http://www.azcentral.com/health/diet/articles/0813hormones-ON.html
From the editors of Fitness magazine
Aug. 13, 2004 10:00 PM
According to Fitness magazine, they have an impact on cravings, metabolism and your ability to maintain your weight. Fortunately, they can make them work in your favor. Here's how they affect the following:
- Your appetite
The two main appetite-regulating hormones are insulin and glucagon, both of which are produced by your pancreas, an oblong gland that hovers above your liver. When you eat, your pancreas pumps out insulin, which helps transport nutrients into your cells for use as energy. It also tempers your desire to eat. When you don't eat, or when you exercise for an extended period of time, your pancreas produces glucagon, which triggers the breakdown of stored energy sources and makes you feel hungry. Although insulin is generally an appetite suppressant, it can turn on you if you consistently fail to eat a balanced diet. Eating erratically or consuming sweets in excess can cause a spike in blood sugar levels and a quick corresponding rise in insulin; such surges actually stoke appetite, creating a desire for more sugar. In other words, if you eat a lot of highly processed carbohydrates, the increased insulin output may make you hungrier - for cookies, cakes and candy. However, eating foods that are high in fiber and protein slows the release of glucose into the bloodstream, which normalizes the insulin response.
Outsmart your hormones:
Plan your meals and snacks to coincide with those moments when you're hungriest - after a workout or during your mid-afternoon energy slump. (A food diary can help you pinpoint these times.) Choose foods that make you feel full while also providing nutritional sustenance. If you're following a low-calorie eating plan, load up on vegetables and protein (extra-lean beef, seafood or poultry) and use a small amount of fat (salad dressing, reduced-fat cheese, olive oil) for satiety. For a snack, combine a piece of high-fiber fruit with a serving of protein.
- Weight gain
Consistently overeating creates a vicious cycle: Your pancreas produces more insulin in response to more food. As you put on pounds, still more of the hormone is needed. Large fat cells can become resistant to insulin, so your pancreas needs to pump out more and more of it. Research consistently shows that chronically high insulin levels cause cravings for carbohydrates. Even worse, insulin resistance can ultimately lead to type 2 diabetes, a deadly disease that has reached epidemic proportions among children. Age also reduces cellular response to insulin; researchers suspect that this is one reason women gain weight as they get older. Although decreased activity plays a distinct role, insulin resistance may also be a factor.
Outsmart your hormones:
To prevent weight gain throughout your life, it's critical to balance what you eat with how often you exercise. According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), eating a low-fat (less than 25 percent of calories from fat), low-calorie diet and exercising (brisk walking or bike riding) at least 30 minutes a day five days a week can help improve insulin sensitivity.
- Stress eating
In response to high-stress situations, your adrenal glands release the hormone cortisol, which ensures that you have the fuel you need to fight off a barbarian, flee from a tiger or just get through a crazy deadline at work. Without it, your body would be unable to sustain the high state of alertness required under intense pressure. Unfortunately, cortisol also boosts cravings for simple carbohydrates and fat - concentrated sources of calories that are easily converted into usable energy. In fact, researchers at the University of California at San Francisco found that women who secreted high levels of cortisol ate more and showed a preference for foods that were packed with sugar and calories.
But here's the really bad news: Chronic stress puts your body into cortisol overdrive - and that turns your flat abs into flab. A high cortisol output gives you a spare tire. Because abdominal fat is close to the liver, it can be quickly mobilized to fuel large muscle groups. Coincidentally, a larger waistline also puts you at risk for insulin resistance.
Outsmart your hormones:
Daily exercise inhibits an overzealous cortisol response and reduces the effects of stress in general. Up your activity to at least 30 minutes five times a week - the minimum the government recommends for optimal health. Also, develop a stress-reducing plan - an after-work pedicure, walk or yoga class. Taking time to relax helps boost the production of beta-endorphins, chemicals that inhibit cortisol production.
- PMS cravings
They're not just in your head. Normal fluctuations in the hormones progesterone and estrogen during the weeks before your period do create cravings - for chocolate, sweets and salty snacks. In fact, in a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, researchers found that women consume more during the 10 days after ovulation. It's your body's way of triggering energy storage in anticipation of the added metabolic demands of pregnancy.
Outsmart your hormones:
Indulge - in moderation. If you fight your cravings, they'll only come back with a vengeance. However, going overboard can fuel negative emotions such as guilt, which nobody needs during a bout of PMS. Use your good judgment and shop around for portion-controlled treats: a single wrapped chocolate, a one-ounce bag of baked chips or an ice cream sandwich.
