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.

How To Protect Yourself From Disease And Cancer

Did you know around 95% of cancer and chronic disease is preventable?

Only a very small percentage can be blamed solely on genetics!  Even if you have a genetic susceptibility to certain disease or cancer, it's your daily habits that 'turns these genes on' or keep them at bay - this is known as epigenetics.  Cancer and most other disease develops over years - you don't just 'get' cancer overnight.  Just like a plant needs the right environment to thrive, so do we! 

Your body is amazing at putting up with small daily assaults but eventually symptoms and disease will appear.   These assaults affect your body at a cellular level first and then progress to tissue and organ damage.  It's this accumulative effect of small daily factors that can be empowering to understand and can be used to promote health and reduce your disease risk.  

Here's a summary of the top 5 areas that can significantly reduce your risk of disease and cancer - there's a printable summary at the end.

CHEMICALS

We are now exposed to thousands of chemicals everyday and while it's hard to avoid them completely there's lots you can do to reduce your exposure.  Many chemicals are classified as 'safe' in small doses, but the accumulative effect and the exposure to many chemicals together have not been proved as safe.  We are exposed to chemicals through the air we breathe, the products we put on our skin and the food or drink we ingest.  

Women in particular are exposed to more of these toxic chemicals through personal/skin/body care products, fragrances, makeup, cleaning products and plastics.  Many of these chemicals have been shown to increase cancer risk and disrupt hormone balance - another factor in cancer risk such as breast and ovarian cancers.  

Another type of chemical exposure is EMF's (electromagnetic fields) from Wi-Fi devices and cell towers.  These have been shown to disrupt normal cell functioning, hormone levels and increase the risk of certain cancers such as brain tumours.  Keeping phones in your pocket or down your sports bra is putting that EMF in close proximity to your vital organs.  

STRESS AND SEDENTARY LIFESTYLES

While cortisol and stress in small amounts are beneficial, prolonged and ongoing stress is super damaging to your body and is a huge factor in disease risk.  Stress has negative impacts on hormone balance, increases blood sugar, oxidative stress and inflammation - all underlying factors that can increase disease and cancer risk.  Your digestive and immune systems are integral to your overall health and disease risk, and these are significantly impaired by any type of physical or emotional stress.  One of your immune systems most important roles is to destroy damaged or potential cancer cells, before they become a problem.

Having a sedentary lifestyle is now being recognised as the new 'smoking' due to its huge health implications.  Our bodies are designed to move and require this for optimal health - it enhances blood circulation to carry nutrients and oxygen to your cells, helps your body eliminate wastes, slows ageing, boosts cognition and energy.  It has been shown to reduce disease risk and is a major determinant in physical and mental health.  Gentle exercise is recommended if you are stressed as intense exercise can be another type of stress on an already stressed body!  Take notice of how different activities make you feel - exercise and movement should energise you, not exhaust you!

HORMONAL IMBALANCES AND WEIGHT

Keeping our hormones in a happy balance is essential for health.  Excess estrogen in relation to progesterone levels is a risk factor for certain cancers such as breast and ovarian.  Like cancer, hormonal imbalances develop over time and many of the suggestions here can also be used to support hormone balance.  Using the OCP (oral contraceptive pill) or Mirena may also contribute to hormonal imbalances as they inhibit ovulation and therefore you ability to produce progesterone.

An increase in weight and increased insulin levels are also associated with an increased risk of disease.  An increased number of fat cells can also contribute to increased estrogen levels.  These areas can also be improved by following the suggestions in this article - particularly reducing stress, sugars ad refined flour products. 

Ensuring adequate quality sleep is vital for your body to rest, recover and recharge.  Poor sleep  and insomnia have been associated with an increased risk of disease.  It's so important for your nervous system and hormones to have this rest each night, so work on improving your sleep and getting to bed before 10pm!  

VITAMIN D AND CHOLESTEROL

Vitamin D is a hormone that plays a huge role in our immune system and low levels have been associated with an increased risk of disease and cancer, especially skin cancer, melanoma and colon cancer.  Unfortunately many of us have low levels of vitamin D due to our avoidance of the sun, which is needed for our body to make vitamin D.  This is one blood test I do with every client as it's so important for disease risk but also calcium absorption, mental and hormonal health.  While the test range suggest having a level of 50nmol/L is enough, ideally you want to aim for at least 100-120nmol/L for optimal health.

Cholesterol has been given lots of bad press but it's actually an antioxidant and has protective effects!  Studies show that those with the lowest levels have the greater risk of disease.  If you're concerned about your cholesterol levels it can be more accurate to look at the total:HDL ratio (ideal <3.5) and triglycerides (ideal <1mmol/L) to assess your cardiovascular disease risk.

WHAT YOU PUT IN YOUR MOUTH

Your daily food choices have a huge influence on your current and future health.  Your diet provides your body with the essential nutrients it needs to function optimally, or to encourage disease to develop.  Again this effect is cumulative - it really is about the small things you do most of the time that will determine your level of health or disease.  The more whole unprocessed spray-free foods you can consume the better - including a variety of vegetables, quality protein and unprocessed fats.

Adding herbs and spices liberally is also a great way to boost the health promoting effects of your food, as these contain many disease fighting phytochemicals.  Turmeric is one of the most researched and has been shown to have anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, anti-tumour and anti-proliferative effects.

Your digestive system is the basis of optimal health as are the bacteria that live there, and all over your body.  We are actually more bacteria than human cells, and we're learning more everyday about just how big an influence this balance of bacteria has on our health and disease risk.  Many things can disrupt these bacteria over time such as antibiotics, anti-bacterial products, stress, pesticides, chlorine in tap water, alcohol and sugar.  Alcohol has also been linked to an increased risk of cancers such as colon, breast and liver.

I've tried to keep this article simple and not too long, but there's much more information out there if you're interested in finding out more!  You can download my health promoting checklist  here.

If you'd like to find out where your health is at 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.

Why You Need To Count Nutrients, NOT Calories

Do you spend your days stressing over the number of calories you've consumed?

Do you consider nutrients or health properties of foods, or are you just concerned with calories?

Counting calories can be misleading, time consuming and take the joy out of eating.  

Our bodies and brain need a variety of NUTRIENTS to function optimally and feel our best. 

Nutrient dense foods can sometimes be high calorie food, such as whole eggs or avocado, which is why basing your diet on calories alone can lead to a nutrient deplete diet - this will impact your energy, mood and metabolism.

Consider the picture below comparing two breakfast options with similar calorie content but very different nutrient and health benefits.

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It's clear which option has more nutrients and health benefits for you.

We need quality fat, protein and a variety of plant foods to provide all the nutrients our body needs - so if you're going to count something make it the nutrients! 

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Nutrient Dense food is usually:

• Fresh

• Local

• Seasonal

• Minimally Processed

• Raised Naturally (if animal derived)

• Spray Free or Organic

It’s what you do most of the time that counts - so just aim to choose nutrient dense foods as much as possible, and if you choose to indulge sometimes - enjoy it without guilt.

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While it's true you can eat excess calories or food, if you eat slowly and mindfully, choose real nutrient dense food and eat only when hungry, you will consume what's ideal for you without having to stress over counting every mouthful.  

I find it useful to include a palm size of protein, 1-2 tbsp oil or fats and enough vegetables to feel satisfied.  You can also include some whole grains such as rice or quinoa as a side.  Work out the amounts that suit YOU best and remember that this can vary over different life stages.

Some women find it helpful to track their food intake for a short time, which can be a great way to become more mindful of what you are eating, but aim to base the food choices on nutrient level rather than calories. 

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Low fat and diet products with artificial sweeteners may be lower in calories but they are highly processed products, nutrient poor and have been shown to contribute to weight gain.  

Choose the least processed foods whenever you can and these will satisfy you the most and help you regulate weight.

Take notice of what you feel best on - in regards to digestion, energy and mood.  

Low calorie diets often just result in deprivation, cravings and feeling miserable, and they can also be damaging especially for women in regards to our metabolism and hormone balance.

Low calorie often equates to low fat - but the right fats are crucial for healthy hormone balance, weight and appetite regulation, healthy skin, energy and mood.  They also help you feel satisfied for longer and help you absorb other nutrients from your foods. Unfortunately many dietary guidelines are still based on outdated science which promotes a low fat diet.

If you're starving your body with a low calorie diet, your body will want to hold on to any fat stores it has due to a perceived lack of food.  

If you struggle with your weight check you are limiting sugar in your diet and eating enough healthy fats and protein.  

Hormonal imbalances such as under-active thyroid or high cortisol, or digestive issues and poor gut health can also contribute to weight gain or trouble losing weight.  If you'd like to test or investigate these further please contact me to find out more.

You can learn more about the best foods for mood in my Calming Anxiety Ebook.

If you’d like to work with me, you can find out more HERE

Or Sign up for my Freebie - 5 Tips To Ease Anxiety.

How To Be A Healthy Vegan

Whatever your reasons for choosing a vegan diet there are some points to keep in mind to ensure you don't become deficient in certain nutrients or develop preventable health conditions.  

Some simple blood tests can help you monitor levels of vital nutrients such as B12, Iron, Ferritin (iron stores) and Vitamin D.  These nutrients are more likely to be deficient on vegan diets and they have a huge role in optimal health, especially in regards to nervous system function, mental health, thyroid function, immunity and energy levels.  You can get these levels checked with a Naturopath and use quality supplements to support ideal levels.  While supplements are a good option they can't replace eating whole foods which contain a wide array of nutrients working in synergy.  

Many vegan packaged products can be highly processed and nutritionally deplete, so cooking from scratch as much as possible is ideal.  Focus on a variety of vegetables and include healthy fats at each meal - avocado, olives and olive oil, coconut oil/milk/cream, chia and hemp seeds/oil.  A good quality fermented pea/rice protein powder may also be beneficial.  

Soaking or fermenting legumes/nuts/seeds/grains is also important to reduce phytic acid which otherwise can bind and reduce absorption of essential nutrients such as zinc and iron - these are vital for optimal skin and hair, immunity, hormones and mental health.  

Vegan diets can end up being high in grains, omega 6 and soy products and low in bioavailable protein and essential fatty acids.  This dietary pattern can contribute to inflammation, digestive issues, mineral deficiencies, hormonal imbalances, mental health issues and weight gain.  When choosing soy products look for organic fermented products such as tempeh, miso and tamari and be mindful of not consuming too much soy, due to the effects it can have on hormonal balance.

While many people initially feel amazing on a vegan diet, this may not be true for everyone long term.  Removing processed foods from our diets and eating more vegetables will make anyone feel better compared to a standard western diet, but a totally plant based diet may not support optimal health and energy in the long term.  Deficiencies can take a while to become apparent and symptoms can be subtle at first - maybe a little less energy, a little extra weight, a little more anxiety, a slightly longer menstrual cycle.

I love the ideals of veganism however if it becomes detrimental to your own health and quality of life, we have to ask ourselves if it is worth it?  Please be open to the idea that you may need to alter your diet if your health depends on it.  I know personally how much of a challenge this can be, to change your beliefs and mindset on something you've fully invested in for years.  I experienced worsening health after 6 years as a vegan and it took me many months from thinking of including some eggs until I actually did!  A hard thought to overcome was feeling that I'd failed somehow if I stopped following a vegan diet.

One huge change I noticed after including some animal foods again is that I actually felt properly satisfied after meals.  I used to be a little bit hungry all the time, or hungry after an hour of eating while I was vegan.  Constantly snacking is not great for our blood sugar - a well balanced meal with adequate protein and fats should keep you satisfied for at least 3-4 hours.

Adequate protein and fats are especially important for womens hormones which regulate ovulation (a key indicator of health, and super important whether you want to have children or not), mood and weight.  During their reproductive years, women on a plant based diet will likely find it hard to sustain optimal iron levels long term without supplementing.

From my own experience and the many books and research articles I've read, I believe we need some amount of animal foods in our diet for optimal long term health.  This is human nature and how our bodies are designed to function well.  Of course most people could do with eating more veggies and a MOSTLY vegetable based diet is great, but a small amount of traditionally farmed products from healthy animals are also required.   Of course living responsibly and treading lightly on our environment are also important and you can still do this while consuming some sustainably raised animal products.

The foods we eat everyday have a huge impact on our health and wellbeing, and has to be considered in any health issue.  If you feel it might be time to add some animal products back into your diet, just start small with whatever you feel comfortable with and listen to any cravings you are experiencing. 

Everyone is metabolically different and many feel great on a vegan diet for different amounts of time - this is why it's so important to listen to how you are feeling to work out the right food choices for YOU.  Try not to be caught up in sticking 100% to a particular way of eating if it doesn't suit you - the only diet and lifestyle you should be sticking to is the one that makes YOU feel great!

If you'd like to check your blood levels or work on any health concerns 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.

PLEASE NOTE - This article isn't intended to offend anyone or start an argument - it's to help make you aware of possible deficiencies so you can treat or prevent them, and encourage everyone to take notice of how they feel and not ignore any signs your body is giving you. 

The Dangers Of A Low-Fat Diet

Especially for women, the dangers of a low-fat diet can be extensive!  The right type of fats have an essential role in optimal hormone production, mental health and weight regulation. 

Fat has always been a highly valued component of traditional diets.  However it was the introduction of food processing and finding cheaper fats for food production that influenced the fat education we received.  The food industry has influences over government guidelines - which means we are not always being sold the best information for our health.  

Biased research results from Ancel Keys in the 50's that 'linked' saturated fat intake and cardiovascular disease risk, started the message that many people still are being told today - that all saturated fats are bad, we should eat a low-fat diet and vegetable oils are good.  However this is far from the truth and was not supported from the other countries studied which were left out of Ancel Key's results, and from many studies since.

While some vegetable oils are great, such as cold pressed olive oil, the processing of most vegetable oils and spreads leaves them rancid and devoid of any nutrition or health promoting properties!  They are actually more likely to cause oxidation and damage to your body. 

Consuming unprocessed fats, including some animal and other saturated fats are essential for optimal health.  They are needed by every cell in your body - the membrane of each cell needs these fats for proper structure and function.  If your body isn't working well at a cellular level, it can not work well at an organ or system level and your body will be more likely moving toward a disease state.  

Many hormones and Vitamin D require fats, including cholesterol, to be produced.  Our hormones help control many important processes in our body from fertility, energy, metabolism, immunity, sleep and mood.  The right fats also support digestive and skin health.

Fats keep you fuller and satisfied for longer, can be used for energy and help you absorb nutrients from your food - so always use homemade dressing, olive oil or grass fed butter on your veggies and salad!  The right fats also make your food taste amazing! 

It can take time to embrace fats and change your mindset after being told for decades that fats are bad - but it's time to start seeing some fats as your nourishing friend!  Start adding fats to every snack and meal, and take notice of the amount that feels good for you.  If you're eating enough fats and protein at your meals you should not get hungry again for at least 3-4 hours. 

There is much outdated science still being used today, that states fat will make you fat!  The right types of fat will help regulate your weight and help you feel more satisfied after eating.  There are many studies showing that it's the refined grains and sugars that contribute to increased inflammation, weight gain, ageing, mood disorders and risk of disease.  Low fat products are commonly higher in sugars.  

Cholesterol has also been vilified, however it is primarily produced in your liver and is actually used as an antioxidant and is increased in your body to help repair damage.  An under functioning thyroid can also cause cholesterol levels to increase.  So no, you don't have to worry about eating egg yolks - that's the most nutrient dense part!  (Look for pasture raised chicken eggs for the healthiest eggs).  There are many studies also showing that those with the LOWEST cholesterol levels have an INCREASED risk of disease and mortality.

Fats are damaged by heat, light, processing and oxygen, so look for oils in dark glass jars.  Cold pressed and extra virgin olive oils are the least processed.  Saturated fats such as coconut oil, butter and ghee are more stable to the above elements, however it's still good to buy fats in glass over plastic, as chemicals from plastic can leach into the fat.  Cooking low and slow is less damaging to fats.  

Different fats also contain extra beneficial nutrients.  Grass fed butter and ghee contain Vitamins A, D, E and K along with butyric acid which supports colon cells and digestive health.  There is minimal lactose in butter and ghee, so even if you are lactose intolerant you can likely tolerate some of these.  Coconut oil contains lauric acid which acts as a natural anti-microbial against infections.  Olive oil contains vitamin E which acts as an antioxidant in our bodies - helping protect us from the damaging toxins we're exposed to everyday.  Egg yolks contain choline which is essential for our brain and nervous system function.

Most fats contain a range of fatty acids - you've probably heard of omega-3 and omega-6.  Our diets used to be higher in omega-3's but the current western diet is now much higher in omega-6's from vegetable oils, nuts, seeds and grains, which contributes to more inflammation in your body.  The way animals are raised impacts the fatty acid ratio - so grain fed meat will be higher in omega-6, whereas pasture raised animals will have more omega-3.   Underlying inflammation in the body is linked to many diseases and symptoms from depression, dementia, painful periods, auto-immune conditions and more.

Starving your body of vital fats can contribute to many symptoms such as low mood, hormonal imbalances, poor weight regulation, dry skin and lowered immunity.  Make sure you're supporting your health by including high quality fats every day.

You can download a quick guide to choosing the right fats here!

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.