Hormone Health (Men)

 

Normally, I am of the belief that what is good for the goose is good for the gander. Health is universal- we ALL need more water, eat more veggies, and get enough exercise… At this point, you know the drill. However, when it comes to our hormones, we are drastically different, we men and women. Men have a 24-hour cycle, women have a 28-DAY cycle. Men are controlled by testosterone, and women are estrogen and progesterone ran. (Although both genders also have all 3, they are obviously in different quantities.)

            A “one-size-fits-all” mentality doesn’t work in this scenario, as we are so drastically different: the times of day we have our biggest spike of energy or when we are the most mentally productive, the list goes on! So, this week we are going to do things a little differently and addressing each properly, so you can get the best information to suit your body!

Testosterone, the hormones tasked with the job in essentially all things “manly”. It’s the hormone that builds muscle, creates a deep voice, erections and sex drive, and is in charge of facial hair production. Fun fact: testosterone is also classified as an anabolic steroid and is what helps build bigger and stronger muscles and improve overall physical performance.  

 

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            Like the circadian rhythm, men also have a 24-hour hormonal cycle. The testosterone levels vary throughout the day. Testosterone levels are the highest in the morning and the peter off throughout the day. Eating most of your calories, getting your big workouts in and completing your biggest projects in the morning and early afternoon when you have those prime testosterone levels can be components of a very productive day.

As your testosterone levels dwindle during the day, you may find yourself just more lethargic in the evenings and this is perfectly normal; so if you can find the best ways to biohack your body by rearranging your schedule to get those big goals knocked out of the way in the morning, you may find that suddenly your more productive and noticing better results. Your body will replenish those levels in the evening and over-night when you sleep. Alissa Vitti, with MyFLo, even stated during an interview with Dr. Emily, host of Sex with Emily, that things like late night sex may actually be kind of detrimental to your next day as all that testosterone that could have been used for the next day has been spent.

            It may sound a little far-fetched, trying to rearrange your schedule to be respective of your testosterone levels. Your after-work gym sessions may be working just fine, or you don’t have the ability to go at 6am; but just like we talked in Week 4-6 with the gut flora and how important it is to eat to feed your probiotics, if you pay attention and respect these “little” things that actually control way more of your body than you’d think, your body may react in amazing ways you never knew were possible, just by making these tiny tweaks. 

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            So how do you keep those testosterone levels in check and why is it important. Well let’s start with what happens when you don’t have high enough levels. Fatigue, low sex drive, thinning hair, or even loss of muscle could be indicators that you have a hormonal imbalance and too low of testosterone levels. On the other hand, if you have too much testosterone that can also be a problem! If you look at body builders who are taking steroids or lots of supplements, their muscles may be getting bigger but so is the amount of adult acne they may be having. Acne along with dramatic mood swings, increased breast tissue, and lowered sperm count can also be signs of too much testosterone.

Now the great thing is, there are natural ways to get back into balance! Working out is actually a fantastic way to regulate your hormones, especially if you have the availability to workout in the morning when your hormone levels are at their highest! Rudy Mawer, MSc wrote a piece stating that eating enough of all of your macros (proteins, carbs and fats), minimizing stress, plenty of sunshine and sleep can all help moderate your testosterone levels.

The really cool things about the suggestions he makes is that these all work with everything we have been talking about for the last 23 weeks! Keeping your health in check and taking proactive steps in all of these other aspects of your life will simultaneously help to keep your hormones balanced and helping you really be in that masculine energy and space! 

 

 Watch Hormone And Endocrine System Video

Healthy Hormones (Women)

 

 Normally, I am of the belief that what is good for the goose is good for the gander. Health is universal- we ALL need more water, eat more veggies,  and get enough exercise… At this point, you know the drill. However, when it comes to our hormones, we are drastically different, we men and women. Men have a 24-hour cycle, women have a 28-DAY cycle. Men are controlled by testosterone, and women are estrogen and progesterone ran. (Although both genders also have all 3, they are obviously in different quantities.)

            A “one-size-fits-all” mentality doesn’t work in this scenario, as we are so drastically different: the times of day we have our biggest spike of energy or when we are the most mentally productive, the list goes on! So, this week we are going to do things a little differently and addressing each properly, so you can get the best information to suit your body!

            Ladies let’s start where this story has to, with our menstrual cycle. We have been led to believe our whole lives that PMS, terrible periods, headaches, mood swings, acne, cramping… the whole lot is just a part of being a women and we just have to live with that. But I have had a life-changing, revolutionary app come into my life recently, and being the week of hormones, I feel it is of germane importance that I need to share this information. Please know we are unaffiliated, but I have recommended this to all of the women in my life and we have all noticed wonderful changes in our moods, periods, and all the other fun business that comes with being a women.

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Every week I do lots of research, find multiple sources, and talk with our nutritionist so as to get you the best information I can, but this week I want to recommend you to the women and the app that has spent YEARS researching just this topic. Why recreate the wheel when the experts have already made a car? MyFlo app and website will change your life. Alissa Vitti is the creator of the app, and I would like to direct you to her phenomenal work: Flo Living - Natural Healthcare for Your Female Hormones. Every time I look at this website, I learn something new. Much of her philosophy is eating your way to hormonal health through each phase of your cycle. One of the things I have found so wonderful about her work is how much it will correlate with what we have already talked about these last 23 weeks. Eat lots of fruits, make sure you are getting enough probiotics, and good carbs are all concepts she covers- which we are already doing! This just gives a little more direction as to which weeks you should maybe step up the green juice and which week sprouted bread is going to be your BFF. 

Our menstrual cycles are composed of more than just ovulating and a few weeks later we start our periods. There are actually 4 phases of our cycles: follicular, ovulation, luteal and menstrual. During each of these phases our body goes through shockingly drastic phases hormonally. Our estrogen levels change dramatically throughout this 28-day, or however long your cycle is. Sometimes we have a high levels of estrogen right after the egg has passed and it can lead to us experiencing PMS symptoms. Other times when estrogen levels are low we can have mood swings, hot flashes, fatigue and even depression; so creating the hormonal balance is so important. Even odd things that would seem like they weren’t related such as hair loss or UTIs can be an indicator of a hormonal imbalance. 

 Supports Healthy Hormones - Learn More

            The reason I have liked this app so much is because their whole goal is to help us women find a balance and lead an amazing life totally in-sync. As much as we may not like to admit it, our cycles have a lot of say in our lives. But when we can embrace those internal changes and then use it to our benefit, imagine not only what we could accomplish but also how good we can feel through the whole process! It’s been wonderful to learn little hacks, like we most likely experience cramps when our progesterone levels are low and the fix for that can be as simple as upping our B6 intake! So, some B-Complex and a nice salmon dish can help stave off cramps! The whole point of this Health Marathon is to feel good, inside and out. To not let our health hold us back from the things we want to do, and especially as women, our hormones really have to be included in that change!

            Do yourself a favor and download the app, even if you’re not tracking for period or pregnancy, the information provided for each phase of our cycle, which affects everyone of us for LITERALLY YEARS regardless of when/if we are/want to be mommies. A sweet potato today could be the different between a good and bad mood! (And yes, this is a real thing! The luteal phase needs root veggies to help process extra estrogen that can lead to a sour disposition!)

 

Watch Hormone and Endocrine System Video

Stop Letting Carbs Hold You Back

 

 

Okay, so we have spent the last two weeks discussing two of the three macronutrients your body has to have to even function, and this week we are talking about the third: CARBS!!! Here’s the cavate: when talking about eating healthy carbohydrates, this rarely (aka never) refers to things like Naan bread or French baguettes, and I’m mostly saying this for my benefit.

               Carbohydrates are composed of sugar, starch, and fiber. The important delineation we have to make here is between simple and complex carbohydrates. Now simple carbs are just sugar and are most naturally found in milk. However, these simple carbohydrates are often added to our foods and are not healthy for us. Think soda, cookies, cereal, or any sweetener like corn syrup.

               One of the biggest mistakes we made as a whole is assuming carbs come from things like breads, pastas, cereals, cookies… pretty much anything from wheat we assume is a carb. Although this is partially correct, real carbohydrates are so much more than that. They are a more complex food. Oats, carrot, prunes, squashes, and beets are all carbohydrates (and healthy versions at that). Many fruits and berries are also considered great source to get your carbohydrates from. Berries, bananas, apples, grapefruit, and oranges are all excellent choices. (If you look back to week 12, you can also get a quick refresher on all the other health benefits you gain from eating lots of fruits!) These complex carbs are often high in fiber and chock full of dense, rich nutrients.  

            Carbs, like many other foods, have many bad rumors circulating about as to how they are bad for your health, or you need to be on a low-carb diet. But like we discussed last week, sometimes the reason a “trend” starts was misguided. We don’t eat fat because it makes us fat. We don’t eat carbs for the same reason. However, carbs are one of three of the most important nutrients your body needs to survive! Just as too much protein can lead to kidney problems, too many unhealthy carbs can also lead to weight gain. The key here, I say again for the umpteenth time, is moderation and being conscientious of what you are consuming. If you reach the point where you have actually started gaining weight because you ate too many carrots and apples, please call me, I have questions.

               So, what do carbs do: they provide us energy!! When you’re not consuming enough carbs, your body will start using your stored proteins as fats for energy, but your body needs both for other uses. As we discussed a couple of weeks ago, when you have muscle, it will burn more calories literally just sitting than anything else. Yes, when losing weight, you will want your body to tap into those reserves, but on a normal basis, let those proteins build muscle and eat those whole carbs! These carbohydrates break down into glucose and move into your bloodstream to provide us energy. Medical News Today also says that “The brain uses 20–25% of a person’s glucose when they are at rest and is reliant on a constant supply.” For obvious reasons, it’s germane our brain gets enough fuel to in turn run every single process in our bodies! 

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Now maybe you have noticed when you eat a carb heavy meal you may have a burst of energy for a while and then c r a s h. This happens when we consume “empty” carbs meaning there is no real nutritional value to them- your body still releases insulin into your blood to process the glucose, but shortly thereafter any nutrients these foods had has been absorbed into your muscles and cells and that glucose is gone. At this point, your blood, however, is still left with all that insulin and none of the sugar, leading to hypoglycemia. Suddenly you’re feeling sluggish and tired. The easiest way to keep this from happening is to eat more nutrient dense carbohydrates. Donuts, pancakes, practically anything made from white flour (pasta, breads, cereals) will give you that quick energy high and then leave you feeling lackadaisical for the rest of the afternoon.

               Now I am fully aware that substitutions for your favorite snack foods never taste the same. But that’s kind of the point isn’t it? When we have been eating one way for some long, we have trained our taste buds to only like that flavor. When we eat nothing but foods that have a lot of chemicals, MSG, and sugars in them it will take a while to retrain your palette to like more natural foods. This is normal, and if you want to live a healthier life then it’s also very important to remember throughout the process.

               Let’s take a Sunday morning breakfast for example. If you are used to eating pancakes made from a pre-made mix and topped off with maple syrup (who’s most common ingredient is high fructose corn syrup) and chocolate chips- an alternative may never fully live up to that. But here’s the fun part, once you start eating as close to nature as possible and for long enough, suddenly those things you found so good for such a long time no longer have their same appeal. Switch that pre-made pancake mix for a whole wheat flour made with farm fresh eggs and then top that pancake off with a nut butter and local honey (maybe even throw in some dark chocolate chips for fun) and you may be AMAZED how delicious that can be.  And the best part, you won’t have the crash at about 11am you might normally feel on Sundays.

               The biggest thing to remember through all of this is that health is a lifestyle. It’s unfortunate but true that eating unhealthily, not exercising and an overall laissez-faire outlook on your health will never let you feel amazing. But that’s why you’re 23 weeks deep into a health marathon- because you care. You do want to live a good, healthy life, you do want to feel vibrant and not allow your body to hold you back! And for that I commend you, it’s not an easy task and it’s something you have to make a dedicated effort to every single day. But in the end, the reward is so worth it. So, eat those carbs, enjoy your life and maybe next time you want to have a little cheat meal maybe chose whole wheat!

 

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