4 Hormones that could be causing you to store fat

Sometimes it can feel like you are doing everything right yet you can’t seem to get rid of that extra bit of body fat. When it comes to getting lean, what you eat and how you exercise is just the surface level. Your body's hormones play a major role in your ability to get lean. Your body has so many different hormones, and if these hormones are out of balance your body can start to store extra fat. Due to a stressful lifestyle, crash diets, and exposure to toxic chemicals on a daily basis it’s extremely common for women to have all their hormones out of whack. Here are 4 of the most common hormones that will make your body store extra fat.

1. Insulin If you suffer from weight problems, then it could be very likely you have an insulin imbalance. Insulin is the hormone that tells our body how to store energy, which if it’s out of whack, it will tell the body to store energy as fat. How to fix it: Avoid simple or High GI carbohydrates like bread, pasta, white potatoes, or anything with refined sugar or excess fructose content Increase your good quality protein, balanced plate Eat a breakfast, lunch and dinner, 1-2 snacks if hungry to send the message that food is plentiful and not scarce

2. Estrogen Estrogen can be a very common for women to have out of whack and if you have too much of Estrogen, it can lead to weight gain, fat storage and cellulite. How to fix it: Avoid plastic that contains the chemical BPA. This has been linked to increasing levels of estrogen in the human body. If you do eat or drink from plastic, make sure it's BPA free. Avoid or limit soy products Cut out alcohol as this can affect the liver's ability to metabolize estrogen Increase your fiber intake (approx. 25 to 30 grams per day)

3. Leptin Leptin is the hormone in your body that tells you when to stop eating. If you are low in leptin this can often result in overeating and thus your body storing more fat and putting on weight. How to fix it: Make sure you get good quality sleep Avoid artificial sweeteners Chew your food well! Avoid MSG at all costs

4. Cortisol Cortisol is a stress hormone that your body produces when it feels under threat. Back in caveman days we needed cortisol to help us survive in dangerous situations. The problem is these days everything coming at us is stressful, which is raising our cortisol levels well beyond what our bodies can handle. Elevated cortisol levels increases your sugar and carbohydrate cravings, which can then lead to overeating and increased hunger, thus your body store more fat. Increased cortisol actually breaks down your muscles, which will then slows down your metabolism. How to fix it: Introduce calming practices to your daily routine like yoga and/or meditation Practice deep belly breathing Get more sleep and focus on quality Reduce or better yet eliminate caffeine Practice positive selftalk…”I’m ok” when feeling stressed