Fix your hormones
Menobelly is largely due to hormonal changes, particularly declining Estrogen and the consequences thereof. BUT – while hormonal shifts play the most important role, aging, lifestyle choices, and genetics also play their part. As does the rule – ‘What works for your girlfriend may not necessarily work for you’.
Hormonal imbalances are multifactorial and complex, effected by:
- Aging
- Lifestyle choices
- How a person thinks and perceives.
Fx – A key player in hormonal balance is how the perception a given situation (real or fictive) has on the stress hormone Cortisol.
In this article you will find an overview of the MANY, possible hormonal imbalances.
Hormones and MenoBelly
MANY hormones can be involved in the creation of your menobelly. Which hormones are involved and how much they are involved will be individual. BUT ALL ladies lose a major production of Estrogen (and Testosterone).
Overview
- Estrogen – production drops during perimenopause and levels remain low post-menopause ie. the rest of your life.
- FSH / Follicle Stimulating Hormone – production often remains permanently high – due to the permanently low Estrogen levels.
- Testosterone – production drops, not off a cliff like Estrogen, but a gradual decline from early 30’s.
- Cortisol – production increases and often dominates – partly due to the drop in Estrogen, but it’s the knock-on effect the low Estrogen has on various tissues and systems that creates the increased need for Cortisol, fx:
– Increased inflammation
– Inability to cope with ‘regular’ daily demands and stressors, which previously were of little if any consequence
- Insulin – sensitivity declines primarily due to the drop in Estrogen and Testosterone and the resulting sarcopenia aka loss of muscle tissue and increased muscle anabolic resistance
- Thyroid – decreases – due to both the increase and or drop in Estrogen (dependent on where you are in your menopausal journey). All females should monitor Thyroid function during perimenopause and after
- Hormones involved in appetite control, such as
– The hunger hormones – Ghrelin, Motilin, Neuropeptide Y production increases – due to the drop in Estrogen and the knock-on effects, such as poor sleep.
– The satiety hormones – Insulin, Leptin, GLP-1 / Glucagon-like peptide-1 production decrease – due to the drop in Estrogen and the knock-on effects, such as poor sleep.
Strategies
Low Estrogen
- Is the common denominator related to ALL the other hormonal issues apart from Testosterone. And lower Testosterone may decrease Estrogen production even more.
- All the following hormones are directly impacted by the lower levels of Estrogen.
– FSH
– Cortisol
– Insulin
– Thyroid
– Hunger and Satiety hormones
Strategy
- Consider ERT/ Estrogen Replacement Therapy.
– Talk to a Menopause Hormone Expert about your choices.
Low (or high) Testosterone
- Testosterone levels gradually decline from around the age of 30 and can fluctuate during menopause transition, due to anovulation.
- These changes can impact fat distribution.
- Testosterone also plays a role in Insulin sensitivity, and changes in Testosterone levels during menopause can contribute to Insulin resistance, which is linked to menobelly.
Strategy
- Consider TRT/ Testosterone Replacement Therapy
- Talk to a Menopause Hormone Expert about your choices.
In the next part you will find details of all the other hormones involved in menobelly and strategies to gain balance, which ultimately can help ‘burn’ menobelly.
