Have you struggled with weight loss or fat accumulating around your belly no matter how many leg lifts you do? You might have a hormone imbalance. Many people in Louisiana find that it’s a problem. Always check with your healthcare professional first to ensure you don’t have a serious condition. In most cases, the doctor will give you the latest pill or suggest ways to reset your hormones naturally.
There are all types of hormones.
Most people immediately think of sex hormones, but the body has 50 different hormones. A hormone is a messenger that triggers reactions to keep the body functioning properly. Sex hormones do determine the amount of body fat and where it deposits the fat, but they’re not the only hormones associated with weight gain. Cortisol, the stress hormone, plays a big role. If you have too much cortisol, it increases the odds of developing belly fat. In turn, belly fat increases the odds of insulin resistance and diabetes. Belly fat is also caused by too much insulin, as is insulin resistance.
Eating healthy can correct some of the problems.
Your diet plays a big role in your overall health and balancing your hormones. Food that causes inflammation, such as sugar, can create an imbalance. Increasing your protein and intake of green vegetables can help some people. The protein keeps you feeling full longer, so you don’t eat as much, while the greens provide nutrients. A green protein shake to replace a daily meal can even help balance hormones in menopausal women.
Increase or add daily exercise.
Exercise can improve several types of hormonal imbalances. It helps burn off stress, so the level of cortisol is reduced. It burns off the glycogen in the muscles and reduces insulin resistance, so it helps balance insulin. When you workout, you increase the hormones that build and maintain muscle mass, such as DHEA, IGF-1, and testosterone. Exercise also increases levels of HGH—human growth hormone. HGH is called the hormonal fountain of youth. It helps build muscle, boosts metabolism, and lean muscle mass. Low levels of HGH cause muscle waste and fat accumulation.
- A special way of doing exercises, called HIIT—high intensity interval training—is both an efficient fat burner and helps you get results faster. With HIIT, you alternate exercise intensity from high intensity to recovery and back.
- Get adequate sleep. Hormones control your hunger. Too much ghrelin and you’ll feel ravenous. Too much leptin and you’ll feel full all the time. Lack of sleep can cause the body to make too little leptin and too much ghrelin, making you constantly feel hungry.
- Eating more fiber and fermented food can help regulate the gut microbiome. They also control several hormones. Soluble fiber acts like prebiotics and feeds the microbes. If you drink three cups of green tea a day, it can help regulate hormones, too.
- Foods that are inflammatory, like food high in sugar, can cause a hormone imbalance. Avoid food with added sugar and switch to a healthy diet. We can help you with diet plans for all types of problems.
For more information, contact us today at Wellness On A Dime Coaching