JELLY-BELLY FAT
Hormone responsible: Cortisol
Cortisol is a hormone released by the
cortex (the outer portion) of the adrenal
gland when a person is under stress. It
can be so destructive that cortisol levels
are now considered a biological marker
of suicide risk. Excess or continued high
levels of cortisol contributes greatly to
body-fat storage around the naval area.
Why does cortisol increase weight in this
area?
When you are stressed, your body overproduces the hormone cortisol. As a
result, your body holds on to fat. Since
there are more cortisol receptors in the
abdomen, when we are stressed, the
body tends to hold onto fat in this area.
This unhealthy visceral fat (the fat
surrounding your internal organs), can
also increase inflammation and insulin
resistance in the body, further increasing
body fat and creating a vicious cycle
of fat production throughout the whole
body. The risk of developing adrenal
fatigue and chronic fatigue as a result is
also increased.
Solution
Stress less! Easier said than done
sometimes, but worth the effort. Focus
on adopting regular sleeping patterns,
taking up light activities, meditating,
connecting with others and new
activities or professional help if required.
If stress is unavoidable, try
supplementing with magnesium. Taken
in the evening, this will act as a cortisol
blocker and help relax the body,
relieving anxiety, too. I suggest starting
with a modest dose of 300–600 mg a
day, increasing up to 4000 mg a day if
symptoms of stress and sleeplessness are
still present.
LOVE HANDLES AND/OR BACK FAT
transport energy from carbohydrates (in
the form of glucose) to the muscles for
energy.
Why does insulin increase weight in this
area?
Unfortunately, when we consume too
many carbs, we produce too much
insulin, which rather than being used
for energy, gets stored as fat. Over time,
this can cause insulin resistance, which
means the body cannot tolerate carbs
anymore. This is often reflected physically
in fat distribution on the shoulder blades
and the top of the hips, otherwise known
as love handles.
Shoulder blade skinfold thickness is also
directly associated with carbohydrate
intolerance and research suggests that
fat in this area may, in some cases, help
identify risk of type 2 diabetes in premenopausal women.
Solution
Once the body becomes insulin resistant,
it goes into a meltdown. This can be
corrected by controlling carbohydrate
intake in the diet and taking EPAdominant, pharmaceutical-grade
omega-3 fish oil, both of which can help
increase your insulin sensitivity. In short,
you will produce less insulin and when
you do eat carbs, they will be used the
way they should be – for energy!
PEAR-SHAPED BODY
AND/OR JELLY LEGS
such as reproduction, menstruation
and menopause. However, excess
oestrogen can also be ingested from our
environment, causing havoc with our
bodies and body fat composition. The
presence of cellulite is one indication
there is an oestrogen dominance in the
body.
Why does oestrogen increase weight in
this area?
An imbalance in oestrogen levels
can be caused by many different
factors and will be specific to your
lifestyle and age. However, one main
cause that affects many women is the
presence of xenoestrogens (or what
we call oestrogen mimickers) from our
environment (found in plastics, pesticides
and parabens). These mimickers can
latch on to existing receptors, which are
predominantly found in the lower half of
the body, causing fat to be stored in this
area.
To rid excess oestrogen from the body
and in turn lean out your legs, try and
avoid or minimise the toxins or oestrogen
mimickers from entering your body while
getting your body efficient at detoxing
through the use of supplementation.
To reduce the effect of xenoestrogens
from the environment, try to limit the
toxic load on the body by:
choosing paraben-free products
(check the ingredients list on your
cosmetics, food products and
pharmaceuticals)
•
ensure you drink lots of water
•
increase your intake of cruciferous
vegies containing sulforaphane
and indoles (such as kale, brussels
sprouts, spinach and cabbage).
We can also reduce the load on
the body from xenoestrogens by
supplementing our diet with:
•
a pharmaceutical-grade
multivitamin containing zinc and
B-vitamins – to help metabolise
foreign oestrogens from the body,
particularly from the liver and
kidneys.
•
a probiotic and digestion support or
HCL (hydrochloric acid, see below)
– to support the gastrointestinal (GI)
tract and help excrete oestrogens
from the intestine.
•
flaxseed lignans – a good, plantbased oestrogen, flaxseed can bind
to oestrogen receptor sites before
the nasty ones get there, inhibiting
further production.
Sometimes fatloss is more than just about
diet and exercise. Once you understand
the hormones governing your body and
how to control them you will start to
become the master of your physique.
buying organic fruit and vegies
•
Secreted from the ovaries, oestrogen is
the female sex hormone that regulates
the female characteristics of the body
using glass or ceramic instead of
plastic to eat or drink from
•
Hormone responsible: Oestrogen
•
Solution
•
Yes, a pear-shaped body is beautiful
and feminine – and sometimes this is our
natural shape – but sometimes we can
have too much of a good thing. Same
with jelly legs. Enough said!
The kidneys, liver and gastrointestinal
tract are all responsible for detoxing
foreign oestrogens from the body so it
is important that they function well. To
speed up the detoxification process and
clean out trouble spots:
washing produce thoroughly with
water.
Hormone responsible: Insulin
A major fuel-regulating hormone, insulin
is secreted into the blood from the
pancreas. Its function is to store and
Sally Matt