Ladies, Is This Hormone Preventing You From Losing Your Abdominal Fat?

 If you are struggling to lose the abdominal fat, and are noticing the fat creeping on around the hip and thigh area then oestrogen excess could be the culprit for you. Take this quick quiz to see whether oestrogen dominance is an issue for you.  

If you have 4 or more symptoms, then maybe its time to book in for a FREE HORMONE CONSULTATION where you can verify if this hormone is indeed causing you hell.  Oestrogen excess can play serious havoc on your body.

I Learnt The Hard Way

Trust me I have learnt the hard way. After years of drinking soy milk due to lactose intolerance I began to experience increasingly painful periods and dreadful PMS symptoms where one week before my period I would feel:

• sad,
• teary,
• cranky,
• and “easily overwhelmed”

You know the feeling when tasks that are usually easy become impossible and you feel like a massive “puffer fish” from the fluid retention. If you do the maths on 1 week prior feeling this way it actually equates to 12 weeks of the year. OUCH !! That is a total of 3 months. I would struggle through this week battling food choices that weren’t always the healthiest as I would have sugar and starch cravings. I would give into eating chocolate in large volumes which then, I would beat myself up over as it would sabotage my body fat percentage. The pain was usually so excruciating that I would  resort to pain killers each month (not good being a naturopath). After a couple of months of this I finally took action and got my saliva hormones tested only to  discover that my potent oestrogen levels were through the roof. Hang in there with me because below are some tips on how you can reduce oestrogen. But before that let’s get back to some of the facts…

Oestrogen Can Even Be Found Lurking In Your Skin Cream

Oestrogen dominance is a hormonal imbalance that exists for men and women. This is because of the environmental disaster we are living in today and exposure to pesticides in the food chain, nasty plastics like bisphenol A (BPA), synthetic hormones like HRT, and the oral contraceptive pill and it is even hidden in ingredients in our skin creams. Oestrogen dominance can start from as young as 14. It is often the culprit of PMS, abdominal cramps, water retention and can create issues with fertility. Oestrogen dominance is also one of the chief underlining causes of fibroids  and endometriosis in woman. The weight around the middle has a mind of it’s own. If your waistline for the ladies is above 88cm then it will send signals to your metabolism switching it into a fat storing metabolic state… And it is even more than this…

The Larger The Waistline The More Oestrogen You Will Produce.

Body fat makes oestrogen, what this means is, increasing body fat will result in an increase in oestrogen production in turn increasing all of the above symptoms on the quiz. Can you get a feel for the compounding hormonal effect? One of the best things you can do for your health and longevity is reduce your waistline.

Here are 5 Simple Steps you Can Take Today to Help With Oestrogen Excess

Step 1: Increase plant foods high in compounds called Indole 3 carbinol

These foods assist in healthy oestrogen metabolism. Food sources include:  broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, and brussel sprouts. Aim for at least one serve a day.

Step 2: Reduce plastic and chemical exposure

For example: The lid on takeaway coffee contains BPA which can drips into the hot beverage.

Step 3: Ditch Sugar and Refined Foods

Sugar intake in the diet will send the signal to your body to switch on a hormone call insulin. One of insulin’s key actions is to convert energy and store it as body fat.

Step 4: Maintain a good microbial balance

 The way you break down oestrogen and metabolise it is via the liver. Good bacteria in your gut will help this. Foods that are fermented like natural yoghurt, sauerkraut, fermented vegetable’s, and kefir will help populate good bacteria in your gut. Psyllium husks is a good water soluble fibre which will not only help with regular bowel movements but will also help with oestrogen removal.

Step 5: Do A Saliva Hormone Test

Find out what your hormonal status is. Saliva hormone testing is very accurate way of getting a breakdown on what specifically your oestrogen levels are. With this information you can then make the dietary and lifestyle changes needed to help reduce your body fat and balance your hormones naturally. To get tested call us at the clinic and we can organise this simple yet effective test.

Oh and absolutely ditch the soy milk!!!