A few weeks ago, I discussed how hormones can significantly impact your weight, especially after menopause, and how estrogen therapy can help reduce fat and improve insulin sensitivity. To improve your health and quality of life, it’s vital to understand your hormone replacement options. Estrogen supplementation can alleviate menopausal symptoms and help you maintain a leaner figure. Simultaneously, it’s crucial to understand the role your hunger hormone, leptin, plays in weight gain after menopause.
Bio-identical transdermal estrogen
Large clinical trials have verified that natural estrogens effectively alleviate menopausal symptoms. When taken as cream or troches instead of pills, natural estrogen (compounded estriol plus estradiol) can curb symptoms of estrogen deficiency. It’s typically taken alongside progesterone for heart health and cancer-reducing benefits.
Numerous studies have shown that natural estrogen offers various long-term health benefits, including:
- Preventing memory loss and reducing Alzheimer’s disease risk
- Decreasing the risk of cardiovascular disease
- Treating and preventing osteoporosis (strengthening bones)
- Reducing the risk of breast cancer when added to natural progesterone
Estrogen indirectly helps reduce abdominal fat and encourages lean muscle development through exercise. It enhances sexual desire, increases physical stamina, improves positive mood and enthusiasm, and contributes to brain, joint, and immune system health.
Leptin, the “feel full” hormone
Leptin is the satiety hormone that suppresses your appetite. Fat cells primarily produce it, but it is also found in skeletal muscle, bone, stomach, ovaries, and breasts. Is there a way to harness this hormone to help turn off hunger more quickly?
Unfortunately, most overweight people and those who regain weight quickly after losing it have leptin resistance. Studies suggest that these individuals’ appetites are not effectively suppressed.
Chronic fructose consumption can cause leptin resistance, even before excess weight, elevated leptin, insulin, or blood sugar levels become an issue. Notably, this refers to processed fructose, as consuming fructose-containing fruits has no negative implications due to their fiber and micronutrient content.
Exposure to toxins may also lead to leptin resistance and exacerbate weight gain. To reduce leptin resistance, consider adopting the following dietary changes:
- Avoid eating after dinner and eat dinner before 6 pm whenever possible. Don’t eat a big meal and then sit before bed.
- Eat three meals per day to optimize your leptin feedback loop.
- Eat healthy meals slowly, giving your brain time to register what you’ve already consumed.
- For breakfast, eat high protein (e.g., eggs, plain yogurt), healthy oil-infused smoothies, and fruits with complex carbs like oatmeal.
- Closely monitor your consumption of simple carbs (breads, sweets, sweet juices, etc.). Eat these sparingly and always alongside one or more vegetable or fruit servings.
- Incorporate plenty of healthy oil in your diet, such as omega-3-rich coconut, olive, avocado, flax, and krill oils. Avoid omega-6 rich processed meats, canola oil, and trans-fat-containing deep-fried foods.
These changes can improve your mood, sleep quality, energy levels, and, if overweight, cause gradual weight loss within a couple of weeks.
Bulletproof coffee and diet
The bulletproof coffee and diet concept may have merit. Simply put, it involves the addition of fat (preferably healthy oil, but butter is commonly used) to your morning coffee. This is thought to work because fat gives you a full feeling due to its higher calorie content per gram than sugar or protein, thus providing a leptin effect. The bulletproof diet limits fructose and toxins and reduces food rewards and cravings, potentially resetting leptin levels and resulting in “effortless” weight loss.
However, this diet may not be solely responsible for such effects. A seven-year study found that a high-fat diet helped participants lose more weight than a low-fat diet. The key to a healthy high-fat diet lies in distinguishing between healthy and unhealthy fats, with the Mediterranean diet offering an ideal template.
In conclusion, learning to manage hormones can significantly enhance your health and well-being. In a future article, I will discuss specific herbs known to help with leptin resistance.
