How did that belly fat get there?
You realize one day that your jeans got tighter and what’s worse, it came with a muffin top.
How did this happen if you haven’t changed your diet, eating habits and exercise?
The answer: hormonal imbalances! The usual culprits are cortisol, insulin, thyroid and estrogen.
Cortisol and Insulin: Stress-induced Hormones
These 2 are often overlooked as reasons for weight-loss resistance.
Cortisol is your body’s alarm system: a stress hormone that is released by the adrenal glands to enable you to run faster, see further, hear better and pump fuel (sugar) into your bloodstream for quick energy in times of “danger”. A short burst of cortisol is necessary for survival like running away from a tiger or a car careening out of control into your direction.
There is one caveat: our bodies and minds cannot differentiate between running from a dangerous situation versus getting a nasty email your toxic boss or receiving news that your child is hospitalized from an injury sustained in a soccer tournament
These instances are recognized by our bodies and minds as “dangerous” and our cortisol skyrockets.
This signals the release of glucose into the bloodstream and insulin is secreted by the pancreas to convert glucose into energy for our muscles to “fight or flee”.
All of this is perfectly normal in the short term, but if left unchecked, prolonged stress and high levels of cortisol cause high glucose levels and eventually a condition called insulin resistance which results in slowing of your metabolism, tiredness, belly fat (aka muffin top), high blood pressure, high cholesterol and muscle loss.
Any kind of worry, thought, fear of what might go wrong can all become real stressors. While short-lived, we carry them with us and don’t know how to reset our mindset. If you have survived trauma, it can live in your body even after the original stressor is gone.
Stress is part of our modern lives and it would be unrealistic to eliminate it completely, but we can cope better with lifestyle interventions:
Have positive thoughts. This is the most powerful long-term strategy to be happy and reduce stress. We often over-think, over-analyze and make presumptions that often turn out to be untrue. These make us spiral into the dark abyss of negativity. This is totally unnecessary!
Practice meditation and breathwork. There are plenty of apps with guided meditation. Pick one that resonates with you. It might be as simple as learning deep breathing or listening to a soothing voice of reason! Try the Insight Timer app.
Take time out for deep relaxation. This could be going to a sauna or simply soaking in your tub at home. Elevating your temperature helps to discharge stress from the body and help reduce stress hormones.
Make time for social gatherings. This may sound cliched but taking the time to love and connect with family and friends is powerful healing medicine.
Thyroid
Current research indicates that about 200 million people are suffering from hypothyroidism (low-thyroid function). This silent epidemic affects one in five women and one in ten men. Unfortunately, in over half of these cases, this condition isn’t diagnosed properly. Hypothyroidism is one of the major reasons for weight-loss resistance.
A plethora of reasons can impact your thyroid:
Diet: Dr Alessio Fasano’s research has indicated that gluten proteins especially those from products made from modern wheat, rye and barley can only be partially digested by humans. These proteins are seen as foreign invaders by our immune systems and therefore start attacking them, resulting in autoimmune diseases, thyroid disorders, gut microbiome imbalances etc., all of which have a direct impact on our hormones creating mood disorders, chronic fatigue, menstrual irregularities, infertility, etc.
Therefore limiting (or entirely eliminating) gluten from your diet can help to provide relief.
Nutrient deficiencies: the lack of selenium, zinc, iodine and omega-3 fats.
Environmental toxins: pesticides and heavy metals.
Most doctors don’t test for thyroid function correctly - mine certainly didn’t! Even when they do diagnose it, they don’t treat it effectively by optimizing thyroid function through diet, supplements and the right thyroid hormone replacement therapy.
Some tips on managing our thyroid:
Get the right tests for thyroid function. Ask your doctor to check your thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), free T3 and T4 markers, as well as thyroid antibodies including thyroid peroxidase (TPO) and anti-thyroglobulin antibodies. I also recommend measuring reverse T3 (rT3) to check if heavy metals (mercury), pesticides, yeast or nutritional deficiencies like selenium, vitamin D, zinc or even iodine could block thyroid hormone function.
Dr. Mark Hyman once wrote: “rT3 is the brake that stops your thyroid hormone from working at the right times. Toxins and inflammation increase levels of rT3. Even if regular thyroid tests appear normal, high levels of rT3 mean your thyroid is not working properly!”
Overwhelmed? Don’t be!
Join me in my spring detox program as I guide you into achieving weight loss and hormonal wellness!