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Hormones & Metabolism
Hormones are the messengers between different cells and systems in your body. They relay
messages to your cells which respond by changing their chemical processes. Some regulate
“rebuilding” of your body; some regulate “using” of your body. To remain healthy and have a
healthy metabolism, the “using” and “rebuilding” hormones must stay in balance. In order for your
body to make hormones, you must eat the foods that have the necessary “raw material” for your
body to create those hormones.
Like everything else in your body, all hormones are related to all other hormones, and react and
interact with one another. If one hormone, or hormonal system, goes out of balance, they will all
go out of balance. Sometimes as we age, our bodies lose the ability to make a certain hormone,
and in order to be balanced, we must replace it with the bio-identical hormone we can no longer
produce naturally.
In terms of weight loss:
 Hormones determine calories burned (fat v sugar)
 Determine calories eaten (cravings and willpower)
 Explain individual responses to weight loss programs
Any diet that is high or low in a macronutrient (protein, carbs or fat) is hormonally unstable.
 High carb, low fat or low protein diets increase insulin, increase fat storage, increase
inflammation and depress the immune system.
 Low carb diets increase cortisol, increase fat storage, increase inflammation
 Low carb diets depress thyroid function
 Low fat low calories diets turn OFF your metabolism and cannibalize your muscles.
Hormonally, you are only as good as your last meal!
Insulin: stores carbs as glycogen and as fat
Carbs raise insulin
It is normal to develop insulin resistance as we age. However, while it is normal for a 90 year old
to be insulin-resistance, it is NOT normal for a 30, 40 or 50 year old to be. That is a lifestyle
issue, not an aging or genetic issue.
Insulin resistance can occur either when the system is overloaded with sugars over time, or when
it is deprived of adequate proteins and fats.
When insulin levels are too high for too long, the result is a physiology that promotes excessive
body-fat gain, as well as infection, inflammation and all the chronic degenerative diseases of
aging: arthritis, cancer, cholesterol abnormalities, heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, etc.
We acquire prolonged high insulin levels through aging, but also through stress, dieting, caffeine,
alcohol, tobacco, steroids, lack of exercise, recreational drugs, excessive thyroid replacement
therapy. OTC and RX drugs, and most important, a diet high in carbs and deficient in proteins
and fats.
Glucagon: “spending’ or breaking down hormone; tells body to break down fat
Is inhibited by high levels of insulin
Is stimulated by protein intake
Grehlin: hormone produced by stomach to tell you you’re hungry; a food-intake-stimulating signal
Stimulates appetite
Fiber lowers grehlin to indicate satiety; increase fiber during day to keep low
Ideally should be low during day and high at night for HGH production, immune response
and cardioprotective effects; stop eating 3 hours before bed for most benefits
Leptin: controls hunger and tells body whether or not it should burn or store fat
Goal is to restore leptin sensitivity (similar to insulin sensitivity) so that receptors can “hear” it at
lower levels.
If leptin drops it triggers hunger
Obese people are “leptin-resistant” so mechanism no longer works naturally to control hunger
Leptin levels fall as you lose weight, stimulating more hunger and more eating.
Leptin levels are up to 7x higher in obese people than lean people
Cortisol
Our goal is to restore the natural cortisol rhythm
Cortisol increases during fasting and during stress, as well as with long intense exercise.
Chronic high cortisol levels are associated with central obesity
High cortisol favors fat deposition and a higher set point for body fat
Cortisol induces insulin resistance
Always remember: it is worse to lose weight or keep weight off by doing the wrong things
than it is to be overweight and working on the right things! When your metabolism is
balanced and healthy you WILL burn fat and lose weight. First focus on healing your
metabolism and getting it to work optimally, and you will be healthy, live longer without
disease AND start burning off fat.
Fran Sussman Holistic Health
www.fransussman.com
845-496-0385
Strengthening the Body, Mind & Spirit Since 1993