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Hormones are the real key to effortless fat loss and good health. How you live your life and dietary habits (both nutrient timing and what you eat) affect your hormone balance. (Shutterstock/-)
We are all chemical creatures. Hormones and chemicals are the body’s signals for actions and responses to our environment and activities. Hormones affect all facets of human function; from enabling muscle contractions and dealing with both physical and psychological stress to stimulating fat burning and tissue repair. They tell us when we are hungry and when we are full, control our metabolic rate and have a huge impact on our health.
Hormones are the real key to effortless fat loss and good health. How you live your life and dietary habits (both nutrient timing and what you eat) affect your hormone balance. When your hormones get out of balance they cause all sorts of problems. For example, estrogen dominance significantly increases the risk of cancer, can cause infertility, alters brain transmitters making you depressed or irritable and causes fat storage around the hips and upper thigh in women and produces “manboobs” in men.
Too much estrogen is a much larger problem than most people realize. What is termed estrogen dominance occurs when there is too much chemical estrogen in the body or an imbalance between estrogen and other hormones.
There are two different ways of becoming estrogen dominant. The first is when there is too much internally produced estrogen (endogenous estrogen) within our bodies. This can be caused by simply being overweight, as fat tissue raises levels of an enzyme called aromatase, which produces more estrogen. Hence, more fat is created, as a result more estrogen is produced and so on and so on.
(Read also: The truth about parabens)
The estrogen problem can be exasperated if you are deficient in magnesium, vitamin D3, selenium or zinc. These nutrient deficiencies increase aromatase considerably. Alcohol, particularly beer, has been repeatedly linked to low testosterone and high estrogen in men. If you have weak gastrointestinal health you will not be able to effectively eliminate estrogen quickly from your system, causing it to be stored in specific sites on the body. Therefore, improving gut health is a must for combating the estrogen issue.
The second way of becoming estrogen dominant is when your internal system is not causing excess production but is overloaded by external chemical estrogens (xenoestrogens). Xenoestrogens mimic estrogen and bind to hormone receptors when they enter the body. According to leading fat loss and health experts “it is nearly impossible to avoid them, and they are a principal cause of estrogen dominance”.
The main chemical estrogens are BPA, phthalates and parabens. These compounds are found in chemical fragrances such as perfume, hair sprays and candles and personal care products like lotion and moisturizers. BPA is found in everything from aluminum cans, new furniture and air pollution. Studies have shown that the more BPA people had in their urine, the fatter they are.
There are two key areas to focus on to treat estrogen dominance. First, avoid exposure to chemical estrogens by using natural personal care products, do not eat or drink food stored in cans and eat only quality animal products free from pesticides and hormone treatment. Second, support the elimination of estrogen with your diet. Ensure your diet is nutrient dense, eat greens, avoid alcohol (or detox regularly), get adequate Omega-3, fibers and don’t eat too many carbohydrates, as excess insulin results in the elevation of free estrogen levels.
Estrogen dominance is becoming more prevalent and we all need to be more conscious of this issue. The best thing you can do is live healthy, so your body can easily eliminate excess when needed. (kes)
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Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the official stance of The Jakarta Post.