Can Hormones Cause Weight Gain?

The Answer is Yes!

The importance of Hormonal Imbalances in relation to weight loss is greatly underrated and misunderstood. A common misconception is that hormonal imbalances are reserved for women of a menopausal age. This could not be farther from the truth. In fact men and women of all ages have hormones coursing through their bodies. Hormones are secreted into our bloodstream to regulate every single aspect of our bodily functions. Mood, growth, development, characteristics and metabolism are all governed by our hormones, released through our endocrine system. Can a hormonal imbalance contribute to weight gain? Absolutely.



Stress is one of the biggest factors in weight gain. Whether it be work, relationships, commitments etc, most of us are putting ourselves under a great deal of stress that our bodies simply can't handle. The reason there is such a high level of obesity in our day and age is because as we have evolved, we have learnt to live in this constant state of stress.
The human body was designed with a protective mechanism - 'the fight or flight response'. This function, when in situations of danger, would release a sequence of adrenaline giving us extra strength to secure ourselves to safety. In the event of a threat, our bodies are pumped with adrenaline making us alert and focused, cortisol is released which converts protein to energy, releasing stored energy glycogen - giving our body fuel to quickly respond. Once the threat has been averted the body returns to normal function and normal levels of cortisol return.
Our bodies are programmed to release cortisol to deal with short term stress. The problem is that living in a state of chronic stress, as most people are, causes the body to sustain the high level of cortisol. We have become so accustomed to living a life of stress that we no longer feel 'stressed' it has turned into a natural state for us. And that's where the problems start. Our adrenal glands fall into 'adrenal fatigue' putting the whole balance of the body into jeopardy because the adrenal glands can't function as they should.
The danger with this, is that our adrenal glands play a significant role in to our weight as it is the bodies 1st line of defense and response to emotional stress. Weight gain, mood swings, cravings, fatigue and depression are all possible results of adrenal failure as well as your bodies defense to cope with emotional stress is now disabled. This can then go onto affecting the thyroid stimulating hormone, in turn producing an underactive thyroid. This would primarily slow down your metabolism adding further problems to weight.
As you can see not only do hormones play a massive role in regulating the balance of our bodies, they are a large contributing factor to weight gain. This is only scratching the surface of the hormone systems, but the adrenal glands are perhaps one of the most important areas of focus when correcting weight problems.
If you are struggling with your weight, you can get your bodies metabolism working again in harmony with your hormones.
1. Do not starve yourself - going hungry will only cause your adrenals to pump out excess cortisol. Make the time for yourself to eat and prepare healthy choices for yourself.
2. Rest - make sure you are getting enough sleep. Your body needs this time to restore and re-energize so don't rob yourself of some well deserved resting time
3. Exercise - If your struggling to lose your weight, why not take control and start a fitness program. Get motivated - our bodies were made to be active.
4. Diet - Foods play havoc with our hormones so if you really want to improve your health, weight and energy levels eat food that will improve your quality of life. Eating for energy has fantastic tips to improving your life with raw foods, fruits and vegetables. You can make the choice to change your life.

Christine Jacobs is a qualified Naturopath who provides quality information on health for women alongside other experts at [http://healthandexerciseforwomen.com]

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