Insulin, cortisol and estrogen, are hormones that direct your body to make and to store fat. It is key to your weight loss efforts to understand what triggers these hormones into action. Your weight loss success depends on your ability to inhibit the actions of these three hormones while stimulating the six fat burning hormones.
A closer look at each of the three fat storing hormones will provide meaningful information related to understanding how they work in making and storing fat.
Insulin
Insulin is a metabolic hormone that is made by the pancreas. It plays a vital role in regulating blood sugar levels after eating. It does this by escorting glucose from the blood into every cell of our bodies where it is used as fuel to produce energy so the cells can perform their designated tasks. The glucose that is not needed by the cells is converted into fat and cholesterol.
Insulin works in concert with the fat burning hormones Insulin Growth Factor (IGF) and Glucagon to maintain a constant level of glucose in the blood. The levels of both of these hormones go down when insulin levels are up. When this happens your body's ability to burn fat is inhibited.
Sugar and refined carbohydrates trigger the release of insulin because these types of foods are quickly converted into glucose. The body responds by releasing corresponding amounts of insulin into the bloodstream to quickly clear the glucose from the blood because of the toxic effects that it has on internal organs such as the kidneys. Glucose that is not used as fuel for producing energy in the cells is converted into fat.
Avoiding consistently high levels of insulin in your blood is key to weight loss and healthy management of blood glucose levels. Failure to do this over time can result in chronic conditions such as diabetes which can lead to significant problems with your health and overall well-being.
Cortisol
This fat making / storing hormone is made by the adrenal glands. It is released in response to physical and mental stress. When stressful events occur, cortisol is involved in producing an instant energy source for the body by causing the liver to release glycogen (stored form of sugar in the liver) and by converting muscle protein into sugar fuel. When doing this it encourages the release of insulin, which as previously mentioned inhibits fat burning.
It is also believed that this glucocorticoid hormone is involved in decreasing insulin sensitivity. This reduces insulin's ability to escort glucose into cells which results in elevated blood glucose levels. The body responds to these elevated levels of blood glucose by calling for more insulin to be released which in turn triggers the release of more cortisol. The release of cortisol triggers elevated blood glucose levels via the glycogen / muscle protein instant sugar fuel mechanism explained above. This creates a vicious cycle that leads to weight gains and other health issues.
Estrogen
Produced primarily by the ovaries, estrogen is the primary female sex hormone that is directly responsible for female characteristics and traits. There are three major naturally occurring estrogens. All are involved in the female body's pre and post menopause reproductive system and process. While men produce estrogen also, the levels are inconsequential when compared to what the female body produces.
Estrogen also has a major role in depositing a cellulite type of fat on the female body particularly throughout the midsection, thighs, and buttocks. When the levels are elevated relative to a female's unique physiological requirement and / or aging, excessive amounts of this cellulite fat can be deposited in the areas referenced. In men, elevated levels of estrogen creates "man boobs".
Given its critical role in female development, women tend to have significantly more estrogen receptors than men. This in part explains why women tend to gain weight faster than men while also having greater challenges in losing weight.
Summary
Successful weight management must take into consideration the roles that the three fat making / storing hormones play in determining body weight and body shape.
The foods, events, and environmental factors that we are subjected to all play a major role in triggering these hormones into action. Body weight and shape are mere expressions of issues that have created unhealthy glands and altered hormones. Effective weight loss and long-term management of a healthy body weight must focus on getting unhealthy glands and altered hormones back to a healthy / healthier state of being. When this happens, weight loss and long term management of a healthy body weight will naturally take place.
You can immediately get started in moving in the right direction by eliminating / reducing sugar and refined carbohydrates from your daily diet. Avoiding canned, processed, and man made foodstuffs will greatly facilitate your weight loss / weight maintenance efforts.
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