Blancing Hormones for Improved Metabolism
Hormones play a major role in how we metabolize the energy we take in from food and may be even more relevant than counting calories.
Hunger Hormones
Ghrelin-initiates appetite
Leptin-Signals satiation and when to stop eating
When these hunger hormones are disturbed, we do not get the proper signals that we are nourished leading to increased appetite
Thyroid Hormones
TSH-Thyroid stimulating hormone stimulates the production of T3 and T4
T3-the active thyroid hormone responsible for setting the basal metabolic rate (calories burned at rest)
T4-the thyroid hormone precursor that gets converted to T3
These hormones can become dysregulated in the presence of hormone disrupting chemicals such as pesticides and persistent organic pollutants (POPs)
Blood Sugar Regulating Hormones
Insulin-responds to blood sugar, allowing it into the cells to be either used immediately or stored for energy
Cortisol-released during stress and influences the corresponding liberation of glucose for energy
Chronic stress and refined carb intake can lead to insulin resistance in which we stop responding to insulin and are left with high blood glucose levels that cause inflammation and a cascade of other hormone disruptions
How Can We Support Optimal Metabolism?
Limit refined carbs and replace with fresh vegetables, especially cruciferous veggies. These contain beneficial compounds that aid detoxification pathways supporting hormones rather than disrupting them.
Improve your sleep-check out my blog on sleep hygiene for more details!
Sweat-this is another way to support those detox pathways and get rid of those persistent pollutants and other toxic chemicals that we store in our bodies.
Select organic whenever possible. Research links pesticides with hormone disruption also. Check out ewg.org for their Clean 15 and Dirty Dozen.
Mange stress-stress is a well-established contributor to chronic disease. Not only is it linked to disruption of cortisol and insulin, but it impairs sleep which further upsets the balance of our hunger hormones.
When we stop to consider the role that hormones play on energy extraction and use, we begin to understand that energy metabolism is a multifaceted matter that calories alone cannot explain.
References
https://courses.lumenlearning.com/wm-biology2/chapter/hormonal-regulation-of-metabolism/
https://journals.plos.org/plosmedicine/article?id=10.1371/journal.pmed.0010062
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3469971/#:~:text=Thyroid%20disruptors%20(TDs)%20or%20thyroid,directly%20via%20thyroid%20hormone%20receptors.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5936967/
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fendo.2021.626427/full