The short answer is YES.
A bit of background. There are numerous factors that affect body weight and fat distribution, we have no control over some of these factors like genetics, age, gender, whilst we do have control over some other factors like physical activity, diet, social, environmental, and hormonal factors.
As a Nutritional Therapy Practitioner, I work with a variety of different clients seeking advice for weight loss and the most common reason my client’s sight as their cause of obesity (as they understand) is lack of physical activity and poor dietary habits which I must confess is true to some extent but does not say the whole story.
Hormones like leptin, insulin, cortisol, oestrogen, androgens (testosterone and DHEA), and growth hormone play a huge role in influencing our appetite, metabolism, and body fat distribution.
Roughly speaking there are two kinds of body fat – Visceral and Subcutaneous.
Visceral fat or belly fat is the fat wrapped around our organs in the abdominal cavity. Studies suggests that higher levels of visceral fat can be associated with higher risk of diseases such as cancer, stroke, heart attack, dementia, and prevalence of metabolic syndrome. Subcutaneous fat, as the name suggests is the fat under the skin, it acts like a padding, an insulation and energy reserve.
Now let’s talk about hormones.
Cortisol is a stress hormone released during physical or emotional stress, in older times a sabre tooth tiger may have produced such an effect but in today’s time traffic jam, unread emails, bad bosses can have similar kind of effect. Chronically elevated cortisol interferes with other hormones like insulin and sex hormones. Ideally you would want to calm down and not go for a ‘run’ which you will not enjoy because it will not help decreasing your cortisol, instead it would do the opposite. Go for a long nature walk, a yoga class or tai chi, the exercises that you would enjoy and which keeps your stress in check.
Insulin is the key hormone involved with blood sugar balance, metabolism, cell growth and repair, brain function and weight control. It is released by pancreas in response to increase in blood sugar (food breaks down into sugar and gets absorbed into bloodstream through intestines) and helps in moving sugar into cells for releasing energy. Any extra sugar is packed away as glycogen and stored in liver and muscles and the remaining as fat in adipose tissue. Constant eating/snacking results in increased insulin secretion leading to imbalance and poor signalling thus contributing to insulin resistance which can lead to weight gain, diabetes, heart disease, and various types of cancer. Blood sugar balancing is the key to any fitness protocol. Type of carbs determine the amount of energy required pre, during and post workout sessions.
Insulin imbalances can also make you susceptible to estrogen dominance – often seen in PCOS, PMS, endometriosis, ovarian cysts in women, and man boobs in men.
Poor insulin management is also related to appetite changes mostly cravings and mood swings, dopamine – serotonin imbalance, and fluid retention.
Leptin and Ghrelin are known as satiety and hunger hormones and they act in synchrony regulating appetite, energy balance, thus maintaining body fat and weight.
Leptin is produced by fat cells, its job is to signal your brain when you are full, triggering you to stop eating. Leptin also supports efficient metabolism, travels through the blood, via circulatory system, to the appetite center of the brain. There, it binds to receptors that are responsible for making you feel hungry resulting in decreased appetite. Leptin also travels through your nervous system, stimulating fatty tissue to burn off fat and calories.
Too much of leptin leads to leptin resistance which can create or contribute to insulin resistance, compromises thyroid health, elevates blood pressure, worsens mood disorders like anxiety and depression. Intermittent fasting is a good way of bringing back leptin and ghrelin in harmony.
Growth hormone is produced and secreted by pituitary gland. It is important for growth, cell regeneration and cell repair, and helps build greater bone density. Imbalance can lead to increased body fat, lower lean muscle, and loss of bone tissue. Eliminating refined sugar, loosing belly fat, avoiding food prior to bedtime, establishing regular sleep routine, getting good sleep, weight training and HIIT can increase the production of growth hormone.
Oestrogen, the female hormone is responsible for developing female sexual characteristics, regulating menstrual cycle, maintaining normal cholesterol levels. In balance, estrogen keeps skin soft, protects against cardiovascular diseases, affects memory, prevents inflammation, builds muscle, as well as impacts weight. Poor oestrogen is related to weight gain, loss of muscle, fatigue, hot flashes, brain fog and insulin resistance as seen in perimenopausal and menopausal women. Weight bearing exercises are very important for menopausal women.
Testosterone and DHEA (dehydroepiandrosterone) – they are typically found in men, but exists in women too and is primarily produced in adrenal cortex in women. They are important for libido and helps in building bone, maintaining muscle mass (so you burn fat), keep your energy levels high, maintain memory, increase sense of emotional wellbeing, self-confidence and motivation.
DHEA is not a sex hormone as such but it a building block for many hormones including testosterone and oestrogen. Its benefits include lean muscle development, helps in burning fat, supports bone growth, improves memory, strengthens immunity, eases stress response. Poor DHEA production can result in skin dryness, mood issues like anxiety & depression, poor sleep, weight gain, poor sex drive, vaginal dryness, brain frog, high insulin, insulin resistance and can also contribute to osteoporosis and heart disease.
Diet high in healthy fats, protein, and fiber is the cornerstone in increasing production of these hormones whilst exercise is key in stimulating the production of androgens.
Other key hormones include thyroid hormones, and melatonin.
I know it is a bit overwhelming to try and understand how they work and how you should help your hormones to increase energy and performance. Functional nutrition practitioners have a knowledge of and can help you connect the dots in your health journey. Get in touch!
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