How Is Hormonal Weight Gain Diagnosed
An evaluation with an endocrinologist can help determine if a hormonal condition is the underlying cause of weight gain. Declining estrogen, adrenal disorders, hormonal resistance, thyroid imbalance, and several other hormonal imbalances can lead to weight gain. Laboratory tests give endocrinologists insight to hormonal imbalances when combined with your symptoms and presentation, but it doesnt always tell the whole story. Blood and urine results can be influenced by many things. For this reason, we suggest special evaluations to see how metabolic information relates to the lab data.
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Can Hormone Imbalance Cause Anxiety
Yes, certain hormonal imbalances can cause anxiety, including:
- Hyperthyroidism: If you have hyperthyroidism, it means your body has too much thyroid hormone. Excess thyroid hormone speeds up your metabolism. This can cause anxiety, in addition to unusual nervousness, restlessness and irritability.
- Cushings syndrome: While its not as common of a symptom, Cushings syndrome can cause anxiety, as well as depression and irritability.
- Adult-onset growth hormone deficiency: Adults with growth hormone deficiency often report having anxiety and/or depression.
Several other conditions and factors can cause anxiety. Its important to talk to your healthcare provider if youre experiencing anxiety.
Role Of Sex And Gender On The Development Of Type 2 Diabetes
There is increasing evidence that sex and gender differences influence the epidemiology, pathophysiology, treatment and outcomes of many diseases, including type 2 diabetes . The term sex is used to primarily indicate biological differences and the term gender predominantly describes the psychosocial differences between sexes. Sex differences between women and men include differences in sex hormones and their effects on organ systems. Gender differences arise from sociocultural processes and include different forms of nutrition, life styles or stress or attitudes toward treatments and prevention of diseases. Sex and gender differences are equally important in terms of development, awareness, presentation, diagnosis and therapy, as well as the prevention of T2DM, influencing each other, above all through the impact on obesity. There is a general agreement that obesity is the major risk factor for T2DM in both sexes, as supported by the data of the prevalence patterns of T2DM across regions which resemble those of obesity .
This review focuses on the link between sex hormones and T2DM through the impact that a sex hormone imbalance has on metabolic tissues, particularly on adipose tissue. The sexual dimorphism of androgens in the pathophysiology of T2DM is emphasized.
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Chubby Cheeks Belly And Back Fat Stress Hormones
A round face and a tendency to carry weight around your middle indicates that you need to dial in your stress. Extra weight in the midsection points to fat around your organs, which has its own set of risks on top of the dangers that fat around the muscle has.
You can thank stress and cortisol, your main stress hormone, for the extra belly and back fat. You may or may not realize that youre chronically stressed. You could be experiencing emotional stress that youre well aware of, like an intense job or a toxic relationship.
Or, your body systems might be triggering the fight-or-flight response and you have no idea. Things like living in a moldy house, or eating foods with a high toxic burden trip your fight-or-flight response, whether youre aware of it or not. Somethings causing you to release stress hormones several times throughout the day, and your stress hormones tell your body to hang onto fat.
Metabolic Renewal Hormone Type : Metabolic Sputter High Estrogen And/or Fluctuating With A Progesterone Deficiency
Hormone type 5, Metabolic Sputter, is most commonly seen in perimenopause, the time leading up to the start of menopause, but it can also occur in young women dealing with extreme stress.
The fluctuating levels of estrogen and the deficiency of progesterone result in the accumulation of fat around your middle and can create health issues throughout the body.If you are dealing with a metabolic stutter, you may find yourself struggling with digestive issues you didnt have before, such as gas, heartburn, and bowel issues.
You may also experience extreme highs and lows in your energy levels and mood swings.
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Natural Ways To Balance Your Hormones
Most natural remedies for hormonal imbalance in females can be found in widely available supplements. Many people also experience relief from certain lifestyle changes, including:
- Managing weight
- Getting enough sleep
Hormones have a great role in many processes in our bodies. As weve seen, disruptions of these hormones can cause a variety of symptoms. Sometimes, a hormonal imbalance can have several serious effects. If you seek treatment as soon as possible, youll have the best chance of managing any complications.
References
Obesity And Sex Hormones
Body fat distribution plays an important role in the development of obesity-related conditions such as heart disease, stroke and some forms of arthritis. Fat around our abdomen is a higher risk factor for disease than fat stored on our bottom, hips and thighs. It seems that oestrogens and androgens help to decide body fat distribution. Oestrogens are sex hormones made by the ovaries in pre-menopausal women. They are responsible for prompting ovulation every menstrual cycle. Men and postmenopausal women do not produce much oestrogen in their testes or ovaries. Instead, most of their oestrogen is produced in their body fat, although at much lower amounts than what is produced in pre-menopausal ovaries. In younger men, androgens are produced at high levels in the testes. As a man gets older, these levels gradually decrease.The changes with age in the sex hormone levels of both men and women are associated with changes in body fat distribution. While women of childbearing age tend to store fat in their lower body , older men and postmenopausal women tend to increase storage of fat around their abdomen . Postmenopausal women who are taking oestrogen supplements dont accumulate fat around their abdomen. Animal studies have also shown that a lack of oestrogen leads to excessive weight gain.
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Metabolic Renewal Hormone Type : Hormone Shortfall Progesterone Deficient
Estrogen and Progesterone work together in balance within the female body to help keep your figure trim and toned, working to block fat from accumulating around your abdomen and hips.
A progesterone deficiency makes this balance much more difficult to maintain resulting in fat gain, and can even impact other hormones in your body.
Women with progesterone deficiency may experience symptoms similar to that of hypothyroidism, including fatigue, mental fog, cold intolerance, constipation, thinning hair hair loss, weak nails, and lackluster skin.
How Is A Hormonal Imbalance Diagnosed
First, make an appointment with a health care provider for a physical exam. The health care provider will ask about your symptoms. Then, depending on your symptoms, they will suggest which hormone imbalance tests to do. These could be evaluations like:
- Blood test: Estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, thyroxine, TTH, insulin, and cortisol levels can be detected in the blood.
- Pelvic exam: A health care provider will search for any lumps or cysts.
- Ultrasound: Images of your uterus, ovaries, thyroid, and pituitary gland can be obtained.
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Effect Of Progestogens On Glucose And Insulin Metabolism
Progestogens have historically been associated with the development of insulin resistance in nonhuman primates . In most RCTs of MHT, the beneficial effects of estrogen on metabolism were attenuated by the addition of a progestogen . MPA is known to have glucocorticoid activity, and blunts the beneficial effect of oral or transdermal E2 on insulin resistance . Testosterone-derived progestogens such as levonorgestrel may also increase insulin resistance . In contrast, nonandrogenic progestogens are more neutral for glucose homeostasis. For example, transdermal therapy with norethisterone acetate in combination with E2 seems to be neutral . Oral administration of low doses of NETA does not impair insulin sensitivity in healthy postmenopausal women . However, NETA given orally at higher doses may reverse the improved insulin sensitivity that is provided by oral E2 . Dydrogesterone shows a neutral effect when added to CE or E2 . Thus, MPA and levonorgestrel are more likely to be associated with attenuation of the beneficial effect of estrogen on glucose homeostasis, whereas NETA and dydrogesterone are more likely to be neutral. With most progestogens, the reversal of the beneficial effect of E2 or CE is dose dependent.
How To Lose Weight
Theres a good bit of overlap between practices that support your adrenals and stress hormones, and habits that help you lose weight.
- Practice mindfulness. On top of stress-reducing benefits, mindfulness meditation can help prevent overeating.
- Sleep. Getting enough sleep reduces the burden on your adrenals and helps you snack less. If you dont know where you stand, here are some sleep trackers and apps that clue you in on your sleep quality.
- Go low-carb. Researchers linked insulin resistance and cortisol, a stress hormone. Cutting back on carbs improves insulin resistance and as a result may reduce cortisol as a result. Less cortisol means better fat metabolism.
- Do the right kinds of exercise. Excessive exercise elevates stress hormones, which is fine, even beneficial, if its infrequent. Get out and play every day, and once a week, go hard.
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Behaviour And Obesity Hormones
People who are obese have hormone levels that encourage the accumulation of body fat. It seems that behaviours such as overeating and lack of regular exercise, over time, ‘reset’ the processes that regulate appetite and body fat distribution to make the person physiologically more likely to gain weight. The body is always trying to maintain balance, so it resists any short-term disruptions such as crash dieting.Various studies have shown that a person’s blood leptin level drops after a low-kilojoule diet. Lower leptin levels may increase a person’s appetite and slow down their metabolism. This may help to explain why crash dieters usually regain their lost weight. It is possible that leptin therapy may one day help dieters to maintain their weight loss in the long term, but more research is needed before this becomes a reality.There is evidence to suggest that long-term behaviour changes, such as healthy eating and regular exercise, can re-train the body to shed excess body fat and keep it off. Studies have also shown that weight loss as a result of healthy diet and exercise or bariatric surgery leads to improved insulin resistance, decreased inflammation and beneficial modulation of obesity hormones. Weight loss is also associated with a decreased risk of developing heart disease, stroke, type II diabetes and some cancers.
Does The Hormone Diet Work
Generally, the hormone diet recommended in this book is not bad nutritional advice. But the key here is that any potential weight loss will probably be from the change in calorie intake, rather than an effect on your hormones.
Weight loss is achieved by creating a calorie deficit, not by resetting your hormone balance. Despite what advocates of the hormone diet might claim, hormonal imbalances are usually the result of a more serious underlying health condition, such as diabetes or hyperthyroidism , which couldnt simply be fixed through diet alone, and would require medical treatment.
Currently, there is no viable theory to demonstrate that a person can reset their hormones to influence fat loss. There is also no peer-reviewed research in a major journal that has specifically studied the hormone diet and its effects. But there might be a simple explanation for why people think the hormone diet works: it helps to create a calorie deficit through improved nutritional habits and exercise, which will probably result in weight loss.
Ultimately, anyone that wants to lose weight or body fat should focus on creating a calorie deficit. How a person creates this calorie deficit may vary from person to person, and might even include following popular diet plans like keto or intermittent fasting. However, the best approach is whichever someone finds the most compatible with their lifestyle.
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After Childbirth And Breastfeeding
Once pregnancy ends, hormone levels start to fall immediately. They eventually reach pre-pregnancy levels.
A sudden, significant drop in estrogen and progesterone may be a contributing factor in the development of postpartum depression.
Breastfeeding lowers estrogen levels and can prevent ovulation. This isnt always the case, however, so youll still need birth control to prevent another pregnancy.
How Can I Prevent A Hormonal Imbalance
While many hormonal imbalances arent preventable, there are certain things you can do to optimize your overall health, which could help keep your hormones balanced, including:
- Maintaining a healthy weight.
- Managing your chronic health conditions well .
- Quitting smoking or using tobacco products, if you smoke.
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What Can I Do About A Hormonal Imbalance
At Balance Hormone Center, we have some easy solutions if youre experiencing the effects of a hormone imbalance.
Hormone therapy can help women before, during, and after menopause, and its also an option for men experiencing a drop in testosterone levels. Regardless of age, diet, or environmental factors, a natural hormone replacement therapy treatment plan can decrease or eliminate imbalances. At Balance Hormone Center, we specialize in bioidentical hormone replacement therapy .
When diet and exercise arent enough to shed excess pounds, consider personalized treatment options for weight loss. You can take control of your weight loss under the supervision of a certified specialist by developing unique treatment plans that help you reach your goals.
Getting your body back in balance is a critical part of your happiness.
Are you ready to make an appointment at Balance Hormone Center in Norman, Oklahoma? To find out how we can help you return to a happy and healthy hormonal balance, our office today or use our convenient online scheduling tool to request an appointment.
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Hormone Type : Ovarian Burnout Metabolism
When progesterone is low and estrogen levels are high, the body can experience symptoms of estrogen dominance such as weight gain, fibrocystic breasts, and premenstrual syndrome . This imbalance can be caused in several different ways.
A key sign that you may have this type of hormonal imbalance is a high ratio of estrogen-to-progesterone and low-stress hormones such as cortisol and DHEA. Low progesterone levels could indicate an ovarian issue, while high estrogen levels indicate liver or metabolic dysfunction.
Ovarian Burnout Metabolism symptoms are estrogen dominance, progesterone deficiency, adrenal fatigue, and low-stress hormones.
This imbalance typically occurs when your diet is high in inflammatory foods such as processed sugar or grains or if you have an underactive thyroid or sluggish liver. On the other hand, it can also happen because youre not producing enough stress hormones or because youre under too much stress.
Which metabolic renewal hormone type do you currently have? Take the free quiz and find out now.
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Menopause: Estrogen + Progesterone Changes
You may have mixed feelings about starting menopause and ending your menstrual cycledreading the idea of your period ending or feeling excited about it. Regardless of type 2 diabetes, all people have different feelings and experiences with menopause.
When your body goes through menopause , your progesterone and estrogen levels change.
When these hormone levels change, your blood sugar levels may also be affected, which can lead to problems with your type 2 diabetes management. The more time you spend outside of your goal range, the higher your risk is for developing diabetes complications associated with high blood sugar levels.
Menopause may trigger the need to treat your type 2 diabetes with insulin. Hormonal swings that occur during menopause can be brutal for most women but especially for women with diabetes. Insulin is a hormone that you may need to administer daily to aid in your type 2 diabetes blood sugar management. When you throw another set of hormones into the mix that you have to learn how to control in conjunction with insulin, things can get tricky!
Keeping your blood sugar levels within your desired range may be challenging during menopause, so its important to work closely with your healthcare provider if you need help adapting to these changes or feel you may benefit from medication. Your HCP may talk to you about hormone replacement therapy , but it is controversial. Your HCP can go over options with you.
Focus On Diet Quality
Overall, diets that are high in a variety of whole foods that are rich in fiber, vitamins and minerals, and phytochemicals promote healthy hormone levels.
Hormones such as insulin, cortisol and sex hormones can be negatively affected by a lower-quality diet, such as one that has lots of refined carbohydrates along with hydrogenated and saturated fats from fried foods, fatty meats and highly processed foods.
To reduce elevated insulin levels, eating better-quality carbohydrate sources and less carbohydrates overall may help.
Higher-quality carbohydrates tend to be lower on the glycemic index, minimally processed and higher in fiber. Examples include whole grains such as 100 percent stone-ground whole wheat, rolled or steel-cut oats and barley, pulses such as lentils and chickpeas, sweet potatoes, and berries.
There is also some evidence that low-carb diets can help lower elevated insulin levels.
Eating too much or not enough is also not desirable from a hormone perspective: Overeating can cause insulin levels to rise, while undereating or chronic dieting negatively affects levels of cortisol and sex hormones.
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Follow This Eating Pattern
Eating plenty of colorful vegetables and fruit along with heart-healthy fats such as olive oil and nuts as well as fish and vegetarian proteins appears to be one of the healthiest ways to promote weight loss and prevent chronic diseases. It may also make your cells more sensitive to insulin, reducing the risk of Type 2 diabetes.
In particular, oily fish contains long-chain omega-3 fatty acids that may help reduce insulin resistance, a risk-factor for Type 2 diabetes.
Having healthy fats in your meals and snacks triggers the release of hormones that help you feel more satiated, which can support weight loss.