APPETITE HORMONAL BALANCE AND MENSTRUAL HEALTH
REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH AND FOOD
BEFORE YOU READ THIS GUIDE... An appetite is a person's natural desire to satisfy a bodily need or craving, especially for food. Your appetite regulates your energy intake and maintains your metabolism, but it also has an effect on the hormonal processes in the body. A healthy appetite is created through having a structured and disciplined eating regimen that provides the body with an adequate amount of energy throughout the day to maintain a stable metabolic rate. When you have a poor appetite or an appetite that is never satisfied, it can very easily cause an irregular menstrual cycle, infertility, ovarian disorders, diabetes, excess belly fat, hormonal acne, and male pattern hair growth(facial, chest or back hair). PAGE 01
THIS GUIDE WILL TEACH YOU HOW TO STABILIZE YOUR APPETITE IN ORDER TO PROMOTE HORMONAL BALANCE AND KEEP YOUR PERIODS REGULATED. You should check in with your physcian to see if it’s safe for you to use this eating regimen. This information is meant to bring awareness to how appetite effects hormonal balance but is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Do not wait to seek medical counsel, diagnosis or treatment.
HOW OFTEN YOU EAT MATTERS JUST AS MUCH AS WHAT YOU EAT
LATERRIA PATTON
PAGE 02
"NOW I WANT SOMETHING SWEET" Eating a diet that is high in carbohydrates causes a hormonal imbalance because your insulin levels are rising too fast. PAGE 03
Insulin is a hormone that keeps your blood sugar levels from getting too high. When your insulin levels are not stable, you can experience symptoms such as craving foods that are high in sugar, shakiness, always hungry, dizziness, drowsiness, etc. Insulin is released into the your blood by your pancreas. When the pancreas is being overworked and malfunctioning because its secreting too much insulin, it can not properly perform the role that it plays within your endocrine system. Your endocrine system is the group of organs that are responsible for producing and secreting all the hormones that the body needs to function. This is the reason why insulin levels that are not stable throughout the day cause irregular periods as well as other hormonal imbalance symptoms.
Click this link to learn more about how often you can eat foods high in carbs without causing a hormonal imbalance and get a list of foods that are high in carbs.
"SOME DAYS I EAT TOO MANY TIMES AND OTHER DAYS I DON'T EAT ENOUGH" Leptin is the hormone that decreases your appetite. Ghrelin is the hormone that increases your appetite. If any one of these are imbalanced, your appetite will be too. Its nearly impossible to keep your blood sugar levels stabilized throughout the day if you are eating too many times a day or not enough times a day. You can train your leptin and ghrelin levels to remain stable by eating small meals and snacks every 3 hours, never eat less than 3 times per day and eat within 3 hours of waking up. If your meal or snack is not a small portion, divide it in half and enjoy the rest 3 hours later. It can take as little as 3 weeks to notice a difference in your appetite if you're consistent. You also need to consume at least 50-60 grams of protein daily to keep your leptin and ghrelin levels balanced. Including a food that is high in protein in each meal and snack can easily provide you with the amount you need daily. Its important that you never skip meals because you need to eat 3-5 meals per day. Its best that you drink a small 8 oz. smoothie that includes a plantbased protein powder when you don't feel like eating at all.
Click here to see my recommendation for a high-quality plant-based protein powder. PAGE 04
"I CAN'T EAT EVERY 3 HOURS WHEN I'M SLEEP" Glucagon is a hormone produced by the pancreas to maintain stable blood sugar levels when you're not eating for long periods of time. Glucagon keeps your blood sugar levels from dropping too low the same way the insulin keeps it from rising too high. Glucagon is important because it stabilizes your blood sugar levels when you're fasting and sleeping. When your glucagon levels are imbalanced, your body believes that it is starving and will begin to store body fat, especially around your belly. You may notice other symptoms such as irregular menstrual cycle and male pattern hair growth on your face, chest or back. You can balance your glucagon levels by not going to bed on a full stomach. Cut your last meal off 3 hours before you're scheduled to fall asleep, but also don't extend the window of time past 3 hours because your body will think its starving and store the fat anyways for survival purposes.
"HUNGER DUE TO NUTRITIONAL DEFICIENCIES IS A DIFFERENT TYPE OF PAIN." Uncontrollable hunger and late night cravings often come from daily nutritional needs not being met. Calcium, Magnesium, Vitamin D3, Zinc and B Vitamins are the nutrients that have a direct effect on your appetite. When you're getting an adequate amount daily, you'll have less late-night cravings because your body feels satisfied. You're more than likely are not going to get enough of these nutrients just from food alone, so I highly recommend you get them from a high-quality supplement.
My B-Vitamin supplement recommendation My multivitamin recommendation (calcium, magnesium, vitamin D3 and zinc) PAGE 05
FOLLOW ON INSTAGRAM
@LATERRIAPATTON
PAGE 06