on the manufacturer and the hormone they are meant to regulate, as do the recommended instructions. As such, there arent many hard and fast rules on taking hormone balance supplements, but here are a few tips that should help you get the most out of your chosen supplements that promote hormone balance:
Hormones Responsible To Cause Weight Gain
When 6 hormones are disturbed having a major imbalance it causes weight gain in women. To name the hormones they are, cortisol, thyroid hormone, progesterone, estrogen, testosterone and insulin. That said, an effect of one hormone can have an impact on the other in the case of few hormones.
Things you should know about each of these hormones so that you have clarity as to how each hormonal imbalance causes weight gain.
a. Cortisol
The adrenal glands produce cortisol, it is a stress hormone that goes into the blood to better the metabolism and it handles all the stress that your body goes through.
How Does it Affect Your Weight?
For any reason if you are stressed too much it affects cortisol and when cortisol is affected increases the insulin levels in the body and this ends up making you crave for food too often. Overeating becomes the cause of weight gain.
b. Thyroid
Thyroid has multiple roles apart from taking care of the bodys metabolism it is responsible to take care of every cell in the body and synthesizes proteins.
How Does it Affect Your Weight?
Thyroid hormones are impacted based on how insulin levels are affected. That said, if the insulin levels increase and lead to insulin resistance, it ends up lowering the thyroid hormone.
Now, if the thyroid is not getting produced as much as it should, it would directly hit on a persons weight. This condition of the thyroid hormone going down is called hypothyroidism.
c. Estrogen Progesterone and Testosterone
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What Are The Stages Of Hormonal Change For Men
For men, andropause is a slow decline of normal testosterone levels, which begin to lower by about 1% every year around the age of 40. Because the decrease in testosterone production is slow slow, many men do not exhibit any obvious symptoms of andropause for nearly a decade after onset. Andropause is traditionally marked by low T, which features symptoms such as low libido, sexual dysfunction, weight gain, loss of muscle mass, mood swings, and more.
How Common Is It for Men to Gain Weight During Andropause?
On average, middle-aged men gain about 19 pounds during the onset of andropause, which can be a significant cause of concern for overall health. Weight gain is one of the more common symptoms of andropause and most men will experience some about of weight gain during late adulthood.
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Balancing Hormones For Weight Loss: The Top Six To Know
Have you ever wondered how some people seem to diet throughout their lives while others keep a healthy weight without trying? Although they may have similar eating habits, their bodies could differ in metabolism, lifestyle, and possibly hormones.
Every person has their own personalized biochemistry. From genetic traits to distinct physiologies, we all have different makeups that make us unique.
While lifestyle choices make a major impact on health and weight, so do hormones. This article will provide an overview of the primary hormones involved in weight fluctuations and teach you how to balance them naturally.
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Is There A Link Between Leptin Cancer And Inflammation
Leptin gives a kind of green light signal to many other systems in the body. That includes your immune cells. A strong immune response is a good thing when youâre sick. But too much inflammation can cause health problems.
People who have obesity and high leptin often have chronic inflammation. Thatâs linked to heart issues, cardiovascular diseases, insulin resistance, and cancer.
In women, high leptin and obesity can boost the chances of breast cancer. Leptin-related inflammatory âcytokinesâ send signals that seem to impact how breast cancer cells grow and stay alive.
Itâs important to note that not everyone with obesity will develop breast cancer. But in those who do, Sharma says, leptin can promote cancer growth and progression at every stage.
On top of that, women with obesity often donât respond as well to hormonal breast cancer treatments when compared to those with lower body weights. New research shows that high leptin levels might be to blame.
Some studies in mice have found evidence that leptin can blunt the effects of a common estrogen-positive breast cancer drug.
Future drug therapies may target high leptin levels or leptin resistance. But for now, Sharma says, itâs best to aim for a healthy body mass index , especially during breast cancer treatment. Even a 5% to 10% weight reduction can be helpful in women who have a very high BMI, she says.
Work with your doctor to come up with a weight loss plan that works for you.
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