Welcome to the hormonal party event of your life. Having these powerful chemical messengers in your body work together can increase or decrease your appetite, control your blood sugar, insulin balance, metabolism and decide wither you are burning fat or storing fat. These disrupted hormones make it easy for us to gain weight and begins to store the fat.
Research shows there are 9 hormones that strongly influence your appetite and weight. They are Insulin, Leptin, Ghrelin, Cortisol, Estrogen, Neuropeptide Y (NPY), Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 (GLP-1), Cholecystokinin (CCK) and Peptide YY (PYY).
When your hormones are in balance you feel amazing but when they’re out of balance, you feel exhausted, out of control, and your metabolism is tanked.
How do we get these hormones under control?
Certainly your diet and lifestyle has a powerful effect on these hormones. There is no secret combination but change. Your body simply can’t heal itself when its full of inflammation, parasites, toxic chemicals, fake foods, heavy metals, pharmaceutical poisons and refined sugars. These things are meant to destroy your health not better it. If you are struggling with obesity or even if you can’t seem to lose that muffin top understand this. You have a hormonal disorder and you may be full of inflammation.
Unless you are taking some sort of prescription medication and this is a side effect from it. (WEIGHT GAIN!) Please if you are taking any sort of medications please do some research on it and see exactly what the side effects are from it. Learn what you are putting in your body.
I have no way of knowing exactly which hormone you have is out of whack but if you start to do the things that I am going to suggest and have suggested so far in this book. Change will be seen and change will happen.
Don’t worry. I will show you what foods you should be eating more of and what you should be avoiding later in the book but if you are allergic to these foods all bets are off. The most important thing is for you to follow a meal plan that is tailored to your personal taste that also includes the foods that will help you achieve goals that won’t spike your blood glucose, assist you in weight management, fight inflammation, heal your gut, heal your thyroid and fix those out of whack hormones. This is why the testing that I suggest in the beginning of the book is so important. I do understand not everyone has access to good doctors nor do they even have medical insurance.
1. Avoid any and all kinds of sugar. Especially the fake ones. High amounts of fructose and sucrose promote insulin resistance and will raise insulin levels. Along with avoiding all excess alcohol and all processed flours. We want to cut out all the bad insulin stimulating foods. Hormones affected: Insulin, Ghrelin
2. Start eating plenty of healthy fats: Omega-3 fats found in fatty fish, avocado, extra virgin olive oil can help lower fasting insulin levels. Hormones affected: Insulin, Leptin, Estrogen, Cholecystokinin (CCK)
3. Exercise regularly: Women who exercised regularly for example taking a brisk walk, light weights, yoga and Pilates made improvements with their insulin sensitivity after 14 weeks in one study. Physical activity IS so important in more ways than one. Staying strong, flexible, and maintaining balance are all extremely important as we grow older and our bodies are changing. But one thing physical activity isn’t best for is dropping the pounds if your hormones are out of whack and your diet is bad please know this- You simply can’t outrun a bad diet and whacked out hormones. You can’t overdo exercising either because excessive exercise can lead to hormonal imbalances. It can rise your cortisol levels. So take it easy on your body and the exercised that you do. Hormones affected: Insulin, Leptin, Cortisol, Estrogen.
4. Drink organic decaffeinated green tea: Green tea may lower blood sugar and insulin levels. It is also loaded with antioxidants and nutrients that have powerful effects on the body. These include improved brain function, fat loss, a lower risk of cancer. Most people have adrenal fatigue too with hypothyroidism along with your hormones being out of whack there for you want to eliminate caffeine entirely. Hormones affected: Insulin
5. Get enough sleep: Not getting enough sleep will help fat store around your midsection and shorten your life. Not getting enough sleep will affect your overall health and make you prone to other serious medical conditions, such as obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes. Sleep deprivation will also encourage you to eat more and make the worst food choices. A 2010 study indicated that those who slept six hours or less a night over a 25-year period were 12 percent to die prematurely than those who got seven to nine hours a night. The study, published in the scientific journal Sleep, was carried out by a team from the University of Warwick and the Federico II University medical school in Naples. Hormones affected: leptin https://www.theguardian.com/society/2010/may/05/sleep-study-premature-death
6. Meditation, Pray or journal: Practicing meditation, praying or journaling can significantly reduce cortisol production. Cortisol is often known as the “stress hormone” because of its connection to the stress response. It also has assistance in controlling your blood sugar levels, regulating your metabolism, reducing inflammation, improving memory formation, helps to control salt and water balance, and also helps to regulate your blood pressure. When your cortisol is high it begins to store weight around your belly, your blood pressure starts to creep up, you may feel muscle weakness, fatigue, a weaker immune system and headaches. Hormones affected: Cortisol
7. Protein: Make sure you getting plenty of protein and you can do this with plant sources. Meat isn’t the only way to get adequate amounts of protein in your diet. Vegan plant based powdered supplemental smoothie mixes and many sources of vegetables have protein. Hormones affected: Insulin, Ghrelin, Neuropeptide Y (NPY), Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 (GLP-1), Cholecystokinin (CCK), Peptide YY (PYY)
8. Probiotics: It keeps your gut healthy and happy. Probiotics are live bacteria that supports your digestive system. It can help aid in weight loss, heart health and a healthy digestion system. Hormones affected: Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 (GLP-1)
9. Soluble fiber and fiber: Eating plenty of soluble prebiotic fiber to feed the friendly bacteria in the gut and fiber keeps you full longer. Hormones affected: Estrogen, Neuropeptide Y (NPY), Peptide YY (PYY), Cholecystokinin (CCK)
10. Eat anti-inflammatory foods: Most of us have chronic inflammation and don’t even know it by eating foods it helps to fight inflammation which keeps us fat and unhealthy. Research suggests that a gut imbalance, or leaky gut is the root cause of most autoimmune disease, so addressing this through diet is necessary to see progress and elimination of symptoms. By eliminating inflammatory foods and allowing the gut to heal and restore, the body gets back to its proper function and eventually foods can be reintroduced once the digestive system is healthy and able to process these foods properly. Hormones affected: leptin, Cortisol, Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 (GLP-1), Cholecystokinin (CCK), Peptide YY (PYY)
11. Eat an AIP protocol and Low GI Foods: The AIP protocol eliminates these common food intolerances that are known to trigger inflammation such as Nightshades, Eggs, Grains (gluten), Dairy, Legumes, Corn, Soy, Dairy and lectins. Autoimmune Protocol (AIP), can offer relief of symptoms and address the underlying problems that cause the autoimmune flare up and inflammation in the first. The AIP eliminates all the potential inflammatory foods such as: grains, legumes, dairy, nuts, seeds, and nightshades. Along with detoxing your life you need a sort of extreme dietary intervention to heal the body, and the thyroid. Eating foods that are low on the GI (Glycemic Index) will help keep blood sugar levels stable and help you avoid those sugar spikes in your blood. These foods are slowly digested and absorbed, causing a slower and smaller rise in blood sugar levels. This new way of eating is simply clean eating that will help keep blood sugar levels stable. You will eat healthy high fats, very clean (GI Scale) low carbohydrates and adequate amounts of proteins that contain no hormones and antibiotics in which it will soon begin to alter your body into burning glucose (sugar) for energy and fat as the main fuel sources. Don’t worry I will show you the foods along with several recipes to get you started on how to begin eating a AIP, Low GI protocol that also fights inflammation. Hormones affected: Insulin, Cortisol, estrogen, Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 (GLP-1), Cholecystokinin (CCK), Peptide YY (PYY)
12. Eating clean- Let’s talk about eating clean whole nutrient rich foods. This entire book is about eating clean, detoxing and changing your lifestyle. Clean eating focuses on consuming whole, minimally processed foods. Hormones affected: Cortisol, Estrogen, Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 (GLP-1), Cholecystokinin (CCK), Peptide YY (PYY)
13. Avoid Soy products- Soy not only disrupts hormones by mimicking estrogen in your body but it also causes inflammation, contributes to leaky gut syndrome and most likely has been genetically modified (GMO). Hormones affected: ALL 9
14. Drink equate amounts of clean water: You’ve heard it before water is life! Make sure you are drinking clean filtered water and not adding to your toxic burden by ingesting easily absorbed toxins often present in water such as fluoride, chlorine, VOC’s, and more. You can safely consume up to half your body weight in ounces of water a day (160 lbs = 80 ounces of water). I love my Berkey Water Tank! Hormones affected: All
15. Avoid caffeine: Caffeine adds stress to your adrenal glands and the endocrine system. Caffeine will stimulate your adrenals causing them to adrenaline and cortisol in the exact same way as they do during a ‘fight or flight’ reaction. Caffeine gives you a false boost in energy before the fall to fatigue. Your thyroid is very sensitive to stimulants. It only confuses your already overworked system. If you must have coffee, try to limit it to one cup of coffee a day. As for caffeinated soda, this beverage is a loaded with empty calories, a crazy amount of sugar and then top if off with the caffeine. You can purchase soda water without sodium and squeeze a lemon or lime into it. Hormones affected: Cortisol
16. Avoid endocrine disrupting chemicals found in plastics, household cleaners, personal care products, and cosmetics. As I mentioned earlier these toxins mimic your body’s hormones, which can seriously influence their function. Don’t worry I will give you plenty of recipes throughout this book to help get your started on natural and healthy alternatives to help minimize your exposure to endocrine disrupting chemicals.
How do we start fighting those Hormones that control your weight?
You have to start following the tips and techniques that I have written down for you in this book. I will recap everything from front to back at the end of this book but like I’ve mentioned before you must begin to understand how you got here to know where you’re going.
Food is thy medicine, right? Actually, it can work one of two ways. Food can be thy medicine or food can be thy death. This book is a guide that will inform you from the perspective of a women. You will also be able to determine what areas in your life that may need a little bit of work and the skills needed to improve those issues along with some fabulous recipes to help get you started on how to eat KETO AIP. I will also help you understand how to fix your gut, strengthen your immunity and fight inflammation with an autoimmune approach. The Keto AIP removes all the common inflammatory food triggers that stimulate a possible autoimmune reaction in the body. We’re going to start resetting those adrenals, boosting that energy and doing a little booty kicking to those hormones that have decided to act like a wild college student and pull an all-nighter the day before final exams.
A Women’s Holistic Holy Grail Handbook for Hypothyroidism and Hashimoto’s: How I healed my Hypothyroidism and Autoimmune Disorder with Personalized Nutrition
Disclaimer
The information and recipes contained in blog is based upon the research and the personal experiences of the author. It’s for entertainment purposes only. Every attempt has been made to provide accurate, up to date and reliable information. No warranties of any kind are expressed or implied. Readers acknowledge that the author is not engaging in the rendering of legal, financial, medical or professional advice. By reading this blog, the reader agrees that under no circumstance the author is not responsible for any loss, direct or indirect, which are incurred by using this information contained within this blog. Including but not limited to errors, omissions or inaccuracies. This blog is not intended as replacements from what your health care provider has suggested. The author is not responsible for any adverse effects or consequences resulting from the use of any of the suggestions, preparations or procedures discussed in this blog. All matters pertaining to your health should be supervised by a health care professional. I am not a doctor, or a medical professional. This blog is designed for as an educational and entertainment tool only. Please always check with your health practitioner before taking any vitamins, supplements, or herbs, as they may have side-effects, especially when combined with medications, alcohol, or other vitamins or supplements. Knowledge is power, educate yourself and find the answer to your health care needs. Wisdom is a wonderful thing to seek. I hope this blog will teach and encourage you to take leaps in your life to educate yourself for a happier & healthier life. You have to take ownership of your health.
Audrey Childers is a published author, blogger, freelance journalist and an entrepreneur with over a decade of experience in research and editorial writing. She is also the creator and founder of the website the hypothyroidismchick.com. Where you can find great tips on everyday living with hypothyroidism. She enjoys raising her children and being a voice for optimal human health and wellness. She is the published over 10 books that aren’t listed here but some of her books are : A survivors cookbook guide to kicking hypothyroidism booty, Reset your Thyroid, The Ultimate guide to healing hypothyroidism and A survivors cookbook guide to kicking hypothyroidism booty: the slow cooker way. You can find all these books on Amazon. You can also find her actively involved in her Facebook Group : Healing Hypothyroidism. This blog may be re-posted freely with proper attribution, author bio, and this copyright statement.
References:
https://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/doi/10.1289/ehp.1003220
https://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/doi/10.1289/ehp.1003220
https://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/doi/10.1289/ehp.1408989
Environmental Working Group October 28, 2013
https://www.ewg.org/research/dirty-dozen-list-endocrine-disruptors
Environmental Working Group October 28, 2013
https://www.ewg.org/research/dirty-dozen-list-endocrine-disruptors
WHO February 19, 2013 Press release
https://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/releases/2013/hormone_disrupting_20130219/en/
Journal of Applied Toxicology January 12, 2012: 32(3); 219-232
Journal of Applied Toxicology February 1, 2012: 32(5); 305-309
Medicinenet.com October 29, 2013
https://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=174861
EWG Skin Deep Cosmetics Database
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