Chief Hormones

A complex variety of 200 hormones circulates in the bloodstream at any given time, each can signal different things to different parts of the body.

There are a few primary hormones that should be understood in regards to optimizing our digestion, energy levels, metabolism and overall health. Balancing these key hormones is necessary for reaching the most auspicious levels of health, wellness and happiness. Lifestyle and nutrition directly affect which hormones are turned on and off, and it is important to note that it is the loss of hormonal communication that leads to obesity, accelerated aging, many types of cancers, and a host of other health issues.

Chief Hormones:

Insulin plays a role in micronutrient storage and conversions. One of its primary roles is as a nutrient sensor (when you ingest food, it tells those nutrients where to be stored). Insulin is released after your blood sugar rises. Insulin is important for regulating blood sugar, body fat, and aging. If we want to stay healthy its best to keep insulin on the low side by controlling our consumption of processed foods and refined carbs and sugar. Excess insulin or becoming desensitized to insulin can lead to diabetes, weight gain, hardening of the arteries and down regulation of two important hormones glucagon (important for burning sugar and fat) and growth hormone (needed for building muscles).

Leptin (which comes from the Greek word leptos, or thin) regulates both appetite and metabolism. If it’s working correctly it tells us when we are full after eating a meal.

Ghrelin tells us when we are hungry or low on energy. It is important to note that stress and lack of sleep can alter ghrelin levels and increase our sense of hunger. *Since sleep deprivation increases ghrelin, a since ghrelin increases appetite, this is one of the reasons why sleep disturbances leads to increased food intake.

Cortisol raises blood sugar levels, which can cause fat gain. It is released from stress and lack of sleep. Cortisol shouldn’t be feared, because it is a crucial anti-inflammatory, we just don’t want too much of it. It is most commonly known as a “stress hormone”. It increases blood pressure and acts an anti-inflammatory by lowering the activity of the immune system. Cortisol decreases insulin sensitivity, lowers the rate of bone formation, and causes a loss of collagen in the skin and other connective tissues. What will cause cortisol levels to rise you may ask…prolonged physical activity, excess caffeine, sleep deprivation, stress, and a crappy diet to name a few things.

Now that you have had your biochem lecture for the day….here are some ways to optimize hormone levels effective immediately:

Eat whole real foods- Eating foods in their most natural state will help keep you off the hormonal rollercoaster that is our Standard American Diet (SAD no coincidence). Real foods will stabilize your blood glucose levels, balance hormones, increase your energy and enhance your mood. Avoid foods that stress the adrenal glands (alcohol, refined carbs, sugar, artificial sweeteners, gluten) and incorporate foods that support the thyroid gland and increase metabolism (omega 3 rich foods, grass fed meat, pasture raised poultry, sprouted grains, organic produce).

Lift heavy ass weights- Strength training can help balance hormones and boost fat burning hormones. Brian McFarlin, Professor of exercise, physiology and nutrition at the University of Houston explains the benefits of strength training; “It alters the cortisol level, helping you burn calories and fat. Even at rest, muscle burns more calories than other tissue".

Take a chill pill- Keep stress levels to a minimum and actively put in an effort to stress less (something I need work at). When you are stressed out your body produces more cortisol (fat storage and muscle wasting hormone), which increases glucose in the blood and leads to a heighted appetite and craving for sugar and carbs….oh ya and it increases belly fat.

Hit the pillow- Get quality sleep in; this is the time your body repairs and restores all the damage you caused throughout the day. Too little sleep causes your body to produce more ghrelin (your hunger hormone) and less growth hormone and testosterone (good luck building muscle and burning fat without these two hormones).  Research has shown that just three days of sleep disruption increases insulin resistance in humans. Get to bed by 10:00pm, as your body releases the largest amounts of growth hormone earlier in the night.

Smart Supplements: If you can’t get your act together with the lifestyle changes quite yet no worries. There are some supplements that you can add to your daily regimen to help get hormone levels back in balance: Vitamin D3, Tulsi Holy Basil, Licorice Root Tea, Vitamin B-Complex and Ashwagandha.