6 Habits That Balance Hormones and Help You Maintain a Healthy Weight

Trying to lose weight so that you are maintaining your healthy body composition can certainly seem like a challenge at times.  With the numerous kinds of diets, drinks, pills and powders claiming to be the best weight loss or weight gain resolution on the market, finding out where to start can be daunting.

No matter where you are on your health journey, balancing your hormones enables your body to be healthier overall.  And by being healthier, it helps you to reach your proper body weight and physique, all while feeling good and energized.

But, how can hormones be helped through nutrition and lifestyle factors? 

Since the body has interconnected pathways that communicate and support each other, it is important to look at the various key players in the foundation of our health.  One of those areas is nutrition!  As the foods we consume help support our body’s pathways, allow for proper digestive function and provide hormone levels to be in ideal ranges.

When considering excess weight gain, it has been shown to create inflammation and oxidative stress in the body, encouraging more fat storage.  This creates a nasty cycle of hormonal imbalance and unwanted symptoms which can lead to disease that greatly affect your health.

The goal…

The goal to improving your health and maintaining a healthy weight is to restore hormonal disparities, thus helping you control cravings and reduce the storage of excess body fat; especially adipose tissue.

Belly fat hormones, specifically insulin, leptin, cortisol, growth hormone and adiponectin, need to be in proper balance to help reduce excess belly fat.  This can be done by choosing to consumer certain foods that help you maintain your muscle and burn fat, while staying away from foods that encourage belly fat storage.

Here are 6 habits, mostly food, that help balance hormones so you can lose weight.

Consume Protein

The over-consumption of carbohydrates and under-consumption of protein can disrupt our blood glucose levels, hormone balance and lead to weight gain.  Wild-caught salmon or cod, organic grass-fed beef, chicken or turkey, and legumes can help limit inflammation and keep your body full and nourished.  Aim for about 10 grams of protein in a snack and about 30 grams of protein in a meal.

Eliminate the Liquid Calories

Consuming soda, sugary juices and alcohol allow the body to help store belly fat.  In addition, they are not packed with the fiber and micronutrients needed to support metabolic pathways.  If you really want to lose your excess and unwanted adipose tissue, eliminating these liquid calories can enable you to reach your health and fitness goals.

Add Purslane to Your Meals

The green vegetable that contains the highest source of omega-3 fatty acids and melatonin is Purslane.  Omega-3’s greatly improve brain productivity, such as strengthening brain connection synapses, which boosts memory and learning.  Try adding purslane to your salad or smoothie, lightly steamed or thrown in on top of stir-fry for a quick flash to be mixed with the rest of your meal.  Purslane is somewhat crunchy and has a slight lemony taste.  Some people see it similar to watercress or spinach, where often it can be substituted in many recipes for spinach.

Minimize Excess Sugars

Excess sugar can be harmful to your metabolism.  When we consume sugar, especially in the form of fructose, it goes directly to our liver to be stored as fat.  Further impacts within our body occur when we eat this sugar, such as the resistance to insulin and leptin, inflammation, harm to our liver, and an increase in visceral fat.

Increase Adiponectin

Adiponectin is a hormone that interacts between our fat cells and brain cells.  When adiponectin is low, it can result in storing more body fat.  Whereas when we have a normal range of adiponectin in our bloodstream, it enables the body to burn more fat.  Some things that raise adiponectin are consuming pistachios and pumpkin seeds, ensuring you are getting a good amount of magnesium in your daily diet, and eating at least 35 grams of fiber each day.

Exercise Properly

Depending upon your specific health situation, certain types of exercise have been shown to help reduce body fat and increase muscle.  Strength training (utilizing body weight or weights) burn more fat than steady cardio.  When putting strength training and cardio into the same weekly workout program, the results are even more beneficial – helping to regulate hormones better, decrease body fat, and improve the body’s function.

To learn more about how to address your individual health concerns, schedule your complementary 15-minute phone consultation where we’ll discuss answers to questions you have regarding your health situation and how I can help you reach your goals.

Here’s to a healthy digestive system and better hormone balance, thus a healthier you!

Warmly,

Stacy