Stubborn body fat need not be feared

Endocrinology is an exceptionally convoluted area of study because the interactions of hormones in the human body are seemingly infinite. As a result implications of various hormone balances on health are undecided; so this post will only consider the aesthetic implications of hormones. With that said one of the things known to be true is that oestrogens dictate where on your body you store fat. 



So where do oestrogens come from?

Oestrogens are produced naturally by both sexes, and the rate at which oestrogens are produced by the body is dependent on lifestyle. Too little sleep, too many carbohydrates, too much body fat, zinc, magnesium, vitamin D and omega 3 deficiency all contribute to increasing the amount of oestrogen in out system.

The other end of the spectrum is the stuff that goes in, chemicals in pesticides, perfumes and cosmetics are absorbed into our body. Plastics tubs in which we heat food in the microwave sneak chemical oestrogens in. The growth of cheap meat (particularly chicken) is fuelled by pumping them with oestrogens. All of these chemicals in the body mimic oestrogens and increase the amount of fat in oestrogen sensitive areas.

All of this can lead to oestrogen toxicity and stubborn fatty deposits, which are very common in the UK. Common problems include:

Women who want to lose body fat from their legs, hips and bum. They want to achieve a firmed up and shapely look which they can be proud of. However until oestrogen balance is restored, their bodies will be very resistant to change.

Men who want to reduce excessive fat around their chest. This problem is almost always accompanied by low testosterone because their bodies are literally converting testosterone into oestrogens, and too many oestrogens and not enough testosterone will make it nigh on impossible to remove the unwanted fat without a lifestyle change.

Vegetarians are those most at risk because they are forced to eat diets high in carbohydrate in order to get adequate protein, they eat a lot of legumes which reduce Zinc absorption and they often have very low amounts of Omega 3 in their bodies.

So, what can be done about it?

Thankfully, there are an enormous number of angles to target oestrogen overload. To reduce the production of oestrogens reduce carbohydrate intake/increase protein intake, reduce body fat, sleep more and take zinc, magnesium, vitamin D and omega 3 supplements.

However what I suspect most people are in need of is reducing their exposure to chemical oestrogens, they should; use natural cosmetics, natural perfumes, use glass containers for food and drink, and eat organic veg/meat, or at least free range/grass fed.

The best thing to combat chemical oestrogens, by a mile, is to increase your intake of phytoestrogens. These natural little wonders effectively block out their chemical alternatives. The easiest source of these is a greens supplement, which is packed full of concentrated super veg which inhibit the effects of and actively clear out unnecessary toxins, allowing your liver to manage oestrogens naturally.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18045137


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