Hormones in Harmony

Living abundant joy through bio-psycho-spiritual balancing

Name:
Location: Ojai, California, United States

Welcome to Hormones in Harmony where I shall share pearls of wisdom gathered over two decades of consulting with the hormonally challenged. As a holistic nurse practitioner specializing in neuro-immune-endocrinology, I have merged my western education with eastern philosophies, but the key to being a successful healer is to embody physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual wellbeing. At 54, married for 32 years with two grown children, I strive to keep my Hormones in Harmony with a positive attitude, a loving environment, and faithful consumption of Genesis Gold.

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Best Diet & Exercise for Healthy Hormones



Ever wonder what's the best diet/exercise/lifestyle regime for healthy hormones? Well, so did this woman...

Q: I have been taking Genesis Gold and Sacred Seven for a little over two months now, and I am amazed at the changes I have been experiencing. I sleep better, have more energy during the day, my mood has become more positive, my hair and skin are soft and radiant, and my libido has been improved. I am hopeful that my hormone levels will improve, I will be able to lose weight, and my fertility will increase. Just have to give it more time.

I am not only writing to tell you thanks for the wonderful products, but to ask a question, too. I am wondering if you could give me a few pointers on a healthy diet/lifestyle? There are so many fad diets out there, and each claim to be the best. Some claim carbs are good, some claim carbs are bad. Same goes with fat. I know that it isn't always black and white like that, some carbs/fats are better than others. But all the information I see and hear contradicts each other. I really want to lose weight and keep my heart healthy, but my medical issues make it very challenging. I am hoping that now that I take your wonderful supplements I may have some success. I would very much appreciate your input on what your idea of a healthy diet is. Thank you so much.


A: I am so happy you are experiencing such wonderful effects from Genesis Gold and Sacred Seven. Overtime your hormone levels will improve. The first changes are described as enhanced well being...before the laboratory tests confirm the biochemical shifts. 

It does take time for the hypothalamus to come into balance as your body heals...reproductive hormones are the last to balance... Reversal of insulin resistance, along with adrenal and thyroid regulation comes first as the hypothalamic-pituitary axis corrects. The fact that your mood is more positive suggests increased endorphins which is a byproduct of proopiomelanocortin--the hypothalamic hormone that controls glucose metabolism, adrenal and thyroid function as well as endorphins.

The good news is that your body is readjusting to a healthier state which includes a healthier weight set point. 

Of course exercise is key in increasing metabolism.  Your exercise tolerance and endurance should increase as your hypothalamus balances. In order to burn fat, you must do long slow distances....meaning exercising at a lower heart rate >60% of your max over 50 minutes to mobilize fat stores. That's because you have 400 calories of glycogen stored in your muscle and liver that must be utilized before your body will burn the triple sugars (triglycerides) stored in your fat cells.

Now for the perfect weight loss diet!

Well, there is not One Diet for Every Body... One great thing about optimizing your genetic expression with Genesis Gold is that you will "know" exactly what your body needs. In the meantime, I recommend the Mediterranean Diet.

Not just because I'm Italian (Maragopoulos is Greek), but because the Mediterranean Diet has been shown in studies to be the healthiest for the majority of people. It's plant based, low glycemic, and uses moderate amounts of good fats and has adequate protein. That combination is best for hormone production. Moderate amounts of good fats promotes healthy hormone levels....low fat does not. Plus animal based proteins provide the necessary essential amino acids for hormone production and healthy brain chemistry as well as immune factors. All very important for proper hypothalamic functioning. 

Low fat diets with poor quality proteins are a recipe for hormonal dysfunction leading to hypothalamic-pituitary imbalance.

The secret is to eat less carb calories than you expend. I know calories are calories, but your body can easily break down carbohydrates into glucose, it takes much more work (energy and enzymes) to break down fats and proteins into glucose for energy. If you exercise in Long Slow Distances a few times a week AND consume less carbohydrate calories, you force your body to go into your fat storage for energy. 

Now your weight will not change right away--fat weighs much less than lean body mass (muscle and bone)--but you will lose inches as your body composition shifts.

Another secret is to consume NO CARBS after 4pm. That does not include non-starchy vegetables. Between 3-5pm, your adrenals take a siesta. You will crave carbs, but avoiding them will force your body to use its stored sugar, then is the time to add a second workout...one of those Long Slow Distances...to burn fat. 

Your morning exercise should be more aerobic, even interval training to keep your heart rate up. That will set your metabolism at a higher rate for the rest of the day. If you workout at this pace in the late afternoon, you will have trouble sleeping.

Your metabolism is lowest at night. By sleeping in the dark high melatonin levels will help reverse insulin resistance. You will begin to notice that you wake up hungry in the morning. That means your adrenal function is normalizing and your hypothalamus is waking up and demanding glucose (the only form of energy the brain uses). So feed it! Start with fruit. (After your Genesis Gold and Sacred Seven, of course) After your early morning workout consume complex carb, light protein, a little fat....to keep your metabolism up.

Don't overdo the exercise. Aerobic activity 3-5 times a week. Long Slow Distances at least twice a week. Take one full day off every 5-7 days to allow your hypothalamus to adjust your new metabolic rate.

Yours in Health, Happiness and Beautiful Hormones :)

Deborah Maragopoulos MN FNP
Intuitive Integrative Medicine
Full Circle Family Health
805 640-3340

Labels: , , , , , , ,

2 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hi Deborah,

Great article, I love how you explain all the physiology of fat, muscle, carbs, etc because when it makes sense it sticks! I love how you explain that there is no one diet for everyone. I find that this is the most challenging dilemma for people to understand. A diet is not something one goes on, but rather what one eats daily, what works for one might not work for another.
I find the sleep piece to be enormous when it comes to losing the extra weight. We are just beginning to understand just how much sleep not only regulates insulin and blood glucose, but satiety (leptin), cravings and even our tendency to make poor food choices when we are sleep deprived. One of my favorite things to teach people is sleep hygiene and how it naturally increases melatonin. You can read about that here: http://healthyrootsnaturalmedicine.com/blog/trouble-sleeping-improve-melatonin-output-naturally/
I look forward to reading more!
Thanks,
Maggie Luther, ND

1:39 PM  
Blogger Unknown said...

Weight has absolutely nothing to do with hormones unless your pregnant or in like your mid 50s or nearing menopause. Even then they have very little to do with your weight gain. Some hormones can promote food cravings, however, but that only usually happens for pregnant women. You should start exercising and eating healthier. Start cutting high carb and starchy foods out of your diet. Not completely, but limiting their consumption. Starches are like potatoes and High carb foods are like white bread, pops, white pasta, and white rice also don't forget pastries, sweats, and junk foods;ex chips.

Exercise is important, but not nearly as important as diet.


Basically don't exceed 1200 calories a day or else you'll gain weight. If you want to lose weight just lower your calorie intake to 800-900 calories a day and then bump it up to 1200 once your happy with your size.

To achieve faster results you can tone your stomach area with exercises like crunches and sit ups. 100-200 of each at the beginning 5 x a week would greatly improve your results. Then 50 per each 5x a week after you pass a month would help you keep your results. It's harder to earn the results and then later it;s easier to keep them. But to keep them you must stick to a exercise regime and a good diet.

8:40 PM  

Post a Comment

<< Home