Bioidentical Hormones and Weight Loss

Everyone knows that losing weight is difficult for most women. Perhaps it is because our bodies work against us if our hormones are not balanced. Therefore, the need for balancing our hormones could be the main issue in weight loss. Bioidentical hormones like the product Amberen may be the answer. Bioidentical hormones are plant based as opposed to hormone replacement therapy (HRT) made of synthetic hormones or animal -derived hormones which may not be assimilated in the human body and could cause even more weight gain problems.

Actually, a woman who has unbalanced hormones has many problems other than weight gain, but weight gain contributes to all her other problems. She may be experiencing all the symptoms of menopause such as lack of energy, loss of libido, loss of energy, irritability and mood swings, trouble concentrating, hot flashes, and night sweats. Weight gain is just one of her problems.

One cause of weight gain and difficulty in losing weight may be a thyroid deficiency. The thyroid gland produces hormones known as T3 and T4. These hormones help our body metabolize calories. Doctors prescribe medicine if they find that we are low in T3 and T4. Often they prescribe Synthroid for hypothyrodism.

Testosterone is another hormone that helps our body metabolize calories and burn fat more efficiently. It also prevents storage of fat around the mid section. If testosterone and progesterone levels decrease leaving us estrogen dominate, we may gain weight and experience severe fatigue.

Bioidentical testosterone regulates hormone levels and helps symptoms such as fatigue and lack of sexual desire. Testosterone is also connected to aggressiveness, development of muscle mass and social outlook.

Balancing hormones with bioidentical hormones can alleviate fatigue, increase bone loss, boost sex drive, relieve hot flashes, stop night sweats, relieve anxiety attacks, stop weight gain, and make a woman feel younger. Bioidentical hormones are derived from plants. Bio identical testosterone is made from extracts from soy and yams.

Bioidentical testosterone creams are made when these extracts are combined with cream and applied directly to the skin. Taking testosterone pills is not recommended since their potency is reduced during the digestive process.

One safe way to balance hormones is with bioidentical hormones and perhaps a progesterone cream that is formulated from plant sources that our body synthesizes like it did our own natural progesterone. When buying progesterone cream, make certain that it contains at 20 mg of USP progesterone per dose. Progesterone helps our bodies use fat for energy.

Prognenolone is a hormone that is made from cholesterol. It helps relieve stress, lifts our mood, improves brain function and helps increase testosterone levels to improve metabolism.

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Salt, Sea Salt or No Salt?

Sea salt and table salt both contain sodium chloride. Sea salt also contains small amounts of magnesium chloride, magnesium sulfate and calcium sulfate, which are nutritionally insignificant. Sea salt, kosher salt, monosodium glutamate, and seasoning salts are all treated the same way in your body.

You need to eat foods that contain iodine for your body to be able to make thyroid hormone. The best sources are iodized salt and seafood. Plants can be a good source, but only if they are grown on iodine-rich soil. A study in the Annals of Nutrition and Metabolism (September-October 2003) showed that vegetarians are at increased risk for iodine deficiency that causes low thyroid function. In this study, 25 percent of vegetarians and 80 percent of vegans had low blood levels of iodine, compared to only nine percent of people who eat both meat and vegetables. While iodized table salt is a good source of iodine, sea salt often is not. If you don't use table salt or eat ocean fish or kelp, get a blood test for iodine. If your iodine level is low, you need to eat more seafood or iodized salt, or take iodine pills.

Many people go on low salt diets because they think that it will improve their health, but a low-salt diet usually does not lower high blood pressure. The most healthy diet contains lots of whole grains, vegetables, seeds and nuts, and they all taste better with salt. You cannot exercise in the heat without taking extra salt.

If you want to reduce the amount of salt in your diet and fool your taste buds, try adding tart flavoring such as lemon juice or vinegar.






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