Unexpected and resistant weight gain is commonly associated with hormonal imbalances, especially in women. When hormones are not balanced, it becomes extremely challenging for the brain to determine how to store or burn food. Even with a healthy diet, weight gain and weight retention is possible when hormones are not balanced. Often time’s thyroid disease contributes to weight gain after 50.
Dietary changes can help with unwanted weight gain. Avoid foods that cause inflammation in our bodies. Inflammatory foods such as wheat, sugar, refined carbohydrates, and processed foods should be avoided. Anti-inflammatory foods are preferable. These include spinach, kale, blueberries, walnuts etc. Fresh foods are an alternative to processed foods.
Menopause and weight gain cause hormonal disharmony. Estrogen, a class of hormones, is a major female sex hormone. It is responsible for shaping a women’s physique. Falling levels of estrogen contribute to expanding waist lines in males and females. When estrogen levels get out of balance, they can turn the body into a fat producing machine. Estrogen is a fat storing hormone, more pronounced in the hips and thighs. Too little estrogen causes a woman to take on a manlier figure with weight gain in the abdomen, however, excess estrogen can also cause problems. Estrogen dominance blocks the benefits of progesterone and overstimulates the brain and the body, leading to stress on the body. High levels of stress have a negative impact on progesterone leading to fat accumulating around the waist. Estrogen dominance occurs when the ratio of estrogen to progesterone is higher than normal. Progesterone keeps estrogen in check.
These are some steps that can help reduce estrogen dominance.
• Increasing leafy greens can aid the body in releasing used estrogen through bowel regulation.
• Decreasing the stress in your life will help keep progesterone levels optimal. Stress increases cortisol production which competes with progesterone production.
• Take more Vitamin B6. This vitamin can help maintain estrogen/progesterone balance. Foods such as walnuts, pistachio nuts, cooked tuna and turkey contain high levels of Vitamin B6.
Hormones dictate what our bodies do with the fuel we feed it. Hormonal harmony keeps our bodies function optimally.
