BELLY FAT; IT’S A REAL TURKEY

UNBUCKLE YOUR BELT, HERE IT COMES

A lot has changed since the first Thanksgiving shared by the Plymouth colonists and Wampanoag Native Americans in 1621.  The “lot” being the growing groaning table of Thanksgiving goodies. Creamed this, buttered that, every kind of carb from mashed potatoes to mac and cheese, tater tot casseroles, and of course sweet potato casseroles with tons of tiny little melting marshmallows. And pies. Don’t forget the pies. All kinds of pies. Overeating has become a tradition. Did you know that the average American gains 1 to 3 pounds between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day every year? According to a study published by the New England Journal of Medicine, Americans add on an average of 0.7% of their weight during the holiday season. All that food just dumps itself onto your belly. That might have been jelly before you jumped into the fight for the greasy, crisp turkey skin.

AN ABUNDANCE OF BELLY

But for many people, a big belly isn’t about a holiday belly. Extra pounds park themselves around their middle on an ongoing basis. Potbelly. The pouch. Spare tire. Middle-age spread. Though the term might sound dated, “middle-age spread” is a greater concern than ever. As people go through their middle years, their proportion of fat to body weight tends to increase — more so in women than men. And lower belly fat is hard to shed. Certain body fats hold onto fat around the lower stomach longer than any other part of the body.

ARE YOU A PEAR, OR ARE YOU AN APPLE?

Fat isn’t just “fat”. There are different types that have different effects on different parts of your body. But we’ll focus on subcutaneous and visceral fat here.

The subcutaneous fat is the outermost layer of fat; it’s the fat you can pinch between your fingers. This layer sits on top of the abdominal muscle tissue. If you can pinch a good amount of subcutaneous fat, chances are you have a large amount of visceral fat lurking underneath your abdominal muscles. Subcutaneous fat is less harmful to health and serves as a layer of protection for your organs as well as insulation to regulate body temperature. This is what defines the “pear shape”.

Visceral fat hangs beneath the muscles in your stomach, close to all your organs. Can’t see it and can’t pinch it. This is what is called the “apple shape”. In the mid-1990s, scientists learned visceral fat releases hormones and other substances that affect the body’s functioning. These substances cause inflammation, which increases the risk of cardiovascular disease, and other chronic diseases. Visceral fat also secretes a protein that makes it harder for the body to use insulin effectively, which increases the risk of diabetes. And because visceral fat is so close to the liver, it may cause the liver to produce too much cholesterol, which raises the risk of developing high blood pressureheart attack, and stroke. It can cause sleep apnea, asthma, and even different types of cancer. Not exactly something to give thanks for.

HORMONAL FEASTING FRENZY

Let’s get into some of those hormones we were talking about. Let’s say you’re doing everything right. You work out and eat healthy meals as much as you can, but your belly won’t budge. The fat hanging over the pants just persists. The same hormones that mess with your libido (estrogen and testosterone), can impact your waistline. Cortisol also plays a major role in metabolism regulation, and basically, chronic stress can lead to chronically high cortisol. That’s a one-way ticket to a big appetite and high blood sugar. (Next stop: belly fat!). You may have leptin resistance. Leptin is the hormone that helps regulate your appetite. It tells your brain when your belly is full. If your body starts ignoring leptin’s messages, that’s called leptin resistance. Another hormonal cause of belly fat? Insulin imbalance. Wild sugar cravings, sudden weight gain, and lack of focus could all indicate insulin issues. A common symptom of an underactive thyroid is weight gain, often around the abdomen. So don’t blame that gut you’ve got on the platters of goodies that have put you in a food coma.

THE SAFEST WAY TO WHITTLE YOUR MIDDLE

Belly fat can be tricky to ditch. Like the day-after-Thanksgiving Day-leftovers, it just keeps hanging around. Belly fat can drive people to some pretty dangerous ways to dump the lump. Extreme or bizarre diets. Starving themselves until they’re ready to pass out. Exercising until they lose it. (And we’re not talking about the fat). Online and over-the-counter meds that might actually do more harm. What you need to do, is see a medical professional who is trained in hormones and the way they affect your weight, and specifically not-beer gut. The hormone experts at Denver Hormone Health can help you carve out a safe and personalized program. It’s called Hormonal Weight Support. Everything you need to help you on your weight loss (belly loss) journey. Including emotional support. At Denver Hormone Health, they understand your frustration and care about you in every way. From hormonal replacement therapy to the guidance of experienced nutrition and exercise specialists. Denver Hormone Health is the way to make that belly be a thing of the past. Be your best. Feel your best. Look your best. Call Denver Hormone Health for an appointment now.

COVID AND WEIGHT GAIN; THEY’RE AN ITEM

WE’RE IN A FOOD PANDEMIC AND IT IS CAUSING WEIGHT GAIN

The pandemic and sheltering-in-place have created a perfect storm for weight gain—life has been disrupted, schedules and routines are out of whack. So here comes what they call the Covid-15. Fifteen pounds mindlessly piled on. The never normal has become the new normal. We’re a nation going cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs. And gorging on fat memes which can make you laugh, but then make you take a dive for the Dove Bars. And while you’re there, forage through the fridge in frustration. That voice you hear calling is your scale taunting you like a Siren…” Step on me, I dare you.”

ANY WONDER WEIGHT GAIN IS ON THE MENU?

The trend represents a stark reversal from the national gravitation toward more natural foods in recent years. The only thing guaranteed healthy now are people’s appetites. Your workspace became your eat space. Snickers, Snackerz, chewy, munchy, Cheetos, Doritos, Tostitos, Fritos…that’s a lot of “itos”. You’ve even hired a personal chef; his name is Boyardee. We are drowning in massive piles of fat cell fertilizer. And obsessing over the Great British Bake Off isn’t going to help you take weight gain off.

STUFFING THE FEELINGS

Most of us are eating out of boredom. Or opportunity. You deserve it. Everybody is doing it. But another pandemic in this country is mental health. Nearly 1 in 5 people in this country have experienced mental health issues at one time or another. Anxiety, fear, sadness, depression is worse than ever. And this emotional distress causes another kind of binge eating; stress eating. To ‘escape’ from awareness of these negative thoughts and feelings, attention is focused instead on immediate relief such as food. But without enjoyment. And even with disgust.

COVID CAUTION

Some people came into 2020 already overweight or even obese. In fact, the U.S. adult obesity rate tops 40 percent; the highest ever recorded. According to the CDC, adults with obesity might have a higher risk of severe illness from COVID-19. It will not increase a person’s chance of becoming infected but it can lead to serious complications.

YOU LOSE A LOT WHEN YOU GAIN

The coronavirus isn’t the only concern for those with more serious ongoing weight problems; there are approximately 240 different health conditions associated with obesity. It can put them at risk for chronic fatigue, muscle aches, joint pain, headaches, and high blood pressure. But it can get much more serious. All that excess body fat can lead to Type 2 diabetes, sleep apnea, anxiety, depression, strokes, heart disease, and even many types of cancer.

IT’S NOT YOU. IT’S YOUR HORMONES

Who doesn’t beat themselves up when it comes to weight gain? Time to give yourself some slack here. Even if you’ve been one of the tribe of doing-everything-right, eating well, and exercising, you can still have a weight gain problem. But be reassured, an untamed appetite isn’t always the only food perp causing you to pile on those pounds. If you’re going to fat shame, lay the blame on your hormones. Yep, hormones and weight gain go hand in hand.

Hormones direct our body’s responses; how we respond to things like food, exercise, stress, and sleep. And they play a huge role in how your metabolism functions. How you use food for fuel, whether it gets stored or burned, whether you feel hungry or full, whether you experience cravings or not. It affects your mood and even your motivation to exercise. When your hormones are out of balance, they can hold onto your weight gain for dear life.

TAKE WEIGHT GAIN OFF YOUR PLATE FOR GOOD

At Denver Hormone Health, they can put you on the right path to reversing your metabolic meltdown. No one is destined to gain weight. The caring and experience hormone specialists at Denver Hormone Health understand. They want to be your weight loss support system to help restore your physical and overall well-being. Their proven weight loss program starts with finding which hormones are out of balance and just how much. This lets them create an integrated weight loss plan unique to your needs that can include bioidentical hormone replacement therapy, B6, B12, and lipotropic injections, plus exclusive, highest quality weight management supplements. They help you with exercise, nutrition, and whatever you need to make your weight loss journey go smoothly. Hungry for results? Call Denver Hormone Health for an appointment now.

HAPPY YOU YEAR

IT’S JANUARY, AND I DON’T KNOW WHERE I PUT MY RESOLUTIONS

Happens every year. Good intentions fill the air around the globe. Lists are made. But memes and jokes glut the Internet:

“My goal for 2021 is to accomplish the goals of 2020 which I should have done in 2019 because I promised them in 2018.”

You laugh. But not for long. Studies have shown that less than 25% of people actually stay committed to their resolutions after just 30 days, and only 8% accomplish them. But you don’t have to be part of the statistic.

THESE DON’T COUNT

  • Dear me…this year I will:
  • Stop mispronouncing Kamala and Chipotle
  • Try to come up with passwords more creative than “password”
  • Stop leaving Eggo boxes under the bed
  • Never use “it is what it is” when it comes to sex
  • Get my whites whiter

Again, more funny. But funny on January 1st, can only take you as far as January 2nd. OK, maybe 3rd.

IT’S HARD TO MAKE GOOD RESOLUTIONS WHEN THINGS SEEM SO BAD

It’s a daunting task to sit down and make some serious resolutions considering the stress of 2020 that made the ball coming down at midnight feel like it came down on your head. Life has taken a toll on your whole body. Stress off the charts. Less exercise. More eating. You can’t sleep, you ache all over. The only thing you can’t seem to do is social distance from is depression.

HOW HORMONES CAN HELP YOU KEEP SOME HEALTHY RESOLUTIONS

To say you don’t feel your best is an understatement. But consider this; a lot of what you’re feeling could be due to unbalanced hormones. Hormones are chemical messengers freestyling it through your bloodstream, messing up how you feel at whim. Unbalanced hormones can affect all your most important resolutions:

LOSE WEIGHT

Hormone imbalances can program you to put on the pounds. Estrogen, progesterone, testosterone imbalances can lead to weight gain in the hips, thighs, and bottom. An imbalance of cortisol stress hormones is another roadblock to losing weight, with high levels fueling appetite, sugar cravings, and the accumulation of belly fat. Low thyroid hormones and/or deficiencies of elements like selenium or iodine crucial to active thyroid conversion can also slow metabolism, making it easy to gain weight and harder to lose.

SLEEP BETTER

To sleep, perchance to dream; this too is a hormone matter. We need at least 6-7 hours of contented sleep. Consistently. Balanced levels of melatonin in tandem with cortisol regulate the rhythms of sleep and waking. A well-rested mind and body provide the inner calm and tranquility needed to help us deal with all that life might throw at us. And this year, Covid is playing hardball. 

GET ORGANIZED

Hormone imbalances can run interference on getting your house in order. If, for example, you have low testosterone it can be tough to think straight. Out-of-whack cortisol levels can make us unfocused and easily distracted, while estrogen lows are linked with foggy thinking and difficulty finding anything but your secret stash of assorted flavor Pringles. 

STAY FIT AND HEALTHY

Hormone fitness is a must. That means that all the hormones in our body need to be in the right proportions with one another: estrogens, androgens, adrenals, and thyroid hormones work closely together to protect the health of our heart, brain, and nervous system, muscles, and bones, skin and hair.

YOU CAN DO IT. YOU CAN ABSOLUTELY DO IT

It’s all possible with the help of your hormones and Denver Hormone Health.

Denver Hormone Health is all about everything “hormones”. They understand the delicate balance your hormones need to be in to help you be your best. The professionals at DHH take the time to really talk with you about what’s been bugging you and what could be the health consequences of your hormones feeling bugged. With simple tests, they can get the whole picture. This helps them create a treatment plan that’s uniquely tailored to your needs. While looking for toilet paper and cleaning supplies has become the new Gold Rush, the rush should be getting your hormones balanced. Resolve to make an appointment at Denver Hormone Health now. And Happy You Year.