What You Probably Don't Know About The Metabolism & Hormones!
You may be wondering what do hormones have to with metabolism? Well, hormones have everything to with metabolism, because your metabolism IS hormones. Hormones control almost every aspect of how our bodies gain fat and how we can lose it.
According to research published by The Journal of the American Medical Association, there are four major hormones that are responsible for how and where the body stores fat.
An imbalance in your cortisol, testosterone, estrogen and insulin hormone levels can slow down your metabolism and trigger weight gain, and weight loss resistance.
Let's look at these four hormones and how they mess with with your metabolism in more detail.
Cortisol
Cortisol is the bodies stress hormone. It is released into the body as part of the stress response, which is part of the "fight or flight response".
Cortisol has a huge impact on blood sugar, especially on how your body uses fuel. Cortisol tells your body what to burn and how to burn (fat, protein and carbohydrates) depending on the type of situation your body is in. When your body is in a state of stress, cortisol triggers the breakdown of macronutrients into glucose, or the synthesis of glucose from the body in an attempt to give the body more energy to escape the "stressful" situation. If that glucose does not get used up by increased energy expenditure to escape the stress, it gets put away into fat cells for long term storage.
Some symptoms of cortisol imbalance include:
Weight gain, especially in the stomach area (even if you are exercising and eating healthy).
Digestive issues like gas, bloating, diarrhea, constipation.
Fatigue
Low sed drive
Feeling tired even after sleeping
Trouble sleeping
Thinning hair
Dull and dehydrated skin
Learn more about how stress and cortisol are sabotaging your ability to burn fat.
Testosterone
Testosterone is a critical hormone for bodily functions, even in females! Testosterone helps build lean muscle and increase our energy. Vital for the overall functioning of the metabolism.
Low testosterone levels often mean more of an abundance of estrogen, which can increase insulin insensitivity which leads to weight gain.
Some symptoms of low testosterone include:
Stubborn upper arm fat
Mood swings
Anxiety
Loss of focus
Hair loss
Low Libido
Fatigue
Exhaustion
Weight gain or difficulty losing weight
Depression
Resistance training and walking are great ways to increase testosterone levels. Also having a healthy sex life (minimum of once per week) can lead to improved levels of testosterone.
Insulin
When blood sugar levels are high, insulin levels are high. When we eat and our bodies break down the nutrients, the amount of sugar in our blood increases. That blood sugar is transported to your muscles to use as fuel. When we eat foods that spike our blood sugar , like refined carbohydrates such as white breads and pastas, sugary treats, our bodies release more insulin to help direct the sugars out of the blood stream and into our muscles.
Our muscles can only take up a certain amount of fuel at a time, so when there is a surplus of sugar in the blood, and muscles are full, the rest gets stored as fat.
The more insulin hanging out in the body decreases your bodys ability to tap into fat for fuel.
When your body maintains low levels of insulin, it allows your body to more easily tap into stored fat for fuel instead of the glucose (sugar).
Some signs of high insulin:
Acne
Weight Gain
Bloating
High blood pressure
Cravings for sugar and carbs
Estrogen
When estrogen levels are high it can cause rapid weight gain, particularly in the butt, hips and thighs. Estrogen manages the production of insulin in the body which is responsible for managing the levels of sugar in our blood (described above). When estrogen levels are off, insulin production could suffer, causing the body to store the sugar in your blood as fat instead of moving into the muscle or liver for energy.
Some signs of high estrogen:
Weight gain
Mood Swings
Bloating
Low libido
Headaches
Breast tenderness
Toxins in the food we eat and the products we use such as pesticides, processed foods, conventional raised meat, chemical laden beauty products can mimic estrogen in the body that can disrupt the natural balance of estrogen. Eliminating your exposure to toxins from food and household products can help keep your estrogen in check.
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As you can see, hormone imbalances can be detrimental to our bodies metabolism and how easily we are able to burn fat or hold on to it. I have experienced first hand the impact that out of whack hormones can have on the ability to lose weight.
Even when I was exercising and eating all of the "right" things, I was gaining weight instead of losing it. At the same time, I was experiencing a slew of other symptoms, which at the time I had NO idea could even be related to my weight loss problems. Once I was able to start balancing my hormones, the weight come off easier than I could ever imagine & it can be the same for you too!
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Ready to learn more about how hormonal imbalances may be preventing you from losing weight & more importantly what to do about it? I teach women how to actually lose weight & ditch yoyo diets so they can get real, sustainable results & find freedom from food. You can be one of them! Learn how to actually lose weight & ditch yoyo diets by clicking here!
Disclaimer:
The information in this presentation is not intended to replace a one-on-one relationship with a qualified health care professional, and is not intended as medical advice. It is intended as a sharing of knowledge and information from the research and experience of Milan Lekay, themetabolismnutritioncoach.com 2019
