Hormones and Weight Loss

DeInnHormones are present in all of our bodies to keep things running right.  They can help boost your metabolism, feel good, sleep well and much much more.  What most of us don't know is that when our hormones are out of balance then our body will not function at its best.  Taking that concept to the next level, what we eat and how we sleep can have a great impact on how and which hormones our body produces.

let's start with the ladies.  Both men and women have testosterone, and it is very important for our body to have some.  Testosterone is part of what makes a woman a woman because it is a major precursor to Estrogen production.  Testosterone also has a significant impact on a woman's sex drive.  When oral contraceptives are used your body no longer produces testosterone/estrogen in the same amounts and it has been shown to drastically reduce sex drive.  Also, testosterone production helps your body maintain its LBM (muscle tone), bone density, energy level and your feeling of mental awareness and well-being.  Point being, testosterone and estrogen are essential hormones for your body to run and feel tip-top.

Here is a short list of symptoms related to low testosterone in women

1. Decrease in sex drive.
   
2. Orgasm less strong
   
3. Lack of energy
   
4. Decrease in strength or endurance
   
5. Lost height
   
6. Decreased 'enjoyment of life'
   
7. Sad and/or grumpy
   
8. Deterioration in sports ability
   
9. Falling asleep after dinner
   
10. Decreased work performance

What causes this?  As stated earlier any hormone that you put into your body can cause adjustment by your body, such as birth control pills.  Also, age has a real impact.  Menopause usually reduces hormone production of around 80%.  That means that you will only produce 20% of what you were producing when you were at your prime.  Simply put, menopause causes a "metabolic shift" which will negatively impact the way that you look and feel. 

Guys, testosterone is what makes you men instead of boys.  It gives you sex drive, energy, muscle, body hair and much more.  So when you allow your testosterone to drop you begin to lose these things.

1. Decrease in sex drive
   
2. Noticeable increase in fatigue
3. Weight gain
4. Loss of muscle and muscle tone
5. Erectile disfunction
6. Inability to concentrate
7. Decrease in the 'enjoyment of life
   

The bad part is that only 5% of men who have low testosterone seek treatment.  That means that millions of men are walking around tired, fat and with no sex drive, that should not feel that way.

Part of what causes this is simply age.  This natural process is called ANDROPAUSE or male menopause.  This can come from genetics, but it can also be environmental in part.

For everyone lifestyle can have a significant impact as well, and this is what we are here to talk about. 

• Vegies can lower your metabolism.  WHAT?!?!?  Yep, it is true.  Raw, cruciferous vegetables are natural thyroid depressants because they contain isothiocyanates, which naturally interfere with THYROID function.  Those vegies include broccoli, collards, cabbage, kale and raw soy.  Eating these in raw form CAN, but not always, tell your body to slow down hormone production.
• sunscreen, food preservatives, weed killer, insecticides, adhesives and paint contain a chemical called Xenoestrogens that can mimick real hormones.
• Teflon, the tough non-stick coating found on almost everything, can reduce natural hormone production and is found in 95% of US Citizens blood!
• Bad Fats, known as hydrogenated or partially hydrogen oils, not only are horrible for your heart and blood vessels, also tell your body to slow down on natural hormone production.
  

By looking at labels of food and other items before you use them you can drastically improve your body's natural function concerning hormones and also, almost as drastically, reduce your chance for caner and other environmental  diseases.

So why is this important to me? Well you might have a real issue that requires medical supervision and in that case you should see your doctor and have blood tests.  The good news is that replacing these hormones is a pretty simple and painless process, but can have a huge impact on your life! 

The good news is that regardless of the cause of the lower hormone production it is treatable.  You can see a doctor and know for sure that you need and get a pill, cream or injection.  You can closely monitor your environment and help your body function at its best.  You can also exercise vigorously on a regular basis which has been proven over and over to impact natural h