Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could just pin down the reason why we gain weight, to one thing, and be done with it? Hormones play a huge role in the how, what, when and why of our emotions, body functions, growth, metabolism and body tissue. Our “endocrine system” is a complex system of hormone producing glands and organs throughout our body. When hormones are released into our body, our body responds much like a car engine responds to the process following ignition. An easy way to understand how hormones work is to think of what happens when you start your car’s engine. The connection of the electrical current from the ignition (in this case, the brains “hypothalamus”) sends a signal to the engine to start the rest of the process (gas, oil, spark plugs, etc.). Each component of the engines process plays part in another component within the engine. If say, for example, the spark plugs are miss-firing, the engine will run poorly. Of if the gas (fuel) is low, the car won’t run for too long. Even the oil requires changing (refreshing) every so many miles. Why? Because our car requires routine maintenance to run efficiently and so does our body. Without the proper fuel (food) and exercise (tuning) our body becomes fatigued and our hormones imbalanced.
So what, you might ask, can I do to help my hormones help me lose weight, stay balanced and perform (overall) to my best ability? First, you have to understand how the endocrine system operates in order to understand it’s affect on your body.
*Communication: The endocrine system operates through a system referred to as the “extracellular” (outside the cell), using chemicals to communicate between cells and body functions. Various components of this system include the hypothalamus, pituitary and thyroid glands, organs (kidneys, liver, pancreas, etc.), with each one producing a variety of different hormones for different reasons.
*Efficiency: Our genes and hereditary condition can have a great impact on how our endocrine system operates. But so can our environment. While we could be predisposed to some medical conditions (i.e. diabetes) external factors play an equal part in how we assist or prevent our body in performing to its highest/greatest level. “EED’s” (Environmental Endocrine Disrupters) are commercial synthetic chemicals that have been linked to birth defects, immune disorders and more. Simply put; the more we ingest chemically enhanced food (i.e. preservatives) the more likely we could suffer long term effects.
Key players in our endocrine system
There are six key hormones that have the greatest impact on our body and how it functions with regard to our overall wellness:
*Adrenaline and Noradrenaline– Adrenaline supplies oxygen to the brain/muscles and suppresses our body’s reaction to stress. Adrenaline also works with the “Noradrenaline” hormone, which also supplies oxygen to the brain and glucose to the muscles. Both are also known as the “fight or flight” hormones.
*Growth Hormones – Produced by the pituitary gland, GH stimulate our growth from childhood and our cell reproduction, helping us age gracefully into adulthood while maintaining our muscle/bone mass.
*Vasopressin – Originating through the hypothalamus and prompted by the pituitary gland, it releases hormones that help our body regulate/maintain blood pressure, water and electrolyte balance.
*Calcitonin – Assists in bone construction and produced by the thyroid gland.
*Insulin – Produced by the pancreas, insulin helps regulates sugar in our blood (glucose) through moving the blood into the cells.
Take action now!
It’s vital to remember that some things (i.e. genetic disposition) may be unchangeable but manageable when it comes to your wellness. Simple things you can do to help your body help itself are:
*Eat fresh whole foods – Vegetables, fruits, nuts, legumes and whole grains….all good and helpful in keeping your blood sugars level while assisting in the rebuilding of your body’s cellular structure.
*Eat more seafood – Omega 3 Fatty Acids are mostly found in fish (i.e. Salmon, Tuna, Mackerel, Sardines, etc.) and have a profound impact on the re-growth of our cellular/muscle structure.
*Exercise everyday – Get moving! Our hormones stimulate themselves naturally when we are physically active. Make it a goal to focus on 30-45 minutes per day of exercise (walking, running, weight lifting, etc.).
*Avoid processed and refined food – Sugar, fast food, white bread, fried food, fatty food, and the list goes on…..all contain products that “weigh down” our endocrine system’s ability to perform well. Avoid them!
*Calm down – Prayer/meditation/relaxation/massage/rest…..each plays a part in our overall wellness. When we take time to stop and pray, rejuvenate our bodies, meditate on the positive and just relax/rest, we naturally restore our body’s ability to stabilize our hormones.
*Avoid stressful reactions – Nothing wreaks more havoc on our body than our reaction to stress. Part of living a normal life is learning how to manage stress. Instead of running away or constantly fighting, learn to step back, take a deep breath and manage your emotions. Remember: This too shall pass. The need to feel like “I won” this battle is short lived if it wreaks havoc on our life. Winning the battle is realized when we conquer the battle from within. Stress can make us overeat, drink and become depressed – each affecting our wellness negatively while throwing our hormones into a tail spin.
The six hormones listed above all have one thing in common; they affect our overall wellness (including weight gain or loss). The complexity of the endocrine system and how it helps our body restore, rebuild and replenish requires our intentional participation when it comes to nutrition and exercise. Do your hormones affect your weight loss or gain? Absolutely. Is there anything you can do about it? Absolutely.
Quick Tips for Wellness: Start taking action today and you’ll start seeing the result of your hard work and discipline sooner than you realize.
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