Hormones and Weight Loss!!

Many people say, "am eating right and exercising, but I still can’t seem to lose weight". The same diet and fitness plans that have been working since years is suddenly not working now. You might not realise that fluctuating hormones could be a culprit and balancing your hormones can help you in weight loss at any age.

The hormones has its impact on many things like our mood, our appearance and of course our weight too all the time. They fluctuate regularly and also this continues for the rest of our lives. The more we understand them, the better we can manage them. So let’s understand how hormonal imbalances hold you back from weight loss and how we can balance hormones naturally to maintain a healthier weight.

ESTROGEN:

Estrogen is a female sex hormone. Estrogen imbalance, also called Estrogen Dominance, in your body can slower your metabolism and the ability to store fat increases.

How to naturally balance estrogen for weight loss:

To lower estrogen levels naturally, eat 200-300 grams of vegetables per day. The fibre which is present in the vegetables helps you to remove the estrogen from your body. Women, who seek to lose weight, include 35-40 grams of fibre per day but increase the amount gradually to avoid stomach upset. Another important point is avoid red meat and all processed foods from your diet.

INSULIN:

Insulin is a hormone that has many functions but to put it in a simple way, it works as a key to allow cells to take in nutrients. After food intake, when the blood sugar levels rise, insulin is released and act as a key in lock, opening the cells to absorb the excess glucose.

When your body can’t shuttle sugar to the muscle cells to utilize (because of physical inactivity), the liver converts the excess glucose into fat, for safe storage in your fat cells.

How to naturally balance Insulin for weight loss:

Drink at least 500 ml of water every morning before you eat anything. This acts as body’s natural flush.

Managing carbohydrate consumption work remarkably well to keep insulin levels low. Get enough protein and try to eat small and frequent meals.

Include those exercises which particularly use the stored glucose in body like high intensity interval training or heavy weight lifting.

CORTISOL:

Cortisol is known as a stress hormone. It is released in response to stress in our body. Because of the multiple stress factors in day to day lives, the cortisol levels are constantly elevated. The increase in cortisol levels increases the glucose levels in blood which trigger the fat accumulation especially in the abdominal region.

This stress hormone can also mess with another hormone called leptin, a hormone responsible for making us feel full and satisfied. This means that when we are too much stressed, we end up eating more than we actually need.

How to naturally balance Cortisol:

Reducing stress, limiting coffee and tea, not over exercising and getting decent amounts of sleep are all ways to reduce your cortisol levels.

LEPTIN:

Leptin is a hormone that is released by fat cells. Its primary function is to tell our brain that we are full or satiated. This acts as a signal to stop eating. When leptin signalling is working properly, your appetite is suppressed and your desire to eat stops.

When you are overweight, with a lot of fat, lots of leptin is produced. One side with the elevated leptin levels and the other side the insulin resistance (due to physical inactivity) the receptors stop receiving the signal and you overeat. This leads to weight gain.

The high levels of insulin in the bloodstream actually block the signals from leptin from reaching your brain. So keeping insulin levels low helps in leptin signalling. Reducing body fat levels over a period of time, results in less leptin being produced and released.

How to naturally balance leptin for weight loss:

Balance your leptin levels by getting enough sleep. Deprivation of sleep lowers your leptin levels and actually increases your body’s desire for fatty and carbohydrate rich foods. If you suspect leptin imbalance, make sleep your priority.

Others ways to balance leptin include taking omega 3 rich foods such as fish and sea foods, nuts and seeds. Limit the intake of simple sugars and exercise regularly.

The bottom line is, if you have been struggling to lose weight but can’t figure out what’s possibly wrong, then your hormones has to be blamed. You can consult a doctor to test your hormones levels and consult a dietitian to make long term positive changes to the diet to have a harmony in your hormones. 

Fruit Myths! A Basket Full of Misconceptions!!

Since my childhood, am always a fruit lover and used have them in abundance and also a variety of them. Now when people around me often come up with various ’beliefs’ about fruits then I started researching more about the true facts. Fruits are the natural power houses giving us many essential nutrients along with energy and fibre. So today, I wish to pen down some very important points about fruits and busting some common fruit myths.

Let’s discuss now what the right time to have a fruit:

The best time to consume fruit is as a mid morning or mid evening snack. This way, we can help ourselves, as the calories disseminate throughout the day and also help in better absorption of nutrients. 

The problem of combining fruits with other main foods is, - the nutrients in fruits are very small and we need them in minimal quantities, so they are called the micronutrients. When the food is digested and nutrients in gut are ready to absorb, often the macronutrients compete and does not permit the micronutrients to enter the stream. So most of the time eating fruit with other foods does not ensure the bioavailability of these nutrients in the blood. So eating them separately helps. 

There are certain micronutrient absorption enhancers which help them to move ahead. For example for better absorption of iron, vitamin c acts as an enhancer.

Eating fruits instead of your main meal:

Most of them think as fru­­its are low on calories, they can have as many as they like. Fruits contain simple sugars and also fair amount of calories. Some are low in calories but not all. Few are very high in calories too. A single sapodilla(sapota) may provide around 90 calories. Eating a bunch of four is equivalent to a large meal. Unknowingly eating excessive intake of fruits results in excess calories. It’s not advisable to eat much after 8 pm as our metabolism slows down as the day progresses and is the slowest by bedtime.

Fruits during cold and cough will worsen it:

This is the most common myth people carry and always avoid fruits whenever any one has a bit of infection. This is actually not true. Fruits are rich in vitamin c and other micronutrients which help in building immunity and therefore help us fight against cold and cough 

Whole fruits Vs Juices:

A lot many people think drinking fruit juice is as good as eating a whole fruit. Be aware that you are missing so many other important nutrients like vitamins, minerals and fibre. Drinking juices is a convenient option but not a wholesome healthy one. Juices, being a liquid, remain in tummy for a very short time releasing quick energy where as a fruit helps in disseminating the energy slowly, which further helps in maintaining your weight and health. 

Fresh Vs Canned:

Anything fresh is always healthier than anything that comes in tins as it contains preservatives, high sodium levels and sugar content. That adds to your weight and water retention issues too.

Locally grown Vs Imported:

Always look for seasonal and locally grown produce. Locally grown fruits have to be sold within a time frame and due to this reason they are available during the season at a cheaper price. Imported fruits appear attractive but they contain fewer nutrients. Besides, the imported varieties appear to be brighter and fresher than the locally available fruits, but this is due to preservation. As fruits spoil during transportation due to handling and packing, there are modifications to help them survive the journey better. 

One universal truth is all fruits and vegetables are healthy foods. Different fruits have different things to offer. While all fruits offer fibre and energy, each fruit has its unique nutritional profile. Red, yellow and orange fruits are rich in antioxidants. Whereas fruits which can be eaten with skin such as guava, are rich in fibre. Bananas and sapodilla (chikoo) give instant energy. Kiwis and grapes increase your fluids. Melons are refreshing fruits soaked with nutrients. Therefore do not limit yourself and omit any fruit from your diet.