The Key to Skinny V
Dr. Rachael Schindler
In the first article of this series I explained how I teach my clients how to work on speeding up their metabolisms and understanding the key hormones in terms of weight loss. Most people don’t believe that their metabolism is dynamic, not static and can be modified, as well as some of their hormones, for better or for worse! So how important are hormones to metabolism? Really, hormones are the key! They tell our bodies what to do, very specifically! So, if we look at metabolism in general, we see that some hormones inform you that you are hungry and some inform you that you are full. When you eat, hormones tell your body what to do with the ingested food-whether to store it or burn it as fuel. When you exercise, hormones are responsible for telling your body how to move and consume energy stores, and how to boost or shut down different parts of your body. This is why the most important step for you is to get to understand the role of key hormones in weight regulation. In this article, (part of a series on this topic), I will focus on other hormones (namely testosterone, DHEA and growth hormone) and the role they play in metabolic function as well as other aspects of personal health, weight loss and/or and well-being. I will also contrast that with the pitfalls to optimizing your metabolism and hormone output so we can be clear on what we need to do to literally “fix it”.
In The Key to Skinny I, we spelled out the role of insulin. Insulin’s most important function is to lower the concentration of glucose in the blood. Insulin also helps to turn glucose into fatty acids and forces adipose (fat tissue) to store this energy reserve in the form of utilizable fats. This is the storage place for fuel for future needs. Food (glucose) that is not utilized immediately for fuel, is stored as fat. That is why, when we have too much fuel, greater than our metabolic expenditure, we gain weight.
In contrast decreased insulin release causes impaired glucose tolerance in diabetes type I and type 2 (at the end stage). It results from many years of insulin resistance; obesity and inactivity leading to high insulin output; and finally pancreatic “burnout”. This elevated circulating insulin increases hunger and fat storage. Ultimately, this is at the expense of the hard-working pancreas, which is doing its best to keep up with glucose control, but eventually can’t keep blood sugar levels normal. Consequently, the pancreas fails and the clinical element of type 2 diabetes set in with slightly higher sugar levels being the hallmark from a blood test. People often ignore this, and you know that if you ignore a problem like this, it only gets worse.
Let’s now explore the thyroid hormone. In the Key to Skinny II I wrote about how most people do not know that the function of the thyroid gland is to take up iodine from food and incorporate it into the two primary thyroid hormones: thyroxine (T4) and triidothyronine (T3). When the thyroid hormones are out of balance (they need to be in a specific ratio in relation to each other), chemical reactions all over the body are thrown off. In the case of thyroid deficiency (hypothyroidism), my clients complain of fatigue, depressed mood, “brain fog”, constipation, dry skin, cold intolerance, and other symptoms including weight gain. Additionally, the thyroid gland is itself under the control of the pituitary gland, the brains master control center. The pituitary gland secretes TSH, thyroid stimulating hormone, which kick-starts your thyroid gland to make more thyroid hormone when levels get below normal. Your thyroid then takes up iodine from the blood and synthesizes thyroxine (T4) which is largely inactive until it is converted to T3, whereby it then acts as a primary brain feedback tool and is our natural “speed” enhancer that makes our bodies feel more energized and work more efficiently.
In,” The Key to Skinny III”, I outlined the role of estrogen and progesterone, and how they interplay with insulin and thyroid hormone. Men and women both produce estrogen and progesterone. Though as expected, women make more than men. In women, estrogen is comprised of three main compounds: estriol, estradiol, and estrone. Estriol has impact during pregnancy; estradiol is responsible for female characteristics, sexual functioning and bone health. Estrone is widespread throughout the body in tissues and muscles even after menopause. In addition to influencing a woman’s entire development from child to adult, estrogen also majorly impacts blood fat storage, digestive enzymes, water and salt balance, bone density, heart function, and even more. Men naturally have a small amount of estradiol produced in the adrenals and testes. At normal healthy levels estrogen helps protect men’s bones, heart, brains and in part libido.
In women, the estrogens are involved in the maintenance of general physiologic homeostasis or keeping all functions balanced including body weight. Estradiol actually lowers insulin but it decreases with age and menopause. Estradiol also naturally lowers LDL or bad cholesterol AND increases our HDL or good cholesterol! It is also true that women with more estradiol tend to have a higher level of muscle mass AND lower level of body fat. Additionally, estradiol helps regulate hunger by creating the same satisfied feeling that comes from serotonin. Similarly, that serotonin like feeling keeps your moods more stable and energy high which makes you more motivated to exercise. After menopause, estrone then becomes the main estrogen. Estrone shifts fat storage from the hips and buttocks (the opposite of estradiol) to the stomach (called visceral fat, which is much more dangerous because it surrounds the organs). As women lose more of their ovarian estrogen, their bodies become more desperate to hang on to other estrogen-making areas of the body, including fat, making it HARDER to lose the dreaded belly fat. What makes matters worse is that women with higher fat levels will produce more estrogen, because fat tissue turns fat-burning androgens into fat-storing estrone – a vicious cycle!!! Unfortunately, according to data from the Mayo Clinic, estrogen levels are greatly enhanced in obese post-menopausal women than in thinner post-menopausal women. This may account for greater prevalence of breast and endometrial cancer in the more obese group as well.
Moving on to the next primary female hormone, progesterone, we know that it helps balance estrogen and serves as a precursor to cortisol (stress hormone), testosterone, AND estrogen. This is how it works: When progesterone drops just before menstrual bleeding occurs, the imbalance of hormones may be what triggers cravings to eat carbohydrates in particular. At menopause, progesterone drops even more dramatically than estrogen and because progesterone is also the precursor for testosterone and estradiol, when progesterone production falls off, women start to lose the fat burning effects of those metabolically positive hormones. Stress makes this imbalance even WORSE! When cortisol is overproduced it competes for the same receptors as progesterone and therefore the progesterone may be compromised. In my practice many of my clients thought that all of women’s hormone balance problems stemmed from declining levels of estrogen, especial during peri- and menopause, PMS (Post Menstrual Syndrome) or postpartum. But here’s the thing. In Western culture women tend to have more estrogen, rather than too little. We all notice the signs of puberty in girls have been occurring much earlier. According to new data, rates of breast cancer have increased by 40% in the past 35 years. Additionally, men have seen signs of the rise in their estrogen levels (which occur naturally for them anyways), as decreasing sperm counts and increasing prostate cancer rates. This excess in estrogen can lead to further problems with decreased metabolism, muscle-building and libido.
So what is to blame for this rise in estrogen? (Got milk?) A large part of this hormonal disruption may come from the overwhelming explosion of industrial, man-made compounds with estrogenic effects called “xenoestrogens”, now ever present in the environment. Our bodies are getting slammed with “endocrine-disrupting” synthetic estrogens from the ingredients in our cosmetics, cleansers we use around the home, to the preservatives in our foods and to the plastics wrapping them. When it comes to these “endocrine-disruptors” the scope of impact are staggering. In the case of young men, rising levels of estrogen are frequently environmentally induced and ups the chances potential cancer, infertility, diabetes, dysfunction and other serious conditions.
In contrast, phytoestrogens or “dietary estrogens”, which are a large group of naturally occurring plant compounds with estrogen-like qualities, can have a much milder effect on the body. Phytoestrogens include soy, flaxseed and their derivatives.
So what can one do to battle this huge estrogen hurdle? It sounds simple. Eat your fiber!!! (Certain fibers especially at certain times are more productive than others depending on your thyroid and insulin levels.) Why does fiber work? Soluble and insoluble fibers are very effective in managing excess estrogen. Normally estrogen is pulled from the bloodstream by the liver and sent to the intestinal tract via the bile duct. The more fiber you get at the right times, the more estrogen gets soaked up and carried out!
Now we get to the final piece of the hormone puzzle. Testosterone and DHEA (dehydroepiandrosterone). Both, help increase energy, shed fat storage and help us build more calorie-burning muscle mass. Men produce most of their testosterone in their reproductive glands and this testosterone accounts for the development of secondary sex characteristics, such as body and facial hair. (By contrast with women, testosterone comes from the ovaries and the secondary sex characteristics are controlled by estradiol.) The thing is, testosrerone helps BOTH women and men by boosting libido, keeping energy high, protecting bone, SPEEDING METABOLISM and preserving mental function in later years. Here’s the important part as well as the connection between the two. DHEA in women (read closely, men ARE different in terms of fat storage and weight loss) is produced primarily from the adrenal glands which sit on top of the kidneys. As we age, DHEA and testosterone levels decline. We can attempt to keep levels preserved by proper diet, healthy living and supplementation if indicated. However, when we gain weight, our bodies begin to convert more testosterone to estrogen. This estrogen can then begin to “overshadow’ the effects of testosterone, becoming another vicious cycle: more estrogen, more fat. More fat, more estrogen. The testosterone keeps getting crowded out of the equation. And you wonder why your weight is stuck!
The lesson is, sometimes you need more than just a regular nutritionist to understand what is going on with your body at different stages in life. Just reducing calories or exercising more, may not be the answer but may even make your problem worse! I like to check bloodwork, family history, and conduct tests for clues as to what your body needs and in what order it needs it. Food can be medicine if you know how to use it!
Rachael E. Schindler, PhD. is a triple degree psychologist, founder of ”TheFiveTownsDiet” meals home delivery(www.litenlow.com/dietdelivery/), Smart N’ Lite takeout meals at Season’s of Lawrence, noted lecturer and author, certified pediatric and adult nutrition counselor, certified personal trainer and celebrated group fitness instructor and Pilates master for over 20 years, practicing in Cedarhurst, Lawrence and Manhattan. A veritable “one-stop-source”, Dr. Schindler specializes in fitness, food, stomach problems, hormonal and behavioral issues for both children and adults. She can be reached to order, for an appointment, or for comments at Teichbergr@aol.com, or (917) 690 – 5097.