NEWSBITES

NEWS*BITES

Top 5 Hormones to Balance for Weight Loss

BY VERA TWEED

“Your weight loss journey is not just about how much you’re eating,” says

Lacey Dunn, RD, author of The

Women’s Guide to Hormonal

Harmony and founder of UpliftFit

Nutrition (upliftfitnutrition.com).

“It’s also about how well your hormones are balanced,” she says, “because hormones affect your metabolism, which affects weight and weight loss.”

After helping thousands of women overcome hormonal chaos, Dunn has identified the best ways to restore harmony. The following five hormones, she says, are the most important ones to address because they also enable healthy function of the hunger and satiety hormones leptin and ghrelin, as well as serotonin for mood.

Insulin—Insulin resistance, which occurs when the body doesn’t respond to insulin, causing blood sugar levels to

Supplements for Hormone Balance

Along with a high-quality daily multi, Dunn recommends taking one of more of the following:

* Myo-inositol: It enhances insulin sensitivity and progesterone levels. Take 2–4 grams daily at any time of day, with or without food. * Chasteberry (Vitex): It balances estrogen and progesterone. Take 400 mg with a meal in the morning. Some people have trouble sleeping if they take it later in the day. * Maca root: It balances sex hormones, helping to raise levels that are low.

Take 300–600 mg once daily, between meals. become erratic and rise, is a root cause of hormone imbalance and weight problems. It makes your body store fat, stops you from losing weight, and saps energy.

Cortisol—This hormone helps you deal with stress, and when working properly, it’s anti-inflammatory. But chronic stress keeps cortisol elevated and makes it pro-inflammatory. High cortisol also increases appetite.

Thyroid—Low levels slow down your metabolism and lead to weight gain or di culty losing weight. High cortisol and environmental toxins are common suppressors of thyroid hormone.

Estrogen and Progesterone—Estrogen dominance (too much estrogen in relation to progesterone) contributes to insulin resistance and thyroid imbalance. The result is weight-loss resistance.

How to Restore Balance

Restoring insulin function opens the door to hormone balance and weight loss. Dunn recommends choosing high-fiber carbs that don’t come in packages, eating enough protein, managing stress, getting enough sleep, and exercising daily.

Resistance training helps your body respond to insulin and stop hoarding fat. And aerobic exercise is necessary for overall healthy metabolism.

Avoid toxins, including unfiltered tap water; fragrances in skincare and cleaning products, detergents, and candles; and toxins in plastic food containers. All of these chemicals disrupt hormones.

Most Adults and Children Lack Omega-3 Fats

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend omega-3 fats to maintain good health, but a recent study concluded that over 95 percent of children and 68 percent of adults don’t get enough. The study looked specifically at levels of EPA and DHA, which are found in fish, fish oil, and vegan supplements made from plant sources of EPA and DHA. If you don’t routinely eat fish, supplements can fill the gap. For children, flavored liquid supplements can be easier to take than capsules. ASHWAGANDHA Improves

Athletic Endurance and Recovery

An adaptogen used traditionally to balance stress, ashwagandha also improves athletic endurance and recovery, according to a recent study published in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology. Researchers compared the e ects of the supplement and a placebo in a group of 50 healthy, athletic adults over a period of 8 weeks.

In the study, those who took an ashwagandha root extract improved endurance in the heart, lungs, and muscles; recovered more easily from exercise; and had more energy. Those taking the placebo did not experience similar benefits.

The dose of ashwagandha root extract in the study was 300 mg, taken twice daily.

Just 1 Cup of Leafy Greens Improves Heart Health

A Danish study has found that over time, eating just one cup of leafy greens daily can reduce risk for heart disease by about 15 percent. Researchers drew this conclusion after tracking the diets and health of more than 53,000 people for 23 years. They found that those who ate the most

nitrate-rich vegetables were least likely to develop heart disease, have a stroke, or su er from circulatory problems.

Nitrates in vegetables trigger your internal production of nitric oxide, a gas that dilates blood vessels and helps to keep blood pressure in a healthy range. Although all vegetables contain nitrates, some contain higher levels. In addition to leafy greens, beets, beet juice, and beet powder are rich sources of nitrates that have been found to lower blood pressure.