Trouble Losing Weight? How to Reset Your Hormone levels?
Hormones are chemical messengers that stimulate cells and coordinate body functions. Your glands manufacture hormones and release them into the bloodstream, where they travel to different body organs. There are many types of hormones, and each one has a role in how your body functions. Hormones can affect your weight, mood and love drive.
Although hormones are small, they can make a big impact on your physical and emotional well-being. A tweak in the right direction can balance your hormones and improve your health. On the other hand, a hormone imbalance can leave you tired, moody and overweight.
Many things can throw your hormone levels off balance including stress, anxiety and even your diet. Fortunately, there are ways to reset your hormones to lose weight and improve your health. Here are three examples.
1. Stop Crash Dieting
A crash diet can be tempting when you want to lose weight quickly. Unfortunately, this kind of dieting can do more harm than good. A sudden calorie reduction can cause your thyroid gland to produce fewer hormones. As the hormone level drops, your metabolism slows to conserve energy.
To keep your hormones and metabolism steady, combine healthy fats and proteins with whole-grain carbs and fiber. Aim to eat this way about 80 percent of the time. The rest of the time, enjoy a reasonable treat to satisfy your taste buds and give your thyroid hormone a boost.
2. Pump Up Your Workouts
Exercise is important for many reasons including weight loss. While any activity is better than none, aim for exercise that gets your heart pumping. Moderate to intense activities encourage the release of endorphins, “feel good” hormones that lift your mood and minimize pain.
To pump up your workouts, listen to upbeat music while you exercise. Music enhances the release of serotonin, a neurotransmitter that also improves mood. Combined with endorphins, serotonin can keep you happy as burn away the fat.
3. Get Enough Sleep
Your body cannot make enough leptin, a hormone that controls your appetite and weight, when you sleep poorly. Too little leptin makes you feel hungry, so you eat more food than your body needs to function. This can lead to weight gain and keep you from shedding those stubborn pounds.
To increase hormone production, aim for seven to nine hours of sleep each night. A cool environment can help you sleep better. Sleep with less clothing or bed sheets, lower the thermostat or use a fan to keep you cool at night.
Oz, Mehmet. (March 28, 2014) “5 East Fixes to Reset Your Hormones.” The Dr. Oz Show.
