Hormonal Harmony       

by Dr. Scott Isaacs
excerpted: Hormal Balance

You should stick to fresh vegetables and fruits (although frozen or canned fruit in unsweetened juice is also acceptable). Dried fruits, sweetened canned fruits, and fruit juices are high in calories and are like other “processed carbohydrates. Also, grapes, watermelon, bananas, pineapple, and other tropical fruits are higher in sugar and are not off-limits, but should not exceed five to seven servings in a given day. Fruits and vegetables are two of the keys to successful and permanent weight loss.
 
Avoid Diets That Claim To Enhance Digestion.
 
Any diet that combines specific foods for the purposes of enhancing digestion is, at its heart, fundamentally flawed. Slower digestion is beneficial. It produces a more gradual supply of energy to the body. If the digestion of starches is sped up, the energy load comes hard and strong and all at once, and you get an insulin surge. The insulin surge causes energy to be converted to fat, instead of being burned as fuel, and results in a rapid lowering of blood sugar (also known as hypoglycemia), which can result in dizziness, hunger, perspiration, and sleepiness. So beware of diets that base their food combinations on “enhancing digestion.”
 
Eat Throughout The Day.
 
Small, frequent feedings keep hormones in balance and prevent excessive hunger. You should try to eat some protein at breakfast or for your mid-morning snack. This provides energy and quenches hunger later in the day. Lunch and the mid-afternoon snack should be light. Dinner is protein, starch, and lots of vegetables. A snack at bedtime is important to keep fueling your metabolism throughout the night. By following this routine, you provide a constant, low-level source of glucose (energy) to your body, and your body will not respond with a huge insulin surge, which can cause weight gain.
 
Skipping Breakfast Turns You Into A Sumo Wrestler, Not A Swimsuit Model.
 
Do you know how a 400-pound sumo wrestler gains all his weight? He skips breakfast. He wakes up, exercises, and practices his technique all morning, and then has a big lunch. It’s a healthy lunch—the Japanese have notably healthy diets, high in seafood, low in fat—but it’s loaded with starch in the form of white rice, a high-glycemic food. After lunch, he sleeps for several hours. Metabolism slows after a big meal, and sleep slows metabolism (and digestion) even more.
 
Several studies have linked obesity to skipping breakfast. Many people simply aren’t hungry for breakfast and I have found that the most common reason is because of their overeating the night before. It is a vicious cycle. Skip breakfast and get too hungry for lunch and dinner. Overeat at night and feel full the next morning. The cycle repeats itself.
 
Always start the day with protein because it has been shown to reduce hunger cravings, and you’ll be less likely to overeat at both lunch and dinner. There are many ways to enjoy protein in the morning. My favorite is an egg white omelet packed with fresh vegetables and a slice of fat-free cheese.
Beat Those Pms Cravings.
 
Progesterone is the primary culprit behind the cravings that come during the second half of the menstrual cycle. It provokes appetite and makes you sleepy and less likely to want to exercise. It causes insulin resistance and makes blood sugar levels rise. This can increase weight gain, especially during the second half of the menstrual cycle. Progesterone may also be the culprit behind premenstrual syndrome with its host of unpleasant symptoms: short tempers, bloating and fluid retention, depression, crying spells, anxiety, panic attacks, fatigue, and headaches and migraines. Ultimately, though, we’re still not sure what causes PMS. What is known is that PMS is a problem of the brain and caused by the brain’s response to hormones. 
 
The good news is PMS can be tamed, if not cured. Try these tips:
 
• Exercise and reduce stress.
• Stop smoking.
• Minimize caffeine intake.
• Get plenty of sleep.
• Eat a little chocolate. Just don’t overdo it.
• Take calcium supplements.
• Get enough of vitamins C and E.
 
Achieving hormonal balance in your life: not only will it help you achieve and maintain a healthy weight, but it reduces your susceptibility to many serious and even deadly medical problems.
Hormonal balance can save your life—and the lives of the people you love.

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