Most of us will experience it. The moment when we realize that what we’ve always done has simply stopped working.
When weight is creeping up even though your exercise routine may have stayed the same. When actual “dieting” is a term you begin to use. When you just don’t feel like you anymore.
What’s a common theme we hear from clients experiencing this? They tell us it’s as though an alien has taken over their bodies – no joke!
This experience can be unsettling, confusing, and even a little alarming. We seem to be able to go along fine until one day we realize it’s not like it used to be.
Welcome to hormonal changing.
How do hormones change?
Before the age of 40 (or thereabout), hormones are typically balanced. Estrogen and progesterone fluctuate through the month, but overall, they are in balance.
After around the age of 40, hormones begin to decline and can easily become disproportionate. Estrogen may start to become more dominant and you may find that your calming hormone, progesterone lowers even more.
What can this cause? Food cravings, insomnia, lower stress tolerance, and oh…what can these lead to? Yes, WEIGHT GAIN.
This is why its crucial for us to find the root cause of your weight gain – particularly if it’s due to fluctuating hormones.
But my general practitioner says my hormones are fine.
Many clients come to us who have had their hormones tested in a general practitioner or OBGYN office. They find that the results show they have enough of each hormone, yet they are still feeling off.
We make sure to test not only the amount of hormone, but the balance of it in comparison to other hormones. As we age, the key is to keep our hormones in harmony. Yes, levels may ebb and flow, but it’s important to keep them balanced with each other and not have one more dominant.
Testing should be performed on days 19-22 of a woman’s menstrual cycle. And ensure that when your hormones are tested, the results are interpreted in all-encompassing way and not just any particular level.
I’m not 40 yet. What should I eat that will help my PMS and will prepare my body for aging in a healthy manner?
If you’re like many of our clients, you may experience cramping, heavy periods, headaches, and irritability throughout any given month. What’s the cause of this?
Most women with these symptoms are estrogen dominant. This means that estrogen levels far outweigh progesterone levels and the body is unbalanced in hormones.
What to do about it?
1. Eat More Plants!
Eating plenty of cruciferous vegetables such as arugula, broccoli, cauliflower, kale, and Brussel sprouts, helps your body detoxify extra estrogen.
2. Decrease Processed Foods & Increase Protein.
Eliminate as many processed foods as you can and increase lean, organic protein. Red meat can even be helpful for iron deficiency and anemia, especially at high elevations. Try a paleo-vegan diet for an increase in protein and vegetables!
3. Try supplements.
We recommend a few different supplements that naturally encourage the increase in progesterone production such as:
Vitex
Dim Indole 3 Carbinol (Dim Detox)
4. Take Care of Yourself!
Treat yourself kindly by taking walks, getting adequate sleep, trying yoga, and spending time with family and friends – do healthy things that keeps stress under control!
I’m post-age 40 and experiencing many hormonal changes – especially weight gain. Why is that and what can I do?
As you age, your hormone levels decrease and as we mentioned, can quickly become unbalanced.
Do you find yourself being particularly sensitive to carbohydrates or alcohol? How about sugars? Any cravings for breads, pasta, or desserts?
This is quite common!
And we hate to tell you, but…it will more than likely only continue to be more challenging.
We find that there comes a tipping point for carbs, alcohol, and sugars in which an individual becomes extra responsive to weight gain from them. This varies from person to person, but when hormones are out of balance, this tends to be one of the symptoms.
How do I try to rebalance and get my weight under control?
Something that we recommend to a number of clients is trying a 3-week detoxification. Whether that is for carbs, sugar, meat, beverages, etc., we find that making a change for 3 weeks helps refocus the body and the mind.
A detox for this amount of time can help you become aware of how you were eating and the cravings your body had. It can also encourage you to be more mindful of how you eat in the future and the experience overall can show you how good you can feel moving forward.
A detox is not easy and many times we recommend joining a support group or someone who can encourage you along the way.
After your detox, find a way of eating that provides you the most amount of vegetables on a daily basis and track each month’s progress. Remember, your goal is to lose 1-3 pounds per month. If you do, you’ll know you’re doing things right!
How do I get started?
First, we recommend having your hormones tested. Dr. Graves can assist you in this process and also interpret your results.
From there, we will put together a cohesive plan that may include everything from what type of exercise to do (do you know as you get older that your body can respond to exercise differently?), to what to eat, and what supplements to take to support healthy hormone levels.
Get started now by scheduling a complimentary 15 minute consultation with Dr. Graves to discuss your hormone concerns.
If you live in Castle Rock, Castle Pines, Highlands Ranch, Centennial, Parker, Monument, Lone Tree, Larkspur, or Colorado Springs, we can help you at our offices in Castle Rock!
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