Coppell Personal Trainer and Boot Camp Health Tip: Combat Weight Gain Due to Hormone Imbalances

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(Free-Press-Release.com) October 14, 2009 -- Coppell Personal Trainer and Boot Camp Health Tip: Combat Weight Gain Due to Hormone Imbalances

Hormone imbalances can have a great impact on weight – both in gaining weight and efforts to lose it. My goal through this week’s tip is to try and simplify your understanding of how hormone imbalances come about and what you can do to correct or prevent it from happening.
Why understanding hormone imbalances is important

Typically and in an optimal state, hormones work in perfect harmony together to help keep your body running smoothly and healthy. When just one hormone is out of balance, it can cause all sorts of problems. Many times these imbalances can and often do lead to weight gain.
Hormones: Simplified (I hope!)

Our bodies produce many hormones, but there are three hormones in particular that play a key role in aging and weight gain: Insulin, stress (adrenaline and cortisol are the primary stress hormones), and estrogen hormones.

Insulin plays a huge role within our bodies as it relates to metabolism and body fat. Its main job is to regulate the absorption of sugar (or glucose) into our body’s cells. Glucose is our body’s primary source of energy or “fuel” and is needed to perform any physical task. What we put into our bodies makes a big difference on how well insulin can perform its function.

Sugar gets in our bodies through carbohydrates (carbs). Foods in their natural state, (such as fruits, vegetables and whole grains) are the “good carbs”. “Bad carbs” are those foods that are refined and processed. Typically, most of the nutritional value has been stripped from these foods. When are diets regularly consist of bad carbs, over time this type of eating behavior can lead to a condition known as insulin resistance. “When you are insulin resistant your body converts every calorie it can into fat — even if you’re dieting. And it won't let you burn fat when you exercise.”¹

How to fight back and return your hormones to perfect harmony
• First, focus on a healthy diet. One that consists of lean meat, low-fat dairy, whole grains, lots of veggies and fruits as well as healthy oils and minimized alcohol intake.

By simply changing what you put in your body, you will immediately begin to see changes in how you feel. You will have more energy, (which will allow you to deal with your stress better), you will most likely sleep better, (adding further to your energy level) and you may even start to lose weight! By putting good calories in your body, your insulin will quit converting the calories to fat and allow your body to begin burning calories.
• Second and very simply put – just move! Start walking. Dance around the house. Stretch. Join a gym. Buy some inexpensive workout DVD’s. Hire a personal trainer or join a fitness boot camp (we have some in Dallas and Coppell)

¹ Source: Womentowomen.com

Written by: Julie McCan, CPT Julie is on the www.GetYouInShape.com team of personal trainers.

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