Oestrogen – friend or foe?

Both is the correct answer! Oestrogen is known as the female sex hormone and is produced in the ovaries. Men do produce it in the testes but in much smaller amounts. There are three different types of oestrogen, which perform over 400 different functions within our bodies.

This article will discuss how oestrogen affects the female body and how balancing this vital hormone through diet and exercise can reduce body fat levels, increase energy and improve your health! All 3 types of oestrogen derive from a hormone called progesterone; this is another female sex hormone, which prepares the uterus for the reception and development of the fertilized egg. Oestrogen has the following positive effects on the female body:

• Increases your metabolism
• Keeps your skin supple
• Helps you sleep
• Keeps your hair full and healthy
• Helps maintain the density of your spine
• Reduces depression and anxiety
• Regulates the menstrual cycle

The above functions are all required for ongoing health and vitality. As a girl turns into a woman through puberty, natural levels of oestrogen increase which allows the growth of breasts and the shaping of thighs and buttocks. At around the age of 35, your natural levels of oestrogen will gradually start to decline, which can often be the cause of weight gain issues as well as hot flushes.

Problems arise when your natural levels of oestrogen drops (at around about 35 years old) however through poor diet and lifestyle choices, you fill your body up with chemicals which mimic the female hormone oestrogen. Alcohol, poor quality meats and plastics are classic oestrogen mimics which reek havoc within the female body.

Your body has to deal with two issues here:

1. a drop in your natural levels of oestrogen from the ovaries as you get older.

2. an increase in mimic oestrogens which your liver must neutralise and eliminate because your body does not need them!

This is called oestrogen dominance. This little scenario results in a lack of energy and weight gain! Most women who come to me aiming to lose weight have an issue with oestrogen i.e. their natural levels of oestrogen (which perform all the healthy tasks listed at the top of the article) has dropped but their body is full of mimic oestrogens causing fat storage around the back of the arms and buttocks area.

How do I successfully deal with this…?

I start by taking body fat measurements all over your body and monitor the trends of where you are storing the majority of your fat. I pay particular attention to the back of the arms / front and back of the legs. These areas on the female body are very sensitive to oestrogen. I will compare these areas to other body parts and determine whether you have an issue with oestrogen which is likely to be causing your fat storage and lack of energy. I tackle this issue from three angles:

• A nutrition plan – The inclusion of high quality meats / fish, herbs/spices aswell as cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage and kale.

• An exercise programme – A programme including a mix of resistance training and cardiovascular exercise will be designed for you based on your hormonal imbalances discovered within your body fat assessment.

• Supplements – I use some select herbal-based supplements which naturally help to neutralise excess and unwanted oestrogens within your body.

Like with any health related issue, balance is the key word. To be lean and healthy as a female, you need a balanced level of oestrogen. This hormone plays a vital role in how efficient your body is at burning body fat and how much energy you have. It is really important that you follow some basic guidelines (which don’t need to take over your life) to guarantee healthy weight loss and ongoing vitality!