Hormones and Weight

Do you struggle to lose or maintain your ideal weight? Your hormones may be sabotaging your weight loss efforts!

Hormones are messengers throughout your body - instructing your cells and organs - and help regulate many body processes such as metabolism and weight.

Many women have underlying hormone imbalances that cause much frustration in regards to regulating weight.

The most common hormone imbalances that may be influencing your weight include -

THYROID FUNCTION

Many women have under-active thyroid function and lower than ideal thyroid hormone levels (T4 and T3) which regulate our weight and metabolism, along with many other influences particularly on our energy and mood. If you have been told your thyroid is ‘fine’ after a blood test, you may still have an under-active thyroid and can read more here.

INSULIN RESISTANCE

Insulin helps to regulate blood sugar levels and keep them within an ideal range. When the demand for insulin is excessive - primarily from consuming too much sugar, sweet foods/drinks and refined grains - you can become insulin resistant, meaning you need more and more insulin to have the same effect.

This imbalance is mostly associated with diabetes, but is becoming more common, occuring at younger ages and contributes to the development of many chronic health issues. Insulin resistance is also a major factor in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). You can read more about insulin resistance and how to improve it here.

CORTISOL

Many women live in a constant stressed state which results in increased cortisol and adrenaline. Cortisol is protective and energising in acute bursts but our bodies are not designed to handle ongoing stress and will eventually reach burn out. Along the way our ability to regulate weight will be impacted in a number of ways.

Cortisol slows metabolism by impairing thyroid function, may lead to comfort eating or poorer food choices, contributes to other hormone imbalances, impacts gut bacteria balance, and increased cortisol levels are linked to increased abdominal fat cells. Stress impacts every area of our body and managing stress is key to keeping your hormones and weight in a happy balance!

SEX HORMONES

The most common imbalance for women is higher estrogens in relation to progesterone. This estrogenic environment encourages weight to be stored around the hips and thighs, and you may experience other symptoms such as PMS, fluid retention, sore breasts, painful or heavy periods, fibroids and endometriosis.

Many factors can encourage this imbalance especially ongoing stress, use of the Pill and exposure to estrogenic chemicals (skin care, make up, fragrances, cleaning products, plastics and pesticides). Especially as women we can be applying and exposing ourselves to a huge amount of these chemicals everyday!

Estrogen plays a significant role in the regulation of adipose tissue or fat cells, and these cells can also contribute to the production of more estrogen. Optimal liver and digestive function is important in helping your body to remove these excess estrogens.

Hormone imbalances have numerous impacts on weight regulation, and while supplements can help restore hormone balance there are also steps you can take in your daily life to support happy hormones and improve weight regulation.

Here’s my top 5 tips -

• Stress Management to help reduce cortisol. Lack of sleep, caffeine and alcohol can all increase cortisol, while gentle to moderate exercise can help to reduce cortisol. Here are some other cortisol lowering tips.

• Follow a low sugar lifestyle to regulate blood sugar and insulin - you can read more here.

• Include a variety of vegetables and fibre to support digestive health and removal of excess hormones and chemicals.

• Make sleep a priority as this influences other hormone levels and weight regulation.

• Switch to non-toxic products, use glass/ceramic/stainless steel over plastics and choose spray free or organic produce whenever possible.

If you need help assessing your hormones and restoring hormone balance I’d love to help you.

Marion McConnell is a degree qualified Naturopath who helps women with stress, hormone imbalances, anxiety and fatigue.  The clinic is located in New Farm Brisbane, and consultations are also available via Skype.  You can contact Marion here.

PCOS Treatment

If you are one of the many women diagnosed with PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome) you may have been prescribed the Pill and Metformin.  Unfortunately these medications will not resolve the underlying hormonal imbalances, even if they do help mask some of your symptoms.  

PCOS is commonly associated with increased testosterone and insulin resistance.  These imbalances contribute to acne, male pattern hair growth, weight gain, irregular menstrual cycles, reduced or no ovulation and infertility. The symptoms experienced can differ between women.

Fortunately there are other effective treatment options that will help support healthy hormone balance, resolve symptoms and support optimal ovulation and fertility.  

• Herbs including Paeonia, Licorice, Cinnamon and the herbal compound Berberine can help support hormone balance, ovarian function and improve insulin sensitivity.

• Inositol may help reduce elevated testosterone and acne.

• Zinc is vital for healthy ovulation and hormone balance and also helps to reduce acne and heal skin. Facial hair growth may be related to the conversion of excess testosterone to dihydrotestosterone - and zinc helps to reduce this conversion.

• Magnesium deficiency has been associated with insulin resistance and studies show that supplementing with magnesium can improve insulin sensitivity. There are also added benefits from taking magnesium such as calming your nervous system, improving sleep and reducing cramps and headaches.

• Reducing sugar consumption is imperative - focus on eating a variety of vegetables with adequate protein and healthy fats. What you eat everyday will have the biggest impact on your blood sugar, insulin levels and hormone health.

• Liver support is also important when correcting hormonal imbalances as it plays a large role in hormone metabolism. Herbs such as St Mary's Thistle are great for this, and you can also include cruciferous vegetables, turmeric, ginger, rosemary, onions and garlic in your diet to support liver function.

• Chemicals in pesticides, plastics, body care products and cleaning products also disrupt hormones so avoiding these as much as possible is a great idea for hormone and overall health! There are many natural alternatives available so it can be as simple as switching products next time you need to replace something.

• Lastly working on stress management and supporting healthy gut function will also support healthy hormone balance and allow your body to clear excess hormones.

While these are the most common imbalances and treatment of PCOS, every woman is different and may have different contributing factors or influences.  Saliva testing is a great way to assess hormone levels and help determine the best treatment for you.

If you would like more personalised support in restoring hormone balance I'd love to help you.

Marion McConnell is a degree qualified Naturopath who helps women with stress, hormone imbalances, anxiety and fatigue.  The clinic is located in New Farm Brisbane, and consultations are also available via Skype.  You can contact Marion here.

5 TIPS TO REDUCE SUGAR CRAVINGS

Do you find yourself reaching for the sweet stuff more and more?

This is a very common experience for many women and one that can be tricky to break free from due to the addictive quality of sugar!  

There are a number of reasons you may be experiencing sugar cravings such as nutritional deficiencies, hormonal imbalances, fatigue, stress or emotional issues.

There are also a number of reasons why you may want to limit sugar consumption including an increase in insulin resistance and risk of diabetes, ageing, weight, inflammation, triglycerides and blood pressure (an indicator of heart disease risk - which more women than men die from!).  

Sugar also reduces skin quality, sleep quality, energy and can cause an imbalance in other hormones, including ghrelin and leptin which regulate your appetite and satiety. 

While our bodies are designed to handle 1-2 pieces of fruit per day, they are not able to deal with a daily onslaught of added sugars! 

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Here are my 5 top tips to help reduce sugar cravings - 

1. Include adequate protein and fat at each meal - this helps to keep your energy and blood sugar levels more stable.  Focus on eating a variety of vegetables along with some protein and fat - free range eggs, grass fed animal products, butter/ghee, wild fish, avocado, olive oil, coconut products, nuts and seeds.

2. Have some low sugar snacks handy - tamari almonds, unsweetened yoghurt and berries, cheese and olives, hummus and veg sticks, apple slices with tahini or nut butter.  

3. Try some herbal tea - cinnamon is great for blood sugar and licorice gives a sweet taste to any herbal tea.  You could also try some kombucha or soda and lime. 

4. Take notice of any underlying reasons that are contributing to your sugar cravings - fatigue, stress, boredom, loneliness.  Sweet food can offer us a quick and easy fix to however we're feeling - but unfortunately this is only temporary and doesn't offer us any real solution.  Be kind to yourself as you become aware of any of these and work on changing your habits to ones that truly make you feel good - both now and in the future. 

5. Take a good quality Magnesium and B vitamin powder - these nutrients are important in regulating blood sugar and insulin, and are also great for energy production and stress.  Chromium and Gymnema are also great - a couple of drops of gymnema on the tongue will make anything sweet taste like cardboard!

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If you'd like to investigate any of these underlying issues, or would like some support in reducing your sugar addiction, I'd love to help you.  

Marion McConnell is a degree qualified Naturopath who helps women with stress, hormone imbalances and thyroid issues.  The clinic is located in New Farm Brisbane, and consultations are also available via Skype.  You can contact Marion here.

Top 5 Foods For Happy Hormones

Hormones play a huge role in women's health and are used in the body to send messages and instructions to different tissues and organs.  Some of our major hormones include

• Progesterone, Estrogens and Testosterone

• Thyroid Hormones

• Cortisol and Adrenaline

• Insulin, Ghrelin and Leptin

These hormones influence many aspects of our health including

• Menstruation

• Fertility

• Energy

• Moods

• Weight Regulation

Our bodies love to be in balance or homeostasis and our hormones are no different.  When a hormone imbalance develops over time, this can lead to symptoms and disease.

The top 5 foods to support happy and balanced hormones are -

QUALITY FATS - such as olive and coconut oil (cold pressed), olives, coconut products, avocados and butter from grass fed cows.  Hormones are made from cholesterol and other lipids (fats) - which is one huge reason why low fat diets are a terrible idea for women!  

Although we have been told fats are bad for us for decades, the right fats are essential for optimal health - on both the inside and out!  Adding fats to your food helps you to absorb certain vitamins and minerals, helps to keep you full for longer, provides energy and supports youthful skin.  Processed vegetable oils in plastic packaging are the damaging fats you will want to avoid.

QUALITY PROTEIN - eggs from true free range chickens, wild fish, grass fed meats and poultry, legumes/nuts/seeds (if tolerated - cooked/soaked for easier digestion).  Most of these proteins will also include some fats, and help to build hormones.

FOODS TO SUPPORT GUT HEALTH - include a variety of colourful vegetables (spray free when possible) which contain fibre, slippery elm powder, chia seeds, flaxseed meal, hemp seeds/meal, prebiotics such as artichoke, asparagus, onions/leeks and garlic, and fermented vegetables (if tolerated).  Your digestive system helps to bind and eliminate excess hormones and ensures optimal absorption of nutrients for hormone production and use. 

FOODS TO SUPPORT YOUR LIVER - cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, kale and brussels sprout.  These contain I-3-C (Indole 3 carbinol), a compound which helps to reduce excess estrogens and support hormone metabolism, for which the liver plays a large role.  Onions, garlic, rosemary and turmeric are also great for liver support.  

(Avoid eating a lot of raw cruciferous vegetables if you have an underactive thyroid).

SEAWEEDS - contain iodine and other minerals which are essential for hormones and tend to be lacking in many diets.  Seaweeds can easily be added to foods while cooking, or sprinkled on top or meals.

Two of the major foods to avoid or minimise are sugars and soy.  Some fermented organic soy products such as tempeh, miso and tamari are ok for most women, but too much soy in general can affect estrogen levels. Sugar increases your need for insulin, and constant intake will increase your risk of diabetes (and the many complications that come with that), increase weight and contribute to other hormonal imbalances.

Keep it simple by filling up on a variety of colourful vegetables (spray free when possible) and add enough fats and protein to keep you satisfied for a few hours.  This can differ between women and at different times in your life - so always take notice of how your body is feeling and what foods help you to feel your best.

If you have a significant hormone imbalance supplements can help to correct this, and then you can maintain hormone balance through diet and lifestyle. I would love to help you get your hormones back into balance so you can feel your best!

Marion McConnell is a degree qualified Naturopath who helps women with stress, hormone imbalances and thyroid issues.  The clinic is located in New Farm Brisbane, and consultations are also available via Skype.  You can contact Marion here.

Top 7 Causes Of Fatigue - Part 2

Top Causes Of Fatigue - Part 2

PROGESTERONE, ESTROGEN AND TESTOSTERONE

Many factors in our lives can impact our hormone levels including stress, chemicals, plastics, diet and medications.  Our hormones like to be in a happy balance so when this balance is disrupted we can experience a range of reproductive and other body symptoms including fatigue.

Low progesterone, high estrogen or low testosterone are the most common imbalances I see which contribute to fatigue.  We can assess your levels through a salivary hormone test which shows the levels of these hormones including the three types of estrogen.  Testing will help to ensure treatment is specific to your particular hormone imbalance which will result in quicker symptom improvement.

METHYLATION ISSUES

Methylation is a process which is involved in many essential areas of health including energy production, mental health and reproduction.  A genetic mutation can reduce your ability to activate and utilise folate, and thereby reduce the efficiency of this methylation cycle (by 30-70%!) and contribute to fatigue and many other health issues.  This gene mutation affects the enzyme MTHFR (for short!) and reports estimate 1 in 3 of us may have this defect.  This means taking certain forms of folate - such as folic acid in supplements and consuming foods fortified with folic acid are not a good idea for everyone!  

A simple salivary test can detect if you have a defect in the 2 most common and researched gene variants.  However even if the test comes back negative, you could still have impaired methylation due to other reasons.  This is why it is important to work with a qualified Naturopath or Nutritionist in this area, and utilise other blood tests to assess other markers of methylation efficiency.  There is more involved than just taking an activated folate supplement!

POOR BLOOD SUGAR CONTROL

If you rely on sugars and flour products (and caffeine!) for quick energy, or these make up the majority of your diet, it's likely you will have blood sugar regulation issues which will contribute to fatigue.  This will be experienced as short bursts of energy followed by energy slumps or crashes. This pattern usually continues in an unfortunate cycle - however you can make simple changes to stop it!

Eating adequate fat and protein at each meal will keep your energy more stable for longer and keep you full for longer, as there will be less of an impact on your blood sugar and insulin levels.  

Include good quality fats such as olive, macadamia, avocado and coconut oils, grass fed butter/ghee/eggs/meat, local wild fish, avocado and some nuts and seeds.  

Don't forget to include a variety of organic vegetables too - you can fill up on these instead of bread!

A guide to daily protein is 0.8g per kg of ideal body weight.  So 0.8 x 70kg = 56g of protein per day, spread over 2-3 meals.  Of course this is only a guide and recommendations can vary depending on your activity level, health issues or if you're pregnant or breastfeeding.

FOOD INTOLERANCES

Many women are intolerant to certain foods even if they don't have a diagnosed allergy.  The most common are

• Gluten in Wheat, Barley, Rye
• Casein and/or Lactose in Dairy
• Soy
• Eggs
• Peanuts or Tree Nuts
• Shellfish
• Corn

We can also be intolerant to natural plant chemicals in 'healthy' foods such as

• Oxalates (spinach, kale, nuts, soy)
• Histamines (fermented foods, aged cheese, wine, avocado)
• Salicylates (tomato, zucchini, blueberries, almonds)

Food intolerances may produce digestive symptoms or may present in other ways such as fatigue, headaches and irritability.

There are blood tests which test different panels of foods however it is not always completely accurate and will only pick up an intolerance if the tested foods have been consumed recently.  Working with your Naturopath and eliminating foods for certain periods of time can be another option to figure out the foods you feel best on.

Food intolerances can improve once gut health has been improved, so you may not have to avoid these foods forever.

If you would like to get to the bottom of your fatigue and improve your energy in 2018, book your consultation today! 

Marion McConnell is a degree qualified Naturopath who helps women with stress, hormone imbalances and thyroid issues.  The clinic is located in New Farm Brisbane, and consultations are also available via Skype.  You can contact Marion here.