Stress Can Cause Excessive Cortisol Hormone Release

Throughout life, women often notice weight gain around their hips and thighs, but after menopause when a woman’s reproductive hormones decline, women tend to gain weight around their abdomen. Unfortunately, this is a dangerous form of visceral fat. Any time you have too much or too little of a specific hormone an imbalance can occur. In fact, even small changes in hormone levels can negatively affect your health and the way your body uses the energy you consume.

Balance is not only key to hormonal function, both dehydration and over hydration can lead to water retention. If you are trying to lose weight, make sure you drink a balanced amount of water every day. During perimenopause, the hormone levels in a woman’s body can begin to fluctuate causing a variety of symptoms. Dietary estrogens found in certain vegetables, fruits, and grains are endocrine disruptors that may help to restore balance.

Unintentional weight gain occurs when you gain weight without increasing food intake and without significant decrease in activity levels. Listed below are hormones that impact weight management when imbalances occur:

• Thyroid – Your thyroid produces hormones that manage how fast or slow you burn calories. Once imbalances occur, it can cause fluid retention, hair loss, depression, and weight gain.
• Leptin – When your hormones are balanced, leptin is the chemical messenger that tells your brain you are full and should stop eating. However, if you overeat foods high in sugar, excess glucose is stored as fat.
• Insulin – Insulin resistance is an imbalance in your fat storage hormone where cells cannot absorb the excess blood glucose your body generates from the food you eat.
• Estrogen – Estrogen levels that are too high can affect cells responsible for insulin production and release. This causes insulin resistance and weight gain.
• Cortisol – Cortisol is a steroid hormone that is produced by the adrenal glands. Known as the stress hormone, cortisol is secreted when you are depressed, anxious, angry, or physically injured.

Although blood tests were once considered the gold standard, studies suggest salivary tests may be better for screening, diagnosing, and monitoring hormone balance in women with menopause or other consequences of aging. Saliva hormone testing is quickly becoming the way of the future to support lifestyle changes and dietary interventions designed to help you feel better and look your best at all stages of your life. If you are looking for a non-invasive way to check your hormone balance, saliva testing offers a quick and simple method for monitoring your body’s specific needs. Since salivary concentrations identify the hormone levels that are most likely to affect your weight, Metabolic Research Center offers a non-invasive and stress free method for monitoring your imbalances.