Protein Forward Menus for Hormonal Balance

“Learn About Hormone Testing for Weight Loss at MRC Centennial”

Although fat deposits are common as a woman’s sex hormones begin to change, weight gain is not inevitable. There are many biological factors at play throughout your life, but perimenopause and menopause can be among the most challenging times for enhancing your overall health and wellbeing. For starters, it is crucial to gain an understanding as to how hormonal fluctuations may be accelerated, which most often triggers your body to store lipids as fat.

As estrogen levels start to decline in perimenopause, it slows the woman’s Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) and can increase the pace at which she is losing calorie-burning muscle mass. Both factors play crucial roles in making it much more difficult to lose weight and keep it off. After all, a pound of muscle burns more than double the calories of a pound of fat each day. Plus, muscles increase overall caloric expenditure even while you are resting.  

Additionally, stress (cortisol) hormone levels are often much higher during this stage of life with career challenges, kids growing up and leaving home, or increased caregiving needs for aging parents. While most women gain a little over a pound a year during these transitions, the female body will likely take advantage of hormonal disruptions to shift where it stores fat by moving from subcutaneous fat stored in the hips and thighs to more dangerous visceral fat stores in the midsection.

What is the three day menopause reset plan?

Around the time of perimenopause and menopause, many women notice how challenging losing and maintaining weight loss has become. There are often body shape changes, because perimenopause is the symptom-heavy transitional phase when periods become irregular. Menopause is the single point in time when estrogen production dramatically drops. Although variations of the 3 Day Reset Plan exist, each incorporates a personalized nutrition strategy to reverse outcomes by recalibrating key metabolic hormones.

As menopause approaches, a woman’s body produces less estrogen, causing her basal metabolic rate (BMR) to slow. The 3 Day Plan prioritizes foods that help balance blood sugar levels and reduce cravings. Since vegans often have a healthier estrogen metabolism, experts recommend plant-based low-carb proteins like tofu, black beans, broccoli, spinach, and kale to be paired with fish that are high in omega-3 fatty acids. Participants often lose up to four pounds in three days with marked improvements in mood and energy levels.

Hormone Balancing Protein Foods for Women

A protein forward approach raises BMR and helps a woman retain muscle mass that can be lost when shedding weight. At MRC Aurora/Centennial, we believe a 3-day reset is just the beginning of adopting a strategy that works for healthy living during perimenopause, menopause, and beyond. Along with increasing fiber to aid satiety, it’s important to avoid refined sugars and overly processed foods that can cause insulin resistance. MRC’s one-on-one coach will help you incorporate more whole foods, lean proteins, and healthy fats into your menus.

Hormone balancing as estrogen levels start to drop involves selecting dietary sources of protein that provide the building blocks to stabilize hormone production while supporting the body’s natural detoxification pathways. That means the most effective menu plan should include phytoestrogen-rich vegetable proteins and omega-3-rich lean proteins to aid in balancing levels whether they are too high or too low. Soy products are rich in isoflavones that help regulate estrogen for managing menopausal symptoms at any stage.

Lean animal proteins with healthy fats and key amino acids are essential for hormone synthesis, as well as liver-based estrogen metabolism. So, fatty fish that are high in protein and omega-3 acids can reduce inflammation and aid the liver’s role for processing estrogen more efficiently. In addition, lean chicken or turkey breast can deliver crucial amino acids but without the inflammatory potential associated with high-fat red meats. Nonetheless, combine your protein choice with fiber-rich, low-glycemic whole foods like broccoli to help eliminate excess estrogen from your body, so it is not reabsorbed.

_____________________

Unfortunately, as estrogen and progesterone levels fluctuate and continue to decline, insulin resistance can increase. Moreover, this causes the pancreas to work overtime to produce more insulin as it attempts to overcome the cellular resistance that is causing muscle, fat and liver tissues to not respond correctly to insulin signaling. This is where MRC can help with personalized protein forward menu plans designed to restore balance whether yours is too high or too low. If you’re trying to decide whether a prescription-based weight loss plan or a more holistic metabolic weight loss program is right for you, contact MRC Aurora/Centennial today. One of our weight loss coaches will be in touch to discuss how hormone imbalances, genetic factors and key lifestyle habits may have slowed your metabolism and led to unintended weight gain. After all, hormonal balance can be restored and disrupted metabolic rates can be reset with a personalized approach.