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THE HORMONAL SIGNATURE
Most often, a hormone imbalance is due to poor lifestyle or unfavourable environment. We can take action on fat identified in excess by understanding the hormone signature from any part of the body.
Seven to eight sites are likely to inform about various hormonal problems in the body. We can quickly examine them to the naked eye or in a more precise way, by pinching the skinfold, which informs about the thickness of the fatty tissue.
Cheek and neck: these are the first areas where excess fat decreases with diet, because they are not particularly related to hormone imbalance.
Quadriceps and triceps: excess fat in thighs and triceps is correlated to a high rate of estrogen.
Supra-iliac and subscapular: the well-known "love handles" and fat in the middle of the upper back reflect a mediocre sensitivity to insulin and intolerance to carbohydrates. This hormonal abnormality of insulin resistance also reduces the effect of growth hormone, one of whose roles is to contribute to the destocking of adipocytes or fat cells.
Under the umbilical: the small bag of fat below the navel and the hypertrophyed abdomen, as in metabolic syndrome, show an excess of cortisol, the stress hormone. A high rate of this hormone in the blood significantly reduces lipolytic hormones (which destroy fat), such as growth hormone and testosterone. On top of that, it significantly increases insulin resistance. The key is to reduce excess cortisol by limiting the consumption of caffeine and sugar (choose low glycemic index sugars: see chapter on sugars).
Adaptogenic plants can be used. Stress management is imperative. A testosterone deficiency in man and in excess in woman can also appear in this hormonal disorder.
Pectoral and triceps: an excess of fat in this region is the sign of either a lack of testosterone, or an excess of oestradiol (female hormone of the oestrogen family) in man.
Mi-axillaire: (which relates to the armpit), this area is correlated to thyroid hormone.
Knee : excess fat tissue in this region is linked to a growth hormone deficit.
Other hormone influences. When a woman is a little too much under the influence of testosterone or androgen, the upper body is a little more developed than the lower half. The fat/muscle ratio is increased to the advantage of the muscles. When a woman is a little too under the influence of oestrogens, she tends to take buttocks, hips and thighs. It is the same for some men.
The excessive influence of estrogen results in a congestive tendency, venous problems, the appearance of an early and tenacious cellulite in the basin area, thighs and knees, and this from puberty if the diet is not monitored, especially in the second phase of the cycle. The excessive influence of progesterone will cause a development of the upper part of the body with fat and water at this level. For the postmenopausal woman, estrogens are produced and stored in the abdomen.
So at fifty, even some thin women have a little belly, and this is not harmful to health. However, in the case of excess, this is the sign of insulin resistance and/or high cortisol levels. The belly of an insulin-resistant person is clearly disproportionate to the rest of the body; excess of refined sugars and carbohydrates in the diet, insufficient physical exercise. A prominent belly (not to be confused with weight gain in the abdominal truss and with the falling belly related to pregnancy) may be due to excess cortisol (stress) and/or oestrogen deficiency and/or constipation.
Water retention, bloating and puffiness can be related to oestrogen dominance in relation to a lack of progesterone or a real excess of estrogen. Excess estrogen can be caused by contraceptive pills or hormone replacement treatments. One woman in five takes weight, after taking the pill for a few months.
In 20% of women, estrogen increase the activity of liver enzymes, resulting in overproduction of triglycerides and lipoproteins, which promotes weight gain and formation of "bad" LDL cholesterol. An imbalance in the hormonal control system (brain cortex, hypothalamus, thyroid) can be at the origin of an excessive secretion of estrogen, in case of chronic stress, important.
Oestrogens are produced from the ovaries, placenta, adrenal glands, fat cells and the transformation of testosterone. In some cases, the process of aromatization, which corresponds to the conversion of fat cells into oestrogen, can embolish and promote excessive oestrogen production and be at the origin of excessive weight gain.
Unbalanced diets will help shape the body in a certain way. Indeed, an unbalanced diet such as the "apple/salad/yogurt" diet, mainly rich in fruits, vegetables and mineral salts, will participate in water retention and volume in buttocks and/or hips. Different mechanisms can explain this result: when a diet is deprived of fats, as we have already studied, the body will try to replace fats with water, because the body is looking for something to protect us from warmth and cold and it keeps what it finds.
Unfortunately water is not a thermal insulation, but a driver. It will be at the origin of oedemas, cellulite and weight gain. On the other hand, an excess of vegetables, not counterbalanced with other food classes can bring a significant amount of estrogen, because many plants and vegetables are estrogen like, that is to say, they bring phytohormones imitating the action of body hormones.
In principle, they are weakly dosed in hormone precursors, but repeated and excessive quantity can influence the body. Milk, cheese, yogurts also promote the development of estrogen, so it is recommended not to consume it excessively. In women, hips and buttocks are very sensitive to excess estrogen.
Hormone imbalance in favour of estrogen promotes sodium hydro retention and therefore weight gain. Excessive consumption of foods rich in fruits, vegetables and “hydrophilic” mineral salts can promote water retention and puffiness. As soon as the blood and lymphatic circulation is slowed down for one reason or another, then the water can infiltrate the connective tissues and promotes edema or water retention.
Although fruits and vegetables are beneficial to health, their excesses and the concomitant absence of other food classes can cause various health disorders such as cellulite and weight retention. However, it is not desirable to eliminate fruit and vegetables from the diet. Everything is about balance, middle ground. A balanced meal should contain some crudités, carbs or cereals, proteins and some lipids of virgin first-cold pressure and organic origin.
To convince yourself of the essential interest of consuming crudités on a daily basis, it is enough to take an interest in the work of Dr. Richard Beliveau and Dr. Denis Gringas, who demonstrate a study in support of all the richness of various nutrients they contain. This work has been largely taken up in the works of Dr. David Servan-Schreiber in the treatment of cancer among other things. Crudités are rich in water but also contain a lot of potassium promoting the evacuation of excess water outside of the body.
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Information about the author :
Eric Darche/ Hygienist-Naturopath, author of 9 works, lecturer.
Creator of an online naturopathic and hygienist school: ENHED
Office consultations at Auzon, in Auvergne or by Skype or by tel: 09 50 24 05 34.
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