Belly Fat
Out of all the hormonal change symptoms for women 40 and up, belly fat is the number 1 most hated.
Why?
It’s hard to reverse
It feels unfair
It seems to happen overnight
It sucks to inhabit a body you no longer recognize
Our society tells us that belly fat is not desirable
So what is going on and can we make it go away?
Estrogen is a highly valued hormone in the human body. Rightly so, as it is responsible for over 400 different aspects of health.
Fortunately, we live longer than our ancestors, but this means we also outlive our ovarian production of estrogen. In fact, many of us will live almost 1/2 of our entire lifespan after menopause!
The body is innately intelligent. Once the ovaries stop ovulating each month, the vast majority of estrogen dissipates. However, the body seems to have come up with a solution!
Estrogen can also be made from converting testosterone, and it does this most effectively in belly fat tissue.
While we might not like the aesthetic of this, you have to admit, pretty smart reverse engineering, no?
While 100% of this may not reverse, this is what can help minimize belly fat . . .
Bioidentical hormone replacement - especially estrogen and testosterone
Down-regulate the aromatase enzyme (this is the enzyme that converts testosterone to estrogen). It tends to be more active in those with metabolic syndrome/insulin resistance.
Chrysin, zinc, nettles, damiana, grape seed, green tea/EGCG, resveratrol, licorice root, flavonoids from fruit and veggies, anti-inflammatories
Strength training - this preserves/builds muscle mass. The more muscle you have, the less fat you have.
Increase protein intake
Get your thyroid levels and gut microbiome tested. Low thyroid function or lack of gut microbiome diversity can lead to weight gain.
Consider intermittent fasting
You don’t need to eat perfectly, but you need to be honest with yourself on your eating habits. Just because you were able to overindulge in pizza or bread in younger years, does not mean you will be able to do that now. Using an app like My Fitness Pal for a period of time can give you a sense of true food intake.
Thank your body for its innate intelligence, creating a secondary way to produce estrogen to help you live longer and healthier!
💕
Dr. Laura Neville