This is a very common complaint in perimenopausal women. Even women who haven’t had weight issues suddenly seem to be packing it on for no apparent reason.  Some say that every little thing you did (ate) throughout your life catches up and sits on your belly/hips. However there are often hidden problems within the body that contribute, such as

  • Syndrome X – a chemical imbalance making your body store fat
  • Liver dysfunction – the liver stops breaking down fats efficiently and becomes fatty itself, love the liver and the weight will drop off
  • Under active thyroid – slowing metabolism
  • Incorrect hormone treatment
  • Stress eating
  • Lack of exercise

So before you berate yourself for gaining a little excess weight it may be well worth booking an appointment to see if any of these conditions are affecting your body and contributing to hormonal weight gain.

Lets look a little closer at Syndrome X

It begins simply with insulin resistance.  The body in time becomes resistant to the effects of it’s own insulin. The body tries to compensate by producing even more insulin, resulting in excessive blood insulin levels.

High insulin levels are undesirable because
  1. Insulin stores fat – converting excess carbs into fat
  2. Insulin suppresses fat burning hormones – thus stops you from burning fat
  3. High insulin levels make you hungry – and you will crave carbohydrates
High insulin levels may result in
  1. High LDL cholesterol
  2. High levels of triglycerides
  3. Blockage and hardening of arteries
  4. Fluid retention
  5. Elevated blood pressure
  6. Unstable blood sugar levels

How do we overcome Syndrome X?

Simply by changing the way you eat. By:

  1. Eating first class proteins three times a day and between meals if snacking
  2. Be careful with carbohydrates
  3. Fill your plate with two thirds of salad and vegetables and eat plenty of fruits
  4. Eat healthy fats at every meal
  5. Supplement considerations – magnesium, chromium, carnitine, lipoic acid and bitter melon
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