Hormonal Changes Can Lead to Nutritional Imbalances

Part 2 of a two part series on Hormonal Imbalance and Weight Loss

Understanding how the major hormones in your body work can help you take control of your weight as well as your health and wellness. Important internal tasks are completed by a network of small but highly important endocrine glands that produce, store and secrete hormones. Typically, increasing levels of hormones in the blood provides feedback to inhibit signals to the gland or organ producing the hormone. Hormonal changes can lead to nutritional imbalances that are directly related to weight gain.

Ghrelin hormones signal you when it is time to eat

When you take in less food than you expend through basal metabolism and activity, ghrelin tells you it is time to eat. Conversely, leptin is the appetite suppressor when you're sated. Once you are an adult, neither weight gain nor weight loss hinders your body's ability to maintain homeostasis. Any impairment of communication between your body and your hunger hormones results in hormonal imbalances that affect your eating behavior. Ghrelin is a vital component of the food reward process controlled by your brain. But, it is negatively correlated with changes in weight. When you are dieting your brain temporarily increases ghrelin hormone output.

Estrogen dominance can lead to low-thyroid function

Among its special functions, the very complicated little gland known as your thyroid controls your body's metabolic rate. Stress, dietary and nutrient deficiencies, and environmental toxins influence how your thyroid gland manages hormone production. Hypothyroidism is a condition where your body doesn't make enough thyroid hormone. It is more common in women, people with other thyroid problems, and those over 60 years old. Women suffering from estrogen dominance may have a normally functioning thyroid gland but a hormonal imbalance that prevents most of the thyroid hormone from reaching the cell causing low-thyroid function.

Insulin hormone balance is essential for survival

Insulin is the key that allows your cells to absorb the hormone and use glucose to produce energy for both body and brain functions. Insulin plays an important role by moving nutrients from the blood into muscle and fat cells by telling cells to open up and absorb them. Over time, if you keep experiencing insulin spikes, your body will stop communicating efficiently and will not accept insulin's efforts to lower your blood sugar levels. Insulin is not a "bad" hormone and one that is essential for survival. However, high insulin levels due to hormonal imbalance prevent weight loss and may be making you unhealthy.