HOW TO GET RID OF HORMONAL BELLY FAT

HOW TO GET RID OF HORMONAL BELLY FAT?

ESTROGEN, MENOPAUSE, TESTOSTERONE AND WEIGHT GAIN

No one likes belly fat.

But rejoice folks…because there are simple and real solutions…….read on …

Stubborn belly fat can be ridiculously frustrating, especially if diet is point and exercise is being done.

The reality….If hormones are out of balance (such as estrogen and testosterone) no amount of squats, situps, burpees, keto or fasting will help reduce belly fat.  Quite simply, having too much estrogen can causes weight gain whether you’re a man or a woman.

Do you know how farmers fatten cows before they go to market? They implant them with estrogen pellets.

SYMPTOMS OF EXCESS ESTROGEN IN WOMEN

• Weight gain
• Heavy Periods
• Water retention / bloating
• Cellulite
• Excess fat around hips, butts and thights,
• PMS
• Headaches
• Mood swings
• Poor sleep or insomnia
• Infertility / Miscarriage
• Fibroids
• Heavy menstrual bleeding
• Irregular menstruation
• Breast tenderness
• Hot flushes/flashes]
• Hair Loss
• Varicose veins
• Skin problems
• Joint pains / stiffness
• Lack of flexibility
• Carpel Tunnel Syndrome
• Muscle cramp
• Candida / fungal infection
• Histamine intolerance
• Hypoglycemia
• Arthritis
• Autoimmune disease
• Breast Cancer
• Being highly emotional
• Craving sweet food

SYMPTOMS OF EXCESS ESTROGEN IN MEN

• Loss of body hair (including chest, legs and arms)
• Beer belly
• “man boobs”
• accelerated aging
• reduction in testosterone
• low sex drive
• fatigue
• mental fogginess
• reduced muscle tone and strength
• tendency to store body fat
• bone loss

LOSING BELLY FAT NEARLY ALWAYS STARTS WITH HORMONAL BALANCE. 

And Hormonal balance starts with correct nutrition.

https://www.prometaboliclife.com/8-week-hormone-balancing-meal-plan/

WHERE DOES ESTROGEN STORE FAT

DURING REPRODUCTIVE YEARS, Estrogen causes a typical fat distribution pattern in breasts, buttocks, and thighs.

DURING MENOPAUSE, estrogen levels result in more fat in the abdominal area.  Belly fat in this area, called visceral fat, isn’t the subcutaneous (under the skin) fat that is felt when the stomach is poked. It’s found deeper in the abdomen, filling the space between the vital organs and the fat-covered membrane that lines the abdominal cavity.

I’ve always said nutrition can either work for one or against one.   Nothing could be more true than when dealing with estrogen imbalances.

THE RIGHT NUTRITION IS KEY TO BUDGING HORMONAL FAT STORAGE

https://www.prometaboliclife.com/meal-plans/

WOMEN, MENOPAUSE AND BELLY FAT

After menopause, an estrogen / progesterone imbalance causes cells to store more fat and the cells become slower to release it.

In a laboratory experiment, when female mice were surgically thrust into menopause by removing their ovaries, only those mice treated with estrogen maintained their weight while those deprived of estrogen rapidly gained weight.   Studies have shown that estrogen incorporates crucial elements into the DNA responsible for weight control. The absence of both estrogen and these crucial elements leads to progressive obesity.

https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/ob-gyn/ur-medicine-menopause-and-womens-health/menopause-blog/may-2015/what-does-estrogen-have-to-do-with-belly-fat.aspx

In a study of newly menopausal healthy women over a four‐year period, women showed an increase in weight and body fat (primarily as visceral adipose tissue), which coincided with a drop in estradiol levels and a decrease in physical activity and energy expenditure.

Once again fat gain directly links to Estrogen imbalances

https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fendo.2018.00315/full

THE MOST EFFECTIVE SOLUTION  TO GET RID OF BELLY FAT IS NUTRITION

(Yes Pro-Metabolic Nutrition) The best way to deal with this is still with nutritional adjustments.  Nutrition that aims to improve hormonal balance.

https://www.prometaboliclife.com/8-week-hormone-balancing-meal-plan/

Diet is the most powerful controller of physiology and hormones.  That sentence should be re read as it is so important.

A Pro-Metabolic diet is the number one strategy to balance testosterone, estrogen and progesterone levels.  Food choices can either increase estrogen dominance or help balance it.  Unfortunately, many people eat diets that contain significant amounts of estrogenic food (soy, processed foods, legumes).

FATS

A Pro-Metabolic diet utilizes saturated fats as they help with sex steroidal conversion and avoid Polyunsaturated fatty acids (vegetable oils) as they block hormone conversion

“the estrogen promoting actions of soy oil apply to all the commonly used polyunsaturated fatty acids. The same fatty acids that suppress thyroid function, have estrogenic effects”

– Dr Ray Peat.  Natural Estrogens

 

“Isoflavones (which are no being promotes as “antioxidants”) are toxic to many organs and have clear estrogenic effects…when they are present prenatally, they cause feminization of the male genitalia and early maturisation of the female offspring”

“American woman who eat soy products undergo changes that appear to predispose them to cancer”

-Dr Ray Peat.  Natural Estrogens

DR RAY PEATS CARROT SALAD

Dr. Ray Peat’s carrot salad is a daily favourite for reducing excessive endotoxins.   Daily carrot salad (grated carrot with coconut oil, sea salt and vinegar) or bamboo shoots help bind to unused estrogens and flush them outs. (Also helps with regularity)   The carrot fiber has both a bowel protective and an antiestrogenic effect.     In studies, several woman who suffered from PMS, had their serum estrogen measured before and after eating carrot salad and they found that the carrot lowered their estrogen within a few days, as it relived their symptoms”

PROTEIN

Pro-Metabolic Nutrition also ensures enough quality protein is consumed to nourish the liver so that the liver can do its job and detoxify excess estrogens.

HORMONES IN FOODS

I encourage everyone to be very aware of added hormones to meat, grain fed beef, cage chickens and eggs. The additional hormones these animals eat or have had injected into them we consume. This can add to our potential hormonal imbalance. Our livers are great at doing their job but if this precious organ is overloaded with synthetic estrogens there will simply be an imbalance. I encourage the use of grass fed beef, gelatin from grass feed produce, organic chickens and free range eggs.

NATURAL SUGARS

Natural simple sugars (ripe tropical fruit, raw honey, pulp free orange juice) are included in all Pro-Metabolic meal plans.   Simple sugars are digested quicker therefore are less likely to ferment in the intestines causing endoxtions and bloating.

Reducing estrogen and eating more simple sugars are also a great way to get rid of bloating.  When food is eliminated quickly and the transit time is accelerated it prevents the reabsorption of the estrogen which have been ejected by bile.

Simple sugars are also correlated with reducing cortisol. A high stressed state (excess cortisol) will elevate estrogen.

GELATIN

Gelatin (hydrolyzed collagen powder) is used as it supports progesterone production, which opposes excess estrogen

http://empoweredsustenance.com/collagen-hydrolysate-gelatin-hormones/

PRO-THYROID FOOD

Hypothyroidism leads to Hypoestrogenism.    People who have a thyroid deficiency typically have elevated estrogen levels.   So this is an integral part of hormonal balancing.  Thyroid hormone supports progesterone and progesterone opposes estrogen.

Eating a pro-metabolic diet is one of the very first strategies to increase thyroid hormone conversion which in turn balances estrogen and progesterone.   This is why I created both the 12 week Thrive and Burn and the 8 week hormonal balancing meal plans

https://www.prometaboliclife.com/meal-plans/

The purpose of these Pro-Metabolic meal plans and the attached information is to teach you how  nutritional as well as lifestyle strategies (reducing stress, sunlight, sleep) can help to balance hormones to help reduce body fat and create a healthier body.

Whilst hormones remain unbalanced…belly fat can remain a real struggle.

Xenoestrogens

Unbeknownst to many of us, we are constantly being exposed to estrogens in our environment from the food we eat and the chemicals we use. Xenoestrogens in the form of chemicals and food additives, along with strong plant estrogens (phytoestrogens), actually mimic the action of estrogen produced in cells and can alter hormonal activity.   Pro-Metabolic nutrition ensures all food that is eaten is chemical and additive free.

Xenoestrogens found in certain pesticides, plastics, fuels and drugs are usually synthetic and difficult for the body to break down, and can mimic the effects of estrogen in the body. These substances can increase the estrogen load in the body over time, and are difficult to detoxify through the liver.

Sources of Xenoestrogens:

• Commercially raised meat
•  Canned foods
• Plastics, plastic food wraps
• Styrofoam cups
• Personal care products
• Pesticides and herbicides
•  Car exhaust and indoor toxins
• Cosmetics
• Detergents
• All artificial scent
• Air fresheners, perfumes
  

  Phytoestrogens

  Phytoestrogens (phyto meaning plant) are naturally occurring estrogenic compounds that are found in a variety of foods, herbs and spices. Their chemical structure resembles biological estrogen and can act similarly in the body. Stronger phytoestrogens include soy and the lignans found in flaxseed products. Soy includes soybeans, soy milk, tofu, tempeh, textured vegetable protein, roasted soybeans, soy granules, soy protein powders, miso, and edamames.

  Overconsumption of phytoestrogenic foods or herbs on a long term basis may actually increase the risk of estrogen dominance significantly.

  Furthermore, phytoestrogens have been shown to inhibit the conversion of T4 to the active T3 thyroid hormone, and can trigger hypothyroidism. It is suggested that those with a history of thyroid imbalance, or suffering from estrogen dominance, should consume a minimum amount of phytoestrogens.

  A pro-metabolic nutrition plan avoids nutrients containing phyoestogrens.

MY FINAL WORD

Excess estrogen directly lowers body temperature, therefore lowering metabolic rate, energy, health and fat burning.

Excess estrogen slows metabolism.   The links between estrogen, endometriosis, PMS and cancer are well documented.   Excess Estrogen basically contributes to all the conditions involved in aging (degeneration, inflammation, illness) and fat gain.

MY BEST TIPS TO REDUCE HORMONAL BELLY FAT

1. Eat more Pro-Metabolic food (simple sugars, quality protein, saturated fat,  Research has found that treating metabolic deficiency is the most effective approach to balance hormones.   https://www.prometaboliclife.com/8-week-hormone-balancing-meal-plan/
2. Avoid foods high in phytoestrogens –
3. Be aware of chemical laden skin care products.   I cannot express enough how important it is to use chemical free organic skin care products.  Skin absorbs everything – chemical laden products result in a surplus of excess estrogen.  Don’t feed cellulite or disrupt your endocrine system by slapping on moisturises with parabens, parfums and sodium laurel sulphate.
4. Reduce stress of all kinds
5. Include Gelatin or bone broth and ofcourse the carrot salad recipe (which helps flush out excess endotoxins), These 3 are included in all my meal plans.

MY PRO-METABOLIC MEAL PLANS

To get serious about belly fat, get serious about hormonal health and nutrition.

My 12 week Pro-Metabolic Thrive and Burn meal plans will help decrease excess estrogen and increase thyroid production. They have been designed specifically around foods which will upregulate metabolic rate and reduce excess estrogen. These plans are based on the scientific research of leading endocrinologist Dr Ray Peat.

https://www.prometaboliclife.com/meal-plans/

INDIVIDUALISED NUTRITION CONSULT WITH ME

I am currently offering one on one individual consultations with me where I can assess your nutrition, training and lifestyle and prepare a specific nutrition plan to suit your metabolic rate, hormonal balance, health, likes, dislikes and goals.  Click this link to send me a message if you want more information

https://www.prometaboliclife.com/contact/

Three really great journal articles by Dr Peat

http://raypeat.com/articles/aging/aging-estrogen-progesterone.shtml

http://raypeat.com/articles/articles/tissue-bound-estrogen.shtml

http://raypeat.com/articles/hormones/h1.shtml